Every babysitter knows that most kids just want to play outside. When it starts to get chilly outside, it’s hard to find things to occupy them. I have first-hand knowledge of this because I’ve been babysitting since I was around 12 years old, and have struggled with kids that just want to be outside. Because of this, I found some of the best activities to do with the kids in the colder months. Instead of just turning on the TV, take a look at the top three activities to do with kids indoors.

1. The activity that gets the top mark is… CRAFT MAKING. This one works very well if there is a holiday coming up or a special occasion like a birthday. A great idea is themed crafts, especially for Christmas coming up. Try making popsicle stick Christmas trees, or finding a coloring book for the younger kids to use
2. Coming in a close second place is… making TREATS. There are plenty of easy treats to put together that kids can help with. Some of my favorites are rice crispy bars, oreo truffles, and chocolate chip cookies. You can always just Google, or check Pinterest, to find easy recipes.
3.  The easiest treat to make from this list is the Oreo truffles. These include 3 ingredients and you can decorate them however you would like. All you need is Oreos, cream cheese, and chocolate bark. Look up a recipe, and have your kids decorate until their heart’s content.
4. My third favorite activity is having a themed day. This is a great way to keep the kiddos guessing on what is going on that day and can help you have a solid plan on what to do. For example, I used an “M” themed day. I ordered McDonald’s for lunch (although you could make an “M” named food) and we did activities that started with an M.
   a. An example of a themed day is a “Halloween” themed day. You can make Halloween crafts (like pipe cleaner spiders), decorate Halloween treats, and maybe watch a kid-friendly Halloween movie.

If none of these activities work for your kids, you can always look for some small toys at Target to give them. Not only is it fun for the kids, but it is also a joy to see the smiles on their faces. Another good local idea is Cheap Movie Tuesdays at the Palms Theater in Waukee. On Tuesdays, Palms Theater has great deals on tickets and popcorn. Sometimes it is hard to keep kids entertained when there isn’t anything outside to do, however, there are always ideas to come up with. I find that going on Pinterest or Google can help jumpstart my memory.