As a stay at home mom, the days are long, but we are rewarded with being able to experience every last one of your child’s firsts. To watch them grow from babies to toddlers to little people. We don’t miss a beat.

However, while being home is incredibly rewarding, it does not come without sacrifices to the family. Mainly, the finance aspect of what it means to stay home.

Which, for many women, can be a hard pill to swallow. Myself, included.

But, the good news is that with technology today, there are limitless ways to make money from home, which totally changes the game for stay at home moms.

I’ve got an important note for stay at home moms looking to start an online business. However, if you’re ready to skip to the goods, here are the best 15 ways to make money from home as a stay at home mom:

• Become a Virtual Assistant
• Become a Freelancer
• Start an in-home Daycare
• Become an Affiliate Marketer
• Start a Blog
• Start a YouTube Channel
• Open an Etsy Store
• Start an Online Store
• Start a Direct Sales Business
• Become a Website Designer
• Start an Online Consignment Shop
• Photography
• Teach English Online
• Become a Proofreader

Before I dive in on the different ways you can make money online, I want you to know it is going to be HARD work to make the transition from being a stay at home mom to a work at home mom. These are two very different worlds with changing dynamics that you will want to take into consideration.

As stay at home moms, we are already responsible for the house and kids. It’s like a never-ending cycle of cleaning, cooking, playing and teaching. Our days are already full day-in and day-out, with maybe the exception of nap times.

Now as a work at home mom, we have all of the same duties, but are also busy trying to get a business off the ground. You are essentially trying to perform two full-time jobs in the same 24-hour period. It is very difficult.

It is going to take determination and grit to be successful online. If anyone tells you otherwise, they are downright lying. You will want to quit … MANY times. You may argue with your spouse or significant other, especially when income is sparse in the beginning. And, you will have days where you feel like a complete failure.

But, if you can push through the noise and put in the time and effort, it will be worth it.

The biggest thing I want to remind you, however, is to remember why you became a stay at home mom, in the first place. It’s for your kids and they should be of the upmost importance.

It can be incredibly easy to get lost in your work and let it spill into the time you should be spending with your kids. Therefore, scheduling and organization are going to be key when moving into the role of a work at home mom.

If you’re already struggling with organization and order, in your home, then I’m going to urge you to get that taken care of first, before delving into entrepreneurship. Believe me, I’ve been there and I speak from experience.

If you need help getting there, I highly recommend my home binder system. It’s a massive 140+ page template system, built to help people get and keep their home organized. I use it myself and it’s been a total game changer for us.

Once you’ve got your home in order, it’s time to get work! The first step – deciding what you want to do.

Every business I have outlined below are ideal for stay at home moms. I’m not going to waste your time with things like couponing and survey apps. Because, let’s be honest, those are not jobs and they certainly are not going to bring in the income you are looking for.

My list of ways to make money from home focuses on businesses that can be ran at odd hours, that will allow you to still be able to spend time with your kids and that give you the potential to make at least $1000 per month.

Ways to Make Money from Home as a Stay at Home Mom

1.) Become a Virtual Assistant

I have to admit that becoming a virtual assistant or VA is one of my favorite ways for people to make money working from home. And that is simply because you can use the skills you already have.

As a virtual assistant, your job is to help business owners in one or more areas of their business. And most of us have some skillset that we can offer up to these individuals.

Many businesses could use the help in managing some aspect of their company. However, they do not have the need (or sometimes means) to hire someone on full-time and provide benefits, such as insurance, PTO, etc.

And this is where you come in.

In most cases, as a virtual assistant, you do work for other companies or individuals, but you are also a business owner yourself. Therefore, you will be responsible for providing the aforementioned benefits.

When it comes to services you can offer as a VA, the list is ever-growing. Basically, anything you can do from your computer and phone, can theoretically, be offered as a service.

Now, as a mom, I would focus on offering services that will provide you with flexibility to work around you and your kid’s schedule. So, I would avoid things like answering the phone or managing incoming chat requests or emails that need to be answered right away.

Here are just a few services you could offer as a VA:

• Set Up Email Automation
• Social Media Manager
• WordPress/Website Management
• Bookkeeping Services
• Calendar Management
• Email Management
• PowerPoint Presentations
• Payables and Receivables
• Video Editing
• Pinterest Management
• Internet Research

Virtual assistants are common amongst the online world, but they are still making their way into the “physical” world. If I were to take this career path, I would personally start by networking with business owners in my area and surrounding areas.

Even though it may take some education on your end for business owners to understand your role, as a VA, it could pay off ten-fold, if done well.

If becoming a virtual assistant sounds like something you may be interested in, I definitely recommend checking out The Virtual Savvy. Abbey has been at this awhile, sold out her services in just one month and has tons of free advice on her website.

2.) Become a Freelance Writer

If you love writing and have a decent skill for putting words together, then freelance writing may be right up your alley. Businesses large and small rely on freelance writers to create content for them.

Writing content may include things like copywriting, ghost-writing and blog post creation. If you are not familiar with these type of services, they are particularly common amongst online businesses.

Copywriting is the task of creating sales copy to convince people to do a particular task. It might be to get people to enroll in an online course, purchase an item or join an email list. Copywriters are excellent sales people and marketers.

