Snow watercolor

Last week it was too cold to play in the snow so we decided to bring the snow inside!  (I would recommend having a waterproof tablecloth, shower curtain, or even a towel for the duration of this activity ;) )

First we droppered food coloring into the snow.

Then we dropped pieces of the colored snow all over some paper.

Then we watched it melt.  I posed questions to Brother, asking him why the snow is melting, what is happening as it melts, and whether bigger or smaller piles melt faster.  But mostly he was just interested in creating a huge pile of snow!

 

Finished product!

   

While we were waiting for the painting to dry we brought in some fresh snow and made a miniature snowman.

First, assemble random bits and pieces:

Second, taste the snow!

 

Third, assemble snowman:

 

Meet our late friend, Clyde (he has long since moved on, a.k.a. melted)

 Any of our readers have any snow around?  Ours is gone now; I'm hoping for one more snow so we can take the boys sledding!

Sick day activities

We've had a run around with the cold virus at our house all week.  First my husband fell prey, then myself, then my poor son (who had it the worst).  The first few days we were all lethargic and slept all day.  Now we're on the road to recovery.  We still feel sick and not up to full capacity, but well enough to where we want to be able to do things again.

I usually try to do fun activities with my son on Thursday nights (when my husband has night class) so I am trying to come up activities we can do tonight.  I'm exhausted (being pregnant + coughing all night + not being able to take any medicine = restless sleep) so I'm definitely wanting to keep the work involved to a minimum.

Though I hope none of you are sick, I do know that sicknesses have really been going around this year, especially with the change in the seasons, so I thought I would share my list of activities with you.  Feel free to share any activities you fall back on for those sick days, I would love to hear them!

1. Play doctor: About a month ago my son started saying he's going to be a doctor when he grows up.  He's kept with it, so we bought him a few things (and got some from my mother-in-law, who happens to be a nurse) and created a doctor kit for him (I'll do a post on that some other day :) Whenever he gets hurt or is sick, we pull out the doctor kit and it seems to make him feel better.  We'll 'examine' each other, give 'shots,' and then start in on his stuffed animal 'patients.'  It keeps him occupied and feeling like he's being proactive in making himself feel better.  
2. Puzzles: keep it easy, we all know how hard it is to concentrate on difficult activities when we're not feeling the best!  
3. Looking at photo albums together: a nice quiet activity for everyone that makes the kids feel special.  Especially if you share stories with the photos :)
4. Reading books: another great quiet activity.  If you don't have the energy or voice to read yourself, Storylineonline is a great resource of popular books read by celebrities where the illustrations get a touch of animation that bring them to life.  Check it out, my son loves it!
5. Coloring: I would stick to crayons (maybe markers, depending on age of child) to limit the mess; in my experience, sick mamas don't like to clean up big messes, and sick kiddos really don't like getting cleaned up!
6. Storytelling: Children love stories, especially ones that involve themselves and/or their favorite things.  If they're old enough, they also enjoy contributing to the storytelling.  Get creative!
7. Go on a walk: If the weather is nice and everyone is feeling up for it, a short quiet walk just might be the trick to perk everyone up.  Just be sensible about the conditions and don't overdo it!
8. Take photos: My son is always on the go.  It's rare that he'll sit still for a photo, especially ones where he's cuddling mommy and/or daddy.  He also looks so sweetly pathetic when he's sick.  It might not be the happiest memory, but it's definitely a good time to take some photographs that will be treasured (as long as they're not covered in puke).  If the child is up to it, maybe have a photo session with lots of different faces (silly, mad, sad, etc. to get in a mini-lesson about expressions and feelings, as well as photographs that you can enjoy together in the years to come).
9. Playdough: If the child is sick and you are not, or if you're feeling up to potential clean-up, playdough can be a great pastime.  I made some homemade playdough a few months ago from this recipe at How Does She? and it works great!  It is shelf-stable, too, and is still as soft and pliable as the day we made it, unlike the commercially-available stuff.
10. TV: I know, I know, most of us hate to rely on the TV as a babysitter.  But there are sometimes where it's acceptable and maybe even necessary.  

Most importantly, make sure to take care of yourself and your kiddos.  Drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest, there's really no better remedy!  The housework and intensive activities can wait for another day (or two...or week).  The more you push the boundaries the longer you'll be sick - it's not worth it!