Autumn break is over, and now comes the long run of dark, wet afternoons. The children come home from daycare or school, it is raining, and there are several hours until bedtime. Here are 10 indoor activities for children aged 3 to 9 that work in an ordinary everyday life, with no planning and no screen.
Alternate between active and calm activities
Many families find it helps to start with something active and switch to something calm afterwards. Try a short, physical game, then switch to something at the table or on the floor. The rhythm can look like this: ten minutes of movement, then a calm activity while you cook.
Active ideas
- Obstacle course. Cushions, chairs and a blanket to crawl under.
- Dance party. Turn on music and play musical statues.
- Torch hunt. Turn off the lights and let the children find things with a torch. Hang up notes with animal names.
- Fort in the living room. Often stays for days, and the children use it for all sorts of things.
Calm ideas
- Draw and colour. Put out paper and colours and let the children get going.
- Audio story. Crateit has three original Danish audio stories, free to download. Sit down with a blanket and let the children draw or build while listening.
- Build a town on the floor. Roads, houses and cars can stay out for several days, so play can continue when the children come home from school.
- Dollhouse and role play. The children can invent stories about everyday life. See Crateit Roomies, a wooden dollhouse that children build room by room and furnish themselves.
- Bake or cook together. Choose something simple, such as buns or soup with vegetables the children cut themselves.
- Board games or jigsaw puzzles. Choose one that suits the age and leave it out so you can continue the next day.
Keep the frame simple
Many families find that a fixed rhythm makes the afternoon easier. Make a fixed plan for the time after school or kindergarten: first food and a small break, then an active game and then something calm. When your child knows the rhythm, there are often fewer arguments. This is advice from everyday life, not a documented method.
Make play reusable
The dark season is long. That is why toys that do not get boring after two days are an advantage. Crateit is open ended play in wood: the toys arrive uncoloured, and the children assemble and colour them themselves. When play changes, they can be recoloured and rebuilt. There is no screen and no batteries. The sets fit together across series, so you can expand when your child wants to. Read more about screen free toys.
An agreement that helps
If you have fixed screen rules, you can talk about them with the children. It is often easier to stick to them when an alternative is ready. If something is out that invites building, drawing or making things up, the first step has already been taken.
When the children disagree
With two or more children in the house it is rare that everyone wants the same thing. Let the children take turns choosing. One chooses the active game of the day, the other the calm one. Write a small list on the fridge so everyone can see who has chosen what. It can take some of the discussion away. It is an approach many families use, not something that is documented.
Frequently asked questions
What can the youngest do indoors?
Forts, drawing, audio stories and simple building sets. Keep activities short and stay nearby.
What can older children do when bored indoors?
Try building projects over several days, comic strips, card games and cooking. Give your child responsibility for a whole activity.
How do I get peace to make dinner?
Start a calm activity beforehand, such as an audio story or drawing at the kitchen table. Then the children are nearby.
Do I have to plan something every day?
No. A few fixed things are enough. Play often comes by itself when there is space and something to start with.
See Crateit Roomies, a wooden dollhouse that children build room by room.
