Ten Cheap Kids Activities for Indoor Winter Fun

The kids are bored. It doesn’t matter that they have television, video games and toys. They’ve been home from school for an entire day because of the snow and they claim that there is absolutely nothing left to do. You’re tempted to run them out to Chuck E. Cheese just to stop the I’m bored blues, but you are trying to be frugal and those tokens and pizzas are not frugal! So, what’s a parent to do?

The answer is to have a list of cheap kids’ winter activities ready to go. When the boredom sets in, the list comes out.

Head to the Library for Free Entertainment

Our local library has all kinds of options for kids’ activities. There are drop in storytimes, a drop in craft table with a weekly craft for kids to do, great programs for all ages, free DVD rentals, story bags with puppets and a related book and a great kids’ computer with lots of educational games on it.

Grab Your Goodwill Bag and Have a Dress Up Contest

All those old clothes that were destined for the thrift store can get a second life right there at home. Let the kids create the most glamorous or the strangest outfit and give out award certificates that you made using your computer’s word processing software.

Hold a Pet Show

We used to spend hours on our own family pet shows. You may be thinking you can’t do this activity because you don’t have a pet. Not true. Kids will have imaginary pet shows where they draw and color a picture of their pets or will happily organize a stuffed animal or Littlest Pet Shop show just as eagerly as they’ll put together a show for real pets.

Have a Card Making Marathon

Soldiers, people in nursing homes, people in hospitals…The world is filled with people who would love receiving a handmade card. Have the kids pull out the cardstock, glitter glue, stickers, die cuts, the pretty insides of junk mail envelopes, etc. and make some beautiful winter themed cards. Then, stamp or write a snowy message inside. You can be serious and sensible with your message, but, if you want the kids to have fun with their messages, let them go a bit corny instead. Our guys think things like the word “Snow…” on the cover and “What’s new?” inside are just hilarious.

Set Up a Board Game Tournament

Remember Monopoly competitions with your family and friends? What about Scrabble or Uno? Pull out those old board games, dust them off and set up five or six of them on different tables. Have the kids play every game once and give the child who wins the most games an old bowling trophy or some other silly commemorative prize.

Have a Repair and Recycle Session

Have the kids gather up every broken and battered toy or article of clothing in the house and sit down with them to set up a family repair shop. Anything that is deemed irreparable should be recycled. If they’re anything like my family, the kids will find some toys they forgot they had and will play with them for hours, even if they’re broken.

Learn a New Thrifty Hobby

Not all hobbies have to be expensive. Teach the kids to knit or crochet using leftover skeins of yarn or make simple patchwork doll quilts together from old fabric scraps and unwanted clothing.

Bake Up a Storm

Most kids love to bake. Help them make a few dozen cookies and freeze them properly so you’ll have emergency treats for lunch stashed away. If you have pets, you can make dog treats, instead.

Set Up a Toy Swap

If your kids are bored, it is pretty safe to bet that other kids feel the same way. Call up another mom or two and ask them to bring their kids and two or three unwanted toys that are still in nice shape over for a toy swap. Make sure you specify a toy value and that all the toys are in the same condition so no feelings are hurt.

The kids will have fun playing with each other and will have new toys to play with after their friends go home.

Get Ready for Garden Season

Even if snow is on the ground, you can still get ready for garden season. Make newspaper pots that you can use for seedlings in a few months or plan out your garden bed. You can also pull out some of your unused seeds and your leftover soil to do some winter sowing.

Photo by Alexander Kalina