When the weather turns, or the party is in a living room with limited space, you need indoor party games that work without a garden. The best indoor games need no equipment (or just a laptop and TV), keep kids moving without breaking the furniture, and work for mixed age groups.
Here are 25+ indoor party games for kids, sorted by energy level and age. Most are completely free.
The TV-based indoor party station
If you have a laptop with a webcam and a TV, the single best indoor party activity is a magic mirror — a live camera effects station on the big screen. Open Magic Mirror in your browser, connect the laptop to the TV with HDMI, press "Show on TV," and the television becomes a fullscreen mirror with 71 live camera effects and 12 motion games.
Kids see themselves in thermal vision, kaleidoscope, neon glow, ghost trails, and more. They can play musical statues, dance-offs, and pass the bomb — all judged automatically by the webcam. It runs for the entire party without supervision, and it's the thing kids will remember. Three effects are free; the full set is £6.99 one-time.
High-energy indoor games
Musical statues
Play music, kids dance, pause the music, everyone freezes. Anyone who wobbles is out. Works in any space and for any age. Our full guide to musical statues covers rules, songs, and fair judging.
Musical bumps
Like musical statues but sitting down instead of freezing. Safer for small spaces — no running into furniture. Last to sit is out.
Musical chairs
Arrange chairs in a circle, one fewer than the number of kids. Music plays, kids walk, music stops, everyone sits. The one without a chair is out. Remove a chair each round.
Dance-off
Two kids face the TV and dance. The rest cheer for the winner. If you're using Magic Mirror, the Dance-Off game scores movement energy automatically and picks a winner. Great for ages 6–10.
Pass the bomb
A hot-potato game. A bomb chases the busiest player on the TV screen. When the fuse runs out, it explodes. Loud, exciting, and entirely screen-based — no running around needed.
Simon Says
One person gives instructions. If it starts with "Simon says," kids follow. If not, anyone who moves is out. Simple, free, works for any age, and needs zero space.
Four corners
Label the four corners of the room 1, 2, 3, and 4. One child closes their eyes and counts. The others run to a corner. The counter calls a number — anyone in that corner is out. Last one standing wins.
Medium-energy indoor games
Pass the parcel
Wrap a gift in multiple layers of paper. Pass it around a circle while music plays. When the music stops, the child holding it unwraps one layer. Put a sweet in every layer. A party classic that works in any living room.
Scavenger hunt
Write a list of items to find around the house: something blue, something soft, something from the kitchen. First team back with everything wins. Takes 15 minutes, costs nothing.
Balloon keep-up
Inflate a balloon and try to keep it off the ground as a group. Count the taps. When it touches the floor, start again. Surprisingly addictive and works for mixed ages.
Animal charades
Write animal names on slips of paper. Kids take turns acting out their animal without speaking. The others guess. Lions, penguins, snakes, and elephants are always funny.
What's the time, Mr Wolf?
One child is the wolf, standing at one end of the room facing away. The others creep forward, asking "What's the time, Mr Wolf?" The wolf calls a time — "Three o'clock!" — and the kids take three steps. When the wolf says "Dinner time!" they turn and chase. Anyone caught is the next wolf.
Low-energy indoor games (wind-downs)
Sleeping lions
Everyone lies on the floor and pretends to sleep. The host tries to make them laugh without touching. Anyone who giggles or moves is out. Perfect for the post-cake energy crash.
Pass the drawing
Everyone gets paper. Fold it into thirds. Draw a head, fold, pass. Draw a body, fold, pass. Draw legs. Unfold to reveal the monster. Guaranteed laughs, zero equipment cost.
Memory tray
Put 10–15 small objects on a tray. Let the kids look for 30 seconds. Cover the tray. They write down everything they remember. Most correct wins. Calm, focused, and works for ages 5+.
Spooky story circle
Dim the lights. Each child adds one sentence to a story. Gets sillier and sillier. Perfect end-of-party wind-down.
The magic mirror effects station
Beyond the games, the effects station itself is a continuous indoor activity. Kids walk up, pick an effect, and see themselves transformed on the TV in real time. No instructions needed, no supervision required, and it runs for hours:
- Thermal — body heat as colour. Red faces, cold blue hands.
- Kaleidoscope — multiply every face into a pattern.
- Emoji rain — emojis bounce off your head.
- Neon glow — edges light up in electric colours.
- Ghost — translucent afterimages trail behind movement.
- Time warp — movements replay in slow motion.
Party mode switches the effect automatically every 45 seconds, so the station refreshes itself. It's the indoor equivalent of a bouncy castle — kids drift back to it all afternoon.
Indoor party games by age
- Ages 3–5: Musical bumps, sleeping lions, balloon keep-up, animal charades, the magic mirror with gentle effects. Short rounds, no elimination.
- Ages 6–8: All of the above plus musical statues, pass the parcel, scavenger hunt, dance-off, Simon Says, four corners, What's the time Mr Wolf.
- Ages 9–10: Dance-off, pass the bomb, scavenger hunt with riddles, memory tray, the magic mirror with thermal/neon/X-ray effects. They'll also love the competitive games.
How many indoor games do you need?
For a two-hour indoor party, plan 5–7 activities and have 2 backups. The station-based approach works best indoors: set up the magic mirror in one corner, a game in the middle, a craft or decoration table at the table, and a scavenger hunt for when they need to move. Kids drift between stations at their own pace.
For more ideas, see our guides to birthday party entertainment ideas, party games for 7-year-olds indoors, and party games for 3-year-olds indoors.