The Artful Parent

13 Fun Indoor Activities for Kids

 In

February, as during much of the winter, I am always looking for fun indoor activities for kids to keep them engaged. I seek arts and crafts, educational ideas, simple science activities, and anything with a bit of wow factor. Sure, my kids do plenty of pretend play, building, drawing, and other low-key activities on their own. But sometimes we need projects that are extra interesting and extra FUN.

Like those on this list of fun indoor activities for kids:

8 Sensory Activities to Fill the Witching Hour

The Power of Sensory Activities

The other day my kids and I came home to a sink full of dishes, an art table that was hit by a tornado, and a living room that had been turned into fort city the night before.

In short, my home was a mess.

When we walked in the door my girls, ages 2 and 4, each wanted my attention—one asked me to help her with a Valentine-making activity and the other wanted me to play a mermaid game.

And me...

I had one eye on the dishes and another on the clock that was ticking closer and closer to dinner time, and I wanted to help my girls find something that they could work on together, without my assistance.

Do you have moments like this?

Art Space for Kids :: 6 Simple Ways to Make a Creativity-Inspiring Space

In order to make art, kids have to have a space to do it, even if it's at the kitchen table. A dedicated art space is even better, because it's a place they can turn to any time they feel the urge to create, a place stocked with art supplies, a place they can start a drawing of outer space and come back to finish it the next day.

Do your children have an art space like this? Here are some ideas for setting up or updating an art space for kids:

Kids' Homemade Valentines :: Think Process AND Product

 

When it comes to kids' homemade valentines, I think it's important to consider the process as much as the finished product. Especially with younger children. Yes, you and they want the finished product to be a valentine that they'll be proud to give to Grandma or their friends. But, keep the process kid-friendly. To me this means interesting and appropriate for your child's age and skill level.

10 Creative Activities for Kids

Art. Kids. Its beautiful to watch the doors to a life of creativity open for our kids! Our toddlers are beginning their life’s adventure with creativity. Every day has something new for them to explore, manipulate and create. These are just a few of the pre-art activities that our kids have enjoyed.

Cherry Hand Pies :: Heart Shaped for Valentine's Day (Or Any Day!)

Cherry hand pies are delicious any time, but they're especially perfect for Valentine's Day when you shape them into hearts.

Here's my recipe:

Welcome February Sponsors!

Please welcome my blog sponsors for the month of February! Some are new and many are longtime sponsors. They all help make this blog possible and I am very grateful for their support. I hope you will take a moment to visit their sites and see what they have to offer. These business can be a great resource for artful families like yours and mine.

• Stubby Pencil Studio :: Fun and eco-friendly art and school supplies
• Revolution 46 :: Cool Shirts for Cool Kids
• Let's Talk Chalk! :: Chalkboard labels, wine charms, and more

• Olive Juice :: Playful and classic clothing for kids
• Kiwi Crate :: Themed activity & craft boxes
• Artterro Eco Art Kits :: Beautiful art kits for the whole family

• A Rainy Day Play :: Children's dress-up clothes and costumes
• Grasshopper Store :: Cute & imaginative toys, books, and art
• Rustics Reborn :: One-of-a-kind coatracks for one-of-a-kind people

• Discount School Supply :: Affordable, quality children's arts and crafts supplies
• Earth Grown Crayons :: handmade, earth-friendly soy crayons
• Latchy Catchy :: Open and close interior doors silently
• Craft Project Ideas :: Arts and crafts supplies

A 1-Month Blogging Sabbatical & What it Means for You

Hello my friends,

I've decided to take a sabbatical from The Artful Parent for the month of February. During this time, I have lots of good posts already scheduled for you. They are a mix of guest posts as well as some old favorites (and new re-mixes) from my blog that you may not know or remember.

You may wonder why I am planning a break and what I'll be doing during that time.

First, the big why.

My Kids' Favorite Building Set -- Using Straws!

When I interviewed Maia the other day, she claimed her straw building set to be one of her favorite Christmas gifts. I thought I'd follow up and share a few of the structures she's built with the straws as well as other things she's done with them. 

First, though, here's a picture of the straw builders and connector pieces in their box:

Heart Pancakes with Sprinkles :: A Valentine's Day Breakfast Idea

I made heart pancakes for the kids for breakfast yesterday. They were a BIG hit. Maybe it was the color and the sprinkles. I've cooked plenty of shaped pancakes over the years, but this time I tinted some of the pancake batter first and experimented with shapes within shapes. The valentine pancakes were the most successful.

Here's how I did it: