By, Kimberly Blaker
DON’T LET THE weather get your family down — there is no better occasion to enjoy cozy indoor fun. Try some of these ideas to brighten everyone’s spirit and strengthen your family bond:
1. Make a tent or fort. Indoor tents and forts make fun play areas, as well as cozy retreats for reading or watching movies. To build a tent, take several bed sheets, tablecloths, or blankets, and hang them over tables or backward-facing chairs. For a more permanent structure, connect PVC tubing into the shape of a box. Then drape it with sheets.
2. Hold a magic show. Pick up magic trick books or watch magic videos online. Let your kids practice up and then perform their act.
3. Have a dance-a-thon. Crank up the volume on your kids’ favorite music and see whose energy holds out the longest.
4. Play bakery. What better way to warm up on a cold day and enjoy family time than to bake up some tasty treats? Make a day of it and get all your baking done in advance for an upcoming gathering, or so you have treats to store. After you’ve sufficiently sampled the goodies, freeze the remainder. You could even split into teams and have a bake-off.
5. Sizzling science fun. Search online for fun experiments you can conduct at home with basic household ingredients. Try a few and then make a video of the coolest one to post on YouTube.
6. Have a family workout. Physical fitness is vital for the entire family. Look for a HIIT, Zumba, or another cardiovascular exercise video and try it out together.
7. Hold a family game night. Pull out the cards, board games, and some snacks and have fun playing together.
8. Get cultured. Choose a culture your family would like to experience and learn more about. Look for recipes from that culture online, as well as mealtime customs for a fuller experience. Then have everyone pitch in and help cook the international fare.
9. Perform a puppet show. Pull out old socks or brown paper lunch bags and make your own puppets. Draw the faces and use yarn or string for the hair. Then take turns performing shows.