Ghost-writing is creating copy, such as articles, speeches, email newsletters etc., in the name of the business or person that hires you. Your name will not be on the content you create and will, instead, appear as if the business owner created the content themselves. Ghost writers are exceptionally good at encompassing and writing in the voice of the person that hires them.

Blog post creation is when you create a post or article for another business or company. Most businesses know the benefit of creating and having niche-specific blog posts on their website, but either don’t enjoy doing it or simply don’t have the time. And this is where you will step in.

If this sounds interesting, I highly recommend checking out Elna Cain’s website. She built her freelance writing business to a full-time income within six months and it is still one of her main drivers of income today.

3.) Open an In-Home Daycare

You are already staying home with your kids, so why not take in a few more and not only help other families out, but also bring in some income for yourself?

Before you get started with an in-home daycare, you will need to look into your state licensing requirements. And you will also want to be sure you know how to perform life-saving measures, such as the Heimlich Maneuver.

With that said, operating an in-home daycare can be rewarding for someone that has a passion of caring for children.

4.) Become an Affiliate Marketer

As an affiliate marketer, you earn commission on products that people purchase through special links you obtain through companies. So, let’s say for example you absolutely love a piece of furniture you purchased from Wayfair.

You can ask to become part of Wayfair’s affiliate program and promote that item through links on your social media or website. If someone makes a purchase through your link, you will earn a percentage of the sale.

It sounds easy, right? Of course, we all know that nothing is ever easy. The hardest part is gaining that following and then furthermore gaining their trust enough so that they are willing to make a purchase, based on your recommendation.

When done the right way, you can make a livable income (sometimes even better so).

Amazon is probably one of the easiest ways to get your feet wet with affiliate marketing; however they are also notoriously known for having small commissions.

With that, people have still managed to make thousands per month from Amazon’s program. One such person is Debbie Gartner over at The Flooring Girl. She has been able to see this success through the 500,000+ visitors per month to her website and blog.

It’s important to understand, however, that people such as Debbie Gartner, have been at this awhile and generally speaking have a large audience or following. If you are starting from ground zero, it will take time to build up to this type of income.

Amazon is just one affiliate program available to people looking to get into this space. There are literally thousands of companies looking to partner with people to help get their business and products out there.

Many of these such companies can be found through affiliate program websites, such as:

• Share A Sale
• ShopStyle Collective
• BrandCycle
• Pepperjam
• Flex Offers
• CJ Affiliate

And some companies run their own affiliate programs entirely themselves. If an affiliate opportunity is available for a company, you will usually find this information at the bottom of their website.

5.) Start a Blog

I first heard of blogging about a decade ago. And, I’ll admit that I was ignorant to the idea of blogging because I automatically associated them with online journals.

I didn’t see how they could possibly make money. But, I was young and was working towards what I believed to be my lifetime career. I didn’t have the time to focus on something I couldn’t see the potential in.

However, knowing what I know now, I wish I would have started sooner – like 5 years sooner.

Blogging is definitely not a get rich quick scheme. And while you may come across people that made six figures in their first year, they are really the exception. Not to mention, many had experienced a flopped or failed blog previously.

Therefore, they really may had been at it for a year or two before starting their money-making blog that brought them the success you are seeing today.

When you enter the world of blogging (for profit), you really need to be committed to it and treat it like a business. And the harsh reality is that most blogs will fail. This is not said to deter you, but it’s important for you to know that it is not all rainbows and sunshine.

It takes work … A LOT of work, especially in the beginning and you should not expect to see anywhere near any type of full-time income prior to (at least) six months of starting.

Now, theoretically speaking, you can make money in just about any niche (or topic). However, it has been shown that blogs in the following niches tend to have a better chance of being monetized more quickly: finance, health and fitness, technology, fashion, lifestyle, travel, marketing and self-improvement.

Wondering how exactly how blogs make money? The good news is that there are plenty of avenues in which blogs can monetize. The most common ways are outlined below:

• Ad Revenue
• Affiliate Marketing
• Sponsored Posts
• Creating their Own Products, such as digital products or courses
• Selling Services

And just to give you a little perspective, I first started taking my blog seriously in January and experienced my first sales in April, of the same year. Do you want to know what changed? I put my readers first, removed the “money-making” mindset and created a product that I am super proud of and knew would help my audience.

So, I know first-hand it is 100% possible and that it can be done, but it will take consistency and a great amount of effort.

6.) Start a YouTube Channel

Now before you roll eyes at this, hear me out. YouTube is not just for entertainment. If you have ever delved deep in YouTube, you know you can find content on just about anything on there.

I love this as a way to make money from home for stay-at-home moms because all you really need is your computer, a camera, editing software, decent lighting and you’re set. As you begin to monetize your channel, then you can upgrade to bigger and better setups.

Channels are created on literally everything and anything, but just like blogging, some topics are going to monetize sooner and better than others.

If I could give you any one tip, it would be to remain consistent and always give your best content. If you plan to upload once per week, stick to that schedule and make sure what you are saying and delivering is valuable.

YouTubers make money much in the same way that bloggers do. They can be monetized through ads on their videos, by partnering with brands, through affiliate marketing, etc.

