Top 17 Indoor Games for Kids Aged 6-12
Children, with their lively imaginations and inherent restlessness, constantly need stimulation that excites them and alleviates their boredom. Thus, games are popular amongst children. They are not only fun but intellectually engaging. They allow children to partake in a form of playing that is simultaneously interesting as well as invigorating. Hence, games are important for children to play and learn about.
Not all games are played outside. Some are played inside. Indoor games are convenient, easy to play and can be perfect remedies for a rainy day or cold weather. They support cognitive development by allowing children to navigate intricate rules and promote a sense of healthy competitiveness wherein children pride themselves on achieving a victorious result. Ultimately, indoor games promote creativity and help manage stress for young kids. It is truly a great way for children to spend their time.
Interesting Indoor Games For Kids:
Children, who get bored easily, need variety. An indoor game that may satisfy today may be inadequate tomorrow. This list of indoor games for kids aged 6-12 aims to help solve that problem.
1. Scrabble
This board game is perfect as it helps improve children’s vocabulary and language skills. It involves two or more people building words with different letters. Each player is given a certain number of tiles containing the alphabet, which they must assemble into words on a gridlike board. The new words should utilize letters used in previous words and interlink together on the grid of the board. This game helps in increasing concentration and promotes spending time with family.
2. Hula Hoop
Hula hooping is a physical activity that requires less space, so it can easily be done indoors. A hula hoop is essentially a toy hoop that can be twirled around one’s waist, limbs or even neck. This indoor activity is reasonable as hula hoops can be easily purchased online or at local toy stores. They not only help strengthen one’s core muscles but also aid in the development of lower body muscles. Ultimately, hula hooping improves body balance and motor coordination, and is a great way to have fun while indulging in indoor exercise!
3. Floor is Lava
This game is perfect for children as it perfectly encapsulates what they like: imaginative play and physical activity. Ideally, this game should be played in a room with a lot of floor space. On the floor, you can place pillows, chairs or other objects that can be stepped on. The floor is considered hot lava- players thus need to hop onto the objects placed above the floor so they do not, in terms of the game, drown in the lava. This fiery, imaginative game is a surefire way to engage children while using simple and accessible household goods!
4. Juggling
This circus party trick can also be easily learned by children. Juggling can be done using a few small balls or even round fruits. Children can watch tutorials online or you can learn, then teach them. As juggling involves finely controlling one’s movements, it leads to better hand-eye coordination, bimanual dexterity as well as increased focus skills. Juggling is thus one of the best indoor activities a child can indulge in it’s fun, relatively simple yet challenging and it has many benefits!
5. Playing with Clay
Clay or play dough can be bought easily online or at local shops. The texture of clay is perfect for children as it is soft and can be molded into different shapes. Beyond the obvious advantage of being the perfect opportunity for kids to exercise their imagination, clay has other benefits. These include boosting confidence, encouraging creativity, improving fine motor skills, developing hand-eye coordination, enhancing concentration, alleviating stress and teaching problem-solving skills!
6. Name, Place, Animal, Thing
This indoor game involves two or more players, papers and pens or pencils. Players pick a way to decide a letter for each round, either by reciting the alphabet till someone says stop or by using an online letter generator. One then lists down one word in each category- name, place, animal and thing in a fixed amount of time. If each word is unique and valid, the player gets full points, and if two players use the same word, they get half a point. The categories can also be changed to include others! This game teaches children how to think on the spot and improves their language.
7. Dumb Charades
This game involves acting out words or phrases without speaking. It can consist of two players or two teams. One player must be given a word of a certain category, like a movie, object, character or something else, which they must act out using hand gestures. The other team or players guess what that word is. There can be a timer for guessing, imposing a time limit on the round. The team or player who guesses the most wins. This game is useful because it enhances non-verbal communication and is simultaneously quite fun!
8. Ludo
This classic dice game, which can involve a maximum of four players, consists of a board with four homes and four colors of tokens. Each player gets four tokens of one color, and they must get each of these tokens to the center of the board by getting around the grid with dice, without being caught. The player who successfully gets all his tokens to reach the center wins! It is perfect for children due to its easy-to-understand rules, the vibrant colors and the thrill of competition it encourages amongst players.
