Tap to Read ➤

Indoor Games for Kids

Rituparna Sarkar
Time-consuming yet creative and full of fun, that's what indoor games for kids are! Here are some ideas to develop their skills.
A kid's mind is blooming every moment with innovative ideas and quests. We need to understand what will actually make them happy. To understand the nature and psyche of a child is also an important task. Such games can help them in developing their personality and skills.
Indoor games are much different from other forms of games, as there are a lot of restrictions in terms of space while playing in the house. So, they should be such that the children get to enjoy to the fullest, while keeping the home in order!
Parents want their kids to be engaged in fruitful activities. Some are interested to know about games, their kids can play without going out.
Some games serve as a mode of passing time, some involve a degree of learning, while some help in developing motor skills, and the best ones are a fusion of these.
The number of participants should also be considered. Some games are really tempting and funny but strength also acts as a factor. Girls and boys also have different sets of interests. Girls mostly prefer to play indoors, whereas boys are mostly into outdoor activities. Keeping these concerns aside, let's see what games can be interesting and creative.

Important Aspects
Before setting up a game, the following things should be considered and taken care of.
● Foremost, you should explore the children's area of interest. For example, if they are interested in painting, then you can devise a game to do with sketching, coloring, etc.
● Girls and boys have different sets of interests, so you should categorize them accordingly. And if they are playing together, then a balance of interests and preferences should be maintained which will help in avoiding conflicts.
● If the children like to play outdoors but are stuck at home due to some reason, then you will have to put in some extra efforts to keep them occupied.

● There is always a risk that the children can hurt themselves while playing with some sharp or hazardous object. Therefore, their safety and security should be of paramount importance.

Memory Games And Word Puzzles
● These are fun and good mode of brain exercises which help improve concentration, communication and auditory skills and enhance the vocabulary of children. In Chinese Whispers, players sit in a circle. The first person whispers something (preferably a phrase) to the next person. This continues till the last player listens and says it out.
● Another option is to divide all the children into 2 groups. Ask one group to observe the objects around a particular room and leave for a while till the other group makes certain changes in the place and position of those objects. Then ask the first group to come back in and identify all the possible changes that the other group had made.
You can swap the groups after 2 - 3 rounds. This activity becomes all the more interesting if there are a lot of objects used. Remember to ask all the participants to rearrange the objects in a similar manner at the end. This will make sure that everything is in place once the game is over. This activity helps to improve the memory and organizational skills.
● You can test the memory of your children and improve their vocabulary and spelling skills. Collect different types of objects such as bottles, books, pens, keys, a small clock, and more, and put them in a basket. Show them the basket with all the contents and call out the names of each, if needed. Then cover the basket or keep it aside.
Ask the kids to write down the names of all the objects they can remember. You can even set a time limit and provide a gift or reward to the kid who writes down the maximum names of objects (spellings can also be considered). This way the activity becomes more interesting and challenging.
● There are different types of ready-made word puzzles such as scrabble, crossword, and sudoku, and other board games like chess.
You can even try to make your own board game at home.

Art, Craft, And More
● Explore your children's talent through their performance in art and crafts. Gather old magazines, newspapers, books, and ask them to take cut outs of pictures and make a collage. Or maintain a book of collages and name it accordingly.
They can also write down their thoughts in the form of stories or poems. Creating origami art and puppets is another creative hobby. They can even set up a show with their handmade puppets.
● Assist and help your kids to perform some basic science experiments. You can even refer to their textbooks. They will understand the concept better, and of course, add enjoyment to their learning.
● Arrange for art, painting, music, dance, or essay-writing competitions. This way you can make them enjoy, and in some cases, even help them wrap up their homework.
● Other activities include making sock monkey hats, egg carton crafts, bird feeders, and so on.

Miscellaneous Activities
If we actually sit and think, we can come up with various new ideas of such games. Apart from crafts and memory puzzles, they can play imitating games like mimicking a radio jockey, cook, show host, teacher, and what not.
You can even arrange for debates and seek each kid's opinion. Such activities will help them gain more knowledge of a subject, and make them responsible.
In the concept of musical chairs, you can put on some music and ask them to keep walking around a line of chairs, and find a chair to sit immediately as the music pauses. Those who are left standing, get disqualified from the round. 
Ask them to read out or enact some portions of their favorite storybook. Even if it is a very simple activity, do make every possible effort to spice it up!
The game has to be planned and designed according to the children's needs and preferences. Indoor games is not only a way to entertain them, but also to help them learn a lot of practical things and their implementation in a creative manner.