12) Find your inner Picasso. Tape
large pieces of drawing paper on the
walls of the basement or garage,
spread newspapers on the floor, and
create self-portraits with chalk
pastels.
13) Play charades. Make sure the
clues are appropriate for all ages. Or,
if you prefer, try Pictionary instead.
14) Take that, Villain! Act out a
scene from a family-favorite book.
Look up some fight choreography
online and stage a mock-fight.
15) Climb, jump, and hop. Create
an obstacle course in the basement
or garage. Time everyone’s results.
Then try to beat your best time. (See
sidebar for more ideas.)
16) Mess around with beauty.
Make facial masks out of bananas or
avocados and take turns giving them
to each other.
17) Get inspired. Watch The Lion,
The Witch, And The Wardrobe and
then draw what you image you
would find on the other side of your
hidden doorway.
18) Bonsoir, Madame. Create a
simple meal from a foreign culture
like France, India or Africa, with
ingredients you have on hand.
Indoor Obstacle Course Ideas:
• Throw a sheet over a string to create
a crawl tunnel
• Over and under string or masking
tape stretched between walls
or objects
• Pogo stick jumping
• Hula Hooping
• Stilt walking
• Balance beam
19) Start a band. Make some music
with either real instruments or
whatever you can create out of what
you have on hand. For even more
fun, try a marching band. • Throw beanbags into buckets or pots
20) Musical fingers. Fingerpaint to
different kinds of music. Let
everyone choose a song and then
compare the resulting images.
Which music helped to create the
most inspired paintings? • Bounce a ball off a wall
21) Instant nostalgia. Make
sparkly white play dough and then
recreate a miniature scene of your
home in a snowstorm. (Keep a can
of instant snow on hand for just
such an occasion, see sidebar.)
• Walk a lap while balancing large
book on head
• Slalom on a too-small bike or scooter
• Jump rope
• Jumping jacks or push-ups
• Spin around ten times
• Juggle a soccer ball or hacky sack
with your feet or legs
• Balance something on a
serving spoon
• Step from stool to chair to
stepladder, etc.