The weather outside is frightful and you’re stuck inside with the dreaded cries of “I’m bored!”. Don’t worry, our Cedar Rapids Moms team has put together a list of 20 Tried and True Indoor Boredom Busters to get you through!! Not only will these activities keep your kids entertained, but you may find yourself having some fun too!!
1. Glow Sticks. Turn off the lights and have a glow stick dance party! One of our team members did a glow stick bath with her kids and it was a huge hit!
2. Shaving Cream Play. Put it in a pan and play, or in a ziplock baggie. Add a little food dye in your favorite colors and have some fun. You can also paint in the bathtub with shaving cream…let the kids go to town and then wash the kids and the tub down when you’re done! (Do this with plain shaving cream…adding dye could stain your tub!)
3. Shaving Cream Puffy Paint. Mix equal parts shaving cream and glue together to make your own puffy paint! Add a couple of drops of food dye to make it pretty! Here’s a recipe.
4. Toilet Paper Bowling. Set up some toilet paper rolls, grab a ball, and have some fun!
5. Tape City. Clear a space on your floor, use masking tape to outline a large “city” with blocks and roads, and go to town with legos, blocks, little people, etc. You can build on it for days!
6. Dress Up. Go through your closets and find clothing you can use for dress up! This is especially fun for kids when they get to wear their parents’ clothes or those of their older siblings! For even more fun, create a play, dress up as the characters, and act it out!
7. Play Store. Gather up items around the house that people can shop for. Create money out of paper to shop with. Take turns being the shop keeper and the customer.
8. Make news. Create a fake “newscast” with reporters for weather, sports, and news. Then film it on one of your phones. Your kids will LOVE it.
9. Huckle Buckle Beanstalk. Hide a tiny unusual object in plain sight (like a globe keychain), and everyone has to walk into the room to find it. The first person to figure out where it is has to sit down and say, “Huckle Buckle Beanstalk” and then they get to point out where the object is. Then they get to hide the object next.
10. Building Challenge. Challenge your kids to build something with no plans (like a building, car, amusement park, etc.). Then see what they come up with. This works well with legos!
11. Snow Painting. In the winter, get a large (wide, not deep) container of snow and paint it with water colors! You can also put colored water in a spray bottle and spray the snow!
12. Kinetic Sand. You can pick some up at the store, or make your own.
13. Obstacle Course. Take turns creating an obstacle course or create one together, then see how fast you can complete it!
14. Blanket Fort. This tried and true boredom buster never gets old! Bring in flashlights and books for a fun reading time, or pop some popcorn and watch a movie.
15. Make it a career day. Pick a career and act it out for the day. Some great examples our team has done include being librarians for the day (sorting books, reading aloud, researching books to get at the library), beauticians (having a spa day), veterinarians (caring for stuffed animals), and teachers (teaching siblings or dolls).
16. Puzzles. Put one together that you have around the house, or create your own! Color a design on a piece of paper, then cut it into pieces and put it back together!
17. Make a town. Grab some boxes and tape and create your own town (big boxes for people, small boxes for stuffed animals or toys). Decorate with crayons or markers, stickers, whatever you can find!
18. Scavenger Hunt and Build. Hide legos or puzzle pieces around the house and build as you find them!
19. Play an old-school computer game. Here’s a link to play the original Oregon Trail. You’re welcome.
20. Dance your crazies out. Turn on your favorite music and get your dance on! You can also visit GoNoodle for some fun dance videos and even some yoga!
Want more ideas?! Check out these resources:
11 Sanity Saving Activities for When The Weather Is Bad
6 Easy Rainy Day Activities for Toddlers
5 DIY Flashcard Games
And if you’re looking to get out of the house, check out our Winter Events Calendar!
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