Women Living Well Blog: Ways to Survive Cabin Fever with Kids

You may live somewhere hot and balmy right now - but I live in arctic Ohio. Today's high is forecasted to be 3 degrees. School has been cancelled and we are all enjoying the beauty of the 8 inches of snow out our windows.

But I must admit that there's a longing for spring but for now - we want to be happy and content in our sweet home - so it's my job - the mom's - to make my home a cozy happy place!

So here's some fun tips if you are "stranded" at home with preschool and elementary kids - let's make it fun!

1. Do a scavenger hunt - my kids LOVE scavenger hunts - you can even make it a treasure hunt. Have them make coins out of construction paper (the cutting will keep them busy for a while!) and then you hide them in a room. Then give them clues: warm, warmer, HOT as to when they are close to the treasure!

2. You probably have lots of photos of your kids on holidays but have you chronicled your daily life - someday you will treasure these moments. So pull out your camera and chronicle your kids doing their favorite things at home - take a picture of them watching Curious George, eating their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or playing dress up, house or spider man. Someday you will be thankful you have photos of them not just from Christmas and Easter but from everyday life too.

3. Make cereal necklaces. That's what we will be doing today!

4. Make noodle art or cotton ball art.

5. Play balloon games - my son LOVES to play "keep it in the air" and we count how many hits before it touches the floor or we make goals and play soccer with the balloon.

6. Have a tea or hot cocoa party. This is a necessity on these cold days! I bought three bags of marshmallows at the grocery store yesterday - we are going to be making some serious hot cocoa and marshmallows this month! It's a cheap and easy thrill and the ear to ear grin is worth it!

7. Build an obstacle course or fort for your boys! This will keep them busy long after you've built it. We literally tip all of the couches in our formal living room and turn it into the coolest fort ever!

8. Have the kids look out the window and draw one thing that they see. Then have them add to it the next day.

I know you wish you had more time to do something for yourself - but this season of life will pass and a time will come when you can. Until then, enjoy these moments with your children and make them matter.

Ecclesiastes 3:11-13 says "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil - this is the gift of God."

Walk with the King!