Five kids' craft ideas for the cold weather

Now that the weather has finally turned frigid, we can finally get into the great Chicago tradition of hunkering down and complaining about cold. That can lead to some restless kids, however. There's no better way to cure that cabin fever than embarking on some craft projects: They keep the kids busy and are well within the average parent's limited artistic skill set (I'm talking about me). Here's a round-up of some cool craft projects for this arctic January.

• Creating Really Awesome Free Things (or CRAFT) has this really awesome free list of handprint and footprint art ideas. My son recently came home from preschool with a footprint penguin, and it was the most coherent work of art he's produced yet.
• These winter glove puppets are pretty cool, too. And who knows, if you make these, maybe your kids will actually keep their gloves on.
• I love this suggestion for making a "Cartesian Diver," as a science project to do with young and older kids. And if "Cartesian Diver" scares you off: It's basically a bobbing ketchup packet. (This jellyfish version is more labor intensive, but very cool.)
• I have attempted to make a dozen homemade boats, none of which have looked as good as that one, and none that didn't sink soon after launch.
• Crafts that serve two purposes are the best: You can have fun making them, then have fun playing with them. This paper-plate ring toss game is the best of both worlds.