looking to entertain ds when its freezin
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looking to entertain ds when its freezin
| Wed, 11-09-2005 - 10:43pm |
Its gotten pretty cold here and I can't really take Noah to the park or to play outside anymore. That really sucks! He get bored in the house. Any good ideas on entertaining a 2 year old when its freezing out???
Josee
Josee

Josee, I have a ton of ideas for you. I actually have a file on my favorities called "Indoor winter activities" we have tried all of these and my kids love them so much I did not want to forget about them..Some are for older kids but I wanted to list them incase anyone else was interested.
Hall soccer Close the doors in your hallway, give your child a big soft ball and let him do some kicking.
Bottle bowling Half fill with water five or six big pop bottles, set them up in a bowling pattern and let your child knock them over by rolling a ball.
Over, under, through Set up a mini obstacle course across some lily pad couch cushions, under the table (tape foam on any sharp edges or corners) and through a big box that’s open at both ends.
Balloon volleyball Try to keep a big balloon from touching the ground. (Gather up any popped balloons; the pieces are a choking hazard for young children.)
Construction workers Drag out some big blocks — arranging and building with oversized blocks provides active fun and opportunities for imaginative play at the same time.
Exercise class Put on a fitness video or a favourite CD and dance with your preschooler. Get really silly!
Carnival game Throw some balls, beanbags or rolled-up socks into a laundry hamper. Give everyone a prize for participation!
Magic Crystals -(1) Place 3 charcoal briquets in a disposable aluminum pan or pie tin.
(2) Mix together 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup liquid bluing (found in laundry section of supermarket, by detergents), and 1 tbsp ammonia. Pour over charcoal briquets.
(3) Sprinkle a few drops of food coloring onto the briquets -- blue is nice, but use any color your children prefer.
(4) Slide pan into a protected corner, and watch the crystals grow!
Goop - Mix 2 cups salt with 1/2 cup water and cook for about 5 minutes in saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and add 1 cup corn starch and another 1/2 cup water. Return to heat and stir until mixture thickens. Optional: add green food coloring. When cool, store in plastic bag. Kids love to play with this stuff, don't ask me why!
Kool-Aid Play Dough - Mix together the following: 1 cup sifted flour, 1/2 cup salt, 3 tbsps vegetable oil, and 1 small package of unsweetened Kool-Aid drink mix (or other unsweetened powdered drink mix). Add 1 cup boiling water. Stir ingredients, then knead mixture on waxed paper until it forms a soft dough.
Papier-Mache - Here's a kid-amuser that's probably ancient. You know the drill: having a few balloons handy to cover with the papier-mâché to make animals or creatures is always a good idea. Start with 1 cup white flour and 1 cup water and mix until it makes a smooth, watery paste. Tear strips of newspaper 1 inch wide, dip the strips in the paste, squeeze excess paste from the strips with your fingers, and arrange the dipped strips on the balloon or other form (you can use an oiled rubber ball -- just don't cover the entire thing unless you're willing to cut the dry artwork in half to remove it from the ball and then glue the two halves together with more strips of papier-mâché). Finished? Great! Now let it dry completely before painting. You might suggest to your children that they make a Mexican pinata for the next birthday party. Now, there's an incentive!
Pyjama Day. Why get dressed if it’s too cold to go anywhere? Let the kids stay in their jammies for a low-key day of free play, storybooks, colouring and cartoons. Maybe you’d like to hang out in your housecoat, too. Think of it as a way to save on laundry.
Josee