Rainy days can present a challenge for parents looking to keep their kids engaged, entertained, and active indoors. The good news is that you don’t need fancy gadgets or endless screen time to make these days fun.
With a little creativity, you can transform your home into a wonderland of games, crafts, and interactive challenges that kids will love. Here are 10 creative indoor games for rainy days that will not only keep your kids entertained but also encourage learning, movement, and imaginative play.
If you have young children under the age of two, you may want to check out the six stages of child development to pick age-appropriate games or visit our article on activities for early childhood development.
1. DIY Indoor Obstacle Course

An indoor obstacle course is a fantastic way to get your kids moving, even when they're cooped up inside. Use pillows, blankets, chairs, and any household items to create obstacles that they need to climb over, crawl under, or weave through.
For an added challenge, introduce time limits or have them balance an item, such as a stuffed animal, on their heads while navigating the course. You can also create “stations” where kids need to complete different tasks like jumping jacks or balance beam walking. Not only does this game keep kids active, but it also helps build coordination and problem-solving skills.
2. Indoor Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt can be tailored to any age group and is a fantastic way to bring some excitement to a rainy day. Create a list of household items for your kids to find. Depending on their age, you can make the list simple (“Find something blue”) or more challenging (“Find something shaped like a triangle”).
For younger children, include pictures of the items on the list for a visual clue. You can even theme the scavenger hunt around a favorite book or TV show, and hide small prizes around the house as rewards for completing the hunt.
3. DIY Crafts Station
Rainy days are perfect for unleashing creativity through arts and crafts. Set up a “craft station” where kids can use everyday materials to create their own masterpieces. Provide paper, glue, markers, stickers, and items like cardboard boxes or paper towel rolls.
You can suggest simple projects like making paper plate animals, designing greeting cards, or building their own puppets. The key is to encourage them to experiment and use their imaginations. You can even turn this into a mini art gallery, displaying their creations around the house for everyone to admire.
4. Pillow Fort and Storytelling
Pillow forts are a classic rainy-day activity that never gets old. Grab all the blankets, pillows, and cushions you can find, and help your kids build an epic fort in the living room. Once the fort is built, turn it into a cozy reading nook where you can read books together.
Alternatively, you can engage in some storytelling. Ask your child to help create a story by taking turns, with each person adding a sentence to the story. You’ll be amazed at how creative and funny the tales become!
5. Balloon Tennis
For a fun, energetic game that won’t result in broken vases, balloon tennis is the perfect solution. All you need is a balloon and a couple of fly swatters or paper plates taped to sticks to serve as makeshift racquets.
Kids can swat the balloon back and forth, trying to keep it from touching the ground. If you want to take it up a notch, create a “net” by draping a piece of string between two chairs. Balloon tennis is great for developing hand-eye coordination while providing a good amount of physical activity.
6. DIY Puzzle Time
Making puzzles is both a calming and stimulating activity for kids on a rainy day. You can either use an existing puzzle or take it up a notch by making your own. Simply print out or draw a picture on cardboard, and cut it into puzzle-like pieces for your child to put together.
If you want to add an educational twist, choose a picture that represents something your child is learning, such as animals, letters, or maps. Puzzle-solving helps improve critical thinking and spatial awareness while giving kids a fun challenge.
7. Interactive Dance Party
An indoor dance party can be a great way to burn off energy on rainy days. Pick some of your kids’ favorite songs and create a fun playlist that will get them moving. To add a creative twist, you can introduce a freeze dance game: when the music stops, everyone must freeze in place until the music starts again. You can also take this opportunity to teach them fun dance moves or have a “dance-off” where each person gets a chance to show off their best moves.
8. Indoor Bowling Alley
Turn your hallway or living room into a bowling alley with just a few household items. Use empty plastic bottles or paper towel rolls as the bowling pins, and a soft ball to knock them down. You can also challenge your kids to decorate their bowling pins with markers, stickers, or other craft supplies before they begin.
For an added fun element, assign point values to each pin or create “challenges” like knocking down all the pins in one roll. Indoor bowling is a great way to work on motor skills and concentration.
9. Board Game Bonanza
Board games are always a reliable go-to for rainy-day entertainment. Whether it’s classic games like “Candy Land,” “Chutes and Ladders,” or “Monopoly Junior,” kids love the challenge and excitement of board games.
For older kids, games like “Guess Who?” or “Scrabble Junior” offer educational opportunities by encouraging logical thinking and vocabulary development. Don’t have a game on hand? No problem! You can create your own trivia or memory-matching game using index cards.
10. Simon Says with a Twist
A game of “Simon Says” is not only fun, but it also helps kids with listening skills and following instructions. You can introduce creative twists like adding specific themes to make the game more engaging. For example, “Simon Says” could include animal-themed movements (“Simon says jump like a frog”) or superhero-themed actions (“Simon says fly like Superman”). This keeps the game fresh and exciting while ensuring kids stay physically active and mentally sharp.
Conclusion
Rainy days don’t have to mean boring days! With a little creativity and a willingness to turn everyday objects into tools for fun, you can keep your kids entertained and active, even when they’re stuck indoors.
These 10 indoor games provide a perfect mix of physical activity, imagination, and educational elements, ensuring your kids stay engaged and have a blast. From pillow forts and scavenger hunts to craft stations and balloon tennis, these activities offer fun and meaningful ways to turn a dreary day into an exciting adventure. Plus, many games encourage family bonding, making rainy days a great time to create lasting memories.
Looking for Christian games to play with the family that encourages learning? Check out this post.
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