The short damp days, uninviting outdoors and frightful weather that come with winter are only a few reasons why most dread this time of year after the Christmas decorations are down. It’s seriously tempting to stay cooped up indoors with the kids during the cold season. But we know that toddlers and young children particularly get bored easily, which indoors might turn to disaster rather quickly! There’s a lot of recent research that also shows that getting the kids outdoors is good for their development! With a bit of creativity, winter doesn’t have to be doom and gloom Planning a few child fun activities will make you the king of winter and give everyone something to look forward to besides just Christmas itself. Here are some suggestions.
Explore the Outdoors, But Indoors
Winter shouldn’t necessarily mean spending your free time resting on the sofa, watching your kids run around. You can have a great time outside the house without exposing your little one(s) to the bad weather. Find places in your region or beyond that offer exciting activities for parents and children. If there is a local museum, plan a visit. A marine centre is another educational site where you can spend time in during the winter. Getting your child in front of some art is always a good idea, and you might as well start early. Visiting art galleries provides an opportunity for you to know if your son or daughter likes art. If that is not preferable, find other options like an indoor climbing wall.
Enjoy the Snow
Parents can plan a lot of different fun activities around the snowfall. Building a snowman is a classic that every parent should try. For a really young child, you can start practising with cotton balls before trying out the ‘real’ thing. Setting up snow angels then watching as snowflakes fall on them is another way to make the most of the weather. You can help your child colour snow. Get a range of colours and give the young one creative freedom, watch what he/she comes up with. Writing in the snow can help children learn their letters. Measuring the snow, if your place gets it every day, can also offer excellent bonding moments. Make art pieces like stars from the snow then add glitter to make them colourful.
Creative Play with Cars
Kids electric cars have become popular ways for children to entertain themselves (with the right parental controls ofcourse!). Parents have a host of options that they can choose from, depending on the child’s preference and budget. Electric cars for kids are some of the best ways to pass the time in winter too! Of course, having your son or daughter drive around in the little vehicle will keep him/her occupied, but you can do so much more. Why not try something different like a car show? If you know your child’s playmates who have electric cars, organise with their parents for the little ones to showcase their different rides. Allow the children to spruce up their vehicle, Christmas style, to see how creative they can get. You can spend that time crafting ideas with your child, which will create a great bonding moment. After the car show, the children can have a small party.
Add Some Mystery with a Scavenger Hunt
For the days when everyone has to stay indoors, a scavenger hunt is a perfect idea for a little adventure. When you have energetic kids ( as in from the hours of 0600 – 20:001), what better way to tire them out than have them looking for hidden treasures around the house? Set the rules and list the objects that the little one has to find. It could be anything from toys to cookies. Try to make the hunt educational as well with clever clues. Alternatively, the hunt can be conducted in a dimly lit room so that the participants have to work harder. Closing the blinds in some of the rooms should provide the perfect environment as people can use torches for the hunt.
Obstacle Courses
Setting up obstacle courses is a fun game for the indoors or outdoors that dads can engage in with children of all ages. Using everything around the home, you can put up hurdles that your kid has to overcome to win a prize. Create challenges that match the child’s skills. For a child who is still learning to walk, for example, you can have pillows that they can crawl over if they can’t jump over them. An eight-year-old will have more fun in an intricate maze that demands creativity to get through. The advantage with obstacle courses is that you can try out new ideas when the kids have exhausted the old ones.
Staying inside the house during winter can be fun but only for a while, especially with young kids. After you have watched all the child-appropriate movies and played the usual games such as hide and seek, the indoors will lose its charm. Parents looking to spend more quality time with their children can plan a bunch of interesting activities to engage in during this period. Go on and have some real fun together.