Plan: Indoor And Outdoor Activities

TURN THESE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES INTO INDOOR ONES

SCAVENGER HUNT

Nature makes a pretty great place for a scavenger hunt, but your home can be a close second. By creating a plan of action, some clues, and a treat at the end of the hunt, your kids will have a blast doing this hunt. And you’ll have a blast planning it!
To keep things under control, it’s a good idea to establish some rules before starting the scavenger hunt. These can include things such as:

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  No running
  
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  Take turns reading clues
  

Make your clues relevant to objects in your house that your kids will be able to guess. For example, to get your kids to the kitchen table write something like “I have four legs, but I don’t have feet. I come in handy when it’s time to eat.”
Some other great clues include:

1. 
   I can take you to places you’ve never seen. But first type your password in on my screen.
   
2. 
   Watching your favorites is lots of fun. But don’t watch too much! Kids need to run.
   
3. 
   I take your clothes for quite a spin. But first they get wet. That’s how I begin.
   
4. 
   Turn me on and I’ll give you light. I’m used some in the daytime but mostly at night.
   
5. 
   I’m hungry! I’m hungry! Please feed me a slice. I’ll spit it back out all brown and nice.
   
6. 
   The more I dry, the wetter I get. A little one can be used for soaking up sweat.
   
7. 
   I hold all the words you need to know. Use me to make your vocabulary grow.
   

A scavenger hunt is a fun way for your kids to use their noggins and think about things in a new way, while also getting some exercise making their way around the house.

ROAST MARSHMALLOWS

This one sounds dangerous at first but don’t worry — we are not suggesting you light a fire in the middle of your living room. Rather, head to the stove to get your roasting on. Grab yourself some skewers that will keep your kids a far distance from the flame on the stove, and big marshmallows. You can even turn down the lights for a little added ambiance. Make sure you’ve got chocolate bars and graham crackers to complete the s’more experience.
If you’re a little leery of using the stove, hop online and buy a tabletop s’mores set. You’ll be able to finish dinner (we suggesting going camping themed here too) by gathering ’round and roasting a tasty dessert.
Another take? Make our yummy s’mores nachos in your oven. All the fun of s’mores without the campfire!

TAPE MAZE

Mazes are something kids don’t get to experience much since mazes aren’t super common, but when they do get to experience one, it’s something they’ll never forget. To bring that same level of excitement, create a maze at home using some masking tape. They can use the maze by just walking through it to try and get to the middle, or you can make a smaller maze that works for them to race their play cars in.

INDOOR BOWLING

Bowling is an activity your kids may love, but going to the bowling alley isn’t something you’re always going to want to do. Instead, create your own mini bowling alley. Find a play ball you can use as the bowling ball, and makeshift pins that your kids can knock down (empty and cleaned-out wine bottles work great!). Set up teams and keep track of strikes and such to make this feel like a real game at the bowling alley (without the dirty shoes).

JUMP ROPE

This may require moving some furniture around, but jump roping is an activity kids love and that will give them some exercise, too. Jump roping can be adapted for all levels. If your kid is a young one and/or a newbie to jump roping, then let them try it on their own and motivate them to just make a hop or two over the rope. If your kid is older and/or more advanced with jump roping, then suggest a double dutch challenge if they’re up to it (and if you are, too!).

GARDENING

Looking at flowers and seeing them in their natural habitat is one of the great parts of camping. However, you can bring that indoors by planting some herbs and indoor plants in your home. Your kids will love that they are helping to build something that will grow and that they can check the progress on daily. When the herbs are ready to use, your kid will be so excited that s/he created something you can use when making food. This is a true moment of pride that you will never forget.
Here are some plants to try growing indoors:

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  Avocados
  
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  Lemons
  
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  Tomatoes
  
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  Carrots
  
• 
  Salad green and microgreens
  
• 
  Basil
  
• 
  Scallions
  
• 
  Chives
  
• 
  Cilantro
  
• 
  Mint
  
• 
  Rosemary
  

PICNIC

A day in the park with some tasty snacks is one of our favorite ways to spend an afternoon. And guess what? You can recreate your favorite picnic inside your home.
You’ll need a few things:

• 
  Quilt/blanket
  
• 
  Plastic/paper plates and silverware
  
• 
  Napkins
  
• 
  Food and snacks
  
• 
  Drinks
  
• 
  Nature sounds
  

Start by mixing up some of your favorite picnic snacks and foods in the kitchen. If your kid is old enough, this is a great way for them to get involved as well. Have him/her help you prepare the food and pack it all into a basket or bag to take to the picnic spot. Make sure you’ve got the tools you need to eat, and have your kid set that up on the blanket.
Once you’ve got your spread set up, consider finding some nature sounds via an app like Naturespace to make it feel like you’re out in the great wild enjoying your tasty treats.

WATER GUNS OR BALLOONS (IN THE SHOWER)

Running around in a yard playing with water guns or throwing water balloons is almost a right of passage for kids. Chances are good that you’ve never thought of allowing the same activity indoors because there is just too much around the house that could get ruined by such a game. However, you can take the running out of the equation and simply keep your kids in the bathroom and shower, close the shower curtain or door and let them have fun soaking each other.

HIDE AND SEEK

This game is a classic outdoors, but also indoors. You can get involved in the fun, too. Find some great hiding spots and revel in hearing your kid’s laughter ring through the house while searching for you.