Indoor Games for Kids: Pillow Party

Check out some of our favorite indoor games for kids…couch cushion games!

Let’s face it…one way or another, your kids are going to ruin your couch. Whether it’s with a permanent marker or by jumping on it, it’s only a matter of time. So, here at The Inspired Treehouse, we say if you can’t beat ‘em…join ‘em!

All of these games are super fun ways to build balance, motor control, strength, and proprioception.  Try them for yourself and let us know what you think! I have a feeling that your kids will be having so much fun, you’ll probably want to get in on the action yourself!

1 || Follow the Yellow Brick Road – Help your little ones set up the cushions like a road with some twists and turns between two designated points (we used two stools). The kids take turns jumping onto the road to see how quickly they can make it from point A to point B without falling off!

2 || Hot Lava – This is a favorite at my house. Have your kiddos scatter the pillows all around the floor. The floor becomes hot lava and they have to jump from pillow to pillow to stay safe! It’s also fun to make it into a chase game by having someone become “The Lava Monster”!

3 || Wreck it Ralph and Fix-It Felix – My boys can play this game together without my help. They decide who’s going to be Ralph and who’s going to be Felix and then they stack all of the cushions up as high as they can. Ralph takes a running start and knocks the tower over. Felix is in charge of stacking the cushions back up. After a few rounds, they switch roles.

4 || Jumpin’ Jack Flash – Here’s another one the kids can do without much help from an adult. Simply lay pillows out on the floor so that a section of the floor is covered completely (make sure the area is away from furniture or anything else they could jump into). Set up a place for them to jump off of (we use our ottoman), and watch them jump, leap, and tumble onto the cushions!

5 || King Kong – Lots of supervision for this one! Help stack the cushions as high as you want (depending on the skill level and age of your kiddo) and spot your mini-King Kong as they balance on top of the “skyscraper”.

6 || Tunnel Vision – Work with your kids to prop pillows against each other or onto other furniture to create a tunnel or a bridge for to crawl through.

7 || Sandwich Shop – Sandwich ingredients: cushions and kids. Stack up alternating layers of kids and cushions as high as you can go! Throw a mom or dad in for fun!

8 || Whack a Mole – Bop kids (gently! :) on their little heads as they pop up from behind the couch.

9 || Jailbreak – Gather the kids together and build a fort around them (4 pillows as walls and 1 or 2 on top as a roof). You become the guard and they are the “bad guys” trying to break out of jail. Turn your back for a second (or pretend to fall asleep on the job), and your bad guys will break out of their cell! Chase them, recapture them and repeat! :)

10 || Good Old Fashioned Pillow Fight – You know what to do! Arm yourself with your favorite pillow or couch cushion and go to town!

For Virtual Sessions:

Ahead of time, ask the family if they’re willing to use pillows or couch cushions for these activities during your session.  Then, instruct the parent or caregiver to help the child arrange the pillows in the different configurations described above and perform the different games.  Try printing out the cards linked below and choosing one at a time during your session!

Which couch cushion game was your favorite? Do you have any to add to the list? If so, leave a comment below!