Sometimes it's not possible to take your child outside; there might not be enough time, or the weather is bad. But kids without physical activity tend to get bored, feel moody, and spend more time on screens. So, what can you do if your child is stuck indoors with nowhere to release all that energy? A few fun physical activities for kids can save the day.
Create a Safe Play Space
Clear away unnecessary items that could get in the way or pose a safety risk to minimize the chance of injury. If possible, dedicate a part of the room specifically for active play:
-
You can equip the play area with sports gear, a Montessori climber, or an Wooden Playground. Even a basic Swedish Wall opens up lots of possibilities for fun movement games.
-
If you don’t have special equipment or a play gym at home, lay out a Mat, use soft toys, and even regular furniture to build obstacle courses or fun indoor forts.
-
Try using sports gear in creative new ways. For example, place a jump rope on the floor and jump over it like it's a river — or challenge your little one to walk along it like a tightrope without stepping off.
Sometimes, clearing a part of the room is enough to try out a variety of active games. There are plenty of indoor activity options your child might enjoy!
Important tips
Activities That Don’t Need Much Space
Even in a small apartment, you can find plenty of fun physical activities for kids.
Dancing
This is definitely a great way to keep kids active. Turn on your child’s favorite music (even if it’s something as catchy as Baby Shark). You can dance freely with your own moves or try imitating different animals: walk like a bear, hop to the rhythm like a bunny, and so on.
Obstacle courses across the room
Use soft toys, pillows, chairs: anything you have at home can become part of a fun obstacle course. Set rules: which objects to go around, which to crawl under or over. At the end of the course, place a little reward for your child, like a cute sticker.
The Floor is Lava
This classic game needs no equipment. When the command “Lava!” is called, kids must quickly climb onto something elevated—a couch, a chair, a pillow—anything to avoid touching the floor. When the lava “goes away,” they continue moving around the room. Repeat as many times as you like.
Active Games with Minimal Equipment
For many types of indoor physical activity for kids, all you need is a few simple items.
Ball Games
If you have a soft ball, you can throw it back and forth or try aiming it into a basket or box. For indoor play, it’s best to use soft balls rather than volleyballs or basketballs. A soft ball reduces the risk of breaking things and makes less noise when it hits walls or the floor, so even if you have neighbors next door, this kind of play won’t bother them.
Stepping Stones
Spread colored paper sheets on the floor. Invite your child to jump from island to island based on a given color, collect a rainbow, or step only on papers that show a number or letter.
UNO with Active Breaks
Play UNO or another children's board game. The player who loses a round does a fun physical task — three squats, a few jumps, standing on one foot for a few seconds, or other active challenges.
Games with Indoor Climbing Structures and Playgrounds
If you have a home gym, Swedish ladder, arch, Montessori triangle, slide, or any other type of climbing equipment, then you’ve got even more opportunities for fun and beneficial play. Every indoor physical activity for kids on a home playground brings tons of joy. The list of games depends on the equipment you have available. You can find many creative ideas in the article “20 Active Playground Games for Kids”. And here are a few more activities to try:
Climber’s Quest
Invite your child to climb to the top of the structure to retrieve a hidden treasure. The “treasure” could be a toy tucked between the bars, a ribbon, a card with a funny image, or anything else that sparks excitement.
Jungle Adventure
Encourage your child to travel from one side of the indoor playground to the other using only the climbing elements: ladders, rings, ropes, without touching the ground. Pretend you’re moving through a dense jungle!
Funny Slide Races
Set up a ramp Slide at a safe angle and create fun rules: before sliding down, your child must first send a chosen soft toy or car down the slide. You can race toy cars down the slide and see which goes farther or faster. Before each new round, have your child run around the room collecting the toys or cars to bring them back.
Crawling Spider
This game works well with a Wooden Playhouse or Indoor Jungle Gym. The goal is to move not just up and down, but side to side – like a little spider crawling along its web.
Feel free to add your own rules and create imaginative scenarios to keep things fresh. Every indoor physical activity for kids is a great way to bond, laugh together, and support your child’s overall development. Even when you’re stuck at home, it doesn’t have to be a problem – there’s always an exciting game that gets kids moving!
