Category: Fun For Kids

“You don’t really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around – and why his parents will always wave back.” -William D. Tammeus

Last Friday K was out of school and we were invited by friends to join them to paint pottery. It was so much fun. We went to one of those places that has lots of choices to pick from for your painting creations. If you haven’t been to one I highly suggest going. Mom and I took the girls a year or so ago to a different studio in town. K and E painted little snack bowls that time. I thought it would be fun to have M paint this time also. She was really looking forward to the painting too.

I dressed everyone in clothes that could get ruined. If I came home with three little paint wearing Picassos, I wouldn’t mind a bit. Turns out they didn’t have any paint on them at all. If I had dressed them in nice clothes they would have been trashed. That’s just the way it works when you are raising kids!

The girls each painted their own plate. These are going to be their new dinner plates. They are really salad size plates, but they are perfect kid size plates. I’m anxious to see how they turn out. I took them one at a time over to the paints so they could pick their own palettes. It was fun to see how they picked their color combinations.

K painted a black moon and a sun on the top of the plate along with lots of additional colors. E has her colors all over with no certain pattern and M pretty much has a brown plate! I think they will love having their own creations to eat each night.

We go back Friday to get their little masterpiece plates and I can’t wait to see them on the dinner table!

Bringing a child into the house is the greatest act of hope there is.”

-Louise Hart

In an effort to make life feel normal after surgery, I went shopping at Walmart today. Mom and I took the girls and a very short list. We ended up spending 2 hours in the store. I’m not sure how we do that.

I picked up supplies for a Valentine’s Day decoration. I’ll make that tomorrow and post pictures and instructions. I hope it comes out cute!

I also picked up ingredients for some Valentine’s Day cookies. It’s my small group’s turn to bring food to our MOPS meeting on Friday. I’m taking cookies and some yummy little cheesecakes. I’ll share pictures and recipes of those later this week.

Finally, I got this cute cookie jar. I saw a blog this weekend that had a piece of furniture-about dresser size-with no drawers, just shelves. She had a basket for each of her kids on the shelves with their name on their basket. On top of the unit was a jar of crayons. In an effort to continue to get this house more organized, our crayons are now nestled in a cookie I have no idea who’s blog it was, so if you have a clue about this photo, please let me know and I’ll give credit for the idea.

Now the crayons are all together and cute sitting on the kitchen counter. I love the bright colors. Crayons make me happy.

“Before we can leave our parents, they stuff our heads like the suitcases which they jam-pack with homemade underwear.”

-Maxine Hong Kingston

While I was sitting at the doctor’s office yesterday, I picked up a Family Fun magazine and flipped through it.

That’s when I found this idea.

Button Bookmarks!

I now have another use for my neverending supply of ribbon and a new reason to love buttons.

If you would like to make a button bookmark:

• Simply cut lengths of ribbon-12 to 14 inches long, to fit a standard-size hardcover book is a great length
• Attach buttons to the ends using tacky glue or a glue gun. Shown in the photo are just a few of the decorating options: sandwiching the ribbon’s ends between two buttons; stacking smaller atop larger buttons; and grouping several small buttons in a pattern.

“It will be gone before you know it. The fingerprints on the wall appear higher and higher. Then suddenly they disappear.”

-Dorothy Evslin

The girls and I have been having a blast with Pop Beads. We make bracelets, rings and necklaces. The combinations are endless. I picked up this set at Target.

They store easliy in the container and are easy enough for little hands to handle. The girls love to make jewelry for everyone they know. It’s cute to see the different styles they come up with and who they think will love the look. The pieces are small, so I make sure they only play with them while they have supervision, which isn’t hard because the set is so fun.

Since it’s the start of a new month, I thought I would try to get my act together. My calendar is getting full already and I need to be on the ball to make sure it’s all done. Since I have strep right now, I figured I’d use my time on the sofa wisely. Here aer some activities I found at Reader’s Digest. They provide fun ideas to keep kids entertained while you finish up the dinner.

