Indoor activities for children
It’s the holidays, the sun is shining and the kids want to go outside – but grey clouds lurk out on the horizon. We all know how unpredictable the summer weather can be when it won't play along. So instead of zipping your kids up in rain jackets and wellies, we’ve gathered the best indoor activities for when the rain starts coming down. Because indoors, children are free to use their creativity – no matter what the weather is doing outside. And it’s also an obvious opportunity to go offline and nurture togetherness, creativity and free play.
You can find our indoor activities right here on this page – and they are all fun, creative and iPad-free. They make it hard for children to get bored, even stuck inside at home. They can put together jigsaw puzzles, make fuse bead creations on pegboards, play with memory cards and draw with felt tips. But with us, these classic indoor activities also become creative projects. For example, children can design their own jigsaw puzzle or decorate their own tote bag with markers.
If you would like to read more about which indoor activities children love and why – then keep reading.
Play with beads
The happy childhood memories come rushing back with the smell of a freshly ironed pegboard – and even today, the small, colourful fuse beads arouse great interest in children and adults alike. This is because these beads offer so many creative possibilities. Children can play their way to different patterns and colour combinations – just as they can see the whole exciting process taking shape, from loose beads to a complete artwork. In addition to the high entertainment value, beads also boost children’s development – especially fine motor skills. Children strengthen their fine motor skills by grasping the beads with their hands. For example, when they arrange the beads on pegboards or string beads onto a piece of cord. In addition to fine motor skills, playing with beads also promotes children’s ability to focus and concentrate. It requires full concentration to place the beads in the right places. In this way, playing with beads is one of the most rewarding and immersive indoor activities, as it stimulates children's development in a variety of ways.
If you need inspiration for what children can make with beads, we have several ideas on this page. For example, they can make flowers from fuse beads or bracelets with plastic beads.
Get creative with markers and stickers
Many children love to draw, paint and decorate. Fortunately, it’s also one of the easiest indoor activities to get started – all you need are the right markers. For example, you can try using the internationally popular Plus Colour markers. The markers have fantastic coverage, a strong colour pigment and the children can use them on all kinds of surfaces. It doesn't always have to be paper that children draw on. For example, they can draw on rice paper lamps so they look like fish and jellyfish, or draw on self-hardening clay to depict small cars and road signs.
Markers are also ideal to use for textile decoration. Children can decorate their own bucket hat or their own tote bag – and when they want to personalise the textiles further, they can also use rub-on stickers. Rub-on stickers are stickers that can be rubbed onto smooth surfaces such as textiles. They're super-easy to attach, as they don't require glue or sewing thread. The same applies to soft stickers – because they're self-adhesive, you can use them easily to make instant decorations.
You can find many different rub-on stickers here on the website, as well as a large selection of markers. We have Plus Color markers, Posca markers and Colortime markers – so you can be sure to find the right ones for your creative indoor activity
Fun with jigsaw puzzles and memory cards
Children love to play, and if you have some games lying around, you can take advantage of the dreary rainy days to play them together. Games like jigsaw puzzles and memory cards have always been a hit with kids on a rainy day – and they still are. For one thing, jigsaw puzzles and memory cards promote children’s logical thinking and strengthen their ability to concentrate. But all in all, it’s just a nice way to spend time together as a family.
Children also have the opportunity to design their own puzzles and memory cards. It's up to them to choose what colours and motifs to use – their only limits are their imaginations. For example, they can draw cherished family members, fun patterns or well-known characters. However, we also have jigsaw puzzles where the designs are already printed ready for colouring. These are especially fun for younger children, as they can practise colouring inside the lines. But no matter what kind of puzzle you choose, you're guaranteed an indoor activity that offers plenty of creativity and cosiness. You can find the fun memory cards and jigsaw puzzles right here.