Indoor photo shoots are a great way to spend a cold day with your kids.

Here are a few of my favorites that take little to no prep work and the kids enjoy. They think I am just doing a fun activity with them and I get to take pictures. It’s a great day for all of us!

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1. Pillow fight

Let the kids jump on your bed and have a pillow fight. Capture their smiles, their jumps, and their crashes. Your kids will love this one and all the laughter will be genuine. Exactly what you want in a photo.

2. Bath time

Kill two birds with one stone with this one. You will get the kids clean and get some great photos. Don’t stop shooting when they get out of the tub. Pictures of them in their towels and dressing themselves are equally as cute.

3. Tea party

What little girls don’t love to have a tea party. Make sure to capture all the guests (baby dolls and stuffed animals) in their fancy attire.

4. Dress up

This doesn’t have to be just for girls. Your boys can dress up in their fire fighter, police, or super hero costumes. Take their pictures as they play. You will get great photos every time. My son loves to be a police officer, so the pictures I get of all his stuffed animals hand cuffed to his bed are priceless.

5. Cooking

Do a baking project in the kitchen together and take lots of can then use the pictures to create a family recipe book. This is always a great gift for grandparents!

6.  Pretend Play

I love taking pictures of my little girl as she pretends to be a mommy with her dolls ad her kitchen. This is a stage that I will never want to forget and the photos really capture her. 

7. Folding Laundry

You might laugh at this one, but some of my favorite pictures happen when the kids are helping me fold the laundry. It’s kind of like the pictures you get when their are piles of leaves in the fall, but instead your kids will be jumping in your pile of laundry. They are usually putting underwear on their heads or putting daddy’s enormous socks on and each picture is precious. Don’t actually expect to get any laundry folded though!

8. Art Project

Painting is my favorite, but you have to be up for it! I love to give the kids a big canvas and some paints and just start photographing. My kids are young and usually paint in their underwear, which makes the pictures even cuter. Paint ends up all over them and they enjoy the whole thing. I just throw them in the bath right after so clean up isn’t too hard.

If you are just getting started with photography or just enjoy taking pictures of your kids, give one of these indoor photo shoots a try. Indoor photography can be tricky and you will learn so much from practicing. If you have not experimented with an external flash, I recommend purchasing one for indoor photo shoots. This is a great one from Nikon. Or, if you want something more modestly priced, this one will work great as well. Look for a flash that can move horizontally and vertically for best results.

Leave a picture in the comments below or on my Facebook page if you give these a try! Have fun!