What To Do When It's Cold Outside!

When it's too cold for your children to play outside, you may find yourself going crazy trying to find engaging indoor activities before they're glued to the television or getting into other mischief. Indoor activities should provide a balance of physical activity and creative outlets. Some indoor activities depend on the age and interests of your children, as well as your tolerance for the noise and mess it may make.

Cooking Adventures

Regardless of your kids' ages, you can find plenty of culinary creations to do together. Let toddlers and preschooler help by pouring pre-measured ingredients and "stirring" the mixture. Older children will enjoy rolling and cutting cookie dough, and all your kids can participate in the decoration with colored frosting and sprinkles. For healthier, no-cook options, make a fruit salad and let your little ones tackle dividing peeled orange slices, pulling the stems off cherries and using the melon baller.

Building Forts

Build the indoor clubhouse of your children's dreams using a range of everyday items from couch cushions to blankets and cardboard boxes. Help them choose a safe location. Let them take the lead on construction, but offer assistance if they need help keeping blankets tight between two points or they want to move a chair that's too large. When they finish construction, enjoy a snack together inside the fort.

Make a Mural

A wall covered in white paper makes the perfect canvas for you and your want to be artists to decorate. Tape white paper over an entire section of the wall and ask your kids to help color it in using washable crayons or markers. This approach works best if you're kids are old enough to reliably stay within the boundaries of the paper. For younger children, let them draw a series of pictures at the table and then tape them to the wall in a group mural once they're finished.

Have a Dance Party

Dance the day away by having an indoor dance party. Turn off the regular lights and bring out the flashing holiday lights, along with any blinking toys and flashlights. Choose a short playlist of dance music from your computer or cd's and lead your kids in different dance movements for each song. After you show off your own dance moves, give each child a chance to make up their own dance move that everyone else follows for that song. Do the dances with your kids to keep up the momentum and excitement.

Set Up An Indoor Gym

Create an indoor kids gym with different activity areas, each featuring a different recreation item. Depending on your kids' ages, these fitness items could include a jump rope, a hula hoop, a sit-n-spin and stilt cups. You don't need to have a ton of space, but you should place the activity areas far enough apart so that your kids aren't at risk of accidentally hitting each other. 

And most important, remember to have fun and take lots of pictures! Enjoy your winter day!