Are your kids climbing the walls because they have been stuck inside? These are the perfect indoor winter activities for kids that will keep them busy.
Winter can be brutally long and boring, but if you are anything like me you want to keep your kids busy so you aren’t the one going crazy.
As a mom of 4, and a home daycare provider, I am no stranger to being stuck inside during the winter so I am giving you our top indoor winter activities for kids that will keep them busy for days.
As you read on you will learn about all the best indoor activities for kids like playing games, building forts, having dance parties and so much more.
There are so many time-consuming indoor winter activities for kids on this list that there is no way you will be able to get through them in just a day or 2.
Let's jump into the best indoor winter activities for kids that every parent should know about.
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Best Indoor Winter Activities For Kids
1. Make the Bed
I know this isn’t the most fun activity by just the name but you can make it fun. If your kiddo is anything like my 4, then there are stuffed animal friends on the bed.
After making the bed, have your little one rearrange all of the animals into fun groups.
My youngest, who is almost 6, loves doing this. There is a farm animal group, an African animal group, and even an under-the-sea group.
Honestly, my kids love their stuffed animals so much that I am surprised there is room in their beds for them to sleep!
2. Have an Indoor Picnic
Oh, the hassle, I know! But your kiddo is going to have a blast helping you put together an indoor picnic.
You don’t even have to have anything fancy to eat. The good ole peanut butter and jelly sandwich is going to work just fine.
This is something that will get talked about for a long time! “Remember that time mom let us have an indoor picnic”. 
3. Build a Fort
Does your house have a crazy number of blankets like mine does?
Let me know in the comments below.
I am not even sure how we acquired so many!
Anyway, gather them all up and maybe some pillows too, and help your kiddo build the most amazing fort she has ever seen.
Make it a challenge to see how big you can make it.
It makes for a cozy spot to read a book.
4. Dance Party
Get on the move with a dance party.
You know you have a million plus songs at your fingertips so pick your favorites and crank them up.
I love using our Bluetooth speaker to make the dance party extra crazy.
You will be amazed at what only ½ hour of dancing will do to get those wiggles out.
5. Brain Breaks
If you already tried a dance party and are still looking for ways to get some wiggles out, then you have to try Brain Breaks, which is what you type in on YouTube.
There are so many to choose from. Let your kiddo do one after another until he is completely tuckered out.
My kids go so long that they are sweating like crazy at the end.
6. Board Games
After everyone is worn out from your dance party or brain break, take some time to relax by playing a board game or 2.
I don’t think I mentioned earlier but 1 have 1 daughter who is 11 and 3 boys – 5, 7, and 9.
That being said, they all love playing these board games the most.
7. Other Games
Some other games that my kids love to play, and I know yours will too, are Guessing the Animal Sounds and Hangman.
For the Animal Sound game, this is a great link to start with: https://seaworld.org/animals/sounds/
There are others out there too. My kids have the best time trying to guess what the animal is just by their sounds.
As for Hangman, it is so fun that your kiddo doesn’t even know he is learning.
8. Create a Treasure Hunt
Kids love to go on treasure hunts no matter what the treasure is. In this case, it could be a favorite stuffed animal, coins, or even a small treat.
So, start making some clues or a treasure map if you are not good at clues.
You can play this game multiple times.
9. Obstacle Course
Making an obstacle course works best if you have a hallway, long or short, and streamers.
Zig-zag the streamers at every angle and then challenge your kiddo to get through without touching any of the streamers.
And hey, don’t be shy. Give the obstacle course a try yourself.
10. DIY Sensory Path
Have you seen these paths around? My kids have them in their schools.
The kids follow along and do directions that are on the path. For example, do 5 jumping jacks, do 10 squats, do your best dance move, and so on.
You can easily create this with some masking tape and paper directions.
11. Create a Carnival
There just happened to be a snow day on my youngest son’s 1st birthday so to keep my kids and daycare kids busy we decided to make our house into a carnival of sorts.
We did games like Pin the Tail on the Donkey, making carnival animal masks, and even making crazy construction headbands.
The kids had a blast with this and to this day the older kiddos still talk about it.
