How to entertain kids -- House of Cubes

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

ADDED September 05, 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 03, 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,

How to entertain kids -- At the market.

Fun times with what you have on hand.

ADDED August 29, 2008

Sometimes shopping is not the most fun activity for kids.  The waiting, price comparisons and bargain hunting is an adult activity. And unless a cereal needs to be picked out there is nothing much to do but sit and wait till the shopping is done.  Of course we have a solution for that.  Let your child play with your cell phone.  

On the surface this might seem like a risky proposition but take a minute and explain to your child how careful you need to be with a cell phone and what a big responsibility it is to be able to use one.  Then open up the camera function on you phone and show your kids how to take a picture or a movie and let them entertain themselves with this little piece of technology we all have.

You will definitely end up with a lot of photos like these actual photos taken by a three year old with my lovely wifes iphone but it is so fun!

Just another tip on HOW TO ENTERTAIN KIDS from Today is fun.
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 2-7, good any time, good at home, good for a restaurant or public place, quick activity, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

KIDS GAMES -- Find the Shape.

Fun game to help your kids learn shapes.

ADDED August 28, 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 27, 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 26, 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, good at home, good for a group, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

HOW TO ENTERTAIN KIDS -- WATCH THE CLOUDS.

Find shapes and learn a little science all at the same time.

ADDED August 25, 2008

A fun activity in these final days of summer is just sitting outside and watching the clouds. It is simple easy and clouds are almost always available to watch.

Today find some time to spend together outside looking at the clouds. Eat lunch outside or take an evening walk and look for animals, people or shapes in the clouds. If your kids are having trouble finding something in the clouds give them some silly suggestions of things to look for like, Grandma, the family pet or a teacher.

 

Here at TIF we love science and want to spread the love so while you are enjoying your time chatting and searching the skies if you see "puffy" or "cotton-like" clouds you can practice with your kids the scientific name for those clouds it is Cumulus.  After all it’s never to early learn.

Commenting is easy and fun so let us know what your kids see in the clouds info@todayisfun.com don’t forget to tell a friend about us. Today is fun!

ages 3-12, good any time, good for a group, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer, summer activity, verbal activity,

How to entertain kids -- Clap, stomp, hop.

Combine follow the leader and outrageous antics for a fun time.

ADDED August 14, 2008

As the final days of summer are waning and the school year is approaching fast sometimes a little boredom combined with the need to run around can create a powder keg of childish energy.  When this perfect storm is about to strike we will head outside for a game that combines follow the leader and the outrageous antics of a game show into one kid friendly activity that is sure to get the wiggles out.
This game seems to work best when we are walking somewhere but it certainly can be played in the yard or living room with equal success. 
First everyone stands in a circle and chose someone to start, there are three moves that the leader can chose from and they can be played in any combination, either clap, stomp or hop. Say the leader starts with a hop, stomp, hop and while they are doing their moves they need to say what they are doing, “hop, stomp, hop”. When the leader finishes they say "next".  This is the cue for the group to do what the leader just did, so they all say and do a little, “hop, stomp, hop”. When they finish they say "next". And the next person in line is now the leader and they get three moves, any three moves they might chose to go for a stomp, stomp, clap or hop, clap, stomp or even hop, hop, hop, whatever moves they chose the group follows and you keep going around the circle until everyone is worn out.
Remember you can do the moves in any order and even repeat moves but you only get three moves so use them wisely.  As your players become more advanced you can make up moves to trick the group, try hop, bark, balance on one leg or jump, roll, give a high five.
The reason we like this game so much is its simplicity kids love copying their parents and they love to have fun and be silly.

Try a little hop, hop, act like a hippo today and leave us a comment, it’s easy and fun or email info@todayisfun.com don’t forget to tell a friend about us. Today is fun!

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

How to entertain kids -- With letters

I see my letter!

ADDED August 13, 2008

Here at Today is fun we love reading and letters.  We also are big fans of encouraging kids to read regardless of age.
The first letter I taught my kids was the first letter of their name and I called it their letter.  They understood almost immediately that this one letter was special because it was their letter.  
Once they could identify their letter, I would occasionally stop on a page that we were reading and ask them to find their letter. From there we were able to move quickly to having them pick out a book that had their letter in the title and on to letting them pick out cereal with there letter in the name. Of course we ended up with sugar cereals but it was great, they were interested and always on the look out for their letter.

Try teaching your kids their letter today and see what happens.
Commenting is easy and fun so let us know where your kids find their letter or email info@todayisfun.com don’t forget to tell a friend about us. Today is fun!

educational, good at home, good for a restaurant or public place, no 'props' needed, quick activity, reading activity, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

HOW TO ENTERTAIN KIDS -- What do you hear.

