101 Best Indoor Activities for Families [Simple Boredom Busters & Bonding Ideas]

Maybe you’re looking for rainy day activities for families or indoor winter activities for families, or hey, maybe it’s too hot to be out today! Whatever the reason you’re inside at home, we’ve got you covered. These indoor boredom busters and family bonding ideas are sure to get your family connecting in fun ways. With 101 simple indoor activities for families to choose from, there’s an idea here for everyone. Bye-bye boredom!

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When it comes to indoor activities for families, we’ve been able to come up with quite a few. And when I say “we,” know that I’m leaning really heavily on my kids here. In fact, so many of these ideas they thought of and did on their own. Because they’re fun activities for other families to do, we’re sharing them here.

So please do use these ideas, and we really hope they’re helpful when you’re stuck wondering what to do indoors at home or when you’re looking for fun ways to bond as a family. Remember though, sometimes our kids just need a prompt, a nudge, or some quiet time to come up with their own boredom busters. Kids have creativity oozing out of them, and the more they use it, the more it grows.

Several of these indoor boredom busters are great starting points for your family’s creativity, and we hope all of these ideas lead to continued fun, learning, and meaningful connection for your family.

Post this list on your fridge of 101 Indoor Activities for Families, and keep boredom at bay for good!

You can also have the list sent to your inbox for easy access later.

101 Best Indoor Boredom Busters and Activities for Families

These family activities are organized into nine categories:

1. Fitness or Active Indoor Activities for Families
2. Best Indoor Games
3. Imaginative Play Ideas
4. STEM Activities for Families
5. Simple Arts and Crafts Ideas
6. Musical Indoor Activities for Families
7. Drama and Performing Arts Ideas
8. Ideas to Serve or Connect with Others from Home
9. Other Indoor Activities for Families

So, we’ll have A LOT of variety.

These ideas are also great for a wide range of ages, so that your whole family can get involved. Lastly, these are simple indoor activities. You won’t need to buy crazy expensive supplies, and you’ll be able to do these over and over.

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Fitness or Active Indoor Activities for Families

Sometimes when we’re indoors, we all have extra energy saved up. These indoor fitness activities for families will get your bodies moving and your blood pumping.

And just to be safe, don’t do new fitness activities without first checking with your personal physician to make sure it’s safe and you’re healthy enough to participate.

1. Make an indoor gym circuit

Have each person create one fitness station. Stations can be anything related to physical fitness. For example, a station could be lifting milk jugs, practicing head stands, or doing sit-ups.

Have everyone start at a different station. Using a timer, spend about three minutes at the station, and then rotate to the next one.

2. Obstacle course

Create a course and time each person as they go through it. Obstacles can be things like climbing under chairs, doing a hula hoop, climbing up the stairs, walking like a crab, or army crawling. Do the course again, and have everyone try to beat their own time.

3. Balloon volleyball, balloon toss, or balloon stomp

Split into two teams, and use a couch, rope laid on the ground, or another divider as a net. Try to spike the balloon on the ground on your opponent’s side.

For younger kids, work together to hit the balloon up, and keep it in the air for as many consecutive hits as you can.

Balloon stomp: For this game, you’ll need a balloon for each person. Use string to tie the balloon to each person’s ankle. When the game starts, everyone tries to stomp on the other people’s balloons. If your balloon gets popped you’re out of the game.

Last person without a popped balloon wins.

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4. The Great Race Rainy Day Fitness Game

The Great Race is a free printable fitness game. With physical challenges (fitness tasks) and mental challenges (fitness questions), it’s a fun way to get moving and learn a thing or two about being healthy.

5. Garage Fun

Move the car out of the garage and use the concrete for some fun. A few things you could do are roller blade, practice dribbling a basketball, use painter’s tape to make a four square space, or jump rope.

6. Indoor basketball

Basketball is one of our family’s favorite sports, and there’s no reason we can’t play it indoors too. Use rolled up socks for a ball and a garbage can for the hoop, or invest in a quality over the door Mini Indoor Basketball Hoopfor hours of fun.

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7. Choreographed dance or lip sync

Learn a dance together like Thriller (this is a great simple version of the Thriller dance) or Cotton Eye Joe line dance. You can also make-up a line dance together by everyone choosing a four or eight-beat move. String the moves together and repeat throughout the song (preferably a nice, twangy country song. 😉

Alternately, make-up a lip sync to a favorite family song. Record the performance and enjoy watching it over and over.

8. Activity dice

Print the activity dice template. They’ll hold up better if printed on cardstock. Cut, fold, and glue it together as instructed to make a cube.

There’s one with activities that start with j like jump and jiggle. It’s fun to turn on jazz music and move however the dice is rolled.

You can also use the blank activity dice template, and decide together which activities you want to include. Write one activity on each square. Activities could be act like a monkey, do wall-sits for 30 seconds, or do your best dance move.

Another option is to print two templates, one for exercises and one for repetitions. Put numbers on one die and exercises like push-ups, lunges, or sit-ups on the other die. Roll both dice, and do however many repetitions is rolled of the exercise that’s face up.

