The Pebble List of Indoor Games for Kids

As the weather starts to turn colder, there’s a temptation to snuggle up indoors and keep warm. But, while many adults might find the idea of quiet hibernation appealing, finding ways to keep the boredom at bay for the younger members of the family can be a tall order. Here, we share our ultimate list of indoor activities for kids. Let the fun begin!

Indoor obstacle course

One of our all-time favourites in terms of simplicity, and the shrieks of joy from the kids - but the tidying up can be a bit of a pain! The indoor obstacle course is the stuff memories are made from – and all without spending money on expensive games. Turn your house (or a room!) into an obstacle course by setting up a start and finish point, with age-appropriate obstacles along the way. These might be crawling under tables or tunnels made of blankets, jumping over cushions and pillows, balancing along a line of sticky tape on the floor, weaving around obstacles, throwing stuffed toys into a “goal” etc. Once the novelty of the setup has passed, challenge the kids to set up their own “course” to make the game last longer. If they love being active, have a look for sports classes close to home. 

Tower building

Who needs fancy branded building blocks when your recycling bin is a treasure trove of building materials? Grab some cardboard boxes, loo roll tubes and even empty bottles and challenge the kids to build a tower. If they are competitive, then you could challenge them to make the tallest, sturdiest tower using only what they can find in the recycling bin. All this, while teaching them about them three Rs - reduce, reuse, recycle! 

For older kids and adults, mix it up a bit by giving them specific building materials – our fave for this game is spaghetti (uncooked) and marshmallows. Challenge them to construct a tower, out of ONLY those ingredients, that will hold up when an item of your choice is placed on the top. We’ve done it before using small bags of Haribo, which can then be claimed by the winner as their prize! If they love this, consider getting them into other STEM activities, such as coding – check out our blog for details.

Indoor skittles/tin can alley

Grab some cans out of your kitchen cupboard and set up a game of indoor skittles. You’ll need to do this in an area that has nothing breakable and we suggest NOT stacking them as they may cause damage when they fall. Set them up like ten-pin bowling, and roll a ball to see who can knock the most down. If you’ve got some empty cans or plastic water bottles, even better!

Mission Impossible

Picture a scene where an intruder breaks into a museum to steal something of huge value. As they make their way up the hallway towards their goal, a series of laser beams shoot across their path. Breaking the beam of light means being caught! The beams cross their path at all angles, stretching diagonally in front of them, causing them to duck, jump and twist in their mission to avoid the beams and evade capture! 

Now, with that image in mind, grab some string and some masking tape or blue tack, and create “laser beams” up and down your hallway or landing. If the kids knock them off the wall, the heist is over!

Three marker challenge

A YouTube sensation that keeps one of the Pebble team’s kids entertained for hours, the three-marker challenge is exactly what it says on the tin. Get your colouring pens or crayons out, and print out a colouring-in page for each of the people taking part (Google is your friend here). Each person taking part in the challenge must close their eyes and pick three colours at random. The challenge is to see who can make the best-looking picture with just three colours!

If your kids are into art, check out our activities pages for arts and crafts activities classes near to you. 

Abstract body creations

The key to this game is that lots of the fun is in the prep, so bear that in mind when you set the activity up.

Get some paper (an old wallpaper or lining paper offcut is ideal – but any paper will do if you tape it together to make a bigger piece). Get the children to draw around themselves, and colour in or paint their drawing. Once their masterpiece is ready, stick it onto the back of a door. This game is just the same as the old pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey classic, but this time the kids will be pinning body parts to themselves! Whether you opt for a funny nose, ears, or even a whole host of body parts, the results will have them gigging for ages! Looking for more arts and crafts ideas? Check out our blog for ideas for all ages. 

Memory game

A much loved favourite in our extended Pebble family – and you’ll need nothing more than whatever is lying around and a tray or baking sheet. Send everyone out of the room and fill your tray with a variety of everyday objects. Cover the tray with a tea towel, and invite everyone back in. On the count of three, whip the tea towel away and give everyone 1 minute to remember as many items as they can. Whoever remembers the most is the winner!

Consequences

All you need for this game is three or more people, paper, pens, and a bit of imagination. There are two versions of this game: the drawing one is great for younger kids, while the story-writing one is good for those who are willing and able to write!

If you opt to play the drawing version of the game, simply grab a piece of paper and draw a hat – just a hat! Then fold the paper over to conceal the picture, and pass it to your left. Next, draw a head, fold it, and pass it on. Draw a body to the waist – pass – legs – pass, then shoes. Finally, pass it once more, then give it a name. Unfold the picture and let the giggling commence as Aunty Hilda sports a higgledy-piggledy new look!

The written version of the game follows the same model of do-a-bit-and-pass-it-on, but this time the “chapters” are as follows. Boy's name, girl's name, where they met, what she said to him, what he said to her. Then, finally, the “consequence” (ie what happened next!).

Taste testers

A game not for the faint-hearted. You’ll need a tray and access to some stocked kitchen cupboards or fridge. Prepare the tray with a selection of morsels from the cupboard. Try to go for a mix of unusual and familiar items, some sweet, some savoury, and a variety of textures. Blindfold the children and get them to guess what you are feeding them. If you want to play the game again, or if there is a chance they might want to turn the tables and get you to be the “taster”, we recommend trying not to give them anything they’ll find horrendous! If they love being in the kitchen, or develop a taste for new ingredients, why not find out more about how to engage their curiosity with our blog about the benefits of cooking for kids.

Floor is lava

If you've seen the game show on Netflix, then you may have some idea what's coming. The floor is lava game is all about avoiding putting your feet on the floor. Throw some cushions, towels or even bits of paper on the floor to create “stepping stones”. You can play this game to music. A bit like musical chairs, but when the music stops, everyone needs to get off the floor and onto a safe stepping stone! Great fun if you remove a stepping stone each time.

Beer pong (without the beer!)

You'll need ten plastic or paper cups, a ping pong ball and ten dares. Set up the cups in the style of skittles (a triangle effect) and pop a treat, or a piece of paper detailing a fun task or dare into each cup. The aim of the game is to stand a metre or two away and bounce the ball so that it lands in the cup. Then take out whatever is in the cup. If you're feeling kind, you could replace the dares with sweets.

Indoor den-building/camping

There’s nothing small children love more than building a den. Throw a few sheets over some chairs, or pin them to the walls if you’re feeling brave. Once the “camp” is set up, the kids are only limited by their own imaginations. Will they play with dolls inside their new “home”, protect their “castle” from invaders, or simply play camping? Take the fun one step further by setting up a laptop and watching a film in their new hideaway, or watch their faces light up when you suggest camping out overnight!

Balloon volleyball

If you've got some balloons lying around then this one is a twist on keepy-uppy! Turn your living room into a volleyball court, but use a balloon as your “ball” to avoid breakages! Great for all ages, but be sure to pick up any popped balloons if you have pets or small children. Like ball games? Find more here!

Old-fashioned fun  

No list of kids' games would be complete without some good old-fashioned fun. Old-school party games are not just for parties. Musical statues, musical bumps, doughnuts on a string (see Halloween blog for details) and many more can provide hours of fun at no cost. For a fun twist on hide and seek, try Sardines, where one person hides and everyone seeks! As each person locates “the hider” they have to cram into their hiding space with them. Great fun in big groups.

Remember, the key is to have fun, create memories, and enjoy quality time with the little ones. And, when you’ve exhausted the indoor fun (and parents will probably tire sooner than the kids), then check out our activities pages for classes in your area.