Looking for a way to keep your kids entertained and engaged? Giving them screen time is an option, and it can work well for a while, but eventually, you’ll need to switch it up. If foul weather is keeping you indoors, your options are more limited, but there are a host of fun indoor activities for kids right under your nose. Let’s look at some ideas!

Key Elements of Indoor Activities for Kids

The best indoor activities for kids are ones that have these features:

  • Safety: You don’t need to watch your children every second because you know they’re in a contained space with no hazards.
  • Physical activity and stimulation: Sports and active games help them burn off energy while developing motor skills and engaging the senses.
  • Problem-solving opportunities: Games and challenges that are at their level help develop cognitive skills that children can build on.
  • Imaginative play: Environments that are deeply engaging stimulate and expand the mind.
  • Social interaction: Doing things together with peers or parents builds friendships and social skills, giving kids confidence to operate in the social world.
  • Cooperation and healthy competition: Engaging in teamwork and competing against others teaches children how to work together, how to follow rules, and how to lose (and win) with grace.

To help parents out, indoor activities for kids should also be easy to access, self-contained, worry-free, and fun to participate in.

At-home Indoor Activities for Kids

When you’re stuck for something to do with the kids, and you can’t go out, there are plenty of things to choose from without leaving the house:

  • Art projects with whatever you have on hand (paint, markers, collage materials) are an easy way to keep kids occupied. Spread out plastic tablecloths and let them go wild. This is a great way to stimulate the imagination, develop creativity, and give them a final project they’ll be proud of.
  • Building challenges with LEGOs or other objects encourages spatial reasoning. Give them specific challenges, such as building the highest tower or constructing a bridge that can support a toy car.
  • Indoor scavenger hunts are active and give kids new ways to explore their space. Give them a list of items to find or tasks to solve. Adjust the activity to their age: young children can look for shapes and colors while older ones can be given riddles to solve.
  • Science experiments like building a volcano reaction with baking soda and vinegar, growing crystals (look for kits at the dollar store), or making a potato battery are great for stimulating curiosity.
  • Dance parties are active, joyous ways to pass the time indoors. Collaborate with your kids on building a playlist, put up some decorations, and then join in the dancing!

Most of these fun indoor activities for kids are low-cost, although they do require some planning and cleanup. Collaborating with other families in your neighborhood can make the workload lighter and give other parents some kid-free time.

Venues With Fun Indoor Activities

When the weather’s not cooperating, there are plenty of places to go with a group of children.

  • Indoor trampoline parks are high-energy fun where kids can bounce, flip, and jump into foam pits. Although these are great places for kids, they offer limited appeal for adults beyond supervising their charges.
  • Children’s museums and science centres provide educational enrichment with hands-on exhibits that teach while entertaining. However, most of the exhibits tend to be the same from visit to visit and can be less appealing to repeat visitors. Young children may not be able to appreciate all the exhibits, making them less appropriate for families with wide age ranges.
  • Bowling alleys provide fun indoor activities for kids beyond bowling, often featuring arcade games and snack bars. However, younger children may struggle with the weight of bowling balls and may get bored waiting for their turn to come around. Bowling can also be frustrating for novices.
  • Movie theatres are great for quiet downtime, but don’t address needs for physical activity or social interaction.
  • Indoor climbing gyms, skating rinks, and pools help children burn off energy and develop skills. On the downside, parents have to manage the equipment, including getting kids in and out of it, and they have to keep an eye on their children at all times.
  • Craft workshops encourage creativity and spark curiosity. Parents usually don’t need to bring their own supplies, but reservations are required in advance for most workshops.

Each of these indoor activities for kids has pros and cons. Some engage kids but aren’t interesting to adults, some are great for certain ages but not others, some require extensive parental supervision, and some lack the social interaction children need.

Putting Edge: The Complete Package

If you’re looking for fun indoor activities for kids that are inexpensive, active, stimulating, and fun for all ages, Putting Edge checks all the boxes.

What You’ll Find Inside

Every Putting Edge location has an 18-hole glow-in-the-dark mini-golf course with a different challenge on every hole. Backlit by neon art installations, players golf their way through a variety of magical worlds, including castles, dinosaurs, gigantic butterflies, underwater adventures, outer-worldly experiences, and more. Dips and hills in the floor make it impossible to guess what trajectory your glow-in-the-dark golf ball will take, making each hole truly exciting.

Each Putting Edge location also has an extensive arcade of old-school games like air hockey and modern video games. Visitors, both young and old, have a great time challenging themselves and each other for bragging rights.

Most Putting Edge locations also have a party room where you can celebrate special occasions or just hang out. You can bring your own snacks and beverages, or you can have food delivered from your favorite restaurant.

Why Putting Edge Checks All the Boxes

A trip to Putting Edge has all the features you’re looking for in fun activities for kids:

  • Active and engaging: There’s something new and challenging around every corner, and you’re on your feet the whole time.
  • Fun for all ages and skill levels: You don’t have to be an expert at golf or arcade games, and it’s still fun even if you’re a scratch golfer. Kids get a chance to develop motor skills, adults find themselves laughing like children, and teens love the selfie-worthy lighting and backdrops as well.
  • Safely contained under one roof: Everything is in one controlled space where you can easily keep an eye on everyone in your group.
  • Stimulating for the senses and the imagination: With lots of lights and visual displays, Putting Edge is a feast for little minds and more mature ones alike.
  • Encourages wholesome competition: It’s serious fun and playful competition all in one.
  • Great for inviting other kids or adults: Planning play dates, birthday parties, or joint outings with other families couldn’t be easier. Just pile in the minivan and come over!
  • Combines well with other activities: Putting Edge locations are situated near shopping malls, restaurants, and other family activities. You can easily build a full afternoon or evening around your round of mini-golf.
  • No need for equipment or special clothing: Just bring yourself: we provide everything you need!

Planning Your Visit

To maximize your enjoyment, follow these tips:

  • Find a location convenient to you.
  • Make a reservation to avoid disappointment.
  • Bring a fully charged camera; you’ll want to take pictures and video.
  • Dress comfortably so you can bend and reach easily.
  • Bring a credit or debit card: our facilities are cashless.
  • Bring food if you plan to use the party room.

We look forward to seeing you at Putting Edge, one of the most fun indoor activities for kids (and adults, too)!