Snow brings back lots of memories for me. I grew up in Michigan...at least until I was 10. I moved several times around that age and it was very hard for me. I remember really wanting to go back to the things that felt like home and snow kinda represented that for me. I missed it so much when we got to Alabama.Fast forward to now and my outlook has changed quite a bit. I'm no longer a child intent on squeezing every ounce of fun out of the snow. I'm an adult stuck at home with 2 kids getting cabin fever. I'm tired of watching daytime television. I'm tired of hearing my kids complain about being bored...and then complaining about being cold when we head outside.
We've made snowmen. We've been sledding (which resulted in a child in tears). We've even had a snowball fight. I'm ready for the girls to go back to school and for me to head in to work.
The problem is that we're stuck. Zilla tried to get out of our driveway for the first time yesterday. he finally made it out. Sideways. After an hour. His truck currently sits at the end of our drive because he doesn't want to get it stuck again. I haven't even attempted to get my own car out. The roads are fine...once we get to the end of our long drive. The four-wheeler has even spun out a few times.
So, my kids are out of school again today...for the fourth day in a row. Anyone have great ideas for keeping them occupied? Anything that doesn't require me dressing in several layers and freezing my bum off?
Instigator
13 comments:
Give them some of your clothes and makeup and let them play dress up. In worse case scenarios, you can use cooking oil to get the makeup off :-).
But being bored is good for children. Tell them to figure out something for themselves, that you're busy. Then sit back and see what they do! But be prepared.
Tell them if they occupy themselves until after lunch, you'll play a game with them. That worked pretty well for mine yesterday. Luckily, because I had a lot of client work to do. :)
We're getting out today for the first time. Yay!
Danniele
I arranged a play date for mine today. Of course, I get to go to the dentist first, so I'll be numb-lipped and recuperating from that at the same time I'll be expected to help with layers and making hot chocolate.
Yay snow. /snark
I'm not much help. I was the kind of kid that could occupy myself for hours. I was an only child in an electronic free age (Atari and Nintendo came around eventually, but we couldn't afford it) so I read and played alone and I was fine. (Resisting urge to do Dana Carvey impression and say "And we liked it that way!") I think kids these days are just over-stimulated. Everything is right now with instant downloads and constant interaction with others on the internet or their phones. They could probably use a few hours playing board games or reading or something else.
I left my house for the first time since Sunday. The roads weren't bad once I got out of my subdivision, except for my parking lot at work, which is awful. I guess our landlords don't pay for snow removal.
I like Linda's dress-up idea. I remember doing that as a child. I also agree with Smarty Pants that kids today expect everything instantly. I grew up without any of the gadgets except for a TV. But even that was limited. I read a lot, played with the other kids in the neighborhood (we had a great sledding hill in front of our house).
I remember doing some crafts with my mom. One was making things from paper mache. I think we made bracelets from toilet paper rolls. The glue is just flour and water heated over the stove til it mixes well but be sure to let it cool before working with it. We used newspaper and then painted them with tempera paints I think. I also remember making pencil holders from a can. But I think we used colored tissue paper or colorful pages from a magazine. You could make the bracelets that way too. Or cut long, skinny triangular strips from magazine pages, wet them with the paper mache glue mix, roll them around a toothpick starting with the wide end and make beads. Let them dry and then string them for a necklace.
I just remember enjoying paper mache crafts as a kid. It's messy but flour and water paste cleans up easily enough.
PM -- remember the "Joey Tree"? I'vew forgottewn how to make thembut you and your sister had fun with them.
The Joey tree! It was something on a local TV show hosted by Joey the Clown. Here are the directions:
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/how-to-make-a-newspaper-tree
Joey the Clown also taught us to sing "George Washington Bridge" to the tune of "Over the Waves."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUqUjz6mLb4
Luckily we live in the country. My girls have been entertaining themselves with internet, Wii, TV and movies. When the boredom kicks in, they go outside and play until numb, come in and do it all over again. All of them are upset over missing school(gasp)! Now the girls dont go back until Tuesday, and then both me AND my husband start classes(me in my 4th semester of college, him in his first!) We are super excited!
Sheryl M
I grew up where you had very little tv time and certainly not the multi channels that we do today. If they say they are bored, turn off all tvs, radios, mp3, telephones, ask them to sit in their room doing nothing or reading for 1 hour. Most will change their tune real quick. Or let them do nothing but chores with you.
Good luck!
My kids love to gather all of the blankets in the house and build a fort using all the dining room chairs. They play castle or military base(hubby's a Marine so they like to pretend they are like daddy). It's always fun to see what they come up with. Yesterday we had a snow day and the three of them we pretending to be the characters from How To Train Your Dragon and they were pretending to fly. It was fun to watch!
Blankets draped over a card table with a nice comfy comforter folded and put on the floor underneath makes a cozy playhouse. Take a few pillows or cushions and flashlight in with you for light.
See -- there's lots of things to do to entertain kids!
I sewed a "playhouse cover" from muslin that fit our card table, painted on windows and window boxes with magic markers and a door that opened and shut. This was good for many hours of play -- and a nap!
A fort! That's something from my childhood they've never done. I think I need to pull all the blankets out tomorrow (and yes, they're out of school for day 5).
Baby Girl would LOVE playing dress up although I could see Sweet Pea rolling her eyes right now. At nine she's too old for them. :-)
Thanks everyone for the ideas!
Instigator
My mother used to always tell us, when we were kids growing up in the Army, moving around, not having any friends, "that the only reason you are bored, is that you haven't found something to do. If you can't find something to do, I will."
Believe me, I found something to do right away. I'm never bored now. I can thank my mother for that. She taught us that there is always something to do, no matter where you are or your circumstances. And, you can have fun doing it. ;)
Here's hoping you get unstuck soon, Instigator!
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