Bring the Fun Indoors
Some of us look forward to the colder months as a time for activities like reading books and snuggling in front of a fire. Unfortunately, those quiet times might not last if you have a houseful of restless kids. “There comes a time when the inevitable winter crazies set in,” said Washington Post columnist Lauren Knight. “That is when I break out the list of indoor ideas.” The key is finding activities that can keep the whole family engaged. Following are a few suggestions.
Board games. Let’s face it: Board games have stuck around forever because they are reliably fun. But that doesn’t mean you have to stick to the ones you’ve had around forever. Try new games. Borrow games that friends say they love, go to a game store and ask for guidance or simply take a chance and buy a new one that looks interesting.
Salon night. Granted, this one will appeal mostly to the females in the household, but if you’ve got girls to keep happy, this is an almost guaranteed winner. Get together everything they need to give each other manicures and pedicures, to do a little facial care and anything else you can think of. Mix up some fruit drinks, put on some soft instrumental music and offer shoulder rubs when they’re done.
Little screen, big screen. Combining smart phones and a smart TV can result in a lot of fun with apps like Jackbox Games, which allow you to play interactive games with everybody in the room. Most apps allow you to choose games for age-appropriateness and for different types of groups, and the games include everything from drawing goofy pictures to brainteasers.
Legos build-off. How do you make Legos competitive? By giving everyone the same number of identical pieces and challenging them to build the tallest structure, the strongest bridge, the funniest animal or some other unique structure. After an initial game in which everyone plays individually, pair off into teams, combine Legos piles and start again.
Learn something online. “Learn” might not be the first word that comes to kids’ minds when looking for something fun to do, but finding an online instructional video that gets everyone together to try to master a new skill can be a blast. Go for something silly, something challenging or something totally unexpected. Regardless, everyone will enjoy the time together and walk away with a new skill – or at least a funny story.
Download October’s Full Newsletter Here
Tags: Autumn, Board games, Indoors