Michigan winter's guarantee one thing.... COLD. So what do we do on those days when we don't want to take the little ones out? What if it's a snow day and we're stuck in the house? Here's a list of more than 100 things to do to keep your little noodles entertained during the winter months!
- Make snowflakes out of noodles - paint then and add some glitter for some extra flare
- Build a fort with blankets and pillows - grab some hot cocoa and snacks and read some stories inside
- Make marshmallow houses
- Stack cardboard boxes and practice your ninja kicks to knock them down
- Indoor scavenger hunt
- Make Dance Ribbons
- Have a 'snowball' fight with rolled up socks or crumpled up paper
- Act out scenes from your favorite books or movies. You can even create awards for best lead actor, etc.
- Play hide and seek
- Learn a new card game
- Play Simon Says
- Write a story as a family - make it an annual tradition and publish them with a site like Shutterfly or Mixbook
- Dance Party!
- Put down contact paper and let them stick feathers, pieces of paper and other items to it for a unique art project
- Put pillows inside your shirts and sumo wrestle
- Get a kiddie-pool and bring the snow inside
- Dip some fruit and marshmallows in chocolate and have a fondue party
- Make bracelets out of yarn or embroidery floss
- Pitch your tent in the living room and have a camp-in
- Have a home spa day. Nail painting, mud masks, hair styling
- Set up an entire room of Barbie dolls/furniture, train tracks, hot wheels tracks, LEGO sets, or any other sets usually in storage or mixed together
- Make paper bag puppets and put on a show
- Do a blind taste test of various foods and see who can guess the most correct
- Make homemade cards. Mail them to friends and family or contact a local nursing home to donate them to residents
- Paint rocks
- Let the kids give their toys a bath in the sink
- For the toddlers, place them inside of a cardboard box (no, don't shut it) and give them crayons to color the inside of it
- Karaoke
- Have a picnic on the floor
- Make your own explorer binoculars
- Play hop-scotch by putting masking tape on the floor for the course
- Using masking tape again, you can make a racetrack for toy cars
- Start a family photo album... finish it by Spring
- Use cardboard to make a slide on your staircase
- Download and create your own Family Safety Binder
- Have a make-over day with your little ladies. Do her hair, paint her nails, some light make-up and a dress. Then, let her do yours, too! Post selfies on social media and encourage your mom-friends to do the same
- Have a tea party
- Switch bath-time from night to day and add some extra toys for water play
- Make a winter-themed sensory bin using white rice, marshmallows and maybe some beads (change items based on child's age)
- Make paper-plate snowman masks
- Look at family photos and reminisce
- Painting party! - Paint themed canvasses for the next holiday to use as decor
- Let your kids make their own lunch one day - put out sandwich essentials and let them have at it
- Popsicle stick houses
- Make your own slime
- Hide some "treasure", make a map and send them on a hunt
- Play charades
- Using colored cardstock paper, weave some together to make new placemats
- Play Baking Show - Using play doh or slime and write down challenges like “cake” “cookie” “confection” and then themes like “under the sea”, “funny face”, “holiday”, “zoo”, etc. and sculpt within a time limit, quick rounds like 2-3 min each
- Write your own songs and perform for each other
- Dress up stuffed animals with clothes your kids have outgrown
- Make your own drive-in theater - Use old cardboard boxes, paint them like cars and sit in them for movie time
- Make popsicle stick snowmen
- Paint with Q-tips
- Make your own crayons
- Nerf Wars
- Make apple or potato stamps
- Go through your kids' old clothes and toys to donate
- Play "I-Spy" ... "I spy something little and red..." Let them guess until they figure it out
- Hang donuts on a string and see who can eat them faster without using their hands
- Using velcro or sting and empty tissue boxes filled with ping pong balls or large marshmallows, tie them around your kids' waist and watch them wiggle and wiggle until they all come out
- Start and finish a puzzle together
- Using plastic cups and string, make 'telephones'
- Have walky-talkies? Go on a face adventure. Set up animals for the jungle, keep the lights off and really make-believe with your littles
- Play balloon tennis (if you don't have rackets, just use your hands!)
- Set up a photo booth using a fun backdrop, cute props and maybe some words written on paper plates to enhance the look
- Hallway bowling with empty water bottles and a ball
- Do jumping jacks - tire them kids out!
- Pillow fights
- Freeze yogurt with fresh fruit for a unique frozen treat
- Make a kid burrito - wrap them up in a sheet or blanket and see how long it takes them to get out
- Toilet paper mummies
- Learn a new yo-yo trick
- Have a staring contest
- Play with shaving cream on the wall by the bathtub
- Tie-Dye some shirts
- Egg-toss! (If you're daring, use raw eggs... if you're not... boil them first)
- Using a celery stalk, make a stamp that looks like a rose
- Make noodle necklaces and bracelets
- Thumbprint art
- Learn origami
- Teach them how to wash the baseboards - make a game out of it and see who can finish their assigned room first (yea, they'll clean for you if it's fun!)
- String some popcorn for necklaces or home decor (or your Christmas tree!)
- Let your kids play drums with pans and wooden spoons (you'll need your ear plugs for this but they'll love it!)
- Self portraits
- Learn clapping games like 'Miss Mary Mack'
- Make black and white crayon resist pictures
- Bake some cookies
- Make snow-paint - Mix 1/2 cup cornstarch with 1/2 cup water in a bowl. Add in food coloring. Pour the liquid into cups in the muffin tin. Repeat the recipe to make more colors
- Write letters to first responders to say thank you
- Pantry-clean-out. Decide what non-perishable food you don't need or really don't plan on using soon and place them in a box for donation to a local food pantry
- Pipe cleaner fun - you can wrap them around pencils for a springy looking thing, add some googly eyes and make wings out of another color, ta-da! You have a butterfly! Use your imagination and make a pipe cleaner zoo
- Make your own bookmarks
- Make a family time capsule
- Bake some bread, let your kids knead the dough
- Point a lamp against a wall and make some shadow puppets
- Break out some old magazines and make vision-boards or collages
- Do some crossword puzzles
- Record your own silly movie
- Do a blind taste-test with condiments, foods and drinks you have at home
- Practice your face-painting skills
- Get a head start on making homemade valentines
- Make flowers out of felt and add them to a vase
- Hang a map of the world and learn about your top 10 places you'd want to visit - pretend like money isn't part of it!
- Start an indoor garden
- Create a new recipe
- Ask your kids what they want to be when they grow up and research some new 'careers' for them so they know what their dream job entails
- Rearrange bedrooms for a fun and new feel
- Play hot potato
- Make up “house rules” to put a new spin on a classic game like Uno or Go Fish
- Create a homemade memory match game. Use favorite family photos or draw your own pictures
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