Across the nation, crops of couch potatoes sprout up every winter. They are fueled by the colder days and early sunset, leaving them unable to do more than is absolutely necessary. If you are looking for alternative ways to entertain the kids and yourself this winter, try leaving the electronics in their chargers. Here are 50 suggestions to help combat cabin fever and get you through until the spring thaw.
Use your imagination:
Make paper airplanes out of colored paper
Cut out paper dolls and accessories from newspapers
Create dollhouses and furniture out of felt pieces
Build skyscrapers out of Legos or Tinker Toys
Use large cardboard boxes to create kid-sized houses that they can decorate
Get outside:
Take a walk around the neighborhood with the dogs or a friend
Roller blade around cones in a parking lot on a sunny day
Head to the park for a trip across the monkey bars
Jump rope in the driveway
Bundle up for an outdoor winter scavenger hunt
Make a game of it:
Pick card games like Uno, Hearts or Rummy
Try a dice game like Tenzi or LCR
Bring out the board games– classics like Monopoly or Sorry!
Create a Battleship game out of two pizza boxes
Tape a tic tac toe board on the floor and use colored bean bags for the X and O
Expand your mind:
Play Sudoku or complete on a word search
Browse the library for a good book
Set up a home laboratory and create some science experiments
Put together a model car
Work a puzzle
Play road trips game without leaving the house:
Name that Tune– Turn on the radio and see how quickly you can identify the songs
I Spy– Describe something in the house so the other players can guess what it is
Alphabet Game– Name animals, foods, or athletes starting with the letter A, then B and so on
Mad Libs– Fill in the blanks to a short story with nouns, verbs and adjectives
Bingo– You will find free printable bingo sheets online
Spend time with family:
Look through photo albums or school memorabilia
Use your talents to create a family variety show
Cook dinner together or bake cookies
Sing karaoke or have a dance party
Listen to a book on CD together every night
Get crafty:
Make homemade playdoh from Kool-Aid
Build structures with marshmallows and toothpicks
Create pasta people with glue and a variety of pasta shapes
Use duct tape and cardboard to make swords and shields
Design Popsicle stick snowflakes, paint white and hang in the windows
Get out and go:
Go bowling
Play indoor laser tag
Head to the indoor pool for a game of Marco Polo
Get messy with a game of paintball
Try rock climbing
Do something for the animals:
Teach your dog a new trick
String popcorn on a string or make homemade suet for the birds
Collect towels and blankets for the animal shelter
Create a maze for your hamster
Make a no-sew pet bed for your cat
Think spring:
Plant seedlings to start your garden early
Have an indoor picnic
Use watercolors to paint a summer sky
Make a kite out of sticks and a kitchen garbage bag
Order a caterpillar to butterfly kit and watch them grow
Pam Molnar is a freelance writer and mother of three. This list was compiled over the last 16 years of hearing her children say, “I’m bored!”