10 Best Indoor Toys for Active Toddlers (That Burn Energy)

Are you in search of indoor toys to keep your active children busy throughout the long, cold months or on rainy days? This list of the 10 best indoor toys for active toddlers is the perfect way to keep your children jumping, crawling, swinging, and burning off their energy indoors during the fall and winter.

As a Midwest Mom to four children ages 8 and under, we are always in search of ways to keep our active children busy during the cold months when we can’t go outdoors. We have gone through and purchased so many active toys, climbers, and more to help us with this.

All of these items are great for large motor skills and helping children learn how to control their body while letting their energy out. All of these toys we have used in our own home, and want to share our favorites. Scroll down and read to check out our votes for the 10 best active toys for toddlers and kids.

This post may contain affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate as well as a member of other affiliate programs, I may earn a small compensation from qualifying purchases. All opinions and recommendations are my own. As with any active play equipment, adult supervision is recommended, and be sure to follow the manufacturer’s age, weight, assembly, and safety guidelines. Every child develops and plays differently, so choose the products that are the best fit for your family.

Where Can Kids Use These Active Toys?

While we currently have an unfinished basement that we set up a lot of our larger toys in, we also have an open living room area that many of these toys can be put up in and then removed and put away in storage if needed.

Our unfinished basement is great because we can leave our toys out when we’re done playing for later. Many of these toys would also work out great in a bedroom, dedicated playroom, living room, garage, or even outside during the summer months as well.

How We Chose These Indoor Toys

As a mom of four children (and a previous early childhood teacher) ranging from baby to elementary school, we’ve spent years using different indoor toys to survive the long Midwest winters. Every toy on this list has either been used in our own home for years or played with at our favorite local play spaces before being recommended. Toys on this list:

• Keep kids moving
• Encourage gross motor development
• Help children learn about their bodies
• Get used for years instead of weeks
• Hold up well over time

Quick Comparison: Our Favorite Indoor Active Toys

Are you looking for a quick recommendation? Here’s a side-by-side comparison of our favorite indoor active toys before we dive into the detailed reviews of each toy below.

Product	Best For	Age	Space Needed	Price Range
Play Couch	Overall	1+	Large	$150–$300+
Gymnastics Bar	Older kids	3+	Medium	$80–$180
Trampoline	Burning energy	2+	Large	$100–$250
Pod Swing	Sensory	2+	Small	$25–$50
Wobble Board	Balance	1+	Small	$40–$90
Slide	Toddlers	1+	Medium	$40–$80
Roller Coaster	Active toddlers	2+	Large	$100–$180
Balance Beam	Obstacle courses	2+	Medium	$40–$90
Stepping Stones	Small spaces	2+	Small	$30–$70
Pikler Triangle	Climbing	1+	Large	$150-$350+

The Best Indoor Toys for Active Toddlers and Kids

1. Play Couch (Nugget, Explorer, or Costco)

As an active family, if we had to choose our top choice for keeping kids busy indoors, it would be a play couch. We loved our Nugget couch so much after purchasing that we bought a second off-brand one (the Sam’s Club Explorer Couch). We then went on to the the Costco version of play couch as well.

A play couch is good for building forts and tents, using as a crash landing pad, climbing on, making stair slides with, making cozy spots for movie nights, using as a bed in different rooms of the house, and more. While one works awesome on its own, you can make more and more configurations with two or three. Just know that they do take up quite a bit of space the more play couches you own.

The Nugget and the Sam’s Club Explorer play couches are pretty similar, with a large foldable cushion, a smaller foldable cushion, and two triangle shapes, while the Costco one has more pieces for building more forts. All three are awesome choices for active play, and we would recommend any of them!

All three of them have foam bases with removable covers that are easy to wash. They’re soft enough to jump and play on but firm enough that kids don’t wreck them doing this. We’ve had both our Sam’s Club and Nugget for over 5 years now, and both are still in awesome shape and get used as much now as they did when we originally purchased them.

