Please Pass the Pancake Parallelograms

But not the Quiche Quadrilateral

ADDED March 19, 2010

 

 

You Have Found Something!

Hide something little in a friend's yard

ADDED March 15, 2010

 

Broom Hockey

Soon To Be An Olympic Event Maybe

ADDED February 25, 2010

For the remainder of this week, we are creating ideas to bring the Winter Olympics into your home.  We are hoping to get everyone cheering for Team USA (and get everyone enjoying some time outside.)

Today's feature is "broom hockey," a simple game played with brooms and a round ball.  No special gear is required, and you can play with just a few kids or the whole neighborhood.  

 

Unexpected Valentine

Shhhhhh!

ADDED February 12, 2010

Hearts are the traditional symbol for Valentine's Day, of course, and thankfully, they are easy to make.  Even boys like to make Valentine's hearts, we've noticed. This is the time of the year that hearts and lovey-dovey-ness are not too yucky for any kid!  Well, those things are tolerable.

Today, in honor of Valentine's Day, give your kids some free craft time to make an original, creative, and unexpected Valentine.. . .

Code Words

Your kids choose some code words. Then, silly fun ensues!

ADDED February 05, 2010

 

Flashlight Games

A sure way not to get bored

ADDED January 25, 2010

It has been raining for the last week here is Southern California, and the rain was welcome fun for a day.  On the second day, though, you realize that people here don't plan on the rain.  At my kids' school, the lunch area is outside, and on a normal day this is fine;  the worst they have to deal with is the marine layer.  By Friday of this week, after all classes had been inside all week, my wife and I hardly knew the rambunctious ruffians that we were picking up from school. 

 

So we had to put on our thinking caps and do something fun and unusual everyday.  The ideas had to be affordable, unique, and possibly educational — but always fun.  On Monday, we came up with Flashlight Games. . . .

Holiday Card Recycling Services

A crafty clean-up program

ADDED January 15, 2010

 

365 Thank You Letters

A big project to start the year

ADDED January 07, 2010

The beginning of the year is a great time to start a new project. 

In my house, we're trying something this new year -- and maybe you'd like to do it, too.  We're trying to send out 365 letters to people this year, thanking them for their contributions to this world.

Who will we find to thank?  The janitors at our local library.  Children's authors whose books we've particularly enjoyed. . . .

Family Tradition (or Project) Starter

Why not begin the new year with something big for your family?

ADDED January 06, 2010

The beginning of the year is the perfect time to start something new.  So why not use the start of this year to start a new family tradition?  Or at least a good project?

A family project (or tradition) could be fun for you and your kids . . . and it can help your kids learn or accomplish something.

Here are some ideas to consider:

1.  Learn a capital city each day.  If your kids are old enough, you guys could all learn each world (and state) capital city

I had a friend who had done this with his family when he was younger.  This friend and I met a man from the African country of Ghana.. . .

New Year's Resolution: Start the Day With A Smile

Have your kids make you a 'Wake-Up Smile Picture'

ADDED January 04, 2010

Here's a question for you:  How do you start your day?  Is it with a smile?

Or — if you're like me — maybe you don't emerge from sleep each day with a smile.  Maybe you wake up and realize the alarm has been blaring for ten minutes.  Maybe the kids wake you up with one of their arguments.  Maybe you wake up and wish you could go right back to bed. . .

Math Snowball Treats

The secret ingredient is math

ADDED December 01, 2009

 

Rice Krispy treats are nothing new, I admit it. But have you ever considered calling them "Math Snowball Treats?" 

 

I am sure you are wondering how I'm somehow going to work math into something called a "Math Snowball Treat."  Well, that is what we do here at TIF: we sneak learning into the most unusual places, and a Math Snowball Treat is easy learning once you know the secret. 

 

A whole pan of Rice Krispy Treats is quite dietarily decadent, and -- really -- who needs to make so many unless you are bringing them to a party?  So, I like to add some math to the treat by having my kids do some division.  Read the recipe with your kids and help them do a bit of dividing, so that you wind up with less to wrap up and store. 

