Children are drawn to digital screens like flies to honey. Given that adults are equally captivated by their devices, it’s no wonder children struggle to detach from the bright-colored screens. The play areas are not easily available in our closely packed concrete world. This becomes a challenge for adults to keep the kids away from the digital world. Are you worried about their health and social interactions? Fret not, get them hooked on the world of fun indoor games. 

Indoor games offer a safe and controlled environment for children to learn and grow. Get them the respective toys, ready-made game sets, and board games to encourage them to off-screen playtime. 

Spending time with your kids during their playtime strengthens your bond. To balance kids’ overall health and growth, we have categorized all the fun indoor games into 3 types. Use DIY techniques given in the blog to get more creative and indulge in their world.

Fun Indoor Games & DIY Methods

1. Brain teasers

Benefits

These are the games that require mental power, reasoning, concentration skills, and cognitive skills. Thus they help improve problem-solving, spatial reasoning, linguistic skills, cognitive development, concentration, and hand-eye coordination.

List of Games

• Jigsaw puzzles
• Word games
• Crossword puzzles
• Reading Relays
• Word Bingo
• Character Charades
• Reading Scavenger Hunt
• Story building

DIY – How to Play

Start with puzzles that are age-appropriate and gradually increase the difficulty level. Encourage your child to sort the pieces by color, design or shape. Show them your approach to solving the puzzles. Try not to instruct your kids at every step. These acts inspire their creative and original thinking. Celebrate their accomplishments as they complete the puzzle. Here are some instant DIY brain teasers.

Jigsaw Puzzles

Items required –

paper, pencil, ruler, color pencils, cardboard sheets, scissors or knife, printed images, glue

Method –

1. Print some images based on the age of your kids. For example, Use images of fruits, flowers, or any things available at home for kids up to 3 to 4 years old; Use images of people, and sceneries for kids above 5; and so on.
2. You can draw images on white paper or cardboard sheets using a pencil, ruler, and color pencils. You can collect some newspaper image cut-outs. You can use children’s drawings too.
3. Paste these printouts, newspaper cut-outs, or hand-drawn images onto the cardboard sheets and let them dry.
4. Using the pencil and ruler, draw grid lines on the images. Add interlocking tabs and slots. If you are unsure, try copying it from the printed online samples.
5. Cut the cardboard sheet exactly as per the previously marked shapes.
6. Give these pieces to kids to solve. Ask them to describe the image after completing the puzzle.

Word puzzles

Items required –

cardboard sheet, pen, ruler, scissors or knife, marker, a printout of the alphabet (If needed)

Method –

1. Draw grid lines using the pencil and ruler on the cardboard.
2. Write the alphabet in each grid block using the marker. You can glue a printout of the alphabet on the cardboard sheet. Create 3 to 4 sets of each letter if possible.
3. Cut the sheet as per the grid lines into letter pieces.
4. Use the rules of a crossword puzzle game if you don’t want to work much. 
5. Otherwise, assign points to each letter of the alphabet blocks based on the rarity of the letter’s usage. For example, letters like z and x are used in fewer words. So assign them 4 and 5 points respectively. Assign 1 point to vowels. Assign 2 points to frequent letters like s, c, d, n, g, etc. 
6. If you find it hard to assign the points, copy the points assigned to each letter in a crossword puzzle board game from the internet.
7. To start the game, shuffle all the letter pieces and place them on a flat surface in an orderly fashion (based on the players’ comfort). Ensure that the letters are hidden.
8. Each player randomly picks the cards.   
9. Ensure that each player gets an equal number of cards.
10. Let them form words using those letter pieces similar to a crossword puzzle. One must not form words in a diagonal or reverse manner. Words formed horizontally and vertically are accepted. 
11. After the first player forms a word, the next one should form a word using at least one letter from the previous player.
12. When a player forms a word, the total sum of all the points of the letters in that word becomes the player’s score. For example, player 1 formed the word ‘cat’. The points assigned be – C(2) A(1) T(3). The total sum = 2+1+3 = 6 points. Thus the score of the player is 6.
13. Note the score for every word and sum it up once the game ends.
14. End the game when all letters are used up or no more words can be formed.
15. The winner is the one with the highest score.

Word games

Items required –

Book, pen, white paper

Method –

Provide kids with a sheet of plain paper, and a pen. Ask them to play anagram using a set of given scrambled letters.  Word building and letter building can also be played with a pen and paper.

Story building

Items required –

Pencil, glue, cardboard sheet, scissors or a knife, sketches or any coloring items, a printout of images (if available).

