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Whether it’s the rain, snow, or freezing cold that drives your kiddos indoors, there will be a time when you need some activities to keep your kids entertained inside. I am a firm believer that kids don’t need to be entertained all the time, but when it’s -20F for three days straight, you might need a few extra ideas to help you keep your sanity. ;)
Some activities that are good for elementary/middle school kids:
Frog jumps – put lines of painters tape on the floor and have your kids do leap frog jumps across them. Challenge your older kids to skip lines or jump as far as they can!
Tuck and roll competition – pull out a mattress and a little trampoline if you have one. If not, just jump from the floor (or from the couch if you’re really feeling the fun mom vibes). Jump onto the mattress into a somersault. See who can jump the highest, somersault the farthest, or do a twist in mid-air!
Practice your shot – with small balls and baskets… who can get the most into their basket? Small wool, felt balls work great for tweens and teens, as they’re a little trickier. Set a time limit for an extra challenge. Or use cotton balls to make it 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 tricky! Have smaller kids? Use larger balls and bigger boxes or move closer to the target.
Cup bowling – this one is a classic and is perfect for big and little kids. Just stack up plastic or paper cups, roll a ball (or even a balled up piece of paper or tin foil!), and see who can knock all cups down.
Building contest – use legos, blocks, or even paper cups – see who can build the tallest, strongest, or most intricate tower.
Bring out art supplies you don’t usually use – those paints or pastels you save for “special projects” or the messiest ones your kids always ask for but you never want to use (I’m looking at you, 𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧! ;)
Obstacle course or scavenger hunt – set it up for your kids to follow or if you have older kids, have 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 design and execute it!
Act out a scene from a favorite book – use puppets or even change the scene entirely by making the characters act opposite to how they act in the book. Make the good guy the bad guy!
Explore an old appliance – take apart an old appliance or a broken clock to see what’s inside!
Here are some activities that are great for young kids:
Sensory bins – fill a dish tub with seeds, beans, etc OR you can do things like easter grass or paper shreds that are easier to clean up
Hopscotch – use painters tape on the floor to make the boxes
Water table on the kitchen or bathroom floor – do water play in the tub; put a dishtub in the bathtub and let them play while wearing swimsuits
Tents and forts – what kid doesn’t love a tent or a fort?
Shaving cream on a tray – let your kiddo swirl around in the shaving cream to have some sensory fun. Give them some washable toys and let them hide them in the shaving cream
Old toys – have any old toys that you put in the basement, intending to donate… but never did? ;) Pull them out and they’ll feel like new again!
Trampoline – this is my number one secret weapon for entertaining kids of all ages inside in the winter!
Plus, let’s not forget the old standby of snuggling up on the couch to watch a movie or playing a board game together!