For most kids in Des Moines, winter break is right around the corner. Need a few indoor activity ideas to keep the kids entertained at home? Here are five fun indoor activities that will keep your kids busy throughout winter break.
1. Create an Indoor Winter Wonderland
Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound likely that we will be experiencing a white Christmas in Des Moines this year. So, let the kids create their own winter wonderland in the comfort of your home! Kids can cut out snowflakes, hang paper icicles, build a newspaper snowman and have an indoor snowball fight.
2. Enjoy a Day at the Spa
I don’t know how they ever thought of it, but my kids came up with “Spa Day” a few years ago. Often they’ll just do a simplified spa by themselves but, some days, I help out and we make it a bigger affair. And, my son enjoys it just as much as my daughter. To enjoy a spa day at home; put on some relaxing music, enjoy a foot soak, a homemade facial, paint your nails and pamper your kiddos.
3. Get a Little Dramatic
Putting on a play or a puppet show, or making a movie or music video, is a great activity for creative kids that could keep them busy over winter break for a few hours or a few days. Little thespians can either choose to re-enact an existing story or write their own. They can also find or make costumes, props and scenery. And, then of course they will have to present their masterpiece with either a performance or a screening. Either way it sounds like an occasion for some popcorn!
4. Make a Family Time Capsule
Preserving a few artifacts is a fun way to celebrate your family over winter break. Have the kids decorate a container and then find a few momentos that they want to store in the time capsule. They could include artwork, school reports, notes to their future selves or others, movie ticket stubs, small toys, anything that will fit in the box, won’t decompose or corrode. A fun twist is to unearth the time capsule at winter break every year to reminisce about all that’s happened in the last year and then swap out items to be discovered again at next year’s winter break.
5. Set Up Shop
Kids of all ages love dramatic play and setting up any kind of “shop”. Let the kids set up a grocery store, restaurant, bake shop or whatever their interest is this winter break. They can take turns being shop keepers and shoppers. It’s even more fun if you can add in a cash register, sales slips, and other items to make play time even more realistic. Most children have been to the grocery store or to a restaurant several times. Because the activities are so familiar, the role playing comes very naturally, which means not as much work for you!
How do you beat winter break boredom? Let us know your creative ways to keep your kiddos occupied when you’re all home.
