It’s easy to keep kids active when the sun is shining, but what about when the rain won’t stop — or it’s simply too hot to be outside? That’s when a bit of indoor energy-burning comes in handy.
Here are 6 fun active games for kids that are perfect for a rainy day, using nothing more than space you already have at home.
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Fun Active Games For Kids
Stuck indoors? Don’t panic. If you’re wondering what to do with the kids to burn off some of that pent-up energy, try these active games — all easy to set up indoors.
#1. Hold a Dance-a-Thon
Turn your living room into disco heaven with a dance-a-thon to get everyone moving. Put on a favourite playlist and try a few musical games:
- Musical chairs
- Musical statues
- Best and worst dancer competition
- Get everyone to try the Can Can
- Limbo dancing
Stop for a minute in the middle and do a heart rate check — feel for the pulse on the inner wrist or neck and count how many beats you feel over a 15-second period. Multiply by 4 to get the BPM (beats per minute).
#2. Set Up an Obstacle Course
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Create an indoor obstacle course with plenty of climbing, crawling, hopping, jumping, and falling onto cushions or a mattress. Let the kids go for it and try to beat each other’s times around the course.
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#3. Step Aerobics
If you have stairs in your house, you can turn them into a mini workout:
- First, get the kids (carefully!) racing up and down the stairs 10 times in a row.
- Then, they can try calf raises up and down off the bottom step.
- Finally, jump down and up the bottom step 10 times.
#4. Follow the Leader
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Turn on the music and get the kids exercising — try hopping, skipping or jumping jacks. If you have more than one child, take turns being the leader, with everyone else copying whatever exercise they’re doing (a bit like Simon Says).
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#5. Skipping and Hula Hooping
Clear some space, get the skipping ropes or hula hoop out, and have a contest. Who can skip or hula the most times in a row?
#6. Stretching and Yoga
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Put on some relaxing music and get the kids to stretch — try touching their toes without bending their knees, bending one leg backwards and holding their foot, or twisting gently from side to side without moving their feet.
The Tree pose is a good one to start with, helping with balance and breathing.
Next, try the Cat pose: get on hands and knees, lower the head and arch the back gently, then raise the head and curve the back the other way.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long should indoor active games last for kids?
There’s no fixed rule — even 15-20 minutes of movement can help burn off pent-up energy on a rainy day. Let your child’s mood guide you, and feel free to mix a few of these games together for a longer session.
What age are these active games suitable for?
Most of these games — dancing, follow the leader, skipping, stretching — work well across a wide age range, from toddlers right up to tweens. Just adjust the pace and difficulty (like stair reps or obstacle course complexity) to suit younger or older kids.
Do I need special equipment for indoor active games?
No — that’s the beauty of this list. A skipping rope, a hula hoop and some cushions are the only extras, and even those are optional. Most of these games use just space, music and imagination.
Related Articles
- 50 Super Fun Rainy Day Activities for Kids of All Ages
- Get Active with These Fun Obstacle Course Ideas for Kids
- 25 Of The Best Indoor Games For Kids Aged 8-12 Years
- Download Your FREE Indoor Scavenger Hunt For Kids
Save These Ideas for Later
Rainy days always seem to sneak up on you. Bookmark this page or pin it to your favourite parenting board so you’ve got these active games ready to go whenever the weather turns.
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