10 Awesome Indoor Games to Keep Kids Entertained

Elsa Updated on Jul 11, 2025 Filed to: Parent Control

As a parent, I know how challenging it can be to keep kids entertained indoors—especially on rainy days or during long stretches at home.

After sharing ideas with other parents and testing countless activities with our own kids, we've put together a list of 10 indoor games that are fun, engaging, and a fresh twist on the classics like hide-and-seek and Simon Says. These are the ones that truly spark curiosity while keeping kids happily busy.

1. Kim's Game

Kim's Game

How to Play

To begin with, I select 10–15 things around the house such as spoons, toy cars, pens, and rubber bands. These items are placed on a tray and I ask my child to examine them for 30 seconds. At the end, the tray is covered, and I share my child's memory of all the objects on the tray that he/ she memorizes with words or speaks out.

Why It's Great

  • Quick and straightforward to establish
  • One can be by oneself or make it a party game
  • Difficulties can be increased by more items in the set

Skills Built

  • Retention
  • Penetration
  • Inquisitiveness into minutia

2. Red Light, Green Light

Game of Red Light, Green Light

How to Play

Choose one player to be the "robot." The robot stands facing a wall with their back to the rest of the players. Everyone else starts at the opposite end of the room.

When the robot calls out "Green light," the players move forward. When the robot yells "Red light," they must freeze immediately. If the robot turns around and sees anyone still moving, that player must go back to the starting line. The first player to reach and tag the robot wins and becomes the new robot.

Pro Tips

Sometimes we use funny robot language and add some drama by posing strange objects, which makes the game even more fun!

Skills Built

  • Listening
  • Self-management
  • Reaction time

3. Dalgona Candy Challenge (Paper Version)

Dalgona Candy Challenge

How to Play

Draw fun shapes like stars or umbrellas on thick paper or cardboard. Give each child a toothpick and have them trace along the outline of the shape without lifting the toothpick or tearing the paper.

The goal is to stay on the lines as carefully as possible from start to finish. It’s a fun way to build focus and fine motor skills—with a tricky twist!

Bonus Tips

Use colorful cardboard for extra excitement!

Skills Built

  • Fine motor skills
  • Patience
  • Concentration

4. Pilolo (Speed Treasure Hunt)

Pilolo

How to Play

One player hides small objects like coins or erasers while others close their eyes. When they shout "Pilolo!", everyone races to find the hidden treasures. The player who finds the most wins.

Setup Tips

  • Use a single room or hallway
  • Make sure hidden items are small and safe

Skills Built

  • Quick thinking
  • Observation
  • Agility

5. The Floor Is Lava – Memory Edition

The Floor Is Lava

How to Play

Create a path using paper squares or foam tiles. Some tiles are "safe," others are not. Show the safe path once. Then, players must walk it from memory without stepping on the wrong spots.

Spice It Up

Add a timer or play in teams, where one teammate gives verbal guidance.

Skills Built

  • Memory
  • Balance
  • Strategy

6. Hana, Hana, Hana, Bi! (A Fun Game from Japan)

Hana

How to Play

One player chants "Hana, hana, hana…" while pointing to different body parts. On "Bi!", they touch a body part (like an ear), and everyone else must quickly copy. Mess up? You're out!

Best With

Groups of 3 or more. Perfect for high-energy play.

Skills Built

  • Coordination
  • Reaction time
  • Focus

Hands-on ability is also key to children's development. We recommend these summer parent-child craft activities to help them develop creativity through games.

7. Marble Guessing Game

Marble Guessing Game

How to Play

Each player starts with 5 marbles (or coins/buttons). One player hides 1–5 marbles in a closed fist. The other guesses whether the number is even or odd. Guess right? They win that many marbles. Guess wrong? They lose that many.

End Goal

Play until someone collects all the marbles or time runs out.

Skills Built

  • Logic
  • Strategy
  • Mental math

8. Memory Maze (Inspired by the Glass Bridge)

Memory Maze

Setup

  • Create a simple "bridge" using two rows of paper squares or floor tiles (e.g., pieces of tape, cardboard, or pillows) laid out in pairs.
  • One square in each pair is the "safe" step, the other is the "breakable" one (just pretend—it's all safe!).
  • Secretly mark the correct path (the "safe" squares) beforehand. Only the game leader knows it.
  • How to Play

    Players take turns trying to cross the bridge by stepping on one square from each pair. If they step on a "safe" square, they move forward. If they step on a "breakable" one, they're out (or return to the start).

    The next player starts over, but must remember the correct path revealed by others before them. The game continues until someone reaches the end of the maze!

    Tip

    Make it more exciting by timing the players or adding music!

    Skills Built

    • Spatial memory
    • Sequencing
    • Patience

    9. Whisper Chain Drawing

    Whisper Chain Drawing

    How to Play

    One kid will draw a simple image (like a cat or a box) and will show it to the next player for 3 seconds. The other kid has to quickly draw it on his paper from memory and show it to the next person, and so on. The final player draws the final image he can remember and guesses what the original was.

    It's Like

    The Telephone Game, but with drawings—funny results guaranteed.

    Skills Built

    • Visual memory
    • Creativity
    • Focus

    10. Back Drawing Relay

    Back Drawing Relay

    How to Play

    Kids stand in a line. The last person draws a shape on the back of the person in front using a finger or capped pen. Each player tries to replicate the shape on the next person until it reaches the front, where the final drawing is done on paper.

    The Result

    Compare the final drawing to the original—it's always hilarious.

    Skills Built

    • Sensory awareness
    • Teamwork
    • Drawing skills
    👀 Too Much Screen Time During Game Breaks?

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    Final Thoughts

    This list skips the overused classics and brings in a creative mix of educational and fun activities. These aren't just time-killers—they boost memory, coordination, and creative thinking.

    Best part? You don't need expensive toys to keep kids happy indoors. No fancy gear or big mess. Most of what you need is already at home. When you find your favorite indoor game, share it with other parents or save it for the next rainy day!

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Elsa
Elsa
Elsa has worked on a number of iOS & Android solutions, she can always find her way around almost any application. She is an accomplished, skilled and versatile writer with more than 7 years of technical article writing experience.
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