Mummascribbles – Stuck inside: Family activities for those cold days – Mummascribbles

This is a collaborative post

When you have kids, it’s not unusual to want to get them out the door first thing in the morning. Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible when the weather is on the chilly! For days like these, you’ll need some indoor activities everyone can participate in to help pass the time. Here are some ideas you can use to get everyone in on the the fun when the family is stuck indoors.

Games

Games of all kinds are some of the first activities people think of when they’re looking for a way to relieve boredom. Despite technological advances, old-fashioned board games like Monopoly are still popular with many families. Similarly, card games like Poker and Uno have yet to go out of style. Video games are one of the most popular indoor activities today. Modern video games allow several players to take part in the action, providing hours of fun for the entire family.

Arts and Crafts

Arts and crafts include a number of activities that can take many forms. Drawing contests are one of the simplest ways to pass the time and have a few laughs. All you need are your creative imaginations, pencils, and enough paper to go around. Colouring allows you to take this a step further. Thanks to modern technology, you can even find a colouring app on Google Play. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can get everyone to make their own sock puppets and put on a family puppet show.

Reading

Although reading isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of family activities, it’s clearly one of the most beneficial. If you have both younger and older kids, try to pick books and stories that have cross-generational appeal. Examples might include the Harry Potter series, Star Wars, or even classics like Treasure Island and Arabian Nights. Everyone can take turns reading while coaching the youngest members of the family to help improve their reading skills. You can take this a step further by putting on a family play that would require everyone to read for the purpose of learning their lines. This is the type of project you could put on regularly, while never running out of ideas.

Cooking

Another great indoor family activity is cooking. While many parents wait until their kids are older to teach them how to prepare their own meals, getting stuck indoors provides a great opportunity to teach younger kids about teamwork and kitchen safety. It’s also a great way to relieve some of your own burden as a parent, by having some extra sets of hands to work with. While the youngest ones might initially balk at the idea of working in the kitchen, it’s up to you to emphasize how much better prepared they will be for the day you’re no longer around to cook for them.

While outdoor fun is almost always preferable, it’s not impossible to have a great time indoors. Having activities like these prepared beforehand will help reduce the stress of brainstorming for ideas at a moment’s notice. At the very least, it’ll keep your little minions from driving you insane when the situation outside is less than ideal.