Thursday marks the beginning of Christmas vacation. Instead of my children going to school I will have all three home all day. In some ways it will be nice because my youngest won’t be so bored since she won’t be home by herself. But for other reasons, like the simple fact that my kids will be home all day long, I dread it. So lately I have been wondering what I can do to keep my kids entertained and myself from going crazy. They can’t get outside, ride their bikes, play in the sandbox, and jump on the trampoline because the high temperature right now is about thirty degrees. There isn’t even any snow to play in, which I hate because if it’s going to be cold there should at least be snow. For about a week after Christmas they will be entertained with their new toys, but that only lasts so long before they will be repeating the phrase “I’m bored!” again.
So here are my ideas on how you can keep your kids entertained:
Cut out snowflakes and hang them from the ceiling. This is especially nice if you don’t have snow outside. My kids can cut paper for hours.
Paint. Kids love to paint. Put on some old clothes, spread some newspapers out on the table and let your kids paint.
Play dough is always a winner at our house. My kids are even getting some new play dough for Christmas. But you can always make your own. Laura has a great play dough recipe in Family Fun.
Arrange a play date. Even better, arrange two. One at your house and one at the other child’s house, giving you a break and keeping your child entertained for two days.
Dance around. Dancing is a great way to let your kids release pent up energy, especially when it’s too cold to go outside.
Go to the zoo. Jeff Boggle in Family Fun recommends visiting the zoo in the winter because there are less people and the animals are often more lively.
Read. It is important that kids keep up on their reading during the holiday break. So visit your local library and check out some new books for your kids to read. While you’re there pick up a few for yourself as well. Lauri also in Family Fun has some more ideas on how to sneak in reading and writing over the break.
How do you plan on keeping your kids entertained over Christmas break?