12 Ways to Entertain Kids (Without Resorting to a DVD)

Compete at Neighborhood Land

Create your own board game based on Candy Land. Draw a path on a piece of poster board and decorate it with local landmarks. With a roll of the dice, move players through the streets of your neighborhood—complete with "Lose a space" oak tree or "Skip forward three spaces" coffee shop or "Go back home!" grumpy old lady. Consider ending the game on an ice cream parlor, which you and the kids actually visit once somebody wins.