Fun Things To Do In The House With Kids – Build Real Adventure Skills
The rain is pouring, the trail is a mudslide, and the familiar chorus of “I’m bored” echoes through the house. We’ve all been there. It’s easy to feel like your family’s spirit of adventure gets put on hold when you’re stuck indoors.
But what if you could use that downtime to build real, practical outdoor skills? What if your living room could become a training ground for your next big trip?
This comprehensive guide will show you exactly how to do that. We’re going beyond board games and movie marathons to bring you a list of genuinely fun things to do in the house with kids that also double as essential practice for hiking, camping, and self-reliant living. Get ready to transform a lazy day inside into a productive and exciting adventure prep session.
The Real Benefits of Fun Things to Do in the House with Kids (Beyond Beating Boredom)
While keeping everyone entertained is a huge plus, the benefits of these indoor activities run much deeper for an adventurous family. This is about more than just passing the time; it’s about investing in your family’s confidence and competence for future explorations.
Building Foundational Outdoor Skills
Mastering a bowline knot or learning to read a compass takes practice. A quiet afternoon at home is the perfect low-stakes environment for kids to learn these fundamentals without the pressure of bad weather or a ticking clock on the trail. These sessions build muscle memory and a solid knowledge base.
Fostering Teamwork and Communication
Successfully pitching a tent—or an indoor blanket fort—requires clear communication and cooperation. Working together to plan a “hike” around the house or practice a first-aid scenario builds the same teamwork you’ll rely on when you’re miles from civilization. These are some of the most overlooked benefits of fun things to do in the house with kids.
Reducing Screen Time and Boosting Creativity
These hands-on activities naturally pull kids away from screens. They encourage problem-solving, imagination, and resourcefulness. When you challenge them to build a shelter using only pillows and chairs, you’re sparking the same creative thinking needed to solve problems in the wild.
Your Ultimate Indoor Adventure: A Guide to Fun Things to Do in the House with Kids
Ready to get started? Here’s our field-tested guide on how to fun things to do in the house with kids, turning your home into the ultimate adventure basecamp. Each activity is designed to be engaging while teaching a core outdoor skill.
Skill #1: Shelter Building – The Indoor Basecamp
Forget simple forts. Frame this as a survival challenge. The mission: build a stable, warm shelter using only the materials available in the room. This teaches the basic principles of structure, insulation, and resourcefulness.
- Gather Your Materials: Use chairs, couches, tables, blankets, sheets, pillows, and even cushions from an old camp mattress like a Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol for structure and insulation.
- Design and Build: Discuss different shelter designs. A simple lean-to against a couch? A more complex dome structure using chairs as anchors? Let the kids lead the design process.
- Test for “Weather”: Once built, test its durability. Can it withstand the “strong wind” from a fan? Is it “waterproof” enough to block a light spray from a water bottle? (Use a towel inside to catch any drips!).
Pro Tip: Use clothespins or binder clips to secure blankets to chairs instead of relying on tucking them in. It provides a much more stable structure, just like staking out a tent properly.
Skill #2: Navigation – Map Your World
Navigation is one of the most critical and perishable outdoor skills. Practicing at home makes it fun and accessible. Turn your house or backyard into a miniature national park waiting to be explored.
- Create a Map: Have your kids draw a map of your house or yard. Teach them about symbols (a square for a bed, a circle for a table) and creating a map key. This is cartography 101.
- Compass Basics: If you have a real compass, like a Suunto A-10, now is the time to introduce it. Teach them how to find north and orient the map so it aligns with the house.
- Indoor Orienteering Course: Hide a small “treasure” (a favorite snack or toy) somewhere in the house. Create a set of clues using directions and landmarks from their map (e.g., “From the kitchen table, walk 10 paces north, then turn east at the ‘couch mountain'”).
Skill #3: Knot Tying – The Practical Superpower
Knowing a few key knots is a game-changer, from securing a tarp to hanging a bear bag. Practice with some spare rope, paracord, or even shoelaces.
Essential Knots to Practice:
- Bowline: The king of knots. A secure loop that doesn’t slip but is easy to untie. Perfect for securing lines.
