The last few weeks of winter remain before you spring forward and the outdoors hums with activity. You finally got used to indoor life, and cabin fever only makes you a little crazy. That’s what family is for anyway — they embrace you in all your wintry weirdness, including that time you thought you were a bear.
One of the perks of winter are bouts of mini-hibernation, where the world falls away, and you wrap yourself comatose with your warm toes stuffed in a blanket burrito. Still, all that hibernation isn’t good for you. You need to come out and socialize sometimes. What a better way to get used to the sun again than taking a peek while you enjoy fun time with your family these last few chilly weeks?
Try Hearth Time Cooking
The households of old centered around the hearth — which was the kitchen. It was the warmest part of the home, and if home is where the heart is, that means lots of food. It makes perfect sense to keep warm around the oven and bake homemade bread or concoct a heaping serving of grandma’s famous chili.
The best meals are always homemade. You get immense satisfaction working as a team and watching as the ingredients come together to fill the house with delicious smells. Plus, if you add more garlic — no vampires! For no-fuss recipes, consider slow cooker casseroles and soups while you each enjoy a steaming mug of hot chocolate, sip and take in the beautiful scents of a home-cooked meal.
Just don’t ignore the oven for too long, or risk starting a fire. Go sit at the kitchen table and entertain yourselves.
Engage in Games and Activities
Winter typically turns active bodies into fatigued ones since they can’t get out and about. The cabin fever can get so bad that even nonathletic folks want to kick something — you know when they desire to get sporty, you need a game night.
When you can’t or don’t want to stretch your body, stretch your brain! Challenge each other to tongue twisters, and laugh at your sibling’s expense. Break out the board games and the old-fashioned activity books — get your crossword and word search on!
Just because winter is sticking around doesn’t mean you can’t be physically active either. If you’re currently not experiencing Snowpocalypse 9.0, then get your cold toes in toasty boots and wrap yourself up to head out for a brief walk.
Drag the kids to the playground — just because it’s winter doesn’t mean they can’t play and exercise. The winter playground gets kids stretching their legs while the fresh air invigorates their senses and imagination. Broaden your child’s horizons and creativity with a change of scene.
Take notice of what birds stuck around. Do you see any animal tracks or signs of human life? What about zombies? Are the White Walkers from Game of Thrones now a thing?
Get Artsy
While outdoors, make sketches of buildings and wildlife. If indoors, turn the window paneling into a grid for your sketchbook, and draw what you see on your picture plane. Put something random in the frame, like a bridge or Big Bird.
Got an ugly painting or piece of art in the house that you can’t stand? Grab paint or a Sharpie marker and improve upon this heinous art piece. Make your mark on the art world.
It’s Crafternoon Time
Make “Crafternoon” a new family tradition. Gather the popsicle sticks and googly eyes. Round up old, single socks to make sock puppets — but clean them first, please.
Go on YouTube and Google and search for crafting tutorials to get started on a quilt made out of old t-shirts, or turn a baggy t-shirt into a no-sew tube dress. Take apart old floral arrangements and make a spring wreath to welcome the coming, budding season.
Spend an entire afternoon crafting with the family, with snacks at your fingertips — just don’t mistake the buttons for candy. That would be bad.
Destroy One Annoying Chore
Okay, house — it’s chore time. Garage a mess? Pantry need reorganizing? Dust bunnies must be destroyed.
Gather your tools of cleanly destruction. Divide and conquer! Destroy one annoying chore.
Create a family battle cry, and attack, ye wee ants!
Raid the Book Shelf
No! Woah! What are you doing? Don’t topple the bookshelf. Calm down.
Wartime on chores is done. Now, you’re going raid the bookshelf for reading purposes. Don’t be Amelia Bedelia, read an Amelia Bedelia book to your kid, silly.
Take a close look at your bookshelves. Is there a favorite book you haven’t read in ten years? What about one you vowed to read but haven’t? Time to get on that.
Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee and cozy up to a good book with a family reading day.
Use the last few weeks of winter to transition to spring with fun time with your family. Make a homemade meal together, or tackle household chores. Play games, craft or read. Make art. The options are endless for your creative fun, and you don’t have to stay indoors the whole time. Get out and about to expand your horizons and take in the fresh air. Do you notice any signs of early spring? Enjoy this cloistered time of warmth and love with your family.
