It’s getting colder and depending where you live, playing sports outside might not be an option soon. A lot of sports facilities are still shut down due to the pandemic, so we’re all looking for indoor sports options our kids can participate in. Think about your child’s favorite sport and try to get creative about adapting it to work indoors. Create ways for them to continue building skills over the winter. That could mean practicing in the garage or coming up with fun variations on the traditional sport. 

Here are 3 fun outdoor games that your kids should try indoors this winter.

 

Volleyball

Requirements: 2+ players, thick ribbon and a balloon or lightweight beach ball

Practice your volleying skills indoors with a lightweight “ball” that won’t hurt your home or any of the players. Tie a thick ribbon from one tall chair or stool to another across the room. Try to get it as level as possible to simulate the net. Blow up with the balloon and volley back and forth over the net with your partner. The balloon is so light you won’t have to worry about much damage getting done indoors. If you have a lightweight beach ball you can substitute that, as it will simulate a volleyball a bit more realistically. Another twist to the game is to lower the ribbon “net” and play while sitting on the floor. 

 

Bowling

Requirements: 1+ players, tennis ball or softball and empty soda bottles

Bowling is often already indoors, but with a lot of bowling rinks closed you probably haven’t gotten to play in a while. Make your own fun with a handmade bowling set.

Collect empty soda bottles, at least 6, but up to 10. Decorate or paint them however you like. Then set them up into the standard bowling pattern: 1 in the first row, 2 pins in the second row, 3 pins in the third row and 4 pins in the fourth row. If your bottles are too lightweight and keep tipping over, drop a few coins or pebbles in them to weigh them down. It’s best to pick a big room, long hallway or garage for this setup. Use the tennis ball or softball to “bowl” as you would in a normal game. You can also play this one solo, and try to beat your best score each round.

 

Basketball

Requirements: A hoop and a small ball

Basketball is all about throwing a ball into a hoop, and there are so many variations and games to play with it. It’s an easy one to bring indoors as long as you aren’t particular about what you’re shooting into or what ball you’re using.

Play your favorite games indoors without worrying about the damage of a full-sized basketball by opting for a small foam ball instead. You can also make a ball out of a foil ball with some rubber bands around it or a ball of socks. Designate something to be your hoop. It could be a trash can, a bucket or even a large embroidery hoop. Hang your hoop or set it up off the ground, and play your favorite shooting game, no dribbling allowed.

HORSE is an easy basketball game, where you can try trick shots like using one arm to shoot. You can also  try shooting from different areas in the room. If you make it the person who goes after you has to replicate the shot or they get a letter. If you miss it, your partner gets a turn to decide the shot. The game continues until someone spells out the word H-O-R-S-E.

Around the world is another game you can play where you have to make a basket from different locations in the room.  The object is to be the first player to make a shot from all positions. On your turn if you make a shot, you advance to the next location. If you miss the next shot, you can stay at that location and pass the turn to the next person. Or you can take a second shot, but if you miss the chance shot you have to go back to the beginning and your turn is over.

 

Have fun with these awesome sports games, and don’t be afraid to get creative! We want to see all the fun you’re having indoors, so upload videos of your kids playing to the Campfire on the Happy Camper Live website.