Photo Walk

Wasting "film" is fun!

ADDED January 05, 2009

 

Ah, the blessings of a digital camera.  Remember when we were all kids, and our parents didn't want us to waste film?  That is now a thing of the past.

Take your little ones on a walk around the block.  Bring along your digital camera, and take pictures of whatever intrigues them.

It'll be fun to get outside, and it'll be fun for your kids to direct you as to the picture taking. 

Get your kids talking about why they want certain pictures taken.  (My kids wanted a lot of shots of tires, for example.  They said they like to look to see which tires are muddy and which aren't.)

During the walk, explain to your kids that they can take some of their photos and re-create them with art stuff.  You can show them one of their pictures on the computer, and then they can draw it using markers and paper.  And they can change the image to suit their imagination.  For instance, my boys wanted to change a row of cypress trees into rocket ships lined up.  A garage door with many panels was chosen to become a board game with many squares.

Finally, you can save your kids' photos on your computer and review in the future.  It's amazing how photographing something makes it "more" of something.  Suddenly it's not just a walk around the block, it's a "special walk with Mommy's camera!"

Have fun, and please be respectful of your neighbors on the walk.  Don't trample your neighbors' flower beds, so you can take pictures through their windows of them eating breakfast.  The excuse "But my kids told me to" might not work so well!

 

--S

 

 

ages 3-12, good any time, good at home, good for a group, longer activity,

Conversation Starter Cards

Could save the day

ADDED December 23, 2008

 

These are really simple, but might come in handy in a pinch.  They're conversation starter cards.  Download them, cut them out, and keep them in your purse or car for long waits or traffic jams.

Download here.

These cards each have many questions on them.  Ask your kids the questions, and get them talking.  Hopefully, the clock will move nicely along.  With these cards, you don't have to wrack your brain for conversation topics.

You can answer these questions, too, to keep the conversation going.  Everyone in your family gets extra points when your kids say something funny or cute.

And here's a conversation topic:  how can Today Is Fun help you in the new year?  Drop us a line if you need more help.  (And if you wanted to mention our site to a friend or two, that wouldn't be such a bad start to a conversation either!)

 

--S

Conversing father and daughter by pocketwilley via Flickr, thanks to a creative commons license.

ages 3-12, good any time, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, good for the car,

Make-Your-Body-Like-This Cards

Can your kids position their bodies like this?

ADDED December 22, 2008

 

We are proud to announce a week of Great Gargantuan Giving here at Today is Fun.  In honor of Christmas, we will have fabulous give-aways each day!  Please, tell your friends!

We're kicking off the week with our patented and popular Make-Your-Body-Like-This Cards.

Download these PDFs and cut the cards out.  Have your kids choose cards and make their bodies like the positions depicted.  It's that simple.

 

Batch #1            Batch #2            Batch #3

The body positions on the cards are intentionally a little abstract.  It's up to your kids to use their creativity and ingenuity with their own bodies.  They can interpret the positions any way they want; they can do the positions standing, sitting, or lying down.

Some more ideas with these cards:

• Your kids can color the drawings in.  They can also draw faces on them.
• On a rainy day, do a 'speed round' with these cards to get the kids' bodies moving and exercising in the house.
• Do you have kids who like princesses?  Pirates?  Ballerinas or bandits?  (Or in our house at the moment:  bad guys.)  Have your kids do the positions as a pirate or princess or whatever their favorite character is.

If you like these cards, please by all means email us and let us know.  We'll make more... (Also, we happen to think that one of these body positions definitely looks like a sumo wrestler.  Another like a zombie from the Thriller video.  If you care to take a guess as to which number is which, please email or make a comment!)

--S

ages 2-8, art supplies needed, good at home, good for a group, longer activity, rainy day fun,

Quizmaster & Answermaster

Because all good games have funny titles.

ADDED December 19, 2008

To play this game you need two people the first person is the Quizmaster the second the Answermaster.  The Quizmaster asks the questions and the Answermaster answers the questions.  This game is fantastic for all ages because the questions can be tailored appropriately to make it easy for everyone to win.  It also can be played as a group activity to include many more kids if needed.

First the person who is the Quizmaster thinks of two or three things that have one thing in common, for example shark, octopus and sea cucumber. Next the Quizmaster poses their question to Answermaster,” What is the same about these three things, a shark, an octopus and a sea cucumber?”  At this point if you have a group of kids, in an orderly manner everyone in the group takes a turn giving their best answer to the Answermaster. When all the answers are tallied the Answermaster tells the Quizmaster the answer, “They all live in the ocean”.  Now the Quizmaster becomes the Answermaster and it is their turn to think of of two or three things that are the same.

