Cheap indoor entertainment on dark rainy evenings? Talk amongst yourselves.

Posted on November 19th, 2007 in Parenting

Stephanie asks:

I have a friend at work who has an 12-year old step-son and a 2-year old son at home. Now that it’s dark after work, she can’t take the boys to the park to play. The family lives in the suburbs, so it’s harder to find indoor activities.

The complicating factor is the family has almost no money, so stocking up on expensive DVDs, board games, or classes is out of the question. Do hackers out there have any tips for cheaply (freely?) entertaining a tween and toddler on cold, rainy evenings?

Ooo, brainstorming rainy day fun! Excellent. My vote would be the tried-and-true indoor obstacle course of pillows, cushions, and anything else you can get your hands on. I also just happened to come across the book "101 Activities for Kids in Tight Spaces" in a doctor’s waiting room earlier this week. There were some good ideas in there even though the book is geared toward 3-7 year olds.

What say you? Extra points for stuff that gets the body moving (since park play is what she’s trying to replace.)