Combat your kids’ cabin fever with these educational websites and fun games

The holidays are over and despite the fact that half a toy store threw up in my house, the kids are both desperate for something to do (and I’m desperate for them to do something other than removing all the books from the shelf, dumping the dress-up clothes on the floor and leaving miscellaneous piles of small, plastic things.)

With the gray, icy grip of winter limiting our outdoor time, I’ve found myself surfing the Web for creative ways to entertain (and maybe even educate) the girls until the warm, spring breezes come our way.

Pinterest is a gold mine for parents of children young and old in search of simple, but innovative fun. I loved this do-it-yourself laser maze created using crepe paper for older kids and the bubble-wrap run for crawlers and toddlers is ingenious!

I also came across several bookmark-worthy sites to revisit during the worst of our winter doldrums. Check them out the next time your little ones start coming down with cabin fever:

Spoonful

(Indoor foot volleyball)

This site – brought to you by the ever-magical folks at Disney – features kid-friendly recipes, crafts and activities. I happened upon it one day while Googling ideas for how to use the cardboard toilet paper and paper towel tubes I’d been collecting. I found this post on 30 cardboard tube crafts (the magnetized marble run is now on my to-do list). There are also plenty of Disney movie-related printable activities, coloring pages and crafts (like DIY mouse ears and snowflake hair barrettes inspired by the movie “Frozen”). But even if movie and show tie-ins aren’t your thing, you can still find non-commercial ways to entertain your kids like bottle-cap shuffleboard or indoor foot volleyball.

The Educators’ Spin On It

Maintained by two best friends who are parents and former elementary school teachers, this site offers a veritable playground of fun. You can find a wealth of activities for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and school-aged kids on topics ranging from the alphabet to winter activities to the zoo. Each is loaded with advice on how to incorporate teachable moments. The ”Love Books” section is a fantastic database of children’s books with suggestions for games or crafts to accompany each – the girls and I spend a lot of time reading on these cold winter days, so I’ll definitely be making use of this section. Finally, for parents at a loss for how to teach their little ones about other cultures, the “Around the World” section has plenty of ideas for incorporating lessons in geography, language, music, arts, food and more into your day-to-day life.

Growing a Jeweled Rose

“She’s a genius!” I found myself proclaiming as I browsed the super-easy, super-fun crafts and activities designed by blogger and mother-of-two Crystal Underwood. The site has an abundance of recipes using supplies you probably have on hand for things like homemade Floam, glowing rice, snow paint and even eucalyptus-scented play dough (to help relieve those stuffy sinuses during cold and flu season). Underwood puts a new spin on tried-and-true activities, offering up easy ideas for how to incorporate learning into your activities like practicing color mixing with play dough and seeing how oil and water react together with a glowing oil and ice experiment.

Toddler Approved

(Name broom hockey)

I’m all about thrifty, easy entertainment, so the fact that the moms at Toddler Approved say they rely on items around the house or cheap supplies for their activities, caught my eye. The girls don’t leave me a lot of time to plan elaborate projects for them, never mind the fact that they have the attention span of a herd of kittens. The site’s founder is also a National Board certified teacher, so she would seem to know a thing or two about activities that interest kids. Start with the “ABC’s of toddler activities” section where you’ll find “aha!” ideas (like using all those shipping boxes your holiday gifts arrived in as giant building blocks) to old favorites (like filling a bin with Rice Krispies and burying letter magnets for your little one to dig out). There are also plenty of ideas for craft time, as well as higher energy games to keep your kid moving (like name broom hockey). Not only will your kid be occupied, they’ll also be learning – and that’s a win-win for any parent.

The Artful Parent

Writer and self-described “children’s art enabler” Jean Van’t Hul is passionate about art and creativity. She’s spun this love into a site that focuses on kid-friendly crafts that are both easy and fun. Check out the “Get Started” section where she has a handy list of art supplies to keep on hand, as well as tips for creating an art space for your child. Next, delve into the arts and crafts directory, a roundup of more than 500 painting, drawing, collage, sculpture and various other projects to do with your little ones. A few that caught my eye included grape and toothpick sculptures, painting with marbles and 39 ways to play and learn with play dough (we received about 800 containers of it for Christmas).  Now all I have to do is clear off the fridge to display all of the artwork.

If you’re like me, you’re praying for a speedy end to winter (or at least a hefty snowfall or two) in order to let the kids run wild in the great outdoors. But just in case that doesn’t pan out, at least there’s an array of indoor entertainment to be found at your fingertips when cabin fever infects your household.

Author: Mile High Mamas