Ready to jump out a window? If you’re one of the several million people stuck indoors (with no school!) thanks to the ‘Polar Vortex’ hovering over a large swath of the U.S., don’t worry, we’re here to help. You’ve probably run out of ideas to keep the kiddos entertained, but family togetherness enforced by Mother Nature can spawn some creative solutions. Since sending the kids outside to play for the afternoon is downright dangerous, here are some other ideas.
Try these fun experiments:
1) Take a pot of hot water, stand back and toss it into the air. A snowy mist will form almost instantly. WARNING: do not attempt if it is windy.
2) Take an old T-shirt, soak it in water and hang it outside. Time how long it takes to freeze. When you bring it back inside, your kids can see the “ice sculpture.”
3) Make homemade soap bubbles and send them flying through the air. Take pictures and watch how quickly the bubbles freeze.
4) Ask the kids to build a tent/fort. Gather up couch cushions, pillows, blankets, etc., and have them construct a new play space using the sofa or a child’s bed as a base. Give the kids a flashlight, a box of toys and stack of books to keep them occupied in their fort.
5) Dive into that pile of board games tucked into the closet. Uno, Monopoly and Pictionary can provide hours of fun by the fire.
6) Make hot cocoa and cookies with the kids. (And pour a little Kahlua into your hot beverage! After all, it’s been a long week.)
dawn
January 8, 2014 @ 10:23 am
Not a good idea… I saw on the news where those who have threw water into the cold are getting burned in the face and on the hands.
themotherlist
January 8, 2014 @ 10:38 am
Hi Dawn! Thanks so much for pointing that out – we’ve updated the article with a warning!