Imagine a rainy Sunday. Everyone wakes up excited to go out, only to find out later that your plans have been canceled. Now, your kids are sulking in the corner while you try lame pranks to cheer them up. This is of the many days you wish you had a spare room filled with entertainment stuff. With this in mind, you vow to declutter than spacious storeroom and convert it into a family gameroom.
Having a big house in the city is a blessing. In a world where affording an apartment gets hard sometimes, owning a house with extra rooms is just a luxury. But that does not mean that you cannot enjoy indoor games with your young ones on gloomy days.
Gameroom may sound like a huge room with arcade machines, a billiard table, and a corner for little kids. While that is the real definition of a gameroom, it does not always have to be like that. If you can’t afford some games for yourself or if you don’t have the space for them, you can always add some colorful games to one of the spare rooms and let your kids enjoy.
We have compiled a list of games for children that can be included in your gameroom. Some of them might be a bit expensive; others can be bought from a pawn shop. Either way, you’ll get an idea about how to get your little monsters occupied on days when they can’t do anything else.
1. Target Practice/Dart Game
Children love to overcome challenges. Once you get them focused on something and ask them to “defeat” it, no power on Earth can shake their feet. Target practice is one such game. It is so versatile that you can be as creative with it as you like. Understandably, darts are too dangerous for kids, but you can purchase the magnetic ones that stick to the dartboard.
Another way of implementing this game is by sticking a hula hoop on a pole and ask your kids to make paper planes. Then, show them how to throw the planes through the hoop to achieve the target. This game will be a whole lot of fun for everyone if they include their friends too. The more the competition, the merrier. And more time for you to enjoy your favorite TV show in peace!
2. Pencil-and-Paper Games
When everything else fails, you just have to bring out pencils and paper. Your kids will freak out at first thinking that you’re giving them Math practice, but they will love you for teaching them Battleships and Bingo. Nothing beats the sweet victory of sinking your sibling’s ships in the depths of seas!
You can also get them to play “Name, Place, Animal, Thing” among each other. Not only is it educational and prompts your kids to revise what nouns they have learned so far, but it can also get very competitive once they start scoring their entries.
Another famous pencil and paper game is Hangman. You can play it with your kids by asking them to guess the word you have in your mind letter by letter. Of course, you will give them a hint or two before the Hangman dies.
3. Building Games
Stash a deck or two of cards in a corner for your kids. Are they too young to play cards? Because we can assure you that kids love building castles out of playing cards. The dedication and patience it takes to build a card tower are unmatched and are sure to keep your kids occupied for a couple of cards.
Conversely, you can ask your kids to make colorful cardboard cards that can be used to make houses and castles. They can use color papers to make cylindrical shapes and use that for various purposes. Building games are super fun to play when your kids have a wild imagination.
4. Nerf Game
Got a hyperactive kid at home who shoots pew pew with a banana? Fear no because nerf guns are just what you need to satisfy their cravings for battle. Nerf guns come with different features. Some shoot out foam bullets while others throw light beams at the enemies. Team up the kids and their friends and set the rules and territory for the battle.
Setting the map is important because you don’t want running kids rash into you while you finish house chores. Admittedly, this game cannot be played in a room, but it can do well indoors when outdoors is not an option.
5. Game Rug
Game rugs with multiples games embroidered on them is an efficient way to keep your children busy. Most rugs come with 4-in-1 games that can be folded when the kids are done. Tic-tac-toe, checkers, nine men’s morris, and many more can be found on different rugs. If your kids know how to play these games, this rug is a very good game. Otherwise, you can teach these games to them, and they will enjoy spending quality time with you.
6. Monopoly
Kids love to think that they rule the world. They would leave no chance of convincing you that they are older and more mature than the last hour. Such desire for authority can be satisfied with the help of a monopoly. The game comprises small pieces that can be used as properties.
Each player is given a fixed amount of game money to start with. The players have one goal – to accumulate as many assets as possible until all the others go bankrupt. Of course, the original rules can be a bit difficult for kids to understand, but they can always do it by their own rules and do whatever they want.
7. Klask
You must have seen teenagers playing table footballs using handles at the sides to move the ball into the other player’s goal. Klask is an easier version of the same game, but it uses a magnet from under the table to move the metallic piece across. The equipment is small, and kids can be fixed in the corner of a room. Children can take a turn playing against each other as it is easy to play.
8. Portable Ping Pong
The adult size ping pong table can be huge and expensive to set. But for your kids, you can buy a mini, portable one that can be folded and put away. Ping pong is an amazing game for everyone. It is good for health and will help your kid in maintaining their balance. You can set the table inside on a rainy day and let the kids play to their hearts’ content.
9. Karaoke System
We all have a bathroom singer among us. Kids sing whenever they feel like it, and nothing can stop them from singing their favorite cartoon’s opening theme. You might have gotten used to hearing “Spongebob Squarepants, Spongebob Squarepants” out of literally nowhere. The only way to handle these singers is to get them a karaoke system. It comes with Bluetooth-enabled features that allow you to connect it with the music app. You can create a playlist of your kids’ favorite songs and let them sing their hearts out.
Conclusion
Every parent wants the best for their children. They would save up just to buy that perfect present for their kid’s next birthday. While some people think that investing in games is not that important, most understand that giving children their own place to play is equally important. It helps them grow mentally and physically and allows them to show their true potential.