As the weather turns colder and the days become dramatically shorter, your kids are more likely to want to cuddle up indoors than to run around outside. If you’re afraid you may end up with a couple of cold-weather couch potatoes on your hands, check out these great links for some fun fall games to play both indoors and out:

• Take a break from channel surfing to channel your children’s energy into charming fall crafts! Kaboose offers a wealth of Halloween, Thanksgiving and general fall craft ideas that are sure to entertain your brood for hours.
• Beat cabin fever with Family Fun’s list of fun indoor games for the whole family.
• Looking to stock up on board games for the long winter ahead? Family Education has a list of the Top 10 Board Games for Kids to help you plan your shopping spree.
• Family Education also offers a wealth of indoor and outdoor ideas for entertaining the family all season long.
• Longing to let your kids play in the gorgeous fall foliage like you did as a child? Read up on 15 Fun Fall and Harvest Outdoor Party Games for Kids for some great ideas, including a harvest dig and an autumn relay race.

Some of my favorite childhood memories come from slumber parties–hanging out with the girls and watching our favorite Disney princesses while scarfing down handfuls of snacks and giggling incessantly! It was a time of innocence and fun, but in retrospect it must have been chaos for my parents. Even though hosting a houseful of perky, pajama-clad kids might sound like a nightmare, you can easily turn every slumber party chore into a fun event! Check out some of these ideas for a sweet, stress-free slumber party.

1. Let the kids pitch in! Give your little ones the chance to pick out their slumber party invitations and to decorate themselves. Your kids will love the chance to show off their budding party style, and they are sure to come up with some creative combinations! Plus, parents and kids alike are sure to love these fun slumber party invitations from Tiny Prints.

2. Plan games and activities that make it easy for you. The best part about a slumber party is staying up late and hanging out with your friends, so don’t stress about keeping everyone entertained. The kids will happily watch a movie (with the proper snacks provided, of course!) or play a classic game like charades or Pictionary. If you want to buy a game for them to play, check out this great video from MSNBC with plenty of tips for easy slumber party entertainment.

3. Scour the web for inexpensive gifts. You can shop for fun slumber party goodies on your lunch break or while you are paying your bills online. It will save time and money–these darling little dolls from Birthday in a Box are only $5 each!

4. Revive some classic slumber party pastimes. Whip up some homemade spa treatments, like these from Birthday Party Ideas 4 Kids, or set up pillow mountain climbing, an indoor obstacle course and a scavenger hunt (as recommended by Suite101!) for easy entertainment ideas.

5. Turn breakfast into an event! Instead of waking the cranky kiddos up and rushing them out the door, entice them to finish the slumber party on a good note with some fun and tasty breakfast ideas. Make bagel portraits,  banana dogs or eggs in a nest (all found on Family Fun) for a great start to the next morning!

I was babysitting an 18 month-old a few nights ago, and was shocked to see that she absolutely adores taking a bath! I honestly could not get her out of the tub. And here I thought babies always squealed and squirmed their way through bath time!

I think she loves it so much because she has some really cool bathtub toys to play with. In my family, bath paints have always been all the rage. You can buy some great ones from Avon (they even list the ingredients online if you kids have allergies!), or make your own using this recipe from Family Education.

But this little splish splasher preferred to stick Rub a Dub ABC letters all over the bathtub instead of painting it. She could even say all of the letter’s sounds! I was impressed.

If you are looking for tips on making bath time more enjoyable for you and your kids, check out Love to Know’s section of inexpensive activities that are perfect for soaking in the tub. You can also try one of these fun ideas:

• Play a story on tape.
• Read poetry aloud.
• Have your kids make up stories about what their floating toys are doing.
• Review all of the fun things you did together that day.
• Give your little ones cups, bowls, and ladles from the kitchen to play with.

For many families, the back-to-school season also means back-to-sports. Organized team activities like soccer, baseball and softball can be great ways for kids to make friends, learn about teamwork and develop a passion for physical activity. Plus, the 2008 Olympic Games offer great inspiration for kids and parents alike to pursue fun sports and fitness activities during this time of year.

But, if your kids are slacking on the soccer field, don’t be too quick to count them out as natural athletes just yet!

Family Education has an interesting article explaining that many kids quit sports simply because they aren’t having fun. When I was in school, I was always the girl sitting in the outfield making daisy necklaces while the other kids played kickball. I wasn’t even vaguely interested in team sports until I started playing tennis in the eighth grade and fell in love.

So, if your kids don’t seem excited by sports these days, why not give some of these alternative sport ideas from PBS a try? They are a fun way to keep your kids entertained and energized all school year long!

• Badminton
• Baton twirling
• Fencing
• Figure skating
• Karate
• Kayaking
• Mountain biking
• Rock climbing
• Sculling (rowing)
• Skateboarding
• Surfing
• Synchronized swimming
• Tennis
• Triathlons
• Wakeboarding
• Water skiing

If your kids still insist that they don’t like sports, have them take a look at this helpful article from Kids Health. You can also start including them in activities you enjoy, taking short hikes or playing a few holes of golf with the kids in tow. Before you know it, your whole family will be happy, healthy and enjoying the beautiful fall weather together!

Each summer, parents face the daunting task of entertaining their kids throughout the long school vacation. Between family trips and stints at summer camp, keeping the kids off the couch can be a challenge. If your kids’ joyful playing in the park and swimming at Grandma’s house has already deteriorated into watching TV and incessantly teasing each other, it might be time for a new summer pastime.

Try directing a children’s play for your little ones and their friends. This one project alone can encourage reading, writing, design, dance, music, teamwork, public speaking and arts and crafts. Depending on their age ranges, you can even turn it into a months-long event, with a show at the end of summer to display all their hard work to friends, family and neighbors. Or, it can be a week-long process with a show on Friday night.

You can transform your child’s favorite books or movies into scripts, or simply borrow one from an online source. I particularly love “Peggy the Pint Sized Pirate” from FreeDrama.com. It has an adorable story about being small but brave, making unusual friends and protecting the environment. With cutout felt eye patches, cardboard swords and their favorite striped shirts, the kids with be playing pirates onstage in no time!

After the show, you can invite all the kids and their parents to a themed cast party using this type of fun, theatrical invitation. If you spark your kids’ interest in performing arts, you can check out local children’s theater programs for them to participate in, or take them to live performances as summer field trips. You might even see your babe on Broadway someday!