What are the two words no parent wants to hear during the long, cold afternoons of winter break? “I’m bored!” Here are five sure-fire ways to keep your kids entertained when winter weather forces everybody inside.

1. Cook something together.
Kids love the kitchen, and there’s no better way to get even the littlest ones involved than by cooking together. Break out those old cookbooks and try something new, or teach your kids how to make a family favorite.

2. Go on a living room campout.
Unroll those sleeping bags and set up a tent, make microwave s’mores and tell scary stories late into the night, right in your living room. Don’t have a tent? Set up a blanket fort or pile up some pillows on the floor for lounging.

3. Put on a play.
Encourage your kids to unplug and engage their imaginations by putting on a play or a puppet show. Older kids can write the script and help with costumes; younger ones can decorate large cardboard boxes or poster board for sets. Acting out a favorite book or story is a great idea too.

4. Have a scavenger hunt.
Bring out the pirate in your kids by planning a scavenger hunt around the house. Write out a few simple clues and plant some ‘treasure’ at the end—new books, small toys or a movie to enjoy together.

5. Get crafty.
Kids can use paint, markers, crayons, glitter, glue, fabric or paper scraps, modeling clay or anything else you have on hand. Choose a theme or a household object for inspiration, and display the finished artwork together on a special wall in your very own family ‘gallery’.

Teddy bears are as American as apple pie, but not many people know why these iconic little furry creatures became popular throughout the United States. It all began with a cartoon drawing that ran in the Washington Post in 1902. The cartoon featured then President Theodore Roosevelt refusing to shoot a baby bear that was being held by a man with a rope. According to the story, the President had traveled to Louisiana to help settle a land dispute when he was asked to go on a bear hunting trip by his host. Nobody was successful in the hunt, but one person did capture a baby bear and invited Roosevelt to shoot it and make it his prize. Roosevelt refused to hurt the tethered animal which inspired the artist to draw the cartoon. Once the panel of cartoons ran, a store in New York City created a stuffed bear to honor the President’s actions. They named it “Teddy’s Bear” and placed the sweet looking stuffed animal into their candy and stationery store window. It proved to be a huge hit among customers so they decided to team with wholesale firm and founded the first ever teddy bear manufacturer in the United States. Since then, these loveable creatures have been a treasured childhood toy and collectible item.

If you are looking for a fun place to make your very own special teddy bear, stop by Build A Bear Workshop on Coupon Cactus. At Build A Bear Workshop, you will find a beautiful selection of soft and fluffy teddy bears that are a delight to all kids and even adults too. Shop at Build A Bear Workshop and you can choose to stuff your favorite teddy bear, dog, cat, bird, owl, panther, fox, otter, monkey, polar bear, penguin, or bunny. Add in special sound effects or record you own special message or greeting to make your Build A Bear Workshop friend a one-of-a-kind gift.

At Build A Bear Workshop you will also find adorable outfits and accessories to make your new friend complete. These fluffy animals make a perfect gift for any type of occasion. For easy gift giving you could choose to send an e-gift card or ship a traditional plastic gift card to you favorite friend or relative.

Coupon Cactus has a $10 off orders over $40 Build A Bear Workshop coupon code available and Coupon Cactus members will receive 3.50% cash back on the purchases that are made. Create something “beary” special, visit Build A Bear Workshop today!

The dog days of summer make August a particularly trying month for parents. After two months of fun and freedom, the kids are started to get bored. They’ve been there, done that and thirst for something new and exciting to fill their final days of summer vacation. Parents can beat the summer doldrums and silence whiny kids by purchasing a few new toys and games on Mattel.com. Money-saving Mattel coupons on Coupon Cactus save parents 25% off on any Mattel order; but hurry, this great Mattel coupon deal expires August 17, 2010. Enjoy even bigger savings on sale items through August 31, 2010 with Mattel’s 40% off sale item coupon on Coupon Cactus.

The world’s largest toy company, Mattel carries all the big brand name toys and games your children want. Barbie, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Masters of the Universe, American Girl and many more popular toys are available at money-saving prices on Mattel.com. Mattel is also the maker of  America’s favorite board and strategy games, as well as popular party games, hot new DVD games, and challenging skill and action games. On Mattel.com, parents will find a wonderful selection of products for both boys and girls that encourage imaginative play.

Since 1945 Mattel has been making the toys America’s children play with. Beginning with wooden doll furniture, Mattel branched out into other toys and games, quickly becoming America’s premier toy maker. Dedicated to “creating the future of play,” Mattel strives to create toys that nurture and promote healthy child development physically, mentally and creatively. While that speaks to parents, all kids care about is that Mattel toys are FUN!

The thermometer may be reading near 100 degrees outside, but it is not too early to plan ahead and start thinking about your holiday shopping list. Kazoo Toys on Coupon Cactus makes buying toys fun, educational, and easy.

Children need a good amount of stimulation to help their minds develop to their full potential. At Kazoo Toys you will find a fantastic selection of toys for girls and boys from 0 to 12 years old that will provide hours of fun, education, and help them develop their creativity too. The folks at Kazoo Toys love to see kids learning and exploring while they play. Having children play with educational toys will also help satisfy their natural curiosity about the world that they live in. You can always find great products that will stimulate your child’s mind when you shop at Kazoo Toys.

