Quarter Battle

A new classic game

ADDED January 11, 2010

 

I really made this game up the other day.  I am sure someone else in this world has thought up something similar, told all their friends about it, and will now accuse me of plagiarism.  But as I said,"I really made this up the other day."  So I am going to share it here with you (I have a good intellectual property lawyer anyways.  Well, he's a friend and some sort of lawyer or another.)

All you need is an even number of quarters and two players.  I like quarters because they are big enough to hold easily and big enough to seem valuable.

Here is what you do:

First, one person chooses heads and the other chooses tails.  . . .

Coming in 2010 to the Today Is Fun Blog

All sorts of good, exciting, and better stuff

ADDED December 11, 2009

We're not kidding.  Lots of good stuff is in store for 2010, and we're very excited about it.

We'll let you know as we unveil fabulous new ideas and improvements here.  But at this early stage, we'd like to announce our blog's focus for 2010:  the Four F's.

They are:

Free, Fun, Family, and Creativity.

In 2010, our ideas will be free -- they will cost you nothing.  (Or practically nothing.)

Our ideas will be fun.  For kids and adults alike.

Our ideas will be family-oriented and family-building.  Our activities will create "quality time" for kids and their parents.

And next year, our ideas will build your child's creativity.  To succeed and be happy in the future, all kids will need to think creatively and come up with good, original ideas.  We'll be fostering that kind of thinking here.

(Right.  Creativity is not an "f-word."  Not even close, really.  But, well, we were being creative about it.  Okay?)

Maybe we're already doing the Four F's here, and it's not even 2010 yet.  But we're going to be doing even more of them next year.  Our ideas will be extra-strength, extra-special and extraordinary in the Four F's department.

Thanks to everyone who has enjoyed our blog in 2009.  Please keep following us in the new year!

 

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)

 

GIANT MENU

It's really that big!

ADDED November 05, 2009

 

Here at Today is Fun, we toil night and day to bring you the very best in free crafts and entertainment for your kids.  But sometimes an idea is so easy and right in front of our faces that we ask ourselves why we didn't think of it sooner -- and today's activity is just one of those times.  The "Giant Menu" is simple, obvious, and just might keep your kids occupied for a few minutes while you put the finishing touches on the rack of lamb you are preparing for dinner.. . .

Personal Assistant

Everyone can use a hand

ADDED October 20, 2009

We all know that kids like to model what their parents do.  Children enjoy everything from yard work to taking out the trash because it resembles actions performed by Mom and Dad.  So tonight, spend a few hours with your young assistant and let them do everything with you.  Today's activity is about taking the moments in your day and using them for teaching and learning.

So let your kids help with whatever you are doing. Don't seek out kid-friendly activities -- just do what you normally do.  If you are a famous classical guitarist (we hear many read this blog), let your kids help you tune your guitar. If you are a businessman, let your kids help make a graph of projections for 2010.  If you don't have any specific "work" to do, make something up.  I know at my house we always have a light bulb to change, a cast iron pot to season, or a picture to hang.  My kids are great helpers with all of these things. They are good at holding tools, using a level, measuring flour, and even doing some electrical work (think changing batteries). 

 

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.)

 

Make ten any way you can

Math is really fun!

ADDED October 05, 2009

 

Length:  About 15 minutes.

Parental Involvement:  Explain the idea, help count if necessary

Kids Should Be Able to:  Count.

We like simple activities -- things that kids can do almost anywhere that help them learn almost anything.  This is why "Make ten any way you can" is one of our favorites.  All you need are some coins and people who love to count. It is a perfect game for waiting in a restaurant or at home while waiting for dinner to be made or even while your older sister is doing her homework and you want to ride bikes with her but she can't play until her homework is done.  Here is how you play...

First, you need a fist full of change (or at least a small handful.)  Spread the coins out and sort the money to see how many times you can make ten cents.  At first, some younger kids might not understand the different denominations, but this is a perfect opportunity for them to learn.  Pennies are one, of course; nickels are five cents; dimes are ten; and quarters don't really count for this game because, well, they are twenty-five cents.

When your kids are done, they can count the total amount of change you guys have or pick a new number like twenty-five and then sort the change into piles of twenty five.

This game encourages counting, learning denominations, and just plain fun.  If you don't like your kids touching "dirty" money, make sure you look at our penny cleaning post from a few days back and have fun!

