We know that playing outside has plenty of benefits for your child in terms of overall development, but there are days where we feel like we don’t want to leave our house, even if the weather’s perfect. Sundays are the perfect example of that.
Sometimes you just want to enjoy some time at home as a family, but kids tend to get bored quite easily in such situations. That is why we decided to create a little play guide, full of games and activities that you can do with them indoors.
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It can be hard to remember that being in your house doesn’t have to be a synonym of boredom. There are plenty of things to do that you and your kid can enjoy together. Spending time together as a family will strengthen the bonds you build between each other during these early ages of a child life.
One of our favorite games to play is “Hide and Seek“. It is one of the classics, one person has to close their eyes and count to ten, while the others find the perfect hiding spot. Finding the perfect spot is a good exercise for your kid since they will have to think from the perspective of someone who is searching for something. Where are the places that the searcher would not think to look? Inversely, where are the places someone would believe to be good hiding places?
Jigsaw puzzles is the second item on our list. It is the perfect activity for problem-solving and cognitive development. You can start buying easy ones that come with 12 pieces, and then move on to the bigger ones that you can do together as a family. Kids will have fun trying to help, while adults will get a little distraction of their everyday life.
We also love Board Games and Card Games. Nothing beats having a good family get-together with a board game or a card game, especially because there are some games that you can play through quickly like UNO, and other ones that take more time and strategy like Monopoly. You can pause them and come back to the game at any time, especially if dinner time is calling.
Our last favorite game to play is the treasure hunt. It is a good option when your kids want to do something more that requires a little more activity than a board game. The game is all about following clues that will lead them to a final object.
Intellectually, it is a good game to play because they will have to think and figure out what the clue is saying in order to get to their final goal. If you place presents or snacks as the hidden object, it will get them motivated to play along and be more active inside the house.
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Whether you like to have a calm day in at your house enjoying puzzles and board games, or if you like to be a little more active by playing hide and seek or treasure hunt, it is important to keep your kids moving and thinking even on lazy days, and the best way to do it is by playing. See what you can do when the next rainy day comes around!