When the weather outside is not cooperating, keep kiddos busy with these indoor activities!

Build A Fort
girls_in_blanket_fortGather as many pillows and blankets as you can to make a fort in your basement or living room. Find objects in your house that can support the weight of blankets, such as chairs, couches, or tables to use to hold up the fort. When your fort is secure, fill the inside with blankets, pillow, and sleeping bags. Building a fort together is a great way to bond with your child and encourages teamwork and problem solving skills. Once inside, read books, play a board game, or spend the night “camping” indoors with the whole family.

Make A Snack Mix
Making a trail mix engages kids’ senses of touch and taste. You’ll need pretzels, marshmallows, wintry candies, white chocolate covered goodies, or any other wintry foods you and your child like and a glass jar with a lid to place the mix in. Let your child feel each ingredient and talk about its texture. Tie a pretty ribbon around the jar, make a wintry card, and give family members the trail mix jar as a gift.

Write Or Act Out A Story
Write or act out a story with a beginning, middle, and end. If you want to act out your story, practice a few times and perform for family members later! Or, help your child write the story out on blank sheets of paper, draw pictures to go with it, and staple the sheets together to create your very own book.

Curl Up With A Good Book
Reading helps you bond with your child, while developing their communication and language skills. For the littlest ones, books with lots of pictures are perfect to look through. Read the book or just turn the pages, describing the pictures to your child. Engage older children in the reading process by pointing to a picture and asking them to describe it for you. Don’t be surprised if your child asks you to read their favorite books over and over.

With a little imagination, being cooped up inside can become a fun, family bonding time. Enjoy turning long cold and rainy days into a time that boosts your child’s growth and development.