Stop by Kazoo Toys to find building and construction toys, dolls and dollhouses, travel toys, cars, trucks, planes, pretend play toys, dress up, sports and outdoor toys, stuffed animals and puppets, children’s games, baby toys, toddler toys, and wooden toy trains. You can also expand your child’s imagination with great musical toy instruments, science kits and projects, arts and crafts, puzzles, and educational toys too. While at Kazoo Toys, don’t forget to check out the cool children’s furniture that will make any bedroom or playroom complete.

Coupon Cactus has a new 25% off any order Kazoo Toys coupon code available that will expire on July 31, 2010. Coupon Cactus members will also receive 3.00% cash back on their purchases. Kazoo Toys is a perfect shopping spot for birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, or gifts to just say that you care. Stop by today to see what fun you can find for the special child in your life.

As parents and caregivers, we take pride in the learning abilities of our children. It’s important for kids to begin learning at an early age and equally important that they have fun while doing so. LeapFrog makes a wide variety of educational toys that make learning fun and keep children occupied for hours on end. At LeapFrog you will find many incredible learning products for kids of all ages.

Stop by LeapFrog to see the huge selection of toys that are available. Babies as young as six months old are sure to enjoy the Learn and Grove Toys, Scout Toys, or Gift Packs from LeapFrog. Toddlers will absolutely love the Fridge Magnetic Toys (my personal favorite) and Learning DVD’s. The Tag Junior Gift Packs and Book Pals will magically bring board books to life as your child hears fun sounds and completes fun activities. Kids from 5 to 8 years old will delight in the super cool Leapster items at LeapFrog as well. Stop by their store and pick a cool game to go along with the Leapster 2 Learning Game System. This innovative toy will teach spelling, phonics and reading, plus you can connect to the LeapFrog online site to monitor exactly what your child is learning. Grade school kids are going to love playing the Didj Custom Learning Game System. Kids won’t even realize that during their customized gameplay, LeapFrog will deliver the curriculum that parents expect.

You can find many great money saving LeapFrog coupon codes when you stop by Coupon Cactus. Look for great coupons like:

• 25% off any order (expires 5/24/10)
• Up to 20% off exclusive bundles
• Up to 55% off educational toys and games
• Free shipping on orders over $40

Coupon Cactus members will also receive 1.50% cash back on the purchases that are made.

At LeapFrog kids learn the alphabet, phonics, spelling, reading, numbers, shapes, and sounds, plus so much more, each time they play. Stop by LeapFrog today and see what learning you can inspire!

Not all toy stores are created equal, in order to find the best selection of fun, educational and award winning toys you need to shop with one of the biggest online retailers around – and Kazoo Toys is just that.

Kazoo Toys has plenty of categories to choose from and with offerings spanning every age from infant through twelve years of age, you’ll surely be able to find something for the special child or children in your life and with the warm weather upon us, it’s time to stock up on toys that can work well to occupy and educate while your children play in the great outdoors.

Kazoo Toys offers a variety of outdoor games from sports like paddle ball, football, golf and lacrosse to bubble blowers, a variety of water activities and classic toys like the pogo stick and flying disc. In order for your kids to be as healthy as they can be, they need to be up, outside and moving when the weather is good and many of the products offered by Kazoo Toys will have them occupied with activity for hours on end. Regardless of your child’s individual interests, there will be something that will interest, engage and occupy them physically and mentally available from Kazoo Toys.

The closer it gets to Summer, the closer it gets to Summer vacation, which means that we’ll all have kids with much more free time on their hands – if you want your kids to spend that extra time in the best possible manner, than toys, crafts and activities from Kazoo Toys can help.

Don’t forget to check out Coupon Cactus for Kazoo Toys coupons and Kazoo Toys coupon codes to help you save even more money on their already low prices for the latest toys.

Children mesmerized by Saturday morning television commercials may think they can’t live without this year’s popular computerized toy; but smart parents know that once the novelty wears off, that expensive combination of plastic and computer chips will be shunted to the back of the closet or the bottom of their child’s toy box to languish with other “must have” toys.

Many of today’s hottest selling toys may have lots of noisy bells and whistles, literally; but when it comes to play power they’re boring. Toys that evoke a child’s imagination and inspire his creativity — the old school toys you probably played with in your own youth — are toys with staying power, toys your child will seek out again and again.

Back to Basics Toys recognizes the power of timeless, classic toys to spark children’s creativity and provide hours of fulfilling play time. BackToBasicsToys.com are built to last through years of imaginative play. Blocks, dolls, musical instruments, puzzles, dollhouses, train sets, Playmobile, arts and crafts, Erector sets, Colorforms, puppet theaters, play kitchens, scooters and much more await your child on Back to Basics.

Back to Basics Toys coupons on Coupon Cactus let you indulge your child without emptying your wallet. Through the end of the year, check out Back to Basics Toys’ Deal of the Day coupons and Toys Sale coupons on Coupon Cactus for special deals on great toys. Coupon Cactus members save an additional 3% cash back with every purchase.

