Affordable Ways to Keep Your Kids Entertained Inside When It’s Too Cold Outside to Play
by Carrie Spencer | The Spencers Adventures
Winter is coming, and so is cabin fever. When children are forced to stay indoors for long periods because of inclement weather, boredom rears its ugly head and chaos ensues. So what’s a parent to do?
The solution is to keep ennui at bay by introducing fun, engaging, and enriching activities that will keep kids entertained within the warmth and safety of your own home. And guess what? You need not even break the bank to make this happen. Read on for some fabulous tips from Cris Johnson’s School Assemblies and Library Shows that even the most discerning kids will enjoy.
Encourage creativity.
According to PBS, creativity is the best form of self-expression for children. Encouraging it in kids is especially important as it helps them cope with their feelings better, acknowledges their uniqueness and individuality, and fosters new ways of thinking that facilitate mental growth. It’s a good idea, therefore, to add a few creative activities to your indoor repertoire.
Consider arts and crafts projects that promote creative thinking and collaboration among your kids. All you need are a few cheap art supplies like paper, crayons, glue, and the like to keep them occupied for hours on end.
You can also kick up the fun factor a notch with singing and dancing. The British Council explains that song and dance are essential to your kid’s development—music promotes empathy and expressiveness, while dance develops spatial awareness. Both are also linked to stress reduction and overall great health, which any kids can certainly benefit from. So put on some fun tunes, crank up the volume and stage mini-concerts at home! Everyone’s guaranteed plenty of laughs, and you don’t even have to spend a cent.
Sharpen young minds.
Of course, the best indoor activities are those that help kids learn a thing or two while having so much fun that they don’t even realize that they’re studying. Thankfully, there’s no dearth of these activities, so you won’t lack for ideas.
Consider easy-to-do science experiments or magic skills that your kids can do at home. With your supervision, your kids can perform basic scientific wonders or sleight of hand maneuvers that will leave their interest piqued for more. Best of all, you can use stuff you already have lying around the house for most of them, so you don’t have to worry about costs.
You can also get your kids to learn important life skills, like cooking. By giving them license to help you out in the kitchen, you can build on their skills of deduction, as well as teach them how to take instruction, to name just a few benefits. You also need not spend too much on ingredients and tools by simply making use of what you already have on hand and sticking to kid-friendly recipes that you will all enjoy eating afterward.
Promote physical fitness.
And just because kids are stuck indoors doesn’t mean that you should forego physical activity altogether. There are great activities and games that they can do that will ensure they get the right amount of exercise while cooped up, as well as expend some of that pent-up energy. Think pillow obstacle courses and pillow fights, or even just good, old-fashioned tickle tag and hide-and-seek. Chances are, your wallet won’t even notice.
Dollar-stretching tips.
Online resources are invaluable parenting tools these days. The internet is pretty pricey in some places, but there are inexpensive options for people who qualify. Check around for providers that offer low-cost internet services near you.
And lastly, while you want your children to thrive, you don’t need to go broke giving them all they need to do it. If you’re adding new learning tools, toys, craft supplies, electronics or workout gear, bear in mind that a quick internet search will help you find a Black Friday promo code that will help you save money.
It’s true that cabin fever is no picnic. But the fact is, there’s really no reason for kids to suffer, just because the weather outside isn’t working in their favor. So consider these boredom-busting activities for colder days. Your children will thank you for it—and so will your budget!
Cris Johnson loves to help kids learn, grow and have fun. Look to School Assemblies and Library Shows for more information on implementing educational and entertaining programs into your home!
Carrie Spencer created The Spencers Adventures (thespencersadventures.net) to share her family’s homesteading adventures. On the site, she shares tips on living self-sufficiently, fruit and vegetable gardening, parenting, conservation, and more. She and her wife have 3 kids, 2 dogs, 4 cats, 3 goats, 32 chickens, and a whole bunch of bees. Their goal to live as self-sufficiently and environmentally-consciously as possible.