Are you dreading winter? Not so much because of how cold it gets, but because of the phrase you know you are going to hear.
Oh, you know the one! “Mom! I’m so boooored!” Don’t you love how kids drag out that word?
Well, you don’t have to fear Old Man Winter anymore. In fact, I’m going to bring you some of the internet’s best DIY boredom busters.
But I can do you one better. Some ideas are really fun for kids but have a tendency to drive the parent trapped in the house with those fun-loving kids a little bonkers.
Well, these ideas are not just fun for the kids but should be easy on your nerves and your home décor.
Fun DIY Indoor Activities for Kids
Here is what I’ve come up with to help you combat the boredom in your home:
1. Ball Pit and Slide
This idea is for the smaller kids, but it looks like tons of fun. You can either purchase an inflatable ball pit or an inflatable pool.
Then fill it with balls and add a kid-sized slide. Watch your little one spend hours climbing up and going down the slide. It is sure to be a blast!
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
2. Pom Pom Sorting
This activity is not only one that will help develop fine motor skills in your kiddos, it also looks super relaxing. Seriously, I think I want to create this for myself.
So the idea is that your kiddo will use a clothespin to move pom poms to the cup that matches the color of the little ball. I like sorting things so it looks like fun to me.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
3. Crayon Push Activity
This activity is another one that will help your smaller child develop fine motor skills. It also looks really easy to create as well.
So you need an empty oatmeal container. Then punch holes in it so you can easily slide the crayons through the holes.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
4. Stain Glass Window
This is a really cool idea that kids of all ages would love. Unfortunately, the post with the tutorial is no longer available.
But you can see from the picture that you hang up a sheet of plastic, and then cut up squares of tissue paper. Then allow your children to glue or tape the pieces on. What a cool work of art to create!
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
5. Racing Pom Pom Balls
This is a game that I feel like my own children would enjoy so much. I have 3 boys, and they are very competitive.
So what better way to bring out that competitive nature, then to tape a track to the floor and allow them to blow pom pom balls around the track with a straw?
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
6. Target Golf
This looks like a really easy game to create. You just take a cardboard box and place numbers over each entry hole that you create.
Then you allow your child the opportunity to hit a golf ball into one of the holes. Whoever scores the most wins.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
7. Indoor S’mores
You are going to love this idea when you get a little further down in the post. But for now, you can easily create indoor S’mores.
So when you feel like your kids need an exciting snack, then you can always pull out this idea. And don’t get all creeped out. This idea was originally shared for an at-home date idea, but it would totally work with the kids too.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
8. Easy Indoor Swing and Crash Pad
This looks like another idea my boys would love. I’m not sure if it is every family with boys or just mine, but my kids can be downright destructive at times.
So when I see something that allows them to hang from the ceiling and crash without hurting themselves (or tear down the house) I’m all about it.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
9. Pool Noodle Playhouse
It is that time of year when the pool noodles go on sale. Take full advantage of it and buy as many as you can.
Then come home and create this awesome playhouse that is made out of pool noodles and bed sheets. Let’s say it together: Easy to make, hours of fun for the kiddos, and peace for the parents.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
10. Indoor Camping
This is where the previous indoor S’mores idea comes in handy. You simply set up a tent in the living room or basement.
Then create a fake campfire, and pull out the indoor S’mores. You will have some happy kiddos making some fantastic memories.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
11. Indoor Climbing Space
This is such a cool idea. As soon as I saw it, I thought, “We’ve got to do this in the basement!” If you have children with tons of energy, you’ll probably love this too.
So it is literally an indoor gym. It has room to climb, a rock climbing wall, and a jungle gym. Not to mention, the bed is under it so if they fall, it won’t hurt. It is great!
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
12. Cardboard Box Coloring
This is a great idea if you have smaller children. When my kids were little they were like most kids and colored on the wall at one point in time or the other.
Well, you can beat that epidemic by placing your child inside a cardboard box, giving them a crayon, and allowing them to color until their little hearts are content.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
13. Drive-In Movie
We did this for our end of summer bash with the kids at church a couple of weeks ago. They absolutely loved it!
So you just turn a cardboard box into a car and allow the kids to sit in while they eat popcorn and watch a movie. It adds some excitement to movie time.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
14. DIY Indoor Climbing Wall
This is another great idea to help kids to stay active and get out some energy when it is too cold to go outside.
So if you’d like to keep your kids active this winter, then consider adding this to a room where they can climb the days away.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
15. Cotton Ball Painting
I love this idea to make painting easier for both the kids and parents. You just attach cotton balls to a clothespin.
