thrifty entertainment for tikes during the cold season without the tv set

what are some things to do with your kids during these cold months?  i don't know about you all, but my kids get really stir-crazy when it's too cold to let them outside to run and play.  here are some things that we do to keep us busy during the day, so that they don't realize they're really bored stiff:

• read.  i read to them.  they read to me.  we read read read.  it's good for them.  it's good for me.  and it's good cuddle time.  i LOVE to cuddle!!!

 not exactly like this... but i don't usually whip out a camera while reading with the kiddos...



learn.  sometimes it's fun to learn.  you can do this ANYTIME.  it's what we spend the majority of the day doing...  how?  doing anything and everything.  anything that the kids find interesting is what i take the time to stop and teach them about.  i don't know much so lots of things get pushed aside and books checked out from the library and learned later, but if they show interest, they'll keep interest.

• games.  i love to play games but kid games lots of time really bite.  i can put up with memory for a while... but man, i hate getting beat over and over again.  :)  j/k.  i like a lot of the jr. versions of games.  they really just simplify them enough to be able to finish them in about 30 minutes which is much more my attention span anyway!  other good games are games that can get the kids up and moving without tearing apart the house.  we love hulabaloo.  also the least amount of little pieces the better, because the little pieces always get lost and that really makes a game suck when the main piece is gone (such was the case in buckaroo after only one time of playing!)  i love playing cards, but not so much with little-handed folk... they can really only hold about 2-3 cards at a time and even with those cards, they usually need help figuring out what to do and stuff.  i'm honest, so i won't cheat, but well, ya know!

• cleaning.  kids love to help out.  you might as well put them to work.  sorting silverware.  folding laundry.  vacuuming.  washing walls.  washing windows.  washing dishes.  etc. 

• excercising.  ok.  i don't do this, but it sounds like a good idea...  :)

• tickle monster.  they like it.  i like to hear them giggle.  it's a win-win.

• toys.  kids like to play with toys.  mine do anyway.  they spend a good majority of their days playing with simple toys.  -and yes, we don't get the extravagent ones.  we have limited space and limited funds.  to keep them going, i shuffle their toys around.

• color.  we (yep.  we.) love to color.  some of us enjoy it more than others, but it's a good activity.

• stamp.  we got some stamps and the kids love to waste time with them.

• lacing.  we got some nifty melissa and doug lacing sets for christmas, but before we had them i would just punch holes in paper and have the kids string shoe laces around the holes.  now we have animals and big wooden beads to practice lacing.  it's great for hand-eye coordination.

• sorting.  it might be a genetic thing, but my kids love to sort and organize.  i can dump out anything in front of them and just tell them to sort them and it'll keep 'em busy for long minutes... maybe even an hour!  legos, beads, dishes, silverware, crayons, etc.  they can sort them however they want!

• beads.  we like to make jewelry. 
• cook.  play with food.  you know... healthy fun there!!!

• do hair.  nothing funner than playing with hair.  anyones! 

that's all i can think of.  what else is there?  i'm sure i'm forgetting some obvious ones, but what do you guys do, at home, to save money with your kids' entertainment.
Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." COMMENT! IT SHOWS ME THAT I'M BEING READ!!!