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Indoor Activities for Kids: 25 Snow Day and Rainy Day Ideas

By the Printable Barn team · · 2 min read

Children playing in a blanket fort indoors
Photo: Liliana Drew on Pexels
Quick answerGood indoor activities for kids include building a blanket fort, an indoor scavenger hunt, dance party freeze, simple baking, crafts with paper and tape, printable word searches and coloring pages, board games, and a quiet reading hour. Mix active and quiet activities so energy doesn't build up.
⚖️ Please read: Supervise young children during active play, crafts with small parts, and cooking. Keep balloons away from children under 8; uninflated or broken balloons are a choking hazard.
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Kids Adventure Word Search Book: 44 Printable Puzzles (Trains, Trucks, Pirates, Knights, Fairy Tales) $4.99
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Key takeaways

  • Alternate active and quiet activities.
  • Most ideas use things you already have.
  • A printable stash saves the day when the power of imagination runs low.
  • Give older kids a project they can run themselves.
  • Plan a calm activity before bedtime.

Snow days and rainy weekends can feel long. Keep this list handy and pick a few in the morning.

Active games (burn energy)

  1. Freeze dance
  2. Indoor obstacle course with pillows and chairs
  3. Balloon volleyball (keep it off the floor)
  4. Hide and seek
  5. Simon Says or Red Light, Green Light in the hallway
  6. Indoor scavenger hunt
  7. Masking-tape hopscotch

Crafts and building

  1. Blanket fort
  2. Paper snowflakes
  3. Cardboard box car, house or rocket
  4. Paper plate masks
  5. Build a city with blocks and toy cars
  6. Homemade play dough

Puzzles and printables

  1. Winter word search
  2. Coloring pages
  3. Bingo with the family
  4. Mazes and dot-to-dots
  5. Paper airplanes with a distance contest

Kitchen projects

  1. Bake cookies or muffins
  2. Make hot cocoa with toppings
  3. Build-your-own pizza

Quiet time

  1. Reading hour with flashlights
  2. Audiobook and puzzle
  3. Write a letter to a grandparent
  4. Movie afternoon with homemade popcorn

A sample snow day schedule

TimeActivity
MorningOutdoor play if safe, then hot cocoa
Late morningCraft or blanket fort
LunchBuild-your-own pizza
AfternoonQuiet time: reading, puzzles, coloring
Late afternoonActive game, then a family board game or bingo
EveningMovie night
Kids printables →Puzzles, coloring and games.Winter printables →Snowy word searches, bingo and more.
Disclaimer: Supervise young children during active play, crafts with small parts, and cooking. Keep balloons away from children under 8; uninflated or broken balloons are a choking hazard.

Printables that go with this

Every one has a free sample page, so you can print one and try it first.

Winter Wonderland Word Search Printable: 4 Puzzles (Easy to Hard + Large Print)Winter Wonderland Word Search Printable: 4 Puzzles (Easy to Hard + Large Print)$1.99 Winter Bingo: 40 Printable Cards (Regular + Large Print)Winter Bingo: 40 Printable Cards (Regular + Large Print)$2.99 Kids Adventure Word Search Book: 44 Printable Puzzles (Trains, Trucks, Pirates, Knights, Fairy Tales)Kids Adventure Word Search Book: 44 Printable Puzzles (Trains, Trucks, Pirates, Knights, Fairy Tales)$4.99 Valentine's Day Coloring Pages: 17 Printable PagesValentine's Day Coloring Pages: 17 Printable Pages$2.99 Animal Word Search Book: 40 Printable Puzzles (Farm, Ocean, Jungle, Pets, Birds & More)Animal Word Search Book: 40 Printable Puzzles (Farm, Ocean, Jungle, Pets, Birds & More)$4.99

📚 Need lots of these? All-Access gets you every printable on the site for $49 a year. See membership → Schools & facilities →

Frequently asked questions

What can kids do inside on a snow day?

Build a blanket fort, play freeze dance or hide and seek, do crafts, bake, play board games or bingo, and do printable puzzles and coloring pages.

How do I keep kids busy without screens?

Alternate active games, crafts, kitchen projects and quiet activities like reading and puzzles, and give older kids a project to lead.

What are free indoor activities for kids?

Hide and seek, obstacle courses with pillows, paper snowflakes, cardboard box building, reading and free printable puzzles.

How do I get kids to calm down indoors?

Follow active play with a quiet activity like reading, coloring or an audiobook, and keep a predictable routine.

About Printable Barn. We make low-cost, instant-download printables (large-print puzzles, bingo, party games, worksheets, planners and Sunday school pages) and free tools like an online bingo caller, a logo maker and a product label maker. Every puzzle is computer-checked, and every product has a free sample page. Questions: hello@printablebarn.com.

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