We always get so much schoolwork done in the winter because, well, why go outside when the wind will bite your face off? The routines that we made during the fall keep us trudging through the bitter days. To keep life from getting dull, though, spice things up with some easy extracurricular activities.
Family Time
Winter’s the perfect time to snuggle. Grab your favorite hot beverage and a warm blanket and pile everyone on the couch for some good family time.
Read, read, and read some more. Picture books, or chapter books, or audiobooks.
Pull out those board games. If the littles are too competitive, it’s ok to modify the rules so you have a good time. Or play cooperative games.
Nature Study
Next time you are at the store, buy some black oil sunflower seeds. Place them in a bird feeder or in an open container by a window and see what kind of critters you can attract.
Warm up the car and go on a country drive. You don’t have to get out of the car, just drive. Pop in some music or an audiobook, grab that warm, yummy winter drink, and enjoy the outdoors from the comfort of your vehicle.
If you like the cold, you can plan a spring garden by prepping the soil now. If you plan to garden in pots, you could begin purchasing the materials for planting.
Bundle up and go on a cold walk in the brisk air.
Home Care
Pick a “hot spot” in your house (a messy or dirty area that has been there so long you don’t see it anymore). Spend no more than fifteen minutes cleaning it. If it’s not done, it can wait until another day. Deal with only one thing at a time. Put things away or throw them away, but don’t move them to another hot spot!
Choose an area of your house to delete some items. Get them out of your house right away by taking them to the thrift store, if they are in good condition.
Sports
You don’t have to join a team to give your kids a love of sports and exercise. Think how many times your kid gets the ball on a team. But if they have a basketball goal at home or a regular place to shoot some hoops, they might get their wiggles out just as well. A baseball and some gloves are not too expensive and provide hours of outdoor fun.
Frisbee golf is a thing, and it can get kind of expensive. To save some dough, use regular frisbees and set up buckets or hula hoops around your backyard for the baskets.
Remember jump ropes? They still exist. Make some space in your garage if it’s too cold outside and they can jump to their heart’s content.
Put on some music and just dance. Or if you’re really adventurous, learn how to swing dance on YouTube.
If you don’t mind spending a little money, a local bowling alley, ice skating, or rollerskating rink would be a nice adventure. You could call it a field trip.
Indoor Adventure
Build a fort or playhouse with chairs and blankets. Or if you have a big box store, they might have a large cardboard container, like a refrigerator box, that they need to recycle.
Pretend like the floor is lava. The kids have to get from one side to the other by building a footbridge. Maybe they have to establish their own island in between.
If you have littles, play “Going on a Bear Hunt”. Make sure to prep some cave snacks! If you have big kids, play hide-and-go-seek or mafia.