The game works great using a variety of topics and the questions can range from very simple to extremely difficult, here are some starters:

Quizmaster question:
What is the same about these three things red, blue and green?

Answermaster answer.
All three are colors.

Quizmaster question:
What is the same about these three things truck, car and van?

Answermaster answer.
All three are cars.

Quizmaster question:
What is the same about these three things elbow, toe, and nose?

Answermaster answer.
All three are parts of your body.

Quizmaster question:
What is the same about these three things sleepingbag, tent and flashlight?

Answermaster answer.
All three are used for camping.

Try it today and use the comments section to let us know what you little Quizmasters come up with!  

ages 4-12, educational, good any time, good at home, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, Good for bathtime, good for mealtimes, good for the car, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, quick activity, rainy day fun, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

Words that end with A and T together

Fill in the blank and turn on the fun

ADDED December 05, 2008

Have you ever noticed how many three letter words end with A and T together?  Using A-and-T-ending words, we created a fun game that you can play with your kids in the car, at dinner, before bed, and beyond...
 
First start with the word "CAT."  Spell the word (C-A-T) and then ask, "Can you think of any other words that end with the '-AT' sound?"  

If you think it will help the activity along, provide more examples of words that end with -AT.  Words like hat or rat.  

Once you and your kids have thought up many, many words that end in -AT, start at the beginning of the alphabet and work together to add the -AT sound after every letter in the alphabet.  (This sounds like it might take a while but it is faster than you think.)
 
In our house, when we have finished going through the alphabet and laughing at all the funny made-up words like "jat" and "qat," we move on to other ending sounds like -AN.

Have fun, and please let us know if you can find the meaning of the words "yat" and "yan!"

ages 2-7, educational, good any time, good at home, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, Good for bathtime, good for the car, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

Huggy!

A nice monster

ADDED December 04, 2008

Huggy is a very nice monster, just listening to his name you can discern he likes to be hugged.

When you hear him say, “ Huggy” you have to hug him or he will repeat his name over and over while chasing you.  Huggy is very fast.  If you like to be chased please don't hug him.  He only stops repeating his name and chasing when he gets a hug.  Beware if you let him into your house you will have to give him a lot of hugs.  I would suggest only those who are not stingy with hugs invite him in.  

 Moms can be Huggys, Dads can be Huggys even kids can be Huggys. They all are very polite and if you don't want a hug they will not hug you and but be aware they can be persistent in their pursuit of hugs.

Should you let Huggy into your house today?  He really is a nice monster.

ages 3-12, good any time, good at home, good for a group, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer,

Heads or Tails

You will flip for it!

ADDED December 02, 2008

 

On Thanksgiving morning, my family and I had a few hours free, so we decided to volunteer at a local charity. We chose to donate our time doing a job that we felt would be suitable with younger kids.   We were "curb runners."

Our task was to take food donations from cars to the kitchen where meals were being served to some very important people who didn't have homes or families spend Thanksgiving with.  When we first arrived, it was very busy; we were moving turkeys, stuffing, fruit and pies.  As the first hour of the shift moved into the second, donations slowed down and we found ourselves with time between drop offs.  I had four quarters in my pocket, and that was all we needed for some quick entertainment between cars.

 

We made up three games to play with the quarters. The First game was "Call It In the Air."  I would toss a quarter and let the kids take turns calling heads or tails.  The winner of each toss got to hold the quarter.  When all four quarters were gone, a winner was declared and we started over.

 

The second game we played was called "Find the Quarter."  The kids took turns holding a quarter in one hand with both hands behind their back, and I would try to guess which hand held the quarter.  We played this until I found all the coins.

 

The third game we made up was called "Head and Tails Battle."  This game proved to be the most exciting.   Here is how we played: one child was the "Heads" team and the other the "Tails" team. Each child got two quarters and they would both flip one coin. If two heads were showing the heads team would win, and if two, the tails team would win and if one of each was facing up, a tie was called requiring a do-over.

 

In the end, it was really rewarding donating our time to some less fortunate people and flipping coins.  Next time you need some quick entertainment, remember these three coin games.  (You might also want to consider donating some of your time this season; we had so much fun we are planning on going back very soon.)

 

ages 2-8, educational, good for a group, quick activity,

Professional Food Tasters

Better than bad and better than good

ADDED November 25, 2008

What words can you use to describe food?  If you're like most Americans, there are three words you use to describe food:  good, bad, and delicious.  You might throw in an occasional "awful" or "wonderful," too, but of all those words we've just reviewed, only "delicious" is specific to food.

There are people whose job is taste food:  Professional Food Tasters.  And those people have to use better words than "awful" and "delicious," right?

Right.  They do.  There are many, many words to describe food specifically.  And what better opportunity for your kids to try some of these words out than . . . your Thanksgiving feast?

Here are some fine words to describe food . . .

•  crunchy
•  crispy
•  spicy
•  sweet
•  salty
•  buttery
•  flavorful

During meals this week, teach your kids some or all of the words in that list.  You could plan to include foods that get you guys talking about sweet and about salty (apples and pretzels, for example).  

Then, encourage your kids to use their new vocabulary to fun effect during Thanksgiving dinner.  This can also be a tool if they get restless:  talk about the Thanksgiving food.  What is the most crunchy thing on your plate?  What is the most buttery?  What is salty and what is sweet?  What is your favorite item?

Do try to show respect for the person who cooked the meal, of course.  We don't want your kids using descriptive words like "icky" or "inedible" during the holiday celebration!

(We didn't want to inundate you with words, so we just featured the ones above.  But here's a quick appendix of more food adjectives, if you're so inclined:  savory, garlicky, nutty, minty, zesty, tart, tangy, sharp, mouthwatering, tasty, yummy, delectable, bitter, flavorful, lemony, chocolatey, and so on.)

ages 3-12, educational, good at home, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, good for mealtimes, no 'props' needed,

Thanksgiving jokes

Easy to remember and funny.

ADDED November 20, 2008

ages 4-12, good any time, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, good for mealtimes, no 'props' needed, verbal activity,

Wheel of Fun

Round, random, and lots of fun

ADDED November 12, 2008

 

Sometimes it's all in the presentation.

If you suggest to your child, "Why don't you do eighteen jumping jacks?", they'd probably refuse.  But if a paper plate makes the same suggestion, well, to a kid that kind of presentation just can't be argued with.

Pat Sayjak and Vanna Williams, eat your hearts out, because today we are yukking it up with the Wheel of Fun. 

Draw lines on the face of a white paper plate in order to divvy it into ten equally sized segments.  In each, write a fun or silly activity for your child to perform.  Some examples:

1.  Spin in a circle while singing a song.

2.  Take three towels from the linen closet and make some funny clothes for yourself.

3.  Draw something very fast, then make people guess what it is.

4.  Call somebody in our family on the phone.

5.  Do eighteen jumping jacks.

And so on. 

After you've filled in the activities, punch a small hole in the middle of the plate.  Either insert a spinner from one of your family's board games (we used one from Chutes and Ladders in the photo) or find a wall with a protruding nail on which to hang the wheel.  Each child spins the wheel, and then gets to perform the task.  Repeat as much as you guys want.

This is a lot of fun.  It makes for a great rainy day activity. Kids love the excitement of getting random results, and they love spinning the wheel.

If you're feeling particularly cheeky, you can sneak a couple of activities onto the wheel that will benefit you alone.  You could try adding "fold the laundry" or "wash the kitchen floor" to the wheel to see what results you can get!   Have fun, and get spinning!

ages 3-12, art supplies needed, good at home, good for a group, longer activity, rainy day fun,

The Big, Big-As-The-House, House-Sized Board Game

New fun with the toys and stuff you already have.

ADDED November 03, 2008

My kids and I have been playing board games for while now and this activity is a new twist on a old favorite, the board game.  With this activity, we will take a few items that you already have and use them in a different way to create a giant board game that can be played literally all over your house.  This game is as big as the house!

To play this game you need at least 20 blocks or Legos and a pack of playing cards or dice.  Each player will also need to select a favorite toy to use as a 'marker', like a bear, doll or action figure.

To start, create a trail around the house with the blocks.  Make it huge -- this is a house-sized game.  Each block in the path will be a space for your game. You and your kids can make the path go under chairs, around furniture, and upstairs.  Send your path thru the tub, slide it down the stairs, you can even make it go outside. Just make sure everyone knows where the trail starts and where it ends.