 

Thanks to tonyjcase for use of the photo
 

I Am Ready For My Surprise, Kids!

Your kids surprise you. Everybody wins.

ADDED October 02, 2009

 

Length:  10 to 30 minutes.

Parental Involvement:  Explain the idea, set some parameters, and leave!

Kids Should Be Able to:  Think creatively and manage themselves independently of a parent for a short while. 

Have you ever surprised your kids?  Chances are very good that the answer is yes. 

Parents often have surprises for their children.  We've surprised our boys with little presents, new books, and one time even a day trip to Disneyland.

But what about parents?  Do kids ever surprise them?  (I'm talking about a *positive* surprise here.  "Oops, I just dumped my milk all over the dining room table does not qualify as a *good* surprise for Mom and Dad.)

Today, we suggest that your kids surprise you.  It will be an entertaining activity for everybody involved.

Sometimes, my wife and I need to leave my young kids (ages five and three) unattended for a few minutes.  For instance, on some crazy mornings, my poor wife can't make time to take a shower while I'm home, so she'll need to step away from our kids for 15 minutes in order to shower and dress.  Sometimes while my wife is running errands and I'm in charge, I'll need to take our dog on a quick walk to go to the bathroom.

During those times, it's our obligation as parents to set the kids up with an activity that keeps them occupied, comfortable, and safe.

Sometimes -- I admit it -- we'll turn on the TV and let them watch Go Diego Go or the Backyardigans.  Other times, we'll give them a book or two to read.  Those activities work fine pretty often, but sometimes the kids just aren't interested.  And that's how today's suggestion was born.

Before I step away for ten minutes, I'll ask the kids to make me a surprise.  This suggestion immediately captures my boys' imagination.  They get to surprise me.  They get to do something that I won't really know about.   They get to show me something new and exciting.. . .

Dice fun.

Roll some today!

ADDED September 21, 2009

Here at TIF, we are big fans of games that are easy and can be played with things you have on hand.  We also love math.   When you combine our love of math with simple, on-hand items, you can end up with lots of fun games. 

Today your on-hand items will be one or two dice and a pad of paper.   Using the dice, you can play all sorts of games . . . and math fun is a fortunate by-product.  Here are a few games we made up (but I am sure you and your kids can make up even more):

Make a Math Mountain

Draw a mountain and along its side, draw the numbers 1-6.  Then roll the dice until you get a 1.  After rolling a 1, keep rolling until you get a 2.  Keep rolling until you reach the top of the mountain.

It's a big number.

The purpose of this game is to make a big number.  To make a big number, roll one dice three times.  If on the first roll you roll a six, put this number in the hundreds column, the second roll you get a five put this in the tens column and the third roll you get a two put this number in the ones column.

Dice battle.

Very simple game that can be played with two or more players.  All you do is roll the dice and the person who rolls the biggest number is the winner. In the event of a tie, roll until somebody wins.

Have fun with your dice and don't forget to use the comments section to let us know what you think!

Thanks to ravages for the photo!

Balloon Bounce

Simple fun with what you have on hand

ADDED September 09, 2009

If you have a balloon and string, then you have the necessary materials for a fun game that can be enjoyed by children of all ages, inside or out, standing or sitting.

Here is what you do:  Tie the piece of string between two chairs inside or in the backyard. One person stands or sits on one side of the string while the other person does the same directly across from them.  Then see how many times you can gently bop the balloon back and forth without it hitting the ground. 

To keep the game going, change positions after a good bit of bopping.  For instance, if you've done well while both sitting, have one person stand.  Then try both people standing.  You could even try the bop-back-and-forth while lying on the floor!

This is a great game for kids learning how to count and good exercise.  It'll work for elementary school kids, but younger kids especially get a kick out of this one.

That is it: simple, free, fun with what you have on hand -- the best kind!

 

thanks to gorbould for the inspirational photo!

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

TIF-Sign-In Sheet

For your next party

ADDED August 13, 2009

 

 Sometimes at my house, we have parties with a bunch of grown-ups, where my kids are the only children attending. 

For my kids, these parties are not the most fun:  adults sit around talking about boring adult things, and all the while the kids' "bedtime clock" is ticking.  For me, the question is usually, "what should we do with the kids for the hour before they have to go to bed?"  Well, we figured out a perfect way to keep the kids occupied.  It's also a fun way for the kids to interact with our guests.  The kids should be in charge of a Sign-In Sheet.

