2 Winter Activities to Keep Kids Busy and Happy
Winter can be challenging when trying to find fun ways to entertain the family, especially with our “new normal” brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we are settling in for a different winter than we’ve ever experienced, how can we keep the mental health of our children (and us) in the positive zone? Creative activities can help calm hyperactivity in children while keeping their hands and brains busy. The anxiety and stress monsters can be chased away with these 2 fun activities.
Create an indoor obstacle course!
If you have passed the time watching some of the fun new challenge shows your kids may wish they were the next American Ninja. You can create simple, safer versions of these courses using everyday household objects. Using your creativity and including the kids you can create a fun, competitive course.
Ideas:
- Tape down masking tape and use it as a balance beam or tight rope that you have to navigate
- “Trust Fall” backward into a pile of pillows
- Toss beanbags or balls into a bucket without them bouncing out
- Create circuits where you have to do 10 jumping jacks or other exercise activity
- Utilize a trampoline to create a 10-jump goal before the next step
- Army crawl under tables and chairs
- The floor is lava! Create a floating course they have to follow
- Jump through a hula hoop
- Blow cotton balls across a table
- Bob for as many apples or another item as you can within a certain amount of time
- Incorporate gymnastics into the course – somersaulting or skipping
- “Insert your idea here”
The options are endless when you create the course together as a family. Of course, parents will have to veto the ideas that are too dangerous… no flying knives! Creating a fun course will give you time together as a family as well as help the kids burn off some of that captive energy!
Smoothie Madness!
We are all learning that our gut is our second brain. Many of our thoughts, feelings and emotions are controlled or affected by what we consume. One way to reduce anxiety, irritability, hyperactivity and boredom is via brain-supportive foods. It’s not always easy to coerce children to eat AND enjoy their vegetables. One super fun way to add veggies and fruits into the diet is through smoothies. We’ve all had pizza nights with the kids where everyone can top their own pizza, how about family smoothie fun?? Take out some fun items and let the kids create their own smoothies and vote on the best one!
Ideas:
- Fruits – bananas, berries, avocado, apples
- Non-Dairy milk – soy, coconut, hemp, almond
- Veggies – spinach, celery, kale, carrots
- Nut butter
- Coconut
- Protein Powder – flavored or unflavored
- Chocolate
- Oats
- Flaxseed, chia seeds
- “Insert your favorite item here”
We realize there will be some combinations that NEVER should’ve happened, but this will help kids to learn what they like together and learn more about how good food makes their bodies feel! Don’t forget it’s even more fun with a curly straw! May the best smoothie creator win!
As long as we are creative, we can always find new and fun ways to keep our families happy, healthy and busy. The winters here in our beautiful Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla and Mat-Su Valley in Alaska can be long and dark, but we can brighten them up with the smiles on our children’s faces.