Paper Bag Turkeys What you’ll need: Paper grocery bags, newspapers, construction paper in a variety of colors, child-safe scissors, child-safe glue. Have each child stuff a bag with newspapers to form the main body of the turkey. To make head and neck, and features, let children cut out the shapes from construction paper and glue on.

Find the Bird What you’ll need: A paper turkey or a stuffed animal, blindfold. Blindfold one child, then hide the paper turkey or stuffed animal somewhere in the room. With the blindfold removed, the child must search for the prized bird. The other children watching shiver from the “cold” when the hunter is far away from the turkey, and fan themselves as the hunter gets “warmer.” Allow each child to get a turn as the hunter.

Turkey Treasure Hunt What you’ll need: Index cards, crayons. Have each child draw three pictures of turkeys on large index cards. Hide the cards throughout the house. Give the kids 15 minutes to find as many turkeys as they can. The one who finds the most wins.

Pin the Tail Feather on the Turkey What you’ll need: Sheet of poster paper, markers, adhesive tape, fake feather, blindfold. Tape a homemade picture of a turkey to the wall at a height that can be reached by the children. Blindfold each child for his turn, turn him around three times, and let him try to place the tail feather in the right spot. Once he places the feather on the poster, tape it onto that spot. The child who comes closest wins.

Gone Fishin’ What you’ll need: Cardboard, metal paper clips, an empty bucket, a broom, string. Cut pieces of cardboard into various holiday shapes (turkeys, Pilgrim hats, leaves) and attach a metal paper clip to each one. Put them all into a large empty bucket. Have the children fish for shapes using a broom with a string tied around the handle and a magnet on the end of the string. The kid who collects the most shapes wins.

Grab a bunch of buttons and start sorting! Kids love this activity, but make sure you supervise smaller kids so the buttons don’t find their way into your child’s mouth. You can use an egg carton to sort the buttons into compartments or you can just make different piles. Flea markets, craft stores, grandma’s house, etc are all great places to find a bunch of neat buttons for this idea. To start the sorting, spread the buttons out on a table. Encourage your child to choose the sorting categories. They can sort by color, number of holes, size, shape, pretty or not so pretty! Once they are sorted, mix them up again and start with a new category. You can use the same sorting idea with pieces of hardware, like nuts and bolts, socks from the laundry, a stack of photos, crayons, etc.

With our oldest starting Kindergarten this week, I’ve been pretty behind in my blogging! I hope to be back in the swing of things next week and my blog should get more regular again.

So for now, here’s a quick idea…slime! (courtesy of Anne Helmenstine and about.com)

You will need:

• water
• white glue (like Elmer’s™)
• borax
• food coloring (unless you want uncolored white slime)

Directions:

There are two components to slime. There is a borax and water solution and a glue, water, and food coloring solution. Prepare them separately.

1. Mix 1 teaspoon borax in 1 cup of water. Stir until the borax is dissolved.
2. In a separate container, mix 1/2 cup (4 oz) white glue with 1/2 cup water. Add food coloring, if desired.
3. After you have dissolved the borax and diluted the glue, you are ready to combine the two solutions. Stir one slime solution into the other. Your slime will begin to polymerize immediately.
4. The slime will become hard to stir after you mix the borax and glue solutions. Try to mix it up as much as you can, then remove it from the bowl and finish mixing it by hand. It’s okay if there is some colored water remaining in the bowl.
5. The slime will start out as a highly flexible polymer. You can stretch it and watch it flow. As you work it more, the slime will become stiffer and more like putty. Then you can shape it and mold it, though it will lose its shape over time. Don’t eat your slime and don’t leave it on surfaces that could be stained by the food coloring.
6. Store your slime in a sealed ziplock bag, preferably in the refrigerator. Insect pests will leave slime alone because borax is a natural pesticide, but you’ll want to chill the slime to prevent mold growth if you live in an area with high mold count. The main danger to your slime is evaporation, so keep it sealed when you’re not using it.