Best For: Imaginative play, fort building, climbing, cozy spots, and all-around indoor play

Pros

• Great for imaginative and active play
• Grows with your child
• Great for ages 1 all the way to big kids
• Durable and washable
• Tons of building possibilities

Cons

• Takes up a lot of space
• Can be expensive
• More play couches make better structures (more money)

2. Gymnastics Bars for Kids

Our kids absolutely love to swing, flip, spin, and climb on this awesome gymnastics bar. There are tons of different options for bars on the market, but one thing that they all have in common is that they are perfect for kids who love to swing and climb on everything.

Our kids ages 4, 6, and 8 all love to use this gymnastics bar. It is height adjustable so you can make it the perfect height for any children. We have ours set so our oldest has to jump to reach it. Our youngest will just climb on the supports on the side ot get up at this height, and it works perfectly.

They come in tons of colors and options for a mat or no mat underneath. I would definitely recommend the mat option, but you can also find and use a mat elsewhere if needed (Ours we got at IKEA years back before we got the bars).

Many of the gymnastic bars also come with rings that you can hang on the bar and use as well. Ours does come with these, and our kids will use them occasionally, but the bar on its own is a huge hit as well. It does move slightly with big swings, but overall it seems sturdy and has lasted us over three years now.

Best For: Kids who love climbing, swinging, flipping, and practicing gymnastics skills

Pros

• Height adjustable
• Long-lasting
• Great for kids who like to swing on things
• Encourages strength and coordination

Cons

• Requires assembly
• Needs open floor space

3. Indoor Trampoline

One of our favorite ways for our younger kids to get their energy out is our mini trampoline. We purchased ours one black friday about 7 years back, and it has held up incredibly well.

The best part is that it comes with a net around it and it fits well in our basement. You do need to measure your ceilings for this one and make sure that your trampoline isn’t too high for the room. However, once you find one that is a good fit for your room, your kids will love it.

Our kids could spend forever on ours. They like to put balls on it, relax on it with blankets like a fort, play don’t crack the egg, and more.

Since we got ours a few years back, they’ve come out with tons of different indoor trampoline options in all different sizes and even have some with additions like basketball hoops on the side, swings, and adjustable rings that come off of the netting.

Typically indoor trampolines are much smaller in size than a normal trampoline and meant to be used individually or by smaller kids, so keep an eye on the weight and age limits when purchasing one. Our kids ages 4,6, and 8 still fit on and use ours daily.

Best For: Burning lots of energy and active indoor play

Pros

• Fun for multiple ages
• Great year-round
• Encourages active play
• Kids can play together or on their own

Cons

• Takes up a lot of room
• Ceiling height matters
• Safest with a net around it

4. Pod Swing

These pod swings are the perfect sensory activity for active kids. Our kids love to swing in these, push each other fast, spin each other, and even use them as cozy safe spots to snuggle and relax.

They come in many different colors and styles. Each swing comes with a blow-up cushion that goes in the canvas pocket on the bottom and is a pod shape with an opening for your child to go in and out. They’re great for giving kids that sensory cocoon feeling and helping kids feel safe and secure while swinging and spinning.

Our kids have loved these starting at age 2 and all the way up to our 8 year old who still loves it. If you install it correctly, they hang strong and firm and are long-lasting.

If you have an unfinished basement, then this swing is perfect for you. It can also go in a living room (without vaulted ceilings) or bedroom, but an unfinished basement is the best place to hang on without having to worry about putting holes in your ceiling. They look tough to hang, but in reality it took my husband only 5 minutes tops, as it comes with all the hardware and straps that you’ll need.

One thing to note…we’ve had our swing for about 7 years, and while our kids still use it every day, we’ve had to pop a couch pillow in the bottom to get it to work. After a few years, the cushion in the bottom slowly started losing air within about 24 hours of blowing it up. We eventually gave up on blowing it up and popped the couch pillow in the bottom, and it works just as great. It did still have a few years of life before this happened, which is a decent amount of time for something that has been so loved.

