Indoor activities for kids?

[Sara Noel]

Curious what are great indoor activities for kids that don't include being plugged into tv, computers or game consoles?

I thought we could make a fun list for fall and winter.

1. My kids really like play dough and cookie cutters.
2. The girls play dress up and fashion show.

next?

[danni]

These are some of the things we do

-play dough
-baking or cooking
-dress up(we have a big steamer trunk full of dress up stuff)
-painting or drawing
-board games or card games
-crafts
-cuddling and reading together

[nuisance26]

~Stupid Error 404, I lost a long post.
Anyway, we like to:
make forts out of couch cushions and blankets
bake goodies together
play indoor bowling
hide & seek
treasure/scavenger hunt
huckle buckle beanstalk/I spy
playing store

When I was a little girl, my sister and I made our own board games. The best one we ever made was "The Miss America" game. Players made their way around the board earning money at odd jobs and lesser contests to buy their pageant wardrobe and accessories. Each accessory had a point value. When all the players had their wardrobe the pageant started. Scores for the talent, evening wear and interview segments of the pageant were determined by rolling the dice. This was added to the wardrobe score and highest points won. We played this at many slumber parties!
I explained the game because it's an adaptable concept. A race, county fair or pet show would fit as well.
All you need is a piece of cardboard, some paper for action cards, dice and some markers.~

[nuisance26]

~I almost forgot about the dry erase activity books! I just made one for my kids out of a 3 ring binder with page protectors inside. Just print out whatever word searches, games, puzzles, activities, coloring pages, dot to dots, mazes, etc. you want and slip into the protectors. My kids love theirs!
For older kids try inserts with graph paper and simple human figures that they can draw fashion garments or ancient battle armor onto. Be sure to get fine tip dry erase markers!~

[Grainlady]

1. Board, card and dice games. Don't forget to make-up your own board games or invent new card games. We didn't have a Cootie game, so we rolled the dice and drew a picture of the "cootie" - each appendage represented a different number on the dice. Games are a good place to work on math skills.

2. STORE - Our granddaughter LOVED playing with the "fake" food I used for nutrition demonstrations for serving sizes. We have a KUHN RIKON can opener which safely removes the can lid without any sharp edges. We wash the cans out, dry thoroughly, and glue the lids back on the cans to be used to play STORE along, decorative tins and empty food boxes. A bunch of blank stickers can be used to price them. A pad of paper to add the purchases up. Add several cloth tote bags, small baskets (leftover Easter baskets), paper lunch bags (NO plastic bags please!!!)....

3. Origami. We had several books on origami and our kids learned the art of paper-folding from them. Hubby brought home used computer paper from work for the task, but we also made Christmas decorations using nice paper.

4. I purchased HUGE amounts of embroidery floss from a shop that was going out of business. The kids went crazy braiding bookmarks and making friendship bracelets. We had all the kids from the neighbor hood over learning all kinds of braiding techniques.

5. Save your junk mail and newspapers and make your own handmade paper. It's a bit messy, but fun. Do it BEFORE you mop the kitchen floor (LOL)! We make gift tags and holiday cards with handmade paper to this day. It's one of the projects our now 13-year old granddaughter still likes to do when she's visiting. You can form the wet paper pulp on dishes and bowls and make paper-covered bowls or vases. Then the kids can paint them.

Bill Nye (the Science Guy) has a nice little kit for the task: [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Elmers-Education-Paper-Recycling-Factory/dp/B0016LVJ98"]Amazon.com: Elmer's Education Bill Nye Paper Recycling Factory: Toys & Games[/ame]

6. When the kids were tiny tots, I found empty 1-gallon paint pails (the ones with lids you have to pry off) at the paint center for 25-cents a pail and bought a bunch of these. Sewed bean-bags in bright colors that resembled a big drip of paint. The kids made up all kinds of games tossing the bean-bags into the pails. When they were done, the bean-bags stored inside the pails. Instead of beans, you can stuff the bags with fiber fill for softer bags.

7. Our son and daughter learned how to sew (hand sewing and using a sewing machine) as an indoor activity. They hemmed flour sack dishtowels, made simple draw-string bags to use for their overnights to Grandma's, and other craft items, and eventually made simple shorts, tops, and p.j.'s.

8. Spool knitting: http://www.knitting-and.com/knitting...spool-knit.htm We made rugs with the knitted strips.

9. (Popcicle) Craft Stick projects- http://crafts.kaboose.com/wood/craft...le-sticks.html

10. We did a lot of crafts. Egg cartons, oatmeal boxes, popcicle sticks, ribbon, gift paper, paper bags, paper plates, old Christmas cards..... We kept everything that could be used for a craft.

[old_lady_in_the_shoe]

1. we are big fans of board games too! In winter time is the time to start those long games of mononply that take 2 or 3 days, lol.

2. Crochet or knit...not just for girls and it is easy to teach the kids a chain stitch. If you don't know how to crochet or knit, then you can do finger crochet...easy to learn and do check it out here:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-9iknve_eU"]YouTube- How To Finger Crochet (Bubble-o-logy Module)[/ame]

3. Art day...drag all the markers, crayons, color pencils, finger paints out, throw down that old shower curtain liner and let the kids go to town! We like to use brown paper bags, cut open and layed out to color and paint on...as it is cheap and we are recycling too!

4. make your own bubbles are fun too. we like to make new and "interesting" wands for them too.

5. Cooking is fun, but we like to "do it with a twist" and cook something we have "never" had, like cuban, or japanize or a seafood that we don't usually eat...having the kids help, is always a good way to insure that they will eat it too.

6. We like to bake too and I think of this as different then cooking...we like to make cookies or muffins and then take them to the neighbors, friends and family to share! The kids love this.

7. Reading is one of the other things we all like to do. we take a trip to the library together and come home and everyone lays out on the couches and such and reads their own books...

8. Make your own play dough...it is fun and the kids like it because they made it. We use regulary cooking cutters with it and have even more fun.

9. we have a small video camera, and we turn it loose with the kids, who go and perform or act out "something" in secret. then we come back together and watch it...this does include the electronic but it is so much fun... and is educational too ...as they get older, you can also let them edit it before showing it.

10. learn to make balloon animals...they are actually easy to do and don't cost much. you can get the "how to's " on the www for free and just invest in the balloons...hours of intertainment there!!!

11. word searchs, soduku, or cross words are great in a pinch too!!!

[Libby]

Talent or singing show