During the long, cold winter months, I always struggle to find active things for my kids to do. When they were a little younger, I used to take them to the arcade to run around. They would expend energy scampering around from game to game, and the best part was that they didn’t even care if they were actually playing them. They would just sit in the fake cars or push buttons and look at the lights and screens. I would usually buy a little snack there for them so we weren’t just loitering. 

Now they’re older and wiser and always insist on playing the games, so we spend an inordinate amount of money when we go to the arcade. Consequently we don’t go as often, but I always look back with on fondness on those days when their eyes would light up just to run around the arcade.