7.) Open an Etsy Store

If you are a crafty person or even have interest in designing things like T-shirts, hats, wall decor and an array of other products, why not test out your products on Etsy?

If you open a new store using a referral link, such as this one, you get 40 FREE listings. It is a great way to test out the waters and see if Etsy is the platform for you. It literally costs you nothing upfront, but time to get started.

Like I mentioned above, you can sell clothes and accessories that you design. You might be wondering how you do that. There are two routes you can go.

You can do the product designing, cutting, pressing and mailing yourself. Or, you can partner with a third party provider, such as Printful or Printify, to do everything, but the designing, listing and marketing for you.

I also love that you can create and sell digital products, such as wedding and birthday invitations, on Etsy. And with third-party providers like Templett and Corjl, it makes it incredibly easy for your buyers to make their own edits. Freeing up time for you so that you can continue designing.

Need help getting organized at home so you can rock your online business?

The Intentional Living Home Binder is an extensive digital download template system that gives you all the tools you need to create the perfect personalized home binder for your household. 

8.) Start an Online Store

Opening your own stand-alone online store will prove to be a little more difficult than utilizing popular platforms, such as Amazon and Etsy. And this is because you are solely responsible for bringing traffic to your store. Whereas, Amazon and Etsy already have millions of users accessing their sites each month, looking for what you are selling.

However, there is a huge upside to operating your own online store. And that is that you fully own your storefront.

My favorite platform for e-commerce, at the moment, is Shopify. They are super easy to set up and are pretty affordable to get started.

9.) Start a MLM Marketing (Direct Sales) Business

I was really reluctant to add direct sales onto my list as many people that enter the business do ultimately fail. However, I simply can’t deny the fact that people have been fortunate enough to make a good living in this business model.

You can find direct sales companies in just about every industry. Whether you’re passionate about skincare, makeup, nails, clothes, health, fitness, Tupperware, cooking, cleaning or books, there is likely a business model out there for you.

Should you choose to get started with one of these companies, I recommend doing your research fully. The last thing you want is to get into the business and find out it was all hype.

Some things I would ask myself before I were to join a company:

• Do I love the products?
• Would I recommend these products to my friends and family?
• Are the products unique and different?
• Does the company have brag-worthy values and commitments to their customers?
• Can I make at least $1000 a month WITHOUT needing people to sign up under me?
• Can the products be easily demonstrated online or would it need to be in person?
• Would I need to invest a lot of money into products first?
• Would I feel good about representing their company and products?
• Is my area saturated with representatives?

10.) Become a Website Designer

A website designer is going to differ from being a website developer. As a website designer, your job is to give the overall look and feel of a website. To accomplish certain looks, you will likely need to know some code.

However, there are so many tools nowadays, that take away the huge burden of needing to know tons of lines of code. And there are successful companies out there utilizing them to build their own websites.

You can learn how to design websites by using page builders, such as Divi, from Elegant Themes, or Elementor. While it will still require some technical skill, it is far better than learning to code websites from scratch.

When I got started, my favorite person to watch was Josh Hall. He has tons of free videos on his YouTube channel and paid courses on WordPress and Divi on his website. And while I have never taken a course by him, I am certain they are packed full of value.

And, if you want to learn about coding, which I definitely recommend you at least understand the basics, then I highly recommend freecodecamp.org. I am currently going through their mini courses and have been really impressed with them. Plus, it’s totally free!

11.) Start an Online Consignment Shop

I love the idea of consignment shops as a way to make money from home as there is very little upfront costs. There are plenty of people, myself included, who have junk lying around, but hate the process of selling it. That’s where you step in.

As an online consignment shop owner, you take products in, clean them up, list them for sale, handle the shipping and split the selling price with your consigner. You can get started for free, by utilizing social media platforms, or by opening an E-commerce platform straight-away with platforms like Shopify, Volusion or BigCommerce (all platforms I have used in the past).

I think this would work best by specializing in a specific niche, such as used kids items or high-end products.

12.) Start a Make & Take Sign Craft Business

People love to get together, but sometimes they want to do something a little different. So, if you love to create wood signs or other artsy items, such as canvases, this might be a perfect idea for you.

You make money through the sale of your pre-treated signs and then provide your time to teach your customers how to make it uniquely theirs, which is typically done through painting.

This is a business that can be ran in the evenings and weekends and can be advertised towards businesses, bachelorettes and just about anyone looking to hold fun and different parties.

13.) Family Photographer

Many women find their love for photography, after they have children. After all, you’ve got the perfect subjects – your own squishy babies and family. As a photographer, you choose the hours you work, which makes it perfect for women staying home with their children.

I’ve seen quite a few people get their start from watching YouTube videos and doing lots of practice. Then from there, they invest in themselves (which, I always recommend) and take courses to further their skills.

If you’d like a great starting point, I highly recommend checking out Photographer Resources. They have TONS of helpful information; everything from contracts to advertising and photo editing.

14.) Teach English Online

That’s right. You can teach people English, from your very own home. Most of the sites listed below, if not all, do typically require a Bachelor’s degree; however it can be any field. While it does not have to be teaching, you should enjoy children and have a liking to teaching.

Otherwise, this is going to be just like any other job you have never enjoyed. And the whole point of being able to work from home, is to be able to do the things that you enjoy.

