Good physical or mental health is not something we can buy from the market; however, it is a treasure to crave for. But in order to enjoy the goodness of good health, you must exercise. If you want to live longer and peacefully, you just need to add exercise to your daily routine upfront. There are many benefits of regular exercise and physical activity. If a person is not physically fit, his mind cannot be sharp and active. It is a well-known fact that a healthy mind resides within a healthy body. This can be ensured with the list of indoor games to enjoy.
But in this time of the pandemic, when we can’t even step out for our basic necessities, how will it be possible to go out for physical exercise? Social distancing is the primary norm during this pandemic, then how can we even think of stepping out and playing outdoor games with others. Thus, most people have resorted to indoor games and exercises for their good mental and physical health. Indoor games like chess, word puzzles, card games, ludo etc. Indoor exercises involve various stretching exercises, yoga poses, treadmill, gym equipment etc.
These games have always been a topic for discussion. With the emergence of deadly pandemic and increased technology, indoor games have gained more popularity in recent days.
Benefits of Indoor games
Humans have always chosen for easy entertainment and if the very purpose can be achieved at their homes with absolute comfort it is like icing on the cake. The goodness with indoor games is that they can be played and enjoyed by children at home itself with safety. And it can be an easy and great activity for younger kids and toddlers. Indoor games are thus the solution to most parents who struggle to entertain kids and themselves in any weather, at any time. Many researchers have found that these games are very important for the overall personality development of children. They help to develop the creative and learning perspective of kids, which is why many schools have inculcated indoor activities in their curriculum. Here required a look at some amazing health benefits of indoor activities given below:
Helps to reduce stress and create happiness
Engaging in some indoor games helps you to divert your mind from stressful situations. While involving yourself in a game there is always a good environment involving laughter one on one talks fun altogether. Thus, laughing together and having fun helps you to create.
Spending time together with family members
With such a busy life we often forget to engage ourselves in some qualitative time spending with the family members. However, playing games together or engaging in some group activity even for a short time with your family members is a perfect way to spend time together. One should actually practice it regularly. It also helps to create bonds among family members.
Lowers blood pressure
An environment of happiness around us helps in reducing stress and muscles to relax with proper circulation of blood which eventually goes on to maintain blood pressure. Blood pressure is one of the most common illnesses observed in adults and middle-aged people.
Encourages creativity and healthy thinking
When we engage in an outdoor activity we spend most of our time in physical activities like running, jumping, jogging or outdoor games like football, cricket, badminton, etc which help in maintaining a good physical appearance and health. But these activities do not involve some brain activity. They do help in maintaining focus and improve mental well being. But indoor activities and games help kids and adults to bring out their creative side. Most indoor activities involve some brainy element to make them worthwhile. Thus they help in encouraging creative and healthy thinking perspectives in children from small age itself.
Provide new experience to children
Indoor activities and games involving drawing, singing, dancing, storytelling or reading etc, provide a new experience to children and kids. These experiences help them to build social life skills and how they should handle many new situations in life. And thereby develop confidence in them
Improves mood and boosts energy
Indoor games stimulate various brain chemicals that leave us feeling happier, more relaxed and less anxious. This also boosts your confidence and improves your self-esteem. Once you have a good healthy mindset you feel energetic from within.
Promotes better sleep
Engaging in some brain exercise just before going to bed helps you to fall asleep faster, get better sleep, and achieve sound qualitative sleep. Better sleeping helps us to stay healthy, calm and focused with a healthy mind for the upcoming day.
Helps to regulate good memory and observing skills
Indoor games help to keep our mind refreshed and attain calm by involving in some brain exercise. Yes, you read that right, our brain too needs some good exercises to keep it functioning with complete goodness. And as these involve brainy exercise, they involve observing and thinking skills. Indoor games thus help us formulate our memorizing and observing skills.
Top 10 Indoor games
Here is a list of the top 10 indoor games to involve in for good mental well being:
- Chess
- Carrom
- Card Games
- Board games
- Puzzle games
- Reading games
- Art and Craft games
- Crossword games
- Computer games
- Other traditional games like Hide and seek, Ice and water, tug of war
1. Chess
Chess is one of the most popular indoor games. It is a game easily ranked as the top pick in current and ancient India. Chess is said to stimulate the player’s mind in the best way. Indians have always been said to be good at chess. It is good for overall brain exercise for all age groups. The game can be enjoyed at any time or at any place. It helps in improving mind coordination and concentration like no other games. Chess is played on a chessboard with 64 blocks and each player having 16 pieces each.
Each player targets to lead the opponent’s king into checkmate. Viswanathan Anand is one of the most noted chess players. He held the number 1 chess player position for a very long time. People with a lot of experience in playing chess have highly developed thinking abilities, especially memory skills. It also helps them to gain academic excellence as good chess players.
2. Carrom
Carrom is another popular one in the list of indoor games of Indian roots like Chess. It is a game that is popular in almost every Indian home. Carrom was one of the most popular games in the mid-1990s for almost a decade within India. Carrom is played at many professional levels in India but doesn’t have any significant recognition at the International level. It is still played at many games bars and clubs in India. Carrom is played over a squared board with white and black carom men and a queen in red colour.
A striker is used to strike out carom men as well as queens. Each carom man holds his score point based on colour and the queen holds the highest strike point. Carrom is played with the goal to strike out all the carom men and the queen by using a striker. The striker is kicked by using two fingers of the player. The one who makes the most points by striking out maximum carom men and the queen wins the game. Maximum 4 players can play at one time. Carrom Boards are available in various sizes as per the player’s choice.
