51 fun indoor places to go with kids when you need to get out

Whether it’s the dog days of summer, the cold drag of winter, or just raining, we all need ideas for indoor places to go with kids.

There are plenty of fun things to do at home, but indoor family outings can help reset the mood and make special memories. When you go on an outing together, you set an intention to have fun and focus on each other that’s easier to focus on than when you’re at home. Go have yourselves an adventure! 

Here are 51 ideas for family outings, plus some tips for planning a successful weekend outing or day trip. For more ideas, including outdoor ideas, check out this list of 99 family outing ideas or a list of free family activities only.

How to plan the best family activities

With a little planning ahead, you can avoid the Saturday-morning drag of “what are we going to do today” and maybe even “why is it taking us two hours to get out the door”, and set yourself up for a day of fun and togetherness.

To plan ahead:

• Check event calendars for your area regularly, looking ahead. Then note any festivals, concerts, workshops, etc. that you’re interested in on your calendar. If you have any favorite venues nearby, such as expo centers and concert halls, check their calendars directly. I keep a Google Calendar for “local events” of things I’m potentially interested in but haven’t committed to, so I can hide the calendar in the app when we’re just going about our day-to-day, and show it when browsing for ideas to fill an empty Saturday.
• Keep a list of ideas you’re considering – for example, play areas and and museums you’d like to visit. I made a Notion template to make this easy, so you can filter for indoor vs. outdoor activities; free vs. paid activities; activities that you’ve never done before; and activities that don’t require reservations. You can grab a copy here.
• Pack up the night before. Pack a backpack with water bottles, snacks, and weather-appropriate gear like gloves and sweatshirts. Load strollers in the car, if relevant. If you’re bringing a picnic, make as much the night before as possible. 

51 indoor places to go with kids

Now, let’s get to those ideas!