Each player will draw one card from the deck and then move the number of spaces on the card. For example, if you draw a five, move five spaces; if you draw a king or ace, move eleven spaces.  (Alternately you can use dice to come up with a number of spaces to move.)

Then add some fun rules of your own, at my house each player has to act like their marker when they are moving (roaring and snorting animals are best). Another rule we like to add is anytime your marker lands on the stairs you get to slide to the bottom, this often ends in a lot of stuffed animal tumbling action that is a crowd favorite.

Now that you have your giant, house-sized board game set up, play it!  And when you are done, change it and play again, then tear it down and play again tomorrow!  Also if you have a house that is over 10,000 square feet make sure you limit your game play to just a few rooms, like the ballroom and salon.  And make sure you stay away from the grand piano and elevator.
Have fun!

good at home, good for a group, longer activity, may rile them up, rainy day fun, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

Super Shape Doodle Art Game for People of All Ages

Make-it-yourself game with a funny name and artistic results

ADDED October 22, 2008

Today why not make your own game?  With a name like "Super Shape Doodle Art Game for People of All Ages," everyone will want to play.  This game is sort of like Miscellaneous Squiggle , but with a lot more super shapes and doodles.

First, take ten small pieces of paper and draw a shape on each:  a square, a circle, a triangle, etc. or even a silly shape or two.  (I drew a glove, lollipop and a rocket.) These are your cards for the game.

Then take a blank piece of paper.  Make sure everyone has a pencil.

Place the cards face down and have everyone take a turn selecting a card. Each person draws the shape depicted by their card onto the blank paper.  This will be your artistic picture.  The shape can be added anywhere in the picture as long as it is touching another shape.

This is a really great for a rainy day.  You can play for as many rounds as you want, just turn the playing cards over and keep drawing.

In the end, you'll have a Super Shape Doodle Art masterpiece to be admired and cherished by People of all Ages!

Here are what our cards looked like…

And here is one of our finished Super Shape Doodle Art masterpiece to be admired and cherished by People of all Ages!

ages 2-8, art supplies needed, good at home, good for a group,

A Monster at the Fork Store

Bon Appétit! Well, almost.

ADDED October 17, 2008

Sit down on the floor of a room or the grass of your yard.  Tell your little one that you are a nice, healthy human being and as such, you are exactly what monsters like to eat!

And tell your child that, for the moment, he or she is the monster.  Have your kid come and pretend to eat you.

But wait!  Wait! As the monster approaches and is about to take a bite, stop and remind your monster that yes, even monsters need forks!  So, point to another place in the room or the yard and say, "You have to go buy a fork from the fork store!"

Once that 'purchase' has been completed and the monster returns for another attempt, ask the monster to go buy a spoon before starting the meal.  And ketchup.  And a napkin. And a place mat.

The trick is never to get eaten by thinking up more stuff for the monster to purchase.  Even better, try to have the monster come up with ideas as to what will be needed for the meal.

This is a fun, silly game that will provide a reason for kids to run around and release some energy.  Also, kids like acting like monsters, and adults enjoy not being eaten.

And don't forget to send the monster for a bib, eating humans can be messy business!

ages 2-7, good at home, good for a group, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, quick activity, summer activity,

Mirror dance

A dandy dancing distraction.

ADDED October 07, 2008

During the course of the day, we all have places to be and things to do. However getting these things done is not an easy task with a little one nipping at your heels. Sometimes kids need a little distraction so Dad and Mom can get dressed, put the dog in the car, or just make lunch.
 
So what my wife and I will do with our little ones is put them in front of a mirror, turn on something with a beat, and let the mirror entertain.  All kids love to look at themselves in the mirror, and when you add music and dancing, a winning combination is guaranteed.  Also, an added bonus is how cute it is to see your little one dancing and smiling in their own musical world.
 
A mirror is also a great entertainer of older kids as well:  they too love to watch themselves dance and move to the music.  My kids literally have spent hours dancing happily away to the smooth beats. Making up plays, stories and even trying to act-out the sounds from a cartoon sound effects.  So no matter what your kids age, crank up the tunes and dance the afternoon away it will be time well spent.

info@todayisfun.com.

good at home, good for a group, may rile them up, quick activity,

Beware the Bopper!

A semi-magical method of ousting kids' extra energy

ADDED October 03, 2008

 

This is a quick and easy way to get kids' bodies moving.  It is particularly useful for times when you sense the kids have a lot of pent-up energy and are on the verge of acting rambunctious anyway.

