This winter has been brutal. During the winter vacation, we were stuck at home, it being below freezing every single day. As parents we have to get creative. I always like to have some goodies in the closet for days like these. Today for example, I took out a new toy for my daughter to play with. Here are some cheap indoor activities that will keep your kiddos entertained when the weather is crappy:
1. Bake something yummy.
I always like to have a bag of chocolate chip cookies in the pantry– but you can make anything! I also like baking blueberry muffins, banana bread, and sometimes we even make cheesy yucca bread.
2. Make slime.
There are many recipes out there, we have used this one by PBS Kids. Hispanic Global has this great video which shows you how to make it using shaving cream (I love the texture in this one!)
3. Play UNO.
We love playing UNO so much we have three different UNO games! It’s especially fun when grandparents play, and it gets a bit competitive! It’s also a great way to practice numbers and colors.
4. Build a puzzle.
One day I went to Dollar Tree and bought a bunch of puzzles- 24 pieces, 50 pieces, 100 pieces. I saved them for a special occasion, so when it’s rainy and snowy, out come the puzzles! Of course, pick puzzles that match your kid’s ability to build them.
5. Have fun with shaving cream!
All you need is shaving cream and some food coloring.
6. Have fun with household items!
On one rainy day we took an oatmeal container and made this project. We’ve also used toilet paper rolls as well. It’s a great way to reduce, reuse and recycle as well!
7. Have a scavenger hunt!
Scavenger hunts are great for kids who know how to read! And, you can do it in Spanish if you’re raising bilingual kids! There are a lot of ways to create a scavenger hunt. I like these bilingual scavenger hunts from Spanish Playground.
8. Board games!
Some of our favorites: Guess Who, Battleship and Trouble.
9. Have an art box ready to go!
We have an art box with lots of stuff to make collages with! It’s lots of fun and will keep your kids entertained for hours.
10. Build a tower!
We had fun building a tower using index cards and tape, but you can even use other things like a deck of cards, blocks or Legos. (We did this as a team building and STEM exercise in my son’s school, and it was very cool, the parents worked with the kids!)
