25 free indoor games for active toddlers

It’s 9am, pouring with rain and already little mister is whining he’s boooored.

Long winter days cooped up with a frustrated toddler are trying, but pick up that coffee and don’t despair – here’s our definitive guide to the best indoor games to play with your toddler. And none of them cost a penny!

1. Teddy bears’ picnic

Invite your tot’s teddies and dolls to a special indoor picnic. Draw teddy bear invitations, throw a rug on the floor and serve up a feast for Ted & Co. Let your tot help you prepare special sandwiches, cut with a bear-shaped cookie cutter, and dish them out on paper plates for the bears. Sing Teddy Bears’ Picnic to get in the mood!
 
2. Indoor treasure hunt

Hide a treat or toy, and then get your toddler to find it. Call out ‘warm!’ when he’s close to the booty, and ‘cold!’ if he moves far away, and ‘warm!’. Your little one will love looking for the hidden treasure – and it’s a good way to teach him about following instructions.

3. Raindrop painting

On a rainy day, sprinkle a few drops of food colouring onto a paper plate. Dress your toddler up in his wet weather gear, and let  him take the plate outside for a minute. The raindrops will create a watery masterpiece.

4. Dance party

Toddlers love to dance, and it’s a fabulous form of indoor exercise for you both. Don’t feel you have to stick to toddler tunes – your favourite pop CDs may give you less of a headache! Throw some shapes and get your tot to copy your moves – you could even do a keep-fit video together (perfect for working off that post-Christmas flab!).

5. Make your own story

Your tot learns by using his imagination, so encourage him to stretch it by making up a story together. Start off by saying ‘Once upon a time’, then make up your own first line of the story. Your child supplies the next line, then you take it in turns to spin the yarn.

6. Shark infested waters

Cut out cardboard stepping stones, and lay them out in a random path across the room. Pretend the carpet is an ocean full of sharks – your toddler has to cross to the other side without falling in. Vary it by hopping or jumping. It’ll develop your tot’s balance and co-ordination, and help him let off steam!

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7. Go camping

Help your child build his own den. All you need is some bed linen and the dining room furniture – throw a blanket over two chairs, a sheet over a sturdy table, or the duvet over the bed’s headboard. Furnish your tot’s tent with a pillow, a snack, a non-spill drink and some toys. Peace and quiet guaranteed!

8. Coin rubbings

Pick a selection of coins and place them under a thin sheet of paper, then help your tot rub over them using  wax crayons or soft pencils. Use the picture to teach your child about numbers and money – you could even cut them out to use as play coins.

9. A day at the seaside

Make believe you’re at the beach. Put play balls in a paddling pool indoors, don your swimsuits (make sure the heating’s on!) and sunhats, and eat ice cream. Then pretend the pool is a boat and sing The Big Ship Sails On The Alley Alley-o and Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Test tiny memories by taking turns to ‘spot’ things you’d see at the beach, like seagulls or sandcastles. Who needs sunshine?

10. Spring cleaning

Enlist your toddler’s help and spring clean your house together, just like Rabbit does in the Disney film Springtime With Roo. Your tot will have fun washing up, dusting or sweeping. You might even find some hidden treasures (dressing-up clothes or forgotten toys) lurking in the back of the cupboard.

11. I spy

Practise guessing colours with this old favourite. Say ‘I spy with my little eye…something the colour blue.’ Your tot has to name all the blue things he can see, until he guesses the one you’re thinking of. It’s a good test of his colour and object recognition skills.

12. Baking curly puffs

Spend a rainy day cooking together – then eat the results! Take a sheet of ready-made puff pastry and let your toddler cover it with chopped ham and grated cheese. Roll it up like a Swiss roll, bake until golden then slice and enjoy. Too adventurous? Decorate shop-bought fairy cakes with ready-made icing, or add your tot’s favourite toppings to pizza bases.

13. An afternoon at the movies

A carefully chosen DVD can be a sanity saver on wet winter days. Make a box of unsalted microwave popcorn together, draw the curtains, dim the lights and cosy up on the sofa. You can even have an ‘interval’, and serve juice or an ice lolly.

