Inside Activities & Games for Children

Table Basketball

• A cup and a bouncy ball are all kids need to play a game of table basketball. The game requires a clean table with a mug placed at one end. Players get one try to bounce the ball into the mug "basketball hoop." The difficulty of the game can increase with required bounces. For example, one bounce is easy, but getting the ball to bounce on the table three times and go into the mug is difficult.

Collage

• Collage art projects recycle junk mail and old magazines while keeping kids entertained indoors. Place newspaper or plastic over the table to protect against spills. Give each child a large piece of black construction paper and a pair of scissors. Kids cut words and pictures from the magazines/mail and glue them onto the construction paper. Remind kids that the key is to overlap images and cover the paper completely. Let dry before hanging.

Indoor Bowling

• Plastic soda bottles and a basketball help turn any kitchen into a bowling alley. Clear a path on any hard indoor surface, at least 2-feet-by-6-feet, to create the bowling alley. Clean ten plastic bottles and fill each one-fourth full with water to add weight. Screw the tops on the bottles tightly and arrange the bottles in a triangle, like bowling pins at one end of the alley. Any basketball, soccer ball or volleyball works as a bowling ball. Players have two tries to roll the ball down the alley and knock down all the pins.

Yarn Pictures

• Put yarn scraps to good use and provide art for your refrigerator with a kid's yarn picture project. Give each child a piece of white construction paper, a paintbrush and yarn. Kids sketch simple shapes on the paper, such as a large star sandwiched between two small stars. They cover the sketched lines with white glue. Kids press yarn into the glue to outline each shape. Once the glue dries, they can color in the shapes with crayons or markers.

Indoor Volleyball

• Help everyone in your family burn off energy with a game of indoor volleyball. Clear any large area in your house and place a piece of tape across the middle to mark the net. Divide players into two teams and have everyone take off their shoes and jewelry. Blow up a round balloon with air. Players can play two different ways. Players can stay on their knees and bat the balloon ball with their hands or they can do a crab walk and bat the balloon with their feet. Decide which way to play and follow basic volleyball rules to keep score.