 

Doing this will provide your kids with some wonderful, one-on-one math learning -- and you will wind up with only half as many treats.  (But kids, don't despair:  some treats are better than none).  Once the gooey dessert has cooled but is still pliable, butter up your kids' (thoroughly washed) hands and let them roll a few Rice Krispy Snowballs.  I've included a brief photo essay of our Math Snowball Treat adventure.

 

 

 

 

Kids are great helpers when it comes to stirring, but please make sure everybody is safe around hot pots.

 

 

Kids are also great helpers when it comes to (carefully) dropping marshmallows into the pot.

 

 

More careful stirring.

 

 

Some Rice Krispy pouring.

 

 

Buttering (thoroughly washed) hands

 

 

Once the mixture is cooled, it's time to make Math Snowballs!

 

 

We ended up making a "Math Snowball Snowman!"

 

 

Did this idea work for you? Use the comments section to let us know!  Happy dividing (and eating)!

Traveler Memory

A print 'n' play game from TIF

ADDED November 06, 2009

 

Here at TIF we like adventure and going to new places is one of our favorite activities.  This weekend however we can not afford to go to anywhere exotic so we created a memory game with some famous world and U.S. locations.  This game will help teach some very famous world locations, practice reading some potentially tricky words, create interest in the wonderful world around us and most importantly have fun while doing it.

Here is how you play, the rules are like those of tradational memory, all cards are placed face down, you pick two, if you get a match you get to go again if you do not pick a match the turn moves to the next player but the twist with this game (and we like twists) is that to make a match you need to match the picture with the words identifying the location.  For example if you pick the card with the words "Mount Rushmore, Keystone, South Dakota, United States" to have a match you must pick the card with a picture of Mount Rushmore. That's it have fun and don't forget to print n play.

Do you play any other types of memory with you kids? Use the comments section and let us know!

(Click to download page 1)

 

 

(Click to download page 2)

 

Google Races

How quickly can your kids get the info?

ADDED October 12, 2009

 

 

Length:  Ten minutes to half an hour.

Parental Involvement:  Explain the idea.  Pose some questions.  Monitor internet searching a little bit.

Kids Should Be Able to:  Use the internet on their own.  Type in words a bit.  Think of ways to frame questions and perform basic internet searches.

Have you ever heard people complaining about the internet?  I have.  Some people say that the internet makes kids lazy.  They argue that the internet makes it too easy to look information up.  These people say that kids no longer need to memorize important information.  Kids, they say, don't need to access information in their minds any more, because they can just look everything up on the internet.

Well, those people might have a point.  Or maybe they don't.  People can disagree.  We're not going to choose sides on this one.

But the internet is here to stay.  So whether you love the web or not, we think that you should get your kids comfortable using the internet and get them accustomed to finding answers on it.

Today, we suggest that you set up some "Google races" for your kids.  That is, set up "questions" for your children to answer using the computer.

It's easy to create fun and stimulating questions for your children:

• Can you find a list of farm animals?
• Can you find information about your favorite character in books or TV shows?  (My kids rather enjoy Scooby Doo, for instance.)
• How many teeth does a shark have?
• Can you find logos for your favorite sports team?
• Where is Saskatchewan?  What is Saskatchewan?  What is its capital?. . .
  
  
   
  
  
  

In one hour

What time will it be?

ADDED October 08, 2009

Learning to tell time is hard.  Unlike the rest of the math kids learn, clocks are based not on tens and hundreds, but rather sixty.  There are sixty minutes in an hour.  Throw in AM and PM, digital and analog clocks, and kids can get easily confused.  Since we don't have six fingers, telling time can make for a tough time. (Ha! Tough time.)

So we have invented a game that can pass the time while learning about time.  You can play it just about anywhere, as long as a clock is handy.  I was able to ease my kids into telling time and get their curiosity reving all at the same time.  (Ha! Same time.)

First I started by asking my kids, "What time will it be in one hour?"  I tried to ask this question after 1 pm because it was easier for them to answer correctly.  If it was 1:15 pm, in an hour it would be 2:15 pm -- easy and fun.  Then I would try to challenge them by asking, "If it was 9:27 what time will it be in an hour?"  They became professionals in no time at all. (Ha! No time.)  As their time-telling skills improved, I would ask, "What time will it be in ten minutes?" or five minutes and even one minute.  

