Interesting Indoor Games You Can Play at Home
- Updated on 25 Nov 2019
- Sports
Children are meant to play and that’s how they grow. It helps them unwind, have fun, socialize, and make new friends. However, the proliferation of digital technology has greatly affected all aspects of children’s lives. Children are playing less outdoors now and spending more time watching TV, computers, or mobiles. The days when kids ran around cycling, playing cricket, and hide and seek have become rare. Add to this the lack of playgrounds and children have nowhere to go to play.
While there’s nothing wrong with kids spending time indoors, the lack of proper play can hamper the social skills that they gain from playing outdoor games. There is a necessity to promote indoor games for children, as sports activities are important for children’s well being and these games can be played within the cosy confines safely.
There are several indoor games you can conduct at home to keep your child engaged and active. When it comes to selecting indoor games for children, there is no dearth among them to select.
1. Balloon Badminton
A modified version of the classic badminton game, this game involves using badminton racquets and balloons and needs very little indoor space. All you need are a few balloons and two or more racquets. Use racquets as you normally use when playing badminton and replace shuttlecocks with balloons. Use coloured tape to mark boundaries. This game is suitable for children 4 years and above. The game improves their endurance and hand-eye coordination. If your child is unable to hold the racquet, buy a plastic toy racquet that is lightweight.
2. Balloon Volleyball
Balloon volleyball is a very simple game that both kids and you will enjoy playing. Draw a small boundary by using a colour tape and divide the team equally. The teams play hit the balloon on the opposite side and the intention is to keep the balloon in the air and not let it fall. When children raise their arm to hit the balloon, they are improving the arm strength as well as the shoulder. This game also improves their posture and ability to stand.
3. Indoor Bowling
For this game, you will need a flat surface, rubber or tennis ball, and 10 bowling pins that are available at any local toy store. Draw a bowling lane with coloured tape and keep the 10 pins at the end of the lane. Now ask your child to hit the pins using the ball. You can also use plastic or paper glasses and stack them like a pyramid. This game improves the hand-eye coordination of the child as well as motor skills.
4. Bucket Basketball
A very simple version of basketball, for this game you need a bucket, papers, and some rubber bands. Roll a big sized paper (preferably newspaper) into a ball and wrap rubber bands around it. Now keep a bucket in one corner of the room and ask the kid to throw the ball into the bucket. When the child has successfully thrown the paper ball into the bucket several times, ask the child to a move back a couple of steps and repeat the throws. This game is aimed at improving the child’s hand-eye coordination and motor skills.
5. Sticky Note Games
This is as simple as it can get. Write 26 alphabets on sticky notes and stick them on a wall or door randomly. Now ask the child to stick them to create a complete alphabet. You can also write down numbers from 1-10 or 1-20 and stick them randomly. Ask the child to rearrange the sticky notes to make it in order. You can also use the sticky notes to write your child’s name on it and follow the same process mentioned above. This game is meant to improve your child’s memory and help him/her recall the alphabets and numbers.
6. Bubbles
This is one of the easiest ways to enjoy indoor games. All you need is a glass, water, liquid soap, and straw. Add some liquid and water in the glass. Now ask your child to blow into the glass through the straw to create bubbles. If you have more kids, the better for as you can have a competition to see who creates the biggest bubble.
7. Touch and Feel
This game is meant to help kids identify objects through touch. You only a shoebox and some daily use objects. Make a hole big enough for your child to put his/her hand inside the box. Add some objects like toothpaste, brush, bottle, pens, paper, cups, or even their favourite toys. Now ask the child to put his/her hand inside the box and randomly pick something. Tell the child not to see the object but to identify through touch. This game is meant to build their sense of touch and feel.
8. Colour Sorting
This game helps in the cognitive development of the child. Collect objects of different colours in your house and mix them. Now tell your child colour and ask him/her to pick up items of the same colour and drop them in a box. Just observe items of the same colour your child picks up. This will give you an idea of the child understands of the colours
. Indoor Games for your kid need our utmost attention, as they form an integral part during their formative years.
There are four benefits to playing indoor games:
1. Improves your child’s physical fitness.
2. Encourages creativity in children.
3. Improves hand-eye coordination and
4. Your home is the safest place your child can get.
None of the games mentioned here involve the use of technology or gadgets, they make use of items that are commonly available at our homes and with little to no expense. When you are playing with your child, you are also getting to understand and know each other better and what better place than home and indoor games to start.
