The Fun Parent - Easy Ways to Have Fun with Your Kids

Keeping in Touch with Grandparents - Writing Letters

2010-07-30T12:05:00.000-04:00

While technology is a wonderful tool to keep in touch, writing letters to each other is a very personal way of communicating. While many people send email regularly, handwritten letters are special and more likely to be saved for years to come. This is a great way to help your child to stay in touch with their grandparents.

Have your child and their grandparents pick out a journal together and take turns writing their thoughts in it. Encourage them to write stories about their life, share memories of each other, and ask each other questions. For long distance grandparents, take turns writing in the journal and mail the book to each other. If mailing it is an obstacle, have your child and his grandparents write letters to each other and store the letters in a special box.

Looking for Ways to Occupy Your Kids on a Trip?

2010-07-28T09:36:00.001-04:00

If you are headed on a late summer vacation and looking for a way to amuse your child on the trip, check out the Never Bored Books by Evan Moore. These books are brightly colored activity books that are both educational and fun. The books are divided by age and start at age four and go up to age nine. The activities vary from word searches, to cut-and-paste art simple projects. My kids always ask for me to pick up a new one before we head out of town. These would be good for the car, plane or at a hotel room.

Since some of the activities require glue and scissors, I put a glue stick, scissors, crayons and pencil in a bag for each child. Be sure that if you are flying on a plane that you pack the scissors instead of trying to carry them on.

Beach Games

2010-07-27T10:57:00.001-04:00

Since are going to be heading to the beach in a few weeks, I was looking for some ideas of fun games to play with the kids and found "Fun Beach Games for Kids" on About.com. While some of the ideas are things that we typically do, such as shelling and building sand castles, I think that my kids would really enjoy the limbo idea. Many of these games would be especially fun if you are vacationing with a group or family reunion.

One of my kids favorite things to do on the beach is to have my husband and I bury them in sand. My daughter loves it when we cover her in sand and make her a mermaid tale. And then they get the fun of breaking out of the sand.

What do you like to do with your kids on the beach?

iPhone Apps for Kids

2010-07-27T08:42:00.001-04:00

I am guilty of occassionally handing my kids my iPhone to play with in a doctor's office waiting room or went a restaurant meal is taking a long time. I am always looking for new (and hopefully free) entertaining and somewhat educational games for them to play in these moments of desperation. I was excited to run across an article on Parenting.com on 25 iPhone Apps for Kids.

Most of the apps listed in the article are ones that I have not downloaded and am very excited to try them. I think that my kids will enjoy Word Search, Mad Libs Junior and Reversi. I am positive that my son will quickly become addicted to Checkers since he loves playing in real life.

My kids current favorite iPhone app is the Game of Life. Although, it's $4.99 they have played it more than any other game and it has well been worth the price.

What iphone apps do your kids like?

Christmas in July

2010-07-26T13:03:00.000-04:00

Our church is doing a fundraiser to help families who can not afford school supplies and back-to-school clothes. We found several families who are struggling and created an "Angel" tree with their back-to-school needs. Church members are going to buy items, such as backpacks, shoes and supplies for the families.

If you know a family who is struggling this year, I encourage you to see if there is a way that you can help them afford back-to school supplies.

Swimming Safety Tips

2010-07-22T05:09:00.001-04:00

Earlier in the summer I interviewed Peter McKenzie at teh Great Wolf Lodge about water safety. Since we are in the heart of pool season, I thought it would be a good time to share his tips for keeping your kids safe in the water.

Peter McKenzie, director of aquatics, Great Wolf Lodge – Concord, recommends that if your child is not an independent swimmer you should have them wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket when in the water. “Water wings and other learn-to-swim devices are not life saving devices,” says McKenzie. He also encourages parents to participate with their child in the water and stay within an arms length of her while swimming. “Children can drown in under a minute. Things can happen very quickly in the water,” says McKenzie.

Be sure to watch your children at all times when they are in the water and do not rely on lifeguards to supervise your kids. If you are with a group of friends or at a private pool, do not assume that someone else is watching your kids just because there are a lot of people around. You may want to designate at least one person who does not participate in the conversation to watch the kids for a certain period of time and take turns.

10 Kids CD's to Take on a Desert Island

2010-07-22T05:02:00.004-04:00

I will admit it. Most children's music makes me batty. I believe that I aged several years during my daughters Wiggles obsession when she was a toddler. I am pleased that she is moving towards pop music to spare me the agony (although that has opened up a whole other set of issues).

I stumbled across an article on http://www.education.com/ that listed 10 Kids CD's to Take on a Desert Island and was very intrigued. I had listend to the They Might Be Giants Kids CD and an earlier one of Laurie Berkner and was actually able to tolerate both of those for more then three minutes at time. Hopefully the rest of the list is of the same "parent appropriate" quality.

What kid's CD's do your kids like and which ones do you find listenable?

Summer Reading

2010-07-21T04:58:00.000-04:00

I recently wrote an "Encouraging Your Child to Read Over Summer Break" (page 40) that was published in several regional parenting magazines around the country on ways to keep your child reading over the summer. Check it out for tips on how to keep your kid interested in reading during summer. What are some ways that you keep your child reading over the summer?

Do-A-Dot Paints

2010-07-20T07:53:00.001-04:00

When my kids were toddlers, I got a set of Do-A-Dot paints as a birthday present and quickly became a huge fan. Because the tube are big, they can easiliy be held by little hands. And the best part of them is that there is very little mess. The kids get the fun of painting without me spending thirty minutes cleaning up. I have found the regular set to be totally washable and the Neon set is "mostly" washable, but we had an issue where the bright green didn't come off a white shirt. The paints can also stain there hands, but will usually wear off by the next day.

A quarter for my time

2010-07-19T07:48:00.001-04:00

When possible I try to use natural consequences with my kids. One of the problems that we've been having lately is that both of my kids "forget" to put up their dishes after eating, put their socks away or put their dirty clothes in the hamper. I usually have to remind them several times and I end up frustrated.

Two weeks ago, I put a post it note on the fridge and told them that each time I had to remind them of one of these things that I would put a mark next to the week. At the end of the week, they would have to pay me a quarter from their allowance for each mark. I explained that because reminding them to do things that were there responsibility took time, they would be paying me for the time that I spent. The first week, one child lost two dollars and the other lost $1.50. By the third week, I didn't have to write any marks at all.

Put on Your Listening Ears

2010-07-16T07:35:00.001-04:00

Use this game when you need your child to remember their manners, such as a restaurant, movie theatre, or museum. Before you enter the building, gather your kids up and say dramatically “I have something important to tell you. Can anyone tell me what type of ears we need to wear in the museum?” After your kids tell you the correct answer, say “You are right. Let’s put on our listening ears. I think that mine are in my shoe.” Dramatically pretend to pull your ears out of your shoe and put them on while your child does the same. Have your child find his listening ears and pretend to put them on. You can also do this with walking feet or inside voice. If you child forgets their manners, whisper to her, “You must have put your listening ears back in your belly button when I wasn’t looking. Let’s find them again and put them back on.”

Apples to Apples Junior

2010-07-15T07:25:00.001-04:00

Since it has been so hot lately, I picked up Apples to Apples Junior last week to give us a new game to play. My kids have been on a board game kick and I am pretty sure that I have reached my limit on Uno.

Apples to Apples had been recommended by a friend and we have really enjoyed it. While the ages say nine and up, my eight year old can easily play it and my seven-year old just needs occassional help with reading a few words. The premise of the game that the one person is the Judge each round and puts down a green card. The other players pick a card from their own hand that is most like the card that is played (hence the name Apples to Apples). Many of the cards are silly and the answers that the kids have come up with have made us all laugh.

In addition to being fun, both of my kids have learned several new vocabulary words. I highly recommend Apples to Apples Junior and we plan on getting the regular version (for ages 12 and up) in a few years.

Kid's Magazines

2010-07-14T07:32:00.002-04:00

Magazine subscriptions are a great way to encourage reading because your child receives a new issue each month and you can get magazines on topics that interest your child, such as sports or science. If you child enjoys comics, encourage him to read comic books and find series that he enjoys.

Over the years we have subscribed to several different magazines. When my kids were toddlers they enjoyed Wild Animal Baby and then graduated to My Big Backyard. I find it interesting that both of my kids love Highlights, which was my favorite magazine growing up. My daughter is obsessed with her American Girl magazine and I am planning on getting my son Sports Illustrated for Kids.

What magazines do your kids enjoy?

Beach Shell Picture Frame

2010-07-13T07:17:00.000-04:00

If you are headed to the beach this summer, a fun way to preserve the memories are to make a picture frame. Buy an unfinished picture frame and have your child paint it their favorite color. Show her how to glue shells to the frame. I have found that Tacky Glue works the best. Elmers glue isn't strong enough to hold the shells.

After the frame dries, put your favorite picture in the frame.

Cleanup Idea - Dress for the Chore

2010-07-12T14:16:00.002-04:00

An easy way to make cleanup more fun is to have a special dress up outfit for cleaning. For younger kids, find a silly hat, such as a princess tiara or cowboy hat, and designate it their cleanup hat. Keep it in a special place and only bring it out when it’s time to clean up. Pamela Waterman, mom of three, would give each of her daughters a different color bandana to wear during cleanup time.

When it’s time for Shayla Perry’s four kids to help around the house, she tells her kids that they are now part of the “Official Cleaning Crew.” She had her kids come up with a name for their cleaning service, and she wrote their names and name of their company on fabric aprons. She gives each kid plastic gloves and walkie talkies. The kids enjoy updating each other on their walkie talkies. Her son is the designated “foreman” and delegates tasks to the rest of the “crew.” You can also give each child a bucket with their name on it for their cleaning supplies.

Beach Wind Chime

2010-07-05T21:39:00.001-04:00

If you headed to the beach for the holiday weekend and returned with a bunch of shells, try this easy shell craft. With just shells, a wire coat hanger and some string, you can create a simple Beach Wind Chime. This is a great way to remember your beach vacation.

Online Summer Craft Camp

2010-07-02T09:09:00.000-04:00

A few years ago, I ran across this Summer Craft Camp on The Idea Box website. It is designed for parents to do at home with their children over the summer break. Each week has a theme, such as Pirates, Bugs or Fourth of July. During each week, each day has a snack, game, craft and book planned. I found the activities to be fun and easy to plan. We have done several of these themes over the summer and I find myself searching for this webiste each year.

We really enjoyed the Awesome America week last year and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for fun ways to teach your kids about the Fourth of July.

Reduce the Mess

2010-06-30T07:01:00.001-04:00

We love art projects, but sometimes the mess makes me tell my kids know when they ask to pull out the art supplies. A tip that has worked well in our house to reduce the mess is to have the kids put their paper on a plastic school lunch tray when they are painting. This way any extra paint gets on the tray instead of the table and when it is time to move the painting, you can just move the tray. I like this idea because I no longer have to dispose of paint filled newspaper when they are done. And I don't know if it's just my kids, but when I spread out paper, they seem to end up making a mural on the paper.

Firecracker Crowns - Fourth of July Craft

2010-06-30T07:01:00.000-04:00

I got this idea for Firecracker Crowns from Family Fun three years ago. My kids wear them every Fourth of July and always get a lot of compliments.
If your children are younger, you may want to cut out the foam strips ahead of time since that part can be time consuming. I recommend using foam star stickers instead of cutting and gluing the starts. I simply stuck two stickers with the sticky side together at the end of the pipe cleaners.

If you live in a humid area, use duct tape instead of masking tape. The first year we wore the hats, the tape fell off from the humidity when we walked outside. We were able to repair the hats using duct tape and haven't had a problem since.

Have a Cleanup Song

2010-06-28T21:02:00.000-04:00

Many preschool teachers have their kids sing a special song while cleaning up. You can use one that your kids use at school or you can make up your own for your family.