It was a good time for all (Ha! Good Time.)  And my kids can now tell time with the best of them (if you see one of my kids, please ask for the time).  I like to think their fine abilities are in part thanks to this simple activity.  Try it today if you have the time! (Ha! Have the time.) 

Is it time for this post to end? (Ha! Good times.)

 

Own Home Library

Check it out! (Get it?)

ADDED August 27, 2009

 

Length:  20 minutes

Parental Involvement:  Print and play

Kids Should Be Able to:  Play and have fun

 

We have a bookshelf that is quite full, and my kids really like to read books from it whenever they get a chance.  They also like going to the library and checking out books; it is a very "big kid" thing to do.  So my wife and I turned the library into our very own home library.

Every library has a few important qualities:


Really, that is it.
 
I made some very simple library cards and check out slips (you can download these popular items here.)  And once they were printed, our library was open for business.

This is a great activity to encourage sharing, working together, creative play and reading.  Needless to say we are big fans.

Remember, every library has different rules about returning books late;  at our house returning books late means you have to eat all your vegetables, even if they're brussels sprouts.


Click to download!

---

Silent Reading

Enjoy the silence!

ADDED August 14, 2009

With kids on summer break, sometimes the afternoons can get a bit rowdy.  When it gets too rowdy, I think everyone needs to take a break.  If your kids are like mine and no longer take naps, maybe a little silent reading time is what everybody needs.  It is a perfect way to settle everyone down so you can get dinner made, fold some laundry, or just have a silent reading time of your own.

Here is how we do silent reading. Feel free to make up you own rules, but this is what works for us.
 
First of all, at my house the activity is called silent reading, so there is no talking.  Secondly, each person will need a back-up book -- that is, a book that a kid can read if they finish their first book.  This cuts down on talking.  Third, silent reading has a time-limit.  Time is accurately monitored by a timer that will beep when silent reading is over.  Finally, wherever a kid is in the house when silent-reading starts, they need to stay there until silent reading ends.
 
I know it sounds like these rules were made by a dictator, but I have found that if everyone knows the rules before we start reading, a lot more reading happens, and a lot less time searching for a loophole.
 
Also, if silent reading is not something for your family, try "room time," or "yard time," or any of the other great activities here at TIF!

Happy weekend!

 

thanks to sugarpond and bastian for letting us use their photos

Classical Spring Music

Aural Edu-tainment

ADDED May 19, 2009

Springtime is upon us, and in honor of that fine season, we present some beautiful classical music for you to share with your kids.  Today, we celebrate Spring with a free audio download, an excerpt from Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons," and its first three movements, Spring.  Put it on your Ipod to listen in the car while you drive to school, or make a CD and enjoy listening during breakfast tomorrow.  This type of thing is an easy way to introduce your kids to great music -- and just might save you from having to listening to one of those wacky, guitar-toting children's troubadours.

To make your listening time more educational, have your kid listen for streams, thunderstorms, birds, trees rustling in the wind, and a dog barking in the the music. Vivaldi wrote the music so that the orchestra would make music that resembles each of those things.  You guys can find each of those:  all you need is creativity and some perky ears.

We are big fans of classical music here at TIF, so drop us an email info@todayisfun if you want many more kid friendly recommendations (sorry, troubadours need not apply).

 

Click on the links below to play while browsing TIF.

 

Play Movement 1 Allegro 

Play Movement 2 Largo

Play Movement 3 Allegro

 

Have fun!

 

 Thanks to John Harrison for the beautiful music and skepsis and januszbc for the the photos!

Make your own comic strip

Get those imaginations going!

ADDED May 08, 2009

For today's print 'n' play activity, we will all be creating a comic strip.

This comic strip is a very simple way to tell a story. Here, we're using pictures in four frames.  The beauty of comic strips is they can be anything your kids' imagination can dream up. (And if the story their imaginations dream up requires more than four frames, print out more sheets!)  As you probably know, some comics have words and others don't, so this can be a fun activity that you do with kids of almost any age.

To start, show your kid a few comics from the newpaper (if you get one) or share this classic Charlie Brown comic. 

