Beat Winter Boredom With These 5 Fun Indoor Activities

Our needs for warmth and comfort draw us in to spending more time in our homes as the colder weather sets in. The days are shorter, it’s dark when driving home from work and we just want to cozy up to a nice fire with the family and watch a movie. But let’s face it. While I like a nice fire with the family and think it’s a great way to spend quality time, spending too much time indoors can give almost anyone cabin fever. Here are five fun indoor activities I think will help you and your children overcome seasonal restlessness.

Rock Wall Climbing

Rock wall climbing indoors is a fantastic way to satisfy warm weather climbing enthusiasts. It’s not for everyone but I have seen Moms and Dads try it for the first time and get hooked. Kids love to climb so they will be very excited to try it. It’s a safe and invigorating activity that will get your heart pumping. My hometown has several rock wall climbing gyms and chances are your hometown has one too. My nephew took to rock climbing like Spiderman the first time he tried it.

Bowling

Bowling is one of the best indoor family activities around. Kids, adults and even grandparents love it and its also good exercise. Aside from bowling, bowling allies are also great places to have a kid’s birthday party. My nieces and nephews have had a few parties there and had a great time. There are also arcade games and air hockey too. Frankly, I don’t know anyone who does not like bowling, I am pretty addicted myself. It’s the best fun bar none!

Board Games

While most might not think of board games and exactly thrilling for adults, if you play with your kids you just might find yourself enjoying it. Go look in your closet and dust off a few of those old games, especially those that require interaction, like Charades or Scrabble. I remember as a child playing those games and also playing Monopoly and Rummy for hours on end with my brothers and sisters. It’s a fun way to stimulate your child’s developmental thinking. These games can also be played on the iPad or any other tablet computers and guess what, you won’t lose any pieces! So if you are into gadgets, download some games and gather the family around!

Storytelling

In today’s modern fast-paced world, the art of storytelling seems to have taken a back seat. But it’s a marvelous and unique way to quell seasonal boredom, especially with family. When it’s cold out and there’s nothing on TV, start a fire and gather the family around. Pick a short story such as a fairytale or myth and have each family member take turns reading passages. Try pausing the storytelling and ask what they think will happen next. You might even end up with an altogether different story than what you started with! Get grandparents involved too. As a child, my grandparents stories would take me to another planet- I loved the journey!

Indoor Gardening

Indoor gardening is an excellent way to both involve your kids and grow great tasting herbs, fruits and vegetables. A traditional outdoor garden requires a lot of work and is probably why some kids aren’t all that interested. But indoors, setting up and maintaining a hydroponic garden or terrarium is pretty easy. Visit your local gardening center where you can buy a starter kit to get you going. Have each child care for a plant and chronicle its growth each day. They can even take daily or weekly pictures so they have something to look back on.

Winter doesn’t have to be fraught with boredom and inactivity. Don’t let all the pressures of holiday shopping, coordinating social functions and shorter days get you down either. And if they do, you can always turn to family. A get together is often just the right thing to do during wintertime and with these five fun indoor activities, the stress and seasonal funk will just melt away.

About the Author Karen Ho Fatt 

Karen lives in the Canadian Rockies and spends a lot of indoor quality time with her family when it is cold outside. She is a designer and writer, providing valuable tips and advice for families looking to improve their outdoor lifestyle. Her website features outdoor fire furnishings such as fire pit conversation sets and the popular family Blue Rhino propane fire pit.