Simple ways to play at home

Simple ways to play at home

There are plenty of simple, easy ways for your child to play and have fun at home. Children can make creative use of any available space – even the corner of a room – if they have the freedom to play and a few toys or other bits and pieces to help their imagination.

Often, it’s the simplest things we do that can turn into the most fun!

Here are some ideas from the Hamilton family for simple ways to play and encourage your child’s imagination around the home.

Looking for inspiration to support your child’s play at home? Give these a go: 

  1. “Egg” and spoon races (no real eggs needed – a ping pong style ball works fine).
  2. Act out a story from a book
  3. Blindfold (hoodies on back to front) pillow fights
  4. Candle decorating
  5. Cat’s cradle
  6. Catch the fairy (use a torch and shine it in a dark room)
  7. Clapping games
  8. Cork fights … like food fights but less messy
  9. Drawing pictures and colouring in
  10. Dressing up
  11. Eye spy
  12. Fashion show
  13. Hide and seek
  14. Hopscotch – made with tape
  15. Junk modelling with smaller household items
  16. Kitchen disco
  17. Making cars, castles or spaceships with cardboard boxes
  18. Making dens
  19. Making paper planes
  20. Making small worlds with dinosaurs, toy cars, toy animals
  21. Musical chairs
  22. Obstacle course – using sofa cushions, chairs
  23. Ping pong or volleyball with an inflatable ball
  24. Playing school, café, offices, shops, hairdressers
  25. Putting on a performance
  26. Rock/paper/scissors
  27. Saucepan drums
  28. Simon says
  29. Skipping or French skipping (elastics)
  30. Sock puppets
  31. Stair tobogganing in cardboard boxes and pillows
  32. Steppingstones with cushions
  33. Tea party/indoor picnic
  34. The floor is lava
  35. Treasure hunt

How many can your family complete?

Our 35 indoor play ideas list can be printed and shared.

Easy, stress-free outdoor play ideas

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