There are so many different companies to choose to work with; the ones that I have heard the most about include:

• VIPKid (very popular)
• QKids
• Magic Ears
• GoGo Kid

I love this job for stay at home moms because you can work early mornings and late nights, which means you’re not taking much time away from your kids while they are home with you.

15.) Become a Proofreader

Ever notice spelling or grammatical errors in books, advertisements or on websites? Do these things irk you? Then becoming a proofreader may be the perfect online business for you.

If this sounds like something you may be interested in, I recommend checking out Caitlyn Pyle over at Proofread Anywhere. She made proofreading her full-time job and now teaches it to people looking to do the same.

I hope that this list of 15 ways to make money from home has inspired you to go out and start your own home business. One of the biggest regrets I have is simply waiting too long to actually get going.

All I did was consume, consume, consume. I used to watch YouTube video after video, analyze Pinterest, join group after group and just read through all the conversations, practice coding and just be altogether all over the place.

So, if there is one thing I could say to you, it would be to not worry about being perfect. Everything will come together as you work through all the different, moving pieces. Commit to whatever you choose to start for at least six (6) months, preferably a year.

And, if it doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world. I’ve had many failures in my time online and continue to experience them today. Does it suck? Yep. But, you just have to dust yourself off and keep going.

And, for the love of everything … just.get.started.

Did you skip to the bottom? Here is a summary of the 15 ways to make money from home:

• Become a Virtual Assistant
• Become a Freelancer
• Start an in-home Daycare
• Become an Affiliate Marketer
• Start a Blog
• Start a YouTube Channel
• Open an Etsy Store
• Start an Online Store
• Start a Direct Sales Business
• Become a Website Designer
• Start an Online Consignment Shop
• Photography
• Teach English Online
• Become a Proofreader

Need help getting organized at home so you can rock your online business?

The Intentional Living Home Binder is an extensive digital download template system that gives you all the tools you need to create the perfect personalized home binder for your household. 

The post Ways to Make Money from Home as Stay at Home Mom appeared first on Gogo Mama.

I am going to keep this post sweet, short and to the point. Check out some hot songs below to host an awesome dance party at home!

1.) The Goldfish Song

I absolutely love this song! It is actually one that we learned at a dance class and I just knew I had to find it.

2.) Baby Shark

With over 2 billion views on YouTube, you know I had to include Baby Shark. I avoided this song for as long as I could because it was so hyped up. BUT it is super easy to follow along and children love it.

3.) Five Little Monkeys

This oldie, but goodie song is a regular with us. It might not be as fun as some of the other songs, but we love jumping around and “falling” down!

4.) Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes

This is a great song for learning different body parts.

5.) Freeze Dance

Okay, I have to admit I wasn’t a huge fan of this song when I added it to the list. But I decided to go through all of these songs with my daughter and she kept asking me to replay this one. I knew then that this song deserved a spot on this list!

I think these songs are all what you put into them. To make up for the slow tempo, we make the “freezing” so fun.

6.) Shake Your Sillies Out

I love, love, love The Learning Station and you’ll find a few more songs from them on this list. While this song can be a little advanced for some toddlers, it is still so much fun!

7.) The Hokey Pokey

Just have fun with this one. Younger kids likely won’t know right and left, but it’s a great way to start getting them familiarized.

8.) Body Boogie

Who loves a good air guitar? ?‍♀️ This song is perfect! I might love this song even more than my daughter, but it is SO good!

9.) If You’re Happy & You Know It

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands ?.

10.) The Wheels on the Bus

Another oldie, but goodie. I picked this version because it seemed to be the closest to the traditional “Wheels on the Bus”.

11.) Get Funky

This song has a great beat and is so much fun to dance to! Get funky, do the monkey ?.

12.) There was a Crocodile

This song can be a little advanced for younger children, but they’ll have fun acting out the different animals.

13.) Chicken Dance

I was trying to find a version of the chicken dance to include and chose this one from GoNoodle. I love that they explain some of the movements in the video so that children can learn to follow along.

14.) Going on a Bear Hunt

This is a fun song to get kids to act out to. They’ll have fun swishing through tall grass and splashing through the water.

15.) Slippery Fish

This is a cute and fun song for kids to enjoy. There is a video on YouTube that shows a teacher going through the moves. You can check it out or come up with moves of your own!

Do you have any songs that your children just love? I would love to hear them below.

The post Dance Songs for Kids appeared first on Gogo Mama.

This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may make a small commission from your purchase if you decide to buy through one of my links. Read my full disclosure here.

1.) Make a Fort

No activity list would be complete without a fort. Forts are super easy to create and can keep kids entertained for at least 30-45 minutes. Think the time setting it up, playing in it; maybe even reading a book.

Skills: Imagination, Problem-Solving, Independence

2.) Paint

This is one of my favorite go-to things to do on those days where we are stuck inside. Painting sessions generally last about a half hour and if you have young kids, paint is an excellent way for them to express themselves.

Skills: Fine Motor, Imagination, Experimentation, Hand-Eye Coordination

3.) Building Blocks

Building blocks are easy indoor activities for kids to do on a rainy day. You can use Legos, the wood building blocks or even build your own out of boxes. Either way, it is an activity that most children enjoy and set up and take down are seamless.