9. Jenga
If you want your child to play a game which involves strategy as well as skill simultaneously, you might want to check out Jenga. Jenga consists of various wooden blocks which are assembled atop one another in the form of a tower. Players must pull out the Jenga blocks without letting the tower collapse or fall. Children love building things- so this game is truly perfect! Additionally, jenga aids in enhancing concentration and focus, improves fine motor skills, encourages teamwork and fosters creative imagination among kids!
10. Tic-Tac-Toe
This is the simplest game one can play indoors for it involves basic rules as well as objects found easily at home. A paper, two pens and a sturdy surface would suffice. One has to draw a nine-square grid with three boxes on each side. One player must play with the letter X, the other with the letter O- although these symbols can be changed as long as they remain consistent for that player. Whoever marks their symbols in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal line wins.
11. Simon Says
This fun game is a great way to improve a child’s listening skills and foster a sense of concentration as well as coordination. In Simon Says, an adult will give a command preceded by “Simon Says” or omit the “Simon Says”. Commands need to be followed or not by the players depending on whether the phrase is included or excluded. Commands can be simple, such as raising one’s hands and touching one’s feet, or complex like dancing. It is a mixture of the mental and physical in one game!
12. Freeze
For families who love dance and music, freeze is a perfect game. One needs to put on some dancing tunes and fun music. When the music stops, players must freeze on the spot. If they move, they lose. This fun game is not only a great excuse to let loose and dance, but it can be enjoyed by the entire family or with friends! It improves a child’s sense of timing, allows them to dance and is quite fun in general! Additionally, dancing itself improves physical and mental health.
13. Origami
Children who are creative and love arts or crafts will enjoy origami. Origami papers can be bought at a local stationery shop. The ancient Japanese art of origami involves folding paper until it transforms from a flat paper into a beautiful sculpture or object. Simple origami tutorials for birds, animals, boats and more can be found online. Origami improves fine motor skills, concentration, creativity, patience and hand-eye coordination. It has also been shown to reduce stress.
14. Hide and Seek
If your house has many nooks and crannies one can hide in, hide and seek is perfect to play indoors. This classic game involves players who hide and one seeker who finds where that person is hiding. While the seeker counts to a certain number, the rest of the players go and find good spots to stay hidden in. Once the players are found, a new round commences wherein a new seeker is chosen. This game is popular for a reason- it’s fun and simple!
15. Yoga
For children who love physical exercise, yoga is a great way to relax, improve patience, improve flexibility and enhance motor coordination. Yoga consists of various asanas or poses. You can put on soft, soothing background music and do yoga along with your child. It is a great and simple way to get one’s body moving while indoors and it can help enhance mental clarity by improving one’s sense of focus. Children will truly love yoga!
16. Pictionary
This simple game requires two players, papers and pens or pencils. One player must start to draw a certain object while a timer ticks and the other guesses. Each round, players switch roles between being the guesser and the one who is drawing. Pictionary is quite simple to play, and the words chosen can be restricted to a specific category or be anything. It enhances one’s sense of creativity and imagination. This game is perfect for budding artists who like to draw!
17. Red Light, Green Light
In this game, children must freeze when “red light” is proclaimed and move when “green light” is proclaimed. One player at the front says the words. The point of the game is for players to cross a room but stop while the “red light” mode is in progress. When they reach the end, they must run across the room without being caught by the person who was in-charge of saying what color light is ‘on’. This game is a physical test of agility while being a simultaneously fun activity!
It’s clear that with a bit of creativity and thought, kids can enjoy a variety of engaging indoor activities that keep them entertained, active, and stimulated. But to enjoy themselves fully, kids need to wear comfortable and durable clothes that still offer style.
At Spunkies, we understand the importance of combining practicality with fashion. That’s why we offer high-quality, organic kids' clothing made entirely in-house. From knitting the fabric and dyeing it vibrant colors to printing playful designs and adding detailed stitching, we oversee every aspect of the process. Thus, our clothes, which blend comfort and style, are perfect for both active indoor play and everyday adventures. With our thoughtfully designed clothing, your kids will be ready for any imaginative play, while staying comfortable and looking great.
