When it is freezing cold outside – perhaps it is snowing, or it is raining heavily or windy – we all go a little stir crazy. Throw in a few kids with plenty of energy into the mix and it might feel like you are going to lose the plot completely. It can be really difficult to keep children entertained when we cannot go outside. However, with winter approaching rapidly, we need to have some tricks and tips up our sleeves to keep our little people happy and amused, while keeping your sanity intact. Not to mention, many of us are in lockdown or strictly limiting our movement homestead. So it is a great time to run through this list and see what you can use to keep peace and have fun with the kiddos indoors!
6 Ideas to Entertain Kids in Lockdown or Bad Weather
Here, we look at some of the things that you can do to keep your kids entertained during the winter months and while in quarantine.
1.Cardboard box
The humble cardboard box, with the help of a few additional resources and lots of creativity and imagination, can provide hours of fun for children of all ages. Save all those boxes from your Amazon purchases for one of those days where you need to pull something out of the bag. Open it up and use it as a sled down the stairs (with lots of careful adult supervision!). Get out the paints and turn it into a castle fort or a house, make shields and masks…whatever takes your fancy. Look on Pinterest for some simple ideas.
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2. Put a craft box together
Very few children don’t enjoy crafts, so put a craft box together. You can order ready-made ones online, but half of the fun is collecting the resources and making your own. Put in paper plates, popsicle sticks, pom poms, sequins, pipe cleaners – you will be amazed at what kids can create with a few simple bits and pieces.
3. Make sock puppets
Do not throw away all those socks that have mysteriously lost their partner. Instead, keep them to one side and turn them into sock puppets on a rainy day. Just add googly eyes!
4. Scavenger hunt
Hide something – perhaps their favorite candy or a new movie and some popcorn – and leave clues for them to find it. Hald of the fun is in the hunt itself, and you can make the clues as easy or as difficult as you want, depending on the age of the kids.
5. Take them to an indoor playground
This one is not suitable when you are social distancing but it is great if you are looking for ideas in normal times when it is cold out. Sometimes, you need to escape the confines of the house and an indoor playground is ideal for this. It gives the kids a chance to run around and burn off some pent up energy, make some friends, get some exercise, and allows you to sit down for five minutes and enjoy a hot cup of coffee in peace.
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6. Wrap up and go out
There’s a saying ‘there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing choices’. Ok, so sometimes the weather is just too bad, but generally, a bit of rain or cold weather does not mean you have to stay indoors. Dig out the puddlesuits and gumboots, find an umbrella and gloves and go outside for some muddy fun!
There you have it. Hope this list gives you some fun ideas to try when getting outdoors is tricky for a variety of reasons.
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