10 Surefire Idea-Starters to Fight Cabin Fever this Winter

Does the wintry weather have you worrying about how to keep your kids from getting cabin fever (a.k.a. keeping your sanity)? Here are 10 surefire idea-starters to help beat winter cabin fever:

1. Build a fort. All you need are a few chairs and blankets or sheets and let your imaginations soar! This will keep your kids entertained for hours on end as they pretend it’s a fortress, a secret hideaway, or a special winter igloo. Help bring their ideas to life by checking out the best 25 blanket fort ideas on Pinterest.
2. Indoor camping and a picnic. Take a blanket (preferably one that is washable) and spread it out on the living room floor. Make lunch together and then enjoy eating it as a family picnic-style from within the warmth of your home! For ideas on what to serve, check out these easy picnic recipe ideas from BuzzFeed.
3. Make "play dough." If you’ve got flour, water, and salt in the cupboard, you can make homemade play dough. If you want to take it up a notch, pull out some food coloring or vanilla extract! Not to worry if your little one ends up mistaking some for real food- it’s all natural and safe. Watch this YouTube video from Play Doh Kitchen for step-by-step instructions on how to make your own version of the gooey fun dough.
4. Go exploring. Bundle up the kids and prepare to hit the town! Pretend you’re a tourist and see what new treasures you can find just down the street. There are plenty of free or low cost places to visit in your town, such as the library, your local fire station (call ahead to request a tour!), or an art gallery.
5. Get crafty. It’s never too early to start on Easter decorations! Or work on creative thank you cards for Christmas presents.
6. Have fun in the kitchen. Let your kids help you bake cookies, muffins, or pancakes. Sky is the limit! Blue and pink swirl pancakes? Why not?! Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink muffins? Sounds good to us!
7. Play dress up. Leftover ugly Christmas sweaters from your aunt Norma? No problem! Let the kids have at ‘em and have yourself a good old fashioned fashion show. Your entryway can double as a super fabulous catwalk.
8. Have a dance party. Crank up the tunes and let everyone shake their stuff to the beat. Come up with creative dances, or break into teams and have a dance-off. This one doubles as a great energy burner! Check out these family-friendly playlists from Spotify.
9. Play board games or card games. When all else fails, don’t rule out the old board or card games. These may be old news to you, but it could open an exciting new world for your little ones. Even something as simple as Go Fish can help stave off even the most brutal winter boredom blues.
10. Practice math. Ok, ok, we know this won't make any of your children's top-10 lists, but there ARE ways to make math fun! Find opportunities to practice math facts using every day items or activities in the home, and watch math confidence soar this spring! If your child needs some extra help with math, consider hiring a professional math tutor.