Inside fun for snow days, rainy days, and any other day

March 3, 1:50 PMFrugal Family ExaminerMelissa Newby

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Here we are on day two of schools being cancelled. We spent nearly all day yesterday outside and playing in the snow.  Today, the novelty has worn off and our kids are going between bouncing off the walls and looking to me for guidance on how to pass the time.  So that leads me to some of my favorite inside games to fend off boredom.

• Camping
  Who says you need to be outside to camp?  If you have a tent that will fit inside a room on your house, set it up.  Pull out the sleeping bags, get some flashlights, make chairs and a bonfire out of toys or anything else you can find, and let your imagination run.  Tell stories, read books, go and gather tinker toy 'wood' for your fire.  Our kids  even enjoy taking naps inside the tent.  
• Build some roads
  Build some roads for your little ones to drive on.  How big the roads are depends on what you're using to drive.  When we play with Matchbox sized cars, I use masking tape to make roads all over the house.  It peels easily off most surfaces, but probably a good idea to double check before you go sticking it to everything.  I've made roads with toilet paper too, although it's not as durable and better for kids who are a little older.  Add buildings, bridges, and anything else you want. 
• Bake
  I have such fond memories of baking with my Mom.  She would give me my own little bowl of ingredients that I could stir.  It was only when I was much older that I found out my ingredients never made it into the finished product, but I still had a blast helping.  Baking is a great way to sneak in some learning too with measuring and math. 
• Dress up
  You don't need fancy dress up clothes to have fun.  Head to your own closet and see what you can come up with.  You could even have a fashion show once you've found the perfect outfit. 
• Set up shop
  Get a table and some chairs and set up a store.  Then let your kids go around the house and gather things for their store.   Draw up some 'money'  on paper, or decide to use a different currency, like Legos.  Then you get to go shopping for all the neat things they have collected.  Take turns being the shopper and the cashier.   While you're shopping, you can teach adding, subtracting, concepts about buying and budgeting, and making change. 
• Have a picnic
  Grab a blanket and set up a picnic on the living room floor.  You can either have a real meal, or a pretend one, but either way it's fun.  We've even had the kids help pack the cooler and then walked around the house until we found the perfect place for our picnic. 
  
   

These are all great ways to do something different and keep kids entertained when you're all stuck inside.  While there are some funindoor play options around Richmond, you can do all these ideas without leaving your home, and even better, they are all free.