Trying to keep your kids occupied this Winter?

It's tough sometimes. Endless cold days and not enough ideas. Kids are little balls of energy, and all the backyard games that helped them decompress in the warmer months are off-limits because of cold weather.

Blogger Anna Luther was facing her first winter with staying home with a toddler, and decided to go looking for ways to avoid cabin fever.

Here are a few of her suggestions for wintertime toddler activities.

It’s the cornerstone of every public service ad aimed at parents:

“Talk to your kids about…”

That’s easier said than done. Most parents can tell you that talking with your kids isn’t always easy, especially as they get older.

Still, it’s important to know what’s going on in their lives, and in their heads. Parenting magazine offers these strategies for mixing kids and conversation. Try them out the next time you and your child are playing a game together.

For kids, a trampoline is all about freedom.

Start to bounce on one, and you’re free: free from schoolwork and chores, free from responsibilities, free from gravity.

But adults? We still need to think practically about trampolines, even if we do try to sneak in a few jumps every now and then.

With that in mind, we put together this trampoline tip sheet. Our goal is to help our customers make an informed decision before purchasing a trampoline. Here are 10 things to know before you buy:

For adults, sharing can be wonderful. Letting a friend know about an unsung book that you love. Giving time or money to those in need. Sharing your deepest feelings with the person you love.

For kids, sharing is…well, a bit trickier. It’s a skill they need to cultivate. Child play time only really works if kids can divvy up toys and take turns, so here are a few tips for teaching children to share.

These tips come from the Raising Children Network. It’s a parenting website with international roots and its lessons are universal.