Wisco Winters

[lflick]

Okay everyone-

I am located in Wisconsin and we have had some pretty loooong wickedly cold winters. I am trying to prepare ahead of time for the boredom and what not that accompanies it. What are the favorite toys that are used the most for indoor time. I am not exaggerating when I say we spent 90% of our time indoors last winter and it was long and exhausting.

[Leigh]

Last winter was rough here, too. I had a mom who was constantly upset with me that I wouldn't put her 3 year old outside in subzero temps, but I just won't do that.

Indoor toys that are popular here are Schliech animals, Duplo blocks, Imaginext, Jake and the Neverland Pirates ships and characters, Little People, musical instruments, and couch cushions, blankets & chairs (fort building every day!), and the kitchen toys. Play Doh, Painting, drawing, coloring-most art supplies are not used much in the summer, in the winter, we do something most every day. We also like to have indoor picnics sporadically in the winter-it's exciting for them (I put a plastic tablecloth on the floor).

[Blackcat31]

Okay everyone-

I am located in Wisconsin and we have had some pretty loooong wickedly cold winters. I am trying to prepare ahead of time for the boredom and what not that accompanies it. What are the favorite toys that are used the most for indoor time. I am not exaggerating when I say we spent 90% of our time indoors last winter and it was long and exhausting.

Can I ask why?

Why not get out and enjoy the winter?

I am in northern MN and I take my kids (ALL of them) out doors every day in the winter atleast 2 times a day.

If the temps are dangerously cold, we stay in but for the most part, winter does not mean life stops around here.

If kids aren't exposed to snow and winter, they'll ever adapt...kwim?

[AmyKidsCo]

Licensing rules state we can't go out with wind chills of 0 degrees F or below for children age 2 and above, or 20 degrees F or below for children under age 2.

We had a lot of 0 and lower last winter!

[drseuss]

Licensing rules state we can't go out with wind chills of 0 degrees F or below for children age 2 and above, or 20 degrees F or below for children under age 2.

We had a lot of 0 and lower last winter!

^^Yep! Last winter was one loooooong winter. The snowfall was so heavy that even on the days the kids could go out, they couldn't get around much. Particularly the littler ones. I think we had two or three days all season that the snow was good for snowmen/packing. Winters are a challenge.

[Blackcat31]

Licensing rules state we can't go out with wind chills of 0 degrees F or below for children age 2 and above, or 20 degrees F or below for children under age 2.

We had a lot of 0 and lower last winter!

Wow, that's a bummer but I suppose it is for safety reasons.

With all the articles/news reports that have surfaced lately with providers in FCC (lawn mower one and the kid choking on string from a slide) I can see why some states are taking the decision out of the providers hands.

We don't have strict rules about that and I think living here, we all know what too cold and not to cold is. I am lucky to have DC parents that ALL spend a lot of time outdoors in temps well below zero... I guess that's all just part of living where I do.

Interesting info though.

[lblanke]

If you have the room for it, the indoor/outdoor bounce houses are great. We have My 1st Jump & Play from Sam's club. Since there have been news reports of some that have blown away outdoors, if you can set one up in a basement or big room, kids love them and can use up a lot of energy in there.

[midaycare]

I will be following this for ideas! I wasn't open last winter, but where I am at, we had over well over 100 inches last winter, and it was all mixed with ice. We never had a melt, so by mid January the snow was well over our heads. By Late Feb, it was about 14 feet. I can't imagine taking dck's out in that. And I'm the first to say, "We are going outside! Fresh air!"

[Laurel]

Last winter was rough here, too. I had a mom who was constantly upset with me that I wouldn't put her 3 year old outside in subzero temps, but I just won't do that.

Indoor toys that are popular here are Schliech animals, Duplo blocks, Imaginext, Jake and the Neverland Pirates ships and characters, Little People, musical instruments, and couch cushions, blankets & chairs (fort building every day!), and the kitchen toys. Play Doh, Painting, drawing, coloring-most art supplies are not used much in the summer, in the winter, we do something most every day. We also like to have indoor picnics sporadically in the winter-it's exciting for them (I put a plastic tablecloth on the floor).

Indoor picnics take me down memory lane. My mom used to do that. We loved it.

Laurel

[Laurel]

Okay everyone-

I am located in Wisconsin and we have had some pretty loooong wickedly cold winters. I am trying to prepare ahead of time for the boredom and what not that accompanies it. What are the favorite toys that are used the most for indoor time. I am not exaggerating when I say we spent 90% of our time indoors last winter and it was long and exhausting.

Play kitchens but change up what is in them. Dress up clothes but again change it up.

Make the room dark and give them flashlights. Play flashlight games like you shine it on the floor and a child stands on the spot of light and then move it around and they follow it from spot to spot. They love this.

Have hunts like Easter egg hunts. Use anything. I've used wads of aluminum foil.

Beach balls are good for indoor large muscle activity and the babies like to bat them around also.

Use teddy bears and dress them up in doll clothes. Use dolls to play doctor. They like to put band aids on them.

If you dare, let them do water play in the sink. I'd only let one of the older ones do it one at a time and only if they could behave. This will keep them busy for a long time. So will playdough especially if they have different tools to use with the dough from time to time.

Let ones who can handle scissors just have things to cut. They just like to cut with no special plan in mind.

Laurel

[Play Care]

I bought those hopper balls - the ones the kids sit on and can bounce around, though I'm careful to use them only when I can supervise directly and for a specific game...

If we truly can't get out I tend to do a lot of provider led activity, and less free play. It's better for my rowdy crew

[AmyKidsCo]

Indoor picnics take me down memory lane. My mom used to do that. We loved it.

Laurel

Me too, but we can't do them because our cats would attack the food. ::

How about an obstacle course under the table, over the chairs, under a limbo stick, etc?

[Go play!]

My husband just made us a sensory bin. It was pretty cheap and when you are not using it, it stores inside the bin. We use it for beans, rice, occasionally water, flour, baking soda and vinegar.... The kids like to play with it for a long time. Here is the link.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/201184308328979031/

[Blackcat31]

My husband just made us a sensory bin. It was pretty cheap and when you are not using it, it stores inside the bin. We use it for beans, rice, occasionally water, flour, baking soda and vinegar.... The kids like to play with it for a long time. Here is the link.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/201184308328979031/

Please be careful using certain types of beans.

Some dried beans can be poisonous.....some from handling and others if eaten.

"Beans and other legumes are among the most nutritionally valuable vegetable foods. The seeds of beans are high in protein, complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber and many minerals, while low in fat and cholesterol.

But they also contain a protein that can be toxic in sufficiently high concentrations if the beans are eaten raw. Kidney beans in particular contain enough of this toxin to cause acute symptoms, even if only a few raw beans are consumed."

You can google dried beans and find several sources of info.

[Heidi]

Hey...where in the state regs does it say that?

I only have info that we set our OWN policy, not that it's in the regs. Licensing did send us the windchill/heat index chart, but as far as I know, those are recommendations; not regulations.

That said, I am in the same boat. Last winter, I had FOUR non-walking babies, and there were literally weeks that we did not go out outside. By March, I was trying, but one day, it took me TWENTY FIVE minutes to get all four ready to go out, and two were crying after about 5 minutes out there. I was actually almost in tears after that 25 minutes myself. As soon as I'd get one dressed, the other would have his boots off or be pulling on another's hat or pushing, while another was crawling away. It was pretty bad. Yeah, and I still needed a coat, hat, mittens, and boots on too!

One thing I did a few times is bring snow inside in big tupperware containers. That was a big hit with 3/4 of my group.