Keeping little boys busy-winter days

We live in Idaho, have I mentioned that the winters are long? You may think I'm complaining, but I'm not! They.are.just.realllllly.looooong. I also tend to have a house full to the brim with boys of all ages! Once the boys can read and write they seem to find many of their own creative outlets, but the little boys? Not so much. I try really hard to keep them busy and tired, but it's a full time job in the winter!  Here are some tips for those long winter days with little boys, or girls, or anyone wiggly! I have at least one more post with more mess free, somewhat, ideas!

• In between subjects, or when people are especially squirmy stop and do jumping jacks. They seem to tucker everyone out by the time we hit fifty!

• Stair runs. If the boys couldn't sit any longer I'd time them running up and down the stairs twenty times. Keep track of their times on a sheet of paper taped to the wall by the stairs!

• Let them take apart old appliances. Our boys would do this forever! Someone once gave us a water fountain, whoever that was, thank you! Be sure not to take apart computers, cell phones or electronics with mercury or other dangerous elements 😉 

• Shadow puppets! It gets dark early and our little boys could make shadow puppets for almost an hour!

• Tents! This is my frenemy. I admit it! But with a flash light and seven million blankets and pillows and all of the chairs in the house, things get really fun for a LONG time. Sometimes we set up little tent rooms, tent stores, tent pet shops... the sky's the limit!

What are your favorite ideas?