How to entertain kids with silence.

ADDED August 12, 2008

Some car rides are rowdy. When a group of kids is going to a party or on an outing be prepared for a loud ride.  And when you mix in some sort of children's folk singer on the stereo be prepared for shrieks of joy and peals of laughter that only dogs can hear.

Today we have a quick idea that can quiet the car down, keep everybody entertained and it works with a group of kids or just a few.

What I will do to get everyone's attention is first I will put all of the windows in the car down.  The noise and sudden burst of wind will shock everyone into silence for a few seconds. When the group is quiet I will tell them of a new game we are going to play.  This is a quiet game and to play you need to be quiet and listen carefully, we are going to listen as we drive and we will tell each other what we hear.

Soon silence is all I here combined with an occasional, “Oh, I hear a horn and a truck” and “Oh there is a dog”.  

This is one of our favorite kinds of activities because it takes all of the rowdy excitement that kids have and transforms it into something structured with a little learning along the way. Try it and let us know how it works for you!

Commenting is easy and fun so let us know what your kids hear info@todayisfun.com don't forget to tell a friend about us. Today is fun!

ages 2-7, good any time, good at home, good for a group, good for the car, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

What is my balance?

Help encourage your kids to save.

ADDED August 01, 2008

We opened a bank account for the kids the other day.  It’s their own bank account that they use for their personal savings.  It does not have a debt card or checks and it barely has a balance but it is a place they can put birthday money or money they earn from practicing the piano.

I certainly am no professional with money management but I hope it will help them understand how hard it is to earn money and how expensive it is to buy things. 

They both really like to go online (with my help of course) to check their balances and trips to make a deposits have been fun so far. I’ll let you know how it works out as time goes on.  Hopefully they will realize the car they want will not pay for itself.

ages 4-12, good at home, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

Market Price.

A fun game to play at the market.

ADDED July 31, 2008

Next time you are at the market a need an activity while you are waiting for your number to be called at the deli counter try this little time killer.  Have your kids carefully grab a few oranges or a cantaloupe and head over to the scale in the produce section. Put the fruit in and let your kids tell you the weight.  If they don’t understand how a scale works it is a perfect opportunity to teach your kids how to read it.  Start with the round numbers first and as they grow more experienced you can even begin to explain fractions!  It can kill a few extra minutes and you can educate while you shop.  Also try to weigh something big like a watermelon that is always fun but whatever you do please don't bruise the fruit.

 

Drop us an email and let us know how much your produce weighed info@todayisfun.com and don’t forget to tell your friends about Today is fun!

ages 3-12, educational, quick activity, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

Local Tour Guide.

A game where your kids lead the way.

ADDED July 30, 2008

During the summer when the nights are warm and long we take a walk just about every night.  It’s a good exercise habit and a fun time together as a family.  The dog also is a big fan of walks so we all win. But a problem developed I found we were falling into a bad habit where we followed the same route nightly.  So I found a fun way to mix it up and keep the kids interested. Each night I chose one of them to be our local tour guide.

The local tour guide really has a lot of responsibility they chose our walking route for the evening and are tasked with highlighting points of interest along the way.  They also make sure we cross the street safely and keep an eye on the dog so I can pick up after him.  

Next time you are out on a walk with your family appoint a local tour guide.  Have them point out their friends houses, places they like to go, houses that have barking dogs and who has the most cats in the neighborhood.  Each walk with my kids is always very enlightening after all the locals know all the secrets.


Drop us an email and let us know what you learned on your tour info@todayisfun.com don’t forget to tell a friend about us and remember Today is Fun!

ages 3-12, longer activity, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer, summer activity, verbal activity,

Summer Bug Hunt.

Fun Summer Activity.

ADDED July 29, 2008

Most kids love bugs. They like to look at them and some even like to touch them.  And we have a great idea for you and your little bug lovers today.  

All you will need is an old pillowcase and a jar with a top and a rose bush or some kind of flowering plant. With these three things you will be well on your way to a super duper fun bug hunt.  

Lay the pillowcase out on the ground and give the plant a good shake, any bugs that are not holding on really tight will fall to the ground and onto the pillowcase.  Pick up the pillowcase and shake the bugs into the jar and you are all set for viewing your catch.  

Help your kids count how many bugs you caught, the number of legs on each bug and how many have wings?  You can also name the colors on each bug and if they are really brave they can touch the bugs.  

