It’s hot outside! With temps soaring into the 90s, it’s pure misery to be outside, unless, of course, we’re in the pool.

Since we can’t stay in the pool all day, every day and it’s too hot to play outside for long, keeping the kids happy and entertained has become a challenge. I’m not sure about your house, but at my house, being stuck inside with four kids means sibling wars, grouchy attitudes and way too much whining.

To make these long, hot summer days a little more exciting, I found a few ideas for indoor entertainment. Here are 25 fun activities to try when it’s just too hot to play outside.

1. Choose a new recipe and bake together.
2. Make a fort out of cardboard boxes or blankets.
3. Visit an elderly relative or friend.
4. Spread a plastic tablecloth on the floor and have an indoor picnic.
5. Create an A to Z scavenger hunt, where you have to find something that starts with every letter of the alphabet.
6. Make puppets from socks or paper bags. Then, put on a puppet show!
7. Have a painting party. Buy a huge canvas or poster board and let everyone paint together.
8. Make paper boats and race them in the bathtub, blowing through straws to propel them.
9. Visit the library.
10. Make homemade popsicles using fruit juice or smoothies.
11. Pick out a few teacups and saucers at your local thrift store and have a fancy tea party with your daughter(s) and her dolls.
12. Play board games.
13. Visit an aquarium.
14. Make homemade ice cream, buy some fun toppings and have an ice cream sundae party.
15. Work a puzzle.
16. Pop popcorn and watch a favorite movie.
17. Staple paper together to make a book. Encourage your child(ren) to write and illustrate a story and then read it to you.
18. Create salad spinner art: Place a coffee filter inside a salad spinner, dab paint on top, cover, spin and see what interesting patterns you create.
19. Read books together.
20. Print family pictures and make a scrapbook of summer memories.
21. Visit a museum.
22. Buy pizza dough and toppings and make homemade pizzas for dinner.
23. Pull out dress-up clothes and put on a silly fashion show.
24. Use marshmallows and toothpicks to create unique sculptures.
25. Pull out all of your craft supplies and let the kids use their imaginations to create.

Have fun!