Stay Home, Stay Safe and Then Cabin Fever Sets In

It has been so cold lately. Far too cold to take a preschooler, toddler, and infant to daycare or preschool or even just to have some fun. You are trying your best to stay home, stay safe and then cabin fever sets in! Netflix Kids has lost its appeal, nap time is hours away, and everyone is just ratty and irritable. 

You feel tired when you get up in the morning and your kids never stop eating!

We are only in the middle for of winter and as the winter months drag on you know the right thing to do is to stay home, stay safe and cabin fever sets in for moms and kids alike. Whether it is frost, rain, mud, or wind, too often we find ourselves stuck at home and longing for new ways to enjoy our days. Here are some of our favourite things to do inside: 

Have a dance party. 

Sometimes we just need to burn off some of that pent-up energy, and music is a great way to help us do it.

Have a picnic. 

Put on your sunglasses and bathing suits, and have a picnic on the floor, then let the kids play with toys in the bathtub in their swimming costumes, of course.

Cultivate little chefs. 

Kids love to help in the kitchen. And if they’re too young to really help, give them a couple of bowls, some measuring spoons, and some flour. My kids had endless fun measuring and pouring while I cooked. 

String round cereal onto pipe cleaners. 

This is great fine motor skill practice and a yummy snack. 

Hold a talent show.

Let your kids showcase their developing talents, and don’t forget to get in on the fun yourself. Recording it on your phone provides an extra dose of fun because kids like watching themselves perform almost as much as the performance itself.

Tell a story.

Set up a teepee and encourage your kids to grab a book and get comfy. Provide your kids with a storytelling seed and let them write, draw, or tell a tale.

Interview a family member.

Invite a grandparent over for some of the cookies you baked or call a long-distance relative. Help the kids create some questions that will help them to get to know their family a little better. What kinds of games did they play as a kid? What did they want to be when they grew up? Do they remember a favorite family vacation? 

Game Zone.

My kids really do like to play board games but, when I bring up the idea, they moan and groan. Once we get going, we all have fun. So plan a game night where everyone gets to choose their favourite games. Play an abbreviated version of each. Have some food favorites and make it fun. 

The point of all of these ideas isn’t to make our kids miserable, it’s to engage them and to expose them to situations and ideas that are good for them. 

So even if they moan and whine or say no and have tantrums just go t a quiet place and take a deep breath. 

What is your favorite way to make long winter days more fun while you have to adhere to stay home, stay safe?

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