Fun games to play with kids

I don't mind rainy days because it's nice to stay at homes sometimes. When the days are clear, even if it's cold, my kids need to go outside or take a trip somewhere. Even staying at home though, I need to find a way for them to burn off that energy or engage their minds. For all those of you who are sick of hearing "I'm bored, what can I do?" (that's a direct quote), here are a few options for indoor fun:

Hide and Seek is great to play indoors, as long as your kids know they have to stay indoors.  It really spoils the fun if you find them outside under the deck after yelling for hours.....

Freeze Tag is perfect for kids with a lot of energy. Just make sure you're always one step behind them so you can "freeze" them before they know over that lamp.

Make a fort. This is so overlooked it's not even funny. It will amuse a baby as much as a ten-year old. Grab some blankets, put them over some furniture, make little rooms, whatever you want. It's really quite fun for adults too. If your blankets don't stay up you can use masking tape.

For children above three, Go Fish is a good one. For children younger, let them play with the cards anyway. If they make up silly rules, even better. Or make a card house. Avoid this if you don't have patience for nit-picky activities or a tendency to use curse words in frustration. Trust me. It's not for the faint of heart.

Get out some old sheets and bristol board. Then dump some paint on it and get messy. This is especially fun if your kids paint with their feet. When Jimmy was three I would hold his hands and he would run on the paint like a treadmill. Make sure you have a bath ready before you dip your kids in paint though.

Set up an obstacle course. Move some furniture around and set a path to the finish. Jump over pillows, crawl under tables or chairs, walk behind a couch. With the time it takes to set up, complete the course, and clean up afterwards, you will have passed the entire afternoon.

Dance Freeze is fun and a good way to exercise. Put on some fast music (preferably with a remote) and dance away. Stop the music every once in a while to see who can stay in the funniest position for the longest.

Have an ABC I Spy game. Start with A and take turns spying something with that letter. Go through the alphabet, giving a point for each letter completed successfully. Kids love hunting for things.

Play a pretend game that's not House. The more creative, the better. Set up a fake department store with some clothes and dishes, or a pretend school with the table for a desk. One that Jimmy used to love is Library. Get some props and act out a trip somewhere that's important to learn about. If you're really tired, play Bus. Tell your little one to pretend they are riding a bus, sitting nice and still and quiet.....

Sometimes a rainy day can drive you and your kids stir-crazy. I hope some of these ideas help to pass the time and keep everyone busy and happy.