Indoor Winter Activities

I live in California, where the weather is usually pretty mild, but I know other parts of the country might be dealing with lots of snow days (in our defense, we do get stuck inside when one of the kiddos gets sick!).

 

You can only watch so many DVDs before the kids get antsy. Here are some of our favorite Indoor Winter Activities.

 

 

Bring the sand and water table inside!  We love to fill ours with water and small plastic animals.  You can also fill it with dried beans or rice and provide measuring cups, spoons, and bowls. Learn how to make fake snow for another sensory experience. 

 

If that all seems a little too messy, grab a plastic bowl (or in my case, an empty plastic drawer) and fill it with crushed or cubed ice.  I know it sounds crazy, but M (5.5 years old) and G (20 months) LOVE to play in the ice, scooping and serving, hiding objects and finding them!

 

 

Get out the painter’s tape (or masking tape!) and make some tracks!  For little ones, try straight lines that they can walk.  For older ones, try spelling out their name or writing out the alphabet, having them call out the letter or sound as they jump on each one.  Or, make animal and toy parades!

 

 

M loves when I grab an ice cube tray, some chopsticks (Target dollar spot has some great ones right now!) and just a random bowl of found objects.  I put all sorts of odds and ends out (buttons, magnets, beads, toys) and she loves tweezing!

 

And when all else fails, roll out some butcher paper (I get the rolls at Ikea for CHEAP), some paint, stamps, or markers and let them go wild.  I always tape ours down on our kitchen floor, making it easy for them to create and even easier for me to clean up. Share some Winter Jokes for Kids or read your favorite Winter books. 

 

How do you stay busy when you’re experiencing a little cabin fever?