When winter sets in and the weather gets cold, the kids tend to get a little stir crazy. No one likes to be stuck inside with the same activities to do. Especially when a snow day keeps the kids home from school, all you hear is “Mom, I’m bored!” and “What can we do now?” That’s why I like to keep certain things aside to keep the kids occupied on those cold days.
Crafts
I keep a shelf set aside in the hall closet that is filled with craft supplies for the kids. I never bring these supplies out at any other time. This ensures that the supplies are fresh when I need them the most. The kids get to use stickers, stamps and other craft supplies they don’t otherwise use. When it is close to the holidays, we even make ornaments and other holiday crafts for family and friends.
Board Games
My kids aren’t real big on board games. They are more absorbed in video games. However, on those long winter days, even video games can get boring after a while. That’s when I bring out the old classic board games. Even though board games seem tame in contrast to video games, they help get the family talking and laughing together. With technology, so few families spend time together. Board games can help bring a family together when the days get boring.
Tell Stories
I’m a writer by nature. I love to tell stories. Lucky for me, my kids also love to tell stories. One of our favorite things to do when we’re stuck in the house during the winter is to make a story together. We take turns adding pieces to the story. Sometimes we even write them down so we can enjoy them in the future. It is a lot of fun to read the stories we’ve done in the past, especially as the kids get older.
Spending time together as a family can help bust the boredom on cold winter days when there’s nothing to do outside. Making new projects, playing board games and telling stories as a family helps us all bond together and have fun while we’re doing it. These, along with your own ideas, can help keep your kids from getting bored and bugging you when they are stuck home for the day.