Here are some things you might need when you’re trapped in the house with your family. Whether it’s due to snow days, sick days or holidays, being stuck inside can be a ton of fun. When the time for present-buying is near, sometimes it’s easier, and more budget-friendly to buy a gift for the whole household. These gift ideas for family fun will ensure that anytime stuck inside together will be a blast. I can’t think of a better gift than that!
Gift Ideas for Family Fun
Of course, there are a ton of things to do involving electronic devices. But, let’s get away from those screens for a while and have more hands-on fun.
DIY Kits
These DIY kits are not just fun; they’re educational. Together, you’ll learn about what goes into things you’ve never thought about. The kids and I learned how to make your own gummies once with gelatin from seaweed! It was super surprisingly yummy.
Storytime
Depending on the ages in the family, reading together–or independently can be awesome. Grab a good book to read aloud, or have everyone pick their own. Read for a while and then discuss what you’ve experienced through the pages.
Coloring Books
There is just something about coloring that puts my world at ease. This can easily be a solitary activity, but coloring as a family creates a group catharsis that is perfect for winding down. Make it a full event and set up a mini art gallery to display your family’s work.
Games
Ideal for any time spent cooped up; board games bring everybody closer together with memories that last forever. These are perfect for families.
Check out our game reviews with videos for our top picks for family fun:
Read MoreRead MoreRead MoreRead More
Okay, these aren’t necessarily a game, but could easily be made into one. GIANTmicrobes are also great for cheering up anyone stuck at home sick. Sore throat? Earache? Cold? Whatever the case, you can hold onto a plush version of the nasty bug that’s causing your misery. This is an awesome way to teach kids about what causes us to get sick, and ways to prevent it from happening–washing hands, covering mouth when coughing, and eating healthy to boost our immune systems. These adorable creatures are excellent for starting important–and hilarious–conversations.
Ongoing Gifts
Our personal favorite gifts ideas for family are subscription boxes. These are the gifts that keep on giving all year. It makes going to the mailbox an exciting adventure.
Any family with girls will love the Boodle Box. It’s full of adorable goodies like jewelry, makeup, bath bombs, and journals. They have a box for ages 6-11 and another for 12+.
BUT FIRST…
The very first step for any indoor family fun is building an epic fort. We prefer the classic couch cushions and blanket setup, but if you’ve got big boxes–sans staples, of course–a giant kitchen table, and/or a loft… pardon me, I just had an immense bout of racing thoughts. The point is, indoor fort building is a time to let creativity fly.
All forts in our home shall now be filled with–or perhaps consist entirely of Squishmallows. These adorable creatures are the softest, squishiest friends and I NEED them all.
Which of these gift ideas for family will work for your holiday shopping needs?
Keri justice says
November 19, 2017 at 5:33 pmI love the squishmallows and I think my kids would too! Great ideas thank you so much!
Debbie Welchert says
November 21, 2017 at 3:06 pmWhat a lot of great ideas to keep everyone busy while they are inside. My favorites are the DIY Kits and Games. You just can’t go wrong with making things and playing games.
Cynthia R says
November 22, 2017 at 1:42 pmI like the coloring books esp the The Night Before Christmas. Also those Squishmallows are adorable, I want one!
ellen beck says
November 23, 2017 at 12:25 amThese all look like fantastic things. Ilike the rainy/snowy day aciviies where all are antsy.
Beth Bishop says
November 25, 2017 at 5:54 amTotally agree with your genius tips.And the images are so colourful.
anyway, thank you for your hard work! I have a son and a daughter.Hope it will be working for my sweet daughter.Thanks again!!
Sarah L says
November 25, 2017 at 8:42 pmGreat ideas. Books and games and DIY projects are all things that will make people happy.
Crystal says
January 9, 2018 at 2:31 pmIt’s been cold and rainy here. The kids are getting a little stir crazy, but they will adore those DIY kits. And I will adore that they’re not recreating wrestling matches!
Kristi says
January 9, 2018 at 3:50 pmSo many great ideas. I like to stock up and give things to nieces and nephews for some of the smaller holidays and events.
lisalisa says
January 10, 2018 at 8:24 amThis is so cool and a great idea! With the way our weather has been lately each one of these family fun ideas would be great. We love to play games and color, we often have a coloring contest and I share some of the review products with the winners.
Heather says
January 10, 2018 at 2:00 pmMy big kids are pretty good at entertaining themselves, but the little one comes to me with the “I’m bored.” These are great suggestions for having fun with the whole family, especially when the weather outside is less than desirable.
Jennifer Quillen says
January 11, 2018 at 7:48 amWhen it’s cold or there’s bad weather, I like to stay inside. These are great games/activities for all ages.
rana durham says
February 10, 2018 at 1:03 ami have never had a gum kit before but it sounds like fun to make. the boodlebox is fun for the kids to have because they enjoy box of surprises.
Donna Evans says
March 2, 2018 at 6:43 amLove doing DIY with my grandchildren, but especially like playing board and card games with them