9. Letter B Olympics

Host your own Olympics with simple activities like bean bag toss, water bottle bowling, and baseball throw. It’s fun to do three rounds of each event so people can practice and improve.

Keep score to practice adding and using numbers in real life. Decide if you want it to be competitive. If so, consider awarding a gold medal. If not, try to beat yourself each round.

You can get more ideas and a free printable scorecard for Letter B Olympics here.

10. Exercise card game

You can use a regular deck of cards for this game, or adjust it for any kind of cards. Choose one activity for each suit like spades are sit-ups, hearts are jumping jacks, diamonds are squats, and clubs are push-ups.

Take turns flipping the top card in the deck. Do the number of repetitions and exercise shown on the card. For example, if you turn over an eight of spades, you’d do eight push-ups.

Add more difficulty with this little twist: if you draw cards of the same suit in a row, you do the combined number of repetitions. So if you draw a four of spades after the eight of spades, you’d do 12 sit-ups.

11. Yoga

Yoga is a great way to tune into the body, relax, and strengthen muscles. While it’s amazing to do yoga on the beach or grass, it’s also a great indoor activity for families.

If you don’t already have a yoga practice you like, you can try a yoga video specifically for kids or yoga for beginners.

12. Exercise video

If you’re ready to go all out and really get some exercise, a workout video at home is a great way to do it. Go Noodle is a helpful resource if you’re looking for movement, active songs, or brain break activities.

13. Dance party

Turn on some of your favorite tunes, and have a family dance party. So easy. So fun.

Best Indoor Games for Families

Classic games create hours of indoor fun. Some of them require you to buy the game and others can be played without specific materials. Here are some of our favorites.

14. Hide and Seek

One person counts while everyone else hides around the house. The last one found is the next person it.

15. Sardines

A simple flip on hide and seek makes Sardines a ton of fun. One person hides while everyone else counts. Then spread out and search. If you find the hidden person, join the hiding spot. As more people found the hider, you might have to squish in like sardines in a can. The last person to find everyone is the next person it.

16. Heads Up!

Hold the phone up to your forehead, where it will show a word. Guess the word as everyone is explaining it. If you get it right, tip the phone forward. If you want to pass, tip it back. See how many points you can earn for your team before time runs out.

Heads Up! is a free app, and you can purchase more categories for words if you want.

17. Family board games

Whether you go for a game night, board game marathon, or just choose one, these board games are really fun indoor activities for families.

• Sorry!
  • This is the game of sweet revenge! 🙂 Work your pawns around the board to home, but watch out because everyone tries to knock each other back to start. Box says for ages six and up, but our younger kids play all the time too.
• Catan
  • Players get resources and try to build civilizations. This used to be called Settlers of Catan. Box suggests ages 10+.
• Labyrinth
  • This is a unique shifting maze game. Figure out how to move the maze in order to be the first to collect all your treasure. There’s also a fun Harry Potter version of Labyrinth. Box suggests ages 7+.

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18. Card games with a regular deck of cards

Pull out the old deck of cards for countless fun games. Here are a few that our kids enjoy. Click each game for directions on how to play.

• Hearts (ages 8+)
  • Try to take the least points in this game of trick-taking.
• Trash (ages 4+)
  • Try to be the first to get all cards Ace to 10.
• King’s Corner (ages 8+)
  • Be the first to get rid of your cards in this solitaire stacking style game.
• Nerts (ages 8+)
  • Each player will need their own deck of cards to play this exciting, fast-paced game.
• Spoons with variations (ages 4+)
  • Be the first to collect a set of four and grab a spoon.

You can find directions here for many more family-friendly card games.

19. Other fun games

These games aren’t strictly board games, nor do they use a regular deck of cards, but they are some of our favorites!

• Codenames
  • Strategically choose a clue to get your team to guess the correct words from the cards at play. Box says ages 14+, but our younger kids (around 10+ play independently), while younger kids might need a bit of help.
• TENZI
  • Each player gets ten dice, and it’s a race to roll the right number. Packaging says ages 7-97, but our four-year-old plays versions of this one.
• UNO
  • When in doubt, we’re playing Uno here. It’s simple for everyone, short enough to play anytime, but you can play several rounds if you have more time. It’s good for practicing numbers and colors for younger kids too. Box says ages 7+. (I don’t know how they decide the ages for these games, but we obviously don’t follow those guidelines around here! 🙂 )
• Telestrations
  • This funny game is a drawing version of the old whispering game of Telephone. More often than not, we all end up laughing. Box says ages 12+. (Should I keep including the ages?!) Again around 8 and older play around here.
• Coup
  • Play is simple, but strategy is a bit tougher in this game. Bluffing and calling other players’ bluffs is key, or just get really lucky with your card draw. Last player in wins. Box says ages 13+.
• Go Fish
  • The youngest family members up enjoy the classic Go Fish. Collect families of fish to win. Box says ages 3+.

