Are you looking for fun indoor things to do with your kids during your next vacation? If yes, then these 15 ideas might come in handy. Traveling with children is always exciting, but it can sometimes get stressful. Sometimes you want to relax or unwind, but your little ones disagree.
This is where traveling comes into play. You can take them out for a walk around the neighborhood, visit museums, or go shopping. These are some of the best ways to spend time together during your trip.
There are lots of great outdoor activities that you can do with your kids. But sometimes, you just want to stay indoors and relax.
In such situations, you can choose from a variety of indoor activities. Some of them include playing board games, watching movies, and reading. All these are good options for families who love spending quality time together.
Here are the 15 best family indoor activities to try out on your travels that are suitable for the entire family.
1. Indoor Trampolines
If you want to enjoy some quality family time without having to spend a fortune, there are plenty of options. One such option is to go to a place where you can find trampolines, bounce houses, inflatables, obstacle courses, and much more.
Trampolining is a great way to expel some of the energy out of the kids while also having fun yourself if you’re interested in having a go! It’s versatile for the whole family, and there’s no limit to the amount of fun!
2. Museums
What child doesn’t want to be taken back in time in the mission to interpret and preserve history? Kids love mysteries, and museums bring this fun element very easily with exhibits and activities around the nature of the historical exhibit you’d be visiting.
From the earliest Native American tools to the latest exhibits, visitors will surely find something interesting.
3. Aquariums
Aquariums often feature many species of marine animals, including sharks, jellyfish, octopuses, penguins, dolphins, rays, and much more.
Aquariums also usually offer multiple ways for visitors to experience the life of sea animals. There are several interactive areas where you can touch and feed some animals.
There are also several educational opportunities offered here. Kids can participate in a behind-the-scenes tour or watch shows about the ocean.
4. Mirror Mazes
One of the less talked about attractions for indoor fun is mazes! They’re filled with mirrors and glass walls for visitors to get lost, play games, and be surprised along the way! Additional planning tips: Keep an eye on your feet to guide you through mirror mazes!
5. Escape Rooms (Kid Friendly)
The Escape Game is one of the newest trends in escape rooms. This indoor adventure combines puzzles, teamwork, and thrills into a fun experience where you must work together to find clues and unlock doors while solving challenges along the way.
Escape rooms allow you to experience what it feels like to be locked away in a room while solving puzzles together with others.
You’ll start off by choosing a theme, then you’ll be given instructions about how to play, and finally, you’ll be sent into the room where you’ll have 60 minutes to figure everything out. Once you’re done, you’ll be able to open the door and go home.
Each room features a team of four to eight people working together to help you solve the puzzle. They’ll give you hints and tips along the way, but ultimately, it’s up to you to figure things out.
6. Indoor Science
Most science ideas are easily adaptable for preschool-aged children upwards, and some are even suitable for toddlers, although you’ll want to ensure that there aren’t any sharp edges around.
Older children can extend scientific investigation by recording and comparing observed outcomes. Younger children’s natural curiosity should be encouraged through simple free play.
7. Indoor Water Parks
Some indoor water parks are a great way to get the family all doing an activity together without worrying about the weather outside. Swimming doesn’t require special equipment like skiing or golf, so it won’t require bringing too much extra luggage. If you’ve got the swimsuits ready, then a water park is the way to go!
Visiting an indoor water park is a popular indoor activity for families while traveling. Water parks are fun for the whole family and often include plenty of water slides, a lazy river, a wave machine, multiple swimming pools, and often a hot tub.
8. Bowling
Bowling has always been a fun activity for the whole family, so why not take the kids to the nearest bowling alley wherever you’re staying?
And don’t worry about it being something they haven’t done before (if that’s the case); they’ll get the hang of it soon enough with either your help or a little curiosity of their own.
9. Arcades
When looking for the best family indoor activities to do on your travels, consider visiting an arcade with your children.
There’s nothing better than a good old-fashioned arcade day, and with all the different arcade games available in most arcades, the fun never ends. There is something for each family member to enjoy, from dad and mom to the kids themselves.
