There is something about the transition from summer to fall that always catches me a little off guard.
Maybe it’s because I love summer so much. I love the freedom of it. The long days. The warm air. The fact that we can walk out the back door in the morning and somehow still be outside hours later. There are bikes to ride, sidewalks to chalk, sprinklers to run through, neighborhood walks to take, and approximately 7,000 rocks, sticks, leaves, and other treasures to collect.
Summer makes entertaining kids feel almost effortless.
Not that summer parenting is actually effortless. We still have the occasional “I’m bored” and “What are we doing today?” and “Can I have a snack?” approximately fourteen minutes after breakfast. But there is just so much available to us when the weather is warm.
And then fall arrives.
The days get shorter. The sun starts disappearing earlier. The temperatures drop. Suddenly, it is 4:30 in the afternoon and I am looking out the window wondering how on earth we are going to make it until bedtime.
This is usually when my mom panic begins.
How am I going to keep this child entertained all through the coming months?
Because while I absolutely believe kids need to learn how to be bored and entertain themselves, I also know that there are only so many times I can suggest coloring before I start questioning my own parenting abilities.
So, rather than trying to fill every single cold-weather afternoon with an elaborate activity, I have been reminding myself that we don’t need to spend a fortune or create something amazing to make an ordinary day feel special.
Sometimes we just need a change of scenery, a little creativity, or permission to turn something simple into an adventure.
Here are five of our favorite ways to pass the time when the weather sends us inside.
1. Head to the Library
Tashi Delek
Our public library is one of those resources that I don’t think we take advantage of nearly enough.
Obviously, there are the books. And lots and lots of books. But libraries are so much more than a place to check out a stack of stories.
Many libraries offer children’s programming, story times, craft activities, community gatherings, play areas, puzzles, games, and other events that can turn an ordinary afternoon into something to look forward to.
And sometimes you don’t even need a specific plan.
We can walk in, browse the children’s section, let Penny choose a few books, spend some time playing, and then come home with a bag full of stories to explore together.
There is something about going somewhere that makes it feel like an activity, even if the activity is simply looking at books.
And best of all? It’s free.
When you’re trying to stretch the family budget while also surviving several months of cold weather, the library is basically a parenting superpower.
2. Bake Something Together
People Images
When the weather outside is miserable, there are few things better than turning on the oven and making the house smell amazing.
And before you start thinking that I am suggesting you spend an entire afternoon making homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch, let me stop you right there.
A box of cake mix counts.
A package of refrigerated cookie dough counts.
Pancakes for dinner count.
Even letting your kids help make lunch counts.
Sometimes the activity isn’t really about what you are making. It’s about letting them be involved.
Penny loves being in the kitchen with me, and I’ve learned that she doesn’t need a complicated recipe to feel like she’s doing something important. Measuring ingredients, stirring batter, cracking eggs, sprinkling toppings, or helping set the table can turn an ordinary meal into an afternoon activity.
And if you end up with a slightly lopsided cake covered in too many sprinkles?
Congratulations. You made a memory.
3. Have an Unexpected Movie Afternoon
Tero Vesalainen
There are days when you just need to call it.
Everyone is tired. It’s cold outside. Nobody wants to put on real pants. Dinner isn’t going to win any culinary awards.
So why not have a movie afternoon?
And I’m not talking about simply turning on the television while everyone continues doing their own thing. Make it an event.
Put the kids in charge of setting up the sofa with every blanket and pillow they can find. Make popcorn. Let them choose the movie. Turn down the lights. Maybe even eat dinner in the living room.
An unexpected movie during the middle of the week can make an otherwise ordinary day feel completely different.
We’ve become so accustomed to thinking that special moments require planning that sometimes we forget how much fun it can be to surprise our kids with something simple.
“How about we have a movie afternoon?”
Instant excitement.
And if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, make it a movie-and-dinner night. Pizza on paper plates, pajamas encouraged, and absolutely no apologies for the crumbs in the couch.
4. Turn the Kitchen Table Into a Craft Station
Marina Cherentsova
I have a feeling most moms have a collection of random craft supplies somewhere in their house.
You know the ones.
A cardboard box that was definitely going to become something.
Three pieces of ribbon.
A half-used bottle of paint.
A handful of popsicle sticks.
Construction paper in approximately every color except the one you actually need.
Rather than waiting for the perfect craft project to come along, pull it all out and let the kids figure out what to do with it.
Clear off the kitchen or dining room table. Put down some paper or an old tablecloth. Pull out the cardboard, scraps, stickers, paint, glue, markers, and whatever else you have on hand.
Then give them permission to create.
I love this more than a perfectly planned craft because there isn’t really a right answer.
Maybe the cardboard box becomes a house.
Maybe it becomes a robot.
Maybe it becomes something that I absolutely cannot identify.
That’s okay.
The goal isn’t to create something worthy of displaying on the refrigerator. The goal is to give kids the freedom to use their imagination.
And honestly, sometimes I think we adults need that reminder just as much as they do.
5. Go on an Adventure Walk
Brian A Jackson
Just because it’s cold or rainy doesn’t mean we have to completely abandon the outdoors.
Some of our favorite walks have actually happened when the weather was less than ideal.
There is something about putting on rain boots, grabbing an umbrella, bundling up, and deciding that the rain is part of the adventure that changes everything.
Instead of saying, “It’s too cold to go outside,” try giving the kids a mission.
You have to jump in five puddles.
Find three leaves that are different colors.
See if you can spot a bird.
Find the biggest puddle.
Pick up a leaf and see if you can float it down a sidewalk “river.”
Look for worms.
Find something red.
Suddenly, you’re not just going for a walk in the rain. You’re on an expedition.
And yes, you may come home with wet socks.
You may have to wipe mud off the dog.
Someone may inevitably announce that they are freezing approximately four minutes into the adventure.
But you might also have one of those afternoons your kids remember.
And One More: Change the Scenery
Janine Lamontagne
Sometimes the answer isn’t another activity. Sometimes you just need to get out of the house.
One of my favorite cold-weather afternoon activities is heading to a coffee shop.
Nothing fancy. Nothing complicated.
Grab yourself a coffee, get the kids a small treat, and bring along some coloring supplies, books, a card game, or a little activity they enjoy.
It doesn’t have to be a three-hour outing. Sometimes an hour is enough.
Because occasionally the walls of our own house just start to feel a little too close.
A change of scenery can reset everyone.
And let’s be honest, having someone else make your coffee is never a bad thing.
Making Peace With the Colder Months
I know that this time of year can feel long when you’re a mom.
There are days when you feel like you’ve already answered 47 questions, made 12 snacks, cleaned up the same mess three times, and it is somehow only 2:00 p.m.
But I’m trying to remind myself that I don’t have to make every cold-weather day magical.
I don’t need a color-coded schedule of enriching activities.
I don’t need a Pinterest-worthy craft.
I don’t need to spend money every time we leave the house.
I just need a handful of simple ideas to pull out when we need a little something different.
Because maybe the magic of these seasons isn’t in keeping our kids constantly entertained. Maybe it’s in slowing down enough to notice the little things we wouldn’t have time for during the busy, beautiful chaos of summer.
A trip to the library.
A box cake with too many sprinkles.
A blanket fort and a movie.
A pile of cardboard and paint.
A rainy walk in muddy boots.
A coffee shop afternoon.
These aren’t big things.
But childhood is built out of little things.
And perhaps instead of looking at the cold months ahead and wondering, How am I going to keep everyone busy? I can look at them and think, I wonder what memories we’ll make.
That feels a little less overwhelming.
And a whole lot more fun.
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Read more of Joanna’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
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