Cabin Fever

It never fails. Every winter in almost every town (even in Florida where our blood runs thin and we keep our kids inside when temperatures dip below 55 degrees - brr!) kids - and parents - develop cabin fever.

"I don't want to go outside and play. It's too cold." "Mom, it is raining again. I'm bored." Most every parent has heard these statements (or a funnier derivative delivered by a toddler, like "No want to wear snow pants. Up shorts! Up shorts! Go swimming!").

Well, fret no longer. In addition to the great Crafting Ideas post by Kim Monaco of Learn Crafts Online on parenting-advice-blog.com, here's a selection of the web's best resources to get you through the next few months:

GoCityKids.com - Kids museums, science centers, indoor inflatable playgrounds ... oh my! GoCityKids is the perfect city guide - written by parents for parents - in over 20 cities across the nation (and more to come). Want to get a first hand review of a restaurant (including whether the spot has changing tables, kids menus and activities to keep the brood amused while you wait for your food), a theme park (with helpful inside tips) or even libraries? This is the site to visit. Each city offers hundreds of reviews and listings, so you can find something to do or somewhere to visit, even on the "yuckiest" of weather days. And don't forget to check out the full event calendar with art workshops, story times, fairs, festivals and (bless them) even Parents' Night Out activities!

Family Fun Magazine - No need to subscribe (though you'll receive plenty of offers to do so during your visit) as the website offers loads of information not found in the printed magazine. Parents can search for ideas by age range (toddlers through twelve-year-olds) and even modify the search by what their kids love most (Princesses, Sports, Animals) to come up with a list of recipes, craft ideas and games with their theme. For the, ahem, less crafty parents (like myself), the site also offers fast craft and recipe videos to help you figure out just how those Snowman Cupcakes come to life.

And if you find yourself snowed in but still want your kids to learn something on their days off, try out the FunBrain.com free kids activity center. Kids can play Math Baseball, Grammar Gorillas, and more. There are even educational games for the high school set, like Proton Don (which focuses on Chemistry) and Where is THAT? (a great geography game for parents, too). A Sudoku section is sure to keep family members' brains twisted!

These sites might help you get the family to summer vacation ... when you should be prepared to hear "Mom, it's too hot to play outside. I'm bored."

Ahh, parenting.

Posted by: Colleen Aravena

posted at 9:01 AM