Explain how the story has a beginning, middle and end and then let their imaginations run wild.  Let them know that anybody can be a character in their comic: a teacher, a favorite stuffed animal, a family pet or even a little brother.  The best part is anything can happen in the story: people can fly, rocks can talk and cows can play the cello.

 

Email a photo of your kids comic to info@todayisfun.com and we will post it in our art gallery.  And if you can train a cow to play the cello, please send pictures of that, too.

 

(click to download)

 

Thanks to Charles m. Schulz for the comic inspiration!

Real-Life Video Game

Now with extra tickling levels!

ADDED May 07, 2009

We like video games at my house -- in moderation.  They are not something that we do daily, but are rather more of a weekend activity.  One evening, when my kids wanted to play just one more level, I told them, "Off to bed!  And when you get in bed, you can play a game with ninety-nine levels called, 'You Can't Win.'" 

On the surface, a game called "You Can't Win" might sound intimidating or even discouraging, but my brave kids were ready to play.  They wanted to see exactly why they wouldn't be able to win!  I said, "To play, you must have your teeth brushed, your pajamas on, and you must be in bed with your head on the pillow!"  (Sorry, but with these rules, I'm very strict.)

So together, my kids and I made up some silly levels as if we were playing a real-life video game. The first level we played was called "Tickle Torture," and it required everyone to withstand one minute of sustained tickling.  Level Two was "Bear Hug," and as the name says, everyone had to endure a bear hug (combined with tickling) for one minute.  Level Three we called, "The Pillow Sandwich."  This one involved being gently squeezed between two pillows (and simultaneously being tickled).  I have found that most levels seem to somehow involve tickling one way or another, but the kids were up for the challenge.

It has been great fun for us all to make up levels, and the kids really enjoy trying to win (they always do.)  If your kids get too riled up playing this real-life video game, well, play it well before bed.  Tucker them out and then give them plenty of time to wind down.

Tonight, our family is doing level forty-eight, "Pillow From The Sky."  I'll let you know how it goes.  (And whether it involves a lot of tickling.)

 

Thanks to tm22 for the bear hug photo!

 

Big Letters

Typing can be big fun for kids

ADDED May 06, 2009

A big part of being a kid is emulating your parents. It’s fun to act like Mom or Dad, and there are some learning aspects to this mimicry, too.

Kids these day see their parents on their computers quite a bit. Of course, much of this is checking todayisfun.com, we understand.

One way for very young kids to start learning about computers is to do something very simple. In Microsoft Word or google docs, you can open a new document and change the font size to something really large. Then your child can practice typing different letters on the keyboard.

We did this when my older son was first learning his letters, and he had a great time. He said, “Now I’m going to do a lot of B’s, now I’m going to do a lot of L’s.” Then he would say, “See? Just like Daddy.”

My very own alphabet book

Cut n paste fun!

ADDED March 13, 2009

Today we have a fun activity that you can do with your kids to get rid of those old magazines and catalogs.  Work together to make an alphabet picture book.  This is an activity you can do over a few days (or even weeks), but when you are done you will have a handmade book filled with pictures and letters that your child has chosen.

Get out some scissors, glue, a notebook of any size and those catalogs and magazines.  This is a good opportunity to review the letters of the alphabet and when the review is done start thumbing through the magazines looking for photos of exciting things that start with the letters of the alphabet.  Since A is at the beginning of the alphabet we started with A.  We found a beautiful photo of some apples in Bon Appetite and some awesome close up Ants in National Geographic. When the A was completed we moved to B and found some pictures of blue sky, burritos and beluga whales.

We have only made it to the letter J so far but slowly are making our way through the alphabet.  It is fun too when the new magazines arrive because the kids are always on the look out for old magazines that can be replaced. Of course when we are done with magazines its off to the recycling bin.  Have Fun!

Good News, Bad News, Better News

What's better than good news? Better news!

ADDED March 04, 2009

 

This one is a fun verbal activity.  It's perfect for passing the time while waiting.

Start by playing "Good News, Bad News."  You say to your child, "I have some good news and some bad news."  And then, make up some good and bad news.

