Thing to Do: Indoor Hop Scotch

It's COLD and WET and SNOWY

Aaaaannnnnndddd.... the kids need something to do for physical exercise besides jumping out of the window sills, off the couches and the top of the piano, and climbing the dresser and....

 

Time for HOP SCOTCH

All you need is masking tape, a bean bag, and a floor. 
Carpet is easiest to remove the tape.  WARNING: Don't leave it on for more than a few days, it'll leave sticky stuff on your floor if you do and then you'll have dirt sticking to the sticky...and the hop scotch stays longer than you planned.  Yes we experienced it.

Reminder on HopScotch rules:  jump one foot in #1, two feet in #2 and #3, etc.  Beginning of turn, throw a bean bag and whatever square you land it on, skip jumping on that square.  When you get to the the end, turn around, jump back, leaning over to pick up the bean bag on your way back. 

I was very surprised how much my kids loved it.  Even my son!!!!  And my little girl isn't old enough to quite understand, but it was still something different and fun so she loved it. 

Thursday's Thing to Do: Cereal Necklace

Honestly, is there anyone out there that has never had a cereal necklace or bracelet?

(if so, today is YOUR day!!!!) 

 

They were my favorite as a little girl. 

However, in that transition time between little girl and mom, I forgot about them....until today. 

I'm thinking about how fun it will be to do.  I bet my son would even like it because it's food...

as long as every piece of cereal is either blue or green since he's realized that pink is "ewwwww girlie" and pink, if touched, will give him the plague. 

 

If you've had amnesia and forgot about this simple fun, here are the tips on what you need and how to do it:

 

 

Cereal Necklace: 

(a.k.a. The Wearable Snack)

 

Cereal (multi-colored is extra fun, and the cereal should have holes in the middle.  If you have older kids, you could use cereal without holes and have them use a thread and needle---if you trust them with such weapons while sitting in close proximity.)

 

Yarn (cut in 3 foot sections) OR thin licorice ropes

 

Development: This a a great activity for preschool age kids to practive their fine motor skills as they string the cereal on the yarn.  You can also use this as an activity with learning colors, or practicing their sorting skills. 

 

Tips: With young children it can help to tape one end of the yarn onto the table while they string the cereal onto the other end, this way it doesn't fall off constantly.  When they're done, help them tie the ends together. 

 

***And please remember, necklaces can be choking hazards if they're climbing trees, etc. etc.  So, be wise.

 

Thursday's Things to Do: Printable Actitivities

I know there are a lot of websites out there to easily google and find what you'd like, but I thought I'd share one I recently found:

PrintActivities.com (yes this is a link)

I'm REALLY liking it.  It has activities, puzzles, dot-to-dot pages, coloring pages,.... you get the idea.  And I love how easily it's catagorized by THEMES.  And of course it's all FREE, which I always love.  :) 

 

Here's a little taste....

 

Let's say you read the story "The Three Little Pigs" today ...why not have a little extra fun and follow it with a little piggie and wolf maze such as this....

Anyway, just thought I'd share...

Thing to Do: Snowflakes

Many of YOU are in the middle of a big snow storm. 
I am not. 
I do not know what kind of snow is falling for you....meaning if it's slushy, clumpy, melting before it hits the ground, or super frozen individual flakes.  But if any of you have the super frozen individual flakes ENJOY!!!!! 

Have you ever stood outside and let the snow fall on the sleeve of a dark coat or glove and been amazed at the unique beauty and design of each flake?  If not, YOU.ARE.MISSING.OUT!  A few weeks ago we had that kind of snow.  My FAVORITE!!!  My 5 year old went outside with me and I explained snowflakes to him and he also loved watching them fall on his gloves, well, for about 20 seconds and then it was snowball fight time.  But seriously, take a few minutes to admire the beauty.   Then have a little snow fun.  

OR

Make some paper snowflakes.  Do you remember how?  If not, here's an easy tutorial: 6-Point Paper Snowflake  (much easier to link it than do my own photo gallery of steps).  Tape them in your windows and enjoy.  We have some in our front window-- helps us pretend we have snow.

Thursday's Thing to Do: Color "I SPY"

Hello Everyone!  I had an idea to share....so I am back to posting...at least once.  :)  Thank you for all of your well wishes...  this pregnancy has been a little rough, but completely worth it.  Only about two more months until our little GIRL arrives.  We are all so THRILLED!!!!!

One of the basics for children to learn is color recognition.  Here's a fun game that's pretty simple, but kids love!!!

Start with basics of Red, Blue, Yellow, Black and White.  Gradually add other colors.  Keep in mind that most kids learn Brown and Gray last.  (If your child is grasping certain colors, but never seems to be able to be able to differentiate between other certain colors on a regular basis, like blue, red, green, etc. over an extended period of time.  Don't get frustrated.  Check with the eye doctor, color blindness is common especially in boys, and isn't a huge concern.)  

Have a color "I SPY" hunt

Here's how it works: Find a red piece of paper, show your child that it's red, say that it's red, have him or her repeat the color name, and have him or her look around your home to find as many other items that are red as they can.  As they get better at colors, you can add variety to this game.  

Variety Examples:

•  If you have multiple children, you can make it into a team game...working together to find as many as they can taking turns.
• Make it into a competition game.  See who can find 5 or 10 items of that color first, or set a timer for one or two minutes and each one finds as many items of that color as they can.  (The tricky part, is they need to be able to count first too...) 
• This can also be used as a "game" while grocery shopping to try to keep their attention on something instead of pulling all the fruit snacks and cookies into the basket, or hitting their sibling....
• Have a box or bag with small pieces of various colors of paper.  One at a time, pull out a random color and  have them look for something of that color.
• Use creativity in mixing this up

***Note:

Thursday's Thing to Do: Going on a Trip & an FYI

I used to play this game as a kid and totally forgot about it. 

Thanks Melissa for the idea!!!

We go wood cutting every saturday for anywhere from 5-7 hours. Well, while my husband is cutting the wood we try to stay entertained away from the danger. So I have had to get creative. This last week we played "I'm going on a trip and I am taking..." You start with A and go all the way to Z. Each person adds one item to the list, and says all the ones that have gone before. We got pretty creative. It was the perfect boredom buster! And it is SOOO Good for your Memory!

The FYI:
For those of you who are following (and have emailed me to see if I'm okay) ....I haven't posted for a while because life has changed a bit.  I use to get several posts ready each morning before my son woke up.  However, I am now sleeping until he wakes up because I'm pregnant and exhausted.  Yes, pregnant....those of you who are jumping up and down out of shock and excitement and know what a miracle this is for us...thank you!  We're very excited!!!  I'm feeling wonderfully sick and everything seems to be going fabulously well.  Our little one is due May 22nd.  Our four year old is ecstatic to have a baby in the house and every night hugs my tummy and says "Goodnight Baby".  It's adorable.  So, with that in mind, I'll still post, but it won't be quite as regular for now.  Your suggestions, questions, and ideas are always welcome so keep them coming!!!  I love hearing from you!

Thursday's Thing to Do: Paper Plate Tambourine

can you tell it's well loved?

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
- 2 paper plates for each tambourine
- Stapler and Staples
- Dry rice, beans, or macaroni, etc.
- Things to decorate (crayons, stickers, or any other fun crafty things you have around the house)

HOW TO MAKE IT:
1.  Lay one plate on the table, put in about 1/8 cup of dry rice, beans, or whatever else you think would sound awesome when shaking it.
2.  Lay other paper plate on top (so the middle area is hollow) and staple around the edges to hold it all together.
3.  Let kids decorate as they please. (if using glue, make sure it's dry before playing with it.)
4.  Play music, make up songs, turn on the radio and dance and play the tambourines...just have fun and be creative!!!

***Note: I use paper plates instead of plastic, because the plastic ones sometimes have sharp edges and could cut little hands.

Thursday's Thing to Do: What's Different?

This is a great game that doesn't take too much energy for mom, but is super fun for kids. It is also an INDOOR game, which is handy since it's wet and cold in many places right now.

WHAT'S DIFFERENT?
How you play:
1.  Stand in front of your child or children dressed in something extra (a hat, necklace, or holding something random) Give your child a moment to study you.
2.  Leave the room and change something about your appearance.
3.  Come back in the room and have them figure out what is different.
4.  Take turns. 
* If you have more than one child, it could be played that the quickest to guess gets to be "it" next, or you could just take turns so everyone has the same number of turns.
* This game works great for nearly every age.  With young children, keep it more obvious, with older children, it can be something specific, a sleeve that's rolled up, or a shoe lace that is tied strange, etc.

