Things to do indoors with your child

‘I’m bored!’ If this is a cry you dread hearing, we feel your pain! Here are some fun ideas for things you can do with your child, and things they can do on their own while you get on with other things.

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Creative activities

Getting active isn’t just about running around outside. It can involve any sort of creative activity. Doing arts and crafts – drawing, colouring, painting, glueing and so on – isn’t just about making a mess. It also helps spark children’s imaginations, boost their confidence, and express themselves – as well as offering plenty of chances to get messy!

In this video, Alison from PlayTalkRead explains why messy play is so good for your children.

Creative activities to try at home

Tip #1: Painting without a brush

You don’t need paint brushes to paint! How about trying to paint with items in the house, like a toothbrush, a fork, the wheels of a toy car. Why not try things you find outside, like feathers and sticks?

Tip #2: Make magic potions

Get them to channel their inner Harry Potter or Hermione by mixing magic potions using soap, paint, flowers, biodegradable glitter, washing up liquid, hand sanitiser, flour – or whatever else you have at home! As well as being great messy fun, this also helps them learn about different proportions (like halves and quarters) and introduces them to the different properties of ingredients, by looking at what dissolves and what doesn’t. Just make sure they don’t drink it…

Tip #3: Make jewellery out of pasta

Got some macaroni or penne in the cupboard? Then you have the materials to make necklaces and bracelets. All the kids need do is paint the uncooked pasta and thread it onto some string. Perfect to wear on that night out you’ve been looking forward to for the past year!

Tip #4: Become a spy

Send secret messages to each other using invisible ink made from lemon juice. The Science Kids website explains how.

Tip #5: Make a word search

This is great for making spelling seem like fun! Making the puzzle will keep them busy while you’re getting on with other things - although remember you’ll probably need to try and solve it at some point!

Tip #6: Make a heart stamp

It’s easy for your child to share their love by making a cute heart-shaped stamp. All you need is a toilet roll and some paint. Simply fold the toilet roll into a heart shape with a point at the bottom and put some tape round it to keep it in place. Then dip the end of the roll into some paint and get stamping!

You can find more ideas like this in Children’s Health Scotland’s activity book.

Things you can do together

Tip #1: Hiding in plain sight

This is a really easy game and can be lots of fun. Choose a small object, like a mug or ornament. One person then hides it while everyone else covers their eyes or goes into a different room. But the trick is they have to hide it somewhere where everyone can see it, like on a shelf or on top of a picture. It’s amazing how hard it is for the other people to find it, even when it’s staring them in the face!

Tip #2: Super science

Make a DIY lava lamp, a rainbow cloud and – every kids’ favourite – SLIME! If your children aren’t enthusiastic about science, they’ll think again when they check out these experiments from CBeebies.

Tip #3: What’s the time Mr Wolf?

A fun game you can play as a family is 'What's the time Mr Wolf?' Mr Wolf stands at one end of the room and everyone else at the other side. Mr Wolf turns his back while the others shout 'What's the time Mr Wolf?' Mr Wolf answers with a time (4 o'clock for example) and the players then take 4 steps towards him. They keep asking the question until he shouts 'Dinnertime' and tries to catch a player. If Mr Wolf catches them, they become Mr Wolf. Watch out!

Tip #4: Memory games

Memory games are fun and also good exercise for the brain! Put a random selection of objects on a tray and ask your child to try and remember what they are. Then you can either take the tray away and see how many items they can list, or take one thing off the tray while they’re not looking and see if they can spot what’s missing.

Tip #5: Bingo

Bingo is a fast-paced game that kids love to play. Make your own scorecards of 5 squares across and 5 squares down and add in some numbers. Cut out a matching set of numbers, put them in a hat or bowl (or use a random number generator on your phone) and give everyone a scorecard and a pen. Then pick a number, show it to the children and get them to colour over the matching number on their scorecard if they have it. They’ll love yelling ‘Bingo!’ when they get a full house.

Things they can do while you get on with other stuff

Tip #1: Ideas jar

Ask everyone in the family to write down things they'd like to do at the weekends or during the holiday. You can then ask the kids to sort the ideas out into ‘sunny day’ and ‘rainy day’ – or even ‘practical’ and ‘unrealistic’! Who wants to travel to the moon?

Tip #2: Poster play

To unstick the kids from their screens for a bit, why not ask them to draw a poster for their favourite film? Or a made-up film of their own? If they’re feeling really creative they could even film a trailer on your phone, using their toys as actors!

Tip #3: Keep active

Doing an exercise video with the likes of Joe Wicks or Cosmic Kids yoga is fun for everyone, but can also keep the kids occupied on their own. Check our page on ways to keep active indoors for more ideas.

Tip #4: Family portraits

Most kids love drawing their close friends or family. Get them to think about what everyone looks like and the clothes they usually wear. When they’re finished, help them to write down everyone’s name – or maybe you can guess who’s who? If they draw a picture a day, you’ll soon have a gallery of portraits!

Tip #5: Virtual day trip

Lots of places have thrown open their doors online so the kids can explore new places without leaving the house! Here are some things they can try:

Watching the animals at Edinburgh Zoo via their webcams
Taking a trip to Paris to visit the Louvre
Seeing the dinosaurs at the Smithsonian in America
Virtually visiting museums and landmarks around the world through Google’s Arts & Culture website

It’s important to play

Don’t ever feel guilty about letting your children play. It may just look like they 'e messing around, but playing is one of the most important things children do. It helps their minds develop, keeps them fit, helps them understand the world around them, and keeps them emotionally healthy.

The best thing you can do is to give them the space to play and let their imaginations run wild. Even if it means there’s a mess to tidy up afterwards!

For more great ideas: