Every winter, I find that the cold and short days bring on a heavy dose of cabin fever. This year, I’ve vowed to scrapbook those winter blues and find ways to keep my kids active and creative during the chilly, winter months. How you may ask? I took inspiration from my family’s favorite outdoor activities and found ways to bring them indoors!
Don’t freeze in your tracks this winter—let your outdoor adventures inspire new, indoor fun. Here are five Dulan family favorites to get you started.
1. CREATE AN INDOOR OBSTACLE COURSE
Build your own indoor playground that gives everyone a chance to run, jump, climb and laugh. Rally the family and utilize regular household items—pillows, chairs, hula hoops, stairs, baskets and more. Kids can crawl under a row of chairs and jump over a wall of couch cushions, and then tiptoe through hula hoops and hop over pillows. With a little imagination you can make your own mini American Ninja Warrior course.
2. CAMP OUT IN THE LIVING ROOM
Who says camping is only for warm weather? Break out your sleeping bags, pitch a tent in the living room and turn your heat way, way down! Make it a sleepover and BYOF—Bring Your Own Flashlight—for spooky ghost stories. And, don’t forget, no camping trip is complete without s’mores! Roast marshmallows over the fireplace or stove. Give it a new twist and replace your graham crackers with CLIF Kid’s Honey Graham Zbar.
3. PLAY 60 MINUTES OF MOTION
One of the best ways to keep warm in winter—get up and move! Keep the family active with CLIF Kid’s 60 Minutes of Motion, a game-style deck of 25 motion, activity and adventure cards that I helped create! Check out the Copy Cat game card and test your motion memory—the options for hours of active play are endless! Download the deck for free HERE!
4. LET IT SNOW PILLOW ADVENTURE
Surprise and delight your family with an impromptu pillow fight. Grab your fluffiest old pillows and secretly snip a few one inch slits in the covers. Shhhhh, don’t tell, and when the fun begins, the snowy feathers will fly and laughter will fill the house. Don’t stop until the last feather hits the ground and then, make snow angels!
5. ENJOY A PICNIC
An indoor picnic is a great way to bring the taste of summer to a winter’s day. Pick your family favorites, toss down a few blankets and pillows, and enjoy the feast. A few of our favorite seasonal treats—grilled cheese sandwiches and kale chips with frozen grapes and strawberries for dessert. To drink we like cold water from our CamelBak Relay water filtration pitcher. Another perk to an indoor picnic—no uninvited guests will arrive to carry away your food.
Disclosure: I do work with the folks at CLIF Bar, opinions are my own.
