One of my boys has had sensitivity issues and this Winter his snowsuit bothered him. I'm not talking about a little "oh, i don't like my snowsuit" issue. No, I'm talking about getting an itch every two minutes because of the snowpants and coat which resulted in flailing and trying to get the mittens, hat, and snowsuit off to make himself feel better, along with some high pitched yelling and frustration added in there. Needless to say, we haven't spent much time outdoors this winter.
So, I've had to come up with indoor activities that will keep them occupied. I wish I could say that every day I came up with something so amazing, people dropped their jaws in awe. But actually, i have a hard time coming up with my own ideas. Many days consist of the boys horse playing, and right now too much Paw Patrol cartoons. But every once in a while, if I really just sit and think, I can come up with something that makes me look like mom of the year to my kids. Often with a little inspiration from somewhere else. And a couple weeks ago, when I went to a friend's house for some girl time, I noticed she had used tape on her floor to make a road for her kids to drive their matchbox cars. So that gave me an idea about some arrow shaped post-it notes that were headed for the thrift store box. Here is an indoor activity that will keep the kids busy for hours.
I got the kids to start rounding up all their toys, and some boxes from the recycling, some glue, paper, and markers, and we got to work. We made a farm, a cafe, a gas station, a zoo, and even Disney World.
The boys used the road and village to mostly smash their cars, while my daughter spent most of her time designing new buildings and people for the village. Everyone was happy. Well, until the toddler stole the animals from the zoo and mixed them up with the farm animals.
We left this up all over our living room floor for days, and the kids loved it. And it's funny...I look at this and don't feel it is something you would see on Pinterest. We just gathered what we had, and worked with it. But the truth of the matter is, we didn't need anything fancy. With some time and creativity, the kids had hours of FREE entertainment!
So, kids bouncing off the wall today? Feeling discouraged with how to manage their energy and give them something to do? Just look around your house, and get creative! You will be surprised at what you find that can keep the kids happy. ;)
Peace & Love. :)
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