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20. Fish bowl game

Everyone writes five names (or more if you decide) on slips of paper. Fold the papers, and put them in a basket, bowl, or fish bowl. 🙂 Split into two teams, and take turns.

One player at a time will try to get their teammates to guess the names until time runs out (usually one minute for round 1 & 2 and 30 seconds for round 3). Score one point for every name guessed correctly.

The first round, use words to describe the person or name you’re trying to get your team to guess. The first round ends when every player has had a turn. At the end of the round, take out any names that weren’t used and put the used names back in the bowl.

The second round, act without words or sounds. The round ends when all the names have been acted. At the end of the round, return the names to the bowl.

The third round, say only one word. Again, the round ends when all the names have been used. At the end of three rounds, the team with the most points wins.

21. Marbles or Jacks

Give these classic games a try.

To play Marbles, tape a circle on the ground, and put the small marbles in the middle. Take turns using the large shooter marble to knock the small marbles out of the circle. Add any marbles that cross outside of the circle to your own pile. When the circle is empty, the player with the most marbles wins.

There are different variations of Jacks. A common version is played by spreading out the ten jacks on the floor.

The first player throws the bouncy ball in the air, picks up one jack, and uses the same hand to catch the ball after it has bounced only once. If a player can do this repeatedly until all ten jacks have been picked up, they move on to round two, “twosies,” and it’s the next player’s turn. If not, it’s the next person’s turn, and the player will repeat round one on their next turn.

Players try to pick up the jacks one at a time, then two at a time, then three at a time, then four at a time, etc. The winner is the first player to pass all ten rounds.

You can see examples of how to play Jacks here.

With both of these games, be aware of choking hazards for small children.

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22. Video Games

Sometimes video games get a bad rap, but they can also be a really fun bonding experience for families when everyone plays together.

23. Memory games

Memory games are good for all of us and fun to play together.

Classic Matching Memory: The classic matching memory game is played by laying all the cards out face down. Take turns drawing two cards and looking for matches. You can find games with various themes like Disney Classic Characters Matching Memory Game or Eric Carle Memory Matching Game.

We also have several free printable memory matching games here on the blog. Here are links to some of them:

• D Alphabet Picture Clues for Memory Matching
• F Alphabet Picture Clues for Memory Matching
• I Alphabet Picture Clues for Memory Matching
• V Alphabet Picture Clues for Memory Matching
• Numbers for Memory Matching

Platter Recall: Another fun memory game is played by having one person gather 10-20 random objects from around the house. Put the objects on a platter or cookie sheet and cover with a kitchen towel. Show the objects to everyone for 30 seconds to one minute, and then cover the objects again.

After the the objects are covered, players have one minute to write as many objects as they can remember. Score one point for every object remembered correctly.

The first person puts the objects away while the next person gathers his or her objects. Repeat until everyone has had a chance to gather objects. The player with the most points at the end wins.

24. Simon Says

One person is Simon and gives instructions. The other players try to follow the instructions, but only if they start with “Simon says…” Take turns being Simon. Get faster and more difficult at kids get older or better at the game.

If you want a few tips for making the game exciting, see if you can keep up with professional Simon Says caller Steve Max.

25. Sharks and Minnows

In this tag game, one person is the shark in the middle of the room. The other players line-up on one side of the room as the minnows. When the shark calls, “Minnows go!” the minnows try to get to the other side of the room without being tagged by the shark.

To play this indoors, choose how everyone has to move…crawl, crab walk, or walk on knees while holding up your feet behind you. You can also make it harder for the shark by having minnows tuck a ribbon partially into a pocket or through a beltloop. Instead of tagging, the shark has to grab the ribbon.

26. Team relays

Traditional relays: Create different relay activities to compete as two teams. For example, players could be required to put on a scarf, hat, and mittens then carry an egg (hard-boiled or plastic) on a spoon across the room and back. Hand-off the accessories and spoon to the next player.

Another option is to take turns carrying marbles or small candies like M&M’s on a spoon from one side of the room until you fill a bowl on the other side of the room.

Team Tasks: Alternately, you can do Team Tasks rather than competitive games.

For example, one day our Team Tasks centered on getting a ping pong ball from one end of the hall into a bucket at the other end of the hall. We could not touch the ball with our hands, and each time there was a twist to the challenge.

One time we had to stay on our own sides of the hall, so we had to pass a spoon and the ball half-way down the hall like a relay. Another time we had our legs tied together like a three-legged race. A third time one person could touch a spoon but not the floor, and another person could touch the floor but not the spoon.

Other twists could be that for one round one of person can hold the spoon but wears a blindfold, while the other person can see but not touch the spoon.

Take turns doing the different roles and have fun working together on these different tasks.

27. Printable learning games like Manners and Buoy

If you’d like to throw in some good life-learning while you play, printable games are a great way to do it.

The Manners Game allows players to move along the board as they answer questions about using good manners in different scenarios.

Buoy: A Water Safety Game for Kids is a really fun and helpful way to practice water safety. By answering questions, players earn Safety Coins. The first player to buy a boat, life jacket, and swim bag wins.