1. Go out to eat – But mix it up from your usual routine. Visit the closest restaurant to your home that you’ve never been to. Made a reservation at a coveted spot you’ve never made time for. Find a “kids eat free” deal. Go for an experiential restaurant with interactive or DIY cooking. Made a rating card to compare all the pizza spots in town.
2. Go to a museum – depending on your area, this is worth an entire article on its own. Make sure you check out history, science, art, children’s, local, and other specialized museums. When my kids and I visit the larger museums near us that we know we’ll visit again, I have them each pick one “must see” exhibit. By doing that, we don’t feel pressured to see it all, and take our time enjoying the exhibits we picked. 
3. Go to a science center or planetarium near you. Check their websites for special events. Many offer memberships for repeat visits.
4. Play at an indoor playground, if your kids are of the right age. Tip: once they’re old enough not to need a grown-up crawling up the tubes with them, this is a great place to sit back and zone out while they play. It’s a good activity on those days when the kids have energy to burn, but you don’t.
5. Go to the mall. Play in the play place, walk around, try on clothes, and have some ice cream. (If you’re my husband, get very tempted by an art store’s last-chance going-out-of-business sale, only to find it’s still in business on your next visit months later.)
6. Go to the library – a perennial favorite! Take time to browse and to sit and read books. Check websites and calendars for storytimes, events, lectures, play groups, etc. Mix it up and visit different libraries in your area, too!
7. Hang out at a brewery – I don’t know about near you, but around me, breweries have learned to cater to the family set, often with play areas for the kids and specialty sodas, food trucks, and live music to keep everyone entertained while you sit back and sip a brew.
8. Visit a nature center – don’t sleep on nature centers. The ones near me are like mini versions of the things we love about libraries and museums, and they’re all free…and we often have them all to ourselves. We like to see animals, color, play with toys and puzzles, read books, do nature-focused activities, and ask lots of questions about animals to the endlessly-patient volunteers and staff.
9. Check out an aquarium – enjoy a visit to see underwater creatures. Make sure to look for special events here, like animal feedings and film screenings.
10. Go to the movies – I’ll leave it up to you as to whether you’ll purchase snacks or smuggle your own in. Or, visit a theater with in-seat dining to combine the dinner-and-a-movie steps.
11. Go see a play or other live performance – whether at a popular venue, community theater, or your local high school, try something new for your family.
12. Go to a concert – it doesn’t have to be the $100+ tickets to the big name in town! Try a classical concert, community orchestra, or smaller venue. Near me, many wineries have small concerts on weekends.
13. Go to a sporting event – go check out your city’s teams. Or, this is another area to consider whether there are minor league or even high school games you could enjoy. 
14. Go to an indoor pool or water park – fun any time of year, and especially a relief to get out and have some fun in the winter. Check AAA, Groupon, the park’s website, or local coupon books to get a discount.
15. Take a class or visit open gym time at a rec center – consider the YMCA and local community centers. For classes, you may need to sign up in advance. 
16. Enjoy high tea – if you’re in the mood, dress up fancy for the occasion. Have tea and scones or sandwiches at a tea shop near you.
17. Read at a coffee shop – or color at a coffee shop, or chat and play games like “would you rather”. Near me, there is even a coffee shop with a play area for tots.
18. Go to a rock climbing gym – get a workout and have fun with a new challenge. Make sure you review age and experience requirements, signing up for an intro class if necessary.
19. Go bowling – enjoy a few rounds and improve your skills.
20. Go to an arcade or other gaming spot. One near me has a kids’ ropes course on the ceiling! Have fun trying to beat each others’ high scores and win prizes.
21. Jump at a trampoline park – one of my childrens’ personal favorites. Parents, don’t be afraid to jump in, too! You might not last as long as the kids, but you’ll get a workout.
22. Play laser tag – I’ll leave it up to you whether you’ll team up as a family or go competitive against each other. 
23. Make or paint your own pottery – you’ll use the artistic sides of your brains, and you may even end up with some lasting keepsakes.
24. Visit a maker space or lab near you – this is one that I haven’t actually done yet with my family, but have been meaning to. Depending on the space, you may need to sign up in advance.
25. Go to an art show or exhibit – check out a venue or art style that’s new to you.
26. Go axe throwing – find a new kind of fun! This is best if your kids are a bit older – the closest venue to me allows kids ages 10 and older to participate with an adult. 
27. Go to an archery range – I love archery because I can feel athletic without, like, running, and bring out my inner Katniss Everdeen. Check whether your venue provides equipment or you need to provide your own, and look into introductory lessons. There may be both indoor and outdoor options near you. 
28. Tour a factory – learn how it’s made, whatever “it” is near you. Ask lots of questions and try some samples.
29. Go to an escape room – honestly, I’ve been waiting for my kids to be old enough for us to do an escape room together. I will never forget the first one I did with friends, when we solved a particularly challenging clue and then just stared at each other in awe of our own wits. So fun!
30. Go to a bookstore – I highly recommend setting a budget or number of books each family member can purchase in advance. And, um, if prices aren’t listed, ask? Speaking from experience from a family of bookworms with a talent for racking up a bill. Make sure to check out special events at your bookstore, too.
31. Learn to play a new game at a tabletop/board game store – check out family-friendly events to learn a new board or tabletop game.
32. Go to a thrift store – this is a good opportunity to find something you can bring back for more fun at home, like puzzles. Remember to set a budget or number of items in advance for each family member.
33. Get pedicures or whatever spa treatment you prefer. If anyone in your family has never had one before, all the better. Introduce them to this relaxing experience.
34. Make candles at a craft store or workshop, then enjoy burning them at home.
35. Have a chocolate tasting at a sweets shop or chocolatier near you. (While researching this list, this is the item I’m most excited about! There’s apparently a chocolate factory two miles from my house I’ve never visited. Taking the kids ASAP.)
36. Visit a cat cafe or animal shelter and enjoy some snuggles from furry friends. For cat cafes, be sure to check age restrictions. And discuss with your children in advance whether you are considering cat adoption or just enjoying their company for an hour or two.
37. Visit an indoor adventure spot, like go-karting, golfing, or indoor skydiving for big thrills!
38. Go ice skating at an indoor rink – learn to ice skate together and enjoy open skate time.
39. Volunteer at a food pantry, soup kitchen, or other resource in your community and enjoy quality family time while giving back. Seek out websites that collect volunteer needs for your area to find unique opportunities, like animal care or cleaning up historical sites.
40. Find free workshops at craft stores, home improvement stores, libraries, etc. to build or make something together. 
41. Visit a fire station – I was surprised to learn that the closest fire station to me has open hours every day. Others may have an open house day once a month or special events, fire safety presentations, and tours.
42. Make your own food tour – drive around and pick one location for appetizers, one for a main course, and one for dessert. Or have a “tasting tour” and compare offerings from different bakeries and restaurants for donuts, muffins, cookies, pastries, or french fries. Get into it with a score card and declare a winner.
43. Drive around looking at Christmas lights – obviously only relevant for a portion of the year, but one of our favorites to do in the Christmas season and into January. I swear this kept me sane during the COVID winter of 2020. We make hot cocoa for the drive and listen to Christmas music in the car. Look for websites or articles for your area that round up the destination houses that go “all out”. Or go through a drive-through lights display at a park, if there’s one near you.
44. Wander around a large store, like a home improvement store, salvage store, plant nursery, IKEA, etc. Consider making a scavenger hunt or taking photos as you walk through, to give you something to do besides fill up your cart.
45. Visit a specialty grocery store with food from a certain country or culture. Search for snacks you haven’t tried before, and see if they offer any tastings. Look up recipes to try new foods for dinner, too.
46. Have a car picnic – just because it’s raining or cold doesn’t mean you can’t have a picnic! Find an overlook or water-side location to park and crank up the tunes.
47. Turn errands into an outing — it can be fun for kids to visit somewhere they don’t typically get to go, like a recycling center, dump, bank, post office, car wash, etc. Try to see your errand in a new light and explain the details of how everything works to your children.
48. Visit an elderly relative or neighbor – consider bringing a newspaper or book to read to them, or a simple game to play with them. Or visit a nursing home and chat with someone new.
49. Find an organization near you that needs donation kits – such as hygiene kits for a homeless shelter. Go on a family shopping trip to find the items for the kits, assemble them, and then deliver to the organization.
50. Park at the airport – watch overhead out the window as planes land. Pair with taking photos and a car picnic. 
51. Take a ride on public transportation – we live in a suburb where it usually makes sense to drive, but I recently took my 4-year-old on the metro to go downtown. The destination really did not matter to her, she loved the metro. A bus or tram would work too.

