Since I have a son who is crazy about books, I’m always looking for ways to include his love for reading in family activities. Recently he picked up a Goosebumps book, and has since fallen in love with the series. Now I’m especially glad that Goosebumps is so popular that everyone in his class knows it. Peer pressure can sometimes work in their advantage, that’s for sure. Not only do they all know the books, but the series as well. I managed to find a few DVDs for Christmas, and he absolutely loves them. With there being both books and a TV show, we’ve come up with an excellent activity to do together. First he reads the book and talks about it. Next we locate the show that goes with it (I have Netflix, and have put a few of those on my list), and then talk about the differences. At school in years to come he’ll...
Here’s a fun craft for kids that I stumbled on today: Paper Start Wreath Not only does it look easy, but it’s pretty too! I check this site often for fun crafts, but especially for sewing projects. There’s just so much to do with not nearly enough time. Have fun! Read More →
Yesterday I picked up a pound of hamburger and sour cream for supper tonight. Now I’ve got two choices, since we have all the “other stuff” for both meals – tacos or beef stroganoff. Taco shells and egg noodles we almost always have on hand because they keep for so long (or as in the case of the taco shells, they keep if they aren’t opened). Honestly I’m not quite sure what I want, and both are pretty easy to make. So I think I’ll just put it to a vote to see what the kids decide. Something tells me it will be tacos though, since it’s their favorite. Do you ever put dinner to a vote in your house? And no, voting on which pizza to order doesn’t count. I mean homemade meals. I’m interested to know! Read More →
It’s a beautiful sunny day, but the kids are still in need of something to do. Luckily there’s quite a few options for summer activities, one being making bubbles. This recipe comes from Free Kids Crafts, off the “recipes” page. You can also find other summer crafts and activities on the site as well. Bubble Recipe 2 c. Dawn dishwashing detergent 6 c. water Almost 1 c. Karo light corn syrup Combine, shake, let settle 4 hours. Store covered in refrigerator to extend suds shelf life. Allow to warm before using. Costs about $1.50 per gallon. Bubble Tips: 1. If foam develops scrape off with a stiff card. 2. Keep suds clean from dirt and grass. 3. Bubbles are best on humid days. 4. Protect suds from direct sun. Have fun! Read More →
Today I stumbled on a few interesting crafts to help combat clutter. I’m a big fan of crafts that not only entertain the kids, but serve a purpose as well. This one does just that, since it’s to be used as a way to organize your crafts. The Crafter’s Carousel is pretty easy to do, and uses items you most likely have in your house. I always love when I find crafts with easy to find items, since I don’t like to spend a lot of money on the craft itself. We’ll most likely be doing this one on the next rainy day, and it’s something you might want to check out as well. Have fun! Read More →
Have you joined CafeMom yet? If not, now is the time to do it! Not only did the site get a makeover, but they’ve added some really neat features. Now available are “widgets” which are cool additions you can add to your profile (if you are active on Myspace you’ll know exactly what I mean). I found them under “My CafeMom” and currently playing the Road Trip Scavenger Hunt. It’s an absolute BLAST! Another widget I spotted that I simply must try out was “Sweet Treats”, where you bake virtual goodies and then get the recipe for them. How cool is that? So anyway, hop on over to CafeMom and get yourself signed up! Read More →
Here’s a funny story for you. If you’ve spent any time at all on this blog, you know I get addicted to PC games pretty easy. Well, any game for that matter, which is why we don’t own multiple game consoles. The computer sucks up enough of my time. Anyway, a few years ago I was talked into the buying THE computer game – The Sims. I loved it, played it all the time. Until we lost the disk that is. Every once in awhile I would see the box and pout a little, wanting to play it again. But never did actually replace it. Just sorta put it out of my mind. Well the other day I found the disk. Rather strange actually, since it was wedged between my desk and the wall where lots of stuff falls, and I’m just sure we looked there before. But there it was, on the top of other stuff, like it had just fallen back there yesterday....
Kids have a wonderful imagination, there’s no doubt about that. Why not draw out some of that creativity by writing as a family? Yes mom and dad need to join in too! This activity is perfect for a rainy day. In fact I just heard thunder outside, so it’s something we might be doing today. To start you’ll need to pick a place or time. It can be a fantasy world, or a real world in any area you chose. Here’s a few ideas for real world eras: - Roaring 20s - Modern day (as in today) - Pioneer days (1800s) - Pilgrim and Indian days (late 1600s, early 1700s) - Medieval times - Dinosaur age Once you pick your place and time, you’ll need some characters. Take a little time to study up on your chosen era, unless you chose fantasy, then you can make up whatever history you want. Describe your characters in their clothing,...
Since the upstairs is a disaster area right now because of the remodeling, I gladly accepted the kids idea of camping out in my son’s room (which is downstairs) last night. It’s a large room, so easily fit a homemade “tent” made out of blankets and chairs. Because they were doing their camping thing, I was able to take my son’s bed with mine being buried again. *GRIN* Everyone’s happy! Their tent was simple and they put it together without any help. Just a few chairs and a blanket is all it took, with their old rocking horse in the middle to hold it up. The rocking horse was also their “divider” between them. They took in popcorn and a flashlight, reading books and telling scary stories. Plus of course pretending they were on a real camping trip with a campfire. I didn’t interrupt them...
If you are in need of a few activities to do with the kids over summer vacation, why not spend a little time in the kitchen? I know this week we are suppose to be cleaning up the kitchen, but the promise of making something fun once the job if finished might be an incentive for the kids to help you out. At Free Kids Crafts there is an entire page dedicated to craft recipes. You’ll find both edible and non-edible recipes like peanut butter play dough, bubble recipe, clay jewelry, and a whole lot more. The clay jewelry recipe we’ve got our eye on for today, since that project can be done over several days (painting and all). Read More →