When the viewing is over let the bugs go and see if you catch some more.

 

Drop us an email and let us know what you caught info@todayisfun.com and remember if  Today is Fun tell a friend!

educational, good at home, see our disclaimer, summer activity, verbal activity,

Ask anything you want or tell me something I don't know

A nice, nightly night-night ritual

ADDED July 24, 2008

 

In our house, we have a boy who is just old enough to have his own 'big kid' bed, but not quite old enough to understand the concept of staying in that bed at night.

We take a number of steps to remind everybody in our house that beds are for bedtime, and we have a nice nightly routine that includes reading a book and telling a story.

After the book and the story, and when the kids are lying quietly in bed, I do the final part of the nightime process. I say to each child in turn: "Ask me any question about anything you want, or tell me something, anything, that I don't know."

The point that I'm conveying to them here is that we're done talking for the day, and that it's time to move on to resting and being quiet.

This activity is also further encouragement for kids to feel comfortable sharing information or asking a question. There are many times when kids are not invited to make any statement they'd like (during school, at church, etc.), and I want to make sure to give them chances to communicate anything at all with me, and to get into the habit of doing so.

And like all the ideas on our site, there's a lot of fun to be had here, too. For instance, what will your child's minds come up with for questions, or for information you don't already know? In our house, I was recently told that a dinosaur popped his head out of a volcano and tried to eat one of our family's friends! Well, I certainly did not know that one before.

We're interested in the rituals you do with your kids in your house. To share, please email us at info@todayisfun.com, or leave a comment here.

ages 3-12, verbal activity,

Eat It or Don't Eat It!

Yet another of our kids games that is easy, fun, and instructional

ADDED July 21, 2008

This is another very simple game. There is a certain, almost Zen-like beauty to the simplicity of this activity, as we'll explain in a moment...

You list a few things for your kids. They have to tell you "Eat it" or "Don't Eat It" for each. A plate of spaghetti, yes. An apple, yes. An entire house . . . absolutely not!

After your turn (try to rattle off about ten different items to ask about), your kids can take a stab at listing things for you to eat or don't eat.

Once your kids understand the concept, you can start to get tricky with them. For instance, "elbow pasta" is a favorite in our house. But just plain old elbows . . . don't try to eat those!

Of course, this is a very easy way to review for small children what people eat, and what they shouldn't. As a case in point, I always remind my little guy that crayons and Play Dough are on the "Don't Eat It!" list.

And now for the beauty of this game, as we mentioned above. The thing is, "Eat it or Don't Eat It!" is simple and engaging enough for small children that they can play it themselves, once you show them how. We have witnessed kids as young as four and two playing this game by themselves for ten to fifteen minutes at a time! And ah, what a sweet, peaceful, and relaxing ten to fifteen minutes that was.

Have fun, and at your next meal time, please stick to the "Eat It" list. No houses, no elbows, please.

 

ages 2-7, educational, good any time, good at home, good for a restaurant or public place, good for mealtimes, good for the car, no 'props' needed, verbal activity,

How Many Fingers Am I Holding Up?

A game for kids that helps little ones learn math concepts

ADDED July 20, 2008

This activity is another in our series about teaching numbers and counting.  And okay, it's pretty simple, we admit it.  Please don't demand your money back.  It really is a great, fun introduction to these concepts for little kids.

First, have the kids close their eyes. Then hold up a number of your fingers.  

"How many fingers am I holding up?" you ask.

Then your child guesses, while keeping eyes closed.  You respond to each guess with "More," "Less," or "Absolutely right!"

Once your kids get the concept, you can close your eyes and take a shot at guessing how many fingers they're holding up.

(During a recent run through of this game, my boy really surprised me.  After I guessed all the possible numbers - 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 - and was told that I was wrong every time, I opened my eyes to discover he was holding up all his fingers on both hands.  He was delighted, of course, and I was foiled again.)

Have fun playing this learning numbers game with your kids, but whatever you do, for your own safety and the safety of your self esteem, don't try to play this one with any teenagers!

ages 2-7, educational, good at home, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, good for mealtimes, quick activity, verbal activity,

The big performance.

The final act for this weeks activities

ADDED July 18, 2008

Today’s craft is part three of a three part summer fun activity.

I hope you all made your puppets and worked out a little story with your child if you did not please click here and here for the activities.  

Now that the puppets are made and the story is ready it’s time to put all the pieces together for the big performance.  You can use something as simple as the back of a chair or couch for the stage really anything your kids can get behind will be perfect.
 