28. Charades

This classic game of acting never grows old. Typically, charades is played in two teams. One person acts out the clue without talking or making sounds. If their team guesses the clue correctly, that team scores a point.

However, with only a few people, we have also just taken turns acting without anyone keeping score. It’s still a lot of fun.

Make-up a list of words that have to do with an upcoming holiday, pick a theme like movies, or simply allow players to act out whatever they want.

29. Reverse Charades

Reverse charades is played by having one person on the team guess the clue while everyone else acts. You can make up your own word lists, use the Act It Out category of the Heads-up app to play, or go tech-free with Reverse Charades. This game always leads to lots of laughs.

Imaginative Play Ideas

Imaginative play can be done anytime, anywhere. It doesn’t take any special supplies because anything you don’t have can be substituted or imagined. Start with a setting or scenario, and let the imagination unfold.

30. Themed fashion show

A themed fashion show means each round has a different theme. Themes could be anything from under the sea or fantasy creature to colorful or creative. Set a time limit, announce the theme, and then everyone finds a costume that matches the theme. It’s fun to get creative on these!

You can have each person take a turn choosing the theme and being the judge, or have one person be the judge the whole time.

A box of dress-up clothes is a perfect spark for imaginative play. Save old Halloween costumes, gift costumes for birthdays, or find one-of-kind pieces at thrift stores.

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31. Create a village

Create a village for your cars and figurines or stuffed animals. It’s fun to see how the friendly dinosaurs and Barbie get along. You can use blocks, cardboard, Legos, or other toys to build homes and other buildings. This awesome street tape is a fun addition.

32. Play restaurant

If the kids in the family are younger, a pretend restaurant with plastic food is always a hit.

However, older kids can enjoy playing restaurant with real food. Write a menu, practice making some basics like sandwiches or pasta, and enjoy each other’s fine dining services.

33. Cardboard box play

A cardboard box is an ideal starter for imaginative play. Turn your box into a house, cars, or a spaceship. One night we all built cars and, after playing for a while, pulled them into a “drive-in movie theatre.” That was a big hit with everyone.

34. School

We spent hours as kids playing school. Even older kids often get on board if it means they’re making lessons for younger kids or directing their favorite subject.

35. Town

Go beyond the school teacher, and create a whole town. Each person choose a job, like a plumber, teacher, banker, or mayor. Choose different areas of the real house to be your pretend home or office.

You can even go all out and create laws, a flag, or an anthem for your town.

36. Fishing

Pretend to be on a boat in the middle of the ocean or lake. Catch fish with a fishing pole made from a pencil with a string and magnet attached. You can get free printable fish here of different kinds.

Just watch out for those storms!

37. Magnetic car track

Put paper over one side of an empty cereal box. Draw roads, stop signs, or anything else you want. Cut a car from paper, and attach a paper clip to the back of it. Hold a magnet inside the box to drive the car around the roads.

38. Lost boys or treasure island

Pretend you’re stranded on an island, in Neverland, or hunting buried treasure. Avoid the hot lava ground by staying on cushions or strategically moving blankets around. Draw a treasure map, or hunt for food to survive.

STEM Activities for Families

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) activities are great at home boredom busters. These kinds of activities get families thinking and learning together.

39. Toothpick engineering

Toothpicks and mini marshmallows make unique engineering tools. Build freely, or complete different challenges such as building the tallest tower, constructing the strongest bridge, or copying designs at three different levels of difficulty with Toothpick Copycat Challenge Cards.

40. Catapult challenge

Challenge the family to create a catapult that will launch a toy or other small object. Create different designs and test to determine which design launches the object the furthest.

41. Marble maze

Build a marble maze with a construction set like this Glowing Marble Run. Alternately, challenge the family to create a marble run from blocks, LEGOS, cardboard, and/or any other building material.

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42. Tallest tower

See how high you can build a free-standing tower from recycled paper and a roll of Duct tape.

Alternately, experiment with blocks, LEGOs, or even books to see how to build the tallest tower.

43. Build with K’NEX, TINKERTOYS, or LINCOLN LOGS

Practice your engineering skills with a building set like K’NEX, TINKERTOYS, or LINCOLN LOGS. Free build, or try a challenge like one of these 101 K’NEX challenges, which all make great indoor activities for families.

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44. Animal exploration

Choose an animal and learn more about it from books or online resources. Complete a project about the animal, such as creating a shoe box diorama of where the animal lives or making up and acting out a story about the animal.

45. Rube Goldberg Ping Pong Ball Challenge

Rube Goldberg was an artist who drew cartoons of crazy machines that performed very simple tasks. See if you can create a machine or system that completes a simple task like dropping a ping pong ball in a bucket.

For example, your design could start with a row of dominoes that pushes the ping pong ball onto a cardboard track.

46. Dice race

On a piece of paper, have each person write all the possible combinations for rolling two dice. For example, 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, etc. When you’re ready to start, have each person roll two dice and cross off the rolled combination. Race to be the first one first to cross off every combination.

