10 Tips for Entertaining Kids for Under $10

Don't despair if your post holiday budget doesn't preclude spending a lot of money on family entertainment. Armed with creativity and a bit of patience, you can guide your kids toward hours of boredom busting fun that won't break the bank.

Nothing is worse than an extreme case of cabin fever and nothing says cabin fever more than your children repeatedly chanting "I'm bored" or their incessant need to pick fights with each other. Don't despair if your post holiday budget doesn't preclude spending a lot of money on family entertainment. Armed with creativity and a bit of patience, you can guide your kids toward hours of boredom busting fun that won't break the bank.

1. Building fun Home improvement centers such as Home Depot and Lowe's host free hands-on weekend clinics every month for children ages five to twelve. The chance to build a birdhouse, toolbox, fire truck or mail organizer fuels a child's creativity and gives both boys and girls the chance to show off their handy-kid skills.

2. Feathered fun "My sister and I take the kids to the park to feed the birds and ducks," says mother and aunt Anne Haas. For five dollars, you can purchase several loaves of bread or a bag of bird seed to provide hours of fun for young ones. "You also have the benefit of the fresh air tiring them out," Haas adds.

3. Splish splash. Have fun in the bath Water soluble paints and a handful of sponges or paint brushes provide your mini Michelangelo the chance to showcase his or her creativity and artistic eye. Using non-toxic paints that easily wash off with water, your kids can have just as much fun getting clean as they do making a mess.

4. Puzzling their puzzlers Older kids can spend hours working on challenging jigsaw puzzles. Give your child a large, flat, smooth surface to work on and eventually display a complex puzzle. It's thrilling for kids to watch the picture slowly emerge out of 1000 pieces over time and they can stop and start at their leisure. Traditional puzzles can usually be purchased for under $10.00 or even less at garage sales.

5. The world is a canvas Dr. Susan Kuczmarski, Ed.D, author of The Family Bond: Inspiring Tips for Creating a Closer Family , suggests the ‘blank canvas' project. "Rally the entire family to paint together on a single canvas with each member selecting a portion of it," she explains. Done yearly, this creates an artistic album detailing creative growth. Dr. Kuczmarski adds, "Date and sign the art pieces to chronicle your family's artistic adventures."

6. Experiment with fun Save your sanity with items in your cupboard or pantry. Renowned ‘hintologist,' Heloise says, "Arts and crafts are a fun and productive way to occupy your kids when they're cooped up in the house, and you already have more ‘art supplies' than you think in your cupboards." Your children will delight at the chance to while away hours transforming household staples into chemistry experiments. Inviting friends and neighbors to bring over their ‘supplies' gives your children the chance to share experiment and socialize.

7. Dress up the day Put old Halloween costumes and the bridesmaids dresses hanging in the back of your closet to good use. Keeping a bin of costumes and accessories on hand lets your child pretend to ‘go to work', teach school, or travel in and out of virtually any imaginative scene they can dream up. Taking them on a $5.00 or $10.00 ‘shopping spree' to a consignment or resale shop or to a Goodwill store lets kids build their wardrobe with exciting new treasures sure to delight for hours.

8. Cut out the boredom Best selling author April Masini says, "Give your child a stack of old magazines, a pair of child safe scissors and glue sticks. Let them make a big collage to hang in their room." Not only will you bust the winter blues, you'll discover a productive use for all the magazines and newspapers piling up in your basement or garage. Laminate or decoupage collages made on 8 ½" x 11" sheets of paper to give your children the chance to make placemats for family dinners.

9. Camp in Give your child a few sheets or lightweight blankets and let them make tents over the living room and dining room furniture. Packing coloring pages, a flashlight and background noises such as bird calls or running water, your campers will enjoy forging for fun. Serving sandwiches and snacks around the campfire, your kids can create an indoor adventure they'll enjoy all day.

10. Physical fun Practice balancing by walking with books on your heads or standing on one leg. Hold contests to see who can stand the longest or walk the farthest. Navigating an indoor obstacle course around chairs or over stepping stones made from cushions and pillows with a book or stuffed animal on their heads channels excess energy.

Additional ideas for winter-time fun

-Grab a blanket and a snack packed picnic basket and head for the living room.

-Have a family craft night for every family member to work on a hobby.

-Play video tapes of the kids' escapades over the years. They love seeing themselves on "TV."

-Have a family DEAR time. (Drop Everything And Read) Grab a snack and a cozy chair. The kids will enjoy reading if they know you're reading a book too!

-Grab a deck of cards and teach the kids how to build a house of cards.