The trick is that the bad news should completely cancel out the good news.

For instance, you could say, "The good news is I'm going to spend some special time with you now.  The bad news is:  I'm going to spend that time tickling you!"

Or a kid could say, "The good news, Mommy, is that I just brushed my teeth.  The bad news is that I didn't use toothpaste, I used ketchup!"

The other trick is too make sure that the good news and bad news are either completely pretend or completely light.   You guys should enjoy yourselves - and nobody should get upset!  And if your children aren't at an age where they understand pretending and joking, well, hold off on this one for a while!

You guys might find that you like the variation "Good News, Better News" even, well, better!  In this one, you make a simple change:  "I have some good news and some better news!"

Here is an example to get you going:  "The good news is that I just made a batch of chocolate chip cookies.  The better news is that you can have two of them!"

And a couple more suggestions for you:

"The good news is today is your birthday.  The even better news is that we're having a birthday party today!"

"The good news is we're going to do some coloring right now.  The even better news is that we're going to try to use every single crayon we've got!"

This one is for older kids, we think.  Let us know how it goes in your house.

We think it will be a worthwhile activity.  And the even better news is, it's easy to remember, and you guys can play it for years!

Green Eggs and Ham

Have you? Could you? Would you?

ADDED February 19, 2009

 

 

We're still playing with variations here on our blog, as the Week of Variation continues.  (Okay, now we're thinking we could have possibly come up with a catchier name for the week.  Oh, well.)

This week we've been busy changing up ordinary parts of life in order to get fun, different experiences and activities.  Today we'll be varying food.

Food coloring is possibly in your pantry now, and if it's not, it's extremely inexpensive.  Food coloring is completely safe, but it's probably not great to consume large doses of it everyday. However, a little food coloring once a week definitely won't hurt.  Here are some fun-with-food-coloring suggestions:

*  Green Eggs and Ham.  Add some food coloring to scrambled eggs (and serve with ham if you can.)  Pick up the book from the library and read it to the kids as they eat this meal (it doesn't just have to be breakfast, of course.)  If green eggs and ham goes over well, try red eggs and ham, or if you're quite brave, blue eggs and ham.  (Blue is not the most appetizing color for food, if you ask us.)

*  Colorful Cups of Water.  Fill some glasses with water and have your kids drop different colors of food coloring into each.  Experiment with different colors, mixing colors, and intensities of colors.  Serve the water with lunch or dinner.

*  Pretty Pasta.  Food coloring works quite well in pasta dishes, as noodles readily take on the added color. 

*  Try coloring these, too:  mashed potatoes, ground beef, yogurt, milk, vanilla ice cream, egg salad.

What else could food coloring do to mix up your kids' next mealtime?  If you have any ideas you'd like to share, please leave a comment

Add some color to your days for fun and variation!

 

(Many thanks to swearinglibrarian for the green eggs and milk photo.)

 

--S

Several Silly Snapshots

(Extremely Exaggerated Emotions)

ADDED February 17, 2009

 

You know we like to play with digital cameras.  Well, today we're doing variations with faces...

Have your kid stand in one place.  Tell your child that you’re going to take a bunch of photos and that in each photo the facial expression should be different. 

To help your model know what facial expression to display, you guys could go through this list:

Angry
Sad
Happy
Laughing
Scary
Scared
Confused
Cold
Hot
Hungry
Excited
Nervous

This activity can be a good opportunity to talk about different emotions and how people show their emotions with their bodies.

For maximum fun, try to make the photos the same as possible.  The framing of the photo and its size should remain the same.  (Don’t zoom in or out, for instance.)  It will be fun when you and the kids review to see basically the same picture, the same kid, with different emotions.

Once you’ve taken the photos, review them with your child.  You could print the photos and put them side by side.  You could also have another person (another family member, for instance) try to guess what emotion is being displayed in each photo.

Have fun, and have fun with all the variations!
 

HOW TO ENTERTAIN KIDS -- WHAT DO YOU GET....

A fun problem solving activity.