Method –

1. Cut out the cardboard sheet into blocks of chosen size (card size is recommended).
2. Draw images on each cardboard cutout with the pencil. Get creative or simple based on the kids’ age. Let kids get creative in filling in the colors in the drawings.
3. Shuffle and distribute the cards equally among kids.
4. Give them a set of 3 random cards with images.
5. Let them build a story based on those images.
6. Record them as they narrate their stories. Ask them to write the story if possible.
7. This adds to their fun childhood memories.

2. Strategy Games

Benefits

In strategy games, players primarily rely on planning and decision-making to achieve victory, rather than quick reflexes or luck. These fun indoor games often involve complex systems, resource management, and outsmarting opponents. Board games fall under this category. They enhance cognitive skills, teach turn-taking, develop strategic thinking, teamwork, and collaboration, and foster social interaction, empathy, and understanding.

List of Games

• Monopoly or Business 
• Carroms
• Chess or Chaturanga
• Nine Men Morris or Navakankari
• Lambs and Tigers
• Chauka Baara or Ashtachemma

DIY – How to Play

You can build your own games with the rules you are ok with. Choose from various themes like sea voyage, space faring, urban life, fantasy forests, coding world (similar to animation movie Wreck it Ralph), Fairy world, Deep sea diving, Interstellar travel, Alien Wars, etc. Further detailed explanation for each strategy game will be provided in another article here.

Territory game is for children above 12 years. Encourage them into creating the board, and gathering the game pieces. Dive into the world of territorial clashes and taxes through this.

Territory game

Items required –

Pencil, marker, ruler, map printout, 3 to 4 sets of game pieces based on player’s choice (anything like shells, tamarind seeds, eraser pieces, coins, nuts, stones, twig pieces, buttons, etc.), dice, pen, paper, cardboard sheet, Game tokens (which represents the player)

Method –

1. Draw 3 to 4 maps on a plain chart (or poster paper). Let it be a map with cities, mountains, water sources, forests, or villages (can be sourced from online). 
2. Mark these locations as territories, and name them. 
3. Mark a ‘start point’ before the first territory.
4. Draw a forbidden island with sea beasts around it. This is called the forbidden-island territory on the map.
5. Add an ‘underground-territory’ after the first half of the pathway and a ‘fun-territory’ at the end of the pathway. 
6. Connect all these territories with curved pathways. Diversions can also be added based on your creativity. 
7. Draw a dungeon cell in one corner of the map. This is isolated from all the territories.
8. Stick this map to the cardboard sheet.
9. Make a list of these territories and their resources. The resources can be any of these – army, architecture, trade centers, mines, water sources, food sources, research centers, and arts and literature centers.
10. Use a dice to choose the number of resources a place can have. Fix an appropriate set of resources for each territory based on its location.
11. Prepare a card for each territory on the map. Give the stat points up to 12 to each resource. The stat points can be fixed by rolling 2 dice together.
12. Based on the stat points, set a price for renting, loaning, and selling these territories.
13. A guild exists in the game which oversees the flow of money. Use a small cardboard box for guild.
14. Prepare money cards. Use the Monopoly game as a reference here. Guild acts as bank.
15. Let there be as many game pieces as the territories on the map. For example, each player gets 14 game pieces if there are 14 territories on the map.
16. Arrange game tokens for all the players. If there are 4 players there will be 4 game tokens, one for each. 
17. All the game tokens are placed at the start point before commencing the game. 
18. The Game token represents the player. He moves the token along the pathway based on the number rolled on the dice. For example, a player in the start position rolls 6 on the dice, he moves his game token to territory 6.
19. The Player places his game piece in the “unoccupied” territory to mark it as his. He pays half the territory price to the guild.
20. If player 2 moves to the territory of player 1, he rents or buys the place based on the negotiations.
21. In the above case, if player 1 demands a high price or denies to sell, player 2 can wage a war based on his total army points. The total army points of a player equals ‘the sum of army stat points on all territory cards acquired’ thus far. 
22. The player with more total army points wins the war. 
23. The player with the territory can double his total army points by paying half the territory price to the guild.
24. The players at war can also negotiate and join other players against the one waging the war. 
25. The player winning the war also loses his army points. The army stat points lost by him equals his opponent’s army points. The war-winner pays 25% of the territory’s price to the guild if he is the one who started the war.
26. The war-loser hands over the territory card to the winner if he is the owner of the territory over which the war is waged.
27. No matter who started the war, the war-loser pays half the selling price of the territory over which the war is waged.
28. If he refuses to pay the war price, he stays in the dungeon cell losing his next 5 turns. After resuming the game, he must pay 5% of the lost territory’s price to the guild.
29. Any player who falls in the forbidden-territory can move to the next territory only if he rolls 6 on his dice. Guild pays 10-20% of its wealth after he moves out of the forbidden island.
30. A player entering the dangerous and fun territories pays the guild 10% and 5% of his money respectively. 
31. The game can be ended in multiple ways. For example, if one of the players goes bankrupt, if a player loses all his stat points, or if a player traces the map at least 5 times.
32. Once the game ends, the one with more territories or stat points is victorious. 
33. Forming the rest of the rules and resources is left to your convenience and creativity.