10. Skating Rinks
This one may be the wild card of our list today, but it’s a good one nonetheless! Even if you’ve never skated before, roller skating or ice skating rinks offer the opportunity to indulge in a fun activity. This provides the opportunity for your family to learn something new, which could become a lifelong passion.
If trying to balance on skates proves too challenging, and you’re looking for an outdoor winter activity for your family, consider going snow tubing with kids. This is suitable for the entire family and does not require the skill of skating or skiing.
11. Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger hunts are a great way to bring people together and encourage creativity. They’re also fun because you don’t know what you’ll find. You might even end up finding something unexpected.
Here are some ideas for making your next scavenger hunt extra special:
- Create a theme around it. For example, make it a “foodie” scavenger hunt where each team member must find food-related items. Or maybe it’s a “family” scavenger hunt where kids have to find things that relate to family life.
- Give clues along the way. If you want to keep things simple, just give out hints as you go. But if you’d like to add a little mystery, try giving clues about the location or setting.
- Use props to help guide participants. For example, use a map or a list of items to help teams navigate. Or put signs pointing toward hidden rooms or treasure chests.
- Consider adding prizes. This could be anything from small gifts to large cash prizes. Just remember to set clear rules beforehand.
12. Arts And Crafts
The following ideas are not destinations but indoor activities to do on your travels on a rainy day when you’re looking for ways to entertain your kids indoors.
We know you’re busy parents, so we’re sharing ideas for indoor arts and crafts projects that don’t require glue guns, glitter, paintbrushes, or expensive supplies.
Cutting paper into fun shapes and making paper crowns, for example, are fantastic ways to fill up your kid’s free time without making too much of a mess.
These are great for toddlers, preschoolers, and even older children. They’re simple enough for little hands to do without much supervision but still fun and educational.
Or older children can try Origami, a traditional Japanese art form that involves creating beautiful paper folds. The best way to learn how to fold is to watch videos online. You can find tutorials about basic folds, complex folds, and even how to fold a specific object.
13. Old Fashioned Eye Spy
This may be an old one, but playing eye spy while looking out the window on a rainy day may be just the thing you need to entertain the kids.
If they’re complaining that they’re bored, suggesting this game may distract them enough so that their imaginations take over, and there you have it, job done.
The objective is for one person to say, “Eye spy with my little eye, something beginning with… .” And you add a letter to the end of this sentence of something you’ve spied in the room. And everyone guesses something, either in the room or outside the window, that begins with that letter.
Your family can also play Eye Spy when traveling in the car. Here are some more popular road trip activities for kids.
14. Puzzles
Exercise those creative, cognitive, and reasoning muscles with a good puzzle game. This is a great way to develop thinking skills and improve memory.
There are many different types of puzzles you can play, including crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, word searches, mazes, Sudoku, etc. Puzzles help us exercise our brains and keep our minds sharp. They’re also a lot of fun!
You can use a store-purchased variety or have the kids build their own. If you want something simple, you can buy a pack of pre-cut wooden puzzle pieces and let the kids put together their own puzzles.
Indoor games and crafts are a great way to spend quality family time together. Make it educational too!
15. Playing Simon Says
The classic children’s party game is still popular today. It’s been around since the early 1900s. And while there are many variations, the basic premise stays the same.
A person called Simon starts off the game by calling out an action. Then everyone else gathers together in a circle or line and follows Simon’s instructions.
When Simon calls out an action, the others have to follow suit. But if someone does something different, like touching her toes when Simon said to touch your nose, she gets eliminated.
Final Thoughts
We would recommend going to a museum. Museums are usually free (or very cheap) in most countries, and they’re often filled with interesting stuff.
They tend to be pretty kid-friendly too. Also, arcades are very popular around the US, and kids always love games, so it’s a no-brainer!
For more about family travel, check out these posts:
15 Best Winter Family Activities To Do On Your Travels
How To Plan A Vacation
Multi Generational Travel Ideas For Families
Road Trip Activities for Kids Age 9-12 years
What are the Best Travel Activities for Kids Age 4-8?
