Families have been doing quiet, organized school activities in the morning to help children keep up with learning from “http://grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com/” rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank”>grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com, wnmufm.org “Learning Through the Seasons,” khanacademy.org, home school sites and teacher suggestions.

They are spending times with board and card games, reading, free time and media rewards.

Afternoons and evenings can be time for many easy indoor active games to put everyone in better moods without wrecking the house. Any outdoor sport or activity can be done inside with adaptations. An indoor ball or puck can be a tightly rolled-up newspaper or computer paper ball gently reinforced with duct tape, a balloon or beach ball. You can snowball fight with paper wads.

Adaptive hockey

Families can make an adaptive indoor hockey stick by using a paint stir stick for the shaft. The head can be a piece of cardboard reinforced with smaller sticks attached with duct tape at the area the head is attached to the shaft with more duct tape to avoid flopping. Tip over a large plastic storage bin for a net and take shots in the hall, basement or garage.

Golf

You can make a miniature golf course with the hockey stick, paper ball, and imagination. Children can design their own course with pillows, kitchen materials, and plastic cups. Place materials in a plastic bin to set up any time. Let children do the engineering, and construction. They can roll a newspaper/ duct tape ball around an obstacle course on the floor. Encourage them to think up their own games and rules.

Bowling/basketball

To bowl set up plastic cups with numbers on them. Children knock them over with a safe ball in a hallway. Add up the score.

For basketball place a plastic bin at a reasonable distance and throw a ball in the basket.

For soccer, gather small plastic cooking spoons that are not brittle. Get on the floor with small children and bat a homemade ball, balloon or small beach ball back and forth.

Volleyball

Children can gently tap a ball back and forth with their hands or arms placed together. While tapping, practice counting. How many times can you tap the ball before it falls to the floor? Families can go through a list of sports they like and adapt them to your house, basement, or garage.

If you still have snow, cut out some chunks and throw them at trees and yell at the top of your lungs at the same time.

Children can make up many forms of tag, including slow motion tag indoors. Wear them out.

Play Hide and Seek when times get too rambunctious. They may fall asleep behind the couch.