More: The Best Board Games for Kids Look for activities that:
Promote learning - With many children spending more time at home than at school, we want to keep their brains working while making sure that we are keeping learning fun. Offer sensory engagement - During the winter your children might not be able to spend as much time outside, so look for games and materials that can stimulate their senses while remaining indoors. (These are our favorite sensory toys). Are fun! - You want your children coming back for more. While we want to promote learning, we also want to offer opportunities for our children to relax, tap into their creativity and use their imagination. Don’t forget to look for activities and toys that allow your children to kick back and be a kid.
Our Top Picks
What to Consider When Purchasing Indoor Activities and Toys
Child Age - If you have multiple children finding toys and activities that will engage a range of ages can be a challenge, but our goal is to keep everyone entertained for longer periods of time. Pick materials that are age appropriate, but that leave room for growth and extension over the long winter months.
Vidya Sundaram, co-founder and CEO of Family Engagement Lab, says “I love reading books in the winter. If your kids are younger, try reading books to them that are a few grades up in difficulty. They will learn new vocabulary and hear what fluent reading sounds like from you. With older kids, ask them to pick a book for you both to read and discuss together.”
Mess Factor - Some days kids need to just get down and dirty and make a mess, but if the thought of this makes you squeamish (think slime!) then pick your activities carefully. This is also a great opportunity to create responsible kids who are capable of cleaning the mess they make, but chances are they will still need support from you. Space Required - If you don’t have a designated playspace, make sure you inventory your breakable and valued furniture or decorations before letting your children engage in a rounding game of Throw Throw Burrito. Creating a safe place during designated times will definitely help your children get those winter wiggles out without worry of breaking your valuables.
How We Chose Our Favorites
The Best Games for Kids
Qwixx is a wonderful family dice game for when you want to have fun, a little competition, and trick your kids into practicing their math facts! Short games of about 15 minutes are perfect for keeping limited attention spans engaged. Younger children may need help with strategy but should still be able to practice their math. Kids won’t even realize they are brushing up on their mathematical skills and learning because the pace is fast and they will be having fun the whole time! Sequence allows you to play as individuals or in teams, which makes this an ideal game to include younger players who might need a little support. We chose this larger version because it makes it easier to see for all involved. Be prepared to get competitive, the more children play the more they will start to pick up on strategy. Zingo is a great option for including younger children as it is geared towards children four and older. It’s the picture version of Bingo, a great way to enforce vocabulary, hand eye coordination and matching. Young children will enjoy being able to slide their own chips out of the dispenser and independently look for matches on their Zingo card. Cards are double sided for extra playing opportunities. If you already have an iPad, this is a really great educational game addition. (It also comes in other tablet forms). Games are displayed on the iPad, but also come with hands-on materials to really engage each learner. Games have different levels so children can continue to be challenged as they master skills, or you can tailor learning to different ages. For children who are already spending extra time with screens, we like this option of including hands on manipulatives as well. Throw Throw Burrito is super fun, but bound to get a little rowdy. It’s basically a mix of dodgeball and a card game; even though the foam burritos are soft we recommend you clear the area! For those winter days when you’re stuck inside and need to get a little energy out we definitely recommend this game of agility. Guess in 10 definitely falls under educational games, which is an added benefit! Each game set has a different category (Animals, Things that Go, World of Sports, etc.) and you have up to 10 questions to figure out what object is on each card. This is a perfect game if you’re looking for a short break or want a full-blown family game night. It’s a great one to pack up for on the go as well.
