How do you keep your kids from going stir crazy during the winter?

Last winter, My Oldest was 2 and my youngest 3 months, so we were in the same situation. We live in a small town as well, and I thought We'd go nuts! (I also didn't have a vehicle wich made things worse) but we went to the local play yards alot (the play areas at Mcdonalds, burger king and chick fillet) so my oldest could run around and my youngest was either sleeping or watching. We also did a lot of indoor stuff, like painting, coloring, play dough etc. We had friends come over quite a bit, and my hubby and I took turns taking the older one out, while the baby slept. It was hard though. Thankfully here in Oklahoma, we don't always get a ton of snow, and it's not as cold as other places (at least it wasn't last year, I think it may be this year) I also, let my oldest play in our back yard, while I sat in the sun room w/in ear shot of the monitor. That helped a lot, but we have a fenced in back yard, and I can see the whole yard from there, you could of course just take your monitor out with you, while the baby is sleeping, and play with your kiddo too.. I did that alot too.

I have my son build with legos and then we all knock them down. That way my daughter who's 10 months can participate too and if you're all knocking them down he won't be up set. Also coloring pictures and painting ceramics are fun. You can go to www.amazingmoms.com and find some other ideas too. Play dough is great. You guys can make it and them make something with it. Just be creative and keep trying new things.

Look into buying a baby carrier to put your 5 month in that you can put a large coat over it. I have a 5 month old son and a 3 year old son. I wear him in a wrap under my coat and take my older son out.

Try bringing the outdoors in. Get a dishpan or large pot and fill it with snow and let him play with it on the kitchen table. Give him cups, small shovels, sand toys, and let him build a small fort or snowman on the table. Take pictures before it melts, or put it outside somewhere where he can see it so he is not sad when it is gone. Move some furniture and put on some music for him to dance. Tape pieces of paper to the floor and call them lily pads- he can be a frog jumping from one to the next. Play the Freeze, where he dances, then you pause the music and he has to freeze in a position, then start the music again after a few seconds. Or musical chairs, limbo, the hokey pokey. These are all things you could play with him. Let him take the couch cushions off and give him some blankets to build a fort. If you have space, get him a small 'gym' to climb on. If you have a baby monitor you could take him outside while the baby is sleeping. Or you could take the baby out too, the fresh air will be good on days that aren't too cold and windy. Just dress them up well, and only stay out for about 15 minutes at a time.