Games for Kids on a Rainy Day: Free Online and Paper Ideas

The best games for kids on a rainy day are short, simple and have a clear finish, so "one more game" doesn't turn into the whole afternoon. Tic-tac-toe, memory matching, word search, hangman and four in a row all fit, and every one of them works both on a screen and on paper. Start with the free Tic-Tac-Toe game, which kids can play against the computer or with a brother, sister or parent on the same device, then switch to pencil and paper when it's time for a break from screens.

What makes good games for kids on a rainy day

When everyone's stuck indoors, look for games that:

• Are quick. A round should take a few minutes, so turns are fair and stopping is easy.
• Have a clear end. A finished board or a found word is a natural place to stop.
• Can be played together. Two players on one device, or one child playing and another helping.
• Work without a screen too. The same game on paper keeps the fun going after screen time is over.
• Need nothing to install. All the games below run in a web browser with no download and no account.

Screen games, sorted by age

Ages are only a rough guide. Every child is different, and many of these games have an easier and a harder setting.

Younger children (about 4 to 7)

Memory Game: Turn over two cards at a time to find matching coloured shapes. With 12 cards it's short and easy; move up to 16 or 24 as they get better. Naming the colours and shapes out loud makes it a little learning game too.

Tic-Tac-Toe: Three in a row wins. Set the computer to Easy, which often plays at random, so young players get plenty of wins. Or choose Two players here and take turns on the same screen.

Snake on Slow: Steering a snake to eat apples is simple to understand. On Slow with Wrap around (the snake comes out the other side instead of crashing into walls), it's gentle enough for little hands.

Older children (about 7 to 12)

Word Search: Pick a topic (animals, food, countries, sports, home, jobs or nature) and find the hidden words. The Morning edition hides 8 words going across and down in a 10 × 10 grid. Our post on word search for kids and classrooms has ideas for turning it into a spelling activity.

Hangman: Guess the word one letter at a time, with six lives. The topic is shown as a clue, and the words are everyday words of four to eleven letters, so it's good spelling practice. See how to play Hangman.

Four in a Row: Drop discs and try to line up four. It's simple to learn but rewards planning ahead. Play a sibling with Two players here.

Sliding Puzzle on 3 × 3: Slide eight numbered tiles back into order. It teaches patience and step-by-step thinking.

Checkers: A great first strategy board game, against the computer on Easy or with a family member.

Make it a family tournament

A rainy afternoon is perfect for a mini tournament:

1. Pick three games, such as Tic-Tac-Toe, Four in a Row and Memory Game.
2. Everyone plays everyone in Two players mode (the Memory Game works as "take turns, fewest moves wins").
3. Keep score on paper. A win is 2 points, a draw 1.
4. The winner chooses the next activity, or dinner.

Tic-Tac-Toe and Four in a Row keep their own running score on the screen, with a Reset score button for a fresh start.

Paper versions for screen-free time

Every game in this list has a pencil-and-paper version, which is handy when screen time is up:

Game	How to play it on paper
Tic-tac-toe	Draw a 3 × 3 grid. Take turns writing X and O.
Hangman	One player picks a word and draws a dash for each letter. Wrong guesses add parts to a drawing.
Word search	A grown-up (or an older child) writes words into a grid of squared paper, then fills the gaps with random letters.
Four in a row	Draw a 7-column, 6-row grid. Take turns colouring the lowest empty square in a column.
Memory	Make pairs of cards from paper with matching drawings, then lay them face down.
Sliding puzzle	Cut a square of card into 9 numbered tiles, take one away, and slide the rest around on a table.

Making the game is half the fun. Kids who design their own word search or memory cards are practising spelling and drawing without noticing.

Tips for parents

• Agree on the number of rounds first. "Three games of tic-tac-toe, then we play on paper" is easier to stick to than a time limit.
• Turn on two-player modes. Playing together beats watching someone else play.
• Let them teach you. Ask a child to explain the tic-tac-toe trick that never loses; our tic-tac-toe strategy has it if they need a hint.
• No accounts, no chat. The games run in the browser, scores stay on your device, and there's no way to talk to strangers.

For more ideas, browse the full games collection, and see our list of two-player games on one device.

Start with tic-tac-toe

It takes one minute to learn and a lifetime to stop playing. Open the free Tic-Tac-Toe game, choose Two players here, and let the rainy-day tournament begin.