ADDED September 09, 2008

Most things here at TIF are absurd and amusing.  What can I say -- we like to have fun. We revel in the ridiculous and savor the silly.  Today’s idea is no different.  I like to play this game in the car when everybody is buckled in, a little bored, and ready to get to our destination. It is called, "What do you need to get…?" 

I will ask my kids simple questions like, ”What do you need to get an egg?”
The answer is not as easy as it might seem, and there are many right answers: you might need a chicken or a store or even a hand to pick up the egg. The fun comes from the imagination used thinking up silly answers. Or the questions can be of a more educational nature, ”What do you need to get 5?”  The answer again is many things: 2+3=5 or 9-4=5 . . . and even 5 birthday parties is a correct answer. Or the question can be even more silly like, ”What do you need to to get to Hawaii?” An airplane, wings, a boat, or even money would all be answers!

This is a great activity because the kids have to figure out the answer, and the adults have to be a little creative as they try and stump them with more and more outlandish questions.

What do your need to get…
Toast.
A carrot.
A car tire.
A book.
Sand.
Seatbelt.
A dog.

Try it today and leave us a comment letting us know “What do you need to get…?”.

HOW TO ENTERTAIN KIDS -- THE INVISIBLE BALL

Mom always said, don�t throw in the house (but she didn�t say anything about an invisible ball)

ADDED August 20, 2008

 

You and your child pretend to throw and catch a ball. That's it. This activity might sound a little dull, but kids seem to like it.

The fun here is in the variations on the throwing and the catching. You can throw the ball hard and throw it gently, you can toss it up high or pitch it down low. Have your kid do a diving catch or a one-hand grab. And you can vary the ball, too-see how differently you and your child throw a ball that is really hot, or sticky, or very fragile.

Have fun with this, but also remind your young ones that this is just an activity, and that society looks down on people who opt for lives as professional mimes.

How to entertain kids -- Music Lessons

No musical ability, or musical instruments, required

ADDED August 19, 2008

Kids are endlessly fun and entertaining for their parents.  So why shouldn't parents request specific entertainment?  And who wouldn't like to be serenaded with some music?

Well, before your kids can perform music for you, you'll have to teach them how to play some musical instruments.

And it doesn't matter if you own no instruments or if you have no musical ability yourself.  You can still talk about different kinds of musical instruments, and how they sound.

First, you'll need some "instruments." Use some of your kid's stuff for these:  different books and toys.  Anything that they can hold and isn't too tiny.

Once you've got the "instruments," start holding each one up and demonstrating how it sounds.  (As best as you can, imitate the sounds of various instruments.)  Say things like:  "You play a guitar by strumming, like this.  You can put your other hand here, to change the notes."

Demonstrate the strumming of a guitar, the plinking of a piano, the honking of a trumpet.  See if you guys can move on to the piccolo, flute, harpsichord, even bagpipes!

This will be a fun introduction to instruments for you little ones.  And one day soon, your kid just might have a real instrument, so now you can practice listening to their musical efforts while trying not to wince too visibly.

HOW TO ENTERTAIN KIDS -- CLEANING MACHINES

Fun way to get kids to clean up

ADDED August 14, 2008

Picking up toys isn’t nearly as fun as getting them out in the first place. But a twist on that chore will help get it done.

When my kids aren’t participating in the clean up, I say, “Uh oh, this cleaning isn’t happening very quickly. What we need are some cleaning machines.”

I tell my kids that now they have to crawl around the floor, because they are the machines!

And they respond immediately to this suggestion. Suddenly they are down on the floor, making odd and vaguely mechanical noises. One of my boys, in doing this activity, recently announced he was a “Toy Plow, not a snow plow,” and that his shovel was really good at cleaning the toys. And so it was.

This twist has come in handy for me, but I don’t think you should try it if time is a factor. If your machines resemble the ones in my house, the job gets done, but with lots of time spent making particular noises, breaking down, being repaired, etc.

Plate it up!

Yes, yes. Technically this is playing with your food. But it's fun and educational, too.

ADDED June 09, 2008

 

Plating is what they call it in restaurants, when they put food onto a plate with an eye towards the presentation.

This is simple, fun, and possibly educational thing you can do in your own home. Do some plating that stimulates your kids' brains.

