Print This When Cabin Fever Hits

Winner of last week's $50 Visa card: Renee Holley (reader, no blog); Please email me to claim.

I loved your winter weather ideas last week! Thanks so much for all the fantastic comments with ideas!

I thought it would be helpful to compile them in one place, you know, so you can print them out and WALL PAPER YOUR CABIN FEVER WALLS with them. Because THAT would certainly pass some time.

Indoor Ideas:

• Make a "ball pit" with blown up balloons
• Set up a pop-up tent
• Make playdough
• Have a picnic in the living room
• Make a Banana Boat
• Play "mailbox" write/deliver letters to each other
• Make paper snowflakes (out of large coffee filters)
• Movies/popcorn
• Dress up in costumes for a "concert"
• Games like Monopoly
• Large puzzles
• Giant cardboard boxes for imaginative play
• Tea party
• Read silently or out loud
• Crochet (or learn to)
• Play "school" with a chalkboard
• Have Nerf war
• Use all the Legos to build a city
• Make Colored Squares (out of food-colored icing/graham crackers). Play food dominoes.
• Roast marshmallows over the fireplace of kitchen stove
• Have a "summer day!" Turn up the heat, wear shorts, flip flops and pretend it's not cold outside!
• Bring snow inside in large container for little hands to play with in the bathtub.
• Crafts-from recycled projects like egg cartons, lids, tubes, etc
• Make card houses from decks of playing cards or Book houses from assorted books
• Make cut-out sugar cookies
• Create an indoor obstacle course (jump from cushion to cushion, crab walk down hallways)
• Shaving cream painting in the bathtub (paint the sides of the tub)
• Make terrariums from recycled jars (small figures, rocks, etc)
• Start seeds inside for a Spring garden
• Indoor games-like Hide 'n Seek, Charades and Sardines
• Make a family newspaper-kids turn reporters for the latest "scoop." Fill it with artwork, etc.
• Let toddler play in the sink (it's only water and easy to clean up)
• Play with cars and make a wrapping paper tube tunnel for them to drive thru
• Music and a dance party (Hokey Pokey, Chicken Dance)
• Snowball fight with large cotton balls
• Create pencil cups from recycled Campbell soup cans
• Bubbles baths
• Pajama day with lots of blankets, pillows
• Finger paint with pudding on paper
• Sock war (like a snowball fight, only with socks)
• Snow Angels with packing peanuts!

Outside

• Ski, sled (on storage box lids), build snowmen
• Time relays without coats
• Snow ball fight
• Make snow angels
• Have a winter picnic with hot chocolate, warm soup, rolls, etc
• Visit the library
• Go roller skating

This post is sponsored by Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup who wants you to know that 32 feet of fresh egg noodles go into every can. For lots of fresh ideas about how to keep your kids entertained and the chance to win $500, check out Wintery Weather Fun at DivineCaroline.