14. Card making

Need to send thank-you cards for all those Christmas pressies? Place your toddler’s hand flat down on a plate of non-toxic paint, then press it on a card or folded sheet of paper. Add glitz with a sprinkle of glitter – it will stick to the wet paint and give you a lovely, sparkly handprint.

15. Rock painting

Kids are fascinated by rocks and stones. Let your little one choose a few large, smooth ones from the garden, then paint them in pretty colours. He’ll feel so proud when he hands them out to Daddy and Granny to use as paperweights or even doorstops.

16. Market stalls

Set out a row of chairs as different market stalls. Put empty food boxes on one to make a supermarket, raid the fruit bowl to supply the greengrocer’s, and cut out and colour cardboard fish for the fishmonger’s. Take it in turns being the shopkeeper – ask your tot to find what you need from your ‘shopping list’, and use play money to teach him about buying and selling.

17. A trip to the zoo

Start by singing We’re Going To The Zoo, and pretend to drive to the zoo. When you ‘arrive’, take it in turns to mimic different animals with actions (hopping for a kangaroo) or noises (roaring for a lion). Can he guess what you’re pretending to be?

18. Face painting

Buy some cheap face paints, get into the spirit and let your little one loose on your face as well as his! Let him choose characters or animals, paint each other’s faces and then ‘be’ that character all day. If you’re short of inspiration, check out your local library for face painting books.

19. Pop idol

Make musical instruments by beating a saucepan lid with a spoon, or filling a lidded container with rice as a shaker. Teach your toddler to bang or shake to the beat. Pick a name for your band and practise a show to perform for dad later.

20. Hide and seek

Who says you need tons of space to play hide and seek? It’s the original indoor game, and a great way of using up your tot’s energy – as well as getting him to practise being still and quiet. 

21. A load of junk

Here’s a nifty way of using up all that household trash. Save up clean rubbish (cereal packets, washing-up liquid bottles, loo roll centres), supply your child with toddler-friendly glue and paints, and let him explore his creative side by making junk models.

22. Finger painting

Little fingers were made for painting. Cover your table in sheets of newspaper and put big sheets of plain paper on top. Put paint in saucers and let your toddler loose!  
 
23. Paper mosaics

Grab some old magazines or newspapers and use blunt scissors to help your tot cut out pictures. Create weird combinations by matching parts of different pictures to produce comical effects – Britney’s head on David Beckham’s body...

24. Sink or swim

Your toddler has to guess if an object will sink or ‘swim’ (float). Fill the sink or a bowl with water, then choose a selection of objects – coins, teaspoons, sponges, stones, paper etc. Drop them into the water and see what happens. A mini science experiment!

25. Guess who I am?

Dig out some ‘props’ and help your little one dress up to see how many different people he can be – an old net curtain makes a bride’s veil, a mobile and briefcase is an office worker. It’ll stretch his imagination – and yours, too!

Cabin fever?

Give your tot a change of scenery and help him burn off some energy with our winter-proof suggestions for getting out and about.

*Go swimming Find your nearest public pool and go along to a parent-and-toddler session. Splashing about will build your toddler’s confidence, both in and out of the water.

*Join the library It’s free to become a member and borrow books. Libraries often have storytime sessions for young children. You can also rent DVDs, videos and CDs.

*Visit a museum Your local museum or art gallery may not seem terribly toddler-friendly, but there’s lots to look at and learn. Many have children’s sessions where your tot can explore the stories behind the exhibits – not to mention bags of indoor space for him to stretch his legs.

*Join the National Trust Check out nationaltrust.org.uk for heaps of fantastic places to visit in your area, including mazes, castles, model farms and nature reserves. You’re sure to find somewhere that appeals.

*Go to a soft play centre. Sometimes, there’s no substitute for an afternoon’s running, jumping and climbing. Save your furniture with a trip to your nearest indoor play area – a worn-out child will make it well worth the admission fee!

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>> Toddler activities and days out...
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