When I serve peanut butter on toast, I quickly cut the bread into many small triangles and spread them around the plate. My kids are immediately intrigued and are sure to comment on what they see. In the process, of course, we learn about shapes and spatial distances.

I do other sly things with the kids' food, to get them to take notice. I'll put three different kinds of fruit on three different little plates. I'll serve banana slices as a stacked tower or circling the edges of the dish. Anything to mix it up and get them talking.

A little creativity can provide an instant topic of conversation, and help kids have fun and learn something, too.

So have fun, and plate it up!

The perfect toy

Who needs toys when you have a box

ADDED May 05, 2008

We all know that kids love boxes but here are some other uses that you may not have thought of. So I now present a list of possible uses for a box. This list is not exhaustive and let us know how a box can entertain your little ones.

 

Make it into a…
Rocket ship
Transportation for a Queen
Race car

Decorate it for…
Birthdays
Thanksgiving
Hanukkah
Christmas

Put your…
Toys in it
Pet in it
Brother in it

Wear it as a…
Suit of Armor
Big shoe
Hat

Ride it…
On a blanket (wood floors required)
On a skateboard (helmet and pads required)
To a Drive-in Movie in your living room

Make it into a…
Stage for a Puppet show
Hospital for sick stuffed animals
Garage for cars

Use it as a…
Stove for cooking
Table for eating
Throne for a King

Thinking of you

Fun way to help your kids learn your phone number

ADDED April 24, 2008

On the rare occasion that my beautiful wife is able to leave the house alone I like to encourage this activity. I will say, ”Who knows Moms phone number?” And whoever can recite it can call her and tell her they are thinking of her.

Next I will ask, ”Who knows my phone number?” Whoever can recite it can call me on my cell phone,of course I go to another room.

”Who knows Grandfathers phone number?” and whoever can recite it can call him and ask if he wants to meet us at the park.

Then I will give them my cell phone a say, ”Who knows our home phone number?” Whoever can recite it can call the house and leave a funny message.

After all the phone madness we review how to use 911 and who we can call using that number and when to call that number. We also go over good phone manners and how to answer the phone.

It’s fun, the kids like using the phone and if your kids don’t know your phone number help them learn it, soon you could be on the receiving end of a thinking of you call.

Costco Fort

Hours of entertainment for kids thanks to your local gigantic warehouse store

ADDED April 23, 2008

Kids like to build—that’s why blocks (and Tinker Toys, and Lincoln Logs, and Legos) were invented.

Well, when your kids are at loose ends—and argue that they’ve already built every possible structure with their toys, direct them to your garage or storage cabinet. There you will find the bounty of Costco (or other, similar warehouse store).

My kids love building as much as anyone, but they get a special delight in stacking up rolls of paper towels, toilet paper, kleenex boxes, diaper packets, and the like. Because my wife buys these items in quantities of at least one hundred and fifty (or so it seems), we always have a lot of raw material for these structures—which quickly get bigger than the kids. If anyone causes a collapse (an inevitability—and kind of fun in of itself) no one gets hurt because, well, there are no bricks, just paper towel rolls. And then we build again.

Animal Hospital

Exciting Emergency Room style entertainment for kids.

ADDED April 20, 2008

My kids love their stuffed animals and every now and then one (or all) of them get hurt and need some special care. Setting up your own little ER is fun and can provide hours of entertainment.

 

First set up the hospital area. Make sure it is stocked with, a few band-aids to use for cuts, a roll of toilet paper to use for bandaging. You can even use an empty TP roll as a cast and popsicle sticks are great for splints. And don’t forget a baggie with a cube of ice for bumps and bruises.

 

Now that you are all stocked and ready for customers ask your kids to gather five or six of their stuffed animals and get to work.

 

Don't forget to ask your kids how the animals got hurt and what you can do to fix it. Or let them be the doctors and stand back as they diagnose and repair their injured friends.

 

For me the best part of this activity is hearing how the stuffed animals got hurt. I had no idea their stuffed animals are involved in so many dangerous activities. Have fun and send us some photos of bandaged stuffed animals.

Big Words

Really, when was the last time you had fun with the dictionary?

