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Ways to Keep Kids Engaged During Winter Break

December 15, 2016

The learning doesn’t have to stop just because kids are out of the classroom for a week – winter break is a great time to have kids focus on communication skills, problem solving and the importance of physical fitness. If you’re wondering how to keep your kids away from the TV or iPads for a week, here are a few fun alternatives.

Indoor: Weather you need a break from the cold outdoors, or rain and snow is keeping you stuck inside, here are a couple ways to keep kids engaged.

 

  • Crafts: Break out the play-doh, stickers, paint, crayons and just about anything else you can think of and let your kids get creative.
  • “Insects at the Smithsonian”: If your little one loves to look for bugs or play in the dirt, they’ll love the Smithsonian’s virtual tour of over 35 million insects (and you’ll love that it’s mess free).
  • BrainBashers: Created by a teacher, this site is packed with brain teasers, logic puzzles, optical illusions and so much more.
  • Time for Kids: According to a Common Core study, children’s knowledge of the world is falling from just 20 years ago. Time for Kids focuses on teaching kids about past and present U.S. history as well as foreign history.

 

Car rides: Visiting family a few hours away for the holidays? Keep the kids entertained with…

    • Coloring books: Coloring improves kid’s fine motor skills and their writing and creativity too.

 

  • Puzzles: Crossword puzzles, sudoku (for the older ones), and word searches are a great way to improve kid’s problem solving, vocabulary and spelling.
  • Books: Nope, not a tablet with an e-book, an actual paper book. No matter the age or reading level, getting kids to sit with a book is a skill best taught early. Our only suggestion – be weary of car sickness. Make sure kids take a break and look out the window every 30 minutes.

 

Outdoor: You only have about a month every year to really enjoy the snow, so take advantage of it! Getting kids outdoors is the best way to teach them about fitness, and keep them on a good sleep schedule for when school starts back up.

 

 

  • Sledding: You don’t have to live in the mountains to have fun sledding. See if there are any parks with small hills near you and pack the car with some hot chocolate.
  • Ice skating: Teach kids a new sport and take them to your local ice skating rink! Or, get really ambitious and take the kids to The Rink at Rockefeller Center, where you can explore the snow covered city afterwards.
  • Photo exhibition: Walk around your neighborhood and take pictures of some of your favorite places in town. Take these pictures every season for a year and then compare them and see how the weather changes everything. Speak to your kids about the importance of appreciating nature and speak to them about making green choices.

 

For over 60 years, Nickerson Corporation has been supplying educational furniture and equipment to schools in New York and New Jersey. From traditional classroom furniture to library furniture, cafeteria furniture and more, we offer a variety of furniture solutions to ensure that your school functions to its utmost potential. For more information on how we can help, contact us at (631) 666-0200 today!