To include more movement, keep the paper on the opposite side of the room from the dice.

47. Make an edible structure

Think gingerbread house here, without it being holiday focused. Use graham crackers as your base, or get creative and use anything else you find around the kitchen such as vegetables or pita bread. Chellenge the kids to make a free-standing structure if you want to hone problem-solving skills. Alternately, simply let the creativity flow. Kids will love this chance to play with their food.

48. LEGO challenge

Get out the LEGO building bricks for hours of creative fun! Build whatever you can imagine, or get inspired by a LEGO challenge, such as “Build something that’s seen in the forest.” Here are 30 LEGO challenge ideas.

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49. Sink or float experiment

Gather objects from around the house, making certain they are all waterproof. Fill a sink, bucket, or bathtub with water. Guess whether each object will sink or float. Test the object to see if you’re right. You can record your findings in this Free Printable Sink or Float Chart.

After finding out which objects float, you can guess which one can hold the most weight. Test your guess by putting pennies or another small object on top.

These experimental indoor activities for families are simple and fun, while encouraging kids to practice the scientific method.

50. Roll and Toss Math Game

For this game you’ll need one or two dice (depending on which level you want to play) and either paper cups or plastic cups with paper labels taped on. Decide which level of the game you want to play, and label the cups accordingly.

The easiest level is single number recognition, which only needs one die, and you’ll label the cups numbers 1-6. The next levels are addition (label cups 2-12) or subtraction (label cups 0-5).

The third level is multiplication (label possible products for factors 1-6, such as 1-6, 12, 24, etc.), or fractions (label the cups with circles with different pie pieces colored in showing the possible fractions made from the combination of numbers 1-6). For extra math practice, figure out together what the possible rolls will be.

To play the game, roll the dice, and try to throw a ping pong ball into the corresponding cup. You can play slowly and figure out the problems together. Alternately, each person can have their own dice, and it can be a race to be the first person to complete three correct tosses.

51. Snap Circuits

Snap Circuits are a fun way to explore electricity. Work together to build electrical circuits as shown in the numerous sample models included in the instructions, or experiment and see what kind of circuits you can create on your own.

We have Snap Circuits Jr., which is a simpler set, but there is also Snap Circuits Classic (more pieces) or Snap Circuits LIGHT (projects with light effects like strobe, blinking, music reactions, etc.).

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Simple Arts & Crafts Ideas

Let the creativity flow with these arts and crafts ideas for families at home.

52. Make a planet or other rolling art

Make a planet by rolling a golf ball in a box with paper and paint. Find further instructions here: How to Make a Planet Craft. This simple painting project can be expanded by reading stories about outer space, talking about what your planet would be like if you made a real one, or learning about astronauts.

Experiment, and create other works of art with this same rolling method. Roll marbles, a rock, or even an orange inside a box with paint.

53. Make slime

I fall into the “Worst Mom Ever” category when it comes to slime, meaning we don’t do slime. So I don’t have firsthand knowledge on this one, but I have heard that it can be a fun indoor activity for families. 😉

You’ll need liquid glue (like Elmer’s), baking soda, and contact solution to make this Borax-free slime. Optionally, you can add food coloring and/or glitter.

54. Bob Ross painting

Gather your painting supplies, and glean inspiration from the iconic Bob Ross. Follow along as he teaches you how to paint a Mountain River, a Cabin in the Woods, or one of his many other beautiful scenes.

55. Make a bird feeder

Work together to make a bird feeder from bits of scrap wood. Or more simply, create a bird feeder from a pine cone covered with peanut butter, bird seed, and bits of dried fruit. Use a string to hang the bird feeder from a tree outside.

56. Recyclables inventions

Gather some clean recyclables, and see what you can create. Duct tape is a helpful add-on for this indoor activity for families. We’ve created robots, pretend vacuums, pretend light sabers, and more. You can see some examples of recyclable inventions here.

57. Origami

Follow a video to learn how to fold a butterfly, crane, turtle, or more origami creations. If you don’t have official square Origami Paper, you’ll want to cut your paper square before starting.

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58. Drawing lesson

Learn to draw some of your favorite characters from videos like this step-by step Goofy drawing or how to draw Olaf from Frozen. The Art for Kids Hub is a fun YouTube channel that shows a dad with a child doing the drawing or art project together. There’s a lot of variety of drawings, and it’s a good pace because a child is doing it at the same time.

Another fun line of drawing to learn and practice Zentangle patterns. These look intricate but are formed with relaxing extreme-doodling type techniques.

59. Paint with manipulatives

Instead of paint brushes, use something else to paint. You can try a sponge, Q tips, toilet paper roll, a comb, celery, or halves of fruit. Squirt paint on a paper plate for your palette, and create a unique work of art.

60. Playdough or modeling clay

Make your own playdough. I like this Kool-aid Playdough recipe because it makes vibrant colors and smells good too. Store your playdough in zip-tight bags, and it’ll last over a month.

