Whether it's a rainy day, a lazy day, or a global pandemic, these are my go-to indoor activities for kids in the 3-6 year age range.
1. Necklace Activity Set
These necklace sets come in a variety of characters. You can mix and match beads and characters. Plus they can be put together, taken apart, and redone over and over again.
2. Chuckle And Roar Puzzles
We have a few of Chuckle and Roar puzzles and games. The artwork on the puzzles is vibrant and eye-catching while the games are fun and educational. Bonus, Target carries them!
3. Kinetic Sand
Usually the word "sand" makes me cringe. However, Kinetic Sand sticks and molds together like wet sand while still being dry to the touch. You can buy a variety of themed sets that come with different tools and colors of sand. We have the construction and baking sets. You can also buy just the sand and use play-dough tools that you may already have on hand.
4. Flybar Pogo Stick
This is a GREAT toy for wearing kids out. It does take a few tries for them to get the hang of it, but once they do, they will be jumping all over the house. It can also be used outdoors and works for all ages, kids to adult. The only downside is that it does have a squeaker that sounds like a dog toy.
5. Beyblades
The packaging says 8+, but I think if your child is 5-7ish, doesn't have any safety issues with smaller part toys and can get the hang of putting them together (or you are willing to help), they are a lot of fun. If I had to describe them, I would say it's like 90's Pogs meets Robot Wars. There are different shapes and sizes you can collect and they battle it out to see which one spins the longest and/or stays together.
6. Water Beads
These are great for sensory and fine motor skills. You only need a tablespoon or so at a time depending on the size of the container you want to put them in so a package can last a while. They start out super tiny and grow as they absorb water. I typically sit them in a container inside the bathtub to contain them. Once they have served their purpose, I let the overflow in the bathtub shrink back to original size (just carefully drain excess water) and then vacuum them up. They are also fun outside in a water table.
7. Alex Toys Mosaics
Another one with a variety of different sets to choose from. The Shimmer and Shine set comes with 4 pictures and jewel/gem stickers. One picture provides my child a minimum of an hour of quiet time and is great for fine motor skills, color recognition and matching. I also found something similar in the Bullseye's Playground (Dollar Spot) section at Target. (April 2020) For the 2-4 year old range, I recommend Button Art.
8. Butterfly Garden
We loved watching our caterpillars grow into butterflies so much, that we ordered 2 refill cups. It's a great learning activity that the whole family can enjoy. To add to the excitement, we read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar", made caterpillars out of egg cartons and did a worksheet on the life cycle of the butterfly. It comes with instructions, but I would also recommend reading the FAQs on the Insect Lore website.
9. Monopoly Junior
This is a great game to play because it feels like you are playing the adult favorite, but it's been simplified so it's easy for kids to understand. I also love that as long as you play with at least 3 players, it doesn't take forever. It's a great way to teach counting and color recognition. Another favorite is Clue Junior although I would recommend it for the 5-6 age range because it does require kiddos to strategize and play a little more independently.
10. Art Supplies
We have a full "art studio" on hand at all times. I like to stock up from the clearance and sale racks at Target, Michael's and Hobby Lobby. We have a carrier similar to this one that I got on sale at Michael's that keeps everything contained and allows it to be toted to any play space in the house. We usually keep construction paper, stickers, sequins, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, markers, crayons, glitter glue, glue sticks, scissors, stamps and punches in there to provide hours of masterpiece making fun. I also keep paint and small canvases on hand.
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