Cabin Fever

Is your little one getting cabin fever now that the excitement of the holidays is over and the cold has set in?  You can find a lot of activities to do with your litte ones on the internet, but here are a few to get you started.

Choose a theme for the day.  It can be a color or a shape or a favorite toy or game.  Try to incorporate that theme throughout the day.  For example, if your theme is blue you can all wear blue, look for things that are blue to play with, put blue food coloring in milk to drink, color with blue, etc.  If you choose a favorite toy, you can choose things that the toy might like to do.  This can be a way to teach your child colors or shapes one at a time, as well.

Let your child help you in the kitchen.  They love to be a part of whatever you are doing.  Let them help measure ingredients for cookies or set them up with flour in a cookie sheet to play with while you make dinner.  Sensory play allows toddlers to explore and learn about their environment.  You can provide a variety of textures for your child (one at a time) with things already in your kitchen - flour, popcorn kernels, rice, dried beans, pudding, jello, etc.

Make a cave out of couch cushions and blankets then have a picnic or a story time in the cave.

Bundle up for a little snow time outside.  Your child may not remember the snow from last winter and this will be a "new" experience for them.  Enjoy the season through their eyes.  You can fill a water bottle with water colored with food coloring and let your child "paint" the snow.

Go to the library for story time then pick out a few books to read with your child.

Get recipes for play dough off the internet (there are several recipes on www.momswhothink.com) and create a winter scene with your child - or make a zoo or whatever you can think of!

Help your child pull out all the pots and pans and make music together using whatever you can find.

Follow your child's lead to create activities that you can enjoy together.  Cabin fever can be cured for the whole family with a little creativity an imagination.