The Best Activities for Kids
Get ready for a laugh with this card game. It’s nice and portable, the size of a deck of cards, and each game only takes about 10-15 minutes to play, so it is a great option if you’re looking for a quick activity to break up the day. Chances are your children will get sucked in and want to play over and over again! This card game is great for memory and quick thinking, keeping those little minds sharp. SKYJO is a fun card game, but be prepared to commit to at least 30 minutes. Children will benefit from practicing their math skills (counting, adding and estimating), and it’s more luck than strategy so perfect for younger children who want to feel included without needing help. From bracelets to necklaces to beaded mask chains, jewelry designing is making a comeback. Let your child’s creativity flow with this jewelry making kit that includes everything needed to get started, including the necessary tools. Beware of all the small beads, but with careful precision you can avoid a major mess. Kids will strengthen their fine motor skills, concentration and hand eye coordination while tapping into their artistic side. Take your child’s coloring up a notch with this cardboard fort. Not only will they get to enjoy coloring in the castle design, but it makes a great imaginative play addition along the way and well after it is completed. This is a great long-term activity for when you’re stuck inside during the winter. Customer recommendations suggest reinforcing the inside seams with duct tape for extended play. It doesn’t get much more classic than LEGO. This is an excellent open -ended activity that both boys and girls can get into. Whether following a design or creating themselves, there is no wrong way to build with LEGO. This is also a great long-term activity that your children can keep coming back to and adding to day after day. Be prepared for a mess, but a LEGO storage case might be a good option for avid LEGO lovers. The only thing you need for this AirFort is a box fan, and a great imagination! Gone are the days of blankets and furniture strewn across the house, your children are sure to love having this play fort during the winter months. Whether a cozy reading nook, a bear cave, an igloo, or many other endless options, your children can let their imaginations soar while hiding out. For the dino lover, budding scientist, or just curious kid, this Dino Eggs Dig Kit is a great hands-on learning activity. Not only do they have to carefully excavate the dinosaurs out of their eggs, but they can delight in learning new facts and the history of each dinosaur. Put kids’ creativity, imagination and engineering skills to the test with this easy to build fort construction set. This construction set is great for kids as young as five, but is sure to engage older children as well. There is no shortage of designs they can create and build, making this an ideal activity to come back to over and over again.
The Best Toys for Kids
There are definitely days where you want your child to be creative without having to deal with the mess, enter the ORSEN LCD Writing Tablet. This tablet has the look of a lightweight tablet, but it’s just like writing on paper. You can lock the erase button so that drawings don’t get accidentally erased, and when you’re ready unlock to clear the slate. Use it as a learning tool or just a mess-free, waste-free way to draw and color. These alphabet robots are a great learning tool for younger children. Each letter of the alphabet transforms into a different robot. It may take some hand eye coordination practice for little fingers to transform them back and forth, but once they master it the fun will ensue. Whether practicing letters, spelling, or just having fun playing with robots, this toy will be a hit. Kids who have found themselves stuck in the house are probably a little more fidgety than usual, and these fun squishy sensory toys are a good way to relieve some of the stress and jitters that come with being cooped up. They are also adorable little figurines that can be used in imaginative play, and are mess free, making them a win all around. Magna-Tiles are a wonderful open-ended creative activity. These are perfect for young children as they don’t have any small pieces; however, the older the child the more patience they will have for designing carefully. The translucent colors make these great for a using on a light table, or up against a window. They are also an endless amount of fun just on their own for building various designs and 3D shapes.
The Best Books for Kids
The Elenco Snap Circuits are a great option for older children interested in science, technology and engineering. They are easy to use and durable, and have numerous options for extended entertainment. Upgrade kits are also available for children who master this set and are ready for an even bigger challenge. If you think your child is ready for an introduction into coding, this would be a great toy for them. If you’re looking for a mess-free art toy, then look no further than this Aqua Magic Doodle Mat. Just add water to the paint pens, and your child can doodle away mess free. After a few minutes their doodles will disappear and they can start all over again. For some doodlers it might be a good idea to snap a picture of their work before it disappears, but you no longer have to worry about wasting paper or art supplies making their way onto furniture and walls. Harry Potter has been a favorite for many, many years, geared towards readers eight and older, but Harry Potter would also make a fun read-aloud series for younger listeners. Wizards, magic, and non-stop adventure all packing in together. Once you finish the series a fun movie night would be a great winter activity. There are 12 books in this box set, which is great because they are hard to put down! These humorous graphic novels are engaging, fun and easy to read. If you have a new reader, these books are a great choice. The short text broken up by cute graphics will keep kids engaged, and there’s nothing better than curling up with a good book on a cold winter day. With five of Dr. Seuss’s classic books included, this is a great option for those just beginning their reading journey. The whimsical, creative, outlandish poems are always a hit with younger children, and these are fun stories to share as a family or have an older sibling read together with new readers. The make-believe stories will inspire imaginations, prepare for giggles to ensue! This five book series is geared towards children ages eight and older, and is jam packed with adventure, action, fantasy and magic. Author Rick Riordan, called “storyteller of the gods” by Publishers Weekly, engages his readers with tales of Greek mythology intertwined with thrilling adventure. The One and Only Ivan is a lovely story about friendship and seeing the world through someone else’s eyes. Author Katharine Applegate took inspiration from the Atlanta Zoo’s gorilla, Ivan, telling the story through his point of view. Your children will likely come away with a new perspective and maybe even a few life lessons.
