In lots of ways having social networks is like having children. Some of them are newer to the world than others and some of them need nurturing to take on a life of their own.

Lately I’ve been focussing my attention to Pinterest and I must say I’ve been having some fun with it and discovering great ways to use it both for business and parenting, which you may find useful too.

In case you’re out of the loop, Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social networks online and is now the third-largest network behind only Facebook and Twitter with some studies showing Pinterest users are pinning just as much as they are tweeting.

In short, it is a social bookmarking site where users collect and share photos of their favourite events, interests and hobbies. Sounds basic, but trust me, there is a WHOLE lot of fun that can be had.

Here’s five ways that Pinterest may inspire you into being a fun mum (or just stop the kids from driving you crazy on school holidays, weekends or rainy days!):

Cooking 

Looking for something fun and easy you can whip up together in the kitchen (or if they’re old enough that you can encourage them to whip up themselves?) Then look no further than Pinterest.

Check out Pinterest’s food and drink category here or search ‘kids cooking’ or similar in the search bar inside Pinterest or on Google. You may find some people who regularly pin cool stuff in relation to kids and cooking that you may even decide to follow!

Craft 

Kids love craft but it can be hard to feel inspired by the cardboard box and roll of tin foil you pulled out. Pop over to Pinterest and get ideas on all sorts of cool DIY and craft projects you could take on with your kids, or gather the necessary items ready for them to make their own creations helped along with a few pointers in the right direction.

Either check out Pinterest’s DIY & craft category here  or search ‘kids craft’ or similar in the search bar inside Pinterest or on Google.

Costumes 

Who doesn’t like a good dress up? Whether you’ve got a dress up party coming up that you need to plan for or you’ve got a budding fashion designer on your hands that loves to live in other realities, search ‘kids costumes’ or similar in the search bar inside Pinterest or on Google and a world of possibilities will unfold.

Games 

There’s always the tried and trusted but what about livening things up with a few new games. Search ‘kids games’ on Pinterest and you’ll turn up a wide range of games for kids – from iPad and smart phone games to outdoor and indoor games that will keep them entertained for hours.

Gardening 

Either check out Pinterest’s DIY & craft category here or search ‘kids gardening’ or similar in the search bar inside Pinterest or on Google to get a huge range of ideas to bring out the green thumb in your children including easy to grow sunflowers, grass heads, potted gardens for small spaces and more.

Do you already use Pinterest? What do you use it for?

Have you ever considered looking at it for inspiration on entertaining your kids? What do you think of some of the ideas shared? Post your comments below, and of course feel free to follow me.

MoM is on Pinterest too..  Mouths of Mums