10 things to do in the winter part 1

If your kids are anything like mine, 

Cabin Fever 

has taken it's effect on your home. 

Here are some things that I have found to do with children that might just help.

Inside

1.  Make treats to feed the birds & watch as they flock to your window to eat.

Food that the birds find tasty: raisins, orange slices, cranberries, peanuts (unsalted), sunflower seeds (unsalted), cranberries 

Or mix together:  peanutbutter, cornmeal, raisins, oatmeal, & bird seeds.  

This mixture can then be spread onto bagels (ask a local bakery for any scraps. I get mine from Panara Bread), or pinecones & hung outside.  Make sure to hang them in a place that is easily visible from your window so your little ones can enjoy the bird watching.  This idea is from the book i love dirt.

2.  Make flubber! Kids love the feel of this stuff.  If you have little ones, flubber is a great tool for learning to cut. A recipe can be found here.

3.  Make 3D snowmen on paper. I first heard about this idea from my M.O.P.S. group.

Mix 2 parts shaving cream to 1 part glue. Mix this up until it becomes glossy. Kids can use their fingers or a craft stick to shape into a snowman. For little ones draw a snowman on their paper for them to fill in.  Once dry, kids love the texture of these snowmen!

4. Snow ice cream!  A good friend of mine told me about doing this as a child. Here is an easy recipe for this tasty treat.

5.  Snow in the bathtub.  Fill up the bath tub with warm bath water. As your little guy is playing in the tub bring in some measuring cups/spoons, & a very large bowl of SNOW. Kids love to measure out portions of the snow to watch it float & melt. The possibilities are endless.

6. Ice pictures. This project comes from the book Crafting Fun 101.  Fill a pie pan with water. Make a loop of string and place it in the pie pan so that half the loop hangs over the edge ( this will be used to hang the ice picture).  Submerge the string along the edges. Fill you the pie pan with things such as evergreen, berries, dried flowers, twigs, milk pods, moss, any natural object. Let the pan set outside overnight to freeze.  To remove the picture, set the base of the pan in warm water without getting the ice picture wet, and then remove. Hang your picture outside near a window.

7.  Read.  It always feels good to spend the day warm inside reading. Remember Princess Bride, when Grandpa (Peter Falk) spends the day reading the story to his grandson (Fred Savage).  Your children don't have to be sick to spend the day listening to a good story.

8.  Make marshmallows.  What make a cup of hot chocolate so inviting? The marshmallows of coarse! Here is a great recipe to use.

9. Star gaze.  Winter is a great time for star gazing. The cold air is often dry which lends to better visibility. Another project found in i love dirt.

10. Build a tent. I know this is a lot of work on the parents part. However, if you can get past the mess it can be a lot fun for everyone involved. Use blankets & chairs to be creative in how you build your tent.  Get out sleeping bags & use flashlight & tell ghost stories. Roast marshmallows in the fireplace, wood burning stove, or gas stove.