- Taut-Line Hitch: An adjustable loop ideal for tent guylines. Set up a mini clothesline in a hallway to practice tightening and loosening it.
- Square Knot: The classic for tying two ropes of the same size together.
Make it a challenge! See who can tie a bowline knot the fastest or who can do it with their eyes closed. This is one of the best fun things to do in the house with kids tips for building dexterity.
Skill #4: First Aid Basics – The “Boo-Boo” Clinic
Turn a stuffed animal into a patient and your first-aid kit into a mobile hospital. This takes the fear out of first aid and empowers kids with life-saving knowledge.
Practice Scenarios:
- Wound Care: Use a washable marker to draw a “cut” on a stuffed animal (or a willing parent’s arm). Go through the steps: cleaning the area, applying antibiotic ointment, and putting on a bandage.
- Splinting a “Break”: Show them how to immobilize a limb using a ruler or a rolled-up magazine as a splint and bandanas or scarves to secure it.
- First-Aid Kit Inventory: Go through your family’s Adventure Medical Kits bag. Explain what each item is for. This is also a great time to check for expired items and restock. This serves as a practical fun things to do in the house with kids care guide for your gear.
Sustainable & Eco-Friendly Fun: Applying Leave No Trace Indoors
A core part of the OutwardLab ethos is respecting nature. You can teach and practice these principles right at home. Focusing on sustainable fun things to do in the house with kids builds a lifelong conservation mindset.
Use What You Have
Challenge your family to complete these activities without buying anything new. Build your fort from existing blankets. Make your map on the back of used paper. This “plan ahead and prepare” principle teaches resourcefulness and reduces waste.
The Indoor “Leave No Trace” Cleanup
When the adventure is over, practice the most important principle: Leave No Trace. Frame the cleanup as part of the activity. The goal is to return the “campsite” (your living room) to a better state than you found it. This reinforces responsibility and respect for your environment, whether it’s a national park or your home.
This is one of the most important fun things to do in the house with kids best practices—linking fun directly to responsibility.
Overcoming Common Problems: A Parent’s Field Guide
Even the best-laid plans can go awry. Here’s how to troubleshoot some common problems with fun things to do in the house with kids and keep the adventure on track.
Managing the Mess
Adventure can be messy. Set clear boundaries from the start. Designate a “basecamp zone” where most of the activity happens. Incorporate cleanup into the game itself—packing away gear is a crucial part of any real expedition.
Adapting for Different Ages
A five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old will have different interests. Assign roles. The teenager can be the “lead navigator” in charge of the compass and map, while the younger child can be the “explorer” who finds the treasure. For knot tying, a younger child can focus on a simple overhand knot while an older one masters the bowline.
Keeping Engagement High
If you notice attention spans waning, switch gears. The key is to have a few options ready. If the map-making is getting tedious, transition to a fast-paced “first-aid emergency” scenario. Keep it dynamic and follow their energy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fun Things To Do In The House With Kids
How can I get my teenager interested in these “kid” activities?
Frame it as leadership training. Put them in charge. Challenge them to teach a younger sibling how to tie a knot or build a shelter. You can also focus on more advanced skills, like planning the food and calorie count for a theoretical multi-day backpacking trip or researching your next family adventure online.
What’s the best activity for a really small apartment?
Knot tying is perfect for small spaces, as it only requires a piece of rope and a few square feet. Practicing with your first-aid kit is another great option. You can also do “gear maintenance,” like learning how to properly clean and store sleeping bags or patch a hole in a rain jacket.
How do these indoor skills actually translate to the outdoors?
They build a crucial foundation of confidence and muscle memory. A child who has tied a bowline a hundred times at home won’t panic when they need to do it in the wind and rain. Someone who has practiced reading a map of their house will better understand the core concepts of orienting a real trail map. It’s all about making the unfamiliar familiar.
By turning your home into an adventure training ground, you’re not just finding fun things to do in the house with kids; you’re building a more capable, confident, and connected family unit.
These activities are the first step toward a lifetime of safe and exciting exploration. So the next time you’re stuck indoors, don’t just wait for the storm to pass—use it as an opportunity to prepare for the next sunny day on the trail.
Stay prepared, stay curious, and keep the adventure alive!
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