Skills Used: Motor, Hand-Eye Coordination, Problem Solving,

4.) Have a Dance Party

Free and easy, simply play a few songs from YouTube and dance along to them. You can even choose songs that already have some choreographed moves to them. Such as:

• The Goldfish Song
• Baby Shark
• Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes
• Shake Your Sillies Out

Skills: Creativity along with added bonus of exercise

5.) Host a Talent Show

A talent show is one of the most simple indoor activities for kids that you can do. Make it fun by grabbing a pretend microphone and announcing each act.

Skills: Creativity

6.) Bake

For toddlers and above baking is a fun and easy thing to do on those rainy days. I prefer to involve children from the start, even allowing them to help pour ingredients into measuring cups (with parental supervision and help, of course). Make it extra official by adding in an apron and hat!

Skills: Basic Math, Hand-Eye Coordination

7.) Read Books

Grab a few books and have a reading session. Children love a good story time.

Skills: Cognitive Development

8.) Pretend Bake / PlayDoh

Not up for real baking? PlayDoh is a great alternative and has a much easier clean up time.

Skills: Motor, Creativity, Hand-Eye Coordination

9.) Give Babies or Toy Animals a Bath

If you have a washable/plastic doll or animal around the home, have your child give them a bath. Fill a plastic container with water, give them a rag, soap and towel and have them get their toy squeaky clean!

Skills: Motor, Sensory

10.) Play Ball on the Floor

Super easy! Sit on the floor with legs open and pass the ball back and forth. For older children, pass it in other directions to make it a little more challenging.

Skills: Hand-Eye Coordination

11.) Bowling

If you have a child bowling set, great! However, if you don’t you can still set this up. Create a couple towers of blocks on the floor and roll a ball towards them to see if they can knock them down.

Skills: Hand-Eye Coordination, Simple Math

12.) Perform a Marching Band Parade

Get some instruments together and host a marching band parade. March around the kitchen and living room, creating beautiful ? music.

Skills: Hand-Eye Coordination, Motor

13.) Make a Seasonal Craft

Scour Pinterest for a seasonal craft to make; these are the perfect indoor activities for kids. Look for one where you have materials on hand – such as popsicle sticks, pom poms and paper plate crafts.

Skills: Fine Motor, Creativity

15.) Go on an Adventure Hunt

Draw up a simple map and create an adventure hunt for you and your little ones to go on. If you’ve ever watched Dora the Explorer, think of the adventures that Dora and Booths go on. Fun and easy to put together on the fly.

Skills: Imagination, Problem-Solving

14.) Create a Camp In

If you have an indoor tent, now is the perfect time to pull it out. Create a camp-in, complete with stories, sleeping bags and flashlights. It’s sure to be a fun time with your little one.

Skills: Creativity

16.) Practice Colors

For young kids learning their colors, practicing colors is an easy indoor activity for them to do. One of our favorite way to learn colors is to tape construction paper on the wall and give them coordinating color stickers. They peel off the sticker and place it on the correct color construction paper.

Skills: Fine Motor, Colors

17.) Play Don’t Touch the Floor

Blow up some balloons, toss them around and play don’t touch the floor. This is one of those fun indoor activities for kids that they are sure to enjoy.

Skills: Motor, Hand-Eye Coordination

18.) Build an Obstacle Course

Use sheets, couch cushions, mats, yarn and other items to create an obstacle course.

Skills: Balance, Physical, Motor Planning

19.) Play Hot Potato

Have more than one child? Why not play a round of hot potato? This is a classic game that brings a smile to people’s faces.

Skills: Hand-Eye Coordination

20.) Decorate a Cookie or Cupcake

Either bake treats or use store bought cookies or cupcakes. Whip up some colored frosting (or use store bought) and let them decorate their own sweets. Sprinkles and other toppings are a bonus!

Skills: Creativity, Hand-Eye Coordination, Motor

21.) Put Together a Puzzle

One of the many simple indoor activities for kids. Pull out a puzzle and put it together.

Skills: Motor, Cognitive

22.) Create a Scavenger Hunt

Hide some items around the home and put together a scavenger hunt. Older children can practice reading. For younger children, you can use images along with words. This is a great way to get kids moving about and fun for the whole family.

Skills: Observation, Problem-Solving

23.) Host a Tea Party

Take out the tea cups and measuring spoons and have yourselves a tea party. Don’t forget to invite the babies and stuffed animals!

Skills: Imagination, Fine Motor

24.) Have an Indoor Picnic

Make lunch extra fun. Instead of eating at the table, set up shop on the floor. Lay down a blanket, have your little one help you with set up and enjoy lunch on the ground for a day.

Skills: Direction Following

25.) Play Hide & Seek

A classic game that never gets old.

Skills: Problem-Solving, Counting

26.) Make Salt Dough Creations

With only needing 3 common household ingredients this is one of the easier indoor activities for kids on the list. Have your little ones help you from start to finish.

Skills: Creativity, Basic Math

More Indoor Activities for Kids

27.) Play Pretend (or Real) Cleanup

Need to get some household chores done? Have your little one help along. Perfect time to pull out those toy brooms and vacuums.

