Fun indoor activities for the whole family

Don’t let the cold outside and lockdown restrictions keep your family from having fun this winter. Here are some activities to keep everyone entertained and busy while being stuck indoors. Let the games begin!

Did you know that you can explore exhibitions online? Google Arts and Culture have partnered with museums and galleries all over the world to bring us digital access to the world's top exhibits. There are wild and wonderful discoveries to be made and ancient worlds to be explored. This is an activity that is fun for the whole family and won't cost a cent. Click here to check out our post on the top five family-friendly museums to visit.

Engage your kids in meal preparation to encourage family bonding time. Start by planning healthy family meals together. Create a menu for the week and get the kids involved in choosing their favourite dishes and writing up a shopping list. This will teach them the importance of planning and budgeting.

Then when it comes to cooking, delegate age-appropriate tasks to each child. Washing fruit and vegetables, peeling a boiled egg, dough kneading, garnishing a dish, or topping a pizza are all safe activities for younger children. The older kids can get involved with chopping up ingredients, stirring, blending, and using kitchen appliances. Cleaning up is also important, so be sure to delegate chores equally.

This activity is bound to keep kids (and parents) occupied for hours. All you need is some finger paint or ink stamps, black fine liner pen, and paper. Using only fingertips, create a fingerprint impression on the paper – think about what animal you can turn this print into (a frog, chicken, dog, etc.); allow the paint or ink to dry and then draw any detail that will make the animal pop out. Let your imaginations run wild to create a whole farm!

This activity can be lots of fun, particularly in larger groups (perfect for playdates) and if there are a few extroverts in the mix. Divide the group into teams of three or four. Create a prop box for each group containing random items around the home. Give each group 10 to 15 minutes to come up with a little skit using their props. Then, let each group perform their skit while the other teams watch. We guarantee lots of laughs!

This is a great game to help your children, especially toddlers, learn more about their family. For each child participating, give them nine family photos (make sure you include one for each extended family member) and arrange them, randomly, into rows of three. Hand each child nine checkers pieces, playing cards or cardboard squares, and ask them to hold onto these.

Next, randomly call out the names of the family members and allow your child to find the right picture and cover it with a piece of paper/checkers piece. Whoever gets three in a row, wins.

While building puzzles can train mental agility, making a puzzle is also a great way to exercise creative ability. Simply let your children draw a picture, encouraging them to let their imaginations run wild. Then, glue it to a sturdy piece of cardboard (Bristol board works well); allow it to dry overnight. If you want to save time, let your children draw directly onto the board. Next, on the back of the board, outline the shape of puzzle pieces. Cut the pieces out with a good pair of scissors, mix them up and let the puzzle building begin!

Winter is for movie watching! As a family, make a list of all the films you want to watch. Then, set a day, get some treats, bring the blankets and pillows from your bedroom, and let the marathon begin.