Modeling clay is another fun idea. This kind of modeling clay doesn’t dry out and can be used over and over. There’s also Air Dry Modeling Clay, which is fun to create creatures or little decorations that then harden.

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61. Make beads, necklaces, or friendship bracelets

Make your own beads with Polymer Clay Oven Bake Modeling Clay, or a really simple method is to make beads by rolling paper around a straw.

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Whether you are stringing your homemade beads, pony beads, tiny glass beads, or Cheerios, making necklaces is an artful way to practice hand-eye coordination. Alternately, use yarn or embroidery floss to practice braiding, or learn more intricate styles for making friendship bracelets.

62. Printable activities

There are so many incredible free resources online! A couple fun categories to search are extreme dot-to-dots like these hard dot-to-dots and mandala-style coloring pages, like these coloring pages of animals for adults.

63. Make decorations or themed games

Are there any holidays or family birthdays coming up? Make decorations or create a themed game. Think of adapting classics like Pin-the-Tail on the Donkey, or create your own, like a trivia game about the birthday person. Matching games and charades lists are also fun to put together.

64. Sock babies

Use those old mismatched socks to create sock babies. Stuff one sock and draw a face on it. Cut the top of a ribbed sock, and cinch the opening to create a hat. Use a third sock for a blanket.

Another fun way to use the mismatched socks is to fill them with rice and tie the top closed to make a rice bag. Heat it up in the microwave (caution: it can get hot), and snuggle up to keep warm in the winter or while you do your other rainy day activities.

65. Build an indoor igloo

Use sugar cubes to construct a model igloo. Elmer’s glue holds it together well. Alternately, make an indoor igloo from blankets and couch cushions, and pretend you’re in the arctic.

66. Create with paper mache

Whether you want to make a paper mache scarecrow or the classic globe, paper mache is a fun art medium. It’s messy but actually cleans up really well.

Make your paste by mixing flour and water. Use strips of newspaper or regular paper to make layers that become your project. Let it dry, and then paint it however you choose.

Our favorite idea is to cover a balloon with paper mache to create a homemade piñata!

Between doing the paper mache, painting and prepping the piñata, and then batting it down, this is several indoor activities for families in one!

Musical Indoor Activities for Families

Bring out the musical side of your family with these fun musical activities.

67. Family band

If you already have instruments and actually play them, practice a song together. Add vocals for those who don’t play. Consider recording your music and sharing it with family members or the elderly at a nursing home.

68. Make musical instruments

Have fun creating musical instruments from various supplies around the house. Stretch rubber bands, fashion a drum, or grab two spoons, which make an excellent instrument. (And if you haven’t seen Abby the Spoon Lady, watch this.) Get creative, and see what kind of music you can make together.

69. Compose a song

Play around with making up a song. You can try to compose a melody too, or use a melody you all know and write new lyrics. Our kids surprised us one time when they wrote new words all about grandma, her cooking, and good memories.

70. Musical guessing games

Print this Instrument Guessing Game Free Printable that goes with this instrument video I found on YouTube. I like this video because of the variety of instruments like bagpipes and harmonica. Listen to the video and try to guess which instrument is playing.

Name that Tune is another fun musical guessing game. You can use the first notes of random songs on Pandora or Amazon Music or however you listen to music. Alternately, take turns humming a song for other family members to guess.

71. Practice yodeling

I suggest watching a few yodeling videos because it’s pretty amazing! This young yodeling girl is my kids’ favorite. Practice yodeling, and see what your vocal cords can do. It’s pretty fun to let loose, and I’m amazed at how good one of our kids has gotten over time.

A fun related song is Once an Austrian went Yodeling, a camp song with actions.

Drama and Performing Arts Ideas

Let your inner thespian free with these indoor activities to do at home with families that are inspired by drama and performing arts.

72. Perform a play

Write an original play together or adapt a family favorite from a book, movie, or theatrical. Use simple costumes and props. Record your play, and watch it together with popcorn.

73. Do a puppet show

If you don’t have puppets, make them from paper bags, socks, or felt. Build a simple puppet theatre by cutting a square from an old sheet and hanging the sheet in a doorway.

The puppet show story can be a family favorite or an original written just for this occasion. Think about family memories, funny experiences, or “What if…?” scenarios to brainstorm story ideas.

74. Tell paper bag stories

Everybody write various words, objects, or names on slips of paper. Fold the slips of paper, and put them in a paper bag. Each person draws three slips of paper from the bag. Tell a story that includes each of the three things you picked.

For another twist, take turns adding to the same story. After you use the original words you picked, draw a new one to include on your next story-telling turn.

75. Create a Family Story Jar

Get a mason jar or something similar, and fill it with memory story prompts. The Family Story Jar Free Printable has some general prompts like “Holiday” or “Vacation” to get you started. Add personalized prompts like vacation places, names of relatives, or specific family memories.

During dinner, before bed, or whenever you want, have a family member draw a memory prompt. That person tells a story or shares a memory about what that prompt reminds them of. Afterwards, other family members can share their memories too.