12. Make Crazy Headbands
To make a crazy headband, you may need construction paper, packaging tape, scissors, a stapler or glue, and maybe some stickers and pipe cleaners to make it extra fancy.
Start with the basic construction paper headband and tape it together. Then let your kiddo go wild with putting on loops and embellishments.
13. Face Paint
You have to grab this face paint. It is so good and so easy to wash off! These paint brushes make it really easy to apply and with all the different sizes you can get some amazing details.
I search on Pinterest with my kids for great ideas. Last time we did a super hero theme.
Just a tip, if you are going to do face paint I would do it right after breakfast so your kiddo can wear it all day.
14. Nerf Gun Battle
If your kiddo is a little older and you have Nerf Guns in the house, challenge him to a Nerf Gun battle.
We like to wear safety glasses and I recommend you do too.
15. Jig Saw Puzzles
Time can completely disappear when you get into putting together a great puzzle. And kids are just as capable of putting together a more difficult puzzle with you so don’t shy away from those big ones.
We have puzzles for all age ranges around here.
These have held up the best.
16. Word Puzzles and Hidden Pictures
Crossword puzzles, word finds, mazes, and hidden picture books are amazing ways to pass the time.
And they keep your brain active. Your kiddo is going to love it.
17. Legos
I have yet to meet a kiddo who can’t get enough of Legos. Since I do daycare, I have all the sizes of Legos and they all get played with.
When it comes to the small Legos, the classic set is the best. Kids can build way more with them and they get more use out of them. More bang for your buck!
18. Magnet Blocks
These amazing magnet blocks are a must-have gift for every kid under the age of 7.
But don’t think they won’t get played with after that because they will. My 11-year-old daughter still can’t get enough.
Everyone who has visited us ends up with a set or 2 of their own.
But don’t cheap out, you will be disappointed!
19. Perform a Play/Puppet Show
Let imaginations run wild and have your kiddo perform a play or puppet show.
We have a set of bunk beds which makes for a perfect Puppet Theater with the help of a few blankets.
If you don't have bunk beds, you can toss a blanket over your dining table, and that works just as well.
And don’t worry if you do not have puppets, we don’t either. Just use stuffed animals.
20. Write a Letter
Everyone loves getting snail mail, especially kids. To help your kiddo get mail, have them send mail first.
If she is younger, have her color a picture and you can include a note. But if he is older, he can write a full-on letter himself.
21. Do a Science Experiment
This may take a little preplanning since some science experiments call for items that you normally don’t keep on hand.
But science experiments are a blast.
My kids love one called Elephant Toothpaste. We looked up how to do it on Pinterest.
This science experiment kit is pretty amazing as well.
22. Bake
This could be fun or really stressful, but why not try baking something?
I try to keep ingredients on hand for just your classic chocolate chip cookies all the time. You never know when a snow day will sneak up on you.
What is your favorite treat to bake with or for your kiddo? Let me know in the comments below.
23. Play Doh
Having fun with playdoh can take a good hour out of your day if you want it to.
You can’t go wrong with the classic Play Doh and these Play Doh tools. Don’t even worry about the mess, it can all be cleaned up.
24. Slime
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To be honest, I don’t understand the infatuation with slime but kids go nuts over it.
This Slime Kit and Fluffy Slime Kit are the best ones I have found.
25. Arts and Crafts
There are so many options when it comes to arts and crafts that I would need days to tell you about all of the fabulous ones we have tried.
Instead, let's talk about art supplies. These are the best art supplies that you should have on hand all year round. They will get used!
26. Read Books
Snuggle up with your kiddo and read a book or 2 together. This is such quality time that can never be replaced!
We have so many favorites here. Some that we are currently reading out loud include Mr. Lemoncello (we love this series), Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Lucky Luke.
Let me know in the comments below what you like to read with your kiddo!
27. Watch a Movie
I saved the screen time for last.
I know and understand that every mom needs to use it at some point to get some things done, me too! Just don't make it all day.
Your kiddo will get bored of it!
This post was all about the best indoor winter activities for kids.
Let me know in the comments below which indoor activities you tried with your kids.
I look forward to hearing from you and thanks for stopping by.
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