what to do for fun when you're iced in?

[elaineandmichaelsmommy]

Well,if the weather guys right it looks like we'll be getting at least an inch of ice this weekend. no snow,just ice and cold.and a 3 day weekend. so I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for entertainment.
This will be the second ice storm of the season and we can see it coming so i have time to prepare. So after all the board games have been played twice,books read and toys played with-then what? I'd like for the kids not to glut on tv if we can avoid it. Even though i know they'll ask for it. So suggestions would be soooo helpfull. DD is 4 and DS is 14 mos.

thanks,
jen

[Sugar Magnolia]

We are getting an ice storm this weekend as well.

Yesterday I went to the library and got books and videos. As much as I do not like my kids watching movies (we don't have cable) I figured they are going to get stir crazy (they did last ice storm).

Also I am planning on baking with them. I have an almost 3 yo and an almost 6 yo. I went to the grocery yesterday as well and got stuff to make homemade pizza, chocolate chip cookies, and muffins.

I am going to make bread and they will "help" me knead it.

Last ice storm we make tents under the kitchen table. That kept them busy for awhile.

Hope that helps a little. Are you in eastern KS by any chance?

[newnana]

I second the tent suggestion. We do forts here. Big ones with tunnnels small ones with chairs. DD LOVES to do this.

I remember as kids we'd ice skate on the front lawn. Your DS is too young for that, but be DD would like it.

Family art projects are good too. Make homemade playdough, have them help. Make homemade instruments- and old water bottle with beads and a hot glue gun for the lid so DS can't get it off. A bowl with a spoon. Everyone gets hats and it's parade time. We can have a good parade for 30 minutes at our house with just DH, DD, and myself.

Dance. Each person gets to pick a tune and wiggle as silly as possible.

Spread all the couch cushions on the floor and cover them with a big blanket so they aren't as likely to move. Fall on them. This was DH's idea and is DD's favorite thing to do.

I'll keep thinking about this one. Good luck!
Michelle

[newnana]

Umm, are you in the midwest? DH just called and said we're supposed to have an ice storm as well. Apparently I should check the weather more often :) Thanks for getting me started thinking of activities!
Michelle

[alexsmommy]

This happened to me when I was a nanny. I made homemade playdoh with the kids. Baked cookies and made homemade pizza including the sauce (after scalding the tomatoes and letting them cool, the kids LOVED squeezing them out of their skins. Messy but fun and I figured I boiling them again so all the extra squeezing/hands all over them wasn't a big deal). Also put butcher block paper on the kitchen floor with chalk, next day, we did pudding drawings in the same manner. Bubble baths with bath crayons (something they had never used before) and blowing bubbles in the tub. There were times I had to do a fair amount of cleaning - but I was just as bored as they were. I had a car provided by the family so we typically were on the go a lot so being trapped in the house made us all nuts. Good luck.
Alaina
Alex Feb '03
and #2 in early summer '07

[mommy_someday]

I'm not trying to be an alarmist here, but make sure you have a plan if you should lose electricity. We had an ice storm the first week of December (I'm in STL) and were without power for 5 days. We lost power in the middle of the night and had to pack up DS, our dogs and cat, our fridge (put freezer stuff on the back patio) and basic necessities and go to my mom's house 30 minutes away. We were lucky that they didn't lose power and were able to take us in. My MIL (10 min away), one SIL and my BIL all lost power due to trees snapping under the weight of the ice and taking down power lines. Again, I'm not trying to freak anyone out - I just want you to be prepared.

On a lighter note, make sure you get pictures of it, because it's really gorgeous! Here's a pic from my parents' house after our ice storm:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i168/ericaborchardt/Icestorm20.jpg

[newnana]

Excellent point! We're in STL as well and lost power for 5 days in that storm you are talking about. Remember that if your garage door is electric, you might not be able to get it open to get the cars out to drive. Since our only way into our garage is the big garage door, we also didn't have access to our show shovel or salt. Thankfully we have great neighbors. So, if you need to remember to pull out the snow shovel and leave your car out!
Michelle