Tag Archive | indoor activities

5 Indoor Winter Activities Kids will Love

Jan22

Wow! winter has been putting on a little show here in SW Ohio the past few weeks. It was so cold here for a period of time that the Ohio River had big sheets of ice on it! So, when inclement weather has you housebound with your youngsters, how do you keep them happy and still focusing on school? How about some winter-inspired activities?

  • Make paper snowflakes. You can back your creations with tissue paper either white or colored for some pizazz and hang them from the ceiling and close to a light source so you can see through the tissue. (art)
  • Play a Scavenger Hunt- Instead of just hauling the books out from their usual location, why not create a scavenger hunt to start out the day? Not only have the schoolbooks hidden, but add a treat for a special surprise. Clues could be:  Clue #1 Go to the room where you brush your teeth. (Hide the clue somewhere in the bathroom such as under the wastepaper basket or inside the vanity. Clue #2 Go to the place where we eat our meals. (Hide the clue under the tablecloth or a placemat or salt and pepper shakers, etc.) Clue #3 Look in the place where pots and pans are kept.  Clue #4 Find the place where you rest at night. Here you can have the books hidden under the bed. Clue #5 Bring all of your books to the schoolroom and there you will find the treasure to begin our school day. Your treat can be a piece of fruit, a cup of hot chocolate, a new Read-Aloud book, or whatever you think would be a fun idea to have as a reward. (reading, physical education)
  • Create Word Poetry– Do you have old grocery fliers or magazines that you can cut up for this activity? You can create a simple poem that has two lines that rhyme or you can create a free verse poem. You can make the poem’s theme as simple as food if all you have is grocery fliers or as elaborate as you like. Since we are in the middle of winter, what about that being the theme? (language arts)
  • DIY Window Clings– with a little bit of glue and some paint your son will have lots of fun making these. I bet you would enjoy making a few too! (art)

Window Clings

You will need for each color:

2 tablespoons White craft glue (like Elmer’s)

2 -3 drops Liquid food coloring

2 drops Liquid dish detergent

1 small paintbrush

Combine 2 tablespoons of glue with 2 drops of dish detergent. Add a few drops of food coloring and you are ready to make your design! Lay a page protector down so that you can paint your design (using your paintbrush) directly on it so it will be easy to pull off when it is dried. You can create your own designs or use cookie cutters and paint inside of them.  Make your design about 1/4 inch thick. If you make it too thick it will take a long time to dry. If you are using a cookie cutter, let the glue set for a few minutes before removing it. Let designs dry overnight, poke with your finger to see if they have set well enough to remove from the page protector without tearing.  Carefully peel off of the page protector and place on your windows.

  • Make popcorn and cups of tea or hot chocolate and snuggle up with a great Read-Aloud book. I just finished the 1957 Newberry Medal, Miracles on Maple Hill, by Virginia Sorensen. This is a delightful book about a family who is in need of a miracle for their father who has come home from the war and how an old homestead restores him and his family.  (language arts)

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Indoor Activities with Balloons

Jan29

Balloons1-612x300Brrr! It’s cold outside and everyone is getting antsy.  Here are some fun ideas using balloons to help your children expend their energy. You can also incorporate some math and science with that physical education!

Balloon Juggling  Blow up two balloons and practice “tossing” them from hand to the other. First, throw one of them high into the air so that it is floating. As it begins to descend, add toss the other balloon into the air. Hit the one that is descending, causing it to rise. Hit the next balloon as it descends, causing it to rise. Keep the cycle going! Add a third balloon when you have mastered two balloons.

Balloon Rockets This activity is fun for all ages. The longer the room, the further the rocket will go.

You will need:

Balloons (elongated ones work best, but round ones work too)

1 Straw

Masking tape

1 clothes pin (the type with a spring)

Fishing line

2 Chairs (Ones which you can attach fishing line)

Tape measure, pencil, paper, graph paper

First, place each chair on opposite sides of the room.

Tie one end of the fishing line to one chair, making sure it is taut, otherwise the balloon rocket will “stall out”.

Next, thread the straw through the fishing line and then tie the fishing line to the other chair. This will be your rocket line.

Inflate the balloon, pinching the end closed with the spring clothes pin.

Use two pieces of tape to secure the balloon to the straw on the fishing line. Be sure the clothes pin end is pointing towards the end of the track and the nose of the balloon is pointed toward the chair across the room.

Move the straw with your rocket toward your beginning line.

Remove the close pin and let the rocket fly!

Okay, you know you can’t pass up the teachable moment so grab the tape measure and see how far the rocket flew.  Record the results and do it at least two more times. 🙂 How about graphing the results? balloon rocket data sheet   You can also compute the average distance, how long it took for the balloon to fly, and which one flew the farthest.

Balloon Volleyball

Items Needed;

1  balloon ( I like the 12″ balloons for this activity, but a 9″ balloon will work too.)

Masking tape

Directions:

First, lay the masking tape across the carpet, creating a boundary line. Next, create volleyball teams. Nest, inflate and tie the balloon.  Then, have your  teams stand on each side of the line. The object is to hit it over to the other side. The team who can keep the balloon from hitting the floor and not stepping over the line when it is on their side gets a point. The first team to reach 10 points wins.

Mini Marshmallow Popper This looks like a lot of fun and only requires for each popper a paper cup, a pair of scissors, a balloon, a rubber band, and some mini marshmallows. Be sure to make extras for friends to come over and play too!