Indoor Games to Keep the Kids Busy Over Winter Break

Everyone is excited about winter break, until the first, "I'm bored." You'll need to keep those kids busy. We're here to help.

December 18, 2018

By: Lili Zarghami

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Photo By: Hearthsong; Andy Franck

Photo By: Amazon

Photo By: Target

Photo By: Amazon

Indoor Golf

When it's cold out it's hard to get kids to play any outdoor games. We can't entirely blame them. Frozen fingers and toes can be a huge bummer. Get them to move the play inside with a putting green made for indoor fun. This golf game is scored like a game of pool but with putters and golf balls instead of billiard balls. It can be rolled out on any flat surface for tons of healthy competition.

BUY IT: HearthSong $80

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Animation Studio

You know what would be amazing for your kids to have at the end of winter break? A movie of their own making! This Animation Studio kit comes with everything a budding filmmaker needs to create a stop-motion film (except the computer it needs to run on). The only limits are your budding cinephile's imagination.

BUY IT: Amazon $60

Laser Tag

Fair warning: indoor laser tag is going to mean a lot of running and hiding around your house. But if you're up for that (or have a basement that's just right for a game) this laser tag system is sure to keep a pair of kids occupied with some active, non-screen fun over the holiday. This set is for two players but it can be paired up with other Laser X systems for multiplayer madness.

BUY IT: Target $50

Pandemic

As the ominous name indicates, the players in this game are trying to keep a deadly disease that threatens the world at bay. In teams of 2 to 4, players need to stop plagues and other outbreaks from threatening life on Earth. Teamwork is required because you either all win together or you lose together.

BUY IT: Amazon $36

Monopoly: Fortnite Edition

If a Fornite addict lives with you and you are desperate to get them to return to the land of IRL human beings, we humbly suggest Monopoly: Fortnite Edition for this winter break. Hasbro has switched the property-accumulation objective from the classic edition to a survival mission in this one. Fans of the streaming game can even choose outfits for their Monopoly pieces without having to spend real money in the "Item Shop."

BUY IT: Amazon $20

Osmo Genius Kit

Osmo is a game system that is meant to work with an iPad, but we think you might allow the use of a screen if it's for games as educational—and downright fun—as these. The Genius Kit comes with five games, including Tangram and word scrambles, and each one is more fun than the last. The best part is, it's easy to make these games two-player or more which eliminates the isolation most screens can cause.

BUY IT: Amazon $90

Not Parent Approved

The name of this super-fun game may feel like it's rubbing a bit of salt in a wound, but that's the whole point! This fill-in-the-blank card game is billed as "Cards Against Humanity, but for kids," and we all know what an uproariously entertaining game that is. If the kid version is even half as fun, expect to hear peals of laughter ringing from around your dining table.

BUY IT: Amazon $25

Portable Cornhole

This traditional outdoor summer game can become an awesome indoor winter game with the right vision. Set up these fabric targets as far apart as your space allows and rest easy that the bean-filled tosses won't do too much damage to your home. Then, when summer comes, you can move this game to the yard for all-year play.

BUY IT: Amazon $36

Science Kit

Science kits are so much fun to play with that your kids probably won't even realize they're learning anything. Your budding scientist will get to create a sunset in a test tube and make a color-changing volcano. Who wouldn't be entertained by that?

BUY IT: Amazon $24

Twister

Chances are pretty good that you played Twister when you were a kid. It probably won't be news to you that it's just as fun for our techie kids today as it was back in the day. Once you get a group of kids set up to play, no adults are required. Even the grumpiest teens can't help but laugh when eveyone crumples into a pile.

BUY IT: Amazon $18