Since the majority of my readers at the moment are MN folks (I’m sure I’ll be nationally known soon 😉 ) who are dealing with the same winter I am, I figured I would share a few of my ideas of how I entertain my 4 yr old and 18 month old in this weather because let’s face it, winters are long and cabin fever is running high this time of year. And maybe your kids are like mine where they’ve pulled out every toy they have like they are on a mission to make the largest mess yet still act like they have cabin fever…
Here is a list of some of my go-to’s for entertaining my kiddos…
Local library visits. We do this at least every three weeks, because that’s when the books are due. The local libraries have kid toys and some have story times as well if you can get there at the right time. Also, it is always fun to pick out new books to read at home because I don’t know about you, but I can only read Little Blue Truck so many times!
Homemade play doh. The store bought stuff is good to, but this gets the added bonus of a little bit of “cooking” aspect to it. Know that it is super easy to make though and the kids can decide what color it is. My girls seems to like it better than store bought too, not sure why but I’m not complaining.
Random ideas from Pinterest, like taping an empty paper towel roll on the wall and letting my 18 month old put poms down it, so simple, yet so fun! And you have the bonus of being able to decorate the paper towel roll.
Board games are great if you have a older kids. We are fans of Hoot Owl Hoot, it is a cooperative game so it is good for starting to teach “winning and losing.” Granted if I am playing a game, I usually prefer to have a winner and loser because I am very competitive but for my kid, I will let both of us win or both of us lose. Other games we enjoy are Count Your Chickens and match games. Match games are great because you can just take some regular playing cards if you don’t have a “game” and have the kids match the playing cards (don’t do the 52 card deck, start with like 10-16 depending on your kids skill level).
Dance parties. Our new thing is having a dance party in our living room with our dance light and all. Everyone gets to chose a song so our repitoire usually includes “Baby Shark” from Bounce Patrol (I think it’s better than the original version) and “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC (my oldest’s new favorite dance song). I turned up some Michael Buble the other night and we danced all around our living room.
Baking! My oldest really likes to bake with me, especially if it involves making a treat. I search the internet for healthy snacks and treats and then we make them together. And for a special treat, we will make sugar cookies and decorate them. We did that this weekend for Valentine’s Day. My youngest even tried to help today…..it didn’t go well. Let’s just say that Libby got to eat some cookie dough.
Movie night with homemade popcorn. My oldest LOVES popcorn and I’ve started making it on the stove top so it is healthier. I may burn batches on a regular basis but I am getting the hang of it now. Movies of choice lately in our household are Annie and Wizard of Oz (don’t ask me how the wicked witch of the east doesn’t scare my 4 yr old). We rarely watch the entire movie because we try and limit screen time.
Embrace the winter. Go sledding, build a snowman, ice skate, or just play in the snow! It was above zero on Sunday so we bundled up and went outside in the snow. Fresh air is great for the girls, and myself. We did some sledding, made a snow castle and just played in the snow. We stayed outside until my 18 month old started taking her mittens off. Seriously, why do all kids do that?
Another idea and something we did this weekend is play hide & seek. This can entertain my kids for like an hour, as long as you are willing to play along that long. This game works for my 4 yr old and 18 month old. The 18 month old thinks it’s hilarious to find her big sister and the 4 yr old just thinks it is so fun to hide. A little warning with this game….don’t hide in too hard of a spot or your kid will get mad or scared….not that I know from experience…. 😉 And depending on your kids age, you may need to pretend like you can’t see them right behind the couch so that you don’t find them in the first 2 seconds (that may have happened this weekend).
So there you have it. Some ideas of what to do with kids on snowy, cold days. I realize a lot of the ideas are simple things but it is those simple things that we forget about. There is no need to do anything extravagant for kids, they will love anything as long as you are playing with them!
What are your favorite things to do with the kids when it won’t get above zero degrees or stop snowing outside?
