While it is exciting and fun to play outside, there are days when we simply can’t. For example, if the rain is coming down in sheets, it can be hard to play outside. During winter, no one can afford to stay outdoors for as long as they’d like, even if there are great snow day games for kids out there. The cold just might be too much. So what is there to do? There are plenty of games that the family can play inside, and it doesn’t have to cause a ruckus and be super loud. There are tons of quiet games that everyone in the family can enjoy! We share some of our favorites below.
Telephone
If you remember the good old school days, you might remember “Telephone.” It is a game where one person starts off by saying one word, and by the end, it phrase is either so skewed that it comes out as a hilarious message, or it remains the same. To begin, have everyone sit in a circle, either at a table or on the floor. Designate the person who is to go first. They either come up with a word or a phrase. They then whisper that phrase or word to the person next to them. The process repeats with everyone repeating what they heard going around the circle. By the end, the last person repeats what they heard. Laughter may ensue.
Mixed Bag
This is a pretty fun game for the whole family to play! Designate someone to find five common household items and put them into a bag that is not see-through. Give everyone a piece of paper and a pencil or pen. Start by giving the bag to the first person and give them a few minutes to put their hand in the bag and feel around to help them try to figure out what is in the bag. Then, they write their guesses down on the piece of paper that they were given. This process continues in a clockwise motion until you are back to the person who put the items in the bag. Then, everyone shares their guesses as to what is in the bag. Whoever has the most guessed correctly wins!
Would You Rather
A good “Would You Rather” game can be pretty hilarious. Everyone takes turns asking “would you rather” questions. For example, a good example is “would you rather hug a porcupine or be friends with a skunk?” There are actually plenty of these questions that you can find online, and there are games and books out there that also have these kinds of questions in them. This can be fun for the entire family.
Find the Color
One family chooses a color. Then the rest of the family sets off to find what kind of items they can see in the house and collect them. Alternatively, they could write down the items that they find. Choose a certain amount of time, whether it be five or 10 minutes, and have everyone to reconvene at the table. Whoever found the most amount of the certain colored objects wins the round. You can play as many rounds as you want. This is a fun and quiet game for everyone to enjoy.
Basket Stories
This is a super-fun game for everyone to play. It only requires a basket and pieces of paper with words on them. Put the words into a basket and mix them up a little bit. Make sure that you put some nouns, verbs, and adjectives in there. The first person to go pulls out a piece of paper and reads aloud their word. Pass the basket to the next person, they do the same thing, and so on and so forth. The point is to make a story out of the words that are in the basket! When putting the words together, be sure to put funny words in there, too! Kids can have hours of fun making up their very own stories.
Simon Says
This is a classic game, plus it is fun and quiet, too! If you’re not familiar with the game, someone is designated as “Simon.” They get to say something like, “Simon says put your hands in your pocket,” or something similar to that. Everyone has to follow suit. The game goes on like this until “Simon” decidedly says to do something without saying “Simon says.” Those who do that task without realizing they left out the phrase “Simon says” is out and have to sit down. It can be a fun and engaging game for all family members.
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