Various screenshots of FoodCorps members engaging kids in fun activities via video lessons.

Winter months can be tough on kids and grown-ups alike, with outdoor time limited and many more hours spent indoors. Though this may not be peak gardening season, you can still find ways to keep kids entertained—and even learning!—with indoor activities designed to get them cooking, moving, and more. 

Indoor Activities to Try With Kids

Early in the pandemic, many FoodCorps AmeriCorps members across the country created virtual lessons and other video activities to keep their students learning and growing from home. While most students are back at school, we still love these videos for those dreary days when kids are limited to indoor activities. Let us know which ones you try! 

Cooking Activities

Rainbow Smoothies
Follow along with Sanaya Irani, a Michigan FoodCorps member, to make rainbow smoothies! This is an easy way to use up fresh or frozen produce and explore new tastes and textures. Check this FoodCorps recipe for more information. 

Homemade Falafel
Make nutritious, delicious homemade falafel with Chantelle Kodua, a FoodCorps member in Washington, D.C.! The recipe is adapted from Epicurious. Make sure to soak the dry chickpeas overnight first! 

Indoor Gardening

Starting Seeds at Home with Kitchen Goods
You’ll want to raid your pantry for this one! Taught by Chloe Miller, a Massachusetts FoodCorps member, this video invites you to find seeds among common pantry ingredients and grow them in a repurposed egg carton. 

Mini Greenhouse in a Milk Jug  
Erin Baumann, a FoodCorps member in Michigan, walks you through an activity creating a greenhouse using a recycled milk jug. Try this method to grow herbs you’d like to have around the house, like basil or mint. 

Movement Activities

Plant Part Dress-Up and Dancing
If you’re looking for activities to get some wiggles out, this one’s for you. Michigan FoodCorps member Diego Alonso Virgues will teach your family about the different parts of a plant through a fun dress-up game and dance. You might want to play this near a closet! 

Alphabet Yoga
Practice mindfulness with Marisa Kaplita, a FoodCorps member in Connecticut, with this playlist of alphabet-inspired yoga. You’ll practice forming poses in the shapes of letters and hopefully clear your mind, too. 

Arts and Crafts

Banana Origami
Creative activities can help bring color to a dreary day, and this one only takes paper, scissors, and a marker. Watch along as Grace Merrett, a California FoodCorps member, turns a piece of paper into a banana bunch. We recommend pausing after each step to check your work!

Dried Fruit Garland
Turn unused citrus into household decorations in this dried fruit garland activity led by Annie DeSutter, a California FoodCorps member. Make sure to help little ones when handling sharp tools and using the oven. 

Ready for more? Here’s our full list of video lessons and activities by FoodCorps members.

Related read: How to Prepare a Taste Test at Home With Kids | “Taste tests at home can be a fun, hands-on way to get your kids involved in household food prep, introduce them to new flavors, and help them learn what tastes and textures most appeal to them. If you’re looking to add more dishes into your family meal rotation, consider ‘hosting’ a taste test with your kids to get their input. After all, they won’t know whether they love a food until they try it!”