Skills: Responsibility, Motor

28.) Don’t Drop the Egg

Boil up some eggs, balance them on a spoon and make it a game to where the egg can’t drop. Prefer not use real eggs? Plastic eggs or even cotton swabs are great alternatives.

Skills: Balancing, Motor

29.) Plant Something

Grass is something that grows easily and can be grown indoors. It’s a perfect opportunity to discuss how plants, vegetables and fruits are grown. Interested in giving it a try? Check out this page to learn more.

Skills: Fine Motor, Observation

30.) Make a Homemade Pizza

Pizzas are always a crowd pleaser. Gather up all of the ingredients and make a homemade pizza. Or make individual pizzas and allow the little ones to put on their own toppings!

Skills: Motor, Direction Following, Independence

31.) Tie-Dye Shirts

Another classic that never gets old. Grab some plain, white 100% cotton t-shirts and create some tie-dye shirts.

Skills: Motor, Colors

32.) Red Light, Green Light

Cut out some stop lights in red and green construction paper and play red light, green light. Red paper means stop and green means go. If you have more than one little one, add some competitiveness by seeing who reaches you first.

Skills: Motor, Observation

33.) Leap Frog Onto Puddles

Cut out puddles with blue construction paper. Tape them to the floor and have the little ones hop from one puddle to the next.

Skills: Motor

34.) Play Musical Chairs or Simon Says

Turn those listening skills up. Best when played with more than one child and can be enjoyed at any age.

Skills: Listening, Observation, Motor

35.) Make a Noodle Necklace

Another one of those simple indoor activities for kids. Create a noodle necklace out of uncooked noodles, color them if you wish and string them.

Skills: Fine Motor, Creativity

36.) Play Freeze

Play music and when the music stops, everyone freezes in the position they were in.

Skills: Motor, Listening

37.) Play Cards or a Board Game

Memory, Go Fish anyone? Rainy and wintery days are perfect times to pull out the family card and board games.

Skills: Varies depending upon the game

38.) Indoor Basketball

Either use the kid basketball hoop you have or set up buckets for the hoops. Get some light bouncy balls and play ball.

Skills: Motor

39.) Create Closed Sensory Boxes

Place items in boxes and have little ones put their hands in to guess what it is. These can be season specific or general items found around the home.

Skills: Problem Solving, Sensory

40.) Play with Kinetic Sand

Who says sand is just for outdoors? Kinetic sand is fun and perfect as one of the indoor activities for kids. Make castles, molds and more and then enjoy watching it “melt” apart.

Skills: Creativity, Motor, Sensory

41.) Paint Rocks

Your community may participate in rock painting. But if not, this is still a fun and affordable indoor activity for kids to do at home. Gather up some rocks, paint and paintbrushes and let them get to work.

Skills: Creativity, Fine Motor

42.) Make Easy Peasy Suncatchers

Take some clear contact paper, cut it in the shape you wish. Cut out different colored tissue paper and let the kids place it on the sticky side of contact paper. Hang in window.

Skills: Fine Motor

43.) Create a Laser Maze Obstacle

This is one of the fun, challenging indoor activities for kids. Take come crepe paper and cris-cross tape it throughout a hallway. Have the kids try to make it through the maze without touching the crepe paper.

Skills: Observation, Motor

44.) Make a Raised Salt Painting

With some Elmer’s glue, table salt, liquid watercolors and paintbrushes, you can make super cool raised salt paintings. Create any image you want or make something season specific.

Skills: Fine Motor, Creativity

45.) Sensory Bin with Rice or Beans

Fill a bin with dry rice or beans and give the little ones a spoon and cups. Or place some (non-choking) toys in there and let them “fish” them out. This little simple activity can surprisingly provide a great time for them.

Skills: Fine Motor, Creativity, Hand-Eye Coordination

46.) Make Slime

With so many different recipes for slime, you are sure to find one that fits your family. Add glitter or other materials so they can make it their own. A traditional and fun kid and family favorite.

Skills: Basic Math, Motor, Creativity

47.) Put on a Show with Paper Bag Puppets

Take some paper bags, add eyes, nose, mouth and hair and you’ve got yourselves a puppet. After they are complete, take turns putting on a show. Invite the teddies and dolls to join you ?.

Skills: Creativity, Imagination

48.) Create a Personalized Picture Frame

Take pictures or use an already printed picture. Decorate a paper, foam or wood picture frame and place the picture in there. Perfect gifts for parents, grandparents or just to add as decor to their room.

Skills: Creativity, Fine Motor

49.) Put on a Fashion Show

Let the kids dress up as their favorite super hero or princesses and have them put on a fashion show. Create a runway to give it that extra oomph!

Skills: Creativity, Imagination

50.) Set Up a Store and Shop

If you’ve got play food, now is a great time to put them to use. Set up a store and let your little ones go shopping. Make it official by pulling out your check out register, if you’ve got one!

Skills: Basic Math, Imagination

51.) Fix a Toy Car

Play pretend by fixing up a toy car. Grab toy tools and explain how each one works. Let your little one twist bolts and hammer away.

Skills: Imagination, Motor

52.) Make a Hat

One of those simple, but fun indoor activities for kids. Cut out a strip of construction paper and let your kid(s) decorate them. After they are decorated, make any adjustments to the strip of construction paper and adhere the two ends together with tape.

