Why am I writing a post about an indoor hopscotch game? Well, if you're anywhere near my area in Georgia, then you're all too familiar with rain this spring!

We've had some gorgeous days, but we've also had a ton of rainy ones. Even when it's not raining, the ground is in this constant state of dampness. 

You know what all this means? A house full of bored kiddos running wild with cabin fever. Nothing's worse for a kid than being stuck inside all weekend long.

Once back when my kids were little, it had been one of those wet, miserable days and they were quickly headed to crazytown...and draggin' me along with 'em! 

I was at the end of my rope and really needed to get some work done, so I desperately racked my brain for something they could do inside. Something that would help them use that pent-up energy...but that wouldn't destroy my house in the process.

Then it hit me. Hopscotch! Better yet, indoor hopscotch.

I honestly can't remember what made me think of hopscotch, but I'm kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner. 

Painter's-tape indoor hopscotch is super easy to set up (it only took about 10 minutes total), mess-free, and great for even the littlest ones. As long as your children can walk, they can "play" hopscotch. Even better, it gets them up and moving so they're not staring at screens all day. 

How to Make an Indoor Hopscotch Game

To make your hopscotch game, all you need is some painter's tape and an empty floor space. Luckily for me, we recently moved into our new house from a fixer-upper we previously owned, so we have tons of painter's tape leftover from our house reno days.

If you don't have painter's tape just lying around like I did, then make sure to grab some on your next store run. I wouldn't recommend other types of tape because they may leave marks or sticky residue on your floors.

The painter's tape worked great and didn't leave a single spot on my carpet. And since it's designed to peel right off, I'm sure it would be fine on hardwoods and tile, as well.

This process really is so simple (and I'm all about quick and easy, if you haven't figured that out yet). All you do is make squares on the floor with the tape. And bam - you're done!

I made mine as simple as possible since my children were 6 and 2, but you could get more complicated by adding additional squares for older kids. 

If you have younger children, you'll want to make the squares big enough that they can jump in with both feet. They probably won't get the hang of the one-foot-at-a-time method until later; don't worry about trying to get them to play correctly right now.

It's all about having fun and getting some exercise!

I did it once to show my kids how (even though my six year old sort of already knew), and then I just let them have at it. They took turns jumping through it, with the toddler just hopping all over the place. They had a blast!

Added bonus: When the kids get bored with hopscotch, they can move the tape around to make their own artistic creations.

Below is a picture my daughter did completely on her own. Art and movement? And no huge mess for Mama? Yes, please! 

All in all, I'd say painter's-tape indoor hopscotch is a great indoor activity for your little ones.

It definitely keeps the kids entertained on rainy days or during those times when you just need to stay inside to get things done (or maybe take a break and dive into a new book), and it was cheap and easy! I'll be pulling this trick out of my hat regularly for the rest of this rainy summer. 

Side note: What’s better than curling up with a swoony romance novel and warm cup of coffee on a rainy day while the kids are otherwise entertained? If that sounds good to you, check out my novels here or on Amazon. They’re available in e-book and paperback. You’ll get all the romance and none of the smut! ;)

What creative indoor activities have you done with your little ones? Leave your best tips in the comments section. I'm always looking for new ideas to try at our house!