Ideas For Parents With Kids Stranded At Home Due To Cold

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- If the idea of waiting out the arctic blast at home makes you a little stir crazy, there are businesses to help keep you and your kids busy.

"I've got three boys off from school (Monday)," Sarah Buech said. "They run around, go crazy, they need to get out."

Buech plans to take her family to the gym. Lifetime Fitness is offering a special all-day camp for kids at all of their metro area locations. Members can pay $30 to drop their kids off for a day of care and activities from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

"Do a little pool, let the kids play, just a chance to get out of the house," Buech said.

If hitting the gym doesn't sound appealing, how does 70 degrees sound? That's roughly the temperature inside the Como Conservatory's Amazon Trail in St. Paul. It will be open, as well as the Waterpark of America.

Some plan to spend Monday cooking.

"I barbeque year-round. Always have," Steve Carney said. "No matter how cold it gets. As long as the barbeque works and it almost always does."

Grocery stores expect to be busy with people stocking up on comfort foods.

If you need to grocery shop, Target and Lund's will be open as usual. Rainbow Foods and Kowalski's will close early at 8 p.m.

"Stews, soups, everything that makes them feel good to be out of the cold," Kowalski's supervisor Diane Hanson said.

Still, many families don't plan on leaving the house. They're hoping to wait it out.

"Think of it as an adventure because what else are you going to do," Susan Larson said.

A couple more ideas: Vertical Endeavors is offering free harness rentals at all their locations Monday. Zero Gravity Trampoline Park in Mounds View will also be open.