Home Carefree Crafting 10 Ways to Encourage Your Kids’ Imagination by Nicole Fabian-WeberFebruary 24, 2018 Search more like this cabin feverhands onpuppet showsface maskfamily photoliving roomcardboardbasketschoolcraftdoctorband aidsskeletongame Advertisement Trending Now Entertainment & Movies Netflix Finally Releases Trailer for Netflix Addams Family Spinoff ‘Wednesday’ News News Anchor Parents ‘Report’ on Their Baby’s Day in Viral TikTok Viral & Trending Texas School District Removes Anne Frank Adaptation from Shelves Recalls 2 Million MamaRoo & RockaRoo Baby Swings Recalled after Infant Death Viral & Trending Scotland Becomes the 1st Country to Make Period Products Free Advertisement When the temperatures drop, cabin fever can set in big time for kids—and as any parent will attest to, it isn’t a good look. In order to avoid snowy (or rainy) day madness, it’s crucial to have an arsenal of creative games and new ideas on hand. If you’re looking to boost your creative kids’ imaginations, here are 10 ideas guaranteed to be a hit in your family. Sarah McClelland 1. Set Up Pretend Play Time Approximately zero children dislike playing grocery store, and what better time for them to channel their inner check-out boy or girl than on a cold day? Gather up cans of food and other nonperishable items (because nobody needs to find an errant apple in the couch cushion weeks later) and set up a little store for your kids. If you have a pretend cash register on hand, perfect (hello, kids learning games!). But if not, a calculator should do the trick just fine. Clean up on aisle five! Rust and Sunshine 2. Break out the cardboard box. There’s a reason the old joke “kids can get a million presents and only want the box” is so pervasive—it’s true. Cardboard boxes can be turned into a million and one different things (castles only begin to scratch the surface), and little ones will be amazed at each incarnation. For serious inspiration, check out these 19 incredible cardboard box creations. Little Medical School 3. Provide the Props Doesn’t matter if it’s a pediatrician or veterinarian, kids always get a kick out of having the word “doctor” before their name. However, instead of using old kitchen supplies and 17 Band-Aids for your next round of MD play, consider the awesome and adorable kits from Little Medical School. They’re stocked with everything your kid needs to set up shop. For example, the sports medicine kit comes with a white coat, student doctor badge, ace bandage, skeleton poster and stickers, craft sticks, sutures, rubber bands, face mask, surgical driver, and much, much more. Far more impressive than the broken plastic stethoscope at the bottom of your toy bin. Zhao! via Flickr 4. Create a craft basket. Just like the messy junk drawer that never seems to lose its allure, a craft basket holds an air of mystique and endless untapped potential for kids. Toss paper scraps, markers, tape, stickers, and anything else you can get your hands on into a basket or box and watch your kids go to town—and don’t be surprised if you find yourself thinking, “Why didn’t I think of that?” at your kids’ incredible creations. Miss Izs via Flickr 5. Take an Imaginary Vacation If you’re finding yourself in weather that’s far from the flip-flop-wearing kind, go on a trip—in your living room. Have your kids don their swimsuits and sunglasses, and lay down towels for a few hours of beachy-keen fun. If you still have buckets and shovels on hand, break them out! And of course, blasting island-inspired tunes is a necessity. Jimmie via Flickr 6. Let Your Kids School You Another game that never—really, never—goes out of style with the younger set is school. Pull up a chair and let your little one drop knowledge on you. Be sure to ask questions and get in plenty of hands-on work together. Practicing penmanship and sight words while getting in some fun? Win-win. Sam Champan via Flickr 7. Put on a Puppet Show No puppets? No problem! Creating the characters for a puppet show is part of the fun. Scrounge up anything you can find around the house that could be transformed into a puppet—oven mitts, brown paper bags, old socks—draw (or stick) googly eyes on them, create a small stage, and get ready for big laughs! Whether they’re the ones putting on the show or cracking up in the audience, kids are sure to get a kick out of this one. Erick Eckel 8. Play Charades A great way to get the wiggles out is a good old-fashioned game of charades. Pick characters from your children’s favorite books and movies and see if they can guess who you’re acting out. Also, by having them do the acting, you’re getting them to think and exercise a part of their brain they probably don’t use every day. This will definitely become a family favorite. Jules Fishelman via Flickr 9. Tell your favorite stories—with a twist. Instead of telling your kids the same stories they’ve heard over and over again, mix it up! Change the characters, settings, even the endings! And better yet, have them give it a go. Sit back and listen as the stories get wackier and wackier with each telling. Penn State via Flickr 10. Read books. Nothing quite says “cozy” on a chilly day like cuddling up under a blanket with a good book. And the best bonus of all? Your kids’ imagination will grow with every turn of the page. What do you do when cabin fever starts to set it for your family? Share with us in a comment below! RELATED STORIES: Imagination Takes Practice19 Cardboard Box Creations That Will Blow Your Mind Pretend Play You Can Set Up (& Enjoy!) In One AfternoonThe Ultimate (& Mostly Free) Dress Up Checklist—Nicole Fabian-Weber Feature photo courtesy Brittany Randolph via Flickr Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Copy (Opens in new window) Search more like this cabin feverhands onpuppet showsface maskfamily photoliving roomcardboardbasketschoolcraftdoctorband aidsskeletongame Welcome to our Tinybeans family! Be sure to check your email for new activities, recipes and parenting hacks – and to see if you’ve won! Do you have a dog or cat? Select YES below and click submit to start receiving FREE pet ideas and inspiration, news about new pet products, exclusive offers and limited-time promotions. Yes, I have a pet! Submit GET READY FOR SUMMER! Enter to Win a $250 Gift Card! 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