Related: A Small Island, A Young Boy, and the Power of Stories

76. Write and share poetry

Write poetry, and then have a poetry reading. Along with your original poetry, you can read from published works. Some of our favorites are There Is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me by Alice Walker and Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. Hot chocolate is a great accompaniment to this rainy day or indoor winter activity.

Click image for purchasing information.

77. Movie messages

Choose a message, theme, or lesson you want to learn about or work on as a family. For example, patience, compassion, or forgiveness. As a family, pick a story or movie that helps teach that message. Act out and record your own version of the movie. iMovie is a simple way to edit this kind of movie or create a fun theatrical trailer.

Ideas to Serve or Connect with Others from Home

If you’re wondering, “What can a family do when bored at home?” one of the best ideas is to find a way to serve others. Service brings a lot of joy into our own lives and the lives of those we serve. So here are some indoor activities for families that allow you to serve or connect with others.

78. Bake and deliver

While you technically have to leave the house to do the actual delivery, the bulk of this service idea is done indoors at home. Share a favorite family recipe or try a new one. If you’d rather not do sweets, fresh baked bread is usually very well received.

Deliver your baked item to a friend or someone who might be lonely or going through a hard time. Stay for a quick visit, and share your love.

Doorbell ditch: Instead of visiting, you can give an anonymous gift. Prepare a snack, treat, or other small gift, and write an anonymous note to go with it. Leave the gift on the recipient’s doorstep, ring the doorbell, and run without getting caught. Kids love the exhilarating feel of this service, and it’s fun for friends to receive without it being a special occasion!

79. Write letters or make cards

Everyone loves snail mail! Write letters to a soldier or first responder, (operation gratitude is a good way to connect if you don’t personally know someone), a family member that lives far away, a college student away from home, or someone that might be lonely. You can also make cards to deliver to a hospital or care center. Check local guidelines first.

80. Play online games with long-distance family

Connect with family members or friends who live far away or might be lonely by playing virtual games together. You can find five different games here that are highly interactive or help people get to know each other better.

81. Make a blanket or scarf to donate

Tie a fleece blanket together, or learn how to knit a scarf. Donate your gift to a local hospital, shelter, or fire station. (Check guidelines first.)

Project Linus is active in many areas and helps connect blankets with people in need. Knots of Love helps people donate homemade hats and neonatal blankets to people experiencing traumatic hair loss. You can also donate scarves and other homemade items or paracord bracelets through Operation Gratitude to military and first responder individuals and families.

82. Zoom or call family member

Connect with someone who lives far away or might be lonely through a Zoom call or another kind of video conferencing call. Practice the art of conversation, and be sure to listen well to the people on the other end of the line.

83. Donate toys, clothes, etc.

Go through your household and find gently used toys, clothes, or other household items that you can donate to a charity, refugee, or cause that’s important to your family.

84. Share family appreciation

One of the best places to start serving is within our own immediate families. We can serve each other by sharing kind words. One fun way to do this is to have everyone write their their name on a piece of paper. Sit in a circle and pass papers to the right.

Write five things you appreciate about the family member on their paper and then pass right, so that everyone writes find kind things about each person.

85. Family project

Not all indoor activities for families have to be strictly for fun. They can also be productive or helpful. Clean-out the garage, organize a closet, put together scrapbooks, or do another project that has been on mom and dad’s list for ages. This will be a real service to them and the family. Here are 20+ ways to help kids enjoy work. (Because it still can be fun even if it’s also productive or helpful. 🙂 )

If you’re looking for more service ideas, have Raising Compassionate Children in a Conceited World mailed to your inbox. It includes 101 Service Ideas for Families.

Other Indoor Activities for Families

Here we have some miscellaneous ideas that I couldn’t decide which category they’d go in. 🙂 Although category-less, they are all great boredom buster ideas for families.

86. Make a puzzle museum

Do a jigsaw puzzle together. If you’re not up for a 1,000 piece puzzle, it’s fun to do several smaller puzzles. Bring them together for a puzzle museum and an awesome photo opportunity.

87. Movie time

Can you talk about indoor activities for families and not talk about movies? 🙂

The majority of these ideas are screen free boredom busters. However, we’re not totally anti-screens. Watching movies can be a fun way to bond. Plus, if we’re tired or just tired of trying to get along, a movie makes for a great break. My favorite part though is snuggling up with a kiddo or two.

Add popcorn or even a popcorn bar for a special treat. You can find some popcorn bar ideas in this post.

88. Treat walk

Like a cake walk but simpler, a treat walk is a fun way to share a small treat. Print or draw two copies of several pictures or words. Put one set in a circle on the floor. Fold the other set, and put them in a basket or bowl.

Turn on music, and everyone walks or dances around the circle. When the music stops, everyone freezes on a picture. Draw one picture from the basket. Whoever is standing on the matching picture (or closest to it without passing it yet), gets a small treat like a peanut M&M or Hershey kiss.

You can find a free printable Letter U Cake walk example here.

