once the fun of being outdoorsy in Summer is gone, thoughts of cabin fever seem almost inevitable. How do you keep your kids entertained during the snowy winter months?
My son is enrolled in a baby gym that we attend 3 times a week. It always gives us something to look forward too. I live in a SMALL place, so bringing outdoor toys in isnt an option. When hes not in the gym, we watch movies together, read books, or I just let me roam the house and he finds play in his many, many toys. He also likes to organize things, so sometimes I take all of his clothes out of his dresser and he likes to put them back.
Dear A.-
The BEST free 'investment' I ever made was an empty appliance box...It became a puppet theatre (kids spent hour upon hour making all kinds of puppets...decorating the theatre...and making up their 'scripts' and performing.
It also served as a 'toll' booth...a drive thru bank...you get the idea.
When it gets worn out...call appliance store...mine kept me supplied for years.
It also 'folds flat' for putting away!
Enjoy!
michele/cat
I often go to the bookstore, BN has thomas trains in most children's dept. and Borders has puppets and oh, yeah...books!
The travel to, from, and some playing takes up 2 hours (or more) and sometimes we add in a lunch or snack along the way home.
I also plan playdates with other moms, I mean kids.
My son ice skates at the rink, does karate, we go to the library, have playdates at home, head out to the indoor playscapes, and play in the snow if it's there. We go to the community center pool if it's open. He also plays Club Penguin online, Sprout Online games, Nick Jr. online as well as Vtech, Leapster, and board games.
PLAY OUTSIDE!!!! We just got about 3" of snow here in MI. The kids (6 and 8) and I played outside yesterday evening after dinner from about 6pm-7pm in the dark! Super fun!
Play in the snow! Sledding, snow angels, jumping, running, snow cones with fresh snow. Kids need at least 1 hour outside a day - boys seem to need 2x1hr.
You're in the City, so it may be tough but we bring some of his outdoor toys inside. We have the Little Tykes slide and swing set up in our basement along with the basketball hoop and the bicycle. We put playground sand in his red wagon to make a "moveable" sandbox.
Depending on how old your kids are... hop in the train and head Upstate! We have tons of kid-friendly weekend activities that they would enjoy. You could spend the afternoon at one of our State parks and build snow people and snow forts. You could explore the museums (again age-dependent).
Get cooking! My son is little, but during the winter when he and his daddy are inside with me when I get dinner started (and under my feet), I give him jobs to do- stir, mix, pepper grinder (with supervision), but the bowl goes on the floor and he can go to town!
Sock puppets or finger puppets with old gloves and scraps of material/ribbon. Read a story and then have them act-out the story. Catch up on movies, organize your photo albums. My son LOVES looking at pictures of himself as a baby.
I don't know if this is feasible in your living situation (if you have the space for it, or downstairs neighbors who would complain, etc.), but we got a small indoor trampoline from One Step Ahead that is great for when it's too cold or messy to go outside to get the energy out.
Good luck!
Love these ideas! We also check out events at Westchester magazine or other similar local events around town. I also found on one step ahead an indoor swing that attaches in a doorway! Got great reviews- I just spent too much already during Thanksgiving sales! Good luck. We're also making tons of holiday crafts and giving them to people as gifts.