For older kids, you can designate a song from the radio or have a special CD that is clean up music. Pick a song that is upbeat and motivating. When my kids were younger, we used the Backyardigans CD as our clean up music and now “Party in the USA” is our designated chore song.

Summer Reading Programs

2010-06-25T08:48:00.002-04:00

My kids, especially my daughter, loves summertime because she tries to earn as much free stuff as she can through various summer reading programs. Our library offers an incentive program and the kids are entered in a drawing for reading so many books. Other libraries are giving prizes.

Here are some national summer reading programs:

Borders Summer Reading Double Dog Dare Program for Kids under 12 - Read any ten books and get one free book from a list of twelve different titles. You must print, fill out form and take in-store to redeem.

Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge - While Scholastic isn't offering prizes, my daughter is still excited abou this site because she can help break the world record. Your child can log their reading, play games and get ideas for new books to read.

Barnes and Noble Summer Reading - If your child reads eight books over the summer, they can pick out a free book. You can download the form online, but will need to go into a store to pick out your free book.

Anyone know of any other summer reading programs?

Starfall.com

2010-06-24T08:38:00.002-04:00

If you have a child learning to read, head over to http://www.starfall.com/. This free website helped both of my kids learn to read and several of their friends. While the graphics seem simple to adults, I was impressed by how much my kids learned from this site. Both kids especially enjoyed the videos and silly songs. You can also print out worksheets and easy reading books for them to work on offline.

Joint Birthday Parties

2010-06-23T08:29:00.000-04:00

If you are looking to simply your child’s birthday party and save money, consider having a joint birthday party. A joint birthday party is when two or more children whose birthdays are near each other have their birthday party together. Typically joint birthday parties are held with classmates or other children who have the same friends. This type of party works well for small children because you often invite the whole preschool or Kindergarten class to birthday parties at this age.

For my daughter's first birthday, we had a joint party with two other babies for all the people in the neighborhood. It saved money, hassle and was a lot of fun.

Make Art Time Less Messy

2010-06-22T08:24:00.002-04:00

My kids and I love doing art projects together, but we sure don't enjoy cleaning up. One of the easiest ways to clean up is to cover the table with a plastic table cloth. When you are done, you let the paint dry and then fold it up for next time. I find this easier than newspaper because I am not searching through the recycle bin looking for paper and I don't have to throw it away.

Packing for the Pool

2010-06-21T20:24:00.002-04:00

Try to keep pool bag packed so that when your family decides to head to the pool, you can be out the door quickly. Each time you get back from the pool, repack the bag with fresh towels and toys. Mesh bags are great for carrying toys because any water on the toys will drain from the bag. You will only need to add bottles of water and snacks before you go to the pool. You may also want to keep your pool bag stashed in your car for those last minute trips.

Connecting with Grandparents - Set Up Dates

2010-06-18T07:34:00.000-04:00

Although babysitting grandchildren is a good way to spend time together, it is also important for children spend time with their grandchildren on other occasions. For grandparents who live close by, set up a regular time each week or month for your kids to spend time with them. This establishes a relationship and memories outside of you and other siblings. The date can be for a few hours after school or for a sleepover on the weekend. By setting a regular schedule, such as the first Saturday of the month or every other Wednesday, this special time together is less likely to get overlooked. If your child’s grandparents live long distance, try to set up a date for your child to spend time alone with their grandparent during visits.

Since one set of my children's grandparent's live very close, we have set up weekly dates and I have been happily surprised at what a positive impact it is had on their relationship. Both my kids and grandparents look forward to their date.

Pool Toy Tips

2010-06-17T09:39:00.001-04:00

Now that it is summer, the kids and I have been heading to the pool as much as possible. Last weekend, we bought a few new pool toys for the season. After learning the hard way last summer, I wrote our last name in permanent marker on all of our toys before we used them.

We only bought a few toys this year because I learned last year that within a few weeks the lost and found bin at our pool is full of toys. When we get to the pool, the kids will take one or two toys from the bin to play with and then return them before we leave.

Toddler/Preschool Art Idea - Make a Collage

2010-06-16T07:38:00.001-04:00

Collages are a fun and easy way for little ones to express their creativity. To create a collage, have your toddler put small pieces of tissue paper onto one half of a piece of contact paper. Fold the contact paper over, punch a hole in the top and tie a piece of yarn through it to create a sun catcher.

You can also make collages by gluing pieces of construction paper, fabric or cotton balls. You can create collages on shoe boxes, plastic bottles, cardboard and construction paper. To keep the mess down, show your child how to use a glue stick. For older toddlers, you can put a small amount of glue in the lid of a plastic bottle and show her how to spread the glue using a q-tip.

Books on ipod

2010-06-15T07:43:00.001-04:00

My family and I are headed on a road trip this week. For past trips, we've gotten books on CD to listen to during the trip. The downside is that we can't always agree on the books to listen to and I have a hard time keeping up with seven different CD's for the books.

Last week, I discovered that our library has electronic audio books that you can download from the website to your ipod. For this trip, I am going to download a book for each child. One can listen to the book on their book on my iphone while the other one uses my ipod. And I can listen to whatever music I want to while I drive.

Summer Reading Tip

2010-06-14T07:32:00.001-04:00

Now that my kdis are out of school for the summer, I have been thinking of ways to help encourage them to read during the break. Since many kids are motivated by using the computer, watching TV and playing video games, I have been thinking of setting up an incentive program where they can earn extra screen time tickets through reading. For example, if my daughter reads for 30 minutes during the day, then they earn two tickets that they can exchange to watch an extra television program that night.

What some ways that you are encouraging your child to read over break?

Book Review: Momology: A Mom's Guide to Shaping Great Kids

2010-06-11T13:06:00.001-04:00

I recently finished reading “Momology: A Mom’s Guide to Shaping Great Kids” by Shelly Radic. The premise of the book is that mothering is both an art and a science. Many days, I feel that other moms are doing the job of mothering better than me, but this book made me feel less alone and realize that all mom’s struggle. One of the things that sets this book apart from other mothering books is the Christian focus and the practical advice spread throughout the book.