Skills: Creativity, Fine Motor

53.) Nothing

Down time for kids is good. If your little ones are complaining they are bored, don’t immediately turn on the electronics. Invite them to do something on their own. You might be surprised what their imagination and creativity cooks up.

Skills: Imagination, Creativity

Did you skip down to the bottom? Here’s a summary of the 53 indoor activities for kids to do on those rainy, wintery days.

• Make a Fort
• Paint
• Building Blocks
• Have a Dance Party
• Host a Talent Show
• Bake
• Read Books
• Pretend Bake/ Play Doh
• Give Babies or Toy Animals a Bath
• Play Ball on the Floor
• Bowling
• Perform a Marching Band Parade
• Make a Seasonal Craft
• Create a Camp In
• Go on an Adventure Hunt
• Practice Colors
• Play Don’t Touch the Floor
• Build an Obstacle Course
• Play Hot Potato
• Decorate a Cookie or Cupcake
• Put Together a Puzzle
• Create a Scavenger Hunt
• Host a Tea Party
• Have an Indoor Picnic
• Play Hide & Seek
• Make Salt Dough Creations
• Play Pretend (or Real) Cleanup
• Don’t Drop the Egg
• Plant Something
• Make a Homemade Pizza
• Tie-Dye Shirts
• Red Light, Green Light
• Leap Frog Onto Puddles
• Play Musical Chairs or Simon Says
• Make a Noodle Necklace
• Play Freeze
• Play Cards or a Board Game
• Indoor Basketball
• Create Closed Sensory Boxes
• Play with Kinetic Sand
• Paint Rocks
• Make Easy Peasy Suncatchers
• Create a Laser Maze Obstacle
• Make a Raised Salt Painting
• Sensory Bin with Dried Rice or Beans
• Make Slime
• Put on a Show with Paper Bag Puppets
• Create a Personalized Picture Frame
• Put on a Fashion Show
• Set up a Store or Shop
• Fix a Toy Car
• Make a Hat
• Nothing

The post 53 Indoor Activities for Kids to do Today appeared first on Gogo Mama.

• Forwent breastfeeding classes.
• I didn’t bring the breast pump with me to the hospital.
• I didn’t get to know my breast pump and all the parts associated with it.
• Although I was part of nursing Facebook groups, I didn’t utilize them.
• I didn’t research HOW to breastfeed (it’s not as easy as one thinks!).

I thoroughly believe that had I done the above, I would have had a more successful and less stressful breastfeeding journey. Only after our baby was born did I do the majority of my research and reading. This is a terrible idea and I strongly discourage against it. As a new mom, your emotions are already through the roof. Do as much reading on breastfeeding before baby is here and I’m positive you’ll be in a much better place than I was. While my breastfeeding journey wasn’t as long as others, I did learn A LOT. Here are the top things about breastfeeding I wish I had known about before our beautiful baby daughter entered the world.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any purchase made through these links will award me a small commission (at no extra cost to you). These funds help feed our family and keep this blog up and running. 

1. Fed is Best.

I am going to say this right off the bat, that supplementing early on is not generally recommended when breastfeeding. With that said, there are times when supplementing is necessary and needed. 

I won’t get too much into this touchy subject, but just know that there are times when supplementing with formula may be needed. Our baby that had left the hospital with no signs of jaundice, had jaundice by her first pediatric appointment.

Jaundice can occur when babies are not getting enough breastmilk or infant formula. This was what happened with us. While jaundice is not the end of the world, it can have lasting effects on baby if the bilirubin levels get too high.

And yes, I felt like a complete failure. 

Thankfully, our daughter’s levels were not terribly high. However, it was a stressful time for us. Every few days we had to bring her in to get her foot pricked to test the bilirubin levels. As a new mom, this was not a fun experience. 

While breastfeeding is wonderful for babies, infant formula is there to help out if you need it. We needed it and I would not hesitate to use formula again in the future. If you are totally against using infant formula, then there is always the option of using a breast pump to express milk to ensure baby is getting enough. I do have to say that this is not generally advised in such early days of breastfeeding. The biggest thing to remember, however, is that fed truly is the best.

2. Mastitis and Clogged Ducts.

Clogged ducts can occur when the breasts are not emptied after a feeding. A clogged duct can advance to mastitis, which is an infection of the breasts. While I, thankfully, did not experience this, it is important to know that  mastitis is very serious and should not be taken lightly. 

While not always possible, avoiding clogged ducts and mastitis at all costs would be your best bet. To help prevent clogged ducts and mastitis, it is important that breasts are emptied and that not too much time passes between feedings. 

If baby is not emptying at feedings, consider hand expressing milk or using a breast pump to help empty breasts.

3. Breastfeeding around the clock

The first few weeks of breastfeeding were the hardest, especially as a new mom. You expect not to get much sleep once baby arrives, but what nursing mamas may not initially realize is that they are the only ones that are able to feed their baby. It’s not uncommon for babies to wake up every 1 to 1.5 hours for a feeding (or even less in some cases). 

This leaves very little sleep for mama. My suggestion is to work out a schedule with hubby, significant other or family member. Maybe they bring baby to you for feeding, take care of diaper changes and putting back to sleep. Don’t get me wrong you will still be tired. But extra hands are better than nothing!