Begin your child’s kitchen adventure with…wooden spoons, plastic or metal mixing bowls, wire whisk, kid’s cookbook, step stool, hot pads, plastic nesting measuring cups, and a child sized apron.

Safety first. Keep young children away from a hot stove, oven, sharp knives and cheese graters.

Allow even the youngest chef to pour the ingredients into a bowl; flour, sugar, eggs etc. Remember to turn the mixer off first.

Cracking eggs can be a challenge for little chefs. Allow them to practice a bit by cracking the eggs into a separate bowl at first. then you can remove any shells before adding the eggs to remaining ingredients.

Keep the recipes simple at first. No bake cookie recipes, fresh fruit salad, smoothies, dips and sandwiches are a great start.

Start with a cookbook that has illustrations to coincide with the instructions. This will develop your child’s to ability to follow sequential instructions.

Purchase, or make an apron that is solely for your little cook to wear.

Here are the cute aprons our girls have, complete with their monogram on the front.

Consider switching from glass measuring cups, mixing bowls and baking dishes, to plastic. They are easier/safer for kids to manage and you may feel more comfortable.

Pour on the praise, if the outcome isn’t exactly as expected.

Expect a mess…spills will happen. Take it in stride and simply use the opportunity to teach that clean-up is one aspect of cooking.

Now get in the kitchen with your kids and make some magic!

I’m going to have the song from Blue’s Clues stuck in my head all morning! “Oh, here’s the mail it never fails it makes me wanna wag my tail, when it comes i wanna wail, MAIL!!!!” Now I’m not going to be the only one.
Anyway, a mailbox is a fun way to interact with your kids. You can make a mailbox out of a shoebox (just cut a slit in the lid so you can drop in the mail), or you can purchase one. Oriental Trading has some cute metal ones for about $3. There are also nice chipboard ones. You can pick up either style at your local craft store most of the time. Let your child decorate his mailbox. I think the chipboard ones are easier to work with if you want to use crayons, paint, and markers. With the metal ones, you can cover it with paper, stickers and magnets. Make one for yourself also because kids love to send mail to their parents as well!

After the mailboxes are ready, start the letter writing. You can add little notes of encouragement, draw them a picture, give them little treats, etc. They to send you drawings they make, sweet notes, etc also. If they have siblings, encourage them to send mail to each other. Make sure you put the flag up when you place some mail in the box!

For older children, this is a great way to keep lines of communication open and remind them how much they are loved. Even when they act like it’s cheesy (and you know they may!) they will secretly like the messages you leave for them. Compliments seem to last longer when you can read them over and over.

Awhile back a friend of mine shared a wonderful site with me. Thanks, Stacie! It is a place you can go read books online. What a great way to sample books before you buy them. Our girls also love to play on Mommy’s computer so this is a fun way to read to them.

Click here to go read some great books!

Quick and easy sponge ball toy for the pool, backyard water fun or the bathtub!

What you will need:

• Three kitchen sponges; the 3×5 size works best
• Zip ties or string

Directions:

1. Cut each sponge into thirds, lengthwise
2. Gather the 9 pieces together in a bundle
3. Center a zip tie around all the sponges and pull the tie through the hole. Pull the zip tie as tight as you can make it and cut the tail off. If you don’t have zip ties, you can always just tie them with string and knot it, cutting the tails off.
4. Fluff the strips to make a water ball toy.

There’s a wiggle in my toe,
Teacher don’t you know,
I’d love to stop the wiggle
‘Cause it makes me want to giggle.
I’ve done everything I can,
And I wanted you to know,
I just can’t stop
The wiggle in my toe.

Now there’s a wiggle in my feet,
And I think I should repeat
That I’d love to stop the wiggle
‘Cause it makes me want to giggle.
I’ve done everything I can,
And I know that it’s not neat.
I just can’t stop
The wiggle in my feet,
And in my toe.
OH, NO!

