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!
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ages 3-12, educational, good at home, good for a group, see our disclaimer, verbal activity, |
share this postKIDS GAMES - INDOOR BOWLING
Yet another way to ignore what Mom always said about playing ball in the house
ADDED September 04, 2008
What you will need for this game: a ball. Some paper and crayons. Some chairs are optional.Do you have those things on hand? Okay, you're ready to go.
First, have your kids create some art on five different pieces of paper. The art can really be whatever they want: princesses or pirate ships, gorillas or Grandma.
When each piece of paper is sufficiently beautiful, number each one with a number from 1 to 5. It doesn't matter which piece of art gets which number.
Lay the five pieces of paper on the floor in a row.
Your child will kneel down a little bit away from the papers and roll the ball over to them. The goal is get the ball to roll and stop on top of the page with the highest number (that is, five).
If your child is having a hard time making the ball stop on the pages, you can arrange some chairs to help keep the ball in place.
Remind your kids to keep the ball on the floor, and have fun.
This game is also a fine opportunity to teach your kids the phrase, "That's how I roll!"
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ages 2-7, good at home, may rile them up, see our disclaimer, |
HOW TO ENTERTAIN KIDS -- The Sharket
A fun, sorta wet way to buy groceries
ADDED September 01, 2008
Where do creatures of the sea shop for groceries? At the Sharket, of course!
First, designate a place in the house to be the Sharket. Then, have your kids gather up all the sea creatures in your home. These ocean animals could be stuffed animals, plastic toys, dolls from the Little Mermaid, or even pictures. (If you find you don't have any sea creatures at all, your kids could make some with their art supplies.)
After the sea animals have assembled, then find all the play food in your house. Again, use whatever you can find . . . and make more if needed.
Once the animals and food are in the Sharket, each kid takes a turn to help an animal buy an item of food. "Look, my octopus chose an eggplant." It's good to talk about which foods the animals would like and which foods the kids do like.
And this is quite important: in a Sharket, the customers and employees don't walk around. They have to move in 'water ways,' such as swimming, splashing, wading, floating, and so on. This is a good opportunity to talk about different words that mean moving in the water. (No actual water is required here, of course.)
Try the Sharket at your house today. And see how your kids can have fun with sea food.
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ages 2-7, good at home, |
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!
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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 -- 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!
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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!
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ages 2-8, art supplies needed, good at home, good for a group, see our disclaimer, verbal activity, |
HOW TO ENTERTAIN KIDS -- ANATOMY ON A PLATE
A fun way to learn about our bodies
ADDED August 22, 2008
Kids want to have fun, and parents want their kids to be learning all the while. Well this activity is win-win. This is a way how to entertain kids, while helping them learn, too.
Today your children are going to learn about anatomy - that is, what's inside their bodies. We'll use your child's arm as a starting place.
In our arms, we've got bones, muscles, blood, and all of the above is covered with skin. We are going to demonstrate these things using some items from the fridge.
Bones are firm and hard, so show this with a carrot, or a couple apple slices.
On top of bones are muscles. For this, use a bit of meat, such as sliced sausage or hot dog.
For the blood, use that old standby: ketchup.
And finally, for the skin the best thing is a tortilla.
Place the ‘muscle' on top of the ‘bone.' Squirt some ‘blood' on the ‘muscles,' and cover this all up with ‘skin.' That's it. Now your kid has an idea bout these anatomical parts. You can push stuff around the plate, to show how bones move. You can also show how bones can break under the skin.
This fun activity will also demonstrate a real difference between kids and adults. Once you're done learning, kids will eat this anatomical re-creation. Chances are, their parents won't find it overly appetizing.
Have a great weekend filled with fun and learning!
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ages 2-7, educational, good at home, |
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!
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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!
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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!
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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, |
How to entertain kids - The Marvelous Museum
Another of our fun games for kids that uses the stuff you already have
ADDED August 08, 2008
We always want you to be able to keep your kids busy and occupied without having to buy more stuff. So today we present the Marvelous Museum. (Sometimes also known as the Magnificent Museum.)
Explain to your child what a museum is: a special building with a collection of interesting things. Anyone can come to the museum and look at the things and talk about them.
Well, there is also a collection of things in your home.
You and your kid should choose some of those things and display them around the house. Place the chosen objects on the sofa, the coffee table, the kitchen chairs - whatever works.
For a recent Museum, my boys used: a toy car, a spatula, a shoe, a dog toy, and many other marvelous things.
After the Museum has been properly set up comes part two: people come and look at the assembled things. Each item is admired and discussed. (The "people" are you and your kids, of course.)
It's good to ask questions about each thing in the Museum:
What is this used for?
