4 Indoor-Games to Stave Off Cabin Fever
Yarn Laser Maze Treasure Heist
Age: 3 years+Objective: See if your child can get to the "treasure" on the other side of a hallway maze.How It Works: Unwind a skein of yarn and tape it in a zigzag pattern from wall to wall down the length of your hallway. Place the treasure—a favorite toy or a special treat—just beyond the maze's edge. See if your child can steal it without touching the yarn "laser beams." If your kid touches them, he has to start over.
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Candy Slide
Age: 4 years+Objective: Score the most points by sliding a mix of colored candies (such as M&M's, Skittles, and jelly beans) onto the same-colored ring of the bull's-eye.How It Works: Draw a bull's-eye, and make each ring a different color that corresponds to the colors of your candy game pieces. Tape it to the center of a table so it's flush. Take turns sliding a colored piece of candy across the tabletop, trying to make it land in the same-colored ring of the bull's-eye. Add a point to each player's score for each piece that lands in a matching colored ring. Deduct a point for each candy that lands in a ring of another color. Winner eats all!
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Feelings Charades
Age: 2 years+Objective: Act out an emotion using only your hands and facial expressions and see if the other player(s) can guess it correctly.How It Works: This game can be played one-on-one or with two teams. Once an emotion is chosen, act it out without making a sound. See if the other player(s) can guess what feeling you're demonstrating on the first try. Little ones might need pictures of emotions to choose from to get started.
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Pen and Paper Games
Blind Self-Portrait: Have each family member draw themselves—but with their eyes closed! Put all the pictures in the center and see if you can guess who's who.
Line Drawings: Draw a random line or basic shape on a piece of paper. Then challenge your child to turn that line or shape into a drawing of... anything! For example, a circle could become a Ferris wheel, a scoop of ice cream on top of a cone, or a puppy's head.
EOT-CAT-CIT: The reverse of tic-tac-toe. The player who gets three in a row loses.