5 Indoor Play Ideas with Stapelstein® for Kids When it is Cold

When it’s cold outside, it’s easy for everyone—kids and parents alike—to start feeling a little stir-crazy. While cozy cuddle time and family movie nights are always a treat, there comes a point when you need to shake things up and get everyone moving. That’s where Stapelstein® comes in!

Our versatile, colorful elements are designed to bring joy and playful movement to any indoor space.

We have 4 Indoor Play Ideas for Kids During the Cold Season that are going to get them moving, learning and make being indoor during the cold weather an opportunity for fun.

Transport Game: “Up, Over, Down, Through”

Create an exciting movement course using Stapelstein® elements and everyday household items like the couch, bed, chairs, or tables. Kids can safely and independently navigate the course while transporting fun items like cards, feathers, leaves, or toys from one side of the room to the other using a Stapelstein® Original, Inside, or Board. They can climb over, crawl under, or invent their own way through the course!

Make it more fun:
Set up a rule: if the object being transported falls to the floor, the child must jump three times before continuing.

Family Challenge:
Turn it into a team game! Kids versus parents (or even grandparents). Which team can transport the most objects within a set time?

Role Play: “Push the Stone”

Divide the room into two sections using a rope or painter’s tape. Place Stapelstein® elements in one section, and have players stand at one end. The goal? Push all the elements to the other side using only balls or beanbags!

Amp it up:
Use a timer, like a sand timer or the Stapelstein® app Inspire, to add an exciting race against the clock. Perfect for team play!

Tossing Game: “Color Match”

Line up Stapelstein® elements in their beautiful rainbow colors with the rounded side facing up. Gather small, colorful items like small plush toys, or knotted socks and assign them to matching colors. From a starting line, kids toss the objects into the corresponding color.

Make it a race:
Use a timer or play a fun song to see how many items they can match before time’s up.

Challenge for older kids:

Word Toss: Write letters or numbers on items. For example, spell out “SNOW” or “WINTER” by tossing the letters into the bowls in the correct order.
Math Toss: Solve problems like 7+5=? by tossing the correct numbers into the bowls.

Learning + movement = a win-win!

4. Hide and Seek: “All the Elements Are Hidden”
This classic game gets a fun twist with Stapelstein®! One child hides a set number of elements while everyone else closes their eyes. Once hidden, the hider calls out, “All the elements are hidden—ready to find them!” and the search begins.

Game Variations:

Work together to find all the hidden pieces.
Play competitively: whoever finds the most elements wins and gets to hide them in the next round!

Build it game: “From the tower to the wobbly tower”

For this game you need at least six Stapelstein® Original Mini elements. Take a sheet of paper and cut into 6 squares and write down red, blue, yellow, green, orange and purple. Place the pieces of paper of the colors in an element or bowl.

Build a stable tower with the original mini elements. Player one picks a color. The original mini element in this color is taken out of the tower and placed with the curved side facing down on a flat surface; this is where the wobbly tower is created. Now it is the next player's turn and chooses a color. The matching original mini element is placed from the stable tower onto the wobbly tower. If the color that was thrown is already on the wobbly tower, the mini element in question is stacked back onto the stable tower. The game ends when all elements from the stable tower have been stacked onto the wobbly tower and it does not fall over.

Tip: If you have several original mini elements in the two color worlds pastel and classic, you can decide for yourself whether to take out the original mini element in pastel or classic based on the color rolled. This game also works with original elements.

For even more playful movement inspiration, get our Digital Play Cards or browse through where you'll find ideas for using the Stapelstein® elements.