During the winter months, everyone including the kids can get a little stir crazy. Today, I have some tips to share with you from Professional chef, author and mother-of-two, Maureen Petrosky about how to maximize on the fun while your little ones are cooped up inside. From cooking together to creating a fun obstacle course, there are always ways that you can maximize on the family fun!
- Dine-in together. Just because you don’t have time to create a meal from scratch, doesn’t mean you can’t put something on the table that’s wholesome and delicious. Keep it simple and serve Weaver chicken nuggets alongside a big salad and some fresh bread from the bakery.
- Spice it up. Revisit your pantry or spice drawer to avoid extra trips to the grocery store. With simple ingredients such as rosemary, garlic, oregano or cilantro, you can quickly transform your family’s favorite meals into an array of dinner options. Get everyone involved in meal prep and use this time as an opportunity to catch up with one another.
- Go camping indoors. The rule: no lights, phones or computers from dusk to dawn. Drape the couch and chairs with sheets for a makeshift tent. Put your sleeping bags on the floor, grab your flashlights, and share your best ghost stories.
- Start a dance party. A great way to have some fun with your family is to get everyone dancing. Turn off the TV and turn on some good tunes. Make homemade trophies and prizes to give to the winners. Create special categories for best moves, best spins, most creative, most enthusiastic dancer.
- Turn chore time into an a-maze-ing race. In ten minutes, you can create an indoor maze, complete with clues to take your family on an at-home adventure. Incorporate simple chores like putting away laundry, cleaning under the bed, or setting the table. The final reward can be their favorite dinner or an extra bedtime story.
About Weaver Chicken Nuggets
Weaver Chicken Nuggets are a great “go-to” dinner idea when you need something fast and delicious. Chicken nuggets are always a food of choice for kids of all ages. There are also many other varieties of the Weaver brand of food. The Weaver line includes frozen breaded boneless chicken, croquettes, wings, and other prepared items. As a part of Tyson Foods, Weaver chicken continues the tradition of Victor Weaver, bringing delicious, wholesome products to your family’s dinner table.
Enter to Win
One lucky 5 Minutes for Mom reader will be receiving a month’s supply of Weaver Chicken Nuggets (4 coupons to use for free products). To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment here letting us know how you would have fun with your kids while they are cooped up indoors.
This giveaway will end on January 9th, 2012. A winner will be chosen by random.org and announced in our weekly Around the Blogosphere post.
You can stay up to date with specials and coupons by following Weaver Chicken Nuggets on Facebook.
I was sent coupons to try the products from Weaver. All opinions are my own.
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{ 167 comments… read them below or add one }
We do crafts and play with the matchbox cars and the trains and the dolls and the kitchen and we read books and Mommy goes a wee bit crazy
My grandsons and I play scrabble when the weather is bad outside!
Are family likes to watch movies when were cooped up, we get caught up on allot of them then.
We like to make beaded crafts!
deb55106{at}gmail{dot}com
We paint, build couch cushion forts and even have indoor races. It gets pretty noisy but everyone is getting some exercise and more importantly having fun.
Read books, do puzzles, bake or play video games
kport207 at gmail dot com
dance party!
We’ve hung a plastic bucket swing from the rafters in our basement, brought a small plastic slide into our dining room, and filled the kiddie pool with balls to make an indoor ball pit in our kitchen. Obviously this won’t work for all toys or all indoor spaces, but depending on what you’re working with, it could be worth a shot.
We like to bake.
Probably play too many video games
She’s still a baby, so we walk around the building and look in the mirrors in the lobbies!
We bake or cook something and play video games or watch videos!
Board games are always fun to play.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
We put on “silly shows” with costumes and dances.
I like baking with my kids.
Board games all the way – we are a game playing family!
We’d have a picnic in the livingroom while watching movies and playing board games. Thanks.
Yummy looking chicken, we always watch some movies.
playing games
We like to catch up on movies we missed at the theater.
we play board games and work on crafts
We’ll be having fun playing with all their new board games they got for Christmas.
Coloring or doing pc gaming
We play a lot of board games.
We run around, dance, hug, tickle, and whatever else makes us laugh.
I like to catch up on my reading when I get some spare time.
Indoor camping! Without the fire pit of course!
One of our favorite things to do in the winter is have a movie night. We go all out when it comes to these. For example…when we watched “Polar Express” we have hot chocolate complete with a hot chocolate dance.
We also spend time in the kitchen together. Not only is that a great bonding moment…but excellent teaching platforms as well.
