Curing Cabin Fever with Kid Friendly Photo Projects

by Laura Oles, author of Digital Photography for Busy Women

Few things can be more challenging in a parent’s day than trying to come up with a way to entertain young kids who’ve been cooped up indoors due to cold weather. Suffice it to say, during these long winter days, coming up with a cure for the common cold can seem less challenging. If you’ve gone through your arsenal of toys and activities and are looking for something new to keep the kids entertained, your search is over. Just pick up your digital camera!

The next time you’re at the supermarket, consider picking up some construction paper, glue sticks, stickers and other decorations for photo projects. And visit your favorite photo store to pick up great kid-sized scrapbooks (mini-kits are very popular) to keep at the ready for when the next blizzard hits. You’ll also want to print a stack of your favorite photos to keep for photo projects. You’ll have everything you need for indoor photo fun!

Solve a Mystery: Did you ever notice how different something looks when you take a ‘super-sized’ close-up picture of it? Have your children take turns taking close-ups of different household items—anything ranging from fruit (texture is better) to stuffed animals. Take turns guessing what each item is, and give the winner the award for best detective!

Create a Photo Poster: Let your kids choose some of their favorite photos from your picture stack and have them create a photo poster using glue sticks, markers and decorations. Ask them to explain why they chose those pictures and what they loved about that particular day. Hang up their finished product in a nearby window or in their rooms for them to enjoy.

Photo Scavenger Hunt: Have one child decide to hide a ‘treasure’ and then have them take pictures of different places where clues are found. Just scroll through the pictures on the LCD screen, and they will lead you to your final destination. Mark the spot with a construction paper “X” when the treasure is discovered!

Memory Box: All you need are a few shoeboxes to get started! Let your child cut out parts of her favorite photos to decorate a photo box. You can first cover the box with aluminum foil or construction paper and then begin decorating it with photos and stickers.

Pet Show: If your dog is easy going and willing, let your kids get the family pooch ready for a pet show! It can be as simple as putting on a leash or adding any dog clothing/sweaters if you have them. Let your kids pose with Fido and pretend that they are competing in a dog show. They’ll have a good laugh looking at the photos when they’re finished.

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