by Mark Cop

Snowy winter is the best season for kids because the entire outdoor becomes a white playground which attracts them like a magnet. I mean, who wouldn’t want to go outside to build a snowman, throw snowballs or make snow angels? It is a wonderful time but, when the snow starts to melt it is better to stay inside. That can be hard to explain to our little ones which mean that you have to think about something more interesting than the melting snow and mud outside. I know that it is hard to do that but, it is not impossible. The most important thing is to offer your kids something they haven’t experienced before. I am pretty sure that crafting is one of those things. That is why I am offering you here interesting games you can make with your children during those rainy and snowy days.

DIY Foosball Game

To make a foosball game you will need a cardboard box for the field, plastic straws and wooden barbecue stick for the rods and clothespins for the foosball players. Cut the holes for the rods and the goals on the cardboard box and give it to your children so they can decorate it. Take the plastic straws and fill them with barbecue sticks because they need to be thick so they can carry the foosball players. When the children are done with the box, leave it somewhere to dry. You don’t have to do anything with the players at the moment if you have clothespins in two colors for the teams. When the box is dry you have to assemble the game and to do that, pull the straws through the holes and glue the clothespins (the players) on the straws. When the glue dries you can play foosball with your children.

DIY Tic-Tac-Toe

Tic tac toe is extremely easy to make and you are done in minutes. All you need is a cardboard and few bottle caps. If you have a small cardboard box, use it but don’t cut anything. On the lid of the box draw a grid for the Tic Tac Toe. Use 10 bottle caps and color them in two different colors – that is something your kids can do. Let the bottle caps dry and you are good to go! It is good to have a cardboard box with the lid because you can store bottle caps when you are done playing which is great.

DIY Memory Game

Memory is great because it is extremely fun but it also improves children’s memory. Like the other games on the list, this one is also made from cardboard. Use a side of the box and color it in one color on the back side. Let it dry. Then, draw a grid on it and cut the grid so you end up with an even number of rectangles. Give the rectangles to your kids and let them draw something on each one, but the drawings have to be in a pair.

DIY Ball Maze Game

Another fun and educational game is this Ball Maze Game. The game is great for improving the hands and eyes coordination. For this game, you will need a shallow cardboard box and few toilet paper rolls. Give your children to color the rolls in different colors and when they are dry, glue them randomly on the cardboard. Use the same colors you have on the rolls and color the small cardboard rectangles. Find the ball that can fit easily through the paper rolls and the games can begin. Share the rectangles among playmates. The goal is to take the ball through toilet paper rolls in the same colors like the rectangles you have in your hands.

Each day you can make another game and when you are done, talk about your children and see which game is the most popular.

Author bio:

Mark is a foosball player with a blog FoosballZone. On that blog, he writes about foosball tips and tricks, history and everything related to foosball.