I is for Indoor Adventures #AtoZChallenge

The Blogging from A-Z Challenge continues today. Every day throughout April (except Sundays) I’ll be posting a range of ideas and tips for keeping your family entertained at home. It will include arts and crafts, games, learning ideas and imaginative activities for all ages. I thought it would be particularly useful while we’re all self-isolating or socially distancing, though it can be used for any time of year.

Letter “I” is for Indoor Adventures. If you’ve got kids, now is a great time to keep your little ones busy with imaginative roleplay games. Below are some ideas for how you can incorporate adventure and excitement into everyday life.

• The Floor is Lava- Remember this classic kids game? All you need are some cushions for stepping stones around your living room and voilà, you have a super-dangerous volcanic adventure. Alternatively, the floor is water and other family members are sharks!
• Movie Makers-Dress up and act out scenes together and let the kids take turn filming on a phone or tablet. You can then show them how to edit in using an app.
• Pirates-Why not have a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas? You could construct a ship from a cardboard box or living room furniture (bed sheets make good sails), have a stick sword fight and search the house for buried treasure.
• Fairground-make some simple fairground stall games such as knocking down tin cans (or loo rolls if you’ve stocked up!) and recreate classic rides by spinning and bouncing your kids all over!
• Zombie attack- Split up into teams of zombies and humans (dress up optional). Can the humans avade the zombies or will their brains be eaten?
• Superheroes-make capes from blanket and towels and have fun designing paper headbands and logos before flying off to save the world from the dastardly villain.
• Showtime-dress up and act out a play, visit the “circus”, hold a family talent show with singing, dancing and comedy numbers, or make and perform a puppet show.
• Explorers-pack some supplies, get your shorts and camoflage gear on and head out to explore the jungle. What wonderful wildlife will you encounter? You can make salt dough fossils to discover and get out the tent and “camp” in your living room.
• We’re Going on a Bear Hunt-act out the classic book by Michael Rosen, swishing through the grass, splashing throughthe river and stumbling through the forest until you meet the bear. You can make paper or salt dough paw prints to follow.
• Masquerade-Make and decorate your own masks, dress up and learn some ballroom dances.
• Summer Holiday-pack a mini suitcase and get ready to go on holiday (vacation) in your back yard. For authenticity you can recreate the whole airport departure experience in the kitchen (go through “security” and board a plane made of chairs) before heading to the garden for fun in the paddling pool.
• Space Adventure-Make some astronaut gear, construct a rocket out of some old boxes and go on a mission to explore an unchartered planet. Someone could dress up as a strange alien.
• Set up Shop-create a new business together-it could be a shop, restaurant, bakery, garage or salon, for example. Think of a name, design a logo then set up the premises and invite “customers” to visit.
• Soft Play-Use cushions, pillows, beanbags, tents, tunnels, balls, blankets and soft garden toys to recreate a soft play centre in your living room.
• Secret Agents-dress up in suits and hats and find or make some high-tech gadgets. One person can be the baddy who is trying to steal the priceless jewel from the casino vault, the other is the secret agent trying to stop them. You can make a laser maze in your hallway with ribbon or streamers and have the kids try to sneak through it without touching them.
• Knights and Dragons-build a castle from cardboard (or sand in your yard), make a “moat” and try to defend it from a dragon attack.
• Under the Sea-turn one room into an underwater adventure with blankets and streamers. You can dress up as fish or mermaids and decorate with paper plate jellyfish.
• Murder Mystery-Older kids and adults might enjoy a murder mystery dinner party. There are various boxed games available online that come with pre-prepared clues and characters, or if you’re feeling creative you could write your own.

Over to you!

Did you play any of these games when you were little? Do you have any other fun ideas to try? Let me know in the comments.