Staying active becomes a challenge when you're stuck indoors. Active games played indoors need to accommodate the limited space and obstacles in the form of furniture and decorative items in the home. The active games work well to burn off energy on rainy days, snow days and other times the kids can't run outside.
Bread Crumb Trail
Like the fairy tales, this active game leads kids with a trail of "bread crumbs." Brown paper crumpled into small balls creates the illusion of crumbs without the mess. Place the paper crumbs in a trail around the house. Leave signs along the way that give the kids a specific task to complete. Add an active twist to the tasks. Examples include jogging in place, dancing to a song or acting out a fairy tale. Leave a special snack at the end of the bread crumb trail to complete the game.
Wrap Up Race
A roll of toilet paper or crepe paper makes up the main material for this active indoor game. You need at least four players for this game. Each pair of players needs a roll of toilet or crepe paper. One member from each pair wraps the other person in the paper from shoulder to knees. Make sure the kids don't wrap the legs too tight. The wrapped child walks a designated path around the room to complete the race. To make the game last longer, have the kids unwrap their partners. The kids then swap places with the other person getting wrapped and completing the course.
Parade
An indoor parade offers a new use for your child's dress up clothes and props. Encourage your kids to put together a creative costume for the parade. Another option is to create your own costumes with construction paper, foil and similar craft supplies. Pull out toy instruments or make your own using old butter tubs, beans, paper towel tubes and other recyclable materials around the house. Let the kids take turns leading the parade through the house. Encourage marching, dancing and other active ways of moving.
Safety Tips
Establishing safety rules before you play active indoor games reduces the chances of injuries or broken items in your home. Practice walking instead of running and remind the kids to watch the pace if they start moving too fast. Create a safe zone for the game play without any breakable items in the area. Move items out of the way during the game if necessary.
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