The book is divided into four sections; Core, Fitness, Circle and Grandscape. The only negative I can say about the book is sometimes I found the section divisions and numbering to be a bit confusing. I personally found the Core section to be the most personally applicable and it made me realize all the different people in our lives who love and support our family. I also found the practical advice in this section about connecting with your spouse when you have small children in your home to be very helpful.

Another idea that I found really helpful from the book is that mom’s need to evaluate the time and energy that daily tasks/chores take from their day and make any changes that they can. I found the list of common mom daily duties to be helpful and made me realize how many things I do each day that I can probably reprioritize. I also thought that the specific advice on creating a family schedule and scheduling time to be useful.

Throughout the book, Radic includes “Voices”, which are short tips from real moms and “Field Study” which are stories about relevant situations that other mom’s have encountered. I really enjoyed both of these sections and they helped me to apply the authors points to my own life.

I highly recommend this book to any mom’s looking to find ways to enjoy their days of being a mother more.

“Available June 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

**Although Revell provided this book to me, this review is my honest opinion and thoughts.

Vacation Traditions

2010-06-10T07:02:00.000-04:00

A great way to create memories of your vacation is to start a family tradition of items to collect while on vacation. My family collects refrigerator magnets of places that we visit. When I open the fridge after a long day, I am often reminded of our fun trips together by looking at the various magnets. A neighbors family collects sand from each place that she visits and another family we know collects shells from every beach they visit.

Does your family have any vacation traditions?

Have a Special Dance

2010-06-09T20:58:00.000-04:00

When your child finishes a task that he didn’t want to do, have a special dance that you do together to celebrate. You can have a Clean Teeth dance or a Clean Room Dance. Make the dance as silly as possible and be sure that all of the grownups in the room join in the fun. My son really enjoyed doing the clean plate club dance each night when he was done with dinner. He had a great time and we enjoyed watching his adorable dance.

Great Outdoor Art Idea from Gail

2010-06-08T12:41:00.000-04:00

Gail posted a great outdoor art project for the summer and wanted to make sure that everyone saw it.

One of her favorite activities to with your own kids and the children from the preschool she ran at her home was to give the kids basting brush and cup of water so they could paint the concrete on hot days. Her kids also enjoyed painting large boxes with watered down poster paint. Gail says that she would put a wading pool with water nearby so that the kids could jump in the water to clean up when they were done.

Thanks Gail for sharing this great idea!

Congratulations to Jan for Winning Our First Giveaway!

2010-06-07T20:10:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in our first giveaway and shared your tips for cooking with kids! Our winner of the Paula Deen’s Cookbook for the Lunchbox Set is Jan Udlock. Congratulations Jan!

Education.com Summer Activity Challenge

2010-06-07T07:35:00.000-04:00

If you are looking for fun ways to keep your child learning over the summer, head over to http://www.education.com/. In addition to many great articles, there are thousands of educational games, crafts and activities for children Pre-K through high school on the site. This site is personally one of my favorite sites for finding educational projects to do with my kids. With most of the activities, your kids will be having so much fun to realize that they are learning something. The activities are organized by subject and grade to make it easy to find what you are looking for.
Over the summer, Education.com is having their Summer Activity Challenge. If you complete one activity each week, you are entered in a weekly drawing for a LEGO prize pack. Each family who completes 10 activities by August 29th will be entered in a drawing for a Grand Prize of a weeklong vacation to Cancun. For more information and to register, click here.

Last Day of School Celebrations

2010-06-04T07:37:00.001-04:00

Every year I plan to do something to celebrate the end-of-the-school year with my kids, but those plans never seem to happen. I am always just too tired by the end of the year activities to get something fun planned. To make up for my guilt, I usually end up taking them to their favorite fast food restaurant as a special treat and that has somehow become our tradition.

I found a great article titled “Schools Out Celebration” that has a bunch of easy ways to celebrate the end of school. The idea of creating a bucket of fun with new crayons and other projects in a sandbucket sounds like a fun way to kick off summer. I also really like the idea of making a “Welcome to Summer” banner for the kids to run through when the get home from school on the last day. I think that my kids would really enjoy this – After they eat their Happy Meal at McDonalds, of course.

What traditions to do you have for the last day of school?

Reminder - Giveaway Ends Sunday

2010-06-04T07:35:00.001-04:00

The Fun Parent is giving away Paula Deen's Cookbook for the Lunchbox Set on Sunday. Be sure to post your best kids cooking tip here.

Letterboxing

2010-06-03T07:26:00.001-04:00

Last summer when I was looking for fun things to do with the kids over break, I found an article about letterboxing. After doing a little research, I printed off clues from http://www.letterboxing.org/ to a letterbox near our house, found a loose-leaf notebook to use as a logbook and bought a dachshund stamp for our family stamp. We then spent the afternoon at a park near our house searching for letterboxes that other people had hidden. When we found the box hiding in the pine straw behind a large oak tree, the kids squealed with the delight of finding a hidden treasure.

After we opened the letterbox ( a Tupperware container), we carefully flipped through the pages of the log book in the box and looked at the stamps of the letterboxers who had found the box before us. Laurel carefully put our family stamp into the logbook and Trevor wrote our name on the page. We then stamped the watermelon stamp that we found in the letterbox into our own log book and wrote a few sentences about our journey to find the box. After we were done, we carefully hid the box back in the same spot for the next letterboxer to find.

Over the past year, we have found many letterboxes throughout the Triangle area and even hidden two of our own boxes. In addition to being a fun, cheap and healthy way to spend time together, we have discovered many new places in the area that we may not have found otherwise. We had passed by a trail at a local park at least a hundred times over the years, but never ventured down it. While searching for a letterbox at the lake, discovered that the path leads to a beautiful creek that has turned into one of our favorite spots to play in the water and skip rocks.

