Nature play spaces are the most deeply beneficial stomping grounds for children. But there are days when outdoor play isn’t a good idea. Maybe you’re caught in a deluge of rain or a flurry of snow, or your child is a little under the weather and needs some calming activities to distract him or her indoors. Here are some simple, wholesome ideas for creating indoor memories that you and your child will cherish forever.
Whip up some comfort food.
Some days just call for Momma’s old-fashioned remedy for cheering the heart: some home-made fare! We have a “rainy day tradition” of frying up pancakes or waffles. It’s a real family affair where everyone gathers around and waits their turn to fill their plate.
Happily, there are tons of healthy snack recipes out there which will comfort without any guilt. Here’s a roundup of healthy yet irresistible recipes to get you started.
Include your child in the mixing, measuring, and scraping out of batter. Kids experience an exhilarating sense of achievement when the family enjoys their creations.
Build a cozy palace for your indoor adventure.
Put up a blanket fort with sheets, scatter cushions, blankets, a favorite toy, and a torch, lamp or fairy lights. Here’s a dreamy article with pics for inspiration.
Savor your comfort snacks in your blanket fort.
Story time.
You have your snacks, you’re nestled in your cozy fort – it’s time for tales of adventure that will whisk the mind off to far away places. Find an age appropriate audiobook that you can put on for both of you to listen to. This article lists sites that offer children’s audiobooks for free!
Keep hands busy.
Most kids will eventually get a bit wriggly if they’ve been sitting still for too long – even in a blanket fort with snacks and a story! Introduce some crafts into the mix.
We love these ideas:
Bring the outdoors inside by getting creative with plant pots. Round up some garden pots and decorate them for planting a children’s garden in later, or create some DIY décor for dressing up your eco garden once your kids can get outside again. Here’s a Pinterest board crammed with ideas.
You can help with the war on waste while having fun by crafting recycling materials. Here’s a board of creative ideas.
Make some eco friendly gifts for upcoming birthdays or holidays. Your kids will feel proud when they realize that they’re benefitting the environment and helping with sustainability issues while creating treasures for loved ones.
Share the adventure.
You have your snacks, fort, story and activities. It’s time to ring up friends or the neighbor to come and join in the fun!
Written by Rifke Hill
About the Author
Rifke Hill was raised on the sort of farm your grandparents told tales about – milking cows, gathering eggs, hoeing the soil, and building fires to heat water. She now spends part of her time copywriting online as a freelancer. The rest of it is spent nurturing and teaching her four energetic children, growing vegetables, baking bread, reading voraciously, having coffee with the neighbors, and enjoying the sunny slopes of the smallholding where she lives, in the Garden Route, South Africa.
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