Jenny Wise is a homeschooling mom to four children. She created Special Home Educator as a forum for sharing her adventures in homeschooling and connecting with other homeschooling families.

No one wants to be stuck indoors during bad weather, especially kids. And when they are, it can be all too easy to fall back on television or video games for entertainment. However, with the wealth of activities available online, it’s easier than ever to keep kids active and engaged from the comfort of your home.

Get Artsy

Most kids show enthusiasm for channeling their creativity through art. Artwork is a valuable tool for children. It can be therapeutic, bringing calm in place of misdirected energy and equip a child with skills that can be applied to learning in general. Seeing the end product, no matter what it is, can imbue our children with a sense of accomplishment. They get to see their creations end up on the fridge and feel the joy of praise from their parents. There are a lot of websites offering art tutorials with plenty of popular themes to engage a variety of interests and passion. These tutorials can be as simple or as advanced as is appropriate and can keep them entertained through the day.

Music To Your Ears

Music is a medium ideal for nurturing a child’s creativity and has plenty of other advantages. Learning to play an instrument is a fantastic springboard to developing a broader range of skills that can be applied to all aspects of life. Just like art, it can also bring about a meaningful sense of accomplishment. There’s a plethora of tutorials online that can provide lessons in how to play an assortment of instruments from staples including the recorder to  guitar. They accommodate all ages, and can be followed from beginner to advanced levels.

If your child doesn’t enjoy playing an instrument, there are still plenty of sing-along videos to get your children enthusiastic about music. They can get them dancing, and, importantly, learning how to harmonize. Music online is accessible, and its variety will, hopefully, mean there is something your child will embrace.

Storytelling

Stories are a wonderful means to harness a child’s imagination while improving a variety of skill sets, and even raising self-esteem. They can enchant and beguile, and take children on adventures and into new worlds. Storytelling, in particular, is a magical way to bond together as a family, building on each other’s imagination to create any number of stories. Some of the best kinds of storytelling can be impromptu. It might be brought about by anything, from seeing your children’s favorite comic character to thinking of future vacations.

Now, through the Internet, there are a multitude of different ways that a story can be told and developed together as a family. There are many kid-friendly websites that allow storytelling to take diverse forms. You could create a series of comics, a podcast, a short animated film, or put together a montage of photographs. They each have their own merits and can allow children to explore a diverse range of skills and techniques. Additionally, they can complement more conventional storytelling and co-exist in a way that allows a full range of creative impulses to be utilized.

Household science experiments

With a just a few items around the house, you can get your kids involved in a fun science experiment. Not only does this engage your budding scientist into a teachable moment, but also it allows them to feast their eyes on something colorful and exciting. Earth Science Jr. has plenty of kid-friendly, eye-catching and safe science experiments that include easy instructions on how to make your own glass of lava.

Use YouTube

Being stuck indoors can leave a child’s energy overflowing, which can cause all sorts of issues, and plenty of boredom that might not work well with learning. Thankfully, YouTube and dedicated kid-friendly websites are here to help out. Through these sites and channels, there are numerous gentle exercises adapted for children, including yoga and aerobic workouts. Depending on the age of your children, you could focus on getting them jumping and moving, or on introducing them to more structured workouts.

Plenty of these tutorials feature catchy songs to get your children energized and singing along, and are perfect for the entire family. This can be important, as exercise that seems like a chore rather than wholesome fun can block motivation. These videos are suited to all ages and can involve as much whimsy and fun as your children want.

Don’t let the weather keep your kids down. Engage them with stories, music or exercise. Come rain or snow, you and the kids can have active fun together.