I’ve found that since my kids love treasure hunts, that it’s a great way to get them outside and exploring. When I ask them if they want to go for a hike, they usually respond with a groan. However, if I ask if they want to go letterboxing, they say yes and start looking for their shoes. And as an added bonus, I think that I probably enjoy letterboxing even more than they do.

Teacher Appreciation - Write A Letter

2010-06-02T07:40:00.007-04:00

Since this is the kids last week of school before summer break, we have been getting together teacher apprecation gifts. I recently wrote an article on teacher appreciation and was surprised that every single teacher I interviewed for the article said that their favorite gift that they get is personal notes from students and parents. All of the teachers that I spoke with said that they save the letters and read them through the years. They loved it most when the kids wrote the notes in their own handwriting and included special memories of the year.

So this year we are going to give our teachers a gift card to a book store and handwritten notes from both me and the kids.

What do you do for your child's teacher at the end of the year?

Giveaway: Paula Deen's Cooking for the Lunchbox Set

2010-06-01T09:51:00.001-04:00

Cooking with your kid is a great way to spend time with your kid over the summer. You can also make it educational by having preschoolers count the number of stirs and set the timer. Older kids can read the recipe, learn about measurements and write a shopping lists.

This week we are going to giveaway Paula Deen's Cooking for the Lunchbox set. Here's how it works: Post your favorite tip for cooking with kids as a comment to this post by Sunday, June 6th. You can post your favorite cookbook/recipe, favorite tip for making the project run smoothly or a way to make it educational.

A winner will be picked at random from everyone who comments and will be announced on Monday.

Bright Colored Bathing Suits

2010-05-31T09:36:00.000-04:00

When my daughter was four years old, my mother gave her a neon orange bathing suit for Easter. When she opened the package, my mom noticed my wrinkled nose and told me that in a few weeks I would be thanking her for the bright colored bathing suit because it would be easier for me to keep track of Laurel.

Now that Laurel is older and swimming independently, I can see the wisdom of my mom's logic even more. I spent most of Memorial Day at the pool trying to figure out which of the three children wearing the same brown bikini was my daughter. I have to admit that bright colored suits make it much easier to keep a closer eye on your kid at the pool or beach.

My tip of the day is to make sure that you buy a bright colored or at least unique bathing suit for your child. I have to admit that neon orange suits should get priority.

Making Putting on Sunscreen More Fun

2010-05-28T08:18:00.000-04:00

Now that the weather has turned hot, be sure to remember to put sunscreen on your kids whenever they are outside.

If your children are not cooperative when you put sunscreen on them, try making up a silly name for it, such as Magic Fairy Lotion or Superman Juice. You can also have him decorate the sunscreen bottle with stickers. Some parents have found that the spray on screen is easier to apply to squirmy kids because you do not have to rub it in. Another way to make sunscreen application more fun is have them help put sunscreen on your back and arms after you apply it to them.

Be sure to apply waterproof sunscreen to both you and your children’s skin when you are outdoors this summer, even when it is cloudy outside. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you apply sunscreen of at least SPF 15 thirty minutes before heading outside. You should reapply sunscreen every two hours. Protective clothing, such as hats, sunglasses and cotton clothing should be worn when you are not in the water to provide extra protection.

Paint with Water

2010-05-27T08:39:00.001-04:00

When my daughter was fifteen months, I accidently discovered a great art activity. I had put her in her highchair to color with some crayons. When I went to tape down the construction paper, her high chair tray was still a bit wet and the paper changed colors where the water touched the paper. She was fascinated by this and kept yelling “That, That” (her all purpose word). I then dried off the table and taped down a fresh piece of construction paper. I then got her a paint brush and put some water in a no spill container. Note: These are must have for any painting project with kids and I highly recommend them. I then showed her how to tip the paint brush into the water and paint on the construction paper with the water. She was fascinated by this and we spent hours over the next few weeks painting with water.

Once she got the hang of it, we graduated to water colors. I would put water in all of the colors of paint for her before we got started to make it easier. To keep the mess to a minimum I would tape down the paper and we would always do this project in the high chair. I was surprised how she was able to paint with water colors at such a young age and how relatively mess free it was. She was much more engrossed in this than finger painting, which seemed to take an hour of clean up for 5 minutes of art.

Relay Game Idea – Potato Chip Can Relay

2010-05-26T07:38:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, I helped out at the field day at my kid’s school and was really impressed by one of the games that they played. Both of these were very simple in prep and cleanup and could easily be played at a Memorial Day cookout or other party.

What you need:

• Two empty potato chip cans
• Two balls (baseball sized)
• Four cones or other markers

Before the relay:

1. Set up the cones so that two cones are about 25 feet from each other.

2. Divide the kids into two even teams.

3. Show the kids how to balance the ball on the open end of the potate chip can.

4. Explain that when you say go that they will need to walk or run to the other cone and back while balancing the ball on the potatoe chip can. If they drop the ball, they will need to start over.

5. When they get back to the starting line, they hand the ball and can to the next child. Tell the kids that the first time to have all of their players make it to the cone and back wins.

6. Start the race and watch the kids have fun. When the race is over, congratulate the winning team. If the kids had fun, be sure to have another race.

Meaning of Memorial Day

2010-05-25T07:12:00.003-04:00

On the way home from school the other day, my son asked me why they got Memorial Day off school. I realized that we had spent previous Memorial Day having cookouts and relaxing, but that I never explained the meaning of Memorial Day to my kids. I explained to them that the day was to honor veterans who have served our country, but realized that I wanted to help them to understand the meaning a bit more.

After looking online, I found this great article, “Teach Kids the Meaning of Memorial Day” that gives some very concrete ways to help your children understand the holiday. So this Memorial Day we are going to make a flag craft and write a letter to soldiers overseas.

How do you help you kids understand the meaning of Memorial Day?

Kick-the-Can

2010-05-24T07:01:00.001-04:00

When I was growing up, one of my fondest memories of summer was playing Kick-the-Can with my friends in the neighborhood. Although you can play in the daytime, we used to have a blast playing at night. I realized last week that I had yet to introduce my kids to this fun game.

