15 Creative Indoor Activities Using Items You Already Have at Home

For the summer months when it's too hot outside, or the fall when it starts to get cold my kids enjoys getting creative with indoor activities. Having fun doesn't need to be extravagant or cost a lot either; these ideas use things you likely already have at home. Often spurring creativity will keep them content and learning longer, too!

1. Music Jam/Dance Party: Play toy instruments or turn on music and have a dance party. Try out using scarves, ribbons, etc. to encourage different styles of dance.
2. "Basket" Ball: Get a laundry basket and fill it with balls (soft Nerf/ plastic type). Flip the basket over so the balls go all around the room and have the kids see how fast they can grab them and put them back in the basket.
3. Car Races: Get out a bunch of medium size cars and race them across the floor or down a hallway.
4. Hide and Seek Toys: Play hide and seek with stuffed animals or small toys. Pick a room and have one child help hide the toys around the room. Then have the other kids find them all. My son also likes playing traditional hide and seek.
5. Toy Bowling: Get blocks, stacking cups, etc. and stack them up. Then bowl them over with a soft ball.
6. Bake Together: Make a fun snack, meal, or treat together. 
7. Blanket Rides: Have them pile on a blanket and drag them around the house. They can also put their dolls or stuffed animals on a blanket and pull them around themselves.
8. Painting: Kids love water color painting or finger painting. If your child is young and tries to eat paint, try painting with pudding instead- it's edible!
9. Play Dough and Moon Sand can also be fun for older toddlers to use their creativity to mold shapes.
10. Puzzles and Board Games: Kids love board games and it's good for them to learn how to follow rules and work together. You might get tired of playing Cooties too many times, but many kids as young as 3-4 can start to learn the concepts of games such as Sorry or Uno as well.
11. Play Dress up: Get out a box of dress-ups or create one with old clothes and shoes. Kids love to dress up and play pretend.
12. Story Time: Read a book together, have a puppet show and experience telling stories as a family. Imagination and reading are both important for kids and young kids, especially preschool age, can really get into acting.
13. Noodle or O-Shaped Cereal Jewelry: With some string and food-colored noodles or O shaped cereal kids learn fine motor skills and creativity.
14. Sorting Activity: Gather small, different-colored objects and pieces of colored construction paper to sort out items by color. This can also be a snack time activity with a fruit salad, colored Goldfish crackers, fruit snacks, M & M's, or Skittles.
15. Art Table: Tape coloring sheets or butcher paper on a train table or coffee table to make a big coloring space for the kids. A larger coloring space will give them more room to create.
    

Original article posted on Examiner.com.