Are you tired of your older children saying “I’m bored!” It can be difficult to entertain tweens indoors. They are resistant to any suggestions that do not involve technology. Here are some indoor activities for children aged 8-12 years that will keep them entertained. There are games for kids as well as kids birthday scavenger hunt as well as quizzes designed for adults. We also offer special items for celebrations of the season like Halloween, Christmas and Easter. Grapevine provides ready-made items which can be used in celebrations and events. There is everything you require from murder mysteries to pub quizzes, as well as amazing themed treasure hunts that are perfect for children.
Flying Carpet
Every child or group of children stands on a cushion or rug in the middle of the ground. Their ‘flying rug’ is the problem. It is upside-down! This game allows you to flip the ‘flying rug’ without having to step on it. You are out if you step on the floor!
Two Truths and One Lie
Indoor games that are creative and don’t require props or equipment are always a good idea. Each person must share three statements. One is false, two are true. The lie is then revealed to the rest of the players.
- Balloon Ping-Pong
- You will need balloons, table-tennis or bats made from paper plates.
- Make sure you have enough space in the hall for them to move.
Play the Minister’s Cat
A Victorian game in which you must think of adjectives that describe the Minister’s cat in alphabetical order. Start with “The minister’s kitten is adorable.” Next, the next person will say e.g. “The minister’s cat, a cute cat and a bouncy kitten,” and so forth.
Indoor Obstacle Course with a twist
In the room, place obstacles. Blindfold one player. The rest of the players will guide them through the obstacles by telling them where to go. Left to avoid a chair; right 2 steps to avoid the table. etc.
Split larger groups into pairs, and each player can take turns leading and navigating.
Twenty Questions
One person can think of a thing, or a person. The others must guess the answer. They are limited to asking questions that result in a Yes or No. The 20th question must be answered by the others. The first person to guess the item gets to choose the next one.
Sardines
Sardines adds a new twist to hide and seek. Instead of everyone hiding and one person searching, everyone hides and one person seeks.
After one of the seeker finds the hiding person, they must go with them. The process continues until only one person remains searching, at which point everyone is packed together in the hiding place like sardines. The new hider is chosen by the last person who finds everyone else.
Chinese Whispers
This is a great activity for kids. It works for all ages.
You will need to sit the children in a circle and tell the first child a sufficient-length sentence. The next child will then whisper it into your ear. You will be amazed at how much the sentence has changed since it was first written.
Charades
Classic indoor games for kids never get boring!
Charades can be played using any word or phrase. However, it is best to use movie titles, TV programmes, and popular tween literature for children.
Hang Man
Hang man is a fun game you can play at your home or in restaurants. You only need a pencil, and some paper.
Write down a word with each letter represented by dashes
Everyone tried to guess which letters were in the word. If they correctly guess, the letter is then placed into the correct place. If they don’t, they can draw the stickman.
Continue doing this until you get the word right in time or the stickman is hanged.
