There are moms who stoically brave -10 degree weather to make snow-angels and forts in the backyard. They walk 22 minutes in 15cm high snow, pulling the kids in a wagon, to the nearest Mom & Tots play centre. There are moms who dress their child from head to toe and bring out the jogging stroller; counting laps as they push and pace themselves around the neighbourhood cul-de-sac. And to those moms, I salute you!
I am not one of those moms.
Unless it’s 5 degrees Celsius or warmer, you will NOT find me outside. Kids: let daddy take you out on weekends. C is for comfortable; that’s good enough for me.
And so I must do my best to ward off boredom, tedium, lethargy and the like – all symptoms of staying indoors during the cold winter months. Thank goodness I have two boys close in age – they honest-to-goodness do everything together. And I mean EVERYTHING – you can generally find little Reid tearing off two sheets of toilet paper for Ryder when he’s finished with #1. Too much information? You should see it! It’s nothing short of comical.
Even though they keep each other entertained, they do need a little help from me. And although I do my best to cycle through books, colouring activities, TV time and snacking, sometimes the routine does become monotonous and I require a bit of inspiration.
Thankfully, there’s oodles of ideas out there, especially if you know where to look. As a Fisher-Price Mom, I was introduced to this handy little resource: Play and Learn Family Activities. Full of great tips for keeping the little ones entertained indoors, once you click on your child’s age, the site provides you with a list of family friendly activities….