That’s a desperate mom’s twist on the proverbial phrase about lemons and lemonade.
When you live in the frozen tundra that is northern Wisconsin you have to flex your creative muscle on a regular basis in order to keep from going stir crazy during the winter months. This is especially true if your home is filled with antsy children. Even a singleton can push you to the limits if the weather outside is so frightful that winter play is limited to the living room, kitchen or basement.
If you are enjoying a reprieve from Mother Nature right now, remember that winter is still young. It’s unlikely that you will get through the entire season without wanting to try at least a couple of the following educational activities to preserve your sanity and help keep your kids’ cabin fever from spiking;
Homemade Crystal Balls: You will need a measuring cup, powdered soap (Borax), sugar, hot water, a whisk and a bubble wand. Make a strong bubble solution by mixing 1/2 cup soap powder, 1/2 cup sugar, and 3 cups hot water. Then, on a freezing cold day with very little wind, take the solution outside and blow a bubble with the wand. Next, catch the bubble on the wand and let it rest for a minute. If the air temperature is cold enough, the bubble will freeze into a crystal ball in less than 60 seconds.
Snowflake Detective: Play snowflake detective by providing kids with magnifying glasses and a dark piece of fabric. Next, have them stand outside as it snows and catch the flakes on the fabric. Then, have the kids use the magnifying glass to examine individual snowflakes. Their investigation should illustrate to them that no two snowflakes are created exactly alike.
Consumable Construction: Take advantage of after-Christmas sales to purchase a few cheap gingerbread house kits. Have kids use their creativity and team-building skills to build and decorate the edible homes. You can also offer extra embellishments, such as licorice, candy sprinkles, gum drops and miniature chocolate bars to create added features on their homes.