It’s one of those days here and I have a houseful. Five of my 6 kids, two significant others, three best friends, and a granddaughter. That’s 11 people who are getting bored.

The solution? Download Lego Digital Designer and play at the Lego Factory website.

I’ve put the LDD on all our computers including those that run Windows98. That’s the great thing about the software, it runs on older computers, too. And it’s free!

You’ll also find friendly, kid-safe message boards at the Lego site as well as a great Help section for getting started with LDD. In fact, just go to the site map and check out all the great stuff at Lego.com. Just be sure to download the LDD software on your computer, too. The kids won’t want to share.

Who knew that tying shoelaces could be so entertaining? Ian’s Shoelace Site is fun whether you’re a kid learning to tie your shoes or a parent needing to teach your kid. In fact, it’s fun for just about anyone.

I know most of us use the typical Granny Knot and Ian shows us how to do it so it stays tied. But he also demonstrates the two loop knot, which one of my sons figured out and preferred when he was in 1st grade. Oh, and I really liked the “Ian Knot” the World’s Fastest Shoelace Knot.

Of course, there’s also instructions on lacing. I wonder if I can impress my kids with some fancy lacing techniques?