Developmentally, this game helps children increase their attention span, pay attention to detail, and when they have a turn, gives them a chance to "be in charge" and lead the play time which is important in their development of self confidence and being able to take initiative.

Thursdays Thing to Do: Fingerprint Art

WHAT YOU'LL NEED
Paper
Ink pad
Markers, Pencils, Crayons, etc.

HERE'S HOW
1.  Roll your finger or thumb over the ink pad.
2.  Make a print by firmly pressing the inked finger or thumb against the paper. Use different fingers to make prints of various sizes.
3.  Wash your hands and allow the prints to dry for a few minutes. Then draw faces and other details on the prints.

~found in National Geographic Kids http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/activities/crafts/fingerprint-art/

Thursday's Thing to Do: Home-Made Silly Putty

Mix together:
1 C. Cornstarch
1 C. Salt
1 C. Flour

Add 1/2 C. water, then mix until right consistency.  (It may take more than 1/2 cup).  It's easiest and messiest to mix with little hands!  This can be stored in a zip-lock bag in the refrigerator

Honestly, I haven't done this one, but came across it in my Kid Recipes and will also be trying it this week.  No matter what the final outcome is, the kids will love messy hands and feeling new textures. 

Have fun!

Thursday's Thing To Do: Movie Characters

Do your kids LOVE to watch movies?
Is there ONE movie that they have memorized (which means you do too)?

Pull out a few things, paper, crayons, scissors, etc. and make the movie characters.  Depending on the age of your child, they may need a little help, but be sure to NOT tell them HOW to make it.  Let them go for it.  It's important for children to have a chance to experiment with creativity.  Often times a child wants a "model" project to copy.  Resist the tempation to tell or show them exactly what to make.  (If you draw a flower with five petals, watch, your child will draw a flower exactly the same way as you.)  As they create on their own, and then you praise them for it, their self confidence and creative abilities will grow.  If your child is an age where you can't leave the whole thing up to them, make sure to be careful to back off whenever possible, and encourage them trying new things. 

This can also be a great time to introduce things they haven't used before: glue sticks, goopy Elmer's Glue, your scrapbooking sticky squares, glitter, stickers, pompoms, pipe cleaners, paint, brads....the possibilities are endless.

The funnest part is seeing them play with those toys over and over again.  So what if you can't afford a $29.99 Woody at WalMart, have your child make one.... He or She will love it probably more than the real doll.

Over several weeks time, my son has now made the ENTIRE cast of Finding Nemo and Wall-E.  (Yes, including Nemo's Mom and the Anemone.) He loves to reinact scenes with his handmade toys, and it also means he's happy with a little less movie time. 

Here are a few of our Nemo cast members: 
Bruce: I drew part of the tail and fin for him, then he practiced cutting along the lines the best he knew how.
Nemo: He used a gluestick all on his own for the first time to put on the white stripes that I'd pre-cut for him.  We also introduced brads for the fins.  That was a cool novelty for a little boy, now the fins can move.
Dory: Awesome fins...Joshua just went for it and got some scissor practice

So, be brave, pull out some creativity to match your child's movie obsession.  The most simple homemade toy can bring more joy than you imagined!  When it's the child who makes that toy, the self fulfillment and joy is multiplied a bazillion times. 

Thursday's Thing to Do: Bird Feeder

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
Toilet Paper Roll (just the inside cardboard part)
Peanut Butter
Bird Seed

Yarn

HOW TO MAKE IT:

1.  Spread some peanut butter on all sides of the cardboard roll

2.  Have an area where there's a pile of loose birdseed and roll the peanut buttered roll in the birdseed

3.  Cut a piece of yarn about 18 inches long

4.  String the yarn through the center of the roll and tie the ends together in a knot

5.  Hang it on a tree, or other outside object

P.S.  Any of  you who know me and live close to me, I have A LOT of birdseed that you're welcome to come get from me instead of buying your own. 

Just drop by!

Thursday's Thing to Do: Electricity

We all love discovering new things.  Here's a simple one you and your kids will love.
All you need is a bandaid wrapper.  (You should have plenty of those will all the skinned knees around your home.)

1. Put the bandaid wrapper back together after you've taken out the bandaid.  (most bandaid wrappers are two pieces that pull apart and have a sticky film on the sides that face each other.  you need this kind of bandaid wrapper.)
2. Go into a completely dark closet or room. 
3. Pull the wrapper apart really fast. 
4. You'll see a small bright line of blue light.

Kids will do this for a very long time. 

Yet another reason for kids to LOVE bandaids!

Thursday's Thing to Do: Nature Scavenger Hunt

It's always good to get outside, breath fresh air, and do something different.  If you haven't tried an activity like this before, I'd highly recommend it.  (If you have, why not do it again?)  It's so simple, FREE, and kids absolutely love it!  Plus, it's a great way for them to learn about the world around them.

What you'll need:
   * Something to hold everything in.  (A bag, box, plastic jar, basket....doesn't really matter, but most kids will want their own so it should be something they can handle.)
   *  Some place outside (your yard, a park, the mountains, anywhere really)

What you do:
   *Let the kids find things they can fit in their container.  Leaves, rocks, sticks, a penny on a sidewalk, basically anything that's not a dead bug .....or worse.  (you know what I mean.)
   *  After they've collected their items you can do several things with them to expand this activity,
Such as:
     - Sit down and talk about what they found.  Answer questions they have about their items
     - Take the items home and glue them to paper....you could even make designs, or monsters, or new animals out of what you've collected.
     - Trace the shapes on the sidewalk with chalk, or on paper with crayons
     - Place a piece of paper over leaves and have them rub the side of crayons over it to see the design from the leaf appear.
     -  Have them identify colors in what they've found
     -  Have them touch and feel the different way each item feels.  Some are cold, rough, or smooth, ...

Whatever you do, plan for some good time to just enjoy the SIMPLE things with your children. 

Thursday's Thing to Do: Search a Shape bottle

Kids will love helping you make this craft!!!

What you'll need:
* 1 clear plastic bottle with a screw on lid (a water bottle or similar size)
* Glitter (I used green, that's why it looks so murky)
* Corn Syrup
* Water
* Stuff to put in the bottle.  (Ex: beads, buttons, penny, basically any item that won't fall apart when it's in the water.  Some good places to look are your own craft supplies, old game pieces, and dollar stores.)
* Super Glue or similar permanent glue

How to make it:
1. Clean the bottle out
2. Fill the bottle with several items you've collected (don't fill it too much though, or the items will be too crowded.)
3.  Add some glitter, about 2-3 Tbl., depending on the size of the bottle
4.  Fill remaining space with Water and Corn Syrup (1/3 Corn Syrup-2/3 Water).  Be careful to not have it overflow, don't fill it to the rim.
5.  Glue the lid on and let it dry
6.  Shake it up and ENJOY!   

-A baby will enjoy watching the sparkle and color. 
-With a young child you could begin having them search for colors and shapes as you point them out. 
-For an older child, they can search and find on their own.

*Thanks for this idea Becky!

Thursday's Thing to Do: Children's Play Dough

Play Dough of any kind is a wonderful thing. 

Not only is it fun, it's great for development.  Play Dough is also a great activity to involve children of different ages.  Children from toddler's up to about age 10, and sometimes older, love to manipulate the dough and create anything from snakes to intricate castles.  By playing with play dough, they learn about textile manipulation and creativity.  Young children can also learn about shapes as they use shape cookie cutters or you help them mold the dough into various shapes.  With older children they can take turns being the artist and have guessing games to see what others are making. 

You can use Playdoh, real dough (but be careful your kids don't eat it, they'll have tummy aches), or if you'd like to make your own fun play dough, there are many recipes out there that are great. Here's one to try:

Peanut Butter Play Dough
4 lbs. Peanut Butter
3 lbs. Powdered Sugar
3 1/2 C. Karo Syrup
2 Tbl. Vanilla Extract


Combine all ingredients in no particular order in a large bowl.  Stir until completely mixed.  (This will take some muscle work--hang in there!)  This play dough should be stored in the refrigerator, and should not be used after about three days. 
*(and, yes, it's edible)

Thursday's Things to Do: Shadows

Find a night this week, after it's dark, & go with your child into a dark room with a flashlight or nightlight.  Turn off the main light and show them the shadows you can both make with your hands.  Can you make a bunny rabbit?  An eagle?  What other animals can you make?  Take turns guessing each others shadow puppets.  Don't rush, just enjoy some simple time together imagining, playing, laughing, and not being distracted by the dirty dishes that are piling up in the kitchen.  Just Enjoy some SIMPLE FUN together. 
***(Bonus: maybe this will help turn your child's "fear-of-the-dark" into "fun-in-the-dark")