Winter can be a great time for relaxing with loved ones and keeping cosy
indoors, but if you're children are anything like mine, then it can
also be a time of boredom for little ones who need to be kept
entertained or who prefer to be outside.
My boys love being outdoors. They're little nature lovers and like to
explore the world around them - much to my delight! However, sometimes the
winter days just aren't accommodating enough for outdoor adventures,
meaning we all have to stay cooped up inside. This is enough to drive
both them and I stir crazy!
I've shared before about how I want my sons and I to live a more wholesome life
and even though these winter days mean that we may to stay indoors a
whole lot more than we'd like to, I don't want myself of the children to
be sitting in front of the TV or electronic devices all day. Thankfully my boys have no interest in watching TV, but they do love their tablets for watching Kids YouTube, so finding other ways for them to spend their time is important to me.
So, I've come up with some ways to keep children entertained during the
winter months (from my own experience of raising boys in wet, windy and cold Ireland during the winter!) and I thought I'd share them here on the blog for any
other parents who are looking to have a fun-filled winter with their
little ones.
Make an indoor den - you can do this with cushions,
pillows, throws and blankets, or if you have a teepee like ours, then
you can pop that up too. Kids love the novelty of having their own
little special space indoors and a den is a lovely way to keep the magic
alive for them. My little boys are big fans of playing in 'dens' and
it's amazing how such a simple thing can keep children happy and
entertained for hours on end. You can even add some fairy lights to add
to the wintry theme if you like.
Have epic story times - I don't just mean bed time stories
(which we have each night here), I mean an epic story time, where you
or the children read stories out loud and everyone listens. This time of
year is a great time for picking up some cheap books, if you're in need
of some new stories to read and share.
Make bath time, play time - who doesn't love getting into a
warm, bubbly bath on a cold day? Fill the tub to the brim with bubbles
and let the little ones play in the water. The more bath toys the
better! You can also make things artsy by throwing some bath crayons
into the mix or if your children love slime, you can buy kits for making a slime bath.
Cook up some wintry treats - get out the mixing bowls,
cookie cutters and whisks and whip up some wintry treats with the kids.
Some of my favourite ideas are white chocolate popcorn, melting snowman cookies (I've been wanting to make these for years!) and unicorn hot chocolate. Getting kids making things in the kitchen is both a great way of keeping them entertained and letting them learn new skills too.
Have an indoor snowball fight - don't panic, I don't mean
actual snow (if you're lucky enough to have it of course!), I mean chucking large cotton wool balls at each other and
seeing the kids faces light up with joy anytime they manage to hit you
with their 'snowballs'. You could even set up targets from old bottles
and empty jars. A simple, yet very fun indoor activity for kids.
Make bird feeders for the garden - this is a great
activity for keeping kids entertained and teaching them about nature at
the same time. Red Ted Art has shared lots of gorgeous DIY bird feeder ideas.
One of the things that really sticks with me from my childhood, is
learning about all the different kinds of birds and why it's so
important to help them out with food in the winter months. So this is a perfect activity for teaching kids kindness to nature, as well as keeping them busy.
Turn your sitting room into a race track - some dinkies
and masking tape and the kids will be entertained for ages! Just use to
masking tape to create a road layout that can go on the floor, walls,
rugs, tables - you name it!
Get crafty - this is such an easy way to keep kids
entertained but something that some parents (like me!) may usually shy
away from. There are some lovely winter themed craft ideas for kids over on Pinterest and these paper cup luminaries are super simple but so sweet and
even an easy craft such as painting pine cones can keep kids
entertained for hours - plus their creations can make pretty decorations
for the house, especially when it starts to feel bare once the
Christmas decorations come down.
No mess sensory play - I have to admit, I haven't done any
sensory play with my sons yet, mainly because I don't think I'd be able
to cope with the mess. However, when I stumbled across this winter in a bag, no mess sensory play idea I decided that it's something I definitely have to try with them.
Winter walks and bike rides - if the sun does manage to
peep out from the grey clouds and you need a break from the house, then
going outdoors with the little ones for winter walks and bike rides is a
great way of blowing off the cobwebs and getting some much needed fresh
air - just make sure to cosy up in hats, scarves, gloves and mittens.
My eldest son loves riding his bike, but my youngest has a trike which he doesn't know how to ride
yet, so teaching him to ride these is something I really want to do on
these winter days, so when the warm and long summer evenings come about,
he'll have mastered the skill and be able to zoom about and enjoy the
sunshine.
Going to the beach in winter for a walk is something I always love to do
with my boys too. It's amazing what sea air can do for kids.
Hopefully these ideas will provide some inspiration for you to keep your little ones happy and entertained during the cold winter months.
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