Over the holiday weekend, I hope to start a rousing game of kick-the-can in my yard with my family. Check out how to play Kick-the-Can.
Are there any favorite games you used to play outside growing up that you want to share with your kids?

Easy Weekend Activity - Backyard Scavenger Hunt

2010-05-21T07:12:00.001-04:00

If you are looking for something fun to do this weekend with your kids, head outside and have a backyard scavenger hunt. I ran across this activity idea for a Backyard Scavenger Hunt on the National Wildlife Federation’s website The Green Hour. You can print out this list of nature items and organize a simple hunt with your family or neighbors in your yard. I like the list of items a lot because most of them are simple enough for younger kids, but there are also some such as signs of a mammal or two types of seeds that will make this activity challenging for older kids also. To make the hunt easier, give each team a clipboard to write on and a small bag to collect their items.

If you haven’t seen the Green Hour website, be sure to check it out. You can find a lot of educational and fun things to do outside on this site. The Nature Find link is especially helpful in finding nearby parks or natural areas to take your kids.

Strawberry Picking

2010-05-20T09:02:00.001-04:00

This past weekend we took our annual trip to the strawberry farm and had a great time picking fresh strawberries. The kids insisted on bringing their beach buckets and were very intent on finding the perfect berries. Everyone, including me, sampled the berries in the field. If you head out to the strawberry fields, be sure to wear a hat and sunscreen since the fields are in the sun. Most farms also request that you leave your dogs at home.

My kids beg me to take them apple picking each fall, but there are no places near us. I keep meaning to take them blueberry picking in the summer, but always seem to forget. Hopefully this will be the summer that we actually make it to a blueberry farm.

Anyone else take their kids to a you-pick it farm?

Hats, Tea and a Worthy Cause

2010-05-19T07:00:00.003-04:00

This past weekend my daughter and I got invited to a tea party that my friend Jodi and her daughter hosted. Jodi asked guests to bring items to help a local domestic violence shelter. I realized that I had never specifically talked to my daughter about domestic violence and took the opportunity to talk about the topic while we shopped for toiletries to donate.

Before the party, we also made hats together for the hat contest that was going to take place at the party. We got $2 straw hats at a craft store and my daughter decorated both hats using ribbon, butterflies from the dollar store and some ribbon. She was very proud of the hats that she made for both of us.

This would also make an inexpensive and fun project for a birthday party or sleepover.

At the party, we tasted various teas and voted on our favorite hats. My daughter was thrilled to drink out of the tea cups and I realized at the party that she had never had hot tea. She was fascinated by the different types (her favorite was raspberry) and enjoyed dropping the sugar into the hot tea.

Jodi had information on the various domestic abuse shelters in the area and brought the donated items to the shelter after the party. Both the grownups and the kids had a great time at the tea and we helped a worthy cause.

I thought that this was a great way to socialize with friends and help others at the same time.

Birthday Tradition - Decorate the Birthday Kid's Bedroom

2010-05-17T07:57:00.002-04:00

When I was working on an article a few months ago, I came across a idea that I would like to start as a fun tradition with my kids. When the birthday kid has gone to bed the night before the big day, I am going to sneak into the room and decorate it. One of the ideas that I came across was making a happy birthday sign to hang on the wall and have the rest of the family write a note to the birthday kid on the note. I also liked the idea of blowing up balloons and put the balloons in the room. I think that my daughter would really like it if I also make a magic curtain door out of crepe paper.

My son has a birthday this summer and I think I am going to try this out. I'll let you know how it goes.

Connecting with Grandparents Through Books

2010-05-15T07:00:00.002-04:00

If you live in a different city from your parents or in-laws, consider helping your children stay connected to their grandparents through books.

For younger children, encourage the grandparent to make a digital video recording of them reading a book to your child. They can either send the file to you or put the video on a video sharing website such as YouTube. If they are unfamiliar with the technology, you can set up the tools for them on your next visit. While your child is watching the video, have her follow along with her own copy of the same book. My mom made a digital recording of her reading Very Hungry Catpailler to my daughter when she was a toddler and Laurel really enjoyed looking at the book while Mimi “read it to her” on the recording.

An idea for children reading chapter books is to have her ask his grandparents to read the same book that she is reading. Encourage them to talk about the book after they have both finished. Once they have finished with the book, have the grandparent pick out a book to read together next.

Impromptu Water Park

2010-05-13T12:36:00.000-04:00

Last week was really hot here in North Carolina and my kids wanted to go swimming, but the pools won’t be open for another week or two. We turned our front yard into a make shift water park.

We filled up our small pool, brought out the slip n slide and even filled up some water balloons left over from last summer. I was surprised how quickly the neighborhood boys flocked to our house at the mere sight of water balloons. As an afterthought, I turned on the sprinkler and was amazed that the kids spent at least an hour playing in sprinkler. It made me remember that oftentimes the simplest things are really the best.

When they waterlogged, I pulled out some clean paint brushes (larger ones that we use for house painting projects) and gave each child a bucket of water. My kids spent hours painting the driveway with water. At one point, the boys found the water guns from last summer and began battling in the front yard. While my daughter and I were not as amused, the boys were delighted.

When my kids were toddlers and preschoolers, I would fill up a large plastic container with water and put in some toys. This was a lot easier than filling up the kiddie pool and provided just as much fun for the kids.

Any water related ideas that your kids enjoy?

How I Got My Kids to Eat Zucchini

2010-05-12T12:33:00.002-04:00

Both of my kids are pretty limited to the vegetables that they will eat. Laurel pretty much only eats green beans while my son’s repertoire also includes broccoli. However, last summer my husband decided to plant a vegetable garden with the kids. Since we were already into late spring when he planted it, he bought some plants from the garden store to save time. Our garden included tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, squash, zucchini, eggplant and even a watermelon plant.

