Friday, January 23, 2009
What to Do When There’s Nothing to Do
By Guest Blogger, Rachel H
Wintertime can bring many days of cold, rainy weather. Often times we are stuck inside with kids who will constantly complain of being bored. The older ones will claim to have already played every game they own and they say they have read every book on their shelf. Now what? Aside from the obvious games, here are a few ideas that you may want to try with your kiddos!
Build a tent
And I don’t mean for you to pop up that Disney tent that is stored under the bed. Build a tent liked we used to! Pull out the sheets and blankets. Drape them over couches, chairs, and tables. Make different rooms and pathways. Little ones will love it, and as for the older ones, suddenly the games and books that kids did not want anything to do with before, are now much more interesting once they can take them into the tent and use them!
Go through toys
Get the kids involved with this if they are old enough. Go into their room or playroom and take at least three large bags. This is a great time to talk about those less fortunate and how some of the toys that sit in their rooms all year would bring a huge smile to another child’s face. Tell your kids that you will hold up a toy and they can say “Keep, Give away, or Trash." Put the toy in the appropriate bag and don’t look back! Surprisingly, my kids often want to give more away than I do! After you finish, take the “give away” items to a charity of your choice. The kids will feel great about giving to others, and your home will be a little less cluttered.
Dance
Pull out the boombox and your old CDs. Put it on full blast and go crazy! This activity is great for kids of ALL ages. My kids love my old disco music and 80’s music. And most important – mom has to dance, too!
Rubber stamping
Remember when you went to that Stamp Party and bought all those stamps, promising yourself that you would hand make all your birthday and holiday cards from now on? Well, dig the stamps out of the closet and put them to good use! It is difficult to ruin a rubber stamp, so even the good ones will be OK once your children have gotten into them. You and your kids can create masterpieces to keep or give away.
Watch home videos
Do you ever wonder why you are spending hours and hours videotaping your memories when no one ever watches them? You don’t have to save videos for a special occasion. Plug up that camcorder and let the memories roll! My kids absolutely love seeing themselves when they were babies. It is often that I tear up by something or someone from the past, but it reminds us of all that we have to be thankful for! It’s also a great time to reminisce about loved ones who are no longer with us and share stories with your children. This same idea works for baby albums and scrapbooks. Curl up on the couch and look at them together.
Make cards
If you are like me, going to the mailbox is always a joy. I love getting mail. But how many days do you find only bills and advertisements? Have your children make someone’s day by creating a card for them. It does not have to be for any special reason except to say hello, I love you, or I miss you.
Tell a story
This is a great chance to cuddle with your kids. Mom can tell a story first. Make it up as you go along. Then the kids can tell stories or even play the game where each person says a few sentences and then the next person continues the story by adding a few of their own, and so on.
My list could go on and on, but we want to hear ideas from you now! Please share your ideas of what to do when there’s nothing to do by commenting below!
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2 comments:
My kids love to cook- so we will make cookies, brownies, whatever! They also like to make their own recipes- they will mix water with sugar, flour, whatever I will give then and pretend it is something delicious. :)
I was going to suggest cooking, also. My kids love it. There is also a make-at-home recipe for play dough. Of course I can't find it right now but I am sure you can Google it!
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