We like to make popcorn and watch movies.
Thank you!
jackievillano at gmail dot com
we play games like old maid and pretend games like lets make a deal and hav treasure hunts
we turn the basement into an indoor obstical course with the bikes and scotters and big balls and we bring the radio down and have dance parties
build lego things together & talk about it
We like to do puzzles together
thank you
tatertot3741@gmail.com
We love playing board games and dice games!
We would make some collages. They love getting creative. Thanks for the chance.
I would have fun with my kids by doing lots of arts & crafts.
games, crafts and when I need me time the dvd goes on
Board games and we have a wii.
We play superheros and monsters
We have dance parties! the little ones get to pick out there fave song (we usually pull it up on youtube) and we dance and dance. Really gets the blood going!
We jump on the couches and listen to Wilson Pickett.
I like to have fun with my kids while stuck indoors by turning up some upbeat music and dancing around the house with them. Or we cuddle up on the couch in a blanket sippin cocoa watching winter movies, coloring or cooking up a yummy dish in the kitchen together.
We usually make something- play dough, cupcakes, or complete a puzzle.
They love role-playing games.
we build forts with sheets and blankets. fun stuff!
lzamudio02 @ hotmail .com
we play board games
I help my son make fun little toddler crafts and we do alot of fun puzzles and learning things that he seems to really enjoy
We play board games, make up stories, and bake.
I like to let them help me cook, and then we play the cleaning up game afterwards!
We have fun by making a fort in the living room and reading together or by pretending it is a castle and having a picnic under our blanket fort.
We like to Netflix! When it’s too icky, we settle in to watch lots of old TV shows on Netflix.
iclipcoupons at gmail dot com
My toddler got a tricycle for Christmas, so she’s been learning to ride that around the house since it’s too cold and snowy to go outside.
We set up our tents in the playroom and pretend we are on a campout!
We spend time playing ‘Adventure” we make tents and forts, bake muffins and learn our letters.
we love to play the wii….just the other day we were playing Just Dance 3, I never laughed so hard with the kids….so much fun!!
Reading books and we manage to take him to museums and swimming.
we like to read, watch movies, and do crafts
We would rent movies to watch, play games and bake cookies.
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
Our favorite thing right now is UNO!
Build a tent in the den out of blankets and have a “picnic” with chicken nuggets!
we enjoy doing crafts when stuck inside
nannypanpan at gmail.com
We’d play board games.
Board games are always fun.
living in Maine, being cooped up indoors is something that happens a lot during the winter months. We have a great supply of board games, kids and family friendly movies and snacks to make the days go by quickly.
Arts & Crafts or baking together!
I have fun with my kids while cooped up inside by doing crafts!
definately watch movies, lots of movies
we jump on the bed- always lots of fun
We love to bake together and play board games when its a yucky day. We look forward to rainy days!
We love to read together!
We play Wii or watch movies
i liked to play board games
We love to play boardgames and watch Disney!
We like to play jenga when we are indoors. Great family game!
We play Settlers of Catan!
We like to play board games together.
My kids love to be in the kitchen, so when we’re cooped up in the house, we usually bake. They love to do it, it helps them to work together, and helps them with the math. We do have a good time, and they’re even good about cleaning up after themselves.
I would have a movie day, make popcorn & treats and watch movies!
movies!
We would transform the living room into a slumber party with a movie and popcorn!
smatos04@hotmail.com
my nephew and i always play board games. our current favorite is pixar monopoly!
We do a lot of crafts and reading. When they start needing to get some energy out, we’ll play hyperdash or do some Just Dance on the Wii.
We play board games with the girls or have a girl’s pampering day and do our nails and stuff.
We like to spend time catching up on movies together.
We just got the Wii fit, but I think our 3.5 yo is a little young to get the complexities of it. But the best yet is the exercise trampoline.
My niece and I do a lot of baking when it is too cold to play outside
Movie Time
We have fun indoors playing twister with the cats.
We’d spent a ton of time cooking and baking!
building lots of forts and making shadow puppets
We play wii games together and make tunnels with blankets and chairs.
We play board games and wii games
playing board games and baking thanks
We like to watch movies or do little art projects!
We spend time playing board games together.
We made an “I’m bored” kit for my daughter. It has a numbered list of things to do and a die. She rolls the die and does the thing that matches that number.
tell stories,read, play games and watch movies
We play Wii!
mommydigger(at)gmail(dot)com
we like to play Wii on rainy days
Pop in a movie and the chicken nuggets . Curl up to watch the movie with their favorite food.
