Raise your hand if the thought of your kids cooped up in the house alternating between wreaking havoc and singing I’m bored songs makes you want to pack a bag and head somewhere tropical for a week or so.

So I’m not alone?

I could’ve used this list over our snow-extended winter break, but better late than never. Plus, there are bound to be more snow and ice days (not to mention rainy days once we defrost) when this great big list of indoor activities for kids will be the only thing that saves my oh-so fragile sliver of sanity.

Take a look at this list. Study it. Collect any supplies you might need. And then feel free to send me gifts of dark chocolate for buying you enough time to head to the bathroom alone the next time the kids are stuck inside.

An award-winning kids science book that will foster a love for science while having hands-on fun.

Step into my house and you’ll find surfaces littered with Ziplock bags open just enough to let the day’s latest slime creation ooze out, bottles filled with unidentifiable concoctions that contain some kind of plant matter, and everyday objects “scented” with copious layers of lotion. My girls love science. They love to experiment with different ingredients to see how they react and to proudly create their own “essential” recipes.

Sometimes, I’m all for this scientific exploration.

Other times, I wonder how long I’m expected to let something sit (bacteria multiplying by the second) while we “wait” for the reaction.

When DK offered to send us a complimentary copy of Smithsonian’s Maker Lab, an award-winning book that encourages kids to build, invent, create and discover through 28 DIY science experiments, I jumped at the chance. Crafty science projects that will work and teach the girls a little bit about the science behind them? What could be cooler?

The girls and I (and Samantha’s BFF) took a trip down to New Jersey this weekend to have some fun at Liberty Science Center. We had a blast the last time we were there and were expecting nothing less than an amazing time. While that’s usually a recipe for disaster, I’m happy to report that Liberty Science Center totally delivered.

I was shocked (again) at how much there is to do there. While the girls spent a fair amount of time climbing around the Infinity Climber and checking out Infection Connection like they did last time, this experience was completely different.

Last Sunday we threw our big community Mad Science party at Big Bang Coffee Roasters in Peekskill. I’m not going to lie, parties like this always make me crazy nervous because a lot of time and energy goes into them and you never really know how many people will actually show up. But I’m happy to say that it was a huge success. I was actually surprised at how many Westchester and Hudson Valley locals came out to see the incredible show!

I was even more thrilled to see that kids and parents alike were completely captivated by the science demo. The cafe was packed and parents in the back were craning their necks to make sure they didn’t miss anything while their kids laughed and squealed up in the front.

Thank you again to everyone who came! I can’t wait to do more fun (free!) local events like this in the future.

For more on our Mad Science party, head over to my post about it on Glamamom.

If you own a business in Westchester or the Hudson Valley and would like to work together on another community event, email me at jen@cuddlesandchaos.com.

It’s no secret that we love science in our house (I mean, who doesn’t love exploring why and how things work?!), so when Liberty Science Center invited us down to check out their Science, Sabers, and Star Wars weekend we were all “Oh, heck yes!”

My husband had to work at the last minute (which was a major bummer because he’s a huge Star Wars geek), so the girls and I made the trek down to New Jersey ourselves, happily listening to Harry Potter the whole way. It was brutally cold but totally worth it!