When it's too cold to go outside, days can feel pretty long when you have small children. On top of my own child's restlessness, I'm also a nanny so it's kind of my job to keep kids active and engaged. However, when you're stuck in the house, options are limited. Add to that the fact that we don't watch TV anymore (more on that adventure here) and it's hard to keep kids from bouncing off the walls or fighting with each other.
Here as some activities that we have found successful for beating the winter boredom. My boys are 2 years old, and my girl is 6, so some activities I did strictly with the toddlers and others were good for the mixed bunch.
There are various levels of prep required and mess involved. Maybe at some point I will make a more specific list of no prep activities, but for now, here are some things to get your wheels turning.
Balloon tennis
blow up a bunch of latex balloon and used kitchen spatulas to whack them around.
Bowling for solo cups
Stack up solo cups to knock them down. After a while they got tired of using the ball and started going Kung Fu on them.
Make silly putty
I like this recipe because it's just corn starch and dish soap, but there are a ton of recipes out there. I used 2 parts cornstarch and 1 part dish soap, but it really depends on what texture you're going for. For older kids, trying different ratios and predicting and comparing the results can be a great way to engage.
Crushing sensory box
Inspiration for this idea came from this post on Busy Toddler. Fill a bin or pan or whatever you have with stale breakfast cereal (am I the only one with a stockpile of this stuff?) and give the kids toy hammers and potato mashers. This one is great for little boys who enjoy the opportunity to be destructive
Play with bubble foam
I got this idea here. My intention was to do it in the bathtub, but it happened to be a nice day so we were able to take it outside. It's just soap though (which I always have) so it can reasonably be done indoors.
Stacking paper towels or toilet paper
I was amazed at how long this kept the boys entertain and how creative they got with their play. If you have a stock pile of paper products in the basement, you'd be surprised what the kids will think of.
Kid's yoga
So to be fair, I don't actually know how to do yoga. At all. But lots of moms do and there are lots of kid's yoga printables out there, so if that's your thing, go for it. What I do are different stretches and compare them to animals and nature: reach up high like a tree. Bring your heels towards you and flap your knees like a butterfly. I mix in more active moves like hopping like a frog and shaking our sillies out to create what we call Our Exercies.
Scoop and transfer monster
This one I did with just the boys, but it can be adapted to make it more challenging for older kids. Draw a face on a paper plate and cut out a mouth. set it on top of a mixing bowl (or tape it). Fill another large bowl with beans, rice, legos, or whatever small pieces you want to use (we used Lite Bright pieces) and give the kids spoons. Tell them to feed the monster.
Straw Rockets
Chelsey has great directions and printables for this activity here. In a nutshell, you put paper rockets on the end of straws and blow to make them "take off" This was a little challenging for my 2-year-olds, but for older kids this would be great.
Make a catapult
Again, this is great one for little boys, and can be made more challenging for different ages. We placed large spoons on top of water bottles, put paper balls on one end, and stomped on the other end. You can get creative with it though.
Paint in a bag
I will be totally honest, this is not my favorite. It uses a lot of paint, and my little ones always seem to rip a hole in the bag. However, this would be really fun for kids who were a little older and/or learning about color mixing.
Contact paper monsters
Draw a monster face on contact paper and tape it to the window. Give the kids paper pieces and googly eyes and decorate it.
Snow painting
Great for all ages, especially when the kids want to play in fresh snow, but it's too cold or windy to go out. Fill a bin with snow. Give the kids paint brushes and water with food coloring for "paint." The boys loved this one. The would not stop until all the snow was melted.
Build a mountain with the couch cushions
This is a great way to burn off some energy, especially for toddlers since it requires a more effort for them to climb the mountain. We do this almost every day.
Face paint with washable marker
This is one of my son's favorite. Warning: washable markers are often not entirely washable. Usually I don't let him color my face, and I make sure we don't have anywhere important to be in the next few days. I've also used eyeliner instead of makers if I need it to come off easily.
I hope this helps bring your family a few moments of sanity. What are your favorite indoor activities to keep the kids busy? I'd love to hear them! leave a comment.
Blessings.
No comments:
Post a Comment