First, you need to get yourself a Bopper.  This can be any household object that would be good for bopping the kids on the head:  an empty paper towel tube is ideal.

Tell the kids you recently picked up a Bopper at the special Bopper store.  Show them your fine new acquisition and, while you're at it, explain how the Bopper works...

When you say the name of an object or animal and then touch the top of a kid's head with the Bopper, the kid turns into whatever you said!

Try it out yourself.  It really works.

I like to start off by turning the kids into the craziest, wildest things imaginable:  a cheetah, a helicopter, an amped-up jumping bean.  

Encourage the children to really create the thing you name with their bodies.  For example, with a helicopter, I need to see propellor blades straight out and spinning.

And here's the trick:  after a couple of minutes of wild re-creations, I move to "medium" for a few minutes, and then I conclude with five minutes of "quiet and mellow."

For "medium," the kids could be a car, a raindrop or a dog.  You get the idea.

For the very popular "quiet and mellow" category, I bop them and conjure up:  a turtle, a snail, a clock pendulum, an opening and closing door, a chair (inanimate objects are great), or an ice cube.

And now, the grand finale:  when I sense that the kids have got some energy out and are getting pretty mellow, I tell them we're having a contest.  I bop them on the heads, tell them they're rocks, and whoever can remain a rock the longest wins!

Ah, but in such instances, I am really the winner!  Bop on, people!

ages 2-8, good at home, good for a group, may rile them up, not good for a restaurant or public place,

Characteristics

Quirky Coloring Fun

ADDED September 29, 2008

Occasionally when you suggest that your child spend some time coloring or drawing, you will hear this response:  "Yeah, but I don't know what to draw" or "I don't feel like coloring anything."

Try this activity then, which we call "Characteristics."  It is one of our absolute, all-time favorite kids games.  We think it's fun, do-able, and creative.

Step One.  Have your kid choose a 'thing' to draw.

This thing could be anything that captures your kid's interest: a princess, a pirate, a monster or Mommy.  A supermarket or a superhero, a garden or a gargoyle.  Really, anything!

For example, let's say your kid wants to draw "a funny monster."

Step Two .  You and your kid(s) take turns thinking up characteristics of the "thing."  Write down each.

Here are some characteristics we came up with for "a funny monster:"

1.  Has long pointy hair
2.  Big pointy things coming out of his toes -- the same as a T. Rex
3.  Ears that stick out
4.  Curly curvy horns on his head.

 

Step Three.  Once you've made a list of ten characteristics or so, go back through and read each one out loud.  Have your child draw each characteristic you read until the 'thing' takes shape.

We play this almost every day in our house and find it an enormous "crowd pleaser."  It gets the kids' brains thinking and their fingers conjuring up art.

And there's an added benefit: you can show off around the pre-school by having your kid explain to other parents the meaning of the word 'characteristic.'

 

ages 3-12, art supplies needed, good at home, good for a group, longer activity, rainy day fun,

KIDS ENTERTAINMENT -- MAKE A PARACHUTE

Learn about gravity and how to defy it

ADDED September 25, 2008

My kids and I made these really cool parachutes a few days ago.  They are nothing fancy -- just a paper towel, some string and small toy to go along for the ride.  But they are a lot of fun and really easy to build. So I put together a little how-to with pictures so that you and your kids can follow along and build this incredible and almost free toy.

I like this activity because once I showed my kids how to build the parachute, they were able to make it themselves (over and over again).  

It is a fun activity something they can do to entertain themselves. Try it this weekend.

info@todayisfun.com

ages 4-12, good any time, good at home, good for a group, quick activity, see our disclaimer, summer activity, verbal activity,

Sidewalk Chalk Maze

Tricky, a-mazing fun!

ADDED September 18, 2008

Last week we reminded you of a tried-and-true way to entertain kids:  hopscotch.  Well, if you've got some extra sidewalk chalk handy, here's another fun way to keep the kids busy outside.

Making sidewalk mazes is pretty easy, and doesn't require too much forethought or planning.  You can do it on the fly.  Just be sure to draw "corridors" that are wide enough for kids to navigate, with clear lines for the "walls."  

To make the maze more tricky for older kids, be sure to create a lot of crossroads and dead-ends.

To make nice, straight lines, use a long piece of string tied to two rocks.  Use the rocks to keep the string tight, and draw along its length.

