Is cold weather here to stay? We will never know in Arkansas. On those too cold days, refer to this list of 10 Indoor Boredom Busters for Kids. These are activities that will spark creativity, experiences, and joy! Take advantage of the small moments and watch your child's eyes light up with excitement as you bring out these ideas.
1. Have a Minute to Win-It Tournament
Based off the late TV show, Minute-to-Win-It games are so fun and interactive. Most of these games can be played with items you have in your house. From stacking marshmallows, to balancing eggs on their head, kids will most definitely enjoy these! Click on this link to view our Pinterest Board of Minute-to-win-it games: https://www.pinterest.com/mackidlittlerock/minute-to-win-it-games/
2. Indoor Camping
It's too cold outside, so bring the camping experience inside. The one thing I remember most as a kid was our living room forts. It was such a fun experience to gather all the blankets and pillows and create an indoor camp! I have pinned some great indoor camping games as well on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mackidlittlerock/indoor-camping-games/
3. Indoor Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are SOOO FUN! This is a great opportunity to get your kids off the screens and using their imagination. Indoor scavenger hunts have so much potential. You can make it as big or small as you want. I have pinned a lot of great ideas and themes for an indoor scavenger hunt on our Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/mackidlittlerock/indoor-scavenger-hunt/
4. Play Truth or Dare (Kids Version)
I always had a fun time playing Truth or Dare as a kid. Now, I was the one that always picked truth because I was too scared of the creativity of my friends. (LOL) This is great opportunity for siblings to entertain each other for a few hours. If they seem to run out of ideas, help them out a little!
5. Have a Carpet Picnic
Every Friday night, my family would have a carpet picnic with pizza and a movie. They are memories that I will never forget. A cold day is a great opportunity to make a carpet picnic for lunch or snack time. Let the kids help prepare the food, place it in a basket or on a cool tray, lay out a blanket, choose a movie and enjoy!
6. "TOY DIG"
Just like a dinosaur dig, you can create a toy dig. Take a large bucket and fill it with rice. Hide random toys inside of the rice and let the kids dig for them. You can make a list of the items that are in there so they know what they are searching for. This is a great sensory activity as well.
7. Color
We have a wide range of free printables on our website. Some have color sheets, others are bingo or tic-tac-toe. Search our articles for "PRINTABLE" and they will come up. Just download and print for your kids to enjoy!
8. Bake Something Together
Every kid loves to make a mess. Baking is the perfect activity to do on a cold day. It creates a warm atmosphere, helps with sensory and creativity, and has a yummy reward at the end! Anything from cookies to cakes or pies- kids love to bake and EAT the yummy treats! Find ideas on our Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/mackidlittlerock/kids-baking-ideas/
9. Chores
Now, we don't recommend using the word CHORE- but make chore time into a game. Tell them to do a load of laundry, clean up their room, or do a load of dishes and TIME THEMSELVES. If your kids are competitive they may race against each other. This is a win/win. You get chores complete while they have fun!
10. Boredom Jar
If all else fails, create lists of items and place them in a jar. When your child says "I'M BORED", tell them to go to the jar and pick an item. We recommend choosing activities that they enjoy but also spark creativity. We have a few options below:
- Read a book
- Color a page in your color book
- Build a fort
- Play with Legos
- Do a game on WII or Playstation
- Clean up your room
- Write a card to someone
- Play with Slime
- Create a zoo with stuffed animals
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