Fun Ways to Survive the Winter with Little Ones

Fun Ways to Survive Winter with Little Ones On this week’s show, I share my thoughts about winter… YUCK. I am a sunny, warm weather girl all the way. I admit, the dreary winter days can get tough. I think they are tougher when you have little ones who are tired of being inside and are whining their way through winter. Hopefully, the ideas I share on today’s show will help you prepare some fun things for your little ones and bring a little joy to all who are in your home! Thanks for listening!

Make some dough! I love dough. Doug is a great sensory experience, provides lots of possibilities for exploration and keeps children engaged for a long time. Below are some of my favorite dough recipes:

Cloud Dough – If you have little ones, you probably already have these ingredients. It is 4 cups of flour to 1 cup of baby oil. Mix well. If dough doesn’t stick together, add a little more baby oil

Salt Dough – This one is super simple. It is ½ salt, ½ water, 1 cup of flour. If your child wants to save their creation with this dough, simply air dry for a few days.

Basic Play Dough – This is your best friend. Don’t be scared of cooked dough, it really is easy. It is 1 cup flour, 1 cup water, 2 tsp. cream of tarter, 1/3 cup salt and 1 TBSP vegetable oil. Mix and cook over a low heat until dough pulls away from pan. Move dough to parchment paper to cool. Once cooled, knead well. You can always add color or scents to your dough. At The Homegrown Preschooler, we love to steep some vanilla chai tea in the water to make Herbal Play Dough. `

Slime – I have been making this basic slime recipe for over twenty years. Just add about equal amounts of liquid Glue and liquid starch. Knead. Rinse in water to get off any excess stickiness. You can add a little shaving cream to vary the texture.

Fly Guts – This process remains one of my favorites. You will need a couple of bars of ivory soap, toilet paper and water. Grate the soap into a large bowl. Add 1-2 rolls of toilet paper and enough water to create the desired consistency. There is no wrong way to do this. Thicker fly guts is fun for building. Thinner makes interesting fun!

Provide lots of sensory experiences: Try cornstarch and water. Lots of cornstarch with a little water makes an amazing slimy concoction.

Make an Obstacle Course: You can use tape, crepe paper, ribbon, or string for this idea. The hallway makes a great Obstacle course area.

Make a Bear Den: Create a tent in your home. Use leftover Christmas lights to make it extra special.

Paint: Painting on the windows provides children with an unusual opportunity indoors. They can use big strokes and movements. If you don’t want your windows painted, simply tape paper to the window and let them paint away!

Read Alouds – Gather and read in the bear tent or by a cozy fire. Find an activity to do that correlates with the book you read (ie- make green eggs, write a “what happened next” story, paint a picture).

Cook Together – Create a menu together and cook. Take your time and let them really be involved. Cooking with little ones is more than letting them stir. ☺

Make a Band- I am sure you have all kinds of items in your home that can be an instrument. Rolled oats containers, pans, pots, cups. Make shakers with old beans and paper plates.
Put on a Puppet Show- Make puppets out of old socks, brown paper bags, and collage materials. Put on a puppet show for your kids and invite them to put on a puppet show for you.

Dance Party / Clean the Floors – Give kids clean white socks and a bottle of vinegar/water. Put on some music and dance your way to a clean floor. ☺

I hope these ideas will help you keep your sanity during these Winter Months. Say yes to exploring today!!!

Find a way to #sayyes today.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my podcast and leave a review on iTunes!!!

Thank you to The Homegrown Preschooler for sponsoring this Podcast! Check out the blog post Kathy mentioned, Farmhouse Schoolhouse, to read more about A Year of Playing Skillfully.