And really, this site is about things for kids to do, not about more work for their parents.  So to the extent they are able, have your kids help in the construction of the maze.  Older kids can plan and draw the twists and turns.  Younger kids can have input as to where the corridors should go, whether or not there should be a dead end, and what color chalk should be used.  

(It doesn't take long to make a maze.  We made one that covered our driveway and sidewalk, and it took one adult and one little kid about 30 minutes.)

Have fun walking in the maze.  Please don’t email us if you get stuck in a dead end—have one of your children help you out!

ages 3-12, art supplies needed, good at home, good for a group, longer activity,

One Year Time Capsule

Some patience required

ADDED September 17, 2008

 

A year is a big chunk of time, especially for younger kids.  To them, a year feels like a decade.  Here's a way to make the passing of time into a fun activity for kids and parents alike:  create a one-year time capsule.

The concept is pretty straightforward:  you and your child should put aside "some stuff" and review it in a year.

You'll need a box, of course.  A shoe box would be perfect.  A big tupperware would work well, too.

Now, it would be an obvious dumb move to take your kid's favorite things and put them beyond reach for a year.  That would not please your young constituents.

Instead, it might be a better idea to take pictures of the favorite things, and put those into the box.  So, as part of this activity, ask your child what five (or ten) things he or she would like pictures of, to remember and review in a year's time.

Also, we've created a special Time Capsule Questionnaire for you to fill out with your kids (with questions like "What is your favorite thing to do inside?" and "What is your favorite food?")  Download it by clicking here, then print it out, interview your child, and add it to the Time Capsule.

Put the Capsule aside for a year.  Make yourself a note so you'll remember the day when you can open it.  

In a year, you and your child will be able to review similarities and differences.  And you'll both be able to reminisce a bit.

(We'll give extra Today Is Fun points out to any parent who actually buries their child's Time Capsule in a yard.  If you are up to this extra step -- one that is sure to excite your kids -- place the contents of the Capsule in a sealable plastic bag, and then wrap the outside of a box in a sturdy bag, too.)

Have some fun.  All year long.

ages 3-12, art supplies needed, good at home, good for a group, longer activity, rainy day fun,

Kids Games -- Ice Cube Experimentation

Your kids' boredom will just melt away . . .

ADDED September 16, 2008

 

Ready, Scientists?   It's time to do an experiment.  Today we're going to see how quickly ice cubes melt in different locations around the house.

Before you get the ice cubes from the freezer, there's some prep work for you and your kids to do.

First, you'll want to name each ice cube, so you and your kids can refer to them easily.

So take five or six little bits of scrap paper (those free notepads realtors are always leaving on your doorstep work well), and write a name on each piece.  These names really could be anything your child wants: Ice Cube "J" or "giraffe" or "ginger" or even gibberish. As always, you can delegate this writing / art-making task to your kids.

Now you're ready to take five or six ice cubes from the freezer, and have your kids drop each one into a plastic cup, bowl or tupperware.  Put each ice cube and its identifying sign in different places around the house.  Go for different temperatures and different amounts of light:  in the backyard, in the shade, in the coolest, darkest room of your house, etc.  

After ten minutes, have your little scientists check on the progress of each cube.  Which ones are the most "melty?"  Which are the least?

You can take another piece of paper and record your findings on it.

When we did this in my house, there was a lot of interest and enthusiasm.  My kids ran from cube to cube, checking each and yelling out their findings, "Ice Cube Jake is really melted!"  "Ice Cube Zaw Zot isn't melted at all!"  (What can I say?  My kids were encouraged to come up with their own names for these things.)   "The dog is trying to drink Ice Cube Mommy!"

Yes, science is fun and exciting.  Just try to avoid having one of your excited little scientists kick over a melty ice cube onto the living room floor.
 

ages 3-12, good at home, good for a group,

How to entertain kids -- House of Cubes

It's a house, it's an igloo, it's . . . missing?

ADDED September 04, 2008

This one requires a bit of patience, so it might work better for older kids.  It's one of our fine, fun kids games for the end of summer.  

A lot of freezers these days try to  prove their worth by making tons of ice cubes.  Ours does, and it seems that there is always a couple cubic feet worth of ice cubes ready to go in there that we never use.  So . . . why not use them?  They make fine building blocks.

