As a child, you no doubt used to play a number of indoor games that you don’t see a great deal of nowadays. Since computer games have become so popular, there no longer really seems a place for many of the older games that used to keep kids entertained for hours on end.

Scalextric has largely been replaced by racing games and things like Subbuteo have been replaced by football games.

However, one indoor activity that is unlikely to disappear is the use of Lego. Kids still get a thrill out of building all sorts of things out of Lego as it continues to satisfy their natural inquisitiveness.

It’s surprising how quickly you can improve you pool game when you put in the hours. Simply arranging weekly matches of winner-stays-on at home with a few of your mates can greatly enhance your ability and stop you relying on fluky shots when you play at the pub.

Between you, you will pick up on how to better your stance and how you use your cue in order to pull off particular shots. Regularity is the most important thing when you practise as it will allow you to put new techniques you have learnt to immediate use.

If your mates aren’t around, try playing a game against yourself to hone your skills.

If you have a garage but you tend not to use it to keep your car in, it’s well worth converting it into a games room, especially if it is detached from the rest of the house. Garages can easily fit a pool table inside and have ample space for things like dartboards and poker tables.

Converting your garage into a games room gives you a place to hang out in a sociable atmosphere that is removed from the more comfortable surroundings of the rest of your house. It also means you’ve a place to chat well into the night without disturbing the rest of the household.

Make sure you put a decent stereo in there too. There’s nothing like a bit of good music, a few indoor games and good company.

If you have a dartboard, but you’re not really up to scratch for a proper game then you should try playing a beginners’ game called Around The Clock first.

The objective of Around The Clock is really simple. All each player has to do is try and hit each number in order from 1 to 20. Basically, a player starts off with three darts trying to hit number 1. If he hits 1 he moves onto 2 and so on until the three darts are gone and it’s the next player’s turn.

The winner is the first to 20. You can make things more interesting by bringing doubles and triples into play for the lower numbers allowing people to jump ahead. You can also stipulate that the winner has to hit the bull after 20 to make the game a touch harder.

It’s great to have a games room at home where you can pass the time if the weather’s bad. It’s also a really good way of helping to entertain people when they come over. You can share a few drinks, chat for a while and enjoy a few indoor sports.

The main indoor sports you can get going in your games room are things like darts, pool and table football. All these things require a bit of space, so don’t try and squeeze a games room into an area that’s too tight – remember you have to have extra room simply to hang out comfortably.