INDOOR winter Fun for Kids!

Salt Sculptures: Mix together 4 cups flour, 1-1/2 cups water and 1 cup salt. Sculpt the doughy mixture into shapes -animals, flowers, rockets or whatever your imagination inspires. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Cool and paint with acrylic paint, if desired.

Creative Hats: Decorate old baseball caps by gluing on beads, ribbons, sequins, feathers, fabric or anything else on hand. Have a contest for the prettiest or craziest cap creation.

Shiny Pennies: Kids love to make pennies look like new. Mix 4 tablespoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Drop pennies into the solution. If the pennies don't instantly become clean, stir them for a minute with a wooden spoon, then polish them with a soft cloth and a drop of vegetable oil to make them shine.

Magazine Scavenger Hunt: Grab a stack of old magazines. Make a list of 25 images to look for, such as a boy, girl, car or horse. Set a timer for 20 minutes and have children tear out the images. The one who finds the most items on the list in the allotted time wins. Recycle the magazines when finished.

Quick Pillowcase Costumes: Put old pillowcases to good use. Cut holes for the neck and arms. Use markers, paints and scrap fringe and lace to decorate the pillowcase. Ribbon or yarn can be used for a belt.

Refrigerator Magnets: Remove the metal lids from frozen juice cans. Cut a round piece of white paper to fit inside the rimmed edge of each lid. Have kids draw a design or self portrait on the paper and glue it to the lid. Glue a magnet to the back. Family members will have their own magnets to hold papers or pictures on the frig.