Later on, I also started pumping milk into bottles so that I could get a little shut eye too. This is not commonplace and often not recommended if you will be purely breastfeeding. Lactation consultants may say that bottle feeding too early on will confuse baby. So take this advice with a grain of salt. 

We definitely played by our rules. We gave baby bottles, nursed and even gave (gasp) … binkys! ??‍♀️ Thankfully, our baby took well to all of them. Just do what is best for your baby and family. 

4. Breastfeeding Burns Calories … like A LOT

I know that everybody’s body is different, but the statement that breastfeeding helps you lose your baby weight was absolutely correct with me. I dropped a lot of weight within the first few weeks of nursing.

By the time of my checkup, I was nearly down to my pre-baby weight. Just for reference, I had gained 40 pounds during my pregnancy. That is an insane amount of weight to lose in such a short timeframe.

Because breastfeeding burns so many calories, it is important to remember to eat throughout the day and drink lots of water! The water is going to help keep you healthy and hydrated. Many experts also advise increasing caloric intake. Americanpregnancy.org recommends to increase calorie intake by 500. These calories should, of course, come from healthy, good foods.

5. Nursing Can Hurt.

I really wanted this to be number one because this is what really surprised me about breastfeeding. I didn’t want to scare you all away right off the bat so here it is at number five. But, yes breastfeeding was very painful for me, in the beginning. The good news is I feel this pain came from my lack of knowledge.

I am convinced that my daughter did not have the best latch to start off. By the time I had left the hospital, I had cracked skin that turned bloody and then scabbed over. I couldn’t even touch my breast without wincing in pain. The lactation consultant that came in said my daughter had a wonderful latch. All I could think in that moment was, ‘you’ve got to be kidding – this is how I am going to feel all the time?!’.

Thankfully, I can say that the pain I experienced is not the norm.

While it is normal to have tender nipples in the beginning, it is not normal for them to be cracked or bloody. I had always heard that it can be a bit painful in the beginning. Therefore, I just sat through the pain.

What I learned later on is that if the pain does not subside within a minute’s time, to try and reposition baby to get a better latch. If this doesn’t help, baby may have a tongue or lip tie or it could be a number of other reasons. I found this article over at bellybelly very helpful and useful. They go through a list of other things that can be causing the pain.

If you do experience cracked skin, the good news is that there are products out there to help. Lanolin is popular and I’ve heard that many moms use coconut oil. As for the pain, I was provided these wonderful cooling gels at the hospital and they were AH-MAZING. I used those suckers up!

6. Letdowns.

Have you heard of the term letdowns? Well I hadn’t until a couple of weeks into our breastfeeding journey. I can remember the first few times I got a tingly, almost burning sensation in my breasts. I was thinking ‘now, what the heck is this?!’. For those new moms out there, if you get this feeling – you are experiencing a letdown!

If you don’t get this feeling, no worries – some women never get the tingly feeling and still experience letdowns. A letdown is simply when breastmilk is released from the breast. The biggest learning curve I had with letdowns is that the boob that baby is not feeding from can experience a letdown at the same time.

I didn’t want to fuss with nursing bras in the beginning because of the soreness I was experiencing. However, I learned pretty quickly that I couldn’t just be willy nilly with my clothes. I made plenty of messes in plenty of places. Here’s a little tip: for the boob that is not being nursed, try “catching” your milk in a bottle. It may not always be much, but every little bit counts!

7. Nursing pads are a must.

My friend had told me to order some nursing pads, but I didn’t understand at the time how much I would need them. All I have to say is the leaks are real, ya’ll.

You will begin to notice when you have gone too long without a pump or feeding session. Not to mention that your boobs can have a mind of their own and can trigger a letdown out of nowhere. Some women can experience letdowns by hearing another child cry or just by simply thinking of their baby.

Once the letdown starts, there is not much that can be done to stop it. And this is where nursing pads can save the day. They help keep your secrets hidden from the rest of the world. Nobody, but you will know what is going on with your twins ?.

So given all of this, would I nurse again? Heck yes! As I have mentioned, I feel that a lot of my problems arose due to my lack of knowledge. As the old saying goes – I am much older and wiser now. Not really. However, being able to look back and see what I could have done better or different will help me be more successful in the future.

Did you land on this page and are or have nursed in the past? What did you find most surprising about breastfeeding? What are some things you wished you had known beforehand? I’d love to hear them and it may even help some readers out!

Starter Checklist for Breastfeeding and Pumping Journey

Pumping

Breast Pump – manual or electric or both
Breast Pump Parts 
Extra Set of Breast Pump Parts
Cleaning Supplies for Pump Parts

Storage

Bottles
Storage Bags
Insulated Cooler
Ice Packs

Comfort

Boppy Pillow for Nursing
Lanolin or Nipple Cream
Soothing Warm/Cold Gels
Nipple Shield

Attire

Disposable Nursing Pads (1-2 boxes) 
Washable Nursing Pads 
Nursing Bras (2-3)
Nursing Tanks
Nursing Tops
Nursing Cover, if desired

Other

Breastfeeding tracking app
Breastfeeding book
Water (Lots of it)

The post 7 Things New Moms Should Know about Breastfeeding appeared first on Gogo Mama.