Winter Fun
Are you dreaming of sunny beaches and playgrounds? Sandboxes and bike rides? Until warmer days arrive, there are many fun ways to pass the winter indoor time. We have
shared a few thoughts below - and hope you will do the same.
- Try a new craft or art project. Kids of all ages love to create. Pull together odds and ends from around the house to create a collage. Or, try a different medium - such as stamping. Kids will have fun stamping out a scene, then using pencils or markers to add detail. For older children, encourage them to create a stamped picture, then tell a story about the picture. Questions to ask include: Who lives in your story? What is his/her name, and what does he/she like to do? Where does your story take place? What happens next? To take things one step further - after your child creates the story, based on the stamped picture, suggest a play, and ask him./her to pretend to be the person in the story.
- Create a letter box for your child so he/she can independently send pictures and letters to relatives and friends. For the very young, address and stamp the envelopes, and provide paper and crayons. Aunt Jane will enjoy receiving a work of art, and your child will love sending. For slightly older children, consider providing the elements needed in a single box - sheets of printed labels to a grandparent or family member, return address labels, stamps, envelopes, and paper/pens. Preschoolers/school-aged children will then love to assemble the letter autonomously. The activity will build fine motor skills, encourage handwriting and language practice, nurture creativity, and as a bonus - make Grandma’s day!
- Plan a "Science Weekend" for a school-aged child. Day one, visit a local science museum such as the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences or the Franklin Institute. Both incorporate lots of hands on fun. Children will catch the excitement. Day two, build on this excitement, working with them to complete science experiments in the house with the help of a science kit such as Stars and Planets or My First Science Kit. Each kit teaches children the fundamentals of the scientific process: to observe, classify, question, and record.
- Pick a favorite children’s book - and use the book as a springboard for ideas for an afternoon. For example, start with reading a book about the circus. Then - create a series of "circus fun" activities: Draw a picture of a circus; pretend you are a circus animal; lay three hula hoops on the floor and pull out the stuffed animal stash - encouraging your child to "make a circus" of their own; Put on some lively music, grab a few instruments - and have a circus parade. Snacks? Popcorn of course!
Share Your Ideas - What do your kids love to do inside? What toys do they love? Share your thoughts with us, and we will share many more great ideas with you.
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