How I find the best places to go inside near me 

While this list has hopefully provided ample ideas you can use anywhere, you’ll want to make your personalized outing wish list with destinations near you. Here’s how I find the best places to go inside near me.

• Local newspapers and magazines – whether digital or on paper. 
• Blogs and websites local to you – for example, in my area of Northern Virginia, Dulles Moms compiles an event calendar and roundups of recommendations for things like Fall Fun and fruit picking.
• Atlas obscura – a compilation of unique, odd, and hidden gem destinations.
• Reddit – find the subreddits for your local area, which may be a town, city, or region. Search past posts for recommendations or post to ask for your own. My local subreddit also has a weekly thread for “what’s everyone doing this weekend?” for more ideas.
• Facebook – similarly, join Facebook groups for your area, which may help uncover smaller events that don’t make it to the newspaper or magazines’ radars.
• Wikipedia “nearby” – I’ve run across a few interesting historical locations by checking out what Wikipedia articles are about places near me.
• Google…and Google maps – it goes without saying that you can Google “things to do near me”, “free things to do near me”, “things to do with kids near me”, etc. I’d also recommend opening Google maps and searching for things to do or other categories. It may uncover smaller locations that don’t have enough of a digital presence to show up in the main search engine results.
• Volunteer opportunity sites – check out sites like VolunteerMatch, JustServe, or volunteer roundups for your locality to find family opportunities. 
• Local coupon books – yes, they are still a thing! A boy in a baseball uniform sold me one at our grocery store. There are a few national providers as well as smaller local ones and coupon mailers. Use them to get discounts on theme parks and entertainment opportunities.

Track your favorite family day trip and outing ideas

Hopefully, your mind is now abuzz with all the fun indoor things to do near you! Make sure you track your ideas, so on any given weekend, you can find the perfect activity without spending an hour at your laptop.

I created a Notion doc to track my personal ideas for my family, which I’ve published as a template so you can use it, too. Here’s a quick tour:

• Make a list of all of your ideas
• Easily filter by indoor ideas, outdoor ideas, free ideas, places you’ve never been, and outings that don’t require reservations
• Use built-in research ideas
• Get a random idea the template has pulled from your list for a spontaneous adventure!

If you use the Notion template, I’d love to know what you think.

What are some of your favorite places to go when the weather doesn’t cooperate?