Fun Winter Activities to Break Your Family's Cabin Fever in Plainfield

Most families are exhibiting signs of cabin fever at this time of year. The sibling sniping is at record levels, the toddler whining is incessant and tweens and teens are fixated on their electronic devices. Time to cure your family of cabin fever with these ten fun ideas for activities the whole family will enjoy.

1) Get outside and play. If there's enough of the white stuff on the ground, get out and enjoy it at one of Plainfield's sled hills; click here for a list.

2) Pool party. Take the family swimming at the C.W. Avery YMCA in Plainfield or head to Inwood Athletic Club's pool.

3) Family film festival. Celebrate the upcoming Academy Awards with a marathon of your family’s favorite flicks. View movies from your own collection, rent some from Family Video or check out DVDs from the Plainfield Public Library.

4) Arts and crafts. Get a group of friends together for a “craft bash” at your house with activities for both adults and kids or take a class at Art Cube Studios in downtown Plainfield. Ask a friend who loves to knit or draw to share his or her skills. 

5) Serve others. Nothing brings a family out of a cabin fever funk like serving others. Find local volunteer activities where you can volunteer on your own or with your whole family at Help Save Pets or the Plainfield Interfaith Food Pantry, Green Harvest Food Pantry or even the Plainfield Park District.

6)  Bowl! Bowling is a fun indoor activity for the whole family, from toddlers to teens. You can bowl at Pioneer Lanes in Plainfield.

7) Family game night. Playing board games together can be a great way to bond— and pick up some math or spelling skills. You can find great games — from classics like Monopoly to modern-day favorites — at The Wandering Dragon Game Shoppe.

8) Put on a show. Got toddlers? Grab some puppets and make a "stage” together from an empty box for hours of fun. Elementary-age kids? Invite over some of their friends, drag out some “costumes” from your clothes or a dress-up box and encourage them to put on a play. Plan a “make a movie” afternoon for your tween and teen with their friends. Give them some ideas for making a video with their friends, loan them a video recording device such as a smartphone or iPad and then host their “movie premiere,” followed by a showing of their favorite movie.

9)  Take a class together. Check out the offerings at the Plainfield Park District (like teen and adult art classes or youth music classes), or Plainfield Public Library (need help with your eReader or want to figure out PowerPoint? The library's the place for you) Art Cube Studios, take a yoga class at Bikram Yoga Plainfield or find out what CrossFit Plainfield is all about.

10) Start a book club. Winter is the perfect time to start a family book club. Pick a book the whole family will enjoy and read aloud to younger kids or let tweens or teens pick a book they want to read that you'll read too. Discuss over a dinner featuring food reflecting the book’s themes. You can also start a mother and daughters or fathers and sons book club with your friends. The Plainfield Public Library's employees can make great suggestions for books your whole family will enjoy. The library also has its own Winter Reading Program happening now.