89. Cook or bake together

It doesn’t always have to be about baking treats in the kitchen. Enjoy a cooking lesson, or plan and prepare a healthy meal together. Teach a family favorite recipe, or experiment with a new one.

Homemade pizza or hot pretzels: These recipes are a bit longer to make as the dough needs to rise. Plus the results are warm and comforting food, which makes them perfect for when you’re looking for rainy day activities or indoor winter activities. This is our favorite hot pretzel recipe, and this pizza dough recipe is really good. (Make sure you dust your pizza pan with cornmeal; it really does make a difference!)

90. Journal or draw pictures

Enjoy some quiet time together to write in your personal journals. Younger kids can draw pictures and have someone add short descriptions if they want to.

You can also create a family journal, where people write or draw about family vacations or favorite family memories. A simple way to make this kind of collaborative journal is to put papers inside page protectors in a three ring binder.

91. The Adventure Challenge

Speaking of writing about memories, a unique way to both make fun memories and record them is The Adventure Challenge. This book includes 50 scratch-off family adventures. Many of these are indoor activities, and all of them are created for connection and memory-making.

Additionally, you can snap a picture of the adventure, and paste it into the book, which becomes a family keepsake journal.

Click image for purchasing information. Use code LOVINLIFE for 10% off!

92. Read a book and expand it

Read a story together, and do activities that expand what you’ve read. For example, if you read, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, you could make cookies, draw pictures, and learn about what it would be like to really have a pet mouse. It’s fun if you can think of ideas to talk, sing, read further, write, and play with the ideas from the story.

This framework helps your family use your own creativity to connect stories to life and further brainstorm fun indoor activities for families.

Click through to examples with the following books:

• How Big Is Your Brave? by Ruth Soukup
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• Pirates Stuck at “C” by Brooke Van Sickle

93. Make a fort

Everything’s better inside a fort. Make it out of couch cushions or blankets. Sheets work really well too, and you can often use rubber bands to connect them to the tops of chairs. Maybe you can do one of these other indoor activities for families while you’re inside your fort.

94. Painter’s tape extravaganza

Painter’s Tape has limitless possibilities. It’s like the new Duct tape with its versatility in creating indoor activities for families. Use it to make a hopscotch board, roads on the floor for toy cars and trucks, a spider web in the hallway for people to climb through, targets on walls for Nerf gun shooting practice, four-square in the garage, and more. What fun ways can your family think of to use painter’s tape?

95. Indoor camping

Set-up your tent, make S’mores, and enjoy an indoor camping experience. Whether or not you choose to actually sleep in the tent overnight, the activities are fun. You can find ten simple indoor camping ideas in this post.

96. Family history night

Choose an ancestor or ancestral line to highlight for the evening. It could be a set of grandparents or further back in your family line. Learn about the family member, and do things centered around their lives. For example, you could eat foods from their native country, listen to some of their favorite music, or play some of their favorite games. Tell stories about them specifically or about history during their lifetime in general.

97. Cultural night

This is similar to the family history night, but instead of choosing an ancestor to focus on, choose a foreign country. Learn phrases from their language, cook some authentic (as possible) food, learn about their history, and play some of their popular games.

If you don’t know what country to pick, think about a country you want to visit someday, one where you have roots, or one where a friend is from.

98. Scavenger hunt

In a scavenger hunt, you look for items that match your list of prompts. The prompts can be specific, like “You’re blue t-shirt,” but more often, they’re general, like “Something blue.” You can decide to gather the objects (but then you have to put them back again), mark them off on your list, or write what specific object you found.

Make your own scavenger hunt list, or check out this free printable list of indoor scavenger hunt ideas. Scavenger hunts are really fun outdoor or indoor activities for families.

99. Make a family time capsule

Gather symbolic or memorable items from this point in your family life. Include drawn pictures or photographs of your family. Write a message to your future selves. Put all of these in a small box labeled with an open date years into the future. Find a safe place to keep your time capsule.

100. Set goals or create a vision board for individuals or family

Talk about family goals like things you’d like to do together and how you want your home to feel. Write these goals, or create a vision board or other symbolic art piece together for your home. Additionally, you could take time together to set individual goals and plans.

101. Make a gratitude chain

Cut strips of paper in different colors. On each strip, write something you’re grateful for. Link all of your family’s strips together to make a long gratitude chain. Display your chain somewhere in your home.

Additionally, here are 14 other simple gratitude practices for families. As you count these blessings, top of the list can be your family and opportunities to do fun indoor activities together!

The Importance of Connecting

The number one predictor of both health and happiness is good relationships. When we spend quality time together as a family and connect in meaningful ways, we’re strengthening those important relationships.

We hope that these boredom busters and indoor activities for families provide ideas for you to have those fun and meaningful connections, to create lasting memories. We’ll never regret the time we spend as a family.

Here’s to stronger, happier families and you lovin’ your life with Littles!

You can also have the list of 101 Indoor Activities for Families sent to your inbox for easy access any time.

What’s your favorite boredom buster on this list? What else would add for indoor activities for families? When do you use these ideas most? Please share in the comments!

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