Restful Activities // January

"January is like an empty bowl; you have to fill it with candy yourself."
—Addie, age 11

January is a blank slate, scraped clean of the excess from the holidays and snuggly settled in for winter hibernation. It's a time for quiet and rest, wool blankets and crackling fires, warm bellies and busy hands. 

We enjoyed our after-school activities in December so much, that I decided to keep the tradition going. Feeling snug in our home can easily turn into cabin fever without a plan for how to spend our time, particularly in the afternoon. With a list of ideas up my sleeve, I hope to provide a soft place for my kids (and me!) to land in the difficult afternoon hours of winter. Here's what I came up with for January. Good luck this month!

1. Visit Cafe Equinox for cinnamon tea and hot chocolate
2. Drive through Starbucks for a warm drink
3. Have a warm foot soak with epsom salts and citrus essential oils
4. Read wintery picture books on the couch under a big blanket
5. Offer the Lore Pemberton coloring pages
6. Have a puzzle going at the dining table
7. Make a wintery display in our nature spot
8. Hang paper snowflakes in the windows
9. Read wintery poems with herbal tea and cake
10. Go to French Market for a creme brulee
11. Build with baby marshmallows and toothpicks
12. Display bulb flowers like paper whites, amaryllis, or crocus
13. Work together on a snowflake chalkboard drawing
14. Offer white play dough with a snowman cookie cutter
15. Make a dining table display with white candles and a brass garland
16. Roll out a giant sheet of paper and doodle with blue, white, and yellow crayons
17. Make a list of our favorite things
18. Meditate with candles and soft music
19. Roll beeswax candles
20. Make birdseed pinecones for the birds
21. String popcorn onto a string to make a garland for the birds
22. Read Night Tree by Eve Bunting and decorate the evergreen tree for the birds and squirrels
23. Spend the afternoon browsing your favorite bookstore
24. Go to Bing Box for bubble tea
25. Have an outdoor fire with hot chocolate

Looking for more wintertime inspiration?
Find my favorite picture books to read in January here,
a reminder of what you may find at the farmers market this time of year here,
and some seasonal dinner ideas here.