Games, Toys, and Activities for Those Long Winter Days at Home

There’s nothing quite like an air fort — incredibly easy to set up, and somehow novel no matter how many times you’ve played with it. Just get a box fan going, attach the fort (essentially a giant parachute), and you’re good to go. Options range from basic prints and colors to a castle, cottage, or UFO. ($59.95, Amazon)

Let your inner art teacher shine with this 3,000+-piece art supply set. The neatly packed cardboard case comes with two drawers full of everything from pipe cleaners, pom poms, and feathers to scissors and glue. ($39.99, Amazon)

Even the most prolific kid artists should take a while to work through this big briefcase full of art supplies, which has crayons, colored pencils, and two kinds of markers (140 pieces in all). Grab some doodle pads, too, and let the drawing party start. ($26.99, Amazon)

Metallic slime, glow in the dark slime, and confetti slime are in your future with this Elmer’s set. Here’s to a few fun (and hopefully not too messy) afternoons of experimentation. ($18.09, Amazon)

If you already have Legos and a big set of wooden blocks, satisfy your kids’ building bug with this 150-piece marble run set designed for ages 4 and up. They’ll learn to design increasingly intricate structures, and you won’t be able to resist joining in, too. ($48.99, Amazon)

This 41-piece set is a pretend restaurant in a box — complete with menu, play food, coffee pot, silverware, and more. Take turns being the customer and the waiter until someone needs a (real) snack. ($22.98, Amazon)

Is your kid more the unicorn/dragon or dragon/knight type? These capes offer two-in-one costumes they’ll throw on faster than you can say “dress-up time.” They’re also machine washable, so don’t worry about those inevitable snacktime spills. ($30+, Uncommon Goods)

Even if your little ones are too young to read every word, these 3D illustrated pop-up books will captivate everyone in the house. “Alice in Wonderland,” “Peter Pan,” “The Little Mermaid,” and more will make gorgeous additions to your family’s library. ($40, Uncommon Goods)

Two more classics perfect for even the very youngest members of your household. “The Snowman,” with its beautiful, wordless illustrations, will let their imaginations soar, and Ezra Jack Keats’ “The Snowy Day” will help you all celebrate winter’s little joys. ($17.09, Amazon) ($10.89, Amazon)

We know not everyone gets snow in the wintertime. But that shouldn’t stop you from having a family snow ball fight. This set of 120 plush fake snow balls will surprise and delight any kids who are wishing for some winter weather. All without the added mess of snowy puddles to mop up at the end of the day. For little scientists who are old enough to handle a quick experiment, this insta-snow kit (just add water) makes even more realistic snow indoors. ($36.99, Amazon)

We’re huge fans of kinetic sand. It’s endlessly entertaining, impressively long-lasting, and surprisingly simple to clean up, since it sticks to itself and gets vacuumed up easily, too. This beach castle play set comes with two and a half pounds of sand, nine building tools, and a play/storage tray complete with lid. ($14.99, Amazon)