ADDED April 18, 2008

A kid's early years are so exciting for everybody involved. Kids like new words and concepts--and their parents like watching all the learning.

One activity we do is to learn a 'big word' every day. Every day, my four year old and I flip through the dictionary, and he puts his finger on one of the words. Some days he wants a word with a specific letter, other days he just chooses randomly.

I tell him the word, and what it means (sometimes I change some of the words so they make better sense to him.)

We've learned the words perplexing, butter churn, landmark, scrub, and gratifying, among others.

(If the word is ever inappropriate or something I've never heard of, I just chose a word nearby, of course.)

Some words he remembers and uses, others are forgotten immediately (I think.) But it doesn't matter. I don't care. He and I aren't prepping for the SAT or for law school. We're just talking, and having fun.

Questions for the kids

Entertain the troops with a little kid interrogation

ADDED April 17, 2008

Try it here are a few starters. Questions can be simple, “what color is your favorite shirt?” informational, “how much do you like bunnies?” or outlandish, “what do you think is heavier 1 elephant or 7500 popsicles?” You can ask anything. So ask away.

I did and was surprised to find out that someone in my family would rather be tickled than eat green beans, another prefers their straw inside a cup, while a third person would rather go bowling than play croquet. Who knew! Let me know what you find out about your loved ones.

Uh Oh, Here Comes A Pillow

You know that this way of entertaining kids was thought up by a Dad

ADDED April 15, 2008

A little odd, maybe, but definitely fun.

Have your kid lie down, facing up. Take a sofa pillow--or one off a bed--and announce, "Uh oh, here comes a pillow." Gently throw the pillow onto your child. And repeat.

My kids like this quite a bit. The seem excited and curious to see whether I'll throw the pillow onto their faces or their stomachs. (I promise, I throw very gently. No one requires a helmet for this game--and no one gets hurt.)

When a kid is covered with a few pillows, I say, "Okay, now I have to sit down," and I apply light pressure to the pile of pillows. Sometimes my kids pretend to be an article of furniture, and other times they indignantly proclaim that they are children, and that I should find a more suitable seating arrangement.

I have completely forgotten about this book

ADDED April 01, 2008

Sometimes a kid will find a favorite book and want to read it over and over and OVER again. (And then over again.)

 

Really, there's nothing wrong with this. In fact, we as parents we should definitely feel happy and lucky that our child has found a book that excites them!

 

But then again, reading a child's favorite book thirty or forty times can be, well, repetitive.

 

One way to breathe fresh life into an oft-read book is to forget about it completely.

 

"Oh, I've never seen this book before!" I tell my children as the favorite book comes out.

 

At first, they look at me like I'm nuts (not an uncommon occurrence in our house.) Then, they're on board with the game and "introducing" me to the book.

 

"And Daddy, look at how this elephant is squirting all over the place! Have you ever seen that before?"

 

I also try this completely forgetting trick when my Lovely Wife asks me to take out the garbage, but the results aren't quite as impressive.

Stretch Out Your Hands As Wide As They Go

ADDED March 19, 2008

Sometimes you sense your kid is at loose ends and has a lot of (potentially dangerous) 'undirected energy.' This type of situation, if left unchecked, leads to an episode of crayon drawing on the wall, throwing food, or otherwise being a pill.

This simple "repeat after me" game, with accompanying gestures, is good for diverting the kids for a few minutes.

Tell your child these words, and add some rhythm to your voice. (If you've ever done a group 'cheer' at a high school pep rally, that type of rhythm will probably work well for you here.)

Stretch out your hands as wide as they go
And clap, clap, clap, clap.
Stretch out your hands as wide as they go
And wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle. [wiggle your fingers]

As you say the words, show your children the gestures. And have them move their arms as they repeat after you.

The next bit is:

Stretch out your hands as wide as they go
And swim, swim, swim.
[pretend to swim by doing strokes in the air]
Stretch out your hands as wide as they go
And drive the car, drive the car, drive the car.
[energetically jerk an invisible steering wheel]
Honk, honk, honk!
[pretend to shove the horn on the steering wheel]

Young kids seem to really enjoy this activity. Let's just hope it doesn't put them on the path to a future hobby of Jazzercise.