Winter has hit hard here in Lexington and the kids are
probably saying “We are bored” Here are just some general ideas to keep you and
the kids from going stir crazy this winter.
1. Camp out inside.
Susan G. and her kids, from Stratford, CT, set up
tents and sleeping bags in the living room. They make hot dogs, popcorn and
s’mores and watch a movie or listen to their favorite music. “Instead of going
upstairs for bed, the kids just camp out. The next morning, it’s pancakes for
breakfast served tentside!”
2. Serve up a living-room BBQ.
Relive the warm and lazy days of summer by cooking up
a batch of favorite summer foods usually done on the grill. Try burgers,
potato salad, lemonade/iced tea and more. Enjoy everything together
while dining on a blanket spread out on the floor.
3.Snuggle up.
Daphne R., from Portland, OR, explains how her family
will “take advantage of the cozy factor and snuggle up with lap robes…reading
good books in front of the fire.” Take the opportunity to read a book out
loud with the kids taking turns too!
Andrea has five children and tells us they gather
together and take turns reading chapters from their favorite books. They also
play board games and sing songs. “Winter is a wonderful time for togetherness.
I love it!!” she says.
4. Puzzle Time.
Kim T., from Topeka, KS, has her family of six (ages
six to fourteen) do a puzzle together, usually 500 to 1,000 pieces. “We don’t
try to do it all in one night. We leave it up for several days and work on it
little by little. It’s amazing how into the puzzle the kids will become, even
over watching TV.”
5. Game Day.
Turn off the TV and video games and get together for
an old-fashioned game night. Let the kids take turns picking a game for the
whole family to play, or resurrect half-forgotten (or never-learned!) card or
board games.
6.Try a no-repeats weekend.
Make a game of trying something new every weekend,
with no repeats! Eat new foods, learn something new as a family or go places
you’ve never been before.
7. Try a game of sock volleyball.
Betsy M. and her boys, from Westmoreland, OH, clear
off the family-room floor and blow up a couple of balloons for “sock
volleyball.” They mark off the court and, wearing only their socks or playing
in bare feet, “play volleyball using our feet instead of our arms….It keeps us
laughing hysterically.”
7. Feel the rhythm.
Put on some great music and dance, dance, dance.
You’ll have a great time introducing the kids to your favorite moves, and
they’ll be able to show you what they’re into now. You could even take the
opportunity to learn some partner dancing (waltz or mambo, anyone?) together!
8. Family Time.
Cheryl has “Family Time” once a month. “We all gather
at my house to have a quick meal and then we play games like bingo.” She also
gets inexpensive prizes from the dollar store to add to the fun! It doesn’t
really matter what you do just that you do it as a family.
9. Relive old memories.
Break out the photo albums! Chrissy V., from Greensboro,
NC, plays family videos and she and her family “are all entertained for hours!”
They especially love “the older videos of when the kids were really small. They
can’t get enough of seeing themselves.”
10. Host a film festival.
Introduce your kids to old movie greats. Or take turns
choosing a genre (comedy, scary movies or adventure). You can extend the theme
by cooking meals that fit the films. What could be more fun than eating
spaghetti and meatballs as you watch Lady and the Tramp during your
“Doggone Great Dog Movies” weekend?
11. Pamper and primp.
Tamera finds that her two little girls, ages three and
four, are easily bored when they’re stuck in the house. “We have a few things
we do…but a fun one is Beauty Parlor Day! We style hair, paint nails, put on
dress-up clothes, and have an indoor picnic on the floor.”
12. Let’s Get Cookin’.
Jennifer E., from Oradell, NJ, bakes with her three
children (ages ten, seven and two) whenever it’s cold or nasty outside. She
gives each of them a job so everyone can help in his or her own way. “Cookies,
cakes or brownies…we always have so much fun!”
13. Learn more about your family.
Margaret Z., from Westland, MI, has “Scrapbook
Weekends” in the winter months for grown-ups and kids. She says they learn a
lot about their family history, especially from older family members, and the
kids can tell stories using their latest vacation pictures. If you do this,
consider videotaping it for a visual record of your family’s history.
14. Put on a play.
Work together to make up a story, create costumes and
design a set with things you have at hand. Then sit back on the sofa and get
ready to applaud the entrances and exits that will be treasured memories for
years to come. Videotape this too!
15. Craft it.
Annie G., from Spencer, IA, taught her daughter how to
crochet last year. “We now make afghans out of all the leftover yarn from other
projects and donate them to the women’s shelter.”
16. Volunteer.
Linda K., from Nyack, NY, says her family volunteers
at a soup kitchen once a month and the kids serve meals. “It feels good to know
you are helping someone who has no place to go and who really appreciates the
hot meal on a cold day!”
17. Donate.
Roseanne K., from Warminster, PA, sometimes gets her
husband and kids to sort through their clothes and toys when the weather is
bad. They then donate whatever they can to a local charity-run thrift shop.
Sometimes you’ve just gotta get outdoors—even when it’s cold. Here are a couple of fun ideas to help everyone focus on something besides the weather.
Sometimes you’ve just gotta get outdoors—even when it’s cold. Here are a couple of fun ideas to help everyone focus on something besides the weather.
18. Make snow paintings.
Brenda G., from Sheridan, IN, tells us her daughters
are older now, but they used to play inventively outside on snow days. “I would
save squeeze bottles and fill them with water colored with food coloring. We
would take them outside and draw pictures on the snow.”
19. Go on a photo scavenger hunt.
If it’s not too cold, hand out some disposable
cameras, assign a topic and roam the neighborhood. For example, if the subject
is lions, you may be surprised at the number of door knockers, statues or team
mascots that fit the bill.
Now you have some great ideas
to bet those winter blues, Lexington.
