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.
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!
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.
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.
