Too Cold Outside? 8 Fun Family Indoor Activities

Posted by Jennifer Carles on Saturday, October 28th, 2017 at 12:20 PM
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Family indoor activities

Phew! It’s cold out there today!  Throughout the winter here in DFW, there will be days where the weather is just too unbearable.  Here are some unique ways to spend quality family time together INDOORS!

*Build a fort

It’s a classic throwback activity from a time before electronics ruled our lives.  Grab your pillows, blankets, sheets and towels and get creative with the family!  Create a fort, fill it with pillows, stuffed animals, games, snacks, and flashlights, then prepare to have some serious snuggle time and fun with the kids! A great accent for any fort is fun lights!  These battery operated LED string lights change colors and can create a really fun ambiance.

*Camp in the living room

There aren’t any bugs in your living room, and the heater can keep you warm.  Move the couches and set up your camping tents and lawn chairs for a campout in your home! These adorable kids camping chairs are the perfect way to gather around in a circle to tell ghost stories, share a pizza or play games like 20 questions or Truth or Dare.  You could also play musical chairs, duck duck goose and other fun games that don’t require a lot of space.  These pop up tents are a great alternative to a real camping tent. When you’re ready to lay down, pull out those sleeping bags and “campout” in the living room!  The FREE Relax Melodies app on Android or iTunes can play nature sounds to help create the mood.

*Game Night

Make some soup and pull out those board games for a family game night!  Have each member of your family choose their favorite game, then play one round of each game. Another fun idea to add to game night is prizes! Create fun little goodie bags filled with inexpensive treats and candy (like these packs of party favors!) and let each winner pick their own.  You can also create your own games – kids are amazingly creative when it comes to making up games of their own!

*Retro Movie Marathon

Kids can watch the same movies over and over again.  Why not introduce them to your favorite movies from your childhood with a retro movie marathon?  There are awesome movie compilations from the 80s starting at only $10 for eight movies. Load up The Goonies, E.T., The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and Secret of Nimh are some great starters.  Pop some popcorn, lay down pillows and blankets and crank up the A/C for a fun and lazy day of nostalgia and relaxation.

*Indoor obstacle course

An indoor obstacle course may not be feasible for some families, but you don’t need a lot of space to get creative!  Use hallways, furniture and even the bathtub to create a course inside your home.  Set up stuffed animals, toys and dolls as the cheering crowd.  Lay down a Twister game mat and have each child jump from one color to the next.  If you have a long hallway, put on socks and see how far you can slide before you stop.  Use pillows as stepping stones, a jump rope for a finish line, pots and pans instead of traffic cones, and old cardboard boxes as tunnels.  Get creative with the things you have around your home!

*Crafts & art projects

Whip out those crayons, construction paper, glitter and stickers!  Crafts and art projects can keep kids entertained for hours.  Ask them to create a greeting card of their own for grandma and grandpa.  Buy Craft Kits appropriate for their ages.  Let them design clever door hangers or signs for their bedroom doors.  You can find tons of great kid crafting ideas online, or come up with your own creative ideas for super cheap!

*Cook or bake

If your kids are budding chefs and bakers, why not have a fun day in the kitchen together. Not only will they learn about cooking and baking, the time spent together will create last memories for them.  Plus, they can be creative and feel accomplished once they’ve completed their meals!  Consider planning an entire dinner – with appetizers, salad, main course and dessert.  Let the kids pick what they want to cook, grab the ingredients and start cooking together.  This is a great opportunity to let them feel proud of what they’ve done when it’s all set out on a table (time for the fancy china!?) and they see their amazing meals ready for the family!

*Throw a party

You don’t need a holiday or birthday to throw a party.  Call it a “Family Winter Party” or make up a fun name that fits your family.  Cook foods everyone loves, and create a self-serve table filled with their favorite goodies.  Use paper plates to eliminate dishes (who wants to do dishes when there is a party going on!?).  Stop by Five Below or Party City for decorations, a piñata, and more inspiration for your party.  Turn on Pandora and let loose with dancing to really kick it up a notch!

What are your favorite family indoor activities?

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