Cabin Fever...

I say, bite the bullet and pay for really warm, waterproof stuff for them and then go outside and have fun! My son goes to an all-outdoor preschool and they have a blast no matter the weather, but the real key is the school is very clear about required clothing. They have wool long underwear, hats, mittens, rain boots, snow pants, snow boots, etc etc. That makes all the difference. I have found some great stuff and garage sales and consignment stores.
I know it's not always what we feel like doing, but I've rarely regretted spending time outside, and often wished I hadn't just stayed in due to the weather.

I am definitely guilty of staying inside when I don't want to be in the cold wet weather. My boys (2 and 4) will stay out until their lips are blue! They, too, are in their element in the outdoors. My favorite indoor activity we've found for getting some exercise is setting up an obstacle course. They have these inflatable bouncy horses called Rodys that they bounce on down the hall, then they crawl under a blanket tunnel, over the padded coffee table, jump over a lego wall.... you get the idea. It can change every time and because there are two of them, they enjoy the element of competition. Sometimes I change the requirements for the older one so the little guy has a chance of winning the race. They will literally do this for hours! Good luck!!!

I let my kids play outside I don't care if its cold we bundle up and go outdoors. When its cold we don't stay out for long periods of time we just go out more frequently. If it is really nasty out and we have to stay in we turn the house into an obstacle course for awhile so they can get their energy out.

It varies daily, but my kids are out of the house with our nanny about 4hrs/day, and then I take them out to play for another hour or so before dinnertime. But when it gets really cold (20s and below here in Chicago) we have to get creative.

Someone else mentioned bouncy play places and Children's Museums, which I love. Running around the mall is always good and free, and then there's big stores like Home Depot or the Great Escape that might have summer equipment out that I let them play on. (swingsets on display, gazebos...).

And someone else mentioned building forts in the house, which is terrific! I remember playing "school" a lot as a little one, as well as bank. Just throwing things out as they come to mind...

We still spend a lot of time outside in the winter -even in the damp and rainy months (and it does get cold and rainy quite a bit in Atlanta in the winter). However, I know it's not the most fun to do every day, so when I was a SAHM, we spend A LOT of time at two different bouncy/play places where they could run and scream and jump, climb and slide for hours! You can usually get membership cards to them that give you a good deal. We're also lucky enough to have a play place that was made with special needs children in mind, but they welcome everyone. It's HUGE and has a zip line, ball pits, indoor track and riding toys, two climbing walls, swings, sensory rooms, art rooms, toddler toy rooms -pretty amazing! Look around your area for something like that. Olympia is big enough to probably have some type of place like that. Ours is called Sensations Therafun. We also go to the Y and swim in the indoor pool and make great use of the children's museum here. Children's museums are great for them to explore and play in for a few hours at least!

I was just going through some old pictures of my toddler and came across two sets of photos that included mud puddles, one very very very large puddle that turned part of our yard into an island.

Get out in your welly boots and let the kids have a ball in the water. Let them get wet, let them learn what it feels like to enjoy the fresh rain on their faces. And take lots of pictures. Life isn't all about remembering the sun.

Than when they are nice and cold and ready to come inside, put them into a warm tub and finish with a warm towel, put them in cozy P.J.s and read them a story as they sip on hot chocolate.

Teach them how to settle on the couch on a cold, wet day and enjoy.

Positively,
Maragret

Just to answer your question:
On average we go outside for one to three hours a day. On a nice day, longer on a miserable day, shorter. On a Mama "sick" day, not at all.

Our favorite indoor activity would have to be David Bowie dance parties, costumes/dress up optional. It's fun for me and them and good exercise all around. My girls are the same age as yours. Although they do shine after and during a good romp outside, some days are just not made for that kind of an adventure.

When my kids were that age they would spend hours building forts with chairs, sofa cushions, and blankets. Then they would take it down and do it again. Loved helping with it.

I have boys, and they love to play outside too, almost necessary for me to keep my sanity! On rainy days we will often make an obsticle course inside using pillows, blankets, stuff to hop over, a mattress, rebounder/trampoline, etc.

Is there a cooperative indoor park in Olympia? I raised my children in Salem, OR, and the indoor park was a life-saver for both my children and me. We had an arrangement with the local Boys and Girls Club, and used their gymnasium Monday through Friday mornings on school days. Our dues paid for toys, and we all took turns opening and closing the park. We had various riding toys, a climbing structure on padded mats, and many other toys suitable for children from infant to kindergarten. But mostly, we had a whole gymnasium where the children could run and play, while staying warm, dry, and reasonably clean. It was also a place for the moms to meet other at-home moms, have adult conversation, and make new friends.

When my children were that age we would go out all bundled up in layers, rain pants, and rubber boots and they would get messy jumping in piles of leaves, stomping in puddles, playing in mud, bathing suits in the rain, sliding on grassy hills at the park, snow ball fights, etc... They would come back in for change of clothes, soup, and warmth and feel mellow.

Sometimes we had indoor days only, and turned over chairs and created fancy fort caves where they'd read books and eat lunch. I love the David Bowie lets dance party idea! We'd often dance to silly music too.

have you thought of getting a nice sturdy tent and have a make believe camp day to play in ? sounds cozy

I hate staying at my house too much and so do my children. I also hate going outside to freeze. We play outside 30-60 minutes a day (broken up into 30 minutes or so each time). Of course there are days where it is pouring and we don't. Then it seems that my children just enjoy getting out of the house. They like the play areas at malls. This is free and allows them to get a lot of energy out. Also, children's museums are nice once and awhile. My children even enjoy the grocery store when they feel too cooped up. You can have them "help" you shop. You can make a picture grocery list with the word next to it. If you are home and want to get out energy, you can freeze dance. You play music and dance to it but everyone needs to freeze when the music is paused. Not everything has to be outside to be an adventure. Good luck!