Parents who dread the winter months because there's just nothing for the kids to do outside, fear no more! Nancy F. Castaldo, author of Rainy Day Play!, brings to light plenty of creative winter games and activities, as well as touching on some old favorites.

While several activities in this book have been around for years, such as the snow angel and building snow castles, the author shows us many different ways to enjoy a wonderful snowy day.

There are plenty of winter games as well, including "Basket Snow Ball", "Knock 'Em Over", and the "Snow Snake Game". One of my favorites is called "Hoops". Here's how to play:


HOOPS

If you have an old hula hoop lying around, dig it out and play this fun winter game!

What you need

Hula hoop
yarn
pinecone

What you do

1. Place a hula hoop in the snow so that it can stand facing you. Form some snowballs to throw through the hoop. Practice throwing farther and farther from the hoop.

2. Tie yarn around a pinecone, leaving about a 12" tail of yarn.

3. Attach the tail of yarn to the top of the hula hoop so that the pinecone hangs into the middle of the hoop.

4. Make a snowball and see if you can hit the pinecone. Is it easy or hard? If it's easy, you might just have the aim to pitch this spring.


MY MITTEN BOOK

The next time the kids come in from playing outside, dry out their mittens and use them to create this great book:

What you need

construction paper
mitten
pencil
scissors
white paper
hole punch
yarn
glitter
markers

What you do

1. Fold construction paper in half. Place your hand in a mitten and place it on top of the construction paper. Trace around the mitten. Cut out your mitten shape from the folded construction paper to create two mitten cutouts for the front and back covers of your book.

2. Use your mitten shape as a stencil to cut out several mittens from the white paper. Place one of the construction paper mitten shapes in front of your book. Stack the white mitten shapes on top so that the thumbs are lined up. Place the last construction paper mitten on top of the stack.

3. Punch two holes in your mitten book on the solid side of tour mitten. Thread a piece of yarn through each hole and tie a bow.

4. Decorate the front cover of your mitten book using glitter and markers. Fill your book with winter drawings, poems, stories, or photos. Make up a funny story about where your lost mittens may have gone!


BUBBLE MAGIC

Bubbles are a lot of fun in the summer. Did you know they can be a lot of fun in the winter as well?

What you need

10 cups of water
1 cup of dishwashing detergent, preferably Joy or Dawn
1/4 cup glycerin (available at natural food and craft stores)
plastic bucket
plastic bubble wand

What you do

1. Mix the water, detergent, and glycerin in a bucket.

2. Take the bucket and bubble wand outside on a really cold day, when the thermometer is reading 0 degrees or below.

3. Dip your wand in the bucket and blow gently through the wand to create a bubble. What happened to your bubble? Did it freeze? What happens when you blow your bubbles out into the cold winter wind?

4. Try to keep your bubble on the wand. Allow the bubble to freeze. What happens to the bubble's color when it freezes? Experiment with your bubbles on different days. How does the temperature affect the bubbles?


AND MORE...

From the pages of "Winter Day Play", kids can discover snow painting, make their own snow shoes, or learn how to build that perfect snowman. Fun ideas include studying real snowflakes or doing a melting study, or why not create your own paper ones.

Another fun winter project for kids is to create a "Bird Buffet Tree". The author explains how to recycle your Christmas tree by decorating it outside with homemade bird treats. Your feathered friends will love this Christmas present!

Amongst the games and activities you will find warming recipes and fun things to do indoors as well. So the next time the snow falls, pull out this book and be prepared to have a blast!

To buy this book, click here!

About the Author:
Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children. Subscribe to her free weekly kid's craft newsletter, Busy Little Hands, by sending any email message to mailto:kidscrafts-on@mail-list.com or by visiting her website at http://familycorner.com

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