winter activities

Psst…I am so excited that my friend Angela agreed to guest post today and share some amazing indoor activity ideas for kids.  Thanks for sharing with us Angela!

It’s no secret that winter days are long! With cold temperatures and less sunlight, we tend to spend more time indoors. I know winter days can get super long, so today I’m sharing with you some simple indoor activities for kids. I’m always trying to think of inexpensive and easy activities for kids, so I hope these ideas will inspire you to try them out with your kids!

2-Ingredient Bath Paint

The first activity is great for toddlers through early elementary aged kids. Honestly, it’s my go-to activity when we don’t know what to do! We just whip up some 2-ingredient bath paint and decorate the bathtub!

All you do is spray foam shaving cream into a muffin tin (or something similar) and stir in food coloring. Then give your child a paintbrush and let them paint the bathtub! One tip is to NOT use gel food coloring. That will stain your child’s skin and the tub and I’m sure you don’t want that!

This activity is a great sensory play activity. Kids are exploring a new texture and can use their creativity to make whatever they’d like!

Bathtub Stuffed Animal Fun

Another activity to do in the bathtub is without water! In a dry bathtub, add all your kiddo’s stuffed animals and let them play in there. I know it sounds super simple, but your kids will love it! It’s great for pretend play and you can play games in there. For example, ask your child to find the stuffed animal that makes a barking sound or is the color green. Some of my favorite activities are the ones that take no prep and lead to imaginary play for little ones.

Ice Excavation

This next activity will take a little prep, but it’s not hard, I promise! This ice excavation activity is fun because kids have to melt and break through the ice to get all the items inside.

To prepare the activity, just fill a large bowl of water along with colorful items from around the house. I put in beads, confetti, water beads, pipe cleaners, ribbon robe, and more! You could also use items from nature. Put the bowl in the freezer overnight. When you’re ready for the activity, just run warm water around the bowl until the ice pops out of the bowl. Then place it in a larger container along with tools for your kids to explore the ice with. I usually give them some squirt bottles with warm water, a toy hammer, and anything else to dig in the ice.

You could even have them make a prediction for how long it will take to break through the ice and then see if they are right! This activity is great for problem solving, sensory play, and exploring.

And if your kids love activities with ice, make sure to check out these dinosaur ice eggs!

Balloon Rockets

Balloon rockets are so fun! All you need is a balloon, straw, string, and tape. To set it up, slide a straw onto the end of the string. Then tie one end of the string to one sturdy object and the other end to another object. We did this activity in our playroom, so we tied the string to our play grocery store and the other end to the mini trampoline.

Then place two pieces of tape on the straw so that it would fasten onto a blown up balloon. Blow up a balloon and pinch the top so air won’t escape. When you’re ready to race, release your hand from the balloon and watch it fly!

Cup Tower

One activity that has kept my boys busy this winter is playing with red Solo cups. We bought 200 cups and my boys have played with these more than their toys! We’ve used them to build towers and forts and my kids absolutely love this activity! My 4-year-old especially loves knocking down the towers. This is a great STEM activity.

Tinker Trays

To inspire creativity, I like to bring out tinker trays. Basically, I look through my craft supplies and fill a divided tray full of materials my children can use to create with. I love tinker trays because it inspires little ones to use their imagination and creativity to make whatever they want. This process art activity is awesome because kids don’t feel like they have to copy a craft idea or have the perfect end product. I’m always amazed at what my kids come up with.

Snow Bin

Lastly, if you’re looking for an indoor activity with snow, I recommend bringing some inside to play with! It’s a great sensory activity and you won’t freeze! I usually scoop some up in a tub and give my little ones squirt bottles with a few drops of food coloring. The squeezing is great for building up hand strength and they have fun watching their snow turn into a colorful creation.

I hope these ideas are helpful to you! What indoor activity ideas do you have?

Make sure to connect with Angela…

Angela is the writer of Teaching Mama, where she shares hands-on learning activities for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. She is a former teacher, turned stay-at-home-mom to 3 wonderful boys. She is also the author of Play and Learn Toddler Activities Book, a book with over 200 ideas for keeping toddlers busy! You can connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram.

 

Until next time keep on keeping on with a simple purposeful life!

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