Your children aren’t the only ones guaranteed to be delighted with imaginative toys from Back to Basics Toys. We bet you’ll be joining them down there on the floor!

Children learn by playing and how they play is important. Research shows that 75% of brain development occurs after birth. Activities that engage children to manipulate their world, that challenge them to explore and that encourage creativity stimulate brain development. Fine and gross motor skills and language develop during play. Personal awareness and socialization evolve during play. Play encourages children to express their creativity and practice problem solving. Play is how children learn about themselves, about others and about their world.

Who knew there was so much at stake in the simple act of choosing a toy to give a child? HearthSong certainly did. HearthSong offers a wonderful selection of new and classic childhood toys and games that will make you feel good about giving. HearthSong’s quality toys, games and craft kits are designed to encourage a child’s creativity and allow his imagination to soar. HearthSong.com on Coupon Cactus offers exciting and unusual toys you won’t find anywhere else for every child on your holiday gift list (and all year round). HearthSong also offers furniture and decor for kids, clothing and accessories — everything a child wants and needs!

Until November 30, HearthSong coupons on Coupon Cactus will save you 10% off orders over $100, 22% off Dancing Music Boxes, 20% off Sno Sliders, 30% off Play Foam, 47% off Fairy Wings,  45% off Wooden Workbench, and more. Always check Coupon Cactus for HearthSong coupons before you shop. Coupon Cactus members receive an additional 4% cash back. This holiday give the children on your gift list a toy from Hearth Song that will bring them hours of fun and creative play.

I must admit, before my days of having children, I was only an occasional Toys R Us shopper who bought presents for my nephews and nieces. Now that I have several children under foot, and endless birthday parties to plan and attend, Toys R Us is one of my favorite stores to shop at. Toys R Us has everything you will ever need for children, from infant on up to teens. More often than not, when you are looking for those “hot” and hard to find items, that every other store is always out of, Toys R Us has them in stock and ready to ship out. Last year one of my daughters wanted a red Nintendo DS for Christmas. After chasing down the advertisements in the Sunday paper week after week, only to be disappointed when they were never in stock, I finally turned to Toys R Us. That red DS was shipped out to me in record time and was her most treasured Christmas gift!

Toys R Us carries a huge selection of merchandise to choose from. If you are looking for action figures, collectibles, arts and crafts, baby toys, bikes, scooters, riding toys, books, movies, music, building sets, blocks, dolls, stuffed animals, games, puzzles, outdoor play equipment, dress-up or special preschool items, you will always find fantastic items available. There are also top-of-the-line electronics, instruments, science and discovery, video games, specialty toys and so much more. Toys R Us also has a full line of essential baby items like diapers, wipes, lotions, baby shampoos, air purifiers, and organic cleaners that all Mom’s will love to have for their new baby.

Toy R Us offers a fantastic program that rewards their best customers for the purchases they make in stores or on their website. The Rewards “R” Us program allows you to earn free diapers, baby formula, or “R” Us Dollars which will help you save money when you buy the products you need.

You can always find great Toys R Us coupon codes available at Coupon Cactus. Stop by and pick up the coupons for $10 Off Orders Over $30 With Bill Me Later and The Toys R Us Clearance Sale. Coupon Cactus members will also receive a 1.50% Cash Back Rebate on the purchases that are made. Christmas will be here before you know it and Toys R Us is the best place to do all of your shopping for the kids at!

Spring vacation is right around the corner and knowledgeable parents are turning to HearthSong to stock up on creative games, toys and crafts to keep the kids entertained and happy. As auntie to a slew of nieces and nephews, I rely on HearthSong to find wholesome, quality, age-appropriate playthings for children ranging in age from one to over 12. HearthSong carries unique play products that encourage hours of happy, imaginative play.

On HearthSong.com, I’ve found many of the wonderful, family-oriented games my siblings and I played as children. HearthSong carries great classic games like tiddly winks, spoons, the vanishing coin trick, hopscotch, speedball, checkers, string games, the marble maze, matching memory games, Anna Banana jump rope rhymes, and much more. You’ll also find fun games for birthday parties and family picnics like the potato sack race, tetherball, bingo, pass the potato, beanbag ball, and the egg and spoon race. 

Since its beginning in 1983, HearthSong has been committed to providing toys and games for children that encourage creative, imaginative play. Recognizing that children learn through play, HearthSong products are carefully selected for quality, safety and relevance to a child’s development. Fun for the whole family, HearthSong toys, games and crafts encourage important parent-child interaction and promote cooperative, collaborative family play. HearthSong also offers unique playsets, furniture, playhouses, tents, riding toys, and more.

Every time I shop on HearthSong, I find exciting toys and games I want to share with the children in my life. Using HearthSong coupons on Coupon Cactus, I can afford to splurge; and, as a Coupon Cactus member, I receive an additional 4% cash back. This week, I’m using the HearthSong clearance sale coupon on Coupon Cactus to stock up for spring break, Easter, and upcoming birthdays. At HearthSong, I always find toys I feel good about giving.