Indoor games for kids at home

Nine classic games for a rainy day, a birthday party or the half hour before dinner. All of them are played with bodies, voices and cushions, not screens. Every page has the rules, how to make the game fit a 2-year-old or a 10-year-old, and a version that needs no phone and no equipment.

They are the same nine games as in Romparoo, our free iPhone app where the phone keeps time and keeps the secrets so the grown-up gets to play too. You don't need the app to play them.

Freeze Dance

Dance while the music plays, freeze when it stops, and hold the silly pose that gets called out.

The Floor is Lava

Walk and dance around the room; when the volcano erupts, get onto a cushion before the countdown ends.

Simon Says

Do what Simon says, but only when the command starts with "Simon says".

Colour Hunt

A quick indoor scavenger hunt: hear the mission, find something that matches, bring it back before the whistle.

Hot Potato

Pass a soft toy around the circle fast; whoever holds it when it POPS does a silly mission.

Charades

One player acts out a secret without words while everyone else guesses.

Hide and Seek

The seeker counts with eyes covered while everyone hides; or hide one thing that makes a sound and hunt for it together.

Story Dice

Roll a few pictures and make up a story together, one sentence each, working in surprise twists.

Sleeping Lions

A calm-down game: everyone lies as still and quiet as they can, and any noise wakes the lion.