The Sign-In Sheet is perfect: it keeps the kids occupied for the beginning part of the evening, and when all the guests have arrived, a natural break is created for bedtime.  Everybody wins -- and we get a list of the people who attended the party just in case any of our fine silver is missing!

We have created a Sign-In Sheet for you to download and use at your next party.  Have fun, we will be checking the mail for an invite!

      (Click to download)

Thanks to russandlori for the photo!

 

Homemade binoculars

What will you see?

ADDED August 12, 2009

Quick craft today that will pair great with yesterdays activity.  Make some binoculars for your lunch on a lifeboat.  We are big fans of recycling and this craft accomplishes what we try and do everyday here at TIF, take something that is mundane, even useless and transform it into something entertaining, enchanting and educational.  What better way to help your kids spot pirates, sea monster or the dreaded land shark than with some binoculars?  Here is how it's done (if you need directions).

All you need is some tubes from T.P. or paper towels, rubber bands and string.  

Bind the tubes together using the rubber bands. Thread the string through so the binoculars can hang comfortably around your kids neck.  And use!

That is it! Simple, easy and makes use of something your would otherwise throw away.  Happy spying!

 

Counting - Up and down

Backwards works just as good as forward.

ADDED July 29, 2009

My nephew was over for a few days. He is 18 months and we had a great time counting.  We counted cheerios, dogs and kites. When he would count something he would then say, "Now you", which meant my wife or I had to count whatever he just counted. 

Then we pretended we were rocket ships blasting off and I started counting backwards from ten.  This is where the confusion started.  I saw it in his eyes. Numbers only go one way, up?  So we took a walk and started counting things forward and then backward.  We saw a pod of four mailboxes and counted them forward, one, two, three and four, then counted them backwards four, three, two, one.  We saw three cats sunning themselves and counted them forward one, two three and then then backwards three, two, one. We also counted garbage cans, newspapers and a family on bikes.

It was very cool he picked up the concept quickly and it was good to cement the idea that numbers go up and they also go down.  Remember when you are counting with your little ones count up and then count down.  And when launching a rocket ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

 

Photo by deepblue66 via Flickr, thanks to a creative commons license.

 

Kid's Activity: The Family Handshake

Every family should have one!

ADDED June 17, 2009

For better or worse, kids innately love secrets. Well, at my house we have created a secret "family handshake."  (In olden times, secret handshakes were used to identify members of exclusive groups, but we just have fun with it.)

Our family's handshake changes quite often -- so much that sometimes I am not quite sure that I am still a member of the family. 

Now, I am not going to give away our secret family handshake here (unless you are family -- then send me an email.)  But here are a few hand moves you can combine to make up your very own secret family handshake:

First, start with a "normal" palm-to-palm handshake.  Like this.

After that, you can do a thumb-to-thumb shake.  Like this.

 

 

And then, on to a knuckle-to-palm shake. Like this.

 

 

Followed by a fist bump.  Like this.

 

 

Practice until you can repeat a pattern, then try adding some of these more advanced handshakes to increase the fun and secretiveness.

Try the Lion's Paw.  Making your hand into a claw, grab onto each other's wrists. It looks like this. 

Or the Floating Spider is a good one to try.

 

Or the Smooth Shake.

 

Even the classic high five to low five. (A two parter.)  Can be incorporated into you Family Handshake.

 

 

This activity is something that you and your kids can do just about anywhere, and it does signify that you are part of an exclusive group: your family. 

Have fun, and extra points will be awarded to anyone who emails us a photo or video of their family shake in action!

Jai Alai (or Scoop Ball)

A DIY Game

ADDED June 05, 2009

Length: 10 minutes or more.  If it's a hit, there will be repeat performances.

Parental Involvement:  Explain the activity, share ideas as to how to play.  

Kids Should Be Able to:  Coordination, motor skills needed.  This could be good, though, for kids who don't feel confident doing other sports.

 

My son made this game up, and I think its great!  It just shows that if you supply the opportunities to allow kids to be creative, they can make their own fun with just about anything. 

