Winter activities!
Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant
Keeping children entertained in the winter months can feel really daunting - we aren’t able to get out and about as much as we might like and getting everyone wrapped up for the weather can sometimes just feel too much. However, this blog is here to help with some simple activity ideas for the winter months for all age groups!
#1 – Building Dens – you can build a den anywhere you like in the house: under the stairs, under the table, behind the sofa or wherever works for you and your little one. The idea is to make a cosy space which can provide hours of play opportunities – you can even have an indoor picnic in there!
#2 - Theme days – these can be great for children but also for the adults. Having a theme for the day or even the week can help focus you and helps the day run more smoothly as you know what you have planned rather than it feeling like you have to keep coming up with new ideas through the day. With a theme day the idea is that you have activities that link to the theme (e.g. animals, countries, favourite book etc) you can even prepare food together which links to the theme – everyone can get involved!
#3 – Get outside - as mentioned in the intro, this can be difficult with the weather during the winter months, but if you have all the right clothing go for it! Getting outside, whatever the weather, can really help with things such as appetite, sleep and general mood for both children and adults. It can also help to have a purpose to your outing - so it might be going on a ‘what can you find?’ hunt, puddle jumping or perhaps to post a letter to a relative or friend etc. – having a purpose can help everyone with an incentive to get out! Winter picnics can be a lovely idea as well, where you take some nice warm food (soup, sausage rolls etc) and head out!
#4 – Disco fever - Make the most of the dark nights and have a disco! For babies this might be having fairy lights or glow sticks etc and for older children it can be getting dressed up, having a the lights off with a disco ball and then putting some music on and having fun! Introducing older children to silent discos can be lots of fun too!
#5 - Sensory play – Sensory play can be hugely relaxing and calming for children. Having a box filled with lots of different sensory resources can be really useful for any time of the year. When things are getting a bit fractious, bring out the sensory box and see what might work to help calm things down. Sensory activities can be using things like shaving foam, cornflower, water, sand, playdough, cloud dough etc. in lots of different ways is so much fun for children and can really help to regulate their behaviour and emotions. Search these on Instagram, Facebook or Google for lots of fun ideas (don’t be afraid to change it up either – there is nothing wrong (and quite a lot right!) about having shaving foam in the bath in the middle of the day!
#6 - Cardboard boxes and everyday items – we don’t need to have lots of toys when often the old classics are the best! Having cardboard boxes, kitchen everyday items such as Tupperware pots, wooden spoons etc can spark imagination and keep little ones entertained for hours!
#7 - Movie time - yes screen time does feature in this list! We fully believe that there just might be those times when tv is what is needed. If you can make this family time and create a cinema like environment which might include snacks, making it dark and getting comfy with blankets etc. it can be an activity for the whole family to enjoy (you could even theme your other activities for that day / week around the film perhaps – see #2!)
#8 - Cooking – This is a great learning activity for children of all ages and can really help those who are choosy eaters. When planning a cooking activity with your children aim to balance sweet and savoury so that your little one starts to be involved in making a variety of meals and doesn’t always associate cooking or baking with sweet things. Here is a link to our Amazon ‘Foodies’ list which includes some great cookery books for children.
#9 – Home Spa - It can be amazing how little (and big) ones like to have a pamper! It might be that you can try a face mask, foot or hand massage to start with! Getting some creams (or there are some great ‘make your own’ versions online which are suitable for children) and don’t forget cucumber for the eyes! A home spa can be a nice calming activity for all. Don’t forget to encourage your little one to pamper you too so that they know it’s nice for everyone to have this experience.
#10 – Make a bird feeder or bug hotel – these links take you through the steps to make a bird feeder or a bug hotel: Bird Feeder / Bug Hotel . Doing an activity like this can help your little one connect with nature and, once made, it can then be an activity to look for the birds or check in on your bugs in their hotel!
The important thing to remember is that it is OK to have days when you all just snuggle down in front of the TV, but it’s also good to have a few activities you can draw on to keep everyone active!
To save you a ‘Google’ for more ideas there are some great ones from the BBC here as well!
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