Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Overcoming Cabin Fever...
Winter is not quite over and everyone is more than ready for Spring. Here is a good article from Child Care Aware…
The holidays are over and the winter "blahs" have set in. Sometimes the months between New Year's and Memorial Day seem to drag on and on and on, leaving you left with the question, "What’s there to do?"
This year, be ready before the question comes. Surprise them by having the answers before they even ask. Here are some helpful hints from Brenda Nixon, speaker and author of the article "Beating the Bug: Defeat Cabin Fever with Creative Play":
For more of Ms. Nixon's solutions for surviving cabin fever, or for other activity ideas, check out the following resources:
Beating the Bug: Defeat Cabin Fever with Creative Play
Curing Cabin Fever
Winter Family Fitness
Winter is not quite over and everyone is more than ready for Spring. Here is a good article from Child Care Aware…
The holidays are over and the winter "blahs" have set in. Sometimes the months between New Year's and Memorial Day seem to drag on and on and on, leaving you left with the question, "What’s there to do?"
This year, be ready before the question comes. Surprise them by having the answers before they even ask. Here are some helpful hints from Brenda Nixon, speaker and author of the article "Beating the Bug: Defeat Cabin Fever with Creative Play":
- Read, read, read! This time of year is especially good for nestling under a blanket with your kids and some books. In a chair or by the fireplace, children of all ages love to be read to. Reading builds language and concentration skills. Plus, the undivided time with a parent adds cozy comfort, which nurtures the love of reading.
- Play games! Preschoolers can begin board games such as Candyland or Chutes and Ladders. Games teach valuable social skills like taking turns, being patient, and winning or losing gracefully. Elements like colors, counting and shapes are a bonus. Card games--try Old Maid--strengthen small hand and finger muscles. Older kids enjoy Yatzee, Chess, Checkers or Trouble.
- Pretend! Young children love "dressing up" or "pretending." Offer a basket with old hats, shoes, jewelry, etc. This may be the gentle nudge they need for an afternoon of self-entertaining.
- Music band! Kids make noise...so channel it. Create instruments for a marching band. Empty oatmeal boxes, coffee cans, or a pot and wooden spoon make perfect drums. Clanging cymbals can be pot or pan lids. Cover one side of a block with coarse sandpaper; rub two papered blocks together for sandblocks. Rhythm sticks are two empty paper towel rolls or rolled up newspaper secured with masking tape. Making music is one way to stimulate brain development and future math skills.
- Ocean play! Fill your bathtub with blue water (a few drops of blue food coloring); throw in floating toys and watch kids' imagination float away. Kids love water, and this is also a sneaky way to get ‘em clean. And no, food coloring does not turn little munchkins blue or stain your tub. Please remember that children must not be left unsupervised by a caring and able adult at any time.
- Create artwork! Use crayons, markers, paper, chalk and chalkboard to get those creative juices flowing. For youngsters under three years, avoid coloring books and demands to color in the lines. Instead, encourage creative drawings. Phrases like "tell me about your picture" and "you are using red" are more helpful than the standard, "I like your picture." Afterward, display that fantastic Picasso on your refrigerator at the children's eye-level.
For more of Ms. Nixon's solutions for surviving cabin fever, or for other activity ideas, check out the following resources:
Beating the Bug: Defeat Cabin Fever with Creative Play
Curing Cabin Fever
Winter Family Fitness
// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 6:43 PM 