Take as many pounds of your ice cubes outside as you can, along with a cup of water.  See what kinds of constructions your kids can make with the cubes.  We've got pretty good at a wall, a house sort of thing (complete with a roof), and the tricky but satisfying tall tower.  (Six cubes is our record.) 

As you stack the cubes, sprinkle a little water on top of each cube to act as mortar.

What can you build?  Please let us know at info@todayisfun.com.

And please, there is only one rule to remember here.  Whatever the kids do, they are not allowed to put an ice cube down Daddy's back while he's trying to build up the tower!

ages 3-12, educational, good at home, good for a group, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

HOW TO ENTERTAIN KIDS -- Sshhh! Library Fun

This books looks terrific!

ADDED September 02, 2008

Here at Today Is Fun, we definitely try to promote books and a love of reading, as those things can entertain kids long after they're kids.

Trips to the library are often magical for young kids, as they first see the walls and shelves full of books.  If your little ones are old enough, this game is a way to make a trip to the library even more fun.  It's also a way for young kids to experience a measure of freedom and self-reliance in a public place.

The idea is simple, really.  When you go to the library, have hunts for certain kinds of books.  For instance, on one visit we will all try to find a book that looks terrific about pirates.  Or each person will spend ten minutes trying to find a terrific book about an animal.  Of course, the topics to find for books that look terrific are endless:  rainy days, Moms, flowers, cowboys, etc.

It's important for the kids not to ransack the shelves and to keep the books in place.  Running and yelling are of course causes for immediate disqualification.

Once everyone has found a book, we read each one.  If the book is really terrific, we check it out and take it home.

One last idea about this Library Fun game:  if the librarians and library patrons aren't bothered by the young competitors, then everyone gets extra points!

ages 3-12, educational, good for a group, longer activity, no 'props' needed, reading activity, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

KIDS GAMES -- Find the Shape

Fun game to help your kids learn shapes

ADDED August 27, 2008

Here at TIF we like to think that every day holds an opportunity for learning.  We also like to take every teachable moment and make it fun.  Today’s entertaining game is a great idea called Find the Shape.  It is simple and easy all at once.  It also can even help little ones learn shapes.

First find a willing player or players and second look for a shape that is easy to find.  Look for something big to start with that has an easily identifiable shape like a rectangular door or a round table.  And ask your kids to find the shape.  Then your kids can take turns trying to Find the Shape.

I will also add a few variations to the game to keep my kids on their toes.  I will ask them to Find the color or Find the empty table or even Find the guy in the red and white striped shirt.  It’s just another one of the great Kids Games we love!

Commenting is easy and fun so let us know how it going we are always at info@todayisfun.com and don’t forget to tell a friend about us. Today is fun!

ages 2-8, educational, good any time, good for a group, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

KIDS GAMES -- The human adding machine

Fun family game that everyone can play

ADDED August 26, 2008

Next time you and your kids are waiting for your meal at a restaurant or in the doctor’s office, try this fun and educational activity. This game can be played with as few as 2 people and can be enjoyed by kids of all ages. We call it "the human adding machine."

We all take turns holding up zero to five fingers and then it is the human adding machine's job to add up all the fingers. Then the game moves on to the next person, and they add all the fingers up and so on. To add some fun and make it a little more entertaining, I will talk in a robot voice and sometimes give the wrong answer just to keep my kids on their toes. I will also push the subtract button on the human calculator to create a teachable and challenging moment.

My kids love to play, and I like to think it strengthens their math skills. This is one of our most simple, easy and fun kids games.

Commenting is easy so let us know how the human adding machine works for you.  We are always at info@todayisfun.com and don’t forget to tell a friend about us. Today is fun!

ages 2-8, educational, good any time, good at home, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

HOW TO ENTERTAIN KIDS -- Make a card for someone

Turn boredom around by making a card for someone else

ADDED August 25, 2008

What I like to do when I hear, “but I have nothing to do” is get out the art supplies and let my kids go to town making a card. It sure is hard to be bored if you are making something to give away.

So I will look on the calendar and see who's birthday is coming up and we will make them a birthday card, handmade cards are always the best. Just paper, stickers, markers and crayons are all that are required to say “Happy Birthday” and chase the boredom away.

Try it today if you don't have any birthdays coming up create a holiday card, a thinking of you card or even a Happy Tuesday card.  I am sure it will be a big hit.


Commenting is easy and fun so let us know who you made a card for info@todayisfun.com don't forget to tell a friend about us. Today is fun!

ages 2-8, art supplies needed,