It’s winter and getting out isn’t always the easiest with kids on a cold day. Sometimes getting stuck in the house because of colds and snowstorms can drive you stir crazy and I know I’m always looking for something different to do with the kids. Yes, even with all the toys we accumulate in our houses the kids still seem to get bored and start fighting. I’m always trying to keep on top of fun indoor activities that we don’t get to do everyday. Here are some ideas for you and your family.
- Bounce House. Yes a real bounce house, we have a small one in our house, it’s 10x6.5 ft and 6ft high. The kids got it for Christmas one year and it fits right in the living room. They love to jump and slide and it gets some of their energy out.
- Sensory bins. We have a few different bins with kenitic sand, rice, pasta, and beans. The kids like to play with little figurines in the bins, cups, spoons, funnels, or just dig in with their hands. It’s surprisingly satisfying. We sit on the kitchen floor so that I can easily clean up any mess that happens.
- Snow. When there is snow outside I will bring some of it inside and put it in our water table in the kitchen. The kids wear gloves so their hands don’t get cold and will shovel snow into cups and build mini snowmen. No snow? We also love to make instant snow and the great thing about it is that it isn’t cold.
- Board games. We love board games and card games and there are so many games out there to make everyone happy. Some of our favorites are Go Fish, Memory, Guess Who, Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders.
- Baking. Who doesn’t love cookies right out of the oven or decorating cupcakes with frosting and sprinklaes.
- Crafts. Stickers, stamps, paint, or old craft kits that we never got around to. It’s a great way to keep them occupied for a while and to decorate the house with their creations.
- Dance Party. We take turns asking Alexa to play songs or I play DJ and we dance around the house. The kids love it when we turn off the lights (or close the curtains) and I break out the dollar store glow sticks and we make it a glow dance party.
- Hide and Seek. My kids are getting pretty good now at keeping quiet and finding their own spots (instead of hiding in the spot I just hid in). They are also getting better at counting and patiently waiting to go find everyone.
- Snowball fight. We have a bin of fake snowballs that we love to have a friendly fight with. They are basically the same as stuffed animals, but white and in a ball shape (and some of them glow when squeezed).
- Organize. Go through toy bins and closets and organize everything. Okay, this one is more for me than the kids, but they are happy when we find that missing piece they lost weeks ago.
