Winter Activities?

[momneedscoffee]

Lay em on me.

We try to get outside most days, but to be honest, it is usually not worth it. I spend more time bundling everyone than they spend playing. And sometimes it is just too cold for me. So I am looking for new indoor activity ideas.

I have two 3 yr old boys; a 20 m.o., and an 11 m.o. (plus a little baby). We already do lots of play doh, hide and seek, ring around the Rosie, dancing, legos, blocks, painting (when I feel patient enough), the occasional tv show or movie.

[Thriftylady]

Lay em on me.

We try to get outside most days, but to be honest, it is usually not worth it. I spend more time bundling everyone than they spend playing. And sometimes it is just too cold for me. So I am looking for new indoor activity ideas.

I have two 3 yr old boys; a 20 m.o., and an 11 m.o. (plus a little baby). We already do lots of play doh, hide and seek, ring around the Rosie, dancing, legos, blocks, painting (when I feel patient enough), the occasional tv show or movie.

When I get desperate I use the cosmic kids yoga on you tube.

[finsup]

I look to books to help! Like right now we're reading a lot of Jan Brett books (the mitten, Annie and the wild animals etc) and base ideas off of that. Like the mitten, we made indoor snow with mittens and animals to play with. We did track painting with those animals. We tried to see how many animals we could fit in the mitten (my older ones re-told the story with their animals). We pretended to be the animals as we all crawled under a blanket . But anyways, my point is one book can inspire a ton of activties
Also, ice and water play! Get each child a dollar store bin. Fill it up with water and place one or two containers in it. In the containers out something heavy to hold them down. Place outside or in a freezer to freeze. Once frozen run hot water in the containers to take them out. Then you've got your own ice/water/artic playland. I use the artic plastic animals for the kids to play in them. You can also give warm water to let them try and melt things. This can get a bit messy but the kids really enjoyed it!

Big paper, plastic truck and paint. Let them paint with the trucks. Again messy but fun!

[daycare]

Pinterest the best for everything

[momneedscoffee]

When I get desperate I use the cosmic kids yoga on you tube.

I've tried that! Our laptop broke though, so I have no way for the kids to see it. They really liked it too

[momneedscoffee]

I look to books to help! Like right now we're reading a lot of Jan Brett books (the mitten, Annie and the wild animals etc) and base ideas off of that. Like the mitten, we made indoor snow with mittens and animals to play with. We did track painting with those animals. We tried to see how many animals we could fit in the mitten (my older ones re-told the story with their animals). We pretended to be the animals as we all crawled under a blanket . But anyways, my point is one book can inspire a ton of activties
Also, ice and water play! Get each child a dollar store bin. Fill it up with water and place one or two containers in it. In the containers out something heavy to hold them down. Place outside or in a freezer to freeze. Once frozen run hot water in the containers to take them out. Then you've got your own ice/water/artic playland. I use the artic plastic animals for the kids to play in them. You can also give warm water to let them try and melt things. This can get a bit messy but the kids really enjoyed it!

Big paper, plastic truck and paint. Let them paint with the trucks. Again messy but fun!

Good ideas, thank you!

[momneedscoffee]

Pinterest the best for everything

Yep I am a pinterest junkie!

[Michael]

Here is an earlier thread on the subject: https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67716

[daycare]

I am making this:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AR1UdxmK89Nl6UxUKK2McaeEx2RgBkI6pNSbt0SZ1G5k098O06WgwVI/

this:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/453808099926512016/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/209065607678845448/

and I plan to take all of our polar animals and freeze them in water. I will put the iceberg in the water table and let the kids try to melt them out with warm water. that is a big hit and can take up to 45 minutes...

[Controlled Chaos]

I made this yesterday - big box, cut out shapes and painted them, gave the kids a tools set and they have been at it all day! (pic)

We also painted with cars and trucks today on the letter C(cars) and T (trucks).

We throw coffee filters at each other for a snow ball fight.

Fliashlights - shadow play ( I usually save this for around Groundhog's day and we pretend to be scared of them)

I put a bunch of garbage bags on the floor, a big tub on top of that and filled it with sand and small trucks. The kids loved it. Its was less messy than I feared and they were into for a whole week. I put it up for a bit to give myself a break from the sand

Movement songs and games. Parachute.

I feel your pain, I can't wait until spring!

[KSDC]

We do a lot of action songs. I have a bunch of CDs.

Lots of action books and rhymes.

Cranium Hullaballoo is awesome. We were gifted one 15 years ago and it is still working.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A8Q0S6M/ref=s9_dcbhz_bw_d0_g21_i1_bs

More crafts and coloring and fine motor activities. Things to keep them distracted from the fact that we don't go out as long each day as we do the rest of the year!

[daycare]

I made this yesterday - big box, cut out shapes and painted them, gave the kids a tools set and they have been at it all day! (pic)

We also painted with cars and trucks today on the letter C(cars) and T (trucks).

We throw coffee filters at each other for a snow ball fight.

Fliashlights - shadow play ( I usually save this for around Groundhog's day and we pretend to be scared of them)

I put a bunch of garbage bags on the floor, a big tub on top of that and filled it with sand and small trucks. The kids loved it. Its was less messy than I feared and they were into for a whole week. I put it up for a bit to give myself a break from the sand

Movement songs and games. Parachute.

I feel your pain, I can't wait until spring!

I am stealing this for next week. I am trying so hard to go find a big box. Of course i had 3 of them right before christmas but didn't want them in my garage and tossed them.....I will see if I can post pics