WEEKEND REVIEW

Try one of this weeks five great ideas this weekend.

ADDED April 25, 2008

 

 Monday

Animal Hospital

Exciting Emergency Room style entertainment for kids.

Tuesday

Big Letters

Typing can be big fun for kids

 

Wednesday

Twist Tie Pterodactyl

Shopping can be prehistoric fun for kids with this activity

Thursday

Costco Fort

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

Friday

Thinking of you

Fun way to help your kids learn your phone number

---

Uncategorized,

Hug Fight

A really nice kind of fight

ADDED October 23, 2008

Everybody has heard of pillow fights, water balloon fights, and even the perennial favorite from cafeterias across the land: food fights.  

But have you ever heard of a "hug fight?"

Hug fights are best at night, right before bed.  They are actually very peaceful, gentle, and don't take a lot of effort.  To have a hug fight, all you need to do is call out "Hug Fight!" and everyone in the room hugs the person or people closest to them.  After a few seconds someone else yells "Hug Fight" again, and at this point you need to switch and hug someone else. Keep yelling "Hug Fight" until everyone in the room has been sufficiently hugged.

I like to do this at night as we are putting the kids in bed, because I get a really good tight hug from everybody.  And it's fun to yell at night.

Why not have a hug fight tonight with the ones you love?

good any time, good at home, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer,

Be the Bus Boy (or Bus Girl)

A fun (and vaguely educational) way to keep mealtimes alive!

ADDED January 07, 2009

 

Sometimes kids are antsy at mealtimes.  They're ready to leave the table and return to their toys.  While we admire their passion for playing, we also need everybody to eat some food!  Therefore, we've discovered that cooking up an interesting topic at mealtimes helps little rear ends remain in their seats.

Here's what you do.  It's simple and entertaining:

 

While the kids are starting their meals, parade out various serving dishes.  Put them on the table for your kids to see, and together discuss what each is used for.  (For obvious reasons, please don't use precious heirlooms, such as great-grandmother's fragile collectible china gravy boat.  Such items could meet disastrous ends due to overly enthusiastic toddlers.)

 

Get a bunch of different dishes out.  Talk about sugar bowls, platters, tureens, creamers -- you name it.

What is the difference between a mug and a teacup?  Or a tea pot and a tea kettle?  What is a gravy boat?  (And why is a boat anyway, do you think?)  Do your kids know what a saucer is?  And what exactly is the point of a saucer?  (We think a saucer is used out of tradition, maybe to look nice, and possibly to catch little spills.) 

The goal here is to learn new words and to start a discussion . . . and to keep those kids at the table!

 

You should award yourself some points for variety.  How many different serving vessels can you find tucked away in your kitchen cabinets?

Have some fun with this one.  And look, you're finally getting some use out of all that stuff tucked away in your kitchen cabinets. 

 

--S

 

Photo of Portuguese dishes courtesy of pedrosimoes7.  And the single corningware shot is from studiosmith.

ages 3-12, good for mealtimes,

Free Father's Day Signs to Color

You print, your child colors, and Dad gets teary-eyed at how thoughtful you guys are

ADDED June 08, 2008

Yes, another major holiday is upon us. Father's Day is this coming Sunday, June 15. Now we know you've dedicated yourself to shopping for this event for months now, you've fought the crowds at the local mall, and now you have many, many presents all lined up. Or maybe not.

Either way, why not add these coloring pages to the celebration? It's a fun activity for your kids during the week, and it will help the house look great on the big day.

 

Festive Sign #1
Festive Sign #2
Festive Sign #3
Festive Sign #4

Simply print the pages and turn them over to your home's resident artists. Once suitably beautiful, you might want to tuck these away in a drawer until Sunday, and then have your young ones help tape them up where Dad will see them.

We'd be happy to see some of your creations if you could email us pictures. You can also email us at fun@todayisfun.com if you need more Father's Day suggestions.

Have a Happy Holiday!

ages 3-12, art supplies needed,

Stroller Patrol

Finding something obvious helps keep kids occupied

ADDED May 21, 2008

Sometimes when you and your kids go somewhere fun or somewhere that’s geared for kids, there’s some waiting that must be endured, too.  For instance, if you’ve ever been to Disneyland (which is fun for kids) there are occasionally some lines to wait in (less fun.)

One way I keep my kids entertained is to deputize them into Stroller Patrol.  When I can tell that the waiting in line has started to wear thin, I proclaim, “Okay, people.  I need to account for every single stroller here!  Who can help me find a stroller?”  Since we’re at place for kids, there are always a good number of strollers.  Soon my kids are scanning and surveying the area, eagerly adding up the number of kid carriages.

Usually there is a lot of crowd movement at these places, and the number of strollers in view is constantly fluctuating.  Which is good.  I need an accurate count, at all times. 