Now there’s a wiggle in my seat,
And just like my feet
I’d love to stop the wiggle
‘Cause it makes me want to giggle.
I’ve done everything I can,
And I know that it’s not neat,
I just can’t stop
The wiggle in my seat,
And in my feet,
And in my toe.
OH, NO!

Now there’s a wiggle in my knee,
And it sure bothers me.
I’d love to stop the wiggle
‘Cause it makes me want to giggle.
I’ve done everything I can,
And I hope that you see
I just can’t stop
The wiggle in my knee,
And in my seat,
And in my feet,
And in my toe.
OH, NO!

Now there’s a wiggle in my tummy,
And it’s not very funny.
I’d love to stop the wiggle
‘Cause it makes me want to giggle.
I’ve done everything I can,
I even tried a little honey.
I just can’t stop
The wiggle in my tummy,
And in my knee,
And in my seat,
And in my feet,
And in my toe.
OH, NO!

Now there’s a wiggle in my arm,
And it’s doing me no harm.
I’d love to stop the wiggle
‘Cause it makes me want to giggle.
I’ve done everything I can,
And I hope you’re not alarmed.
I just can’t stop
The wiggle in my arm,
And in my tummy,
And in my knee,
And in my seat,
And in my feet,
And in my toe.
OH, NO!

Now there’s a wiggle in my hand,
And it’s nothing that I planned.
I’d love to stop the wiggle
‘Cause it makes me want to giggle.
I’ve done everything I can,
And I hope you understand.
I just can’t stop
The wiggle in my hand,
And in my arm,
And in my tummy,
And in my knee,
And in my seat,
And in my feet,
And in my toe.
OH, NO!

Now there’s a wiggle in my head,
And it’s something that I dread.
I’d love to stop the wiggle
‘Cause it makes me want to giggle.
I’ve done everything I can,
I even tried a nap in bed.
I just can’t stop
The wiggle in my head,
And in my hand,
And in my arm,
And in my tummy,
And in my knee,
And in my seat,
And in my feet,
And in my toe.
OH, NO!

Now there’s a wiggle in my hair
And I think that I’ll stop there…

Words and Music By: Joe & Linda Scruggs
Copyright © 1984 Educational Graphics Press, Inc.
Austin, TX
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

It’s summer so that means it’s time for fun flip flops on your feet! I got this idea from Michaels.com They are quick and easy to make and you can really get creative with these. This would be a fun girls party idea too.

Materials Needed

• Flip Flops
• Crafting boa ( you can get them at craft stores and craft sections of stores like Walmart and Target)
• Glue gun
• Glue sticks
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Carefully poke one end of boa onto sole where the strap attaches.
2. Hot glue boa across strap leaving short tail to poke into sole on the other side to finish.

This is a fun snack that the kids can easily help you prepare. It will also teach them a bit of patience. Older kids can pour the juice and younger kids can poke in the sticks. There are many different combinations you can make so have fun with different flavors!

You will need

• Your favorite fruit juice
• Your favorite fruit
• Ice cube tray or small paper cups
• Aluminum foil
• Popsicle sticks or toothpicks

Directions

1. Pour the juice into the tray or cups
2. Drop in some fruit. Make sure you cut it up if it’s too big for the tray or cups
3. Cover the tray/cups with foil
4. Poke your sticks/toothpicks through the foil far enough to dip into the juice
5. Place your creation in the freezer
6. Wait a day and remove your popsicles from the freezer and enjoy!

Using a sharp knife, slice the hot dog in half lengthwise, leaving 1 to 2 inches connected at one end.

Roll the hot dog 90 degrees, and repeat, slicing lengthwise in half but leaving the 1 to 2 inches connected at one end. You should now have 4 legs for the octopus.

Of course, an octopus has 8 legs, so carefully cut each of the 4 hot dog legs in half. This is where a sharp knife is essential, because the legs will be thin and fragile with some hot dogs.

Boil in a pot of water until heated through. The legs will curl up some. Make a face with mustard and serve over Ramen noodle seaweed (throw some green food coloring into the water when they cook).