WINTER BREAK ACTIVITIES AT HOME WITH YOUNG KIDS

Hope you enjoyed the holidays this season. It is always a special time to celebrate with family, friends and children, no matter which holiday you choose to celebrate. It is always a joyous time and a welcome break from the hectic life during the rest of the year.

 However, if you have kids, you know that the winter break can sometimes feel long and drawn out if you don't have any vacation plans or set up schedule. Once the actual holidays have passed, children are still on winter break here in the U.S.A., and you may be wondering how you can entertain your young children, these last few days, while they are still at home from school, especially the younger ones.

If you are running out of ideas on what to do with your little ones at home, here are some fun ideas for you to try with them.  If you little ones are in daycare/preschool, they will be familiar with some of these activities.

Here are 7 engaging activities:

1. Winter Wonderland Sensory Bin - In keeping with the winter theme, try to create a sensory bin filled with items like cotton balls (snow), small plastic animals, and winter-themed toys. This is a great way for kids to explore and play while improving their sensory skills.

2. Ice Painting - I am sure you have tried regular painting with your kids, but have you ever tried "ice painting?"  It is really simple. You freeze trays of water, mixed with food coloring to create colorful ice cubes. As the kids use the colored ice to paint on paper, they’ll enjoy a unique and tactile art experience.

3. Storytime in a Fort - Help them build a cozy fort using blankets and cushions and host a story time session inside. Choose winter-themed books and let the kids snuggle up as you read aloud. This can be done at any time, but if you work outside the home, perhaps you can use it as a motivational tool to get them excited for bedtime.

4. Nature Walk - Take a nature walk to explore the winter landscape. Encourage the kids to collect pinecones, twigs, and leaves, which they can later use for crafts or decorations at home. If you don't have a place to take a nature walk, maybe you can take a walk around the block or even at a local park. Collect some rocks to paint at a later time. You can play games on your walk, like "I spy" or counting how many trees or different little creatures you see on your walk (ie: squirrels, lizards, bugs etc..) You can also have them practice their colors and or numbers by implementing the questions, as you "spy" different items.

5. Snow Science Experiment - If you have access to snow, conduct simple science experiments, like melting snow with warm water or observing how snowflakes fall. If not, you can simulate snow with baking soda and water for a fun indoor experiment!

6. Holiday Movie Marathon - This is one of the easiest go-to activities. Set up a cozy movie day with winter-themed films or family favorites. Prepare some popcorn and hot cocoa for a perfect movie-watching experience. Or bake some cookies before movie time.  Have them pretend they are at the theater, and they can prepare the snacks for "movie night" of they are old enough.

7. Winter-Themed Bingo - This is a fun activity when the kids are old enough to know how to play Bingo.  You can create bingo cards with winter-themed pictures (snowflakes, mittens, sleds, etc.). Play a fun game of bingo with small prizes for the winners.

We hope these ideas inspire some wonderful winter break activities for you and the little ones or for anytime you are home with the kids and need fun activity ideas!

(Sponsored by Creative Learning Place)