"Happy Winter! Rise and Shine, I love the early morning time. My sister snuggles close to me, two bugs in a rug, we laugh and see how funny patterns look like lace, each window has it's special face..."
~Happy Winter
It's officially cold out there. The snow that blew in last week is frozen solid and doesn't seem to be planning on going any time soon, which is just fine with my band of adventurers. Every morning after breakfast, they head to the back door and pull on snowpants and boots, mittens and hats, and set out for the back yard. This year, Fiona joins the ranks of kids old enough to head one block over to the "snow mountain," the pile of snow cleared by snow ploughs in a nearby parking lot. They go out and come back in, in and out until dark. I have just enough time to sop up the melted snow on my kitchen floor before they head in again, marching past the snowman in the yard. Wintertime, just as I remember it as a child.
Still, I know this snow is a novelty still, and one that is sure to wear off in the coming weeks and months. Snow will lose it's luster long before we'll see Springtime again, and I'm working on ideas to keep this Winter wonderful, and stave off any winter whines.
Here are a few of my tried and true Wintertime ideas for little ones. I'd love to hear yours!
Cooking. My kids all enjoy cooking and baking, so this indoor activity can be a great one. There are many recipes that are simple enough for the older two to make completely alone, and of course lots of fun and delicious treats that Mama can help throw together. Kids love sharing their creations, too, so be sure to make plenty to share with friends or family!
Creating. From watercolors to pulling out fabric scraps, creative time can yield all sorts of fun. Modeling clay and shrinkie dinks are favorites with my boys, and the girls love to make cards and pictures to give to family members or just hang around the house.
Cleaning. Go out and buy some fun cleaning supplies for your kids (feather dusters are a huge hit around here) and watch them get enthusiastic about cleaning. Turning on some music really makes it more fun!
Games. Pick up sticks and Bananagrams, Guess Who and Go Fish - my kids love games. They love them even more when Mama sits down to play a few hands, too, so make this a priority. Games are usually very educational and get your little ones using their brains, so add this to your learning cache as well. I add puzzles into this group, and things like word searches and Sudoku.
Bathtime. We don't typically do a lot of "play baths" around here, since there are so many children to bathe and I usually don't give them a lot of time to play around. So a play bath is quite the novelty, and just the thing for the smallest of my kids when they get a bit squirrelly. There are lots of ways to make it fun, from food coloring to bubbles, toys and fingerpaints. Or just letting them use their imagination!
Dancing. We frequently move the coffee table and set up a "dance floor" to get some of that extra Winter energy out. My oldest loves to play "DJ" and surprise us with his selections. We all need exercise and this is a great way to get it!
Sledding, Skating, Tobogganing. These are Daddy's jurisdiction this year, since I'm 8 months pregnant, but still lots of fun. The kids really look forward to the weekend when he can take them on these fun outdoor adventures! I like reminding them of the special things about this season that we'll all miss once the snow melts away so that they are sure to enjoy them now!
{It's Mindful Mothering Mondays, a day to take a deep breath and write out your mothering journey, whatever form it takes. A day to link up for encouragement from others who are in this same phase of life. A day of writing out the trials and triumphs and what you're learning right where you are, right now.
You might post recent struggles or thoughts. Maybe just a picture or a quote. Or maybe you'll just come here and read the links that others post. Whatever form your participation takes, this is a day for you.
We are all in this, together. Together, we can encourage and build one another up, be honest with our shortcomings and strengthened by community to keep fighting the good fight.
I chose Mondays because what Mama doesn't need a little encouragement on a Monday? As such, I'll have the link up ready to go on Sunday night for you to begin submitting your links.
I hope you'll meet with me each Monday! Here's what to do ~
Link up your post below. Remember to put the link to the exact post you want to link, and not just your blog url. Include in your post a link back here so others who want to join in can find us! And visit some other Mamas who have linked up.
Post the community graphic within your post, so people who are reading your Mindful Mothering post can come back here and find the rest of us!
Invite the writers of your favorite blogs to join in!
Share this meme with others on facebook and twitter. This community is for all moms, and the more that participate, the more we will be able to enjoy!!}
Grab the graphic here:
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What a timely post. I was just saying to my husband that I feel bad for my "big" kids (4 yr old girl 1.5yr old boy) because we just had a new baby so they can't go outside and I have nowhere for them to run around and just be kids. Needless to say they're getting a little squirrely and I'm going a little nuts dealing with it. Maybe we'll bake some bread today or whip out the chalk. ::sigh:: How on earth did you do it when your big kids were little and had to be confined to the house?
ReplyDeleteTruthfully? We watched a lot of movies. Don't be too hard on yourself, when we have a new baby we usually enter "survival mode" around here. Peaceful time for you and the new baby are top priority, and that can mean your big kids need to just watch movies or color. It's only for a short time!!
ReplyDeleteThank u so much for saying that! sometimes I read these blogs and it seems like everyone has their kids perfectly engaged at all times and I cant figure out how on earth they do it. Especially with little ones like mine who will take any unscheduled moment of time to tear apart the house. So the guilt of putting on that extra movie now and then was just eating me alive. So thank u! Although how silly am I that I need to know that other people think its ok before I can. Oh the mom guilt.
DeleteBtw congratulations on ur new little one to come :-)