Best For: Sensory play, calming down, and gentle swinging

Pros

• Great for sensory play
• Can be calming or active
• Easy to install
• Doesn’t require much space

Cons

• Must be securely mounted
• May need to drill holes to mount
• Cushion may wear out/pop over time

5. Wobble Board

Our wobble board is an awesome toy for kids to sit on, wobble on, and wiggle on. It is perfect for all of our kids at their different ages, and I will occasionally even step on and try it out. Plus it pairs great with our play couch and other active toys.

A wobble board is simply a piece of curved wood that looks like a semicircle. Kids can lie inside and rock back and forth, stand on the edges and balance, use it as a slide, flip it over and use it like a bridge, and more. It works great for using as a bridge between play couch pieces, using as a step or ladder to get up on the play couch, and more.

The point of one is to rock and allows kids to learn how their bodies move and rock on it. We’ve had ours for 5 years now, and our kids still love playing on it and using it as a slide coming off of our normal couches.

They’re pretty solid wood and can typically handle a lot of weight on them so they’re great for younger and older kids as well.

Best For: Balance, coordination, open-ended play, and obstacle courses

Pros

• Great for balance skills
• Easy to store/Doesn’t take up as much space
• Works well with other active toys
• Great for obstacle course play

Cons

• Takes practice for younger toddlers
• Not ideal for very rough play

6. Little Tikes Indoor Toddler Slide

This slide has been a hit for our kids starting as early as 1 year old. We purchased it 7 years ago when our now 8 year old turned one, and it has been awesome for both indoors and outdoors.

In the winter and the cold months, we use this inside our living room just on the floor. Our toddlers can climb up the top and slide down. They also like to send cars racing down it. It is great because ages 1 and up can be independent on it as it isn’t super high to the ground.

We also love to move it and use it as a slide that goes into things. We put it next to our ball pit to slide down, into a kiddie pool for a water slide in the summer, and more. It has an easy ladder to climb and is easy to pick up and move around the house or outside if needed.

We love the budget price and good quality, and it is one of those toys our kids never tire of. We have four children, and it has rotated through all of them. Eventually our older children have gotten a little big for it (probably around age 5), but they still like to try and use it and slide down it.

Best For: Toddlers and younger preschoolers who love climbing and sliding

Pros

• Great for younger children (Around ages 1-5)
• Lightweight and easy to move
• Affordable
• Great for both indoor and outdoor use

Cons

• Kids eventually outgrow it
• Limited for older/larger children

7. Step 2 Roller Coaster

This roller coaster toy is the best for our kids ages 2-8 and is definitely an indoor toy must have. It takes up a lot of space but is 100% worth it if you have the space.

It comes with a few different track pieces, a roller coaster car, and steps to get up. The pieces are heavy duty and durable, and it is long once put together. The kids just pop the roller coaster on the track once it is put together and ride down.

Our kids started using our roller coaster around age 2 and still use it at age 8. It goes up and down on the track and then rides straight off the bottom. We’ve used it both on carpet in our living room and in our unfinished basement. It definitely goes further and faster on the basement floor, so it is better for thrill seekers there, but it also works well on the carpeting – the carpet just slows it down a little quicker.

It is long-lasting and durable. Ours is going on 6 years and is loved by all four of our kids. We’ve used it both indoors and outdoors, and our kids love riding down and running back up to ride down again and again.

Best For: Kids who love fast-paced active play and repeated movement

Pros

• Great for ages 2+
• Can be used indoors or outdoors
• Durable
• Can go faster on hard floor and slower on carpet

Cons

• Requires a ton of floor space

8. Balance Beam

A balance beam is one of those toys that gets used a lot in the winter months in our home as well. Your child doesn’t have to be in gymnastics to love using the balance beam. It is great for large motor development, and our kids have been using ours since as early as age 1.

Our kids’ favorite thing to do with the balance beam is to use it in obstacle courses (as well as many other items on this list). They like to walk on it from one side to the other, practice gymnastics on it, use it to jump over and back, and more.

It helps them to get their wiggles out, works on balance skills and more, and definitely has helped our kids remain active during the long winter months.

