| With winter coming and tweens and teens being | | | | 6. Write a game show. This can be so much fun for |
| indoors more, we'll be hearing a lot more "mom I'm | | | | teens to create and write their own game show. Invite |
| bored." | | | | over a few friends and then play the game after it's |
| Over the years, there are so many indoor activities my | | | | completed. |
| kids have been involved in. I'd like to share some ideas: | | | | 7. Offer to help the seniors in your town. The winter |
| 1. Find a pen pal. My older daughter spent an entire | | | | months can be cold and more difficult for teens to get |
| year writing to people in several other countries. They | | | | out and about. Can your teen market for a senior |
| exchanged stickers and a few other small trinkets. | | | | while you're doing the family shopping? Can your teen |
| These were hand written letters that the two parties | | | | help decorate a senior's home for the holidays? Can |
| exchanged. | | | | your teen shovel snow or rake leaves for a |
| 2. Work on a jigsaw puzzle. We have a table we've | | | | neighborhood senior? |
| set up in our family room many times. We buy puzzles | | | | 8. Learn a new language. There are many books and |
| at garage sales and then work them together. We've | | | | CD's on the market today to help you learn a new |
| gotten scenes from other countries and also very | | | | language. Visit your local library to see what they have |
| tough to work puzzles such as a box of chocolates. | | | | available. |
| 3. Work crossword puzzles. My daughter increased | | | | 9. Create a website. There are several free places to |
| her vocabulary tremendously doing crossword puzzles. | | | | create websites. Learn HTML and have fun creating a |
| She began with simple crossword puzzles and then | | | | website that is yours. |
| continues working harder and harder puzzles. Today, | | | | 10. Decorate or redecorate your bedroom. Organize |
| no one in the family can beat her at word games. | | | | drawers and closets. Hang posters on the walls. Move |
| 4. Try new recipes. My kids have had so much fun | | | | the furniture around. Teens spend so much time in their |
| looking for recipes online, shopping for the ingredients | | | | bedrooms; this is a wonderful activity to make their |
| and then creating meals. There is no limit to what your | | | | room to their liking. |
| tweens and teens can make. We are about to learn | | | | 11. Sort the family photos. Create either photo albums |
| to make sushi in our home. | | | | or scrapbook albums with the family albums. You can |
| 5. Create a family tree. I have started this many times | | | | sort by year, by season or even by person. |
| but never finished. There are so many sites dedicated | | | | Enjoy some of these activities with your tween or |
| to genealogy research. Ask your teens to each trace | | | | teen this winter. Get them involved in activities to help |
| back one half of their family. | | | | those cold months slide on by. |