Do you think it is pretty?
Can you tell me something about this object that I might not already know?
Also, it's never a bad idea to exclaim "Marvelous!" or "Magnificent!" when viewing any given item.
The next day or so after making your house into a museum, you could take your children to a ‘real,' out-of-the-house museum. There, too, you all can admire the marvelous collection of things.
And here is the added bonus to this activity: museum visitors should use quiet voices. Everyone must be on their best behavior. And of course, in a Museum, kids really need to listen to their Moms and Dads, and do as they are told!
Have a great weekend with your curious, creative, and obedient museum workers and visitors!
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ages 2-8, good at home, longer activity, |
How to entertain kids -- Quarter Collectors
More fun with money
ADDED August 07, 2008
Turn your kids into Quarter Collectors. This activity will make trips to the store more fun, and it will teach your children about all our American states.
As you may have noticed, quarters these days don't just have the traditional eagle on the "tails" side. Lately these coins have been showing up with representations of each state on them.
Here's all that you need to do get this activity going:
First, find a container to hold the quarters. Second, print up a map of the U.S. You can get a free printable map here or download a PDF one here.
Now you guys are all set to go. Have the container, the printed map, and a handful of quarters from different states on hand to help you explain this new activity to your kid.
Each time your child adds a new state to the collection, he or she should color the state in on the map.
With every new quarter, you and your kid should talk about the state and review the images depicted there. The Indiana quarter has a race car-why do you think that is? You can see a Scissor Tailed Fly Catcher (it's a bird) on the Oklahoma quarter. And what is that very long, boxy looking thing on the North Carolina quarter?
You can choose to give your kid a new state each day, or you both can review the change you get back from your errands.
Have fun learning with your Quarter Collectors!
And when you've got all fifty states, please mail the collection to us here at Today Is Fun. We also will accept any other forms of currency in your collection.
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ages 4-12, art supplies needed, educational, good at home, |
Kids Games -- What Will You Bring?
An amazingly simple and amazingly effective way of passing some time
ADDED August 06, 2008
This works well with a couple kids, but would also have fine results with just one child.
Have your children wait in one room, such as the living room. You leave the room, but before you do ask the kids, "What will I bring back?" (If you can pull it off, try to add a lot of mystery to your voice, in order to build up the anticipation.)
Then, return with one of your kid's things: a toy, or a book, or even a shoe.
"Wow! Who had any idea that I was going to return with your shoe?"
After everyone has marveled over the object and discussed whether it was very surprising or not, then it is your kid's turn.
"First return the object I brought out to its rightful place, and then surprise me with something. What will you bring back?"
This is one of Today Is Fun's kids games that is great for filling a little bit of time, or for when the kids are waiting at home. It saved the day recently as my boys and I were waiting for Mommy to get ready to go on an outing with us.
We are very interested to know: what will you bring back?
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ages 2-7, good at home, good for a group, quick 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.
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ages 4-12, good at home, see our disclaimer, 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!
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educational, good at home, see our disclaimer, summer activity, verbal activity, |
1,2,3 Quiet Game.
Quick game to help kids keep themselves quiet.
ADDED July 28, 2008
I am not sure who taught my kids this game, but I overheard it from the back of the car, and it is too good not to pass on. Try this game in the car, at dinner, even in a store when your little ones are getting a little too loud.
All I do is say "1,2,3 Quiet Game" and anyone within earshot must be quiet. Once the silence is broken by any noise at all the game is over and there are no winners or losers. Amazingly, this game has a very calming effect on the noise that a small group of children can generate.
This game is not just a game that adults lead. I also let the kids police the game: if someone is being too loud, all they need to say is "1,2,3, Quiet Game" and the other kid will quiet down. It works like magic.
The resulting silence, no matter how brief it may be, is nice.
Try it with your kids and let us know how it works! And don't forget we are always available at info@todayisfun.com!
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.
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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!
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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, |
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!
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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!
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ages 2-7, art supplies needed, educational, good at home, quick activity, see our disclaimer, summer activity, 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!
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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, |
The big show
Fun behind the couch, or around the corner
ADDED July 10, 2008
Okay, the whole point of this site is to help you entertain the kids -- without being "on" all day. We want you to get the kids going on an entertaining activity, and then get five or ten minutes to do something else yourself during that time, if you want.
At first, today's idea might sound like it would have the opposite effect. It might sound as if you are going to be in for a lot of creative and physical effort. Well, you might be at first. But really try to let the kids take over. You'll see what we mean in a minute ...
You're going to do a show for the kids. (Or, if it helps, think of this as telling them a story and using some of their stuffed animals to help you.)