My lovely wife was saving a few empty oatmeal containers for some sort of school project when our son got his hands on them.  He had been throwing a hackey sac around, and when he saw the empty containers, inspiration struck.  He combined the hackey sac and the empty oatmeal containers to create a Jai Alai or scoop-ball-type tossing game that was the perfect way to pass a Saturday in the backyard.

 

 

 

 

To play, you throw and catch the ball using the empty can -- it is just that simple!  It took a little practice, but once we got the hang of it, we were able to create several variations that made the game even more fun. We counted to see how many times we could toss the ball back and forth without dropping it, then we marked out a rough court and played a game where one player tries to throw the ball over a line while the other player tries to block it.  Then we created another version of the game where one player tries to throw it as high as he can and the other player catches it. 

 

 

 

 

The game was great for practicing coordination and sportsmanship (because, yes, sometimes someone has to lose.)  Best of all it was a very creative way to pass an afternoon.

 

 

Thanks to my son for this fine and fun game!  (If your kids make up some fun games, please send them in to us!  We are always available info@todayisfun.com)

Kids' Activites: Activity Tube

Make your own fun!

ADDED June 02, 2009

After many months of tinkering and experiment, we are proud to reveal our "Activity Tube."  This invention is designed to get your kids moving, but please don't confuse today's Activity Tube with our previous Regulation Bopper, as they are two different items.

Length: Construction time 5 minutes and 10-15 minutes of activity.
Parental Involvement: Writing, reading for younger kids
Kids Should Be Able to:  Be safe with markers

 

 

First thing, come up with four different activities that would be fun for your kids.  On ours, I wrote exercises: do five push-ups, do ten jumping jacks, run in place for fifteen seconds, and do three sit-ups. Then write down each activity on a quarter of the tube like this.

 

 

 

Next, insert the smaller tube inside the two bigger tubes like this.

 

 

Now, let the activities commence!  Have your child pull open the two larger tubes to display the activity. Whatever message is revealed, the kid gets to do it!  Then the tube gets passed on to the next kid.

 

 

 

 

One handy benefit of the Activity Tube is that it can be customized to fit any situation. I made a "Job Tube" that has dinnertime jobs on it.  These jobs may not be quite as fun, but they sure are helpful.  This one encourages kids to "help with dinner preparation," "set the table" and even "clean up." 

 

Watch the magic of the Activity Tube as it occurs in your house:  your kids might roll your eyes or talk back to you . . . but they won't argue with the Activity Tube! 

 

Kids and parents will enjoy our Activity Tube much more than the boring old boob tube.  Have fun and use the comments section to let us know how you use the Activity Tube!

Chicks vs. Bunnies Tic-Tac-Toe

A print n play activity

ADDED April 10, 2009

For today's fun we have a great activity that you can print and play with your kids.  Have your kids color the chicks and bunnies, then cut them out and get ready for some serious Chicks v. Bunnies tic-tac-toe action.  This activity is guaranteed to entertain all weekend long.  Today's activity is quick simple and like everything at TIF free!  Have a great weekend.

 

 

(click image to download)

Bunny Kisses

And how to get one

ADDED April 09, 2009

 

While bunnies are widely admired for their cute little noses, it seems they have no lips to speak of.  Therefore, bunnies are not really good kissers.  We're pleased to say, though, that bunnies still can give kisses despite the no-lip situation -- all they have to do is twitch their noses back and forth.  

Bunny Kisses are something every kid and parent can do.  You really don't need any reason to give a Bunny Kiss, but we've created a fun Easter-themed game for you.  (It was the perfect diversion the other day when we were waiting and my kids started to grow restless.)

Here's how we played:   I would say, "Whoever is wearing black gets a Bunny kiss."  And lo and behold, anyone wearing black would indeed get a Bunny kiss from me.  Then the kids would get a chance to pick the color that would warrant a Bunny kiss from them.  Even though it created a little rowdiness and some possibly disapproving stares, it was a lot of fun.  

This game is a great if your kids are learning colors and it can even be played to teach patterns like plaid,gingham or stripes.  For older kids, you can teach other concepts with this simple game ("If you have a R in your name, you're going to receive a Bunny Kiss," or, "If your age is the same as two times four, you're up for a B.K.")

If you need of a few minutes of entertainment today or any day, just remember Bunny kisses and entertainment is a few minutes away.