I figured that the kids would enjoy the garden and wasn’t surprised when they spent a lot of time taking care of it. But I was totally shocked when my children actually ate the vegetables that they had grown. Both kids discovered that they actually enjoyed squash and eggplant. Zucchini didn’t get as high of marks, but at least they tried it.

This year my husband started the garden earlier in a small greenhouse box that he bought and we started some plants from seeds. My son is very proud of the fact that he is actually growing his own broccoli. We transplanted the plants into our vegetable garden and are looking forward to watching them grow.

It’s not too late to start a vegetable garden with your kids this year. Garden stores sell a large variety of vegetable plants that will help you get started. Even if you don’t have a space to plant a vegetable garden, you can grow some tomatoes in a container. We had very good luck last year with the Big Boy and Better Boy variety.

Tell a Secret

2010-05-09T20:09:00.002-04:00

Last week a friend was trying to get her four-year old child to come to her at the playground, but her daughter was ignoring her calls. I asked her if I could try something that works with my kids and my friend was game.

I told the girl that I had a really good secret to tell her, but I could only tell her when she tagged my hand. I held my hand out and watched her sprint across the playground to me. When she touched my hand, I bent down and whispered dramatically in her ear that my favorite color was purple. Her eyes lit up and she told me that her favorite color was pink. She then took her mother’s hand and happily walked to the car.

I’ve been using this game since my kids were toddlers with amazing success. My eight and a half year old daughter has caught onto it, but my six year old son will still fall for it. The actual secret that you tell her isn’t as important as acting like it is the most important secret in the world. You can tell her something silly like you saw a purple cow yesterday, that you love her very much or even a knock-knock joke.

Last Minute Mother's Day Craft Ideas

2010-05-06T20:38:00.000-04:00

Although my family has given me many wonderful Mother's Day gifts over the years, my favorite ones have been the handmade ones. One year my husband painted an old end-table and had the kids decorate it with their handprints. I cried when they gave it to me and am sure that it will be one of my most treasured possessions for the rest of my life.

If any dad’s are looking for some last minute gifts to help their child make, here are a few easy suggestions.

Decorated Flower Pot

Buy a small medium-sized terra cotta flower pot and have your child paint the pot. After the paint dries, decorate the pot with foam stickers or sequins. Pick out a pretty plant or flower and plant it in the pot together. Be sure to have your child write her name and age on the bottom of the pot.

Special Picture Frame

Have your child paint an unfinished wooden picture frame his mother's favorite color. Help him decorate the frame with stickers, buttons or other trinkets. Be sure to put a new or favorite photo of your child in the frame.

Be sure to have your child make a homemade card and help you wrap the presents. Have fun making mother’s day crafts together!

What mother’s day crafts have you enjoyed receiving or making?

Happy Half Birthday

2010-05-05T07:27:00.002-04:00

Since we celebrated my daughters half birthday last week, I thought it would the perfect day to share one of our favorite family traditions with you. I know that you probably have a puzzled look on your face and wondering what in the heck is a half birthday, so let me explain. Half birthdays are the six months from your birthday.

I know that you are probably, saying to yourself, ugh, just what I need, another day where I feel the pressure to do something. Half birthdays are simpler (just our family) and allow us a chance to put the focus on the child instead of the presents and celebration. To me our half birthday celebrations are what I wish birthdays could be. And since it’s just a half birthday, if the day isn’t convenient, then we celebrate on another day.

I came up with this idea in the spring of 2004 when everyone in our house was tired and stressed from a very tough year. I realized that my Laurel would be two and a half in a few days and decided that we needed some fun in our house. So with a six pack of pink cupcakes, a large Winnie the Pooh Balloon and a happy meal from McDonalds, a new family tradition was born.

The celebrations are kept simple. The kids get to pick what they want the family to eat for dinner; my daughter has been very loyal to the golden arches while my son is partial to steak and broccoli. After dinner, we eat cupcakes that the half birthday kid has picked out from Target and sing happy half birthday. And yes, they get to make a wish. Deciding which cupcakes they will select is an important selection and my kids request to check out the cupcakes in anticipation for their half birthday for months ahead of time. One of my favorite parts of the celebration is when we all take turns saying why we like that person and share a memory of the person for the past 6 months.

Create a Class Bouquet for Your Child’s Teacher

2010-05-03T20:31:00.000-04:00

Since this week is Teacher Appreciation Week, the room parent for my son’s class sent home a list of things to do each day for the teacher. Today each child was supposed to bring a flower (either purchased or from their garden at home) and bring it to school. The room parent brought in a vase for the teacher and helped each student put their flower in the vase. The class then gave the flower bouquet that they had all helped create to the teacher.

My son had a great time searching the yard for the perfect flower to bring and was very proud of the white “snowball” flower that he brought in. It meant a lot more to him since he picked it out than if I had bought a gift card from the store for the teacher. I thought this was a beautiful and inexpensive way to honor the teacher. One of the reasons that I liked this idea so much is that it shows our kids that oftentimes the best presents are free.

How are you appreciating your child’s teacher this week?

Serve Snack Under the Kitchen Table (and Other Ways to Mix Up Snack Time)

2010-05-01T10:48:00.000-04:00

If I am tired or in a hurry, snack time is usually Goldfish Crackers served in a bowl. But snack time is a great opportunity to add a little fun into the day. An easy way to change things up is to serve snack on a fun paper plate, such as the animal paper plates. You can also serve snack under the kitchen table or on a picnic blanket in the living room. Surprise your kids by serving a food at the wrong time of the day, such as cereal for an afternoon snack.

To get your kids to eat a healthy snack, try giving the food a fun name. My kids refused to eat apple slices until I called them “soldiers” and served them standing up on a plate. You can call broccoli florets “trees” and hard boiled eggs can be “eyeballs.”

If you have a few minutes, you can also serve the snack in a fun way. Make a face with the snack (grapes for eyeballs, crackers for the nose and pretzels for the mouth.) You can also create a “house” out of pretzel sticks and cube cheese. And of course kids are always thrilled by the old favorite of ants on a log (celery, peanut butter and raisins.)

