It’s day four. DAY FOUR of the Polar Vortex here in Minnesota.

Schools are closed. For many this is the fourth day in a row. Unheard of in these parts.

For those of you who are staying home with kids, I’ve got some ideas for you. Some you will love. Some you will hate. Some you will say, really?  But all I’ve got to say is I’ve done every single one of these with my boys growing up. Which could explain so much.

Consider this my love letter to all the moms and dads out there so ready to be on a beach somewhere. Alone.

Tried and true ideas from a mom with three boys:

1. Roll up all the socks. All of them. Have a sock war. Extra points if you put the socks on top of a ceiling fan and let it spin.  (Shout out to those who like to insert spiritual lessons- tell about Manna from heaven.)

2. Spread a sheet in the middle of a large space. Whatever your child loves, let them create a space for that thing. For instance, my boys created a fishing boat. They made fishing rods, lures, fish, etc. Honestly, they played this all day long. They sat on their boat and fished. Try a horse farm or dance studio or rain forest. Let them use their imaginations.

3. Gather all the stuffed animals and open a zoo. Make tickets. Sell snacks. Give tours. And charge admission. (Ok so you will be the one paying them but it is worth it.)

4. For littles, play this simple game. They line up on one wall. You call out an animal and they act like that animal moving to the other side of the room and back. This kept my kids busy forever. It was my go-to game when I was nursing a baby and trying to keep up with a toddler. Extra just for you- have them act like a rock. They fall for it every time. It’s 15 seconds of pure joy for you.

5. Make a fort. Not just any fort. Create tunnels. Let each child have a home base and crawl through to visit one another. Use sheets, blankets, chairs, cardboard boxes, card tables- whatever you have on hand. Make a flag to fly over the fort with the child’s name or made up country name. You can also call it a castle.

6. Make a job list and assign money to each job. Promise a trip to the dollar store once you are ready to leave the warmth of your home. Give a time limit to get the jobs done. Set a timer. Cause kids love timers and beating the clock.

7. Read a picture book to the kids. Have them create a play from the book complete with costumes and props. Video it and then watch it that night with popcorn. (Also keep it forever because they will grow up and your family will sit around with the future spouses and marvel at the “theatrical skills” that such young ones had.)

8. Throw a luau. Crank up the heat or the fireplace. Put on the swimsuits or shorts. Make flower leis, play limbo, eat supper or lunch on blankets on the floor. Play appropriate music and dance away.

9. Play paleontologist. Dump a bag of flour or sugar into a large container and hide items in the container. Give kids kitchen tools to dig for “fossils.”  If you want to be really cool- boil a chicken (not a live one) and take the meat off the bones. Bury the bones in the container and let the kids try to recreate the chicken. (Also make sure the bones are sanitized and hands are washed afterwards.)

10. Learn yoga. Find a youtube video for kids. Or a new dance move. Whatever uses their body and burns off steam. Do it. Get them off the couch and move. If desperate- drag an old mattress out and let them jump and jump and jump and jump.

11. Play detective. Hide something in the house. Give the kids clues and see if they can find it. You can also create a crime scene and they have to figure out what is missing and find that item.

12. Have an art show. Let them take the day to create works of art. Hang them, display them, etc for an art show that night. Serve appetizers on silver plates.

13. Teach a new skill. Crochet. Making tacos. Decorating a cake. Tying shoe laces. Origami.

14. Play an outdoor or gym type game with an indoor twist to it. Play volleyball with a balloon for the ball and a string between two chairs for a net. Get the kids involved thinking about indoor options for their favorite outdoor sports.

15. Spray Pledge on the floor and let them slide in their socks across the floor.  (Disclaimer- I did NOT do this. My husband did. They loved it. Also, I am not responsible for injuries or the state of your floor for the next month.)

16. Put your finger on a globe and spin it. Wherever your finger lands, learn about that place. Look up youtube videos or look online. Extra: make food from that place

17. Create goofy photos with your phone of the kids using props or dressing in clothes found around the house. Send the pictures to relatives- grandparents, favorite aunts and uncles, cousins. It’s a great way to stay in touch.

18. Remember Mad Libs? Introduce your kids to them and spend hours laughing.

19. Set World Records together. Build the tallest Lego tower. Make the longest domino track. Create the tallest sandwich.

20. Use this experience to teach compassion and empathy. Talk about those who are homeless. About those animals without shelter. Pray for those impacted. Perhaps get online and donate to an organization who helps those who are without permanent shelter. Check on the elderly. Teach by example what it looks like to not focus on circumstances (cabin fever!) but to focus on others.

You can do this! You will talk about surviving the great Polar Vortex of 2019 with a kid or two or maybe a whole plethora of them.

One day the sun will shine. The temps will soar. We shall be drinking lemonade on our decks and mowing the grass and making plans for the lake. But until then. . . just have some fun.