by Vicki Bodwell

As a mother of three boys I am well acquainted with the meaning of cabin fever. Despite our generous collection of puzzles and board games, my kids have so much energy that they always manage to get restless. One way I avoid the temptation of sending them into the TV doldrums or turning them into computer zombies, is by giving them a project (or two) to occupy them for a cold weekend.

I find that the best thing to do with younger children is an activity that takes advantage of their greatest gift: their endless imagination! All it takes for my youngest son Wesley to get excited is a little inspiration to pretend, and his creative mind takes it from there. Last weekend he had a great time writing and illustrating his own storybook. Here’s how you can do it too:

What you’ll need:

• Old magazines
• Duplicate or printed family photos
• Scissors
• Blank paper
• Glue
• Wrapping Paper
• Cardboard or Heavy Paper for Cover

The first step is for your child to figure out what kind of story he or she wants to write. This can be a great way to reinforce your child’s love of reading and storytelling. I started by discussing with Wesley what makes for a good story. I asked him about his favorite stories, and what the different parts of a story are.

Next, we flipped through the magazines for inspiration. Wesley cut out images that he liked and wanted to work into his story, whether as characters, setting for a scene, or props. If you have duplicates of family photos you can use those too. If you don’t have magazines lying around the house do not despair, your child can always just illustrate it by hand!

With our images selected, I had Wesley outline story, and then I had him write the story at the bottom of each page. Depending on the age of your child, you might want to help them write it. Then Wesley set to work making wonderful collages to illustrate his story.

Once he was done, I helped him cut out the cardboard for the front and back cover. How you finish the cover is up to you. You can cover it with wrapping paper for a festive design, you could paint it, or just cover it with white paper for a simple look. No matter what option you choose your child is sure to be proud when they see their name as the author! Simply staple the entire piece together and start reading!

Vicki Bodwell is the owner and founder of the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co., a national online retail story that specializes in children’s bedding, custom kid’s furniture, toys, and vintage fabrics. When she is not busy running her business, she spends her time taking care of her three amazing boys. To learn more about Vicki and the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. please visit www.warmbiscuit.com.

At almost three, Hayden has not developed this preference. He has a few Play-Doh toys (including this fun duffel bag), and I have to open the canisters for him, so he still has several that have never been opened. But with his newest Play-Doh play set (this particularly awesome one), he’s requested nearly all of the cans of Play-Doh to be opened.

photo by dbrekke

Not wanting to inflict my neurosis on him, I’ve obliged and opened each requested canister. The first time the white, purple or brown clay plops onto the table, still in its near-perfect cylindrical shape, Hayden promptly requests me to “Roww [roll] it, Mama!” I pick up the rolling pin and, with great sadness, proceed to ruin the perfect little Play-Doh shape.

The pliable Play-Doh will never again be pristine. Try as I might, it will never have that same shape. It will pick up bits of dried Play-Doh, salt and rice from the table. It will attract every other color of Play-Doh imaginable and mingle to a dull, muted version of its neon glory.

But y’know what? It’s still fun to squish through your fingers, to cut with dull plastic tools, to squeeze into oddly-shaped ropes and decorative molds. And you can’t enjoy it when it’s just in the can.

Sometimes looking back, it’s like my life before kids was an untouched cylinder of Play-Doh. It was nice. It was neat. (Hindsight is not always 20/20, as I’m sure my life was really none of these things.)

My life and Hayden’s Play-Doh are never going back to the way they were before. But y’know what? It’s still fun to watch as they discover everything from their fingers to their alphabet, to show them the wonderful things of this world, to try to teach them all the things they’ll need to know and then some.

And I think I wouldn’t enjoy life as much without them.

I’m not the best at sustained “baby playing” . . .

I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about my mothering skills; I’m absolutely not the best at sustained baby play either! I can tickle him and chase him for a little while, but it’s never long before I’m wondering what’s on television and he’s climbing over the back of the couch again.

On that note, I’m a bit worried about the coming cold weather. I’m sure we’ll somehow manage to fill our days, but lately I’ve been resorting to 30-75 minute walks just to occupy our time.

So, for those of you who are great at baby play, what are your favorite games and activities to play with babies and toddlers?

Celebrate backwards WFMW and ask your question today!