[kids] fun indoor activities

well, it hasn’t been much of a winter. the kids are stuck in this whole “there’s a little bit of snow outside, but not enough to play in the snow” and “it’s not cold, but it’s not warm enough” syndrome. so, i decided to put together a list of some of my favorite indoor activities for kids to inspire you. i hope that you are able to post links to other activities or offer your own ideas to share with your fellow readers and myself! i will be willing to do a second follow up post if we get enough extra ideas!

here are the top ten!

1. create a library.

no matter how young your children are, reading is essential for their creative growth. one of the families that i was a nanny for had an infant and part of his daily nap routine was to read a few books before nap time. you could see his eyes light up when you would read to him at three months old! kids LOVE books! they just need to be able to see them. take time to create a small library for the children at their level to access their books regularly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. write a book.

it’s as easy as stapling a few pieces of construction paper or printer paper together and folding them into a book. set out crayons, markers and stickers and let them go crazy making picture books. have them read the stories to you when you are finished! for extra fun, help them attach a photo of themselves and write an “about the author” section.

 

 

 

 

 

3. have a picnic.

gather a few snacks, a blanket or tablecloth, toy dishes and stuffed animals! have your kids set up a picnic in their bedroom. for added fun, buy some bug figurines for them to play “attack of the bugs” [this is more for boys!], or offer dress up clothes for everyone [for the girls!]

 

 

 

 

 

4. build a fort.

this was always my favorite as a kid. my uncle would turn his entire basement into a fort using blankets and wood blocks. he went all out making rooms and hallways! here’s a great post featuring ideas from the creator of [simple marriage] on [building a blanket fort].

 

 

 

 

 

5. go on a treasure hunt.

my mom used to do this for my sister and cousins and I all the time! she would write up a bunch of clues that would send us all over the house looking for the next clue [ex: andrew wears this in the pool; the next clue would be in his dresser on top of his swim trunks]. finally, at the end of the hung, we would find out about a day trip we were taking [to door county usually!], a place we were going to visit [like the zoo!] or just find the loot [candy, new small toys, money to bring to the convenient store on the corner for treats]! get your creative juices flowing… the kids will love it! [we definitely did!]

 

 

6. take a bath.

ok, i know not every kid is as excited as andrew [2 years old] to take baths, but how about a little motivation! check out this website for a recipe on making [bathtub soap crayons] for the kids to show off their creativity!

 

 

 

 

 

7. spy training.

if your kids are anything like my boyfriend’s, they will LOVE this idea. tape string up in a hallway in different positions and have them practice going through the “laser beams”. [note: do not let the young “football” type toddlers in on this one… the string will be off the wall in no time.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. go camping.

set up tents with their mattress and equip the kids with s’mores, flashlights & make a fake fire pit. buy glow in the dark stars at the dollar store and cover the ceiling for that outdoor feeling. we have a nightlight that projects the moon for an added touch!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLEASE POST YOUR IDEAS! Can’t wait to hear all your feedback!

photo source [1]  [2]  [3]  [4]  [5]  [6]  [7]  [8]

07 Feb This entry was published on February 7, 2012 at 1:58 pm and is filed under kids. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.