Beating the Winter Weather Blahs

Snow storm, February 2, 2011

If your neighborhood is looking like this and it's too bitterly cold to kick the kids outdoors for even five minutes and they're going crazy indoors, you need some activities to keep them occupied.

• Clean your room!  My mother used to tell us girls to do this when we'd complain "There's nothing to dooOOoooOO!"  Suddenly, we found lots to occupy our time.  All kidding aside, snow days are good days to clean rooms.  Even if you just tackle the closet and the dresser drawers - weed out those items that no longer fit, reorganize a little, and suddenly - a few hours of boredom have been killed!
• Bake.  I suggested that Big Sister take inventory of the baking supplies and see if there was enough in stock to do any cookie baking.  So far, she hasn't taken me up on that offer.  If you're housebound and can't get your car out of the driveway for that emergency cup of sugar, you might consider making some "play-dough" with the kids.  PlaydoughRecipe.com has a variety of recipes that should fit any list of ingredients you have on hand, from "Berry Playdough" to "Jello Playdough" to the "Traditional Playdough." Enjoy!
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  cgi.ebay.co.uk
  Retro Stay Alive Board Game

  Dig out a few board games.  If, like us, you have family board games that haven't seen the light of day since their purchase five years ago, a snow day is the perfect opportunity to dust them off. Our "Stay Alive" board game is so old, it actually looks like the one in the picture, at right.  There are only enough marbles for three players, but no matter - the kids were giggling madly as they ganged up on me to sink my marbles.  Don't forget Uno, Spoons, Dominoes, and Chinese Checkers.
• If you still have power and board games aren't for you, the kids can always zone out for a bit with the Wii or other computer games. 
• Make popcorn and plug in a good movie. Or, play a game with the television. We always complain that there are 57 channels and nothing's on, so why not try this? Turn on a show. Any show. At the first commercial break, find a channel that is playing the scheduled program. Watch it until the next commercial break. Change the channel until you find one that is playing the scheduled program.  Repeat.  Try to get through all 57 or however many channels you have.  Movie channels are off-limits and so are infomercials.  As long as the programs are appropriate for the age of the viewers, see how many different shows you can expose yourself to, and discover something interesting.  You can also do this with the radio - good for long car trips.
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  Time to get scrapbooking!
  commons.wikipedia.com

  Get going on those projects you keep putting off! Is your child ready to graduate college and you still haven't put the baby pictures in the scrapbook? Better get going!  Or, finish that quilt you've been talking about finishing for the last three years.  Finish painting the bathroom.  Paint your toenails. Groom the dog.  Clean the grout in the shower. All right, just kidding about some of those. Spending some time with an enjoyable project is an excellent way to help the time fly, and to get the kids involved with something besides antagonizing each other.
 



dptny.org
Valentine for a Veteran
"We love our Veterans!"

• Make Valentines.  If your kids get on a roll and you have more valentines than recipients, please consider Valentines for Veterans. In fact, make it a point to make more valentines than you need - if you're unable to find a local Veteran group to be the recipients of your children's art work, there are always nursing homes and hospitals with patients who would love to recieve a handmade Valentine. 
• You could make junior practice his piano lessons.
• Declare the day to be a media-free day. No computers, i-pods, cell phones (texting is abolished), television, video games, etc. 
• Curl up with a good book. Read to the kids, have them read to you. Whether you rely on old childhood favorites or to an action/adventure read-aloud, just enjoy it.
• For older kids, you might try window painting. I know - it sounds crazy. But, provided the paint goes where it should, it's inexpensive and fun.  Acrylic paints work well, though any paint will do. Windows are cleaned of paint via razor blade (responsible adult, please!) and window cleaner once you're tired of the design.  You don't have to be particularly artistic - just paint something and have fun.

The exterior view of a painted window, using acrylic paint.

Charles Schulz's Snoopy and Woodstock

If you can make it through the crazy snowy days of winter, in no time at all the kids will be done with school and ready for summer time boredom.  Good luck!