Stroller Patrol is a very important and  time-consuming job, and no deputy has time to be at loose ends.

ages 2-7, good any time, no 'props' needed, quick activity, verbal activity,

Crazy Letter Sandwich

A tasty, tricky and tremendously entertaining letter activity

ADDED November 14, 2008

In our extended family, there is a darling toddler girl named Mckenna.  She is insanely adorable.

For some unknown reason, my two boys, "Rough" and "Tumble," are entranced by this sweet little girl.  Any activity that invovles a mention of little Mckenna is sure to be a hit.  And so, Mckenna became the starting point for this game.  (When you play, of course you can use a name that has relevance in your family.)

To start the game, I say, "I'm making a sandwich.  Here's what I was thinking to put in it:

•  Mustard,
•  Mayonnaise,
•  Mango,
•  Melon,
•  Mckenna, (yes, that wonderful little girl) and . . .

•  Pickle relish."

Then I ask Rough and Tumble if they can tell me which ingredient doesn't belong in my sandwich.  They know that I can be somewhat tricky, and they quickly catch on to what I'm doing.  Poor little Mckenna stays in my lunch, but pickle relish is out!

After you've asked your kids about your sandwich options, do it again with a different letter.  "I'm making a sandwich.  Here's what I was thinking to put in it:  Grapes, Granola, Goat cheese, Grandpa, a Gorilla and some alfalfa sprouts."

This activity gets kids thinking about letters . . . as well as what belongs or doesn't belong in a group or category.

Because we are who we are, we're including a list of alphabetical ingredients you can download and print.  That way you don't have to think too hard.  Click here.

(Disclaimer:  we at Today is Fun in no way encourage or condone eating kids -- or biting in any way.  This game is just supposed to be silly and fun.)

Good luck making those crazy letter sandwiches!  Bon appetit!

ages 4-12, educational, good any time, good for the car, verbal activity,

Clue Countdown

A clue per finger until there are no more left!

ADDED November 13, 2008

 

Think of something -- anything.  Hold up one hand, all five fingers extended.

Tell your kid, "I'm thinking of something.  You can have five guesses to figure out what it is.  And I'll give you a clue before each guess."

(Let's say you're thinking of a cloud.  The first clue you provide is "It's in the sky." Lower one finger.)

If your child doesn't guess the correct answer, provide another clue and fold down on another finger.

(The second clue could be, "It's fluffy.")

I like to try to make the first clue general and then get more and more specific as the guessing goes on.  And I like the last clue to be pretty much a giveaway.

(The last clue, for instance, could be "Rain comes out of them.")

If you're kids can manage it, have them think of something and take five guesses at what it is.

This is a good variation on twenty questions.  Young kids might not know the right questions to narrow the range of answers down.  (Little ones might not ask, "Is it a mineral or a vegetable?")  With this game, you guide them and help them along towards the right answer.

Three, two, one.  Fun!

ages 3-12, good at home, good for a restaurant or public place, good for the car, 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,

Great Gadzooks

Alphabetical word fun.

ADDED May 22, 2008

My kids are learning all about words at school, and lately I have seen their vocabulary increase greatly. What I do to encourage bigger words and a broader vocabulary is play a game I call “Great Gadzooks.”

It is slightly challenging and definitley something that makes them think but it can be played anywhere. The results are always hilarious.

All you need is a little imagination and some word power. You start at the beginning of the alphabet and use a adjective and a noun that start with the letter A.  For example, ”Awesome Apples” or “Arabian Ant,” then the game moves on to the next person. They will use the letter B for their turn, they follow suit using the same adjective and noun formula, ”Burned Bananna” or “Bouncy Blanket” -- the more outlandish the better. The next person follows with the letter C then D and so on. Some letters do get hard but we have a few "go to" words that we will use for I,V,X,Y and Z (email me if you need some help with those letters).

It is always fun. For some reason “Vacuuming Vipers” always gets a huge laugh and “Marvelous Mom” elicits cheers of joy. Let me know what makes you and your kids laugh. It would be great to read some of your "Colorful Comments".

ages 3-12, 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, longer activity, may rile them up, no 'props' needed, verbal activity,

A lot, a little, or so-so

A simple, entertaining way of finding kids' favorite things

ADDED May 26, 2008

 

Think of something -- anything -- in your child's life.  For now, let's use the example of a grilled cheese sandwich.

Ask your child, "How much do you like a grilled cheese sandwich?  A lot, a little, or just so-so?"  

It's that easy.

Once your child answers, you can share your thoughts on the subject at hand.  Then, think of another item to discuss.  Going to the park, for example.  Or an alligator.

Even little kids can participate in this game.  And there is something intrinsically charming about a toddler saying 'so-so.'

We all feel differently about various things in our lives.  This game helps pass the time in an entertaining way by talking about those evaluations.

We've had enormous success with this one during long car rides and while stuck in traffic.

Your family is guaranteed to like this game a lot (or a little or so-so).

ages 2-8, good any time, good for a group, good for the car, no 'props' needed, verbal activity,