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Time outdoors is important. There’s something about fresh air, bird song, and sunshine that can soothe the cranky toddler in all of us. Most especially in the cranky toddler. I firmly agree with the advice that if a kid is grumpy, you should get them outside, or put them in water. But some days, particularly  during winter in the Midwest, going outside is physically painful.

We’re talking wet socks chafing your heels, numb appendages from subzero temperatures, cringing nostrils, and streaming eyes kind of painful.

I’ve read and loved the book There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather by Linda Akeson McGurk. (You can find this awesome book here). I fully agree that kids should play in all types of weather. But maybe I just haven’t bought the right clothing yet. Or maybe some days I just don’t have the energy to bundle everyone in the proper clothing only to stand shivering for ten minutes before ushering everyone in for a potty break and cocoa.

So for the days when the air hurts your face, here are some activities I’ve used to keep stir crazy kids active, creative, and happy.

Enjoying the Outdoors from Indoors

Bring the Snow Inside!

Spread a sheet or towel on the floor. Grab a plastic under-the-bed storage container, plastic shoebox, rimmed baking sheet, or tupperware bin and pile it up with clean snow! Add small construction vehicles, sand toys, spoons, muffin tins, scoops, and cups. Then let the kids go wild in the snow without freezing their toes off! When they’re done, you can simply dump it all into the bathtub and rinse it down the drain. 

More options: 

• Snowmen: Add twigs, buttons, yarn, and scraps of fabric and encourage kids to build mini snowmen. Or snow cats. Or bears. 

• Painting Snow: Add a few drops of food coloring to a cup of water and use eye droppers or spray bottles to paint the snow. 

• Treasure Hunt: Stage a snow treasure hunt: Bury small animals, figures, number/letter magnets, or whatever you wish and challenge kids to find them all.

Draw in the Frost

Got a frosty window? Show kids how to etch pictures in the frost with their finger tips. Or take it farther by giving them a wet paintbrush or a leftover wooden dowel from a scratch-off activity set. If you’re a Little House in the Big Woods fan, you can even give them a thimble and have them draw in the frost Laura Ingalls style.

Feed Feathered Friends

•  Easy garlands: Older kids can thread popped popcorn (no salt or butter), cranberries, and dried fruit (no sugar) onto thread with a needle. Younger kids can thread plain cheerios onto yarn or cotton string. Use your garlands to decorate a tree, bush, or railing for the birds.

• Simple Peanut Butter Feeders: Punch a hole on either side of an empty toilet paper tube. Thread yarn through the holes to make a hanger. You can also add some holes to the bottom for popsicle stick perches, though I haven’t seen birds use these when eating at this feeder. Have your child spread peanut butter on all sides of the tube. Roll the tube in bird seed, insert the popsicle stick perches if desired, then hang it outside where birds can reach it.

Have an Indoor Picnic

Pretty self explanatory. Spread a picnic blanket on the living room floor and eat your lunch or snack picnic style! Put on some nature sounds for extra ambience. 

Watch a Nature Livestream

 Stream a live video feed of your favorite animals in their natural habitat with explore.org

Energy-Burning Indoor Play

Indoor Surfing

Lay out towels, long sheets of cardboard, or sleeping bags and encourage kids to pretend they are surfboards. Cue up a Youtube video of ocean waves, have the kids “paddle out,” and then ride their own pretend waves. And don’t stop there. Swap out the towel for a laundry basket or box. Through a wealth of virtual experience videos on Youtube, they can ride pretend roller coasters, snowboards, planes, and jet skis!

Bring the Wheels Indoors

If you have a large basement or some extra space in your garage, dust off the tires of your child’s tricycle, scooter, or Cozy Coupe and bring it in for some active play out of the cold.

The Floor is Lava

Play everyone’s favorite childhood game with a twist: add a rescue mission. Strand some stuffed animals on a pillow in the middle of the floor and challenge your kids to come to their aid. Add some pillows, blankets, jump rope “tightropes,” and other objects to help them plot their course. 

Picture Charades

Picture charades can be enjoyed by everyone, even little ones who can’t read yet. What kid wouldn’t  like to see their parents mooing like cows or vrooming like cars? You could buy a set like this: or you could opt to make your own with index cards and markers. We opted to make our own. Even the baby got involved. Once you’ve got your set of charades cue cards, take turns drawing one from a bowl and acting out the image. Hilarity will ensue.

Bear Hunt

Chances are, your kids know the little song and story “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.” So go on an indoor bear hunt! Hide a teddy bear and have the kids search for it. Swipe through tall, wavy grass. Squelch through pretend mud. Swim through the cold river. Once they find the teddy bear, make a big show of grabbing it and chasing them around the house. 

Build a Fort

Another classic. Use couch cushions. Use sheets and chairs. Drape a blanket over a folding table. We’ve used forts to hide from dinosaurs, bears, and the fearsome sarlacc. We’ve used them to camp indoors and to host monster truck rallies. Let the kids’ imaginations lead.

Fort Building Accessories:

• Air Forts: If you love play forts but hate picking up pillows and couch cushions over and over, try an Air Fort. It’s like a roomy, lightweight play tent powered by a box fan. Hook your box fan up to your Air Fort, and in seconds, you’ll have a fort big enough for the whole family to fit in comfortably. We can fit two adults and 3 kids in ours so far, and because it’s fan-powered, it’s not stuffy and hot! can find your own Air Fort here .

• Fort Building Kits: Short on chairs, card tables, and other fort building supplies? Kits like this one allow kids to build fort structures of their own with large, TinkerToy-like pieces. Find one here!

Quiet(ish) Time

Family Read Aloud 

When everyone has run out of steam, transform your play fort into a book cave or pillow nest. Make some hot cocoa and have kids select their favorite books. Then, snuggle up and read out loud! If you have older kids who are learning to read, encourage them to take a turn!

Then, take a nap. Being indoors all day is exhausting.

What are your favorite ways to spend time indoors with your kids?