Winter Activities

The weather is getting cooler and for us that means fewer water activities - a staple favorite for the kids.  At the beginning of summer I had posted a list of activities that we would be trying out and having fun with.  Having that list helped so much with keeping me sane and the kids stimulated & entertained.  It helped us to make some of our most favorite memories of the year. 

I thought it was about time to make a list of winter activities as well.  If you have any ideas to share leave a comment and I'll add them in and credit you. :)

1. Build tents out of old quilts and play underneath with flashlights and dollies.
2. Gather leaves, pinecones, and other outdoor goodies and make a mobile to hang in the playroom.  Make the mobile base out of sticks and yarn scraps.
3. Create and play our own musical instruments
4. Make bracelets out of paper & stickers & color them.
5. Bake together (we do this often and it is one of our favorite activities!  The kids love pouring & stirring)
6. On mild days, draw with chalk on the concrete
7. String wooden beads and make our own  jewelry
8. Play house
9. Build a pretend washer and dryer out of cardboard boxes and pretend to wash & hang clothes while mommy washes too.
10. Go on a walk on a mild day
11. Paint pictures with shaving cream on the table
12. Color
13. Read about Dora and the Snow Princess. Cut snowflakes and hang them along the top of the windows
14. Go to the library and read books
15. Read The Rainbow Fish and make shiny fishes by gluing bits of foil & paper on fish shapes.
16. Read The Giving Tree.  Talk about what gifts we can give of ourselves.  Make paper trees by gluing leaves on a tree base
17. Do some potato/fruit/veggie stamping
18. Make Cinnamon Spice Ornaments
19. Do some lacing cards
20. Scrapbook together
21. Make a doll house out of a cardboard box for the playroom
22. Make furnishings together for the doll house
23. Play dollies a lot.
24. Paint our toe nails the same color
25. Color on canvas with markers and make drawn creatures into stuffed animals to hug.
26. Make a handprint mural on a big piece of canvas to hang in the play room (outline hands with crayon on the canvas for wax-resist painting and let the kids go to town)
27. Make our own bubble solution (1 gallon water, 2/3 cup dishwashing soap, 2-3 Tbs. Glycerin) and blow bubbles with home-made bubble wands
28. Put an open weave fabric on a large embroidery hoop and let Anna embroider on it with a plastic needle
29. Have a tea-party-on-the-quilt with all the resident teddy bears.  Dress up.
30. Fill a bucket with warm water and put it over a couple of towels.  Provide water-safe toys and let the fun begin.
31. Make Rice Crispy Treats
32. Make Popcorn Balls
33. Put together a nature table with some cute knitted gnomes
34. Do puzzles together
35. make macaroni and cereal art
36. Make a gingerbread (or graham cracker) village
37. Make paper mache' balloon lanterns - hang them in the playroom and in the kids' rooms
38. Make yarn pom pom ornaments together and hang them on the tree, or give some out to friends, family and teachers.
39. Make snow globes out of old baby food jars (of which i have a bajillion for some reason)
40. Tie Dye a pair of socks for each girl and as gifts from them this holiday season

Comments

[Diane]

A couple favorites:

Paper snowflakes http://highhopes.com/snowflakes.html

Leaves in wax paper http://gardening.about.com/od/craftsanddecor/ss/Preserve_Leaves_4.htm

Fall/Winter is also a great time to start birdwatching and keeping a list of all the different ones you see. http://www.birdwatching.com/tips/kids_birding.html

[Kristin]

those are GREAT ideas Diane! thank you!!!

[Mandaleigh]

You're so creative!

I've nothing to add except please be sure anything you get in from outside is thoroughly de-bugged (spray with child-safe skin bug spray in the garage or on the porch) before you bring it in. Remember that once they hit warm air most buggy things Come to Life.