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Now that I stay home with my children, I’ve had to get pretty creative with how we spend our time. In the nicer seasons, it’s easy to get outdoors. Over the summer and during the fall, we enjoyed many trips to the park, walks around the neighborhood, and swimming adventures at a nearby lake or pool. Now that winter has arrived, things have gotten a bit trickier. Where we live, there really isn’t much to do out of the house when it’s cold out. When I’ve got cabin fever, we’ll go to the library or visit Bass Pro to look at the animals. When we’re home, it’s hard to fill the time without turning on the TV. Here’s how we’re making due:

1)    Make a fort – This was one of my favorite things to do as a kid. Use whatever you’ve got – cardboard boxes, furniture, blankets, and sheets. The kids will love to hide out in their transformed dining room!

2)    Have an indoor picnic – Not quite as good as the real thing, but this can be a fun way to enjoy lunch. Lay down a blanket and enjoy your lunch out of a basket. If you’re feeling up to it, put some summery music on in the background.

3)    Perform a puppet show – You don’t need puppets or a puppet theater to make this happen. You can make your own out of construction paper or paper sacks or you can just use stuffed animals.

4)    Have a dance party – Nothing to cure the winter blues like a family dance party. Turn on your favorite music and get groovy!

5)    Bake – This is another great wintertime activity. Toddlers can easily help pour ingredients into the bowl, take a turn at mixing, or just lick the spoon!

6)    Play in the bath – Instead of bathing before bed, we like to do this one during the day in the cold months. It’s always fun and sort of replaces the pool when it’s too cold out.

7)    Look through photo albums – My girls love to look at photos. They like to see their mama and daddy at early ages. They like to point out relatives and pets and friends.

8)    Paint – Don’t be scared of the mess! Painting is a great sensory activity. Whether using fingers, brushes, or potato stamps, painting is a great winter activity.

9)    Go on a treasure hunt – Send your kiddos around the house looking for things, kind of like an amped-up version of I Spy. Hide special things, make it a contest, do it however you like. You can use this activity to teach colors and numbers, too!

10) Read, Read, READ! – Hands down, reading is one of the best activities for kids no matter their age. Make some hot cocoa and snuggle up under a blanket to make reading a special treat!

What about you? What are your go-to activities for the winter months?