5 Things to do with Your Kids This Weekend

What are you going to do to keep the kids busy this weekend? The "Stay-at-Home" order from Governor Walz goes into effect at midnight Friday, March 27. Even though we CAN still leave the house to get some fresh air, wet and windy weather will dominate southern Minnesota Saturday and Sunday. What can you do to keep your kids busy this weekend and keep everyone from going bonkers?

1. Find a fun recipe or two and make a mess together. Then clean it up together. My kids have always enjoyed working in the kitchen. In the attached picture, my son challenged his sister to a race to whip up some cream over the holidays. Was it messy? Yeah, a little.

2. Challenge your kids to count the doors in your house. After they each dash around the house gathering the number, compare the results. There is likely to be a discrepancy. This activity could also lead to a talk about fire safety and coming up with multiple exits from your home in case of an emergency. Maybe you'll find a closet with a hidden treasure or two.

3. Build a tent city in your living room or the basement. This is still a big thing at our house when our nephew's kids come over. It's pretty simple, not too messy, and you could spend time in the tent reading books together.

4. Have a dance party. Crank up some music that you haven't listened to in a while. Old cassettes or possibly old albums could lead to a little dance party, in addition to the memories it will bring back for you.

5. Making a puppet show combines crafting, storytelling, and creativity. I've had a great time doing puppet shows with kids in church and the possibilities are almost endless for ideas and involvement.

Being cooped up is going to be tough. By thinking outside the box, hopefully, we don't have to always resort to a non-stop loop of movies and frayed nerves. Good luck and God Bless.