January can be a tough time for many people, and with more darkness and freezing temperatures, you may feel that it’s harder than normal to keep minds busy and spirits high. We wanted to offer some easy, accessible learning opportunities for your families. We’ve curated a short list of activities using found, at-home objects that won’t have you running to the store to restock materials, and will have you breathing a sigh of relief as your family battles winter boredom in a fun and educational way.
Gross Motor Snowflake Balance
Option 1: Using painters tape, create a large “snowflake” shape on the floor. Encourage your child to walk along the lines, practising balancing on the tape.
Option 2: Once you’ve had your gross-motor fun bring out some cotton balls and encourage your child to place them along the lines of the snowflake. Not only will this bring your snowflake to life, it’s a great opportunity to exercise fine motor skills.
Nature Disks
This décor turned sensory activity is a great multi-part activity to do on those long winter days. All you need is an aluminum pie plate or shallow container, string, and the motivation for a short winter walk.
Go on a walk to collect nature. Fill a shallow container with water and nature items and place the middle of the string in it. Put it in the freezer, or leave it outside. When it’s frozen, hang the nature disk on a nearby tree branch to catch the sun. You can later bring it inside and put it in a bin to break it up and play with the ice!
Nature Scavenger Hunt
Let nature be your teacher. Brainstorm a list of items to make a simple walk a little more interesting. You can find ready-made lists online, or better yet, practise your colours by trying to find items of each colour.
Short on Materials?
Consider shaking up a classic activity with a small material substitution. Might we suggest Q-tip painting or plastic fork painting? Or using nature objects! A simple substitution can shake up a tired activity and make it feel new again!
Don’t let that stop you from setting up the craft table! Here are three fun examples:
How did you enjoy these activities? We can’t wait to hear your feedback!
Be sure to check out Pinterest for more ideas!