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It's been a few years since we've homeschooled, but boy do I remember those long days of winter. January, February, and March seemed to drag on forever. The cold temps, the windy days, the rain, sleet, and snow affected so much. There were plenty of days plans were canceled due to being snowed in or events just canceled because of the weather. Being cooped up often means boredom.
But it doesn't have to be that way! I promise.
The kids don't have to be restless, unfocused, moody, gloomy, or just plain old grumpy. They can get outside! They can get some much-needed fresh air and some sunshine (vitamin D). The sunshine can help brighten their mood. The fresh air can give them a new perspective or clear their minds. They can explore nature right in their own backyard.
Going outside is so important in our daily lives. It's good for the kids and it's good for us mamas too. The fresh air and sunshine can improve our moods, help keep sickness away, and allow us all to blow off some steam while getting active. Too often during the winter months, we are stuck indoors. The kids start to struggle with their schoolwork. They lose focus and sometimes their behavior can take a turn for the worse. A bored child can be mischievous. Siblings can start to grate each other's nerves. Heck, they can grate our nerves too with all that bickering.
So what can they do?
Go to the park
Go to the park and meet up with friends. Every child has fun at the playground.
Talk a walk
We would often take a walk after lunch so it would be slightly warmer. We'd walk to the mailbox and get the mail. It would take us about 45 minutes.
On other days, we'd drive to local walking trails and explore something different.
Play fetch with the family dog
This would solve two problems... bored kids and bored dogs.
Go on a scavenger hunt
When my kids were little, I found a fantastic British educational site that had all types of ideas for a winter-themed scavenger hunt, especially outdoors. I can't remember what the site was, but I did find a cute one for little kids over at The Crazy Outdoor Mama blog. I found this one too. Of course, you can
always create your own.
Build a snow fort
If you have snow and a lot of it build a snow fort. My kids loved building a fort and tunnels the few times we got snow deep enough.
Go bird watching
Now is the perfect time to go bird-watching. The leaves are off the trees and it makes it so much easier to spot all the different birds living in your area. My kids loved doing this. We would keep a bird journal about all the birds we'd see. I'd find a coloring page online, we'd record a few facts about the bird, listen to its call, and then keep an eye out for them every day. The winter months are perfect for seeing all kinds of woodpeckers, at least in our area. A great site to help with this is All About Birds.
No matter what you do, just have fun. Take the kids outside and enjoy the beauty.
Be sure to dress according to the weather and bring plenty of water and snacks.
I promise it will help with the winter time blues!
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