What Do You Do in the Wintertime

I have been anticipating Mark and Paul's Christmas break.  They will go off-track after the winter break, so they will be home for 5 weeks.  I am not sure if my anticipation has been excitement or dread.  It really depends on the day and on how mild or wicked I think the weather will be.  I sat down and compiled a list of things to do during the cold winter months to help my sanity.  I decided that others reading this might benefit from what I have, so I am sharing my list.  Please add to this list if you have any activities to do that I have missed!

In-Door Activities (Out and About or Don't Be Stingy with the Hand Sanitizer or Cabin Fever Reducer)

1.  Swimming - any indoor pool.  My boys like the one at South Jordan Recreation Center  http://www.sjc.utah.gov  We might try the one in Kearns as they have 2 indoor pools.  http://kopfc.com/

2. Arcade games-
Nickel Cade  http://www.nickel-cade.com/
Nickel Mania http://nickelmaniagames.com/
Chuck E. Cheese /http://www.chuckecheese.com/
Hollywood Connection http://www.hollywoodconnectionslc.com/  Monday all-day wristband $7 opens at 4 M-Th

3.  Jumpin Jacks http://www.jumpinjackskids.com  coupons online $4 jump days vary by the month

4.  Classic Skating http://www.classicskating.com

5.  Dinosaur Museum http://www.thanksgivingpoint.com/  also, the farm is open during the winter

6.  Cabela's http://www.cabelas.com  they have a large fish tank area, call and find out when they feed them.  They also have neat displays of game that has been stuffed.  There is a little candy shop and shooting range on the top floor by the restaurant.  (50 cents for each shooting round- 6 and younger may be too short)

7.  Movie
Dollar Theater Cinemark Sandy Movies 9 http://www.cinemark.com
District Theater http://www.megaplextheatres.com


8.  Clark Planetarium http://www.hansenplanetarium.net/ free exhibits  

9.  Playland (Mc Donalds, Carl's Jr., etc.)

10.  Discovery Children's Museum http://www.discoverygateway.org/
Look for 2-for-1 admission coupons in the mail

11.  Library Story Time and other activities http://www.slco.lib.ut.us  Also check out book stores for activities

12.  Organize a group to meet at a church to play in the gymnasium.  Bring balls, board games and treats.

13.  My boys love to spend a day with their grandparents.  So if it is possible, arrange a day with their grandparents or other family friends.  Some times the boys have preferred to go alone, just one of them spends the day with Grandpa.  They love it!  I love the memories they are building with my parents.


14.  Sweets Candy Factory Tour   http://sweetcandy.com  Free!  An appointment is necessary.

15.  Bowling All Star Lanes http://www.allstarlanes.com
(This is just one of many bowling locations.  If you have a favorite, please let me know)


16.  Gale Center Museum http://www.galecenter.org/  Free

17.  This Is the Place Heritage Park, 2601 E. Sunnyside Ave., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., (801-582-1847, www.thisistheplace.org)

18.  Pioneer Memorial Museum, Monday-Saturday, 300 N. Main, Salt Lake City, free (801-532-6479 or www.dupinternational.org)

19.  The Living Planet,  725 E. 10600 South (801-355-3474 or www.thelivingplanet.com)
1st Monday of the month 1/2 price from 4-6 p.m.

20.  Museum of Natural History, 1390 S. Presidents Circle, first Monday of the month is free (801-581-4303 or www.umnh.org)

21.  Children's art workshops, third Saturday of the month, 2 p.m., Utah Museum of Fine Arts, U., prices vary (801-581-7332 or umfa.utah.edu)

22.  Hill Air Force Museum http://www.hill.af.mil/library/museum/  Free

23.  Capitol Building

24.  Temple Square

25. Gymcats  http://www.gymcatspoint.com open gym time




Out Door Fun (or It's a Balmy 40 Degrees Outside, Let's Go Play! or It's Above Freezing)

1.  Sledding at a park
2.  Wheeler Farm http://www.wheelerfarm.com
3.  Farm Country http://thanksgivingpoint.com
4.  Play at the park if the weather is mild enough.
5.  Hogle Zoo, 2600 E. Sunnyside Ave., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., $8 adults, $6 children, senior citizens
(801-582-16 31 or www.hoglezoo.org)

6.  Tracy Aviary, Monday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., 589 E. 1300 South (801-596-8500 or www.tracyaviary.org)


At Home (or I Don't Have Money To Spend, or Someone is Sick, or I Don't Want to Get Dressed Today)

1.  Make Cookies or Muddy Buddies or other treat
2.  Set up a tent or build a fort
3.  Make homemade bread (or cinnamon rolls, or pizza) (or let them make creations out of the dough- check out http://www.rhodesbread.com for some fun ideas of how to play with dough)
4.  Clean the walls and doors (if you start with a great Mary Poppin's attitude, it really can be fun!)
5.  Sort and count loose change (get them doing math without realizing it!)
6.  Beads
7.  Play doh
8.  Bubble bath (the kids, not you- you can take yours after the kids are in bed!)  If you put a few drops of food coloring into the bath water, the bath will be a fun color (you can even have them mix colors).  The food coloring won't stain.  (Put the colors in before the bubbles if you want them to have a color)
9.  Quiet Time  This is something we do nearly every day of off-track.  The kids are allowed to color, draw,  or play with toys but they have to stay in their rooms for one hour.  If kids share a room, someone gets to pick another room to hang out in (family room, living room)  This isn't a punishment, but just a way of keeping things quiet for a few minutes.  (I think that this will come in handy if you have a baby taking a nap)
10.  Board games-
11. Kid exchange- you take one of your friend's kids and they take one of yours.  My boys seem to do well with a sibling gone and a friend over to play.
12.  Make a home movie and watch it  (make up scenes to shoot- at a restaurant: a movie star walks in, or someone sees a mouse etc.)



Please comment with additional ideas to share.  I will post an update with any additions!