Best For: Obstacle courses, balance practice, and imaginative play

Pros

• Great for obstacle courses
• Builds balance and coordination
• Perfect for ages 1 all the way to big kids
• Can fold up for easy storage
• Budget Friendly

Cons

• Needs a long space
• Kids might get bored with it a little quicker

9. Stepping Stones

We have a balance beam/stepping stones combination, but you can also get stepping stones on their own. They’re different heights and colors for kids to jump and walk across.

We love that you can put them close together for younger kids or spread them out for older kids. We’ve used the stepping stones on their own at our local gymnastics open gym, and they’re always a hit.

They allow children to learn about their bodies and the distances they are able to make it to the next ones. They let children learn spatial awareness, large motor skills, and even colors and textures. They’re an awesome indoor active toy, and one of the best parts is that most sets stack inside of each other so they don’t take up as much room as some of the indoor toys on this list, so they’re a great option for active toys for smaller homes.

Best For: Smaller spaces, obstacle courses, and developing balance skills

Pros

• Easy to store away
• Great for all ages
• Perfect for obstacle courses
• Encourages balance

Cons

• Younger toddlers need closer spacing than older kids
• Smaller pieces can get scattered around

10. Piklar Triangle Set

This last indoor active toy is a Piklar triangle set. These are awesome for kids who love to climb, slide, and more. Most come with wooden bars, ladders, and climbing boards that kids can climb up and slide down on. Some larger sets have ladders that go across to a different section of climbing areas as well.

While we don’t personally own a Pikler Triangle, our kids have spent countless hours using them at local play cafés and indoor play spaces. Our kids always love playing on them, and we’ve debated getting one but ultimately ran out of room, as they do take up a lot of space.

If you have the space, it is definitely an indoor climbing toy must-have. They encourage kids to learn about how to make their bodies go up and down, how to climb, large motor skills, and more.

Best For: Toddlers who love climbing and exploring independently

Pros

• Keeps kids busy for long amounts of time
• Great for kids ages 1 to big kids
• Multiple things to do in one product (climb, slide, etc…)
• High-quality wooden construction

Cons

• More expensive option
• Takes up a good amount of space

Ideas on How to Use the Best Indoor Toys for Active Play

While all of the toys listed above are awesome on their own, you can also combine them for additional play ideas and to make the play last longer or seem new again. We combine our active toys all of the time, and it is always a hit. Here are some ideas of ways you can use them together:

• Obstacle Course – This is our favorite way to use all of our active toys. We set up obstacle courses that use our play couches, balance beam/stepping stone combination, foam balance beam, rocking board, and more. Our kids love to race each other, time each other, or just try to make hard courses that the others can’t get through. They are a hit every time.
• Play Couch Combinations – Our play couches work great with our slides and wobble boards, especially. You can make dome tents, use the wobble boards as bridges going through them, and more.

Why Indoor Active Play is Worth It

These 10 toys have helped us to get through the long cold Midwest winters. As a previous Kindergarten teacher, I am a firm believer in learning through play, and one way to do that is by exploring the things that their bodies can do. Kids should run, jump, twist, swing, spin, and more on a daily basis. Not only does it allow them to get their energy out in a safe way, but it also allows them to learn about the body and its capabilities.

I believe that since we purchased and have owned our Nugget Play Couch, our 1 year olds have been learning how to get up and down taller surfaces like a couch in a safe way because they can explore on an item lower down to the ground. That is just one example of how one of our indoor toys for active play has allowed our children to learn and play.

All 10 of the active indoor toys are awesome choices, and you can’t go wrong. Some take up a lot of space while others are better for smaller homes. Some are better for younger children, and some are better for older children. All are awesome for gross motor play and getting crazy energy out indoors, and we would recommend any or all of them!

Want to see all of our family’s favorite indoor toys in one place? Browse our Indoor Active Toys Idea List here.

To learn more about one of our favorite indoor toys for active play, the play couch, check out our posts on the Nugget vs Sam’s Club Explorer Couch and the Nugget VS. the Costco Play Fort and Couch.