Four creative play ideas for kids and parents to do together (the last one is our favorite!)

“Help! I need play activities for children, pronto”

Hey, you! Looking for ideas for family games and indoor play activities? You’ve made it to the right place.

Playing brings big benefits for kids – from creativity to self-expression, confidence and problem-solving. But playing also brings benefits for families – for example, the LEGO® Play Well 2024 study shows that families who play together rate their own and their child’s happiness higher than those who don’t (we think that’s pretty neat).

We’ve got plenty of ideas for family games and indoor play activities you can take on together to boost those play benefits and skills – and some great recommendations for awesome LEGO sets to pair them with. Let’s roll!

Play tip #1: Cozy picnic inside

A picnic is a great children’s play activity. Who doesn’t love a big family picnic? You don’t even have to leave home: there are plenty of perfect picnic spots right under your roof.

Grab a blanket, snacks and something to drink. Get your kids into the scouting spirit and boost their creative confidence by putting them in charge of finding the most awesome picnic spot at home.

To make things even more playful, ask them to bring their favorite LEGO sets along. For example, the LEGO Friends Heartlake City Café (42618) gives your picnic outing an ambience of Parisian streets. You can practically smell the croissants. Yum.

Play tip #2: Bathroom waterpark

Play ideas for a hot summer day? Think water! (Also, think safety: always keep an eye on the kids while playing, to avoid mishaps that can spoil the fun.) Fill the tub, sink or container with water and let the splash fun begin (swimsuits and goggles welcome).

Maybe you’re all on a secret ocean mission, looking for new underwater species. Here’s where LEGO bricks come in for a creative boost: you can build these new creatures together. Go bananas!

Or maybe it’s a scorching-hot day at the water park. For that and many other adventures by the water, you could check out the LEGO Friends Heartlake City Water Park (42630) and the LEGO Friends Adventure Camp Water Sports (42626) sets. They’re great for carrying on with the water park fun after the kids have dried off from playing

And here’s an extra-playful recommendation: the LEGO DREAMZzz™ Izzie’s Narwhal Hot-Air Balloon (71472) set is an epic mash-up of a sea creature and a hot-air balloon, which kids can rebuild into a chariot boat. How cool is that? Very cool.

Play tip #3: Ultimate pillow fort

Grown-ups may not remember the intricacies of making a pillow fort, but your kids... oh, they know. Just a few cushions and ta-dah! Gateway to adventure.

It’s a super fun way to encourage creative problem-solving: how and where to lay out the fort, how to build and reinforce it – even decorate it (pillow forts can and should be beautiful inside!).

Maybe the fort is a hideout from the baddies, in which case your kids may welcome the help from the LEGO NINJAGO® Sora’s Elemental Tech Mech (71807) and LEGO NINJAGO Egalt the Master Dragon (71809). They’re always battle-ready, and great for encouraging creative storytelling.

Is it a cushion castle for princesses and princes? Is it a cushy, cozy corner to spend some time alone? Check out the LEGO Friends Adventure Camp Cozy Cabins (42624) for pillow-fort inspiration – and for boosting self-expression in your kids when they rebuild them just the way they like them.

Play tip #4: Epic adventure camp

With a bit of creativity and some bricks, your home becomes an awesome obstacle race for kids. Build brick trophies for the winners (everyone’s a winner, right?) and you’re golden.

It’s all about creative problem-solving and motor skills: kids can practice balance by laying a narrow line of socks on the floor and walking from one piece of furniture to the next without touching the floor; or sharpen their aim by building a brick bullseye and using something soft and cushy to hit it (balled-up socks or napkins should be gentle enough).

You and your kids could look at the LEGO Friends Adventure Camp Tree House (42631) and LEGO Friends Adventure Camp Archery Range (42622) sets, build them together and rebuild them for inspiration on how to set up real-world family challenges in any room of the house.

(As always, safety and fun go hand in hand – avoid heights, sharp corners and breakable materials, and you’ll have a grand ol’ family time.)

Playing together is good for the whole family

Kids and parents from all over the world have told us that playing – and specifically playing together – makes them happy. It helps parents get to know their child better and build their creative confidence, self-expression and confidence to experiment in life (LEGO Play Well Study 2024).

We love being able to contribute to that – whether it’s through awesome sets you can build and play with together, or fun family game ideas, play tips and activities like the ones we just shared. Remember that your next family play adventure is just around the corner... right at home where you are.