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100+ Indoor Winter Activities

By Toni Garcia, Jennifer So, Amy Romback, Karen Elaine and Sarah Boucher - Macaroni Kid Publishers in Michigan December 9, 2018

Michigan winter's guarantee one thing.... COLD. So what do we do on those days when we don't want to take the little ones out? What if it's a snow day and we're stuck in the house? Here's a list of more than 100 things to do to keep your little noodles entertained during the winter months!

  1. Make snowflakes out of noodles - paint then and add some glitter for some extra flare
  2. Build a fort with blankets and pillows - grab some hot cocoa and snacks and read some stories inside
  3. Make marshmallow houses
  4. Stack cardboard boxes and practice your ninja kicks to knock them down
  5. Indoor scavenger hunt
  6. Make Dance Ribbons
  7. Have a 'snowball' fight with rolled up socks or crumpled up paper
  8. Act out scenes from your favorite books or movies. You can even create awards for best lead actor, etc.
  9. Play hide and seek
  10. Learn a new card game
  11. Play Simon Says
  12. Write a story as a family - make it an annual tradition and publish them with a site like Shutterfly or Mixbook
  13. Dance Party!
  14. Put down contact paper and let them stick feathers, pieces of paper and other items to it for a unique art project
  15. Put pillows inside your shirts and sumo wrestle
  16. Get a kiddie-pool and bring the snow inside 
  17. Dip some fruit and marshmallows in chocolate and have a fondue party
  18. Make bracelets out of yarn or embroidery floss
  19. Pitch your tent in the living room and have a camp-in
  20. Have a home spa day. Nail painting, mud masks, hair styling
  21. Set up an entire room of Barbie dolls/furniture, train tracks, hot wheels tracks, LEGO sets, or any other sets usually in storage or mixed together
  22. Make paper bag puppets and put on a show
  23. Do a blind taste test of various foods and see who can guess the most correct
  24. Make homemade cards. Mail them to friends and family or contact a local nursing home to donate them to residents
  25. Paint rocks
  26. Let the kids give their toys a bath in the sink
  27. For the toddlers, place them inside of a cardboard box (no, don't shut it) and give them crayons to color the inside of it
  28. Karaoke
  29. Have a picnic on the floor
  30. Make your own explorer binoculars
  31. Play hop-scotch by putting masking tape on the floor for the course
  32. Using masking tape again, you can make a racetrack for toy cars
  33. Start a family photo album... finish it by Spring
  34. Use cardboard to make a slide on your staircase 
  35. Download and create your own Family Safety Binder
  36. Have a make-over day with your little ladies. Do her hair, paint her nails, some light make-up and a dress. Then, let her do yours, too! Post selfies on social media and encourage your mom-friends to do the same
  37. Have a tea party
  38. Switch bath-time from night to day and add some extra toys for water play
  39. Make a winter-themed sensory bin using white rice, marshmallows and maybe some beads (change items based on child's age)
  40. Make paper-plate snowman masks
  41. Look at family photos and reminisce 
  42. Painting party! - Paint themed canvasses for the next holiday to use as decor
  43. Let your kids make their own lunch one day - put out sandwich essentials and let them have at it
  44. Popsicle stick houses
  45. Make your own slime
  46. Hide some "treasure", make a map and send them on a hunt
  47. Play charades 
  48. Using colored cardstock paper, weave some together to make new placemats
  49. Play Baking Show - Using play doh or slime and write down challenges like “cake” “cookie” “confection” and then themes like “under the sea”, “funny face”, “holiday”, “zoo”, etc. and sculpt within a time limit, quick rounds like 2-3 min each
  50. Write your own songs and perform for each other
  51. Dress up stuffed animals with clothes your kids have outgrown
  52. Make your own drive-in theater - Use old cardboard boxes, paint them like cars and sit in them for movie time
  53. Make popsicle stick snowmen
  54. Paint with Q-tips
  55. Make your own crayons
  56. Nerf Wars
  57. Make apple or potato stamps
  58. Go through your kids' old clothes and toys to donate 
  59. Play "I-Spy" ... "I spy something little and red..." Let them guess until they figure it out 
  60. Hang donuts on a string and see who can eat them faster without using their hands
  61. Using velcro or sting and empty tissue boxes filled with ping pong balls or large marshmallows, tie them around your kids' waist and watch them wiggle and wiggle until they all come out
  62. Start and finish a puzzle together
  63. Using plastic cups and string, make 'telephones'
  64. Have walky-talkies? Go on a face adventure. Set up animals for the jungle, keep the lights off and really make-believe with your littles
  65. Play balloon tennis (if you don't have rackets, just use your hands!)
  66. Set up a photo booth using a fun backdrop, cute props and maybe some words written on paper plates to enhance the look
  67. Hallway bowling with empty water bottles and a ball
  68. Do jumping jacks - tire them kids out!
  69. Pillow fights
  70. Freeze yogurt with fresh fruit for a unique frozen treat
  71. Make a kid burrito - wrap them up in a sheet or blanket and see how long it takes them to get out
  72. Toilet paper mummies
  73. Learn a new yo-yo trick
  74. Have a staring contest 
  75. Play with shaving cream on the wall by the bathtub
  76. Tie-Dye some shirts 
  77. Egg-toss! (If you're daring, use raw eggs... if you're not... boil them first)
  78. Using a celery stalk, make a stamp that looks like a rose
  79. Make noodle necklaces and bracelets
  80. Thumbprint art
  81. Learn origami
  82. Teach them how to wash the baseboards - make a game out of it and see who can finish their assigned room first (yea, they'll clean for you if it's fun!)
  83. String some popcorn for necklaces or home decor (or your Christmas tree!)
  84. Let your kids play drums with pans and wooden spoons (you'll need your ear plugs for this but they'll love it!)
  85. Self portraits
  86. Learn clapping games like 'Miss Mary Mack'
  87. Make black and white crayon resist pictures
  88. Bake some cookies
  89. Make snow-paint - Mix 1/2 cup cornstarch with 1/2 cup water in a bowl. Add in food coloring. Pour the liquid into cups in the muffin tin. Repeat the recipe to make more colors
  90. Write letters to first responders to say thank you
  91. Pantry-clean-out. Decide what non-perishable food you don't need or really don't plan on using soon and place them in a box for donation to a local food pantry
  92. Pipe cleaner fun - you can wrap them around pencils for a springy looking thing, add some googly eyes and make wings out of another color, ta-da! You have a butterfly! Use your imagination and make a pipe cleaner zoo
  93. Make your own bookmarks
  94. Make a family time capsule
  95. Bake some bread, let your kids knead the dough
  96. Point a lamp against a wall and make some shadow puppets
  97. Break out some old magazines and make vision-boards or collages
  98. Do some crossword puzzles
  99. Record your own silly movie
  100. Do a blind taste-test with condiments, foods and drinks you have at home
  101. Practice your face-painting skills
  102. Get a head start on making homemade valentines
  103. Make flowers out of felt and add them to a vase
  104. Hang a map of the world and learn about your top 10 places you'd want to visit - pretend like money isn't part of it!
  105. Start an indoor garden
  106. Create a new recipe
  107. Ask your kids what they want to be when they grow up and research some new 'careers' for them so they know what their dream job entails
  108. Rearrange bedrooms for a fun and new feel
  109. Play hot potato
  110. Make up “house rules” to put a new spin on a classic game like Uno or Go Fish
  111. Create a homemade memory match game. Use favorite family photos or draw your own pictures


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