The Spencers Adventures are a family with 2 moms, 3 kids, 2 dogs, 4 cats, 3 goats, 32 chickens, and a whole bunch of bees. Their goal is to live as self-sufficiently and environmentally consciously as possible. Hence why we were thrilled when they offered to write a blog for our site about cold-weather activities for kids.
As the cold weather of winter approaches, parents might start to worry about keeping their children entertained indoors.
Don’t fear! There are plenty of ways to keep kids having fun while weaving in some educational value as well. Read on for tips about keeping kids’ (and parents’) spirits high no matter the weather.
Build an Indoor Gym
Young children are full of energy, and it can be hard for them to channel it indoors. Consider building an indoor gym. Depending on your budget and construction skills, there are options for every family:
- Use what you have. Clear a floor and have your kids run around the house gathering items they want to use in their indoor play gym. From pillows and blankets to Tupperware and trampolines, deciding what they want to include will surely get their imaginations going.
- Build it yourself. If you, your spouse or partner, or a family member are particularly handy, you could consider constructing your own jungle gym. From swings to rock walls to monkey bars, there are a number of ways you can bring the excitement of the outdoors inside.
- Buy it. If you don’t have space to build a jungle gym indoors, consider investing in a Nugget. This versatile product can be moved from room to room and allows children to use their imaginations to create fun and exciting spaces. Whether they use the Nugget to build a fort or to create a platform for somersaults, it’s sure to keep them entertained.
Get Crafty
No matter their age, crafts can provide entertainment and educational opportunities for your kids. For younger children, MomJunction notes simply colouring accomplishes a number of educational goals. It promotes fine motor skills while giving children an avenue to identify colours and objects. Colouring isn’t just for little kids these days, either. Great colouring books are now available for older children and adults.
To help get the creative juices flowing, you could pull together a bin of random items like feathers, sequins, glue, paper plates, and stickers. Put it in front of your kids and tell them to make whatever creation inspires them. This will provide a unique look into what is on their minds!
Older children could take on more advanced craft opportunities, such as learning to sew or woodworking. These types of crafts encourage them to learn real-world skills that will certainly help them in the future.
Make Some Music
As Bright Horizons explains, music is a powerful developmental tool for children. It helps improve brain power, develop social skills, build confidence, inspire creativity, and teaches discipline and patience. It is also a great way to bring some energy inside on a rainy day. Work with your kids to develop a playlist on Spotify and then challenge each to come up with a signature dance move. They can even create instruments from items on hand, like jars with beans or cans and spoons, or you can invest in a few instruments for the play bin.
If you have older children, work with them to find out how they want to experience music. Perhaps they would like to select an instrument to learn to play. Maybe they are interested in learning audio mixing. Whatever their interest, there is sure to be a musical pursuit that will keep them entertained indoors.
No matter what activities you choose to use to entertain your kids, your phone is an essential tool. Whether you’re looking up a playlist for their dance moves or ordering a new ebook, make sure you keep your phone protected from any mess life sends your way. An excellent case provides a durable shield to keep your phone in great condition, whether it’s a glitter bath or a surprise encounter with the toilet bowl.
Are you and the kids ready for indoor fun? While the winter months can seem gloomy, there is no need to dread them. Pick a few of the indoor activities discussed above, and you just mind find that the days fly by!
– Written by The Spencers Adventures
We hope that you loved this article as much as we did and that it gave you some inspirational and fun ideas in cold weather!
