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Friendly soap reviews and whether you love or loathe the winter weather this month brings, it's already starting to rear its frosty head. Sure, for parents, a white wonderland right outside our picture window can seem magical - for a moment. But after a few snowmen and sled rides lately, we're often stuck inside for long periods of time trying to entertain our kids and stave off the dreaded "cabin fever".

Fight the winter blues with science projects for kids

Sound familiar? Fortunately, there is a cure for even the most severe case of the winter blues. If you're looking for something creative (and educational) to do with your kids while you're trapped inside during a snow (or even rain) day, kid-friendly science projects can be the perfect solution. With a little planning ahead, you can make sure you have everything you need on hand to awaken the happy scientist in your child. Try these experiments the next time you're at the mercy of the winter doldrums:

Let the salt dissolve in the water (you can even microwave it for a few seconds to speed up the process). Then add the liquid dishwashing drops. Finally, wipe your window with a paper towel soaked in the solution. Within a few minutes, you will see non-toxic crystals forming and you can have a scientific dialogue with your children to find out exactly how this happened.

Melting ice hypothesis: Want an even simpler science project that can prove to be the perfect activity for virtually any age group? Try an experiment on melting ice. Simply reach into the freezer and grab a handful of ice cubes. Then let your friendly soap reviews imagination run wild and think of ways to melt the ice and change its state. Leave them at room temperature, wrap them in different materials like aluminum foil or plastic wrap. You can even let them observe what happens when you put them near a candle to have a discussion about the effect of heat on ice. Letting your children find their own conditions for melting ice and writing down the results is a great way to spend a winter's day.

Experiment with ivory soap: Do you have a bar of (unwrapped) ivory soap to hand and a microwave? Then you have everything you need for this next activity. Place the soap on a microwave-safe plate for about one and a half minutes and watch it grow (and grow and grow!) to more than six times its original size. Let it cool for a few seconds and then let the little ones touch the soap in its new shape. Talk about how even though the soap looks completely different, it still has its original cleaning properties.

With just these few simple household items at hand, you can ensure that you are equipped with all the winter weapons you need to effectively combat boredom on snow days!