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Staying Inside Because of Winter Weather? Here’s How to Keep Your Whole Family Entertained

Published February 4, 2022

As the winter season rolls in, many nationwide must prepare for the possibility of being holed up at home for days due to unexpected snowstorms. After spending tons of time indoors due to the pandemic, you may feel like you’ve maxed out on indoor entertainment ideas. But your next run-in with winter weather can serve as inspiration to get a little creative with your options. And to help get your imagination going, here are some fun ways to keep the whole family entertained while staying inside during a winter storm.

Build a fort

Fort building is a simple task that everyone in your family can enjoy. Grab some clips, blankets, sheets, and pillows to start the fort-building process. You can then stock your fort with beanbags, magazines, games, and books. All of that makes for a cozy spot that both kids and adults will enjoy relaxing in as you watch a movie, play a board game, or even tell a scary story.

Have a bake-off

Divide your family into teams and make winter magic with recipes everyone can enjoy. Use your cooking gear to make star-shaped cookies, brownies, and other tasty treats. Then assign judges, taste the treats, and reward the winners (and participants) with prizes.

Set up a hot-cocoa bar

There’s nothing quite like a hot cup of cocoa, especially in the winter. It’s soothing and delicious, and it may even bring up warm memories of winters past. Plus, kids love it. To build your own hot-cocoa bar, just set up a table with hot-cocoa packets, your favorite wintertime mugs, and a bag of fluffy marshmallows.

Create a gaming zone

To start, clear a space on your living room floor and grab some folding tables and chairs for a space to play card games. Then you can decide what games your family will play. Building toys like Lego sets and Magna-Tiles are kid favorites. Family-friendly games like Sushi Go and Cathedral can be played on folding tables or even with the family sprawled out on the floor. Once you’ve decided on your games and you’re all set up, why not hold a family tournament to maximize the fun?

Hold a scavenger hunt

Have an indoor adventure with a family-friendly scavenger hunt. Write out clues to help your family members find items hidden around your home. Consider creating easier clues for kids and crafting more challenging clues for the adults in your family. Then, attach riddles or trivia questions to the objects for older players to solve once they find the hidden items. Don’t forget to throw in some prizes to make the scavenger hunt a little more competitive.