15 ideas for indoor fun on cold winter days

Cheap and easy activities to get you through the frostiest weather By Sarah Lyons

The cold winter days have settled in and some days, it’s just too cold 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 cooped up inside.

1 Movie marathon Let the kids enjoy a movie marathon in the comfort of the house. Make popcorn and enjoy relaxing and watching movies while snuggling up in the house. Or take the kids to the movie theater for an indoor treat. 2 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. 3 Library trip Take the kids to the library to find some great books and movies to check out. When you get home, spend some time relaxing and reading in the comfort of your home. 4 Indoor play Check local listings for open gym, indoor playgrounds, or other fun indoor activities where the kids can run and play without being exposed to the cold temperatures. 5 Warm treats Who doesn’t love a warm treat when it’s freezing outside? Enjoy some hot cocoa or warm apple cider with the kids. If you have a fireplace, roast marshmallows indoors and tell campfire stories. 6 Put on a show Have the kids work together to put on a play, puppet show, or make up a dance routine and perform for you. 7 Play an outdoor game inside Try playing hide and seek, flashlight tag, or keep away inside. 8 Picnic Have an indoor picnic in the living room since it’s too cold to eat outside 9 Home science Try a science experiment at home.

Make your own volcano, mix food coloring, or make a balloon rocket to teach the kids about science and stay cool indoors. 10 Bake Bake cookies, cakes, banana bread, or homemade bread. Having the oven on will warm up the house. 11 Build a fort Have the kids make a fort with pillows and blankets for some indoor fun. 12 Racetrack Use masking tape to make a racetrack on the floor and let the kids see who drives the fastest. 13 Take a bath If you have a big soaking tub, consider letting the kids put on swimsuits and enjoy the “indoor pool” for a while. 14 Have a dance party Turn the music up and have a dance party in the living room.

Sarah is a wife and mother of six who is always thinking up new and creative ways to keep her kids busy and having fun.

Christmas Cookie Exchanges – Continued from page 12

Your first step should be confirming your participant list and what type of cookie everybody will make this year. The whole point of a cookie exchange is to get a variety – you don’t want to end up with five dozen chocolate chip cookies. Most of the time everyone will bring their favorite recipe (with a little compromise to avoid duplication), but an alternate method to help those who don’t bake regularly is for the host to find enough tried-and-true cookie recipes for all participants and have everyone select one at random. Organizing who is baking what is made easier by having a spreadsheet, group chat or shared document that everyone can contribute to.

Make sure to have all participants share any special needs their household may have such as allergies, dietary preferences, religious restrictions or gluten sensitivities. You want to make sure that everyone ends up with cookies their family can enjoy.

THE EXCHANGE

Once the planning is out of the way, the rest of the cookie exchange is easy. The host should make sure to check in with participants as the exchange approaches to make sure everyone is still able to bring their cookies and attend.

The exchange itself can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. One option is to make your exchange part of a larger holiday party, enjoying each other’s company (maybe with some festive beverages) while you taste test one another’s cookies. Everyone gets to take home their new batch of cookies at the end of the event.

If schedules don’t allow for a party that everyone can attend, each participant can drop off their cookies ahead of time for the host to package up and distribute later.

BEYOND THE COOKIE

This format works great for lots of different types of exchange. Swap frozen meals, soup, holiday beverages, even charcuterie board components – the concept is the same. Everybody brings enough servings for each participant and then you mix and match to end up with a variety that can be enjoyed throughout the holiday season.

No matter what you choose to swap, exchanges are a great way to share with the people you care about this holiday season. Enjoy!

Trista is a stay-at-home mom and loves to share her discoveries about how to make life in Calgary work for families of all kinds.

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