If you want to pop some popcorn have some drinks and light refreshments and when everybody is ready turn the lights down and enjoy the show. Cheer and have fun!

For those who are technically savvy record the show and post it on youtube.com.  That way if a special loved one can’t make it they will be able to see it. Or you can just record it to show on your TV I know my kids love to see themselves on TV.

Have a great weekend and let us know how its going remember to leave a comment or send us an email!  info@todayisfun.com

ages 2-7, good for a group, see our disclaimer, summer activity, verbal activity,

Tell that story!

An easy educational storytelling activity .

ADDED July 17, 2008

Today’s craft is part two of a three part summer fun activity.

Yesterday I hope you all made your puppets if you did not please click here for the activity.  

Now that the puppets are made it is story time!  Using a few of the puppets you have created as inspiration work with your child to create a short story that they can act out with the puppets.  If your child is older they can even write it down so important plot points are not forgotten.  Don’t be to strict with the story part just have fun and encourage their creativity. Make it a conversation, I like to give them the tools and let them create. If they are stuck or only mildly interested, you can lead gently by asking questions, “Who is in your story, where are they and what are they doing?” That is really all I have to do just give a little boost and they are off and running.

Most stories at my house usually involve a lot of falling down, at least one talking animal and many of the stories take place at school.  I have also found that the stories tend to develop and change during the performance, kind of like jazz.  

Have fun and look for part three tomorrow!

Leave a comment or send us an email to let us what your story is about info@todayisfun.com

and don't forget to tell your friends about us!

ages 2-7, educational, good at home, see our disclaimer, summer activity, verbal activity,

Popsicle puppets.

An easy educational craft.

ADDED July 16, 2008

Today’s craft is part one of a three part summer fun activity.

 

 
All you will need to make a really fun puppet is a popsicle stick, a small toy and some clear tape.  If you don’t have a popsicle stick you could use a straw or chopstick.  This stick will be the part that your child holds on to use the puppet. Once you have chosen a stick have your child find a small toy that can be taped to one end of the stick. When the toy is attached the puppet is done.
 
Now show your kids how the puppet can come to life!  It can walk along the edge of the table, behind the couch and along the edge of the tub.  This is a great activity to encourage creative play and something that kids can play with on their own once the puppet is built.
 
Have fun and look for part two tomorrow!
 
Leave a comment or send us an email to let us what you are making info@todayisfun.com!

ages 2-7, art supplies needed, educational, good at home, quick activity, see our disclaimer, summer activity, verbal activity,

Counting everyday and everyway.

Daily fun with numbers.

ADDED July 15, 2008

Numbers are an abstract concept. Learning how to count to ten is the easy part but learning how to use numbers to count things this can be hard. Here at TIF we love numbers and we think that the only way to get good at something is through repetition. That is why we are big fans of this game.

Once your kids have mastered counting 1-10 the next step could be to count simple things that you and your kids see. Math that they can do on their fingers is the best, as with everything we try to make it easy so it can be done anywhere.

With my kids I started with simple things that I knew they could count, when we would ride somewhere in the car I would often ask how many people are in the car? Or other times I would ask how many wheels does a car have? How many lights are on the street lamp? Or just to be tricky. I would ask how many wheels does and eighteen wheeler have?

Using simple counting questions they got really good quickly and soon we were adding up the tires on two cars, counting items in a display case and people in line at the market. Try it today and see what numbers you come up with.

Leave a comment or send us an email to let us know how you encourage counting at info@todayisfun.com!

ages 2-7, educational, good any time, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, good for the car, no 'props' needed, quick activity, see our disclaimer, verbal activity,

Fishing for fun.

Entertaining activity with rowdy results.

ADDED July 14, 2008

Here is a fun game you can play in the back yard, park or pool. All you need is a kid or two, bait and tackle not required.  

I start by saying, “ I think I am going to go fishing”.
I pretend to throw my line in the water and reel one of the fish in.
As my fish comes in I will ask it, “You don’t look like a fish what are you?”

This is the part I like, hearing what I have reeled in and believe it or not I have reeled in everything from an old shoe that claimed to be just my size to a white blood cell.

Since I am a catch and release fisherman now comes the part they like a gentle toss back into the ocean.

As the game continues I will mix it up and not throw back things that are interesting to encourage the kids to use their imagination. Once I even reeled in the Mayor, she seemed to be wise so I kept her for a while to help me decide what to do with my catches.

It is fun and educational. They get to use their imaginations and verbal skills as they listen to each other and think up more and more outlandish things for me to catch. And I also have a lot of fun listening to what I have caught.

