Staying in is the new going out...

...for the foreseeable future anyway. For us with children, it might be a little daunting to think about how we can keep our little ones from climbing the walls and running rings around us while we are spending more time at home. The positive is that it’s more quality time with our loved ones and we're all in this together; so how can we make this time fun and imaginative without splashing the cash on new toys.

Aside from reading stories, having some screen time, puzzles and playing with their toys, we jotted down a few outside the box ideas, DIY's with things around the house, recyling projects, crafts, sensory play, learning games and more - here's our round-up of 20 fun indoor play ideas

1. Make an Obstacle Course 

Grab your bean bags, cushions, boxes, a row of chairs (for crawling under) laundry basket (for jumping in and out) washi tape and whatever else you can think of and set up an obstacle course in the comfort of your own home. Your little one will have so much fun jumping on everything and going up and down on the boxes and in and out of furniture!  

2. DIY Cardboard Games 

While you are in the kitchen, child-safe fridge magnets are a great way to keep those little hands busy. If you already have a few, try some new ones, in animal, letter and shape form. This will be a chance for your child to familiarize themselves with the names of colours, shapes and animals and will be a good hand coordination task for them. Cooking to do? Your child will love the look and feel of their new magnets which will keep them occupied while you crack on! 

4. Paint Stones 

Find some large pebbles that are smooth and let little ones paint to their heart's content. You could paint a set as a theme such as characters from their favourite story, with noughts and crosses or numbers and let dry. Give them a coat of a sealer such as PVA or Mod Podge to ensure these will last ages in the great outdoors. A great activity to use outdoors when dry. 

Sensory bins are a great form of messy play for both babies and toddlers. Fill with dried rice, pasta, lentils along with pom poms or hidden toys for a hide and seek game or you could fill with warm water and a drop of bubble bath for them to give their plastic toys a bath.  

6. Stepping Stones 

We may not be able to get out to the playground right now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get creative with ideas for little ones to practice their balance skills inside. Simply, take whatever leftover fabric you may have to hand and cut into circles or squares then place around the living room with a gap in between for little ones to try to step or jump to each without losing their balance. 

7. Hand Print Rainbow 

Find a large piece of paper and something circular such as a plate. Place the plate onto the paper and get little ones to draw around the outside of it to create a semi-circle. With child-safe paint, paint little hands in the various colours and to place them onto the paper to create a rainbow. Pop in your window to show others you are playing at home.  

8. Paint Potatoes or Egg Shells 

If you like the idea of getting messy after your hand prints, try and do some potato or eggshell painting. After cutting your potatoes into shapes, the potatoes will be really easy for your toddler to handle. Using different colours and painting onto the potatoes or egg shells will be a chance for you to practice colour names with your toddler too. 

9. Toy Hide and Seek 

Find a stuffed toy and hide somewhere in the room. Get your little ones to close their eyes and ask them to count to ten. They will love the thrill of trying to find the toy. Hide over and over again in different places or go room by room.  

10. Let’s Bake! 

Baking is the perfect activity for you both to enjoy at home. Rice Krispie cakes or fairy cakes will bring tonnes of mess but tonnes of fun. 

5. Help them to Spoon the mix in to the cases. 

11. Magic Drawings 

This is a really engaging activity for children and the excitement of a hidden number appearing right in front of their eyes is pure magic. Simply grab some paper and crayons. Using a white crayon draw numbers, letters or whatever your child is into. Then, with the remaining colour crayons get them to scribble all over until the hidden drawing appears. For younger children this is a great number learning game, for older children you could write simple words out and get them to work out the word. A great phonics game for a rainy day. 

12. Mystery Box 

Grab a cardboard box and cut a hole in the top big enough for your child’s hand to fit but not large enough for them to peep. On one side cut a flap so that you can easily place a toy in. Ask your child to feel what is in the box and describe what they think it may be. This is a great sensory game for little ones to enjoy. 

13. Freezer Bag Sensory  

If you have some freezer bags at home you can make some really fun sensory wall activities. Simply fill the freezer bags with water and food colouring and fill with sponges, pebbles, beads or anything else you might have. Tape each bag to the wall to allow your child to feel and look at each sensory bag. Once finished you could put the bags on the floor for your baby or toddler to explore.  

14. Smash Mash Play 

Simply using a bag of instant mash potato, add food colouring and let your little one mash up the potato with kitchen utensils like a masher, or spatula.  

15. Herb & Spices Sensory Painting 

Children love painting and getting messy but another idea is to use natural ingredients such as herbs and spices in place of traditional poster paint. Safe to eat (watch the chilli!), spices such as turmeric and paprika mixed with a splash of water can create wonderful colours to play around with, but not only that, the sensory aromas will engage little ones and fill your house with wonderful smells.  

16. Pasta Jewellery 

A simple activity that lots of ages will enjoy. Grab some pasta that has a hole such as Penne and some string or pipe cleaners. Get little ones to thred the pasta onto the string and then tie to make a necklace. Thredding is a fantastic activity for their fine motor skills. You could even dye the pasta the night before with some food dye and get them to see if they can thred all of a particular colour.  

17. Superhero Armbands  

Hold onto those inner cardboard tubes from loo rolls, they can be transformed into a multitude of play ideas. For those little ones who love superheros this is a great activity. Simply let them decorate two rolls with whatever colours and things you have to hand at home such as tissue paper and then when they are happy with them place them onto their arms for that instant superhero look. For younger children use one loo roll tube cut in half.

18. Junk Mail Role Play 

We all get lots of unwanted mail through our letterboxes but have you considered the play potential in these? Children love role play and these can help to ignite imaginative play ideas. So hold onto those pizza menus, garden seed catalogues, DIY tool magazines. These all have the potential to add another dimension to their play. See what comes through your door and think base a play activity around them. 

19. Colour Scavenger Hunt 

Find a basket and investigate each room of your house to see how many items you can fill it with of a particular colour. This is a great activity for learning about colour as they learn there are a whole variety and shades in the colour spectrum. 

20. Pop Up Restaurant