January 25, 2023 – Indoor Activities for Stir-Crazy Kids

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

You Need a Retreat!

Even though we just had a couple months’ worth of holidays and celebrations, this is the time of year many of us long for another break in our routine. If you have the winter blues or kids who are stir crazy, try making a special memorable day to put the regular schoolwork aside and host a mini retreat with your children.

A Homeschool Winter Retreat Day Schedule:

Reading Time:

• Create a comfortable place for all to gather.
• Pick a new book to read aloud or a new audio book to start. Choose a book with good Biblical principles (possibilities: The Terrestria Chronicles by Ed Dunlop, Kingdom Series or Knights of Arrethtrae by Chuck Black, Focus on the Family Radio Theater, Pilgrim’s Progress or Hinds Feet on High Places audio books, Lamplighter books or audio).
• Allow the children to draw, color, or build with blocks quietly as they listen.
• (Extra idea: pre-make little goodie bags of dollar store toys, pencils, coloring books, snacks, etc., for them to enjoy while listening.)
• Continue for up to an hour.
• Take a short stretching, or exercise break and then snack time.

Snack Time:

• Offer special treats and warm drinks; create a special snack station for the day.

Art or Craft Time:

• Plan a simple craft or art project, or bring out random craft materials, and let them create with no patterns!
• Listen to quiet instrumental or classical music while creating.

Second Reading Time:

• If the children want to keep going for another hour, continue reading the book or audio book.
• Children can put together a new puzzle while listening or pick another quiet activity.

Scripture and Prayer Time:

• Choose a simple theme Scripture for beautiful copywork to put on parchment paper. Or use regular paper that you make into a scroll and tie with a ribbon. Try memorizing the short passage.
• Talk about the Scripture and ask each child what it means.
• Everyone takes a few minutes as a group to pray, or each can take fifteen minutes of alone time to pray.

Snacks and Games:

• Come back together for another special drink or snack.
• Play a group game, card game, or board game.

End:

At the end of the retreat time, everyone helps clean up, then chooses one simple household chore to complete (pre-written and placed in a jar for selection). Free time for the remainder of the day!

See full article from our Winter 2020-21 issue here: https://www.thehomeschoolmagazine-digital.com/thehomeschoolmagazine/library/page/2021×1/17/

Here’s some more encouragement from fellow homeschoolers at The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.

Prayer, Praise and Pursuit, by Sheila Campbell
Seven Tips for Treating the School House Grumps, by Michelle Pohl
Science in the Kitchen, by Brigitte Brulz

Enjoy your retreat and your children as you keep them Home. Where They Belong.

~Deborah

The Canadian Schoolhouse

Indoor Activities to Do at Home in the Winter

While outside and fresh air are always best for us, some days are too wet, too stormy, or too cold for our little ones to be outside. Thankfully that doesn’t mean they have to be couch potatoes and forsake all movement and exercise. There are lots of different things to do in the winter that get your kids burning energy on indoor days!

Go Do . . . and Come Back

Yell out something for them to do, (for example, “Go bounce four times on your bed.”) and then tell them to come back. They’ll run to do it and likely run back giggling. Then send them to do something else. “Go to the basement and touch your elbow to the washing machine and come back.” There are really no limits; be as silly as you want to be.

Child Independent Activities

There are many indoor things to do in the winter to keep kids active, such as a mini trampoline and obstacle courses. Hula hoops are great (and cheap) tools to keep kids moving indoors if you have the room. If you have an unfinished basement, kids can scooter, rollerblade, or ride their bikes in the basement. You can hang cloth swings, real swings, rings, or a bar from the ceiling and let them play. Those with lots of creativity can even create a rock wall for the kids to climb inside their house. If you use your imagination and what you have available to you, you can find ways to move. Even a mattress on the floor creates opportunities for active kids!

Freeze Dance / Movement

There’s nothing new or creative about this idea but it’s still fun for all ages! Put on some music your family likes, and have the kids keep moving as long as the music is playing, and freeze when the music stops. You can have them dancing or just moving, running up and down halls, jumping jacks, hopping, whatever suits you!

These ideas are taken from an article on The Canadian Schoolhouse. See the whole article for more indoor activities to do in the winter.

About the author

This article has been written by homeschooling staff writers of The Canadian Schoolhouse (TCS). Enjoy more of our content from TCS contributors and staff writers by visiting our themes page that has a new theme topic added every month!

Adam and Dianne Riveiro

Pillar of Future
Diane Riveiro – Think Ahead to Avoid Cabin Fever

As the temperature continues to drop, our kids spend more time in the house. After a few days of gloomy weather outside and being cooped up inside, it may seem like the walls are starting to come in. If you’re not careful, everyone starts to go stir-crazy . . . mom included!

During this time of year, be proactive and have activities ready for quality family time. Here are a few things we enjoy in the Riveiro house during the long New England winters:

• Playing board games (our favorite is Catan)
• Baking cookies and delivering them to neighbors or shut-ins
• Having family Mario Kart races or rounds of Mario Party on the Nintendo Switch
• Staging an indoor “snowball” fight with packing peanuts
• Working on a family puzzle
• Going camping in the living room complete with hot cocoa and microwave s’mores

We enjoy simple, old-fashioned activities while having some limited “screen time.” Whatever we do, the rule for our indoor activities is a simple one: whatever we do, we do together as a family.

Finally, can I give you one piece of advice from a family of New Englanders? Don’t hide indoors during the winter! There’s an old saying: “There’s no bad weather; there’s only bad clothes.” Bundle up and enjoy family activities like hikes, sledding, and trips to the playground . . . even when it’s cold.

-Dianne

About the author

Pastor Adam and Dianne Riveiro live in Easton, Massachusetts, where Adam leads Liberty Baptist Church. They’re the authors of several books, including Hope from Our Heart to Yours: A 30-Day Devotional Journey for Special Needs Families, available from their family’s publishing label at www.readyscribepublications.com. They have four children: Bethany, Kaylee, AJ, and Peyton. They’re passionate about helping their fellow special needs families find joy and contentment in Christ.

Have you run out of ideas for the kids who can’t sit still? Why not try incorporating art and music into your preschooler’s day? Preschool Playground: Arts, Crafts & Music is full of activities that are easy to implement—fun crafts, great music (singing, instruments), puzzles, patterns, and more. Get inspired with these lessons, and your children will learn as they make memories with you!