Indoor Fun for Your Younger Children

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

For many parents of young children, the winter months can be frustrating. Cold temperatures, snow, ice, and the shorter days can mean more time spent indoors rather than outside playing. With no outlet to burn off energy, children stuck inside can exhaust their parents before the day is through. But with a little creativity, and some patience, you can find fun ways to entertain young children with resorting to hours of T.V. and video games.

Young children need to use their muscles, they need to climb and run and scream to release their endless energy. Playing games inside that require movement is a great way to entertain them. Musical chairs, hide and seek, or red light green light are a few fun playground games that can be easily converted for indoor fun. Sending them on scavenger hunts through out the house is another fun game that can be played inside, you can even make it educational by sending them out to find things of certain colors or shapes. Play mimicking games, have the children act out animals or vehicles. The possibilities are endless.

Another fun indoor idea is to set up special areas for your young children to play right beside you. Little ones love to do what they see adults doing. When you wash dishes set up your children with a small plastic tub with water and a few unbreakable dishes. Give them small dust rags and let them wipe table tops, or let them hold the dust pan for you while you sweep. This not only entertains your children, but also gives them a feeling of being a part of the family.

Of course sometimes the parents want to join the fun too. Turning on some music to dance to, doing Yoga together, or joining them in a tickle war are great ways to enjoy the day with your young children. After all, there is no reason why the children should get all the fun.