Planning Indoor Activities for Kids and Families
Ideas to Entertain Children During Winter
Nov 5, 2009
Keeping children entertained during the cold winter months can be a difficult task. Television viewing, computer time, and video games are all too often a staple of indoor activities. This article contains some fun and often educational alternatives for children’s indoor activities.
Family Museum Visit
Museums can be a wonderful place to educate and entertain children. Young children can often explore and admire, while older teens can investigate science, history, or art in further depth.
There are many different types of museums available for fun family outings. These include art museums, science museums, and natural history or history based museums. Additionally, there may be a local selection of very specific museums that focus on state or city history/historical figures.
Choose a museum based on family need. Consult museums websites or call the museum directly to learn about special family programs and exhibits. Make sure that the museum is appropriate for the child (or children) in the family. Consider museum subject matter and the child’s age, attention level, interests, or favorite subjects in school.
Performing Arts and Children
Another great indoor activity for kids and families is a visit to a live performance. This includes the theater, ballet, or a variety of musical performances. Search for a performing art that specifically interests the child or family. For example, if the child is beginning to take violin lessons, a symphony might be appropriate.
When selecting a performing arts activity for the family, remember to consider the subject matter and length of the performance in terms of the child’s age. Avoid subject matter that is considered mature in nature or may be frightening to a young child. It is also advisable to choose a performance based on program length. A preschool aged child may not be able to sit through a ballet with two-hour long acts, but may be comfortable with a forty-five minute long play.
In order to select an appropriate and enjoyable performance consult the website for the performing arts organization offering production, look for reviews in local newspapers or magazines, or call the organization directly. Many performing arts organizations have an education or community engagement department that may be of help in answering questions. Box office or ticketing staff may be able to direct parents to the best seats for young children in terms of view and ease of entrance/exit.
Indoor Sports for Families
The winter cold does not mean that sports activities should be placed on hold until spring. There are many indoor sports for children to enjoy over the snowy months. These include (but are not limited to):
- Tennis played in indoor clubs or tennis bubbles.
- Indoor soccer.
- Swimming in an indoor pool.
- Basketball.
Craft Activities for Kids
Arts and crafts projects are a simple way to entertain children indoors. Plan a craft around a specific theme such as a holiday, the winter season, or a favorite animal. Many craft activities are available free on a variety of art or craft websites. Select simple, age appropriate art materials and enjoy an afternoon of crafting fun.
As an alternative to a product based craft project, try exploring a process based art activity. This may include free painting, color mixing with finger paints, cutting and gluing (collage), or simply drawing with crayons.
From museum to the ballet to everyday art projects, the winter months can be filled with fun activities for children and families. Look for indoor activities that support the specific interests of each child, and try a variety over time. Make sure to consider the child’s age and attention level when selecting an indoor family activity.
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