Ward Off Winter Worries
Picture perfect snowmen, fires in the fireplace, stacks of books and warm bowls of soup on cold winter days seem the stuff of myths when you are home with little ones. Sticky fingers, strewn toys and crankiness can soon take over, especially if winter worries keep us home with cabin fever setting in. So, how can you create great memories while warding off germs, staying safe in the snow and beating cabin fever?
Icky Germs Are Lurking Everywhere!
Before children, you may have been OCD about germs, and now you worry that you’re over-protective. Then one day at a fast food indoor play place, you watch as children with runny noses and sticky fingers seemingly lick everything in sight. You determine that you’ll stay home and close to the disinfectant at least until your child graduates… from college. While the idea may be appealing, it isn’t practical. Toddlers and preschoolers need a chance to get out and burn off energy, especially in the winter when outdoor play is limited. So, what is a mom to do?
- Out & About: Local indoor attractions know how important it is to keep facilities clean and safe for little ones, and two of our local favorites take the job seriously! Paradise Park in Lee’s Summit is open year-round with many great attractions, but the Children’s Edutainment Center is our fave for little ones! Moms receive free admission on Mom’s Mondays with the purchase of a child’s admission to the Children’s Edutainment Center, a hands-on learning facility where the staff works round-the-clock to keep things clean. The facility offers water play, soft play, a miniature village including a grocery store, bank and pizza shop, educational programs, and a tunnel and ball pit that are faithfully sanitized every week and feature a system where kids place balls into the sanitizing system and watch as they are cleaned and cycled back into the ball pit right before their eyes! Little Monkey Bizness in Shawnee is one of the cleanest indoor play places in the Metro! Inside you’ll find an indoor play land adored by kids. They’ll enjoy climbing in tunnels, jumping on inflatables, creating art and playing with Little Tykes toys. The Monkey Bizness team cleans and sanitize the equipment nightly with Odo-Ban, 409 and Simple Green, making it a top pick for Metro moms.
- At Home: Teach your child the importance of good hygiene with fun games for hand washing and bath time. Encourage your child to sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star or the Alphabet Song as he washes hands (allowing for 20 seconds of thorough scrubbing). Bath time is often a battle when young children are apprehensive about water. Make it fun as you play a fun CD in the background, like Splish Splash from Sesame Street, and offer toys to add to the fun. Plastic measuring cups, a sieve, spoons and cups from the kitchen cupboards do the trick. For extra special fun, dim the lights and toss some glow sticks into the tub (make sure the glow sticks are intact for safety). Little ones will be in awe at the magical effect!
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
The Kansas City 100-year average is 20.1 inches of snow during a typical snow season, October to April, according to www.KSHB.com. While we’re almost certain to have at least some snow, we’re not certain when it will come or whether it will stick! If you’re craving a little snow, or maybe if you’ve had too much, you can make the most of the winter wonderland.
- Out & About: The Kansas City Zoo is open year-round, and our favorite North Pole pal, Nikita, the polar bear, lives in a fantastic exhibit with an indoor viewing area perfect for a winter’s day. Pack a picnic and head to the zoo to watch Nikita play. The Tropics, Discovery Barn and other indoor exhibits are great fun in the winter when the animals are more playful and the zoo is less crowded! If it is super snowy, Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop in Olathe offers horse-drawn sleigh rides on Saturdays (snow required) for a fun outing and photo op. They provide blankets, and the Heritage Center is heated.
- At Home: It may be difficult for little ones to build snowmen, but they can enjoy painting snow if you fill a squirt bottle with water and a few drops of food coloring. Spray the snow and voila! An outdoor masterpiece. For a lunch treat, cut tortillas as you would paper snowflakes and sprinkle with cheese, then melt in the oven. Delicious!
Talking to Yourself and other Symptoms of Cabin Fever
Do you find you’re starting to talk to yourself, or maybe the kids are? Can’t quit? That’s okay… pretend like it’s on purpose! That’s right. We’re talking puppets.
- Out & About: Kansas City boasts many fabulous local puppeteers all offering great shows with toddlers and preschoolers in mind. Paul Mesner Puppets, StoneLion Puppets, Piccadilly Puppets, Puppetry Arts Institute and Priscilla Howe are some of our favorites. Check their schedules to find a show near you.
- At Home: You’ll find lots of inspiration to make your own puppets on www.Pinterest.com, using everything from paper plates and socks to sacks and toilet paper tubes. Not too crafty? U.S. Toy in Leawood sells an extensive collection of puppets to start your own puppet theater cast. Create stories, tell familiar tales or check out puppet books at your local library for inspiration.
Needing more inspiration? KC Parent is here to beat cabin fever right alongside you! Follow Kansas City Parent Magazine on Facebook, subscribe to our FREE weekly eNewsletter on and check the KCParent.com calendar for frequent updates for the best in local outings and ideas for kids of all ages!
Kristina Light, mother of four, is nearly reformed of her OCD history but is still squeamish at the thought of rogue chicken nuggets eaten off fast food floors.