I have a 2 year old daughter so dress up and pretend and/or real cooking is what we do!
We play lots of board games.
We like to do a lot of jigsaw puzzles and make up our own TV shows and act them out.
Well I have 6 kids…so…a few favs are cuddlin up with a movie under warm blankets and eating popcorn or we make handmade playdough and play with it at the kitchen table
We love playing in our indoor tent and tunnel. Helps to burn off the energy!
Movie night weekend has always been a family thing for us.
I have them trace their hands over and over again on seasonally-colored construction pager, cut them out and arrange in a wreath. As well as being a decoration for the season, it is a memory to be saved. I date the backs so I can remember how old they were at that time.
We will do puzzles, games, camping indoors style, and games.
playing the wii
amy16323(at)gmail(dot)com
When we are cooped up (and even when we aren’t!) we read together. We also play board games and more active games, like Wii. If things get really out of hand, I bundle everyone up and we ‘brave the weather’ just to get some fresh air!
My kids and I like to give each other makeovers and do each others hair.
I like reading to them, or them to me, as well as playing board games together.
We build a fort or play games together.
We love playing games, coloring and watching videos!
There are games, dancing and reading. Thanks.
We like to play family games!
We have a lot of fun indoors doing jigsaw puzzles and playing board games. Occasionally they will help me bake cookies.
We would curl up on the couch and watch family movies and eat popcorn. Then we would play board games.
When my Grandkids come and we are cooped up, which happens frequently in Wyoming winters, we do the camping indoors game a lot. I have a higher, square, dining table and a blanket over that is a perfect tent. we have had private tea parties, adventures in the Outback of Australia, story time by flameless candle light, and even a quiet nap or two under our magical getaway.
We’d play board games, sing songs, do some crafts and maybe watch some movies when we’re tired.
we make a fort out of pillows and blankets and hunker down to watch a movie
My children are “grown ups” now but I spend alot of time with my 7 year old niece and we do alot of crafty things that involve tons, and I do mean tons of glitter glue lol
Board games & movies!
I love to cook and play games with the kids. Sometimes watch a movie too
We always played Monopoly when cooped up.
We have Sorry (board game) tournaments.
we play computer games.
i think dressing up and taking silly pictures is a fun thing to do when cooped up indoors
They love to draw and play board games
we play board games. i spy is another game we play. thanks
We love to play board games.
We play the wii or watch fun movies
xxbeccaannxx@gmail.com
we love to play board games,watch movies on netflix and play the ps3 when we are bored
We get together and put 1000 piece puzzles together!
vmkids3 at msn dot com
We play video games or watch movies
Make a pretend city with the entire living room
They’re sick now so we’ve been indoors a lot. Legos/Blocks and lots of arts n crafts!
We like to bake cookies together.
My kids have always liked playing board games.
Play pillow fight or create a fun meal they can help me prepare. lnb1191(at)aol(dot)com
Family boardgames.
I have four boys and we love to play board games inside. Thank you.
we read color play games and our favorite game is hide and seek
We have all sorts of new board games that will be keeping us very busy and entertained for the next several weeks.
wallindeb@yahoo.com
We bake, play with play-doh and use the kinect
We like to play board games and watch movies together.
I have a 4yo and an 8yo who love to play hide and seek. We live in a snowy area so we are often coming up with new ideas to mess up the house before mom comes home. About 2 weeks ago we rounded up every blanket in the house and built a 4 bedroom fort in the basement. It was very impressive.
we enjoy playing the wii when we are stuck inside thanks clallen at ntin dot net
I would play a board game or play hide and seek!
Board games and card games have all way been a hit at my house.
I buy the baking kits that are on special after christmas and we have fun making those
WE do lots of crafts and I try to make cleaning fun!
We love to play board games together when stuck indorrs!
On days inside we play floor ball with the dogs.
dlsloveblogs at gmail dot com
board games and crafts!
we make a lot of forts and do lots of crafts
Making something like cookies, and reading to them.
We would have a picnic indoors!
We pass the time by reading.
We build alot with building blocks, bake cookies to decorate and other fun crafts
They love to draw and paint at the kitchen table while someone is cooking up a big meal!
wii,movies,crafts
ardelong2(at)gmail(dot)com
Nothing better than some watercolors and some pictures to paint.
For us, it’s board games and jigsaw puzzles. Both can entertain for hours. Thank you for the opportunity to win.
We play board games and bake brownies.
We watch movies, play with the Wii or play board games.
We read and play games!!