STLMoms Parents As Teachers Tip - Cure Cabin Fever With Innovative Indoor Ideas

The weather outside is frightful and your children are getting antsy. The diagnosis: cabin fever. When cabin fever strikes, the remedy is creative indoor activities, says the National Center for Parents as Teachers. Here are some ways to get physical to expend some of the pent up energy young children have on dreary winter days:

* Put your baby on a blanket on the floor to allow her to stretch and move.

* Place boxes or baskets around the room and have your child try to toss or roll balls or beanbags into the targets.


* Practice tossing foam balls or bean bags to each other to catch.

* Let your child practice balancing on various sizes of surfaces such as a pillow, phone book, or step stool. Or make lines on the floor with masking tape and have your child walk on the tape one foot in front of the other without stepping off.

* Have your preschooler practice stretches like sitting on the floor with her legs outstretched and try to touch her fingers to her toes. She can also stand and make circles with her hips like she's using an invisible hula hoop.

* Take advantage of community resources such as indoor swimming pools, recreation centers or walks through the shopping mall.

* Organize a play group in a church multi-purpose room or the basement of your home or apartment building.

For more parenting tips like these, visit www.ParentsAsTeachers.org.