Party games

Benefits

Physical aspects of the party indoor games involve fitness and flexibility, while cognitive aspects enhance spontaneity, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities. Additionally, they foster social skills like teamwork, cooperation, sharing, and communication. From the numerous games, we bring you a selected few that promote overall development.

List of Games

• Dance party
• Hopscotch
• Target games or shooting games
• Role-playing games
• Musical chairs
• Obstacle course
• Simon says
• Animal races
• Bean bag race
• Pillow toss
• Hide and seek indoors

DIY – How to Play

Creating games on our own makes us creative. Doing the same with friends and family becomes exciting and rewarding. These DIY games encourage creativity, social bonding, and resourcefulness.

Cardboard Fort:

Items required –

Cardboard boxes, blankets, clothes, chairs, tables, mats, clips, pins, ropes, hangers etc.

Method –

1. Transform ordinary cardboard boxes into a magical kingdom or a secret hideout.
2. Let your child’s imagination run wild as they decorate and furnish their fort with all the other items collected.
3. Be as creative as possible with the household items in building them.
4. Let kids roleplay after building castles, forts, camps, hideouts, forests, or caves.

Balloon Volleyball:

Items required –

Balloon, balloon pump (if available), thread (to tie balloons if needed)

Method –

1. A fun and active game that requires teamwork and coordination. Use a balloon as a ball and create different challenges.
2. Fill the balloons with air or water. Use a balloon pump if you have one.
3. Use the balloon as a volleyball and form teams.
4. Using the volleyball game rules, you can play balloon volleyball.

Scavenger Hunt:

Items required –

Household objects based on the theme of the game (to hide), paper, and pen.

Method –

1. Hide objects around the house and create clues for a thrilling adventure. This game combines physical activity with problem-solving skills.
2. Get creative with clues based on the age of the kids. 
3. Form teams and build a theme. For example, themes like forest, house, mountain, city, or a theme based on the kids’ favourite show.
4. Let the clues build a story based on its theme. This makes the game more interesting.
5. Write down the clues on paper and hand them to teams.
6. The first team to solve all the clues is the winner. All the kids will have a story to share in the end. You can ask them to share their experience and have fun listening to their narrations.

Conclusion

Games satisfy a child’s diverse requirements, from physical exertion to cognitive stimulation. Action-packed indoor games like dance parties and obstacle courses keep little bodies active, while puzzles and word games challenge young minds. Collaborative games to play at home like scavenger hunts and board games foster essential social skills and teamwork. DIY games boost relations along with creativity and imagination.

DIY elements allow parents and teachers to create a unique play experience. Such playtime moments become long-lasting treasure troves in the children’s minds. Crafting homemade board games or building cardboard forts encourages creativity, imagination, and problem-solving. Remember, the key to successful indoor play is creating a fun and engaging atmosphere. Let your child’s imagination soar as they explore the world of off-screen fun indoor games.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are 10 fun indoor games?

Any 10 Fun Indoor Games in the article are as follows

Jigsaw puzzles, word games, crossword puzzles, reading relays, word bingo, character charades, reading games, scavenger hunt, story building, monopoly or business, and chess or chaturanga

What are 5 fun indoor games?

Here are 5 fun indoor games from this article

• Jigsaw puzzles
• Word games
• Dance party
• Musical chairs
• Obstacle course

What are the games to play at home?

The article suggests 3 varieties of games, including several DIY games and how to play them as follows

• Brain teasers: Jigsaw puzzles, word games, crossword puzzles, reading relays, word bingo, character charades, story building, etc.
• Strategy games: Monopoly, chess, carroms, ashtachemma, navakankari, etc.
• Party games: Dance party, DIY scavenger hunt, musical chairs, obstacle course, simon says, animal races, bean bag race, pillow toss, hide and seek indoors, etc.

What are indoor games?

Indoor games are activities or competitions played within a building or enclosed space. They can range from physical games like hide-and-seek to mental challenges like puzzles. These games often provide entertainment, exercise, and opportunities for social interaction.

What are the games for 6-7 year old kids?

For 6-7 year olds, combine physical activity with mental stimulation. Indoor games like hide-and-seek, Simon says, and puzzles are perfect. Encourage creativity with storytelling and role-playing.