This week, I’ve scrolled through my social media feed and have seen a lot of mothers putting out an SOS: “HELP! It’s too cold to go outside – give me some ideas on what we can do indoors.”

I hear ya, Mama!

Living in AZ means that the summers can get up to 118 (F) degrees. It’s a little different than the 2019 POLAR VORTEX happening in the Midwest right now because well, pools and splash pads, but for those whose hometowns will be colder than Antarctica (no, seriously!) during this wintry phenomenon, you need all the indoor inspo you can get.

So, let’s get right to it.

Here are 50 things to do with your kids when it’s too cold (or too hot) outside :

1. make a fort
2. play board games (in or out of the fort)
3. set up cushions and pillows and chairs for an American Ninja Warrior course – the floor is lava.
4. make a pile of “leaves” out of laundry
5. color/paint
6. have a school lesson – set it up like mom or oldest is the teacher
7. bake or cook together
8. establish a set period of time where kids help cleaning up the mess of baking or cooking
9. movies (obvi)
10. sit in fort and tell stories – the crazier the better
11. reading time (if little one can’t read – just looking at the pictures time)
12. make slime/ homemade play-dough
13. play with slime/ homemade play-dough
14. family bible reading
15. act out the family bible reading
16. card games
17. hide and go seek
18. nerf gun target practice
19. “bowling” any ball to roll and tall objects to knock over
20. practice writing – name, a letter, a paragraph, a story
21. make cards for family members or local hospital
22. call friends/family on the phone to chat (grandparents especially)
23. puzzles
24. paint a picture and cut it up to make your own puzzle
25. using any supplies from around the house make an invention or toy. we made a rocket ship.
26. go room by room and have kids help organize a small piece
27. give rags and spray bottles of safe cleaners and clean windows/mirrors/bathrooms/floors
28. put water with a little cleaner on the floor, slide around the kitchen in socks – cleans the floor and is fun
29. “go” to the movies – set up special seating, popcorn, tickets in your living room
30. take a nap
31. meal prep a few meals
32. story time – littles get to pick a book and have it read aloud to them
33. fashion show
34. laundry basket races
35. make sock puppets – use old socks to make them
36. sock puppet play
37. blow up balloons – kids love balloons
38. play volleyball with balloons
39. hopscotch indoors with tape on the floor
40. can also play 2-square with tape on the floor and a bouncy ball
41. legos
42. rotate toys – maybe something they haven’t played with in awhile
43. set up a track or obstacle course for an RC car
44. build a ramp for hotwheels
45. play “daycare” or “mommy/baby” “school” – little girls love those and little boys learn to care for babies
46. learn to tie a tie
47. give kids a toothbrush and make cleaning the grout a game LOL
48. sew something
49. show and tell – it’s so fun to see what they choose to “show”
50. turn on music and have a dance party

Cleaning Up:

If all you see when you read this is, “mess mess mess”, know that being stuck indoors means your house will get messy. Accept this and your expectation of keeping it clean won’t drive you nuts. Also, when my house gets messy from the kids, I always plan a time at the end of the day for cleaning up. We won’t do anything else fun until the house is put back together. If you’re stuck inside for an extended period of time – allocate 30 minutes 3-4x a day to picking things up before starting something else. It will help break the monotony! Also, your day might feel less boring and you might feel more in control if you SCHEDULE the day. Write a little “lesson plan” the night before and stick to it – unless one activity is holding their attention longer than another.

So there you have it; 50 things to do with your kids when it’s too cold to go outside!

Sending some Arizona sunshine to the Midwest and praying you all stay safe!

xooxooxoxox, Amy