Then you dip them in the paint to paint with. When you are ready to clean up, you just throw the cotton balls away.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
16. Pillow Sumo
I almost didn’t share this activity because though it looks like a blast, I could just see one of my boys going over a couch or across the coffee table because they rammed each other so hard.
So if you have children that know their limits, then this might be a good activity for them on a cold winter day. If you have children like mine, then you might want to move on to the next activity.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
17. Paper Plate Tic-Tac-Toe
This is a really awesome idea. My kids love to play games like tic-tac-toe and checkers. I love how this really brings that basic game to life.
So basically, you’ll just outline the board with tape. Then you’ll make your pieces from paper plates. It is easy to make and inexpensive too.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
18. Balloon Stamp Painting
This is another fun arts and crafts idea that doesn’t require a lot of money or mess to create.
So if you like to do fun artsy crafts with your kids over the winter, then you should check this out and give it some consideration.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
19. Balloon Tennis
This game looks like a lot of fun. You just blow up balloons and use a fly swatter to keep them from hitting the floor.
However, be sure you have the room to do this activity. You don’t want anyone flipping over furniture trying to catch a balloon.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
20. Paper Airplanes
Making the perfect airplane is no easy task. I teach a class each Sunday, and I find it funny because all of the boys try so hard to make such a perfect plane.
Yet, there is one little girl in my class that can make them in two seconds flat. So truly, this is an activity that all children can enjoy.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
21. DIY Moon Sand
Kids like to play hands-on activities. It is just natural. They like to get their hands on things so they can better understand and learn.
So I like to encourage that with any activity we do around our house. This moon sand is one of those creative activities that allow them to get their hands dirty, literally.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
22. Kid Made Instruments
This is a really neat idea for the child that is really into music. All of my boys are into music so this is something that really hits close to home.
So if you have a child that loves all things music, then allow them to build their own drum set and kazoo with this tutorial.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
23. Borax Free Galaxy Slime
This slime is something really cool to look at and play with. My children made some homemade slime at one point and really loved it. Secretly, I did too!
But I love that this recipe doesn’t use Borax. Borax is great for many things, but it is still a chemical, so I think it is best to be safe and leave it out if possible.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
24. Tin Can Bowling
Do you have a child that loves to bowl? Well, you don’t have to get out in the cold to take them to an alley thanks to this activity.
Instead, you can just paint some old tin cans, and grab a ball. They can have their very own game in the comfort of their own home.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
25. Tissue Transfer Art
This is another really cool art project that you can do with your children on those cold winter days when you have to stay inside.
Not to mention, these crafts are so cool, that they’d make great Christmas gifts for the grandparents.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
26. DIY Ring Toss
This ring toss game is one that would allow you to upcycle items that you might normally toss and create a fun game at the same time.
So you need an old paper towel tube. Then you need to cut the center out of paper plates. Finally, you decorate and toss your homemade rings around your paper towel tube.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
27. Knock the Balls Nerf Game
This game is another one that allows you to upcycle some items. You need a cardboard box as the base and some old paper towel tubes.
Then you use those tubes to hold a ball that is worth so many points. You see which balls you can hit with your Nerf gun. This looks like lots of fun too.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
28. Air Dry Clay
This clay is another one of those fun things to make because not only does it feel cool, look cool, and make cool stuff.
But it is also super easy to make and the kids love it. So go ahead and give it a try.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
29. Marble Run
This game looks like so much fun. You just use a basic cardboard box and make a few DIY obstacles for the marble.
Then you place the marble on the cardboard box and allow it to run down. It’ll keep your kids entertained for hours.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
30. Ball Toss
This is another classic game that takes very little to make. If you enjoy ski ball, then you’ll love this idea as well.
So you just place point amounts on different bins and then toss a ball into one of the bins to see how many points you can rack up.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
31. DIY Laser Maze
This maze is created in a hallway out of crepe paper. You can tape them up in any form that you’d like as long as it is challenging for your children to go over and under.
Then you allow them to hustle through the maze without getting caught (or breaking) the crepe paper.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
32. 2-Ingredient Play Dough
Do your kids like to build things with play dough? My youngest absolutely loves the stuff. It isn’t super expensive to buy at the store, but you don’t get much.
Plus, you aren’t ever really sure what is in it. Well, solve both problems by cheaply and easily making your own natural play dough.
Check out this DIY kids’ indoor activity
Well, you now have over 30 different DIY kids’ indoor activities that should be fun for them and peaceful for you.
But I’d like to know, what do you do to keep your kids from being bored all winter long? Do you have any DIY activities of your own you’d like to share?
We love hearing from you!