26 Fun Indoor Games For Kids With Cabin Fever So You Can Catch A Break

Being home all day, every day can make you a little crazy. You love your family but spending so much time with them can make you a bit insane. One way to cut through the boredom and the overwhelming urge to trap your family in the basement is to play games. Here us out! Laughing and giggling with your kids is a great way to cut the tension and break up the monotony of quarantine life. If the game is super active, your little ones might even tucker out early. But if you just want your tiny angels to stop bugging you for a few hours, set up a schedule of the games listed below to keep them busy.

Ever get half-way through November and think, “Ugh, it’s going to be a long winter!” only to realize it’s not even winter yet and we still have, like, 4 more months of this awful frozen hellscape? Or maybe you live in the south and experience that same overwhelming urge to lock yourself in the bathroom for half a year during the summer months.

Related: 17 Coloring Games For Kids So They Can Finally Stop Drawing On The Couch

Wherever you live, all it takes is one extra-long bad weather weekend to realize just how hard it is to be at home with your kids 24/7. Of course, we love our kids. But, when the cabin fever gets the best of them, it’s nearly impossible to keep them entertained which means it’s nearly impossible for you to be happy. Thankfully, we got you covered with over 20 fun games kids can play indoors so you can catch a break.

Looking for more ways to keep your kiddo busy? Check out our collection of online toddler pages, minute to win it games, and more!

“Do Something! Anything!”

If you’re really at your wit’s end and need some downtime, these quick suggestions require no effort on your part.

1. Be Nice To Your Sister/Brother For One Hour

Can they do it? You might need to promise a reward, but you know they’re capable of being sweet to each other sometimes.

2. Whoever Cleans Their Room First Wins

You’ve nagged about the state of their rooms for weeks now, right? “Winning” can be as simple as letting them pick what the rest of the family has for lunch or dinner or deciding what movie you’ll watch once it’s done.

3. You Be The Chefs

Speaking of lunch, how about letting your kids try to wow you with their culinary skills? Tell them points will not only be awarded for the most edible but also the cleanest workspace. (ie. they have to clean up after themselves.)

4. What Happened To That Game You Begged For Last Christmas?

Remember when Pie In The Face was a thing? Or HeadBanz? You probably have both stacked at the top of the coat closet. It requires absolutely no mental investment on your part to suggest or even play one of those games.

When They Need A Little More Direction

So, your attempts to get them to do chores didn’t cut it. It was worth a try, right?

5. Coloring Pages

The internet is filled to the brim with coloring pages. You can print them out or just let your kids work on them from their tablets or your desktop.

6. Mazes

The same thing goes for mazes — No matter what skill set your children are at, there’s a website full of mazes for them to beat.

7. Bust Out The Wii

Feeling a little bit like your kids need to run through some of their energy? The joys of having a Wii or Kinnect is that even when they’re stuck inside, your kids have the chance to be active.

Related: 21 Super Fun Farm Games To Make Hay For Any Kid’s Party

8. Do You See What I See?

Remember those optical illusion posters you used to get at the Scholastic Bookfair? Do kids even know about those anymore?

9. Optics4Kids

At Optics4Kids, your children can not only learn the science and psychology behind optical illusions, they’ll be tested with some classic examples and even tasked with creating their own.

10. DailyTop10

Daily Top 10 recently did a great video on optical illusions. Ch-ch-check it out.

11. Thanks, Michael Bach!

This optical illusion fan has collected more than 100 optical illusions that will keep your kids entertained for hours.

12. PC Magazine’s Opposite Approach

While Michael Bach doesn’t think our brains suck, PC Mag does. They collected nearly two dozen optical illusions to prove their point, too.

13. Brain Den

Want the ultimate collection of optical illusions, all neatly sorted into categories? Brain Den will be perfect for finding that one super-specific illusion you can’t get out of your head and need to show your kids.

14. “Make Your Own…” Book

Trying to avoid excessive screen time? This 2019 book, Make Your Own Optical Illusions, will walk your kids through all the basics and keep them away from their devices.

15. Magic Eye 25th Anniversary Book

The series that rose to fame and rebirthed optical illusions for ’90s kids recently celebrated a major milestone and dropped a new book to celebrate. Who says you need the internet to have fun?

Play Along

After you’ve had a break and you’re ready to interact, again, there are plenty of fun things to do inside with your kids… even if it seems like you’ve explored all options already.

16. Painters’ Tape Fun

Still trying to wear ’em out? Use painter’s tape on your floors to mark a hopscotch game or even an advanced obstacle course across the living room.

17. The Floor Is Lava

When was the last time you tossed your pillows on the floor and tried to get around the room without touching the carpet or hardwood? Show those babes how it’s done, Mama.

18. Host A Minute To Win It Day

Remember when that “Minute To Win It” show was wildly popular? The show bit the dust, but the games live on.

19. Balloon Volleyball/Keep-it-up

Balloons are so versatile. You could use some painter’s tape stretched across the hallway and attempt to play volleyball (with or without hands). You could also just play the classic game where you see who can keep their balloon in the air the longest. Whether you play with hands or not will depend on how old your kids are.

20. Bust Out The Cards

How many card games do you remember from your childhood? Has your kid learned any on their own that they want to teach you?

21. Organize A Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts can go in so many directions. Maybe while they’re occupied with another activity, you can hide something specific, or just sit down to create an “I Spy” type list of clues. It can also be as easy as asking them to find something from each color in the rainbow. However you play, they’ll have way more fun if you help them.

22. Hide and Seek

Nothing passes the time faster than a good game of cat and mouse and that, in essence, is what hide and seek is all about. Your little ones might not be great at hiding, but they’ll have fun trying and listening to you narrate your “struggle” to find them.

23. Follow The Leader

Remember any moves from the Ministry of Silly Walks? Your kiddos might be too young for watching the Monty Python movies on a whole, but they’re never too young for learning silly walks from their parents.

24. List25

List25’s tag is, “Consistently Conciliating Curiosity” and, quite honestly, we’ve never seen anything truer.

25. Fort Building

Instead of laying on the couch all day watching cartoons with your little one, build a magical castle or fort with the cushions. You can even get the kitchen chairs and coffee table involved. Grab some blankets from the bedrooms and once your inside fortress is made, schedule lunch inside. It’s a great way to switch up the monotony of the day and keep your kids busy.

26. Architecture

Break out the popsicle sticks and build something monumental with your kiddo. This won’t be your classic little house or tent either. Go big and build something as tall and magnificent as the Empire State Building or the Sky Needle. Especially in quarantine, you have more than enough time. And not only will you paint and decorate your tower once it’s done, but this is also a great excuse to buy popsicles.