Rainy-day games for kids stuck indoors

Plan the day around energy

A rainy day often goes wrong around the middle of the afternoon, when kids have energy to spare and nowhere to put it. You can head this off by choosing a few active games early, before anyone gets restless, and saving the calm ones for later.

Clear one room or a hallway for active play. Move breakable things, push back the coffee table and pick a soft floor if you have one. Then set simple rules: no running on stairs, no climbing on shelves, and stop when someone says stop.

Each slate shows the age range chalked in on a ruler from 2 to 12, plus energy and mess on a scale of one to three marks. Ages are a rough guide; you know your child best.

Active games for small spaces

Cushion obstacle course

Line up sofa cushions to step across, a blanket over two chairs to crawl through, and a pillow to jump around. Older kids can design the route for younger ones. A timer helps: each run, try to beat your last time, or try the course backward, hopping or carrying a stuffed toy.

Tape hopscotch and tape lines

Painter's tape peels off most hard floors easily, though test a corner first. Tape a hopscotch grid, a straight "balance beam" line, or a zigzag road. Kids can walk the line heel to toe, hop along it, or jump from side to side across it.

Freeze dance and animal moves

Play music and pause it at random. Everyone freezes until it starts again. For a change, call out an animal before you press play: hop like a frog, waddle like a penguin, stomp like an elephant.

Games that use the brain

Once the wiggles are out, switch to games that need focus. An indoor scavenger hunt works for a wide age range. Pre-readers can follow picture clues, while older kids can solve riddles that lead from one hiding spot to the next. Charades suits ages five and up. Write animals, jobs or everyday actions on slips of paper, then take turns acting them out without words.

For toddlers, hot and cold is a simple start. Hide one toy, too big to swallow, in plain sight, and say "warmer" as they get close and "colder" as they wander away.

Calm the house back down

A blanket fort turns the end of the day into an event. Drape blankets over chairs or the sofa, hold them with clothespins, and add pillows and a flashlight. Inside, read picture books, play a card or board game, or listen to an audiobook together. You can also bring out the chalkboard for a few quiet rounds of draw and guess.

Keep active games away from stairs, glass doors and furniture that could tip. Anchor tall shelves and dressers to the wall if you haven't already, since climbing children can pull them over.