| During the long winter months or on rainy | | | | empty boxes around the floor for your child |
| days your child may suffer from cabin fever! | | | | to crawl in, on and through. Add more |
| You know the symptoms: feeling isolated, | | | | obstacles like a chair, step stool, soft |
| restless and easily agitated. You feel like | | | | pillows, large laundry baskets, etc. This is |
| screaming - or maybe you do - and you crave a | | | | a terrific activity for using stored energy, |
| change of scenery. It's a "fever" every one | | | | motor skills and imagination.Design a music |
| of us tries to avoid. Here are some easy | | | | bandKids make noise, so channel it! Make |
| ideas to keep it from infecting your tot and | | | | instruments for a marching band. Drums can be |
| to help his development too:Read, read, | | | | made from empty oatmeal boxes, coffee cans or |
| read!This is an especially good time to get | | | | a pot and wooden spoon. Cymbals can be |
| cozy with your tot, a book and a cup of tea. | | | | created from lids of different sized pots or |
| Sit in a chair or by the fireplace. Kids of | | | | pans. Cover one side of a block with coarse |
| all ages love to be read to, and the | | | | sandpaper and rub two papered blocks together |
| undivided time they share with you brings a | | | | for sand blocks. Rhythm sticks can be made |
| feeling of comfort. Reading helps pass time | | | | from two empty paper towel rolls or old |
| and builds your child's language and | | | | newspaper rolled up and secured with masking |
| concentration skills.Play gamesTwo-year-olds | | | | tape. Now get out the kazoo. Research says |
| love to play hide and seek and chase games. | | | | that making music is one way to stimulate |
| Three-year-olds can begin board games such as | | | | your tot's brain development for future math |
| Candyland, and Chutes and Ladders. Games | | | | skills.Build blocksBag blocks can be made by |
| teach kids how to take turns, practice | | | | filling large grocery bags with crumpled |
| patience and how to lose or win gracefully. | | | | newspaper. Stuff each bag full, fold over the |
| The bonus here is that many academic skills | | | | open end of the bag, and tape it shut. Make |
| such as learning colors, shapes and counting | | | | several bag blocks -- the more the better! |
| are also reinforced. Card games like Old Maid | | | | These are fun for jumping or sitting on, |
| strengthen small hand and finger muscles. | | | | tossing and rolling. Older children can help |
| Older kids can play Yahtzee, chess and | | | | younger siblings make the bag blocks. You've |
| checkers.Ignite imaginationYoung children | | | | just recycled and your tot has made |
| love dressing up and pretending. Offer your | | | | inexpensive toys.Pretend ocean playFill your |
| tot a basket with old clothing, hats, shoes, | | | | bathtub with blue water (a few drops of blue |
| jewelry, etc., and it may be just the nudge | | | | food coloring), throw in floating toys and |
| needed for self-entertainment.Create | | | | watch your child's imagination take off. No, |
| artworkUse crayons, markers, paper, chalk and | | | | the food coloring does not turn your little |
| chalkboard to get those creative juices | | | | munchkin into a blue genie, nor does it stain |
| flowing. For toddlers, avoid coloring books | | | | the tub. Since kids love water, maybe you can |
| and demands to "Color inside the lines." | | | | persuade your little one to take off his |
| Instead encourage creative drawings. Phrases | | | | clothes and jump in. This is a sneaky way to |
| like "Tell me about your picture," and "You | | | | get 'em clean. When my girls were toddlers |
| are using red to color" build your tot's | | | | and I wanted them to take a bath, there would |
| self-esteem. Be sure to display that | | | | often be an argument. To avoid the debate, I |
| fantastic Picasso on the refrigerator at your | | | | diverted their attention with, "Do you want |
| child's eye level.Make playdoughThis simple | | | | your water pink or blue?"Enjoy snow playIf |
| recipe requires little time and can really | | | | there's snow, go outdoors and build a |
| beat boredom. First gather: 2 cups flour, 1 | | | | snowman, woman, child or fort. Take your |
| cup salt, 1 tablespoon alum, 2 cups boiling | | | | camera and capture the memories. Then go |
| water, 2 tablespoons oil, food coloring and | | | | indoors for a warm cup of cocoa and a foot |
| fragrance oil (the last two are optional). | | | | rub or a book! Since the season of parenting |
| Next, mix together the flour, salt and alum. | | | | is so short, make a photo album or scrapbook |
| Carefully stir in the boiling water, and if | | | | your snow memories.Always make sure toys and |
| using, a few drops each of the food coloring | | | | books are in low places where youngsters can |
| and fragrance oil. Encourage your child to | | | | easily reach them without coming to you for |
| use a spoon to stir this mixture; you must | | | | assistance. This builds their independence |
| give constant supervision. Add 2 tablespoons | | | | and self-esteem.If your child is playing |
| oil. Mix dough together, and when cool to the | | | | quietly, or least contentedly, don't |
| touch, knead until smooth. The warm, soft | | | | interrupt. I practice the "if it ain't broke, |
| dough is therapeutic to frazzled nerves and | | | | don't fix it" philosophy in parenting. But |
| strengthens a youngster's fine motor skills. | | | | when cabin fever does get to your child, |
| Store in an airtight container and this | | | | remember it's only temporary. Be prepared to |
| playdough will remain soft for months.Cut up | | | | offer a couple of activities, giving your |
| with cataloguesUse old mail-order catalogues | | | | child freedom to choose.Just as you gain |
| or magazines to cut out pictures of people, | | | | confidence through knowledge and experience, |
| pets, trees, etc. To develop cognitive | | | | so does your child. With the new ideas you |
| (thinking) skills, encourage your child to | | | | suggest, your child learns what to do for |
| search for pictures of the same color, | | | | self-entertainment. With practice, he becomes |
| season, etc. Your little one needs practice | | | | more confident in himself.Even when your |
| at using scissors because it builds strong | | | | child is older, come back and read this |
| hand muscles. Be sure to supervise, though, | | | | article again. It will refresh your cabin |
| or you may have newly designed curtains!Plan | | | | fever expertise. Best wishes for warm and |
| play groupsOne way to model hospitality is to | | | | safe days ahead!(c)copyright, Brenda |
| plan visits to other people's homes or to | | | | Nixon.Brenda Nixon, M.A. ( is a speaker, |
| invite a playmate to your home for short | | | | writer and educator dedicated to building |
| visits. Remember, toddlers need lots of | | | | strong families through parent empowerment. |
| supervision and duplicates of toys to avoid | | | | She is the author of Parenting Power in the |
| fighting. Children older than three years can | | | | Early Years on raising a child from birth to |
| play together with a little less competition, | | | | age five, a columnist, contributing author to |
| but stay close by in case you are needed as a | | | | 18 books, and a fun, popular speaker to |
| peacemaker.Assemble an obstacle courseKids | | | | parents and childcare professionals. |
| and empty boxes go together. Place some large | | | | |