Rainy/Snowy Day Activities

i invented the penny game which my son really likes...basically i just toss a penny in the air and see if he guessed it heads or tails right... how about making them a tent/fort? You can use two kitchen chairs & some sheets and blankets...make then sit in there with their stuffed animals & books... you could teach them how to fold paper airplanes... you can spread shaving cream on a table and let them finger paint you could pretend they are hosting their own tv show with different toys as special guests (we just did this the other day, my son got a kick out of it, he's almost 5) I let my son play computer games at nickjr.com, pbskids.org and I also downloaded tuxpaint recently which he really likes - it's free at www.tuxpaint.org. download the stampers too! let's see...there's puppet shows... they could pretend to play store or restuarant you could save some boxes from dinner & have the kids build a fort out of those, too (just about any box dry foods come in or kleenex boxes, etc. - just tape up the flaps... you can get a giant roll of paper & tape to the wall for them to color on (they sell this cheap at wal-mart type stores or craft places) you could let them cut out pictures from junk mail and magazines & glue to another sheet of paper...or cut all that junk mail into strips and dip in glue to make sculptures (though that sounds way too messy for me!) let's see...there's puzzles...you could have them do junping jacks and sit ups etc. simon says is always a good game, so is hide and go seek with a few rules... hmmm, that's all i can think of for now...hopefully that will keep you guys busy!

you could take them to a museum. you could look in cook book and a pick out a cookie recipe. teach them how to make cookies. you could teach them a different language.

Horrible winter weather? Huh! We are so lucky. Here and there we are escaping tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, etc., just by staying inside. One thing we've started here is an indoor garden. My daughter like to play in the dirt, so I let her "help" me with maintaining the plants and we have started planting seeds for the spring. In addition, we pretend a lot. Even though you have two boys, there is no reason why they can't play act with puppets, or dressing up as pirates, cowboys, etc. As long as you get in on it, too, it is sure to last you much longer than if the did it by themselves. Don't get me wrong. I'm sure you get involved, but other readers may not realize how important it is. If you have a fireplace, light it up and make s'mores or pop popcorn. Tell camping stories and sing songs. Changing the setting makes the things you normally do so different. Collect worms and snails in a jar. When the storm has subsided, let the kids roam around in the front yard, collecting various different insects and talk about them. This is a great lesson in nature. Another outside activity (when the weather has lessened) is to do something old-fashioned. Create some paper boats (during the storm) and go sailing! The kids will have so much fun as they take their boats and float them in the gutters. Try to stay on a non-busy street. They can learn about currents and gravity. Our favorite part of rainy-day weather is the cooking lesson. We bake cookies or bread (I let my daughter "shape" her own cookies or rolls), and they come out super fabulous! But, usually, it is something we bake in the oven to send that wonderful aroma throughout the house and add warmth. A cup of hot chocolate finishes off the cozy time, so you can all settle back in together. Enjoy!