3. Card games
Card games are the easiest ones in the list of indoor games. One can play them while sitting on a chair, on the bed or on comfortable sofas. The card games like UNO, Rummy, and bridge help you to regulate brain activity and remove/manage memory loss. These are very popular as these card games can easily be played on your computer, smartphone, or tablet at any place and at anywhere. You now do not even require separate individuals to play this card game with their online availability. Card games improve stimulation, relieve stress and help in socialization. Some of the very popular card games include;
- Bridge: a card game known to keep a sharp mind.
- Rummy: One of the most popular games of all time, rummy is suitable when you have 2-3 people. It is also very popular as an online game.
- Solitaire: Popular for ages, Solitaire came into knowledge when Microsoft included it as the default games in its game list.
- UNO: Another very popular game played by many kids and adults. It is very easy to play and convenient as it is mostly based on numbers, colours and some power cards.
4. Board Games
Another way to enjoy indoor games is to play board games like Scrabble, Ludo, dominos, snake and ladder, Monopoly etc. Board games are very popular amongst young as well as adult generations as it is a very easy way to interact with seniors and create sweet memories or bonds. These are some of the exciting games on the list of indoor games.
The most popular board games are:
- Scrabble: a tiled word game played among two or more players to challenge each other’s vocabulary and spelling skills.
- Ludo the most popular board game of all time is played with two or more players which can go up to 4 maximum. You have to choose your colour and play by using dice. Online versions of ludo have taken over the internet severely in recent years. It became very addictive for many young players.
- Chinese checker: another great indoor game for 6 players to have a good time or to kill time.
- Snake and ladder: It is another popular game like Ludo. Snake and ladder are also played using dice and with 2 to 4 players.
5. Puzzle games
Puzzle games have always been the centre of attraction and fun in the since childhood for many children. These require certain brainy skills to be played and help to enhance brains problem-solving abilities and keep the mental health intake of children and adults.
The most common examples of puzzle games are:
- Sudoku: Sudoku is a number based puzzle game presented online in newspapers and magazines in separate sudoku books.
- Word jumbles: These are other real-time brain teasers that require sufficient time and knowledge of the player. Word Jumbles are always interesting indoor games to spend your boring day.
- Candy Crush: Another example of a directive online game. Candy Crush took over the internet for no good in recent years but it is one of the highly preferable computer or mobile games for senior citizens because of its ease.
- Word Search Puzzles: These are one of the interesting indoor games to kill your time when you have plenty. Players search for words based on some clue or hint.
6. Reading Games
Reading games are a kind of games in the list of indoor games to enhance brain skills, concentration, and recognition of words, spelling, and syllables. These help in providing additional aid to reading skills at an early age. These help to develop reading habits in children out of boring book reading. Some of the popular reading games are:
- Concentration: A game involving cards printed with different words on them. The players have to match the pairs having similar words on them.
- Monopoly: It is a great game to help teach word patterns and spelling patterns. This even helps children and kids to learn new reading and grouping skills for gaining academic knowledge all along.
7. Art and craft games
Art is always a creative way to learn new things. Designing and creating things by your own self becomes a whole round experience of learning and memorizing concerned topics. It is a great way to use your imagination and thoughts. They even help to relive the memories of childhood in other people. Art and craft are easy ways to learn new and difficult stuff. It even improves the quickness of hands, fingers and mind. They also help parents and teachers to inculcate creative thinking patterns in children’s minds. Some of the artsy games and activities are wood carving, sewing, embroidery, drawing, colouring, painting etc.
8. Crossword games
Crossword puzzle games consist of a diagrammatic puzzle, usually rectangular, divided into blank and filled squares. These mostly have distinct clues and hints to provide players with a sense of words to put in squares. These indoor games are the favourite time pass and an appealing means to improve vocabulary and knowledge. These are the most engaging ways to increase intelligence and spelling knowledge.
9. Computer and mobile phone games
Computer-based games can definitely the most popular games amongst children and adults of this decade. From kids to oldies, People with smartphones and tablets have games on their phones. These help them to gain the best entertainment experience by sitting at home. There are millions of online and offline computer games available all over the internet. One really has to do brain activity in order to choose the game he likes. It is very cumbersome to choose between millions of games flooded on the internet. Computer and mobile phone games are very addictive and range from very basic to high definition experience to their players. These are available in all formats like adventurous, thriller, actions, knowledgeable, brainy, word cross and many more.
10. Other traditional games
Other traditional games among the list of indoor games are Hide and seek, Ice and water, tug of war: Each and every one of us has experienced playing traditional homely games like hide and seeks, Ice and water, tug of war, chit games, I spy and the likes as children. Hide and seek and I spy have their own separate fan base till now. Traditionally, when all the children in society or homes used to gather together to play these games during their playtime. These are easy to play and have very basic rules to govern the game. These also involve some physical activity and a small space or spots to play. Most of my own remarkable memories of these games as a child.
Conclusion
Thus, to sum up, if you are looking for some fun and entertainment just by sitting back at home and chilling with your friend or family, you seriously need to pick up some games mentioned above to have a good time with them. This list of indoor games are gonna improve your wholesome health and brain functioning. This will even help you with gaining some emotional and good memories for life. These educational and artsy games will even help your kid to obtain a good learning experience along with fun. They’re gonna take such useful games by themselves and engage in the learning process without even knowing it. Such a great way to start learning habits at an early age. You can also refer to some of the best offline soccer games for Android here.
