Things to do with kids when you're stuck indoors

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As much as we try to spend a lot of time outdoors (and living in the Sunshine State, we can), there are times where we have to stay inside. I’ve noticed that the days that we just lounge around with no plans- as nice as it sounds- are the days in which the girls drive me up the wall and I get a little nutty. I’ve realized that just because we’re home, doesn’t mean we can’t have some structure to the day. It’s such a myth that siblings always play together- not the case for me. Although they do play together, I have a good 20 minutes before somebody is looking for me, either to play, nurse a “wound” or to act as a referee. So, it’s in my best interest to keep inside time as entertaining as possible. Here are some things the girls like to do when they’re playing indoors:

Play Dress Up

The girls love to play dress up any chance they get and this can keep them entertained for hours. We have a nice collection of costumes that keeps growing. From fairies to witches and superheroes to princesses. This dress up trunk includes some of their favorite Disney princesses.

Have Manicures

Any time there is some down time at home, one of my girls will almost always ask if they can have manicures. Manicures make my daughters very happy. Olivia recently received this all in one set as a gift that she shares with her sisters.

Cook Together

Recently I’ve been bringing the girls into the kitchen with me a lot more to help with cooking. They love it. Once I was able to get over the fact they will make more of a mess and that it will in fact take a little longer, what I got in return was three little helpers eager to help (and clean up).

Organize Something

I’ve been trying to get our home more organized (this is clearly an ongoing task with three kids) and just like with other projects and chores, I’m including the girls as much as I can. I recently bought a shoe rack for the girls’ closet and Olivia was the one who put it together. The best part? She insists everyone keep the shoes organized since she spent her time “building” it. See how that works…

Play a Board Game

As the girls get older, it’s been fun to play games together where they can actually understand the concept, the rules and hopefully instill a friendly competitive spirit with them (mostly friendly). Some favorites in our house are Uno, Family Feud, Jenga and Candy Land.

Watch a Movie

This has been another one of the those activities that gets more enjoyable as the girls get older. About once a week, we’ll declare a “movie night” where the girls choose a family friendly movie and we all watch together with a lot of snacks, blankets and snuggles on the couch. Most of the time we just fall asleep on the couch together but I love our quality time together.

Read Books

I officially have 2.5 little readers in the house so I always make sure there’s a ton of books around. I like to challenge Olivia (3rd grade) to read a few chapters a day. Julia (Kindergarten) is just learning to read and is getting more and more confident each day as she recognizes more words and Lucia (3 years old), well, she thinks she can read and I love watching her pick up a book and make up a story with the pictures she sees in the book- something I used to do with her older sisters when I was tired of reading the same book for the 77th time in a row. She’s very creative with her story lines and I’m sure she’ll be reading soon, too.

Video Chat with a family member

We try to catch up with family as much as possible and the girls love video chatting, especially with their grandparents. When we’re home and missing our family back in New York, we’ll give them a call and catch up together.

Styling Hair

Girls love to style hair and my daughters are no exception. They’ve taken such an interest to styling each other’s hair (and mine) that I told them I would buy them a wig head and save our own hair from all the knots. I’ve spent many hours detangling their hair as they learn how to create different styles. I recently got them a hair styling accessory kit and it has helped step up their hair game! I love styling their hair into little twists for school.

Make Slime

Although I’m not a huge fan of slime, it’s another one of those activities that entertains my kids for hours. They love slime and making it is just one big DIY project for them.

This Unicorn Slime Kit has everything a girl could need to make the perfect slime, including lots of glitter.

Working on Projects

Speaking of projects, my mom is coming to visit for the holidays and, being the ultimate DIYer, she’s asked the girls to brainstorm Christmas decorations they want to create. They’ll be working on ornaments for their own tree and garlands to string around the house. I’m sure it wool look like a little holiday workshop but all my girls (including Mom) will be entertained.

What are some indoors activities you like to do with your kids?