Winter can be a tough month for many parents since it means that their kids can't run around outside as freely or as often as they could in the warmer months. On top of that, there's the whole pandemic, which has millions of kids learning remotely and already spending hours on end in the house. So what can moms and dads do to make sure that their offspring are happily entertained during the long winter months? It turns out, there's a lot, but if there aren't any ideas coming to mind, we've got you covered. Here are some suggestions for how you can keep little ones busy inside in the months to come.
TREASURE HUNT/SCAVENGER HUNT
Sometimes all you need is a piece of paper and a writing utensil to keep a kid busy. Sure they could draw with it or play tic-tac-toe, but you could also use it to give them either a list or some clues for a scavenger hunt or a treasure hunt. Jot down a bunch of around-the-house items and send them on their way for a scavenger hunt, or hide clues around the house and give your kid an "escape the room" experience with a treasure hunt. You can even reward them with a dollar bill or a surprise after they complete it! Better yet, if there's more than one kid living in your home, have them make treasure hunts or scavenger hunts for each other!
SLIME
Slime is all the rage these days but you don't have to go out and buy some overpriced goo - instead you can have your kid make some! Most recipes only require glue, contact lens solution and baking soda, plus some food coloring to give it a little brightness. Best of all, the creation of it as well as the handling, sculpting, mashing, squeezing and squishing of it after, are sure to keep fidgety little hands busy. Find all different kinds of recipes to make slime here.
ONLINE CLASSES
You might not be able to take your kid to guitar lessons or dance classes, but you can have those courses come to you. There are many sites online offering lessons in everything from cooking to coding for a low price. Any interest your child has, there is a class for it - football trivia, fashion and design, creative writing, Disney movies - you name it. Outschool is the most popular and comprehensive of the sites offering classes, but others like Kide Science, CodeSpark, Unruly Studios and more exist as well.
BIRDWATCHING
You may not be able to go outside because of cold weather, but plenty of animals are still out there, and your kids can watch our feathered friends from the warmth of home. Buy a birdhouse, or maybe even make one with the little ones, and fill it with some seeds, then watch as woodpeckers, finches, sparrows, cardinals and more appreciate your generosity. Have the kids write down all the types of birds they see or draw pictures of them. You might even get a special visitor like a chipmunk or a squirrel. For help identifying the animals you spot, head here.
OBSTACLE COURSE
Exercise can be hard to come by inside, but all you need is some creativity to really get kids moving. You could literally use anything from around the house to create an obstacle course. Set placemats on the ground and make children hop from one to another, have them balance on a yardstick, line up chairs and have them crawl under them or slalom around them. Once it's all set up, time how long it takes them to go through it and have them keep practicing, then come back later to see if they can beat their original time. You can even show them how quickly you can run through the course.
TALENT SHOW
Every kid has a talent, whether it is singing, dancing, lip syncing, magic, comedy, or putting on a killer puppet or shadow puppet show, and one way to keep them busy is by just having them show off what they can do with a talent show. The audience can be family members, but you could also organize a zoom call with your kids' friends, who can not only be part of the audience but can also perform acts for the show.
A PET
Obviously taking on a pet is a big decision, but if you choose to do it, it very well could keep your kids occupied for hours on end - and you don't need something as big as a dog to do it either. Hamsters, guinea pigs, lizards, frogs - even fish and hermit crabs can be watched, handled, or cared for for large parts of the day. It might also teach your young ones about responsibility!
LEGENDS ARCADE
While there might not be many playdates because of the pandemic, you can make your house the coolest one on the block with one quick purchase - the AtGames Legends Ultimate. The full-size arcade machine boasts 300 games, classic controls and a hi-def monitor, and is sure to keep kids busy - and standing - potentially for the entire day. The set boasts classics like Asteroids, Centipede, Burger Time, Bubble Bobble, Space Invaders, Pong, Tetris, and Missile Command, but also Star Wars and Disney games like Aladdin, The Lion King and The Jungle Book, and even Fix-It Felix. There are five-decades' worth of video games for kids to experience and in the off-chance they exhaust them all, you can download and add more games to it as well. While this one is sure to keep the kids busy, it might also keep moms and dads occupied too, and with plenty of two player games, the whole family can be entertained by it together. Learn more here.
Photo: Getty Images, AtGames