Mommy's Sanity Savers (No, it's not booze.)

One of the things I love about being a mom is that my kids love to be around me. One of the things that drives me batty about being a mom is that my kids love to be around me - meaning I cannot get anything else done. I've found some awesome *FREE!* resources to help entertain my kids when I need a mommy minute (and they are educational! win/win!) Here is what you need to check out:

1. Our absolute favorite resource is Zoodles. It's an "educational online experience" that allows kids to watch videos and play games at their favorite websites. It combines websites like Nick Jr., American Girl, PBS Kids, and more so your child doesn't have to skip around from website to website to find what they want. Your child is blocked from going to any other website by their crazy clicking and there is even an option that allows you to block ads (there is a small fee for the upgrade). Each week I get an email telling me which games my child played and how long they spent. The kids are always asking to play Zoodles and the big blue "Z" icon on my desktop makes it easy for them to find. LOVE IT!
2. Starfall is pretty new to us, but it's great so far. It's described on the site as a "free public service to teach children to read with phonics". They have options that are basic preschool lessons (learning letter recognition) and go all the way up to stories your child can read on their own. They also have tons of free printable worksheets in case you don't want your child hogging the computer.
3. I stumbled on 1+1+1=1 when I was searching for decoration ideas for a Toy Story party. After seeing all of the super-cute options and realizing that they are FREE, my mind was sufficiently blown. I can't wait until the ballerina and dog packs are available. You know...for the kids. *Ahem*
4. I have picked up copies of The Mailbox magazine from the library and thought they were so neat. They definitely appeal to the teacher inside me. So when I checked out their website I was thrilled to find a section called My Mailbox where you can register (for free!) and find loads and loads of printable resources. I found cartoon suns that were meant for bulletin board decorations, typed my kids names on them and had them color them. They thought it was awesome and the suns are now taped to their bedroom doors. I'm sure we'll do a different one for the fall!

I'll be sure to share more that I come across. Do you have any kid-friendly distractions you go to when needed?