PLAYZONE OBSTACLE COURSE
12 Ideas for Indoor Fun
on Bad Weather Days
By Sarah Lyons
Some days it’s just too cold or rainy to play outside. If your house is like mine, it doesn’t take long before the kids start climbing the walls. Here are some fun ways to use up that pent-up energy while you are all cooped up inside.
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Get crafty. Paint, play with play dough, or make bead bracelets. Allow the kids to get creative by making their own scrapbook or finding items in your recycle bin they can make into sculptures.
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Indoor play. Check local listings for an open gym, indoor playgrounds, or other fun indoor activities where the kids can run and play.
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Show time. Encourage kids to put on a puppet show or a play using stuffed animals and homemade props.
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Build a fort. Let the kids use blankets, pillows, and chairs to create a hideout.
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An indoor picnic in the living room is a perfect, cozy solution for bad weather. Spread out the blanket on the floor with some snacks, drinks, and napkins and enjoy!
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Hit the library. Take the kids to the library to find some great books and movies to check out. Libraries also offer free indoor kids’ activities such as story times, crafts, teen clubs, and more. (Get more ideas for library fun here.)
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Do a science experiment. Make your own volcano with baking soda and vinegar, mix water and food coloring, or make a balloon rocket to teach the kids about science. (See Lava Lamp experiment below.)
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Visit a museum. From art and history to science and creative play, there are a variety of interesting museums with hands-on exhibits geared toward kids, like the Anchorage Museum, Alaska Aviation Museum, Fairbanks Children’s Museum, and the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry.
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Kitchen fun. Bake cookies, cakes, banana bread, or homemade bread. Let the kids customize their own mini pizzas or decorate cupcakes with colorful toppings.
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Family movie night. Pick a movie theme, make homemade popcorn, and get cozy for a fun evening together.
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Indoor scavenger hunt. Think up a series of clues and hide small treats or toys around the house for an afternoon of adventure.
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Get moving. Turn up the music and have a dance party in your living room, play a game of keep away, or create an obstacle course to get the kids active and help burn off some of the restless energy. Check gonoodle.com for free workout videos for kids.
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DIY Lava Lamp
With a few household ingredients, kids can learn about chemical reactions while making this groovy, glowing lava lamp. It’s quick, easy, and loads of bubbly fun.
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WHAT YOU NEED:
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Clear jars or plastic bottles
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Water
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Cooking oil
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Food coloring
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Alka-Seltzer tablets
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Optional: glitter, flashlight
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WHAT YOU DO:
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Fill an empty jar or plastic bottle with water, about 1/3 of the way full.
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Add a few drops of food coloring and stir. Use one color for each bottle.
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Add oil to fill the rest of the jar or bottle (leaving a little space at top). Talk about why the oil and water don't mix. The oil will float to the top of the water because it is lighter than the water.
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Break an Alka-Seltzer tablet into half or quarters and drop in the pieces, one at a time. Watch it erupt with bubbles rising to the top. Explain that the tablets create a gas called carbon dioxide when mixed with water and that gas forms the bubbles. Gas is lighter than water, so these new air bubbles will bring the color all the way to the top (and will do this over and over until the tablet dissolves completely). Voila! Homemade lava lamp and endless fun!
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Optional: Add a pinch of glitter. Turn off the lights and place a flashlight under the bottle to illuminate the bubbles for an extra cool experience.
Note: Do not put a cap on your lava lamp when it is actively bubbling.
