Tiffany Raiford
It’s snowing and cold and you have no idea what to do with your kids when you can’t go outside. They are wound tight and you are wound even tighter. The whines and the boredom and the craziness are driving you completely nuts and you have no idea what to do to keep your kids happy. You know that you could spend half an hour dressing them in their warmest winter gear to take them outside for approximately 5 minutes before they realize that you were right, it is cold, and they don’t actually want to be outside, but why bother when there is so much else you can do. It might not seem like it, but there are so many things you can do inside that will keep your kids happy and entertained, and you will appreciate the fact that they are all indoor activities that don’t require much mess or much effort.
Bake Cookies
What’s better on a cold day than fresh, warm cookies? Oh, that would be nothing. So go ahead and head straight to the kitchen and let your kids help you mix up some cookie dough and make a batch of cookies designed to eat fresh out of the oven.
Make Hot Chocolate
There’s always something so delicious about hot chocolate, so go ahead and make some. Let your kids help you choose the marshmallows and even add some whipped cream to the top of your hot chocolate and then sit down together to enjoy it.
Make an Art Project
Why not bust out the finger paints and paper to create an art project that you can hang on the fridge or give to daddy/mommy when he or she gets home from work. It’s a sweet idea that will take some time and some effort, which is what makes it fun.
Color
Sometimes the most fun things to do are the simplest. Grab some crayons and some coloring books and get to work. You can make art that’s already been drawn for you. Just remember to try and color in between the lines.
Read Stories
Nothing is more relaxing or more fun than reading, so go ahead and get a stack of your little one’s favorite books so that you can enjoy them together. Let them read to you, read to them and just spend some time cuddled up together lost in an imaginary world or two.
Watch a Movie
Pick a movie that everyone will love and sit down together. Get blankets and pillows, make some popcorn or some favorite treats and get ready to spend a couple of hours relaxing. The best part about this is that the kids might actually take a nap. Maybe you can, too.
Build a Lego Tower
A lego tower is always a good idea. Who doesn’t love the idea of building something super tall and amazing and seeing who can actually make the tallest tower and the best creation? Make it a competition to see who does the best job.
Play Hide and Seek
It’s not really a good idea to run in the house, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do, and we recommend that you play an intense game of hide and go seek in the house. It is fun, and it creates a lot of giggles. We love giggles.
Let the Kids Help Cook
When it’s time for dinner, let the kids help you prep all that needs prepping so that you can get it done a little faster and spend a little more time together. It’s a fun bonding experience.
Make Music Together
Get the pots and pans, bowls and Tupperware out and create a rock band extraordinaire. You can do it; and you can make it entirely too awesome for words. Kids will love something like this; it makes you seem cool.
Play Catch
Small kids will love getting to play catch with mom or dad and a small, soft ball. They love this kind of activity and that makes it worthwhile to bring out for fun.
Dance
Turn up the music and get busy. There is no reason you guys can’t make some really awesome new dance moves and create memories that will last a lot longer than a bad mood on a snowy day.
Swim in the Tub
We all just want summer to come back when we are stuck in the middle of winter, and that means that we want to go swimming. It’s too cold outside, so go ahead and get in the big tub and make a fun swimming party for the kids. You can even let them wear their swimsuits and join them.
Make Cleaning a Game
Kids love to clean – ironically. So go ahead and let them bust out their own little brooms and items and turn cleaning into a game. Have a competition to see who can put the most toys away or who can put them away the fastest; it’ll be fun and beneficial.
Build a Blanket Fort
Remember when you were a kid and your parents let you take the chairs from the table and build a fort out of blankets? That feeling was awesome, so go ahead and give it to your kids. Let them do it. Don’t worry about the mess; there’s always time to clean it up later.
Play Monsters
If you have little monsters or trucks or whatever, play a game of monsters with the kids. Let them see that monsters are fun and not so much scary.
Play Barbies
Your little girls are going to love this, and your inner little girl is also going to love this. Go ahead and make it a game so that everyone has a good time.
Play Cards
Even if your kids are a little younger, they will understand the concept of a game of Go Fish, so get the cards out and start playing with them. It’ll be fun; but not if you’re a sore loser.
Play a Game
Monopoly, Life, Chutes and Ladders; they’re all fun and your kids will have a great time. Most of us don’t take enough time out of our own busy schedules to do things like this with the kids, but we should do a little more of this than anything else.
Write Someone a Letter
Write a letter to your grandparents or your loved ones. Catch them up on how you all are and let the kids add their own sentiments or letters. It’s a wonderful, and productive, idea on a snowy day.
Photo illustration by Matt Cardy/Getty Images
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