Sonia Mendes offers up some fabulous indoor activity ideas to keep your family warm and cosy with plenty of fun during the frosty winter days ahead.
Oh, the weather outside is frightful…but these toys are so delightful!
It’s inevitable – with cold temperatures settling in for the season, Ottawa parents will be faced with days where it’s tough to keep kids outdoors for too long.
So when little toes get cold on the sledding hill, and it’s time to cosy up inside, be prepared with an arsenal of cool toys and crafts to keep kids stimulated and screen-free.
Sniff out a great story: Writing your own book is easy – and it even smells great! Kids will love creating new stories and designing unique illustrations with the help of Create Your Own Pop-up Books ($19.99) and Scratch & Sniff Storybooks ($17.99). Each kit includes eight markers – just add drawings, photographs and your own imagination! Ages 5-95. www.fabercastell.com/creativity-for-kids
Think outside the can: Leave structured activities behind and let young imaginations flourish with The Big Creativity Can. Filled with colourful, craft materials – like clay, pipe cleaners, plastic wheels and googly eyes – this can o’ fun is designed to let kids explore the simple joy of creativity. The only instructions are to have fun! Ages 4-94. Pricing: $19.99. www.fabercastell.com/creativity-for-kids
Build it & break it: Ka-BOOM! What kid doesn’t love building something, then blasting it to pieces?! The Demolition Lab allows kids to construct a building and then demolish it with the powerful quad-blaster. Young demolition scientists will learn about energy, momentum and gravity. Ages 8+. Pricing: $26.95 (Breakdown Building) and $53.95 (Triple Blast Warehouse).
www.familyplayroom.com
Pirates & princesses: Nothing says “cosy” like having your own dedicated fort! These easy-to-assemble tents are generously sized to fit two or more little princesses or pirates. Ages 3+. Pricing: $34.95. www.familyplayroom.com
Get squashed! Created by an award-winning, 16-year-old inventor, Squashedtm is a 3D game of strategy that adds a whole new dimension to board games. Players are required to strategically eliminate their opponents by turning the cubed game board and “squashing” them right out of the game! Two to four players, ages 6+. Pricing: $34.95. www.familyplayroom.com
See fun in a new way: That dark basement takes on a whole new appeal with these cool Uncle Milton National Geographic Night Hawk UV night vision goggles! Make hidden animal tracks with the included UV pen and stencil, then use amazing UV vision to reveal them! Includes: Night hawk goggles, pen, animal track stencil and instructions. Ages 6+. Pricing: $23.95. www.familyplayroom.com
Photo: depositphotos.com © Sonar