If you have an active, energetic toddler that bores easily, finding ways to entertain them on rainy days can seem tricky. While activating their brains and exerting their energy indoors may seem difficult, there are plenty of creative activities you can play to help pass the time. Here are 10 easy games to play with your little one indoors.

1. Get crafty and creative: Think cardboard boxes, coloured texters, safety scissors, craft glue and so on. Make a house, a plane, or whatever comes to mind, and come up with stories to match.

2. Indoor bowling: Collect some empty milk cartons, bottles, cardboard tubes and line them up in a pyramid of 6 or 10 pins. Use a soft ball and take turns knocking them down.

3. Pencil and paper: Don’t forget the classics. Tic-tac-toe and hangman can help to pass the time while also boosting development and vocabulary.

4. Fort-building: If you don’t mind a little post-fun tidying, collect blankets, pillows, chairs and create an imaginative fort. You can use this space to read together or play board games for some extra fun!

5. Treasure hunt: Hide treats and toys under couches or in cereal boxes and come up with hints for each object, creating a trail. This can be both engaging and great for testing your little one’s brain.

6. Touch and feel box: Test your child’s ability to identify objects by feel! Place various items in a shoebox and ask your child to close their eyes and guess the items one-by-one. Encourage them to ask questions and take their time with each item.

7. Home band: Music is everywhere! If you don’t mind a bit of noise, create a set of instruments using buckets, pots, pans, and fill empty bottles with rice or coins. You can even sing along to your little one’s music by making up funny jungles.

8. Balance beam: Use tape to create a path on the floor. Boost your child’s motor skills by having them follow the path, then alternate with walking backwards, hopping and so on. Add some music in the background and have them freeze whenever the music stops to double-test their balance.

9. Indoor basketball: All you need for this game is a bucket and a rolled-up pair of socks. Take turns trying to shoot and take a step back with each goal, shooting from behind couches and through corridors as you move further down the house. See how far you and your little one can go before you reach the door.

10. Make a collage: Collect different textures from around the house. Use foil, wrappers, scraps, cotton wool and so on, and stick them down to form a funky, creative collage. Once they’re proud of their masterpiece, stick it up on the fridge or in their bedroom to display.

Using your imagination, you can find entertainment almost anywhere in the house. Feel free to get creative along the way, changing it up every so often to avoid the boredom blues. Indoor games are not only great for entertainment and development, but they also provide an excellent opportunity to bond – they won’t be this small forever!