Drop us a line and let us know what you catch info@todayisfun.com and remember Today is Fun!

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

From Where Do You Know?

A fun and simple quizzing game about your kids' favorite characters

ADDED July 11, 2008

Your kids know the characters from a number of different books and TV shows. This activity -- perfect for the car or when you're waiting somewhere -- involves reviewing all the characters and stories that your kids know.

For example, in our house we watch shows and read books from Sesame Street, Bob the Builder, Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse, the Little Einsteins, Word World, Richard Scarry, and Winnie the Pooh.  These shows and books have become the kids' favorites, and they watch the shows and read the books over and over again.

When we need to pass some time, I quiz the kids on all the characters and shows.  I ask, "From where do you know Annie?"  (Answer:  Little Einsteins.)  "From where do you know Tigger?"  (From Winnie the Pooh, of course.)

The kids like to have their knowledge tested, and they like to review all their favorites.  Sometimes, just to get their goat, you can make a preposterous statement ("Oscar the Grouch is a character on Bob the Builder") to see how your children respond.

When the kids are older and in high school, quizzes won't be quite this enjoyable for them.  But for now, quiz away and have fun while it lasts!

ages 3-12, good any time, good for the car, no 'props' needed, verbal activity,

Lk, M! N vwls!

that is...Look, Ma! No vowels!

ADDED July 08, 2008

If your child doesn't know what vowels are, tell them: A, E, I, O, U, and (that's right), sometimes Y. For "phase 1" of this activity, you guys just might want to talk about the vowels each day for a week.

Once your child gets the concept . . . it's time to get rid of those special letters. No more vowels for you!

In our house, we like to imagine a world with no vowels. We start with simple words, such as dog and cat. First, I ask my boys where the vowels are in each of those words, and once each has been identified, we spell the words *without* vowels: dog and cat become dg and ct. The most fun part of this exercise is trying to pronounce the words without vowels. (I think dog and cat sound like dug and kit, both sounding kind of clipped and pronounced with a lot of emphasis. I also find that I clench my teeth when uttering these vowel-less words.)

Then we start talking about family members, and what would happen to their names without vowels. Daddy and Mommy's names are especially difficult to pronounce without vowels, but we try anyway. (Three impassioned D sounds and three long Mmmm's, respectively.) We talk about our friend Paul, whose name is manageable and still sounds relatively Paul-like, but then we discuss Alicia and Ana, whose names sound nothing like they do with all of their vowels.

In our house, things generally break down from there, and the kids want to talk about every word without its proper allotment of vowels. It really is dctnl and fn, but sometimes a bit xhstng! (educational, fun, exhausting!)

ages 4-12, educational, good any time, good at home, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, verbal activity,

Red, White and Blue hunt.

Entertaining Game of finding the colors in the American flag.

ADDED June 30, 2008

4th of July is this Friday and here at Today is fun we have loads of great ideas to keep your kids entertained all throughout this patriotic and festive week.

Today’s idea will help get the smallest patriots in the mood by having them look for the colors found in the American flag, red, white and blue. If your kids don’t know what colors are on the American flag this week would be a great time to teach them because flags and displays of patriotism will be everywhere.

 

When your kids have figured out what colors they are looking for turn them loose. When they find the first color “Red” then they can find the next color “White” and then “Blue” then repeat “Red”, “White” and “Blue”.

The idea is very simple and can be used to pass a few minutes at the market or on a car ride or even while you are reading a book this week try pointing out the colors Red, White and Blue when you look at the pictures.

Also don’t forget to drop us an email info@todayisfun.com we will be wearing special 4th of July hats all week (look for this idea later in the week) and it would be great to hear from you!

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

Albert the Aardvark

A fun and funny way for kids to learn letters and alliterations

ADDED June 27, 2008

Ask your kids if they've met Albert the Aardvark. No? They haven't? How about Beulah the Beaver? (She's always quite busy, it seems.) Then there's Connie the Coyote and Donny the Duck-Billed Platypus.

The way our family plays this game is for the adult to supply the kids with the name, and then the kids come up with the animal. The game gets much more fun, you'll see, when your kids can provide both the name and the animal.

Even if your child can only invent gibberish names for the animals ("Frunko the Frog," for instance) as long as they are recognizing and repeating that first letter sound, it's still an approved answer in our book.

Have fun with those kids today, and say hello to Hortense the Hedgehog for us.

(For another fun alliterative word game check out one of our previous posts: Great Gadzooks!)

ages 2-7, educational, good any time, good at home, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, good for mealtimes, good for the car, no 'props' needed, verbal activity,