by Angela V 
By Contributor Kristen LaValley
Well I can’t say that I’m happy it’s cold out. I can bear the cold until Christmas and then after Christmas it’s just like…WHYYYYY!!??? I whine. I complain. I get cabin fever and bundle my kids up and force them to go outside and then we all run inside freezing after a couple of minutes. It’s just that my three year old is insane and it’s so hard to keep him entertained when he gets the itch to be crazy. But here are a few things we’ve tried and succeeded at keeping him busy this cold, wintery season.
1. Bake & Decorate Cookies
Such a simple idea, but it really does help pass the time. Bake the cookies the night before and you won’t have to deal with “Are they ready yet?” for an hour from the kids. Just pull them out of the fridge and decorate!
2. Make Paper Snowflakes
I’m sure your remember making these in kindergarten. Super easy and fun. When you’re finished cutting, add some glitter and string them across the front door.
3. Indoor Snowmen
Kids going crazy? Grab a couple of rolls of toilet paper and have your kids roll each other up. Cut out construction paper for buttons, throw on scarves and hats, maybe stick a carrot in their mouths (just to keep ‘em quiet for a little while) and laugh at your adorably immobile snowmen!
4. Bathtub Snow Fun
This one is great if you have an older baby that you don’t want to expose to ALL the elements of winter. Bring in a couple of buckets of snow from outside and dump them in the bathtub. Bundle up your little one and plop them down on your indoor snow pile and let them have a blast! And clean up is a breeze. Just let it melt!
5. Make Music
Go around the house and find everything that can be used to make noise. Pots, pans, shakers, spoons, cups, bowls, anything and everything. Take your little noise makers on a musical journey through the house! March, dance, sing loudly, yell, jump, just have fun! It doesn’t have to last a long time, but it will definitely help get those jitters out.
But when all else fails…just go outside. Happy Winter to you all!
Kristen is a stay at home mom to one deliciously chunky baby boy and one hilariously clever two year old living in East Tennessee. She chronicles her adventures in cloth diapering, parenting, faith, and insane toddler antics at www.whenathome.com
17 Comments on “5 Indoor Activities for Cold Days”
Great tips!!!
I remember doing many of these as a child. Great memories.
great tips! The other day My daughter tried to make herself into a snowman. Needless to say it was a epic fail. She was in the tub takin a bath when she brought in the tp to b a snowman!
Thank you for sharing your fun actives for inside days. They all look good. I think make music will always be a hit.
I like the snow in the tub idea, when it’s way to cold outside they can still play in the snow!!
I love the idea of bathtub snow fun! I had never thought of doing that!
Being brought up in Britain were we lucky that there were not many days that you couldn’t go outside because it was too cold
great ideas – it’s fun to make music, and do crafts.
Thank you for the tips! Its supposed to get cold this weekend and I could use something to keep the kiddos busy and occupied.
Those sound like fun. I especially like filling the bathtub with snow.
We once had a marching band with the grandkids, we marched round and round the house, they were so tired when they got home that they fell right asleep
Activities for Cold Days-no1- Bake and Decorate Cookies.
When I decorated cookies with my grandchildren, I would make up several batches of dough and the girls would roll and bake out the dough and cut cookies with Christmas Cutters and, when they were baked, ice and decorate to their heart’s content. I still treasure the photos of the girls and their finished products.
They remember those times fondly, too. They are adults now and they speak of those ‘cookie baking’ fondly.
Indoor Activities for cold days-no.2- Make Paper Snowfllakes.
I remember making these as a child and being awe-struck that a few paper cut outs of a paper could result in such a magical result. Glitter would certainly make these snowflakes beautiful.
Indoor Activities for Cold Days-no.4-Bathtub Snow Fun–
I think this would be great fun for a toddler or crawler, with supervision of course!
They would have a great time -no eating snow allowed- and it would be better them to the harsh outside elements.
Make Music- What a wonderful way to make a wonderful noise which I suppose Music is. This is a very innovative way to charge up children and I imagine it works very well as long as the adults are not ;disposed to migraines. I think this is a wonderful way to spend a half hour or so and wake up everyone-figuratively and literally .
Just got our first snow last night,these ideas are going to come in handy
Next time the grandkids are bored we are doing #3. Indoor Snowmen,I know this would make them laugh and me smile…thanks