Stuck inside today? There's plenty to do

You're stuck inside while the snow piles up and blows around outside. The kids are restless and, quite frankly, there are just so many times you can pass Go and collect $200 before you start going a little stir crazy yourself.

So what's there to do when there's nothing to do?

Plenty.

Jan Aiels, education facilitator at Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids, and Debb Green, children's services coordinator at the Iowa City Public Library, say snowed in doesn't have to mean snowed under.

• Make cookies. It's a great way to build self-esteem for little ones when they get to help and it gives everyone something sweet.
• When you're shoveling the driveway, leave all the snow in one pile so the kids and tunnel through it later.
• If the temperatures aren't dangerously low, use a few spray bottles and fill with water and food coloring. Go outside and paint the snow.
• For little ones just learning how to read or use the computer visit the Iowa City Public Library's website at www.icpl.org and experiment with the TumbleBooks section for e-books, interactive stories and more.
• Take a walk down memory lane with old photos and photo albums. Share family stories and memories.
• Create your own snow scene. Take some construction paper, cotton balls, glue, glitter and markers or crayons and make scenes of things you'd be doing if you were outside.
• Too cold to do anything outside? Have summer inside: spread out a tablecloth and have a picnic, wear sunglasses and flip-flops and watch a summertime movie or make pictures of fireworks and hang them up for the day.