Winter Indoor Games

[KingstonMom]

For when it is too cold to play outside, or just to beat cabin fever, what are some different things you do during the colder months?

Here are a few things we have created:
Today we did Red Light, Green Light. (I made up three circles fr construction paper and taped them to pencil crayons. red, yellow, green of course) I would stand in the kitchen with my coffee and held up a colour. RED LIGHT MEANS STOP!!! FREEZE!! GREEN LIGHT MEANS GO GO GO GO!! They would all go nuts. My 3 and 4 yr old esp loves this game.
We alter it a bit by saying, Stomp around like an elephant now GO GO GO!! Then, yellow- go ssslllloooowww like a trutle...Hop like a bunny GO GO GO!!!
A good 30 mins and they were pooped!

With green painters tape, I created a hop scotch on the kitchen floor. gave them a little ball of tape as their 'stone' and voila. Learning their numbers and hopping skills at once! It took about 10 minutes to make (I made numbers on the floor with tape too) Comes off in a since with no markings.

Also with painters tape (cheap kind fr dollar store) I drew 'dotted lines' all throughout the house one evening. When kids came the next day, they followed all the lines throughtout the main floor (which goes in a big circle all around the house). We did a chho-choo train and assigned kids as the engine, the caboose and the middle cars. They held on to each other and they were off! Good, cheap, busy fun!

Today we traced out our bodies on kraft paper and the older girls are colouring theirs in during little kids nap time.

Looking for more indoor ideas so if you have any, please share!

[playfelt]

My kids are normally very active inside. We joke about it in the summer they go outside and head for the sandbox and don't budge the whole time. My 2-3 year olds love the fisherprice yellow buses because of the bar down the top for the roof. They hold onto that with two hands and push the buses around and around the house room to room till they are exhausted. We also have the large exercise balls and they push those around the house too ( my rooms join up so you an go in a circle which is good some days - not so much others).

[sunnydays]

Simon Says is fun. I also attached roped to some cardboard boxes to make a train and they sit in it and I pull them...or they pull each other or pull dolls etc. Building a sheet fort is also fun...then have a tea party inside My kids could never tire of Sleeping Bunnies...I tire of it before they do Love the Red Light Green Light idea...I'm going to try it

[KingstonMom]

Great ideas, thanks!
what is sleeping bunnies?

[lunademiel]

Anyone have any suggestions for the younger ones? 1 year olds and 2 1/2 year olds??? I'm new to the business but want to keep these little ones from getting bored!

[Dreamalittledream]

Great ideas, thanks!
what is sleeping bunnies?

Yes, was wondering what sleeping bunnies is too. Wow, you all have given me some great ideas!

[Spixie33]

Sleeping bunnies is a song where the kids have to pretend to do the actions of the bunny

The kids lay on the floor like sleeping/napping bunnies...then you sing for them

See the sleeping bunnies sleeping in till noon
Maybe we could wake them with this merry tune
Oh so still......are they ill?
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! (put your fingers to your lips) Shhhhhhhh!

Then you vigorously clap your hands over and over and sing

wake up sleeping bunnies and hop, hop, hop! Wake up sleeping bunnies and hop hop hop
When you sing the wake up part - the kids get up and hop like bunnies and are very excited.

Then you usually have to do it many more times

You can probably find the tune.melody for the song on youtube if you search. It is a nice song that even the 15-18 mo old like all the way up.

Kingston mom, love all your ideas !!!!

[playfelt]

Mostly I find the one year olds that are just mastering walking spend a lot of time just walking and considering the size of their legs and their stride - once around the kitchen is a lot further than it looks.

There are a lot of poems you can act out that have actions - especially things that have you "reaching high to touch the sky" or "crouching down to touch the ground".

I also have a shelf that runs the length of the playroom and toys are on it so the kids stand at the shelf to play and that is a way of exercising too as compared to sitting on the floor to play.

Watch as the little ones play and you will be amazed at how much they are actually moving. When they play blocks and build a tower, they reach down and pick up another block and then reach up to put it on the stack.

[Cadillac]

I have 4 1-2 year olds and they LOVE this game:

You print a about 10 of each shape you can think of, cut out, and laminate. it's a lot of prep but is worth it. Then you make it snow. Throw all the shapes into the air. Have them all go and find a shape for you. Tell them what shape it is (or attempt guessing) and have them put it into a bag. They get super excited about it and will dart off to get another one. Great way to have a nice cup of coffee while fully engaging the children.

We also do this with our letters and have fun screaming out the letter sounds

[Cadillac]

LOVE THE BIG EXERCISE BALLS. Ever tried it out in a field? Hilarious!