Let's face facts. We live in the UK, so we're going to get the odd rainy day or two, and it's then likely we'll need some go-to indoor family activities to keep the kids entertained.
With times being what they are, we'd preferably want ones that don't force us to buy a whole load of new bits and bobs that we're eventually going to throw away.
With that in mind, we've pulled together a post of the eight best indoor family games for a rainy day. We've made sure that these games only require you to buy some small bits or include general staples that most families will have.
So read on and enjoy while you wait for the rain to pass.
7 Family Games That Won't Break The Bank
The Floor Is Lava
This classic indoor game is brilliant for the little ones (and not-so-little ones) to be imaginative, move around, and have fun.
What you need to play The Floor Is Lava
You shouldn't need to buy anything to play this indoor game.
All you'll need are a few things that are safe enough to climb or stand on to keep everyone's feet from touching the ground. Pillows, mattresses, chairs and pieces of card for the toddlers all work a treat for this game.
How to play The Floor Is Lava
1. Someone in the family randomly walks into the room and yells, "the floor is lava".
2. Everyone has 5 seconds to get their feet off the ground from the 'lava'.
3. After 5 seconds, if someone is still touching the ground, they're out.
4. Then everyone has to navigate the furniture to get out of the room without touching the floor. They can use things like cushions etc, as stepping stones.
Connect Four
Connect Four, also known as Four In A Row or Four Up, is a game in which players take turns dropping coloured disks into a vertical grid. The goal is to connect four disks of the same colour horizontally, vertically, or diagonally before your opponent does.
What you need to play Connect Four
To play Connect Four, you'll need a vertical grid and some coloured disks. You can pick a complete wooden set from The Works for just £10. This quality set can be reused for many years, making it great (and cost-effective) fun.
How to play Connect Four
1. Start by assembling the board by following the instructions inside the box.
2. Organise the Red and Black discs into separate piles
3. Decide which person will play each colour.
4. Flip a coin to decide who goes first
5. Each person takes a checker and drops it down one of the slots.
6. Carefully choose each move and think about how you can tactically achieve 4 in a row without your opponent preventing it.
7. React to your opponent's move wisely and look at how the discs have been dropped by your opponent to understand their strategy.
8. The first person to get four in a row wins!
Trivia
Trivia is the perfect game to test your family members' general knowledge and expertise in specific areas by asking them questions about anything and everything from sports, science, history, movies or things that are completely random!
We love Trivia because it's about sparking a discussion and healthy debate, making it a cheap way to bond as a family indoors.
What you need to play Trivia
Trivia games can be played with just a set of pre-made questions, and no additional equipment is required.
If you're struggling with questions, buying a Trivia game could be the answer. We have plenty of Triva games between £5-10 which are family-friendly and cover a range of interesting and random topics.
How to play Trivia
1. Divide the family members into teams.
2. Each team takes turns answering questions from various topics.
3. Record your team's answers for each question asked.
4. The team with the most correct answers at the end of the game wins.
The 21-Card Game
21, also known as Blackjack, is a card game usually played at casinos but can also be enjoyed as a wholesome, family game. Minus the betting, of course.
The game's goal is to have a hand value of 21, or as close to 21 as possible, without going over.
The beauty of "21" is its simplicity. It's so uncomplicated that even young children who can do simple arithmetic will get it. And there's enough risk and tension in it that it's not boring, making it perfect for the whole family to get involved.
What you need to play 21 Card Game
All you need to play 21 is a pack of playing cards, which you might already have at home. If you need a set of cards, they can be picked up for very little money at The Works.
How to play 21 Card Game
1. Each player is dealt two cards, and they can choose to "hit" and receive additional cards to improve their hand or "stand" and keep their current hand.
2. The value of the cards is as follows: 2-10 are worth their face value, face cards (Jack, Queen, King) are worth 10, and an Ace can be worth 1 or 11 depending on what is more favourable for the player.
3. The dealer must follow a set of rules for when to hit or stand, and if a player's hand value exceeds 21, they lose the game.
4. The player with the hand value closest to 21, without going over, wins the game.
Pictionary
Pictionary is a drawing and guessing game that will keep the family entertained for hours without spending a penny!
It's the perfect rainy day game because it helps spark creativity and helps our children learn and understand concepts through pictures.
What you need to play Pictionary
Pictionary can be played with just a pen and paper or a whiteboard.
How to play Pictionary
1. One player draws a picture based on a word or phrase picked by the game host, while the others try and guess what the picture represents.
2. In each round, a player is chosen to draw, and the others must guess what the drawing represents. The artist usually has 1-2 minutes to draw their picture.
3. If the others guess the word or phrase correctly, they can get the point and the artist or the team changes.
4. If the time runs out or no one can guess the word, the artist's team doesn't get the point.
5. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Mighty Challenge
Spending a few pounds more on a board game may not sound budget-friendly, but if that game has loads of quick-thinking, fast-paced, hilarious challenges and quests that stop it from becoming old quickly - then it's worth it. Mighty Challenge is that game. It costs £20, but it made this list because it feels more and more like a cheap purchase each time you play it.
What you need to play Mighty Challenge
The board game comes with all the equipment that you'll need for each of its challenges. This includes things like dice, challenge cards to plastic cups, spoons and even a blindfold.
How to play Might Challenge
1. Each person takes a meeple
2. They roll the dice trying to make their way around the board first
3. As they work their way around the board, they pick up challenge cards
4. They need to complete the challenges to make it around the board
Jigsaw Puzzles
If there's one family game or activity that will see your kids locked in and focused for hours and hours - it's a Jigsaw Puzzle.
Jigsaw puzzles are wicked family games because they can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels, which is ideal for families with children, teenagers, and adults.
They can also be taken apart and put back together multiple times, providing hours of entertainment at a low cost.
What you need to build a Jigsaw Puzzle
You'll need to buy a jigsaw puzzle that's a little challenging but doesn't feel impossible to complete.
We have a wide range of Jigsaw puzzles suitable for all experience levels. For beginners, we recommend starting off with a 500-piece puzzle. For experienced puzzlers, a 1000-piece puzzle will be more of a challenge.
How to build a Jigsaw Puzzle
1. Organise the pieces by colour and edge pieces.
2. Start with the edge pieces and assemble them to create a frame for the puzzle.
3. Once the frame is complete, begin working on the inner pieces.
4. If you get stuck or can't find a piece that fits, look at the picture on the box for clues.
5. Once complete, you can either put it back in the box or glue it together and display it in a nice picture frame.
Have fun!
Being cooped up in the house doesn't have to be boring. Nor expensive. So with this set of budget-friendly indoor games, you're now ready to keep the family entertained during any rainy day!
Want to save a few more pennies this half term? Check out our other post, where we'll give you 8 budget friendly half-term activities your kids will love!
