Winter Activites For Kids

Looking for things to do with your kids during their winter break or have small children at home full time? Take a look at these fun activities that can be done at home.

Secret Code Spy Game

Here's a super simple game for your next spy themed party or rainy day in. It's based on the ancient use of scytales. Scytales consisted of two parts—a cylinder and a strip of parchment with letters on it. When the strip of parchment was wound around the right cylinder, a message was revealed.

Materials

paper
long cardboard tube (like a paper towel roll)
scissors
glue
pencil, marker, or pen

Directions 

1. Cut your paper into strips the same width.

2. Glue strips of paper together to create one long strip.

3. Once you have a long strip of paper, wind it around the cardboard tube.

4. Now write a secret message on the paper.

5. Once your message is written, unwind it and give it to a friend. Now they get to wrap it around and decode the message. What will it say?


Making Homemade Stickers

Yes, you can make your own stickers, and here is how.

Materials


1 envelope (1/4 oz)  unflavored gelatin
4 tablespoons boiling water
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1/2 tsp flavoring extract

Directions 

1. Add gelatin to the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Stir in corn syrup and flavoring.

2.  Paint sticker gum on backs of pictures cut from magazines or pieces of wrapping paper.

3. After the backs of papers are coated allow to dry completely.

4. Once paper is dry use punches to cut out fun shapes from the wrapping paper. Once you have all of the shapes cut out, lick, then stick.


Make Your Own Slime

Have fun making your own gooey slime.

Materials

4 teaspoons borax
 3/4 cup of warm water
1 cup of white glue
Green food coloring

Directions

1. Mix together 3/4 cup of warm water, 1 cup of white glue, and a few drops of green food coloring.

2. In another bowl, combine 4 teaspoons of borax and 1-1/3 cups of warm water.

3. Pour the contents of the first bowl into the second and let it sit for 1 minute without stirring.

4. Your congealed slime is good to goo! Afterward, pack it in ziplock bags for take-home fun.


Marshmallow Launcher

Making hot chocolate? Have some extra marshmallows and energetic kids? Well take those marshmallows and help your kids make a new toy!

Materials


Disposable Storage Cup
Balloon
Mini Marshmallows
Scissors

Directions

 1. This is the hardest part of the project.  Have an adult cut off the bottom of the plastic cup.  The easiest thing is to gently stab a hole into the bottom and then cut in a spiral until you reach the wall edge.

2. Cut the top 1/2 inch off the balloon.

3. Tie a knot on the open balloon end.

4. Slide the open end of the balloon {cut edge} over the cut edge of the cup on the outside.  Add marshmallows to the inside of the cup.

5. Pull back on the knot and release letting the marshmallows fly.

Brett Royster