10 FUN INDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR THE KIDS - THE PLAZA

1.WHSmith Retro Recipe Folder $29.99 from Whitcoulls, Noted Recipe Folder Refill Pack of 4 $12.99 from Whitcoulls, Banana novelty pen $7.99 from Typo| 2. Faz textile Ink Starter Set 6 pack $21.99 from Whitcoulls, L/S plain tee $4 from Kmart | 3. Stevens Cupcake Stand $19.99 from Stevens, Cake Pops by Maria Michaelides, Molly Bakes $32.95 from Whitcoulls | 4. Labyrinth fringed throws $64.90 from Bed Bath & Beyond, Adventure Cushion $19.99 from Farmers, Hideaway tent $10 from Kmart  | 5. Lego Duplo: Creative Sorter $49.99 from Whitcoulls, Lego city pickup truck $39.99 from Whitcoulls | 6. Balloon Sculpting $25.95 from Whitcoulls, Pack of 20 latex balloons $5.99 from Whitcoulls | 7. Despicable me ‘Operation’ board game $49.99 from Whitcoulls, Twister game $34.95 from Whitcoulls | 8. Crayola washable fingerpaint 4 Pack $24.99 from Whitcoulls, Snazaroo face paint Kit – Monster $16.99 from Whitcoulls, Educational Colours Paint Box 12 $10.99 from Whitcoulls, Life in Colour by Stephanie Corfee, Phil Wheeler $20.95 from Whitcoulls, Reeves mixed media brush set $29.99 from Whitcoulls | 9. Treat Factory Popcorn Maker $79.99 from Farmers | 10. Cool Jump rope tricks $20.95 from Whitcoulls, Jump rope $4.99 from Whitcoulls

Forgo the apps and iPads for a good old-fashioned family cookbook. Let your kids choose their favourite recipes and write or type them up before deciding where in the book they should go. This would also make a cool family keepsake.

A great activity for older children who have already developed their own personal style and will relish the chance to create something they can wear.

This could be as simple as getting the kids to help you bake a batch of cookies or as complex as designing and creating a menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

There are plenty of readymade playpens you can buy or simple forts you can create using pillows and blankets. Incorporate this with number 8 and you have your entertainment sorted for the day.

Blocks and LEGO on their own can provide hours of fun but to keep things interesting you could create prompt cards e.g. build a maze or design a castle. These could be timed challenges or simply ideas to get them creating and telling stories.

A simple game of balloon volleyball always works a treat but an alternative for older kids could also be learning to create balloon animals from scratch!

Nothing beats a good old-fashioned game of Twister or Connect Four and the more entertaining the better. Alternatively, hours can be lost to a good book, so it could be worth adding to their collection.

Krayola’s range of washable paints make messy play indoors a more realistic option. There’s fingerpainting for the littlies, colouring in books for the older kids and facepainting kits for the grown-ups to help out with.

An oldie but a goodie. Set the lounge up with beanbags and blankets and let the kids choose their favourite movies then let the popcorn pop and the movies play!

This one requires quite a bit of space but promises a solution to help burn off that child-filled energy. Create a circuit of activities that promise fun and fitness e.g. jump rope or hopscotch.

NOTE: Prices can change at short notice. We recommend heading in store to avoid disappointment.