What have you done to make snack time more interesting in your house?

Need to Change the Mood in Your House? Try Freeze Dance

2010-04-28T12:33:00.000-04:00

When we got home from school one day last week, it was raining and the kids were full of energy. They were starting to argue and I could tell that it was going to be a long afternoon. Since we couldn’t go outside, I turned on some music and we played freeze dance. While the music was playing, we all (including me) danced around the living room. When I turned off the music, we all froze in a crazy pose and then stood there for a few minutes later. As soon as I turned the music back on, we would all start dancing again. Since my kids are in elementary school we danced to a Kids Pop CD (Laurel’s current favorite song is Party in the U.S.A), but you could dance to nursery rhymes or a Wiggles CD for younger kids. One of the great things about this activity is that everyone from toddlers to fifth-graders enjoy freeze dance so you can do this activity with mixed-ages.

By the time we all tired of dancing, the mood in my house had changed dramatically. Instead of arguing and being grumpy, we spent the afternoon playing board games and hanging out.

What games or fun activities do you play to help change the mood in your house?

Looking for Craft Ideas? Subscribe to the Weekly Craft Newsletter

2010-04-28T10:41:00.000-04:00

Yesterday when I checked my email, I was excited to find my new issue of “Kids Craft Weekly.” This issue highlighted paper crafts and had some great suggestions as usual. We are especially looking forward to making the paper tree and the woven paper lanterns.

I’ve been receiving this free newsletter for several years and have always been impressed by the quality of projects and the detailed instructions. Many of the projects also allow for the kids to be creative and "make it their own." Amber does a great job of incorporating pictures and selecting crafts that appeal to a wide age range of children. Each issue revolves around a theme, such as Easter Crafts, Bears or Five Minute Crafts. Most of the projects use materials that we already have around the house which cuts down on the expense and the hassle. I also like that each newsletter usually contains some projects that can be done quickly and others that are more involved.

While the newsletter does not come weekly as the name suggests, the website contains the back issues of the newsletter and other craft projects. To sign up for the newsletter or check out back issue, go to http://www.kidscraftweekly.com/

Two Simple Art Projects

2010-04-26T10:09:00.000-04:00

If you are looking for an easy art project for your toddler or preschooler, try these easy crafts.

Paper Towel Roll Necklace
Cut a paper towel roll horizontally to create five rings. Have your child decorate the rings with stickers, crayons or markers. Show her how to put the rings onto a piece of yarn to make a necklace. You can also create a bracelet for your child, but making a horizontal cut on one of the rings so that it will slip over your toddler’s wrist.

Toilet Paper Binoculars
If you are going on a nature walk, make a pair of binoculars for your child. Tape two toilet paper rolls together and have your child decorate the rolls. We painted our binoculars, but kids think they are just as fun plain or with stickers. Punch a hole on the side of each roll and tie a piece of yarn so that the binoculars will hang around your child’s neck. Show your child how to look through the tubes.

Book Review - Unplugged Play by Bobbi Conner

2010-04-24T10:00:00.002-04:00

I realized last week that my kids are going to be out of school for the summer in only a matter of weeks. As I began coming up with a mental list of things to do over the break, I pulled out my dog-eared copy of Unplugged Play by Bobbi Conner.

The book is full of different types of activities, from crafts to indoor games to group games. It is divided into three age categories – Toddler, Preschool and Grade School. My only disappointment with the book is that the Grade School section is the shortest of the three. However, I found that many of the ideas in the Preschool section are also enjoyed by my early elementary kids (just don’t tell them my secret.)

One of the strengths of the book is the simplicity of many of the activities, such as Horseshoes Beanbag and Make-Your-Own Placemats. The Pretend Play section for Preschoolers contained many unique ideas to help your child pretend, such as a pretend cookout, pet store, and hardware store. I thought that the props suggested for each “scenario” were very creative and fun.

I liked how each section of the book included ideas for Solo Play, Play Ideas for Parent and Child, Playing with Others and Birthday Party Play. One of the strengths of the book is the suggestions ideas for entertaining children at birthday parties and play dates. I also found some great new books for my children from the recommended books list in each section. I found myself looking up rules to games that I played as a child, such as Kick the Can and Four Square, so that I can play with my kids. Most every game that I looked up was included in the book. This book was well worth the $16.95 that I spent on it and has provided many hours of fun for our family.

Are there any children’s activities books that you recommend?

Kids and Blogging

2010-04-23T01:45:00.000-04:00

As I was researching ways to encourage your child to write over summer break for an article, I was intrigued by the idea having your child set up a private blog.

When I mentioned the idea to Laurel, my eight-year old daughter, she said “Wow, now I’m going to be a real author.” So I have decided to set up a free blog for her on http://www.blogger.com/ or http://www.wordpress.com/ to help make practicing writing to be less of a chore. To keep her safe online, I will make it a private blog and keep it password protected. I plan on inviting friends and family to read her blog and encouraging them to comment. I am hopeful that this is going to help get the kids excited about writing and will let you know how it goes.

Anyone else set up a blog for their kids? How did it go? Any hints or tips?

Pretend to be an Animal - Fun Way to Get Your Kids to the Car

2010-04-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

When I need my kids to leave the park or head to the car, I suggest that everyone pretend to be an animal. We then hop like a frog, fly like a bee or waddle like a duck, complete with the animal noises. The kids think it is hilarious to see mom buzzing like a bee through the parking lot. The more dramatic I am, the more the kids get into it. The trick is that all of the grownups have to pretend to be an animal also.

To mix things up, sometimes I suggest a category like farm animals or sea animals and everyone would choose their favorite animal. The first time we did it, I worried that people would look at us funny and was surprised that we got way more smiles than anything else. Instead of the kids complaining that they didn’t want to leave, Laurel and Trevor are smiling and laughing by the time we get to the car.

What are some fun ways that you get your kids to leave somewhere and head to the car?