Keeping Kids Busy When You Are Stuck Indoors

Bad weather days can dampen the spirits of energetic homeschoolers, making it challenging to keep them engaged and entertained. However, these days also present a unique opportunity to find various indoor activities that are both fun and educational. Here are our favorite indoor recess ideas for homeschoolers during bad weather. These activities will fill your home with learning and laughter while the storm rages outside.

Keep in mind that you can always plan outdoor fun, too! However, there are just some days that are too cold or windy to go outside. Do you know how cold is too cold to go outside? Check out my article to find out the recommendations.

Board Games

Whipping out the board games during indoor recess is a fantastic way to encourage strategic thinking and teamwork. Games like “Settlers of Catan” or “Ticket to Ride” provide hours of entertainment and require critical thinking. These games force players to plan strategically, negotiate with others, and adapt to changing scenarios, all of which are valuable life skills.

Kid-Friendly Card Games

Card games are a versatile and easy way to engage children of all ages. “Uno” and “Go Fish” are excellent for younger kids, helping them learn colors, numbers, and simple strategies. For older children, games like “Rummy” or “Crazy Eights” can be challenging and entertaining, requiring pattern recognition and tactical thinking skills.

Four Square

Although traditionally an outdoor game, you can adapt Four Square for indoor play. It’s a lively game that enhances hand-eye coordination and promotes physical fitness. Setting up a four-square court with masking tape in the basement or living room can turn a gloomy day into an active, fun-filled session. It’s a great activity for those days when your kids have more energy than normal.

Musical Chairs

The game “Musical Chairs” is a delightful way to bring music and movement into your homeschooling routine. This game is excellent for developing listening skills and quick decision-making. Plus, it’s a fantastic way for kids to burn off energy while staying indoors.

Painting and Drawing

Unleashing creativity through painting and drawing is a wonderful way to spend indoor recess. Encourage your homeschoolers to express themselves through their artwork. Creating art is a therapeutic activity that can enhance fine motor skills and encourage imaginative thinking, whether the little ones use watercolors, acrylics, or crayons. Just make sure you schedule enough time for cleaning up before you start back on your daily lesson plans.

Model Building

Having homeschoolers build models during indoor recess is a great way to incorporate learning into the fun. Assembling model airplanes or conducting model bridge science experiments can teach children about engineering principles and help them develop patience and attention to detail. This activity will keep your kids occupied for hours while providing a hands-on learning experience about scientific and engineering concepts.

Dinner & a Movie

Have your children help plan dinner to correspond with a movie. This can take a series of days. Watch the movie, and then plan a dinner and crafts around the themes found within the movie. Have your children help plan the menu, and the table settings and centerpiece. This can be a fun activity for the entire family.

In fact, our family has done a Beauty & the Beast themed dinner, Dumbo Circus themed dinner, a Mexican Dinner (Encanto or Coco), and a Snow White dinner to name a few!

Bad weather days need not be a cause for boredom or frustration. With these indoor recess ideas for homeschoolers during lousy weather, you can turn these moments into an opportunity for fun, learning, and creativity. There’s no shortage of activities to keep your homeschoolers happy and engaged, no matter the weather outside, from board games that sharpen the mind to model-building activities that introduce basic science concepts.