What are some things you do with your kids in the winter to keep them busy? It is very cold and wintery where we live and we are going stir crazy.
Crafts, festivals, music & dance concerts, and plays for children. Indoor pools, movement classes, indoor sports, bowling, museums & historic sites if they’re have children’s programs or your kids have the attention span. .
At home: kids exercise videos, puzzles, LEGO or DUPLO construction, put on a show with music, choreography, singing, speaking parts, play and poetry readings, athletic demonstrations, makeup, (flash)lights, backdrops, rehearsals, etc. Then assemble an audience to enjoy it.
Plant seeds in pots to replant in spring. Force bulbs. Get outside for walks if it’s not too frigid. Go mall walking when the stores are closed. Snowman and snow fort building, sledding and snowball fights. Skiing if that’s an option.
Paint designs on your window panes with lots of stuff to protect the home and people from paint drips. Hit the Dollar Store and decorate your place for every holiday. Rearrange the furniture.
Get your kids to find recipes they might like and make them. Learn etiquette and have (non caffeinated) tea with little sandwiches and treats you make together.
Watch cartoons or read simple children’s books in another language. Check out family programs at libraries, parks, RECenters. Look for performances and activities at local schools, community centers, universities.
Pick a topic and learn about it together: herbivorous dinosaurs, particular gemstones, African children’s games, the origins of your names—whatever your kids want.
Research a foreign city or culture. Learn a game, a dance, how the government is run (monarch, prime minister, emir, do they have elections, senates, etc.), listen to music & make food from there.
Learn how to play a simple instrument: make drums out of boxes, pots, oatmeal containers. Have a kazoo concert.
See how long you can hold your breath, stand on one leg, hold plank position or run in place. How many sit-ups, jumping jacks, high kicks can you do in a row? Can you pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time? Do kids action songs, like Baby Shark; Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes; Where is Thumbkin? Stretching or movement songs, stop and go (like Freeze Tag). Play Twister.
Do Mad Libs or Hangman if they’re old enough. Visit a nursing home or assisted living place and make new friends. Call in advance and see if you can help with an activity, or just hang out with possibly lonely older folks and ask questions about each other’s lives and interests.