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Boredom Busters When You Are Stuck Indoors

Day after day of staying at home is a recipe for restlessness in both kids and moms. Put a stop to the stir-crazy with these ideas and recipes to help your kiddos pass the time and to save yourself some sanity!

~ Read aloud. Choose some age-appropriate books and gather the family around. Sip something hot and creamy while you take turns reading out loud the old fashioned way.

~ Take a trip back in time. Pop some popcorn, turn out the lights and watch some old home videos. Sure to bring giggles and a lot of “I remember that!”s.

~Help the neighbors.  Is there an elderly couple in your neighborhood that means their driveway shoveled? As a family go and dig them out. Also, take along a mug of hot cocoa for them to enjoy as they peer out the window and see your family working.

~ Plan for travel. For fun, brainstorm as a family any day trips or activities you want to do when the weather is warm and you can travel. Hop on the internet and bookmark any of the theme parks, beaches, state parks, or other attractions you want to visit.

~ Sort and clean. Yep. You read that right. Give each child two boxes labeled “give away” and “throw away”. Have them go on a dejunking journey to rid their rooms of toys no longer wanted or clothes that no longer fit. They will put these in the “give away” box. Trash they come across goes in the “throw away” box. Crank up some music to make the work speed along. As a reward when done, pay each child a small fee and watch an on-demand movie. Donate the items to Goodwill or The Salvation Army.

~Rearrange.  Once you’ve gotten rid of unwanted junk, for fun let the kids rearrange their bedrooms. Or even rearrange the living room. Change is good. :-)

~Cuddle on the couch.  An indoor day is a great day to watch an old black-and-white movie or reruns of television shows from the 60s and 70s. Some favorites are Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Brady Bunch, and Gilligan’s Island. Or try some from the the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s such as Family Ties, Full House, Family Matters and Everybody Loves Raymond.

~Grab a Bible and make Bible Apple Cake.  This fun idea involves looking up passages in the Bible and then adding the ingredient found there into the recipe. It uses common ingredients usually found on hand.

Bible Apple Cake

1 c. Judges 5:25 (butter)
2 c. Jeremiah 6:20 (sugar)
6 Isaiah 10:14 (eggs)
3½ c. 1 Kings 4:22 (flour)
½ tsp. Leviticus 2:13 (salt)
2 tsp. 1 Corinthians 5:5 (baking powder)
¼ tsp. each of 1 Kings 10:2 (3 spices)
1 c. Genesis 24:2 (water)
1 Tbs. Exodus 16:31 (honey or sugar)
½ c. 1 Samuel 25:18 (raisins or chopped figs)
1½ c. Proverbs 7:2 (apple, chopped and peeled)
1 c. Genesis 43:2 (nuts, chopped)

Cream softened butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice). Mix honey with water and add to butter mixture, alternating with dry ingredients. Stir in raisins or figs, apple, and nuts. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 375°F for  50–60 minutes or until it tests done.

For fun, take some to the neighbors with a tag attached with Proverbs 7:2 along the top: “Keep my commandments and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.”

~ Write letters.  Have the kids write letters to grandma and grandpa or other relatives far away. This is an often lost art in our society and your relatives will be thrilled to get a handwritten note.

~Make a mess. {in the kitchen, that is!}  Now is a great time to make a family snack. Pick your favorite batch of homemade cookies, brownies, or other homemade goodie. Work as a team to make the treat. {and clean up!} Here are a few recipes our family loves:

Breakfast Pizza

Let the kids sleep in. Then, as a family assemble this yummy breakfast.

1 (8 oz.) tube refrigerated crescent rolls or pizza dough
1 lb. bulk pork or turkey breakfast sausage
½ lb. sliced mushrooms
½ c. onion, chopped
1 c. part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

Roll out crescent rolls or pizza dough to desired size for crust. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Meanwhile fry sausage, mushrooms, and onion until sausage is browned. Drain on paper towels. When crust is done, spread sausage mixture to edges. Cover with cheese. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Caramel Snack Mix

A yummy mix for a cold day.

6 c. popped popcorn
3 c. rice Chex cereal
2 c. Cheerios
1¼ c. pecan halves
1¼ c. dry roasted peanuts
1 c. brown sugar
½ c. butter (no substitutes)
¼ c. light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. baking soda

Combine popcorn, cereals, and nuts on a lightly greased roasting pan. In a heavy-bottom saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup to a boil. Boil gently until candy thermometer reads 250°F. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda. Immediately pour over popcorn mixture and stir to coat. Bake uncovered at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 10–15 minutes. Allow to cool before eating.

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls

Kids will have fun making {and eating!} these warm from the oven. Whip up some homemade soup to go along with it. {You can find five of our favorite recipes here}

2 c. water
1 c. quick oats
3 Tbs. butter
Boil the above in a saucepan for 1 minute. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix:

1 Tbs. yeast (1 packet)
1/3 c. warm water
1 Tbs. sugar
Let stand for 3–5 minutes, then add:
1/3 c. brown sugar
1½ tsp. salt

Add oat mixture and mix well. Then add in 4¾–5¼ cups bread flour, just enough to make a slightly (but not overly) stiff dough. Turn into a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1–1½ hours.

Punch down and separate into 3 balls of dough. Then, separate each of those into halves. Then take each half and separate into 3 equal pieces. The result should be 18 equal pieces. Roll each into a round ball. Place 9 rolls each into 2 greased round cake pans. Do so by placing 1 in the center and then place 8 more equidistant around the center. Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray to avoid sticking. Let rise 20–30 minutes, until sides of rolls begin to touch.

Remove plastic wrap. Bake at 350°F for 20–25 minutes. Do not over brown. (Rolls can be covered with a piece of foil laid on top but not sealed to prevent them from browning too much.) Remove and cool. Serve with butter or homemade fruit jam. Yum!

For more fun ideas, check out Make Their Day: 101 Simple, Powerful Ways to Love Other Well.

This book will equip you to:

  • Encourage and celebrate family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers in unique yet doable ways.
  • Craft an arsenal of ideas for noticing others and making them feel loved.
  • Make creative memories on holidays, holy days, or on just an ordinary day.
  • Place people as a priority in your life, displaying the gospel as you do.

This book will help you develop habits of kindness, reconnect with friends and family, and make encouraging people a priority.

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