Cold Weather Blues

This post is for me to read in a few months when the weather gets cold again.

I don't know about you, but if I'm not proactive, cold weather gets me down. I want to snuggle in a warm blanket all day. The longer I stay home, the less likely I am to ever leave. But I have noticed that my toddler gets stir crazy if we stay home all day, and I don't feel as well either. This last winter I found that we both felt better when I made a plan to get out of the house, even just for a little while. We still came home for naps and meals.

I am not implying that cold weather means all of our activities should be indoors. There is a German saying that there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing. I find the outdoors to be refreshing, and I want my child to learn to enjoy being outside in different weather conditions. 

Here are some ideas of places to go when you need to force a break from the house:

Bundle Up: Obtain the necessary clothing for the kid(s) *and you* to enjoy the weather. Snowsuit, gloves, hat, scarf, boots. Rain suit, puddle boots. 

Backyard: You might not have to go far to find an interesting place for your kid to play. One puddle can provide plenty of entertainment. 

Park: Half of the fun is walking to the park if that is an option. I pull my toddler in a wagon when sidewalks are clear. Sometimes we just drive. 

Skiing: I haven't done this in years, but we have relatives who take their young kids skiing, and they love it. 

Sledding: Our daughter loves sliding down the small piles of shoveled snow in front of our house. Next year, she might be more interested in bigger hills. 

Snow building: Water with some food color can add a fun element to a snowman. Buckets and shovels can help the kids build a winter wonderland. 

Library: We have many public libraries in our county. Some have story time or other activities. The play areas differ between locations.

Home Depot: My toddler loves to run up and down the isles. This is a great way to burn off energy. They have shopping carts that look like a car, and that keeps her entertained for a while. 

Fast Food Playground: I haven't actually done this yet, but lately I've taken note of fast food places near me with indoor play areas. 

Barnes and Noble: One store near us has a train table.

Mall: We enjoy running around and looking at all the interesting things. She loves to smell the lotion at Bath and Body Works.

Ikea: This is another great place to run around. Bonus points if you pretend to speak Swedish.

Greenhouse: See some beauty you've been missing over the winter. My toddler likes to talk about the different colors of flowers. 

Friends play date: Going to someone else's house to play is a great way to break up the day. 

Grandma's house: Grandmas have the best toys.

Swimming Pool: I think of swimming as a fun activity for summer. But our local rec center has an indoor pool. There are some with indoor splash pads. 

Rec Center: A rec center near us has a huge area for kids' imaginative play.

Grocery Shopping: I know a lot of parents prefer to order groceries online. I can see the appeal, but sometimes we like the experience of going together to look at everything. Shopping trips go best for us if I have a list and move quickly before she loses interest. She enjoys shopping more when I talk to her about what we see. Other shoppers might find this strange (maybe not as much now that she talks back, but I have been narrating our shopping trips since she was a baby). She especially loves it when we talk about the produce and all the colors and numbers that we see.

Waiting room: There is a really nice waiting room where our daughter has eye appointments. They have a giant, colorful sea life mural, fancy bubbling fountains, a cozy coupe fleet, children's books, and a nice selection of brand new crayons. After an appointment, if the waiting room is not crowded, we don't leave right away. 
*Disclaimer: This is a group of specialty clinics for well kids. We do not linger at regular pediatric offices where sick kids go.*

Aquarium: We still haven't done this, but I'm keeping it in mind as another great indoor option. 

Church gymnasium: This is another place to burn off energy. Bring some yoga balls and let the kids run free. 

Visit seniors: Dropping in to see a grandparent, a neighbor, an elderly friend, or someone from church is sure to brighten their day and yours. I've noticed that these homes tend to be less childproof (some people can actually have nice things!), so I tend to keep these visits short so we don't break anything. A brief visit goes a long way.

The possibilities are endless.