Here are some fun activities that will keep your kids happy and engaged all through winter break.
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t When kids are out of school for winter break, your scheduling skills are put to the test, and you have to prove that you can keep your sanity while breaking out some cool activities to keep your kids occupied! There are tons of awesome activities that can keep your kids engaged so you don’t have to hear the dreaded “We’re bored!” a billion times. Check these out!
Junior MasterChef competition — in your kitchen
t Can your kids cook? You probably haven’t given them a chance to prove they’ve got some culinary skills. Well, my kids have truly been inspired by watching Chef Gordon Ramsay’s show, Junior MasterChef, in which he mentors school-age kids while they whip up savory dishes.
t So turn your kitchen into a test kitchen for your kids! Have your kids compete against each other by making some yummy dishes of their own. Whether it be crafting whimsical and fun cookie creations from the website Spoonful.com or re-creating the best bento-box creations, your kids will get a kick out of having messy food fun! Kick it up a notch and give your kids a cookbook from which they can pick recipes they’d like to try — with your assistance, of course. And just think of the science and math lessons that go hand in hand with these cooking lessons. Creativity in the kitchen will keep their bellies full and their brains buoyant!
Scrapbooking
t This is a cool way to get your kids to do the work you’ve been putting off all season! Take out the dozens of pictures you have sitting in a box and let your kids help organize them and create scrapbooks. Give your kids various baby pictures of themselves, grab a scrapbooking kit online at Yoyo.com or Wal-Mart and let them go crazy with decorative stickers, symbols and funny phrases. Add on various pictures of them at different ages over the years to let them create a book that’s a timeline of their little lives.
Crazy crafts with duct tape
t It won’t be long before your kids start complaining that they are tired of painting and coloring, so why not kick arts and crafts up a notch with some duct tape activities? Grab some duct tape with crazy designs. Take a bunch of duct tape in different colors and varieties and have at it by designing some shoes, or make a duct tape necktie for Dad or even a rose-wreath decoration for the holidays. How about a baseball cap that can actually be worn? Who knew duct tape had so many uses? Kids can tape to their little heart’s content!
Outside adventures
t While this seems like a no-brainer, there are many kids who are more apt to stay indoors and play video games for their whole vacation. Outside is where the action is. Help your kids make it a true adventure with a few household props like blankets, some large cardboard boxes and knickknacks. Your kids can build a fort or a faux military base, but don’t be surprised if the girls in the group call it a dollhouse or break out your tableware and have a tea party in the backyard “secret” garden. There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned outdoor adventure to break up the monotony while on winter break!
Make junk mail masterpieces
t That pile of junk mail sitting on your desk can keep your kids occupied for hours! Tear, shred and repurpose those papers with precision. With scissors, glue, tape, glitter and anything else you can think of, kids can create some cool new items like this junk mail Christmas tree. This is where their creative side will shine, and it doesn’t cost a dime for them to decorate and design with things that are already around your home.
t Infuse these activities into your kids’ winter break to keep them busy and make those dreary winter days shine bright!
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