Go Tell Mom s2ep6 – Stuck Inside
All it takes is a couple of grey days to send warning signals off in the heads of parents: what are we gonna do with the kids?!
When I was a kid, Mom made us play outside for at least part of the afternoon after school…and more than that on weekends. Fresh air is good for us, she’d say. Until it started snowing in November.
Today’s Parent says it’s not fun being cooped up, but with a little bit of effort, you can create some fun things to do at home to help the time pass and make some wonderful memories.
The trick is to be prepared. When I was growing up, we had what Mom called “the utility room” just off the kitchen. The washer and dryer were in there, along with the vacuum and Mom’s endless shelves. Seriously, Mary Poppins' carpetbag had nothing on her shelves. Watercolor paints? Check. Reams of posterboard? Check. School glue? Check.
It didn’t hurt that Dad was an artist and Mom sewed most of her own, my sister’s and my clothes, and had a button box that was a foot deep. Today’s Parent points to ordinary items that can be transported into something fun…like having kids zoom around in cardboard race cars, or using boxes to make a cardboard dollhouse. Have to admit…I built one of those when I was a kid, and it provided me with hours of entertainment. My son, on the other hand, was all about building cardboard villages.
Some rainy days we’d go into the attic, where Mom stashed clothes from YEARS ago…we’re talking my Grandmother’s era. We had petticoats, funky hats, Dad’s letterman jacket, even Halloween costumes Mom had made. Even wigs and what Mom called her “hooker shoes”…it was hilarious. We’d dress up and play characters and had a great timer. I suppose if you did it now, you’d have to post pictures or videos on social media, which would be fun. Or just create your own movie night and add popcorn!
You might want to use a rainy day to strengthen communication with your kids…and we don’t mean with chores. HappyMomHacks suggests making up games to play with the kids. It’s a great way to start a conversation with them. Go around the table and see what each of you would rather do. Then find out why your crew would rather eat a worm instead of a beetle. Or play Minute to Win It, with games and activities that need to be completed in one minute. Maybe have a prize or make a crown that the winner gets to wear.
If you’re loaded up with board games in your closet – and we always were – now’s the time to get into a massive Monopoly game…or a Scrabble marathon. I swear, part of my kids’ extensive vocabulary was built with those tiles. When I moved a couple of years ago, I realized I’d left a lot of those board games behind…so I went to Goodwill and thrift stores and restocked. We break them out every holiday.
With younger kids, creating an indoor treasure hunt can be fun. Make up clues and hide small prizes around the house. HappyMomHacks suggest Escape Room games, where kids read a thrilling story while they try to solve puzzles and complete challenges to escape the room.
Or read books together as a family. Each family member can take turns picking a book to read aloud. Get really dramatic with the stories!
Stacy Bressler, thecrazyoutdoormama, adds there’s something to be said for finding ways to make lemonade out of lemons…or actually finding fun things to do in the rain or snow. My mom would send us out in the snow when we just seemed to have way too much energy to stay inside. We’d build snow forts and ice castles and stage snowball battles.
If the precipitation is milder, Stacy suggests doing some mud art, using mud as paint (just don’t put it on the fridge afterwards!) Or leapfrog between puddles. Or do a rainy day scavenger hunt, where you have to find items like rain on a leaf, or a worm, or something that floats in a puddle.
I’ve always been a gardener, and for me, the best time to plant is in the rain. Get the kids into the action, and hose them off after they plant their favorite flowers in the goop.
Of course, there’s only so much time you can spend outside when the weather’s nasty. It’s always fun to come inside and warm up with hot chocolate or by baking cookies, and have another family bonding moment.
Just make sure everyone understands about the need for baking mittens!
Coming up next, I’ll be joined by my friend and colleague, Sheri Waltz, who is the queen of planning for the unexpected.