There’s not much to do over the winter. January is cold and miserable in PA and although there is no snow this year for us it doesn’t really make me want to go outside. Even when we do it’s not for very long and it usually means me or Aiden gets pretty cranky and cold. So what do we do to bust the winter blah? Here are 5 things to do.
5 Ways to Bust the Winter Blah
1. Go to the Pool
Yeah, I know it’s the middle of winter but an indoor pool means hot water and action for the little ones. Check out your local YMCA. You might find out that your kid is ready for swimming lessons or just have a good time not being stuck in the house. Playing and splashing should bring a few smiles and plenty of fun.
We bring water toys and swim for a few hours if we can. Then when we’re done check out what else is going on at the Y
Related post: (HOW TO TEACH YOUR TODDLER TO SWIM)
2. Playgroups
Look around on Facebook for a playgroup or two. They are much more active over the winter. There’s tons of fun stuff for your kids to do and you might meet a few friendly moms too. We haven’t joined any around here. But we do love to meet up at discovery space.
Related post: (DISCOVERY SPACE, HANDS-ON STEM CENTER)
3. Indoor or Outdoor Playgrounds
There are tons of great places to play indoors. Look around and remember to check out your local churches.
Commercially we have a trampoline park called Get Air and KnB’s Inflatables Please in the mall. There are also a few churches with an indoor play like Christ Community Church with bounce houses once a month and movie night at Calvary Baptist with a full climbing area for kids.
It might be cold outside but there’s still fun to be had at the park. You don’t need to stay there all day. Pick the park that is just a little too sunny during the summer and have a good time. You need as much sunshine as you can get over the winter get your vitamin D anyway so get outside and play.
For us, that means visiting Airport Park near our house. Even though it’s usually a little windy there, there’s no shade at all so you get all the sunshine. We usually take his bike for extra fun.
4. Do Some Crafts
You might not be able to go out because of bad weather. If you’re stuck in the house crafts are always fun. There are tons of ideas on Pinterest. We just decorated our front window with snowflakes. That took a few hours and Aiden did lots of cutting and taping. Both things he loves to do.
Related post (EASY CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS AND CRAFTS TODDLERS CAN ACTUALLY MAKE)
5. Go to the Library
The library is a great place to go: books, toys, and kids to play with. You can’t go wrong. We try to make it to storytime. Or at least around that time to see as many kids as we can. Sometimes they run no school movies and other activities.
Related post: (STORYTIME AT THE LOCAL LIBRARY)
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How do you like to bust the winter blah? We try to keep it as active as we can. Have you had any success with our list? What’s your favorite thing to do over the winter? Let me know in the comments.
Great ideas. The pool is always a novel idea in the winter! We have a heated indoor one at the YMCA and the kids love it.
The library is my favorite. There is always a new book and activities going on.
Having a routine out of the house is key for us!
Good reminder that beating the “blah” in general is to have some fun! Thanks! We like to do dance parties =)
Winter time are boring for the kids. I am always on the look out for ways to be creative in activities for my daughter. Thanks for sharing.
These are certainly some cool activities for the kids. As a child, I was always interested in crafts and no weather could stop me from crafting. Until now, I have the same passion. Great post.
These are all wonderful ideas to beat the winter blues. When I was back in the US visiting my nephews, we did a lot of crafts on rainy days. We pretended to travel the world, all the places auntie had been, and we made a fake passport and passport stamps so they could pretend they’ve visited everywhere I have.
These are really cool activities for kids. Taking them to the indoor pool is actually the best idea!
The Library sounds like fun for both parents and their kids. I just might try this. Thank you for the tip
Reminds me I need to find a good place with an indoor pool. I really missed being able to be in the water when it’s not summer.
Winter can be gloomy and sometimes these really affect our mood. Thanks for the tips.
Such a lovely way to have some fun.
These are all such fun and practical ideas for those dreary winter days. What a great post! Thanks for sharing!
These are all really great ideas. We’re overdue a visit to both the swimming pool AND the library!
Louise x
Oh we needed this so much! We love the library that’s the best place to go and have some fun during these clod crazy days!
I totally know what the winter blues feels like. These are some really great ideas to get through those blah moments.
It can be so boring if you don’t know what to do during winter but the tips come in handy. I’d love indoor pools for sure…I don’t think I’d leave the spot.
Play groups are fun. They give the moms and the kids a good reason to get up and out and they’re always fun.
aww great post. we love the library and the pool for sure. our pool is indoors and 95 degrees so always nice and warm!
These are such great tips. Winter is so hard when you have little kids. It’s either too cold, too windy or just too dark too early. I can’t wait for summer to come back!
Great tips! Making snowflakes has always been favorite of ours, especially as it’s the only snow we’ll see in Florida.
Although not a child and not even a mother I must say that many of these solutions I apply for myself!
Love it! We’ve been pretty lucky so far with the weather this winter, but we still miss our daily playground trips. Thanks for these ideas! We often do many of them, but I think we’d feel better if we got out even more.