It was only three weeks ago I was bragging about the beautiful winter we were having. It was temperate and overall pretty enjoyable. Then February hit. It has been a very long three weeks for us, dealing with a ton of heavy snow and ice like I’ve never experienced before. There is currently about six inches of ice on the walkway to our vehicle. Not fun.
Every day that we wake up my daughter asks if today is the day we can go to the playground and if the snow has melted yet. Unfortunately I have to say no. Playing outside in the winter can be fun but unfortunately we have been stuck inside dealing as the ice and extreme cold have made it impossible to enjoy fresh air.
Given that we have been dealing with serious cabin fever I have been looking for things to break the fever a little and this is what we have come up with:
Have a dance party!
Kiddo loves to dance so to get some exercise and lift our spirits a bit we blast music and dance in the living room. She has a ton of fun showing off her dancing skills and we’re able to burn some toddler energy off.
Crafts
Painting is something we don’t do every day since there is a little more involved than pulling out a box of crayons so kiddo is always excited to find out we’ll be playing with paint. I love the dollar store for craft supplies. For less than $10, I have months of supplies for days just like this. It’s amazing what some imagination and a few cheap supplies kids can come up with. Pinterest is a mecca of craft ideas for kids of all ages too.
Clean up
I know this isn’t the funnest idea, but if you’re forced to stay inside it’s a good time to tidy things up. I have been looking for a day to go through toys with my daughter and have her help decide which ones we can get rid of and donate.
Exercise
We own a treadmill which is great for weather like this, that is if you’re old enough to operate it. Obviously my daughter, who isn’t quite three, can’t use it but that doesn’t mean she can’t get some exercise in. YouTube is full of videos geared for young children’s fitness. Yoga, stretching, dancing are just a few. Watching a three year old do yoga is entertaining too.
Quiet time
This will depend on the age(s) of your kids but sometimes it’s nice to enjoy a little quite time with reading and games. This only lasts so long as I can attest to. We’ve already read all of her favorite books and played with all of her puzzles. It’s nice while it lasts though!
Sometimes I question my sanity for living in an area where this weather can be expected but all we can do is make the best of it! I know it won’t last forever and in just a few weeks I’ll be walking outside with no coat on and cursing the muddy ground. Until then though all I can do is beat cabin fever one day at a time.
What ideas do you have for entertaining kids in the winter?
Catherine is a first time momma to a rambunctious toddler. When she isn’t soaking up all that motherhood has to offer, you can find her blogging over at Plunged in Debt where she chronicles her and her husbands journey out of debt. You can also follow her on Twitter.