Find a place to have the kids sit down (it can be on the floor, of course) and a place where you can get out of sight and yet show them the animals. Behind a sofa works great, or you could even do this just outside a room, hiding yourself a bit around the corner.
If you find it's a lot of work to come up with a story, don't worry. First, many stories for kids can be quite simple. You could tell a story about an animal who lost something very special, who looked here, there and everywhere to find it, and who then did find it! If you're not in the mental place to invent a story, you can re-tell or read one of the kids' books to them. Don't kill yourself--try to make it easy for yourself.
We've found this is an amazing way to settle the kids down, especially when they've got a lot of rambunctious energy before bed. And for those of you who feel guilty occasionally turning on the TV for the kids, notice that this isn't TV!
And now the payoff: once the kids see how fun and funny the show is . . . they'll want to present you with a show of their own! So get a drink, put your feet up, and enjoy the show.
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ages 2-8, good at home, good for a group, |
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!)
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ages 4-12, educational, good any time, good at home, good for a group, good for a restaurant or public place, verbal activity, |
Use Every Piece
Some fun new ways to play with old toys
ADDED July 07, 2008
One big goal of this site is to breathe new life into existing "stuff." That is, we don't want you to buy new toys to keep the kids occupied. Rather, we want you to find new fun ways to use and enjoy the stuff you already have!This activity is meant to do just that, to help your kids have more fun with the stuff already in your house. It will work well with any toy that has a lot of different pieces: Legos, Tinker Toys, blocks, train tracks, etc.
There are three different things to do here: Sections, Use Every Piece, and How do you put them away?
First, don't just take the toys out of their container. Even that can be part of the fun and the learning. Instead, make sections. Group all the rectangular pieces together in a area, and then all the square ones, all the round ones, etc. Or make sections based on another characteristic, such as the pieces' colors. If you guys are so inclined, count how many pieces each section has. And sometimes you might suggest playing with one section only. ("What can we make today with just the red pieces?" for instance.)
Once the sections have been created and inspected, you're ready to move onto the second part, Use
Every Piece. This one is pretty self explanatory (what you do is . . . use every piece.) However, it isn't as easy as it sounds -- it can in fact be quite challenging. The tower (or house or castle, or whatever) isn't finished until your kid has used every piece! So your kids really need to figure out what to do with each piece and how to fit it into the construction.Finally, and this last one is quite popular with parents everywhere: How do you put them away? You can put the big pieces away, then the small ones. You can make a different animal noise for each different piece you put in. You can put toys away fast, or you can put them away slowly and carefully. There are a lot of options here -- and it will be a success, as long as the kids are the ones doing the putting away!
Have fun (with what you've already got)!
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ages 3-12, educational, good at home, longer activity, |
4th of July Ice Cream.
Entertaining way to make a dessert.
ADDED July 03, 2008
Here is a fun idea to try this 4th of July. It combines a little science, a little cooking and in the end you will have made a dessert. My kids and I have also done this with ziplock bags but I do prefer the coffee can method because it is so much more fun to roll it around.I have adapted this recipe from the website ezinearticles.com the idea is super fun and super easy.
You will need:
1 lb. Coffee Can
3 lb. Coffee Can
1/2 cup Rock salt
From the Refrigerator:
1 pint Half and Half
1 1/2 tsps. Vanilla
1/3 cup + 2 tblsps. Sugar
You will also need to choose a flavor to make:
For fruit flavor:
1/3 cup of fruit. Blueberries add a festive holiday flare.
For a cookie flavor:
Crush 3 of your favorite cookies.
Or add 3 tablespoons of chocolate syrup for chocolate ice cream.
Or 2 teaspoons of vanilla for vanilla ice cream.
METHOD:
Mix the first three basic ingredients from the refrigerator together and pour into the one pound coffee can. Add flavorings if desired. Place the lid on securely and set inside the three pound can.
Add ice, and alternate layers of ice and salt outside the small can and inside the large can. When totally full, secure the lid on the large can. You may wish to add duct tape for good measure.
Wrap in a towel and roll or gently kick the can for at least 10 minutes. This activity is best when done outside. When time is up carefully open the cans and check the ice cream.
If it is not starting to freeze, replace lids and roll 10 minutes more. The ice cream should be frozen to the sides and bottom of the can. If the ice cream is not thick enough, place in freezer for at least ½ hour.
And eat!
Let us know how this idea adds to your 4th of July festivities, as always we are available at info@todayisfun.com!
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ages 3-12, educational, good at home, good for a group, longer activity, may rile them up, see our disclaimer, summer activity, |
4th of July party hat.
Make it, color it, wear it. Fashionable entertainment.
ADDED July 01, 2008
Since 4th of July is this Friday here at To