Let's face it, Old Man Winter can be cozy...but is also crazy. Or at least that's how you feel after one too many days inside with antsy kids who are crawling the walls and suddenly only have 4 words in their vocabulary, "What can we do?" So in an effort to help you stay a mom and not a "mom-ster" I've put together a list of inexpensive, indoor activities to help YOU stay sane and your kids stay busy. Most of these ideas are geared towards younger children, but put your older children's brains to good use and have them think about how to put a twist on these activities to make them even MORE fun!
Stock up on just a few of these inexpensive items and PIN THIS list before the next snowstorm has you trapped indoors.
1. Marshmallows & Spaghetti: Its' as simple as it sounds. Give your kiddos a pack of spaghetti and a bag of mini marshmallows (use the marshmallows to attach the pieces of spaghetti) and let them begin to CREATE!
2. Contact Paper Collage: Put up a piece of large contact paper on a wall or easel. Give them a pile of collage type of materials (feathers, torn paper, pom poms, old mail,) or let them collect things around the house and attach them to the contact paper. Hey, this may help with tidying up too!
3. Masking Tape Maze: create a maze with masking tape in a hallway, challenge your child to make it through the maze without touching or tearing any of the tape down.
4. Beads: Get a huge bag of beads at a craft store and some fishing line and let your children create bracelets, necklaces, key chains, etc. You can encourage pattern making, colors or even spelling with lettered beads.
5. Big Paper: It's as simple as that. Put up a huge piece of art paper (you can find rolls at craft stores, Target, Wal-mart, etc.) Attach to the wall or even just tape down to the floor. Let their imaginations soar. Bigger is just better.
6. Shaving Cream Art: Give them each a "blob" of shaving cream on a table and let them smear it down to make a thin layer so that they can practice letters, numbers or even draw.
7. Balloon Volleyball: Blow up a balloon and volley back and forth. Could put up a "net" or even just see how many times you can volley it back and forth before letting it hit the ground.
8. Ice Mystery: First of all, baths are always a good idea for keeping clean and giving kids something to do. Fill a large container with water and put different items (small toys, foam letters, soaps, etc.) and then freeze. Give it to the child to put in their bath and they will have the best time watching it melt and discovering what is in the frozen block of ice.
9. Homemade Roads: Use painter's tape to create a road on your floors, older kids could create the roads themselves. Makes a great new place for your kids to play with their mini cars, animals, etc.
10. Mini Pizza: A great lunch option that the kids can help to make. All you need are English muffins, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and any other preferred toppings. Yum!
Happy Winter!
