Winter Fun Indoors

By Susie Erjavec Parker

It can really tough to be cooped up indoors with little ones once the mercury plummets. You want to get outside but sometimes the windchill makes it next to impossible. Television and technology are easy to appease children's boredom but it makes me feel guilty sometimes. So what can we do to keep the kids happy, parents happy, and still have fun inside while the weather outside is frightful? 

Keep in mind, some of these are better suited to certain ages. Here are a few ideas to add to your go-to indoor games: 

1. Glow sticks in the tub: this one is easy and a sensory delight. Fill the tub with warm water and let the kids play in the tub with glow sticks. Easily available at the dollar store, glow sticks make for a fun time in the dark! (Ages 3 years and up)
2. Dance Party: Crank up the radio, Songza, or your iTunes and have a fun dance party with the wee ones. Bonus points if you can incorporate the leftover glow sticks! (All ages)
3. Bins are the best: put a shovelful of snow in a plastic or Rubbermaid lid (the lids have lips which prevent leakage or spillage) with towels underneath and provide scoops and measuring cups. You can also re-create a water table, indoor sandbox, or bubble tray this way. Adding food colouring can add a new layer of fun too. The possibilities are endless. (Ages 18 months up)
4. Hands-on fun: Try a sensory bin filled with rice, pasta, or beans. Switch up the type of fill for a different sensory experience. (Ages 2 years and up)
5. Kitchen band: Open up the cupboards and take out the pots and pans and let the little ones enjoy some happy noise. Wooden spoons become drum sticks, pans become drums, and lids turn into cymbals. It will be loud and memorable! (Ages 12 months and up)

Do you have some tried and true methods for entertaining the kids when the weather gets too frigid? We'd love to hear them!