 

Thanks to madeleine_for letting us use your photo

Vowel Tag

Nothing is safe, just vowels

ADDED March 10, 2009

 Here's a fun game you can play today:  Vowel Tag.  It's very simple; all you need to know are your vowels (A,E,I,O,U, and sometimes Y!)

The rules for the game are pretty much the same as the ones from regular tag. Someone is "it," and that person must chase the people who are not "it." In Vowel Tag, however, nowhere is "safe."  Really, the only way to be safe for a moment is to sit down and say all the vowels.  After this brief vowel respite, the safe period is over, and the person has to get up and run.

If you get tagged then you are "it," but before you start chasing people, you have to say the whole alphabet out loud then, "Ready or not -- here I come!" and the game continues.

This activity will help your kids learn that vowels are important and useful letters -- especially when you see "it" running full steam in your direction!  Have fun!

 

Thanks to shadows_and_light and johncarleton for the use of the vowel tag photos.  Just look at all the learning fun!

This Land Is Your Land!

A colorful and informative print-n-color activity

ADDED February 25, 2009

Everyone's colored a map of the United States at some point or another. It's  always fun and sometimes messy.  But here at TIF, we are fans of art with a purpose.  We're talking about coloring that tells a story and provides deeper meaning.

Today we have a cool map of the USA to download and color.  The map includes a fun and informative key that your little cartographer can use to enhance the experience.  

Have your colorer use one color for your home state, another color for states where you guys have family or friends, and yet another color for states that you have visited. Finally, find states with names that tickle your funny bone, and assign them a "funny name" color.

Of course, for little kids, this map can be a great introduction to our States and to maps in general.  For both younger and older kids, this activity could serve as the starting place for some nice one-on-one, parent-kid time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have fun making your own infographic today!

 

(And remember, you can upload your infographic artwork to our Facebook page.  If you are not a Facebook fan of TIF, join on up!)

 

Click images to download 

 

 

Alphabet License Plate Game

Entertain your little detectives with a simple game to play in the car.

ADDED February 23, 2009

 On your next roadtrip, try playing this fun game that I remember from my own childhood.  As you are driving along, tell your kids that they are alphabet detectives and that they need to find each and every letter. Only when every member of the alphabet has been found will you be able to solve the case of "The Missing Letter."

Here is how you play: have your kids scan the license plates of other cars and look for the letter A.   When A is spotted, all the detectives move onto the letter B, and so on.  When all the letters have been discovered, congratulate your detectives on their fine work and declare the case of "The Missing Letter" solved.

This game is fun because it can be played several ways: it can be played as a group as described above, or competitively (each person searches on their own and the first one done is the winner).

Remember, "travel" could mean the way to school in the morning or getting stuck in traffic in the afternoon.  Have with your fun with your on-board detectives! 
A big thanks to woodysworld1778 and ohlove for the use of their photos

 

 

 

 

Color Charades

A fun, print-n-play activity

ADDED February 10, 2009

Charades is a simple game that's fun for adults so why can't kids play? 

Well, now kids can.  We have created a simple, eight-card charades game for kids that uses colors, not words.  It is so easy, in fact, that even kids who can't read will love to play.

Here are the rules (in case you forgot):  first pick a card from the stack, and don't show it to anyone.  The idea is to use physical rather than verbal language to convey what color is on your card.  You can point to something that is the same color as the color or pantomime something that is the same color.  Remember you can point and act -- but don't talk.

If your kids are not understanding how to play, act out a few rounds until everyone gets it.  The game is so simple, however, that usually everybody gets it right away and is eager to play. 

At the end of this activity, all the kids will express their delight by doing some (possibly silent) thumbs ups.

 

Just click here to download!

 

 

Trees versus Bushes

(From the people who brought you the quite tricky One Up, One Down earlier in the week)

ADDED February 05, 2009

We like trees, don't you know, but not bushes.

Speaking of which, we enjoy roots, but not branches.  That's just us.

Oh, and we like school but not learning.  And coffee but not tea.

Do you think we've lost our minds here at Today is Fun?  (That is, assuming you thought we had much of minds in the first place.)

By the way, we do like beets, but not radishes.  Sweets but not candy.  Tools but not implements.  

Before you give up on us, never to return to this blog again.  Let us explain . . .

(Well, before we explain, can you see a pattern in the words above?   That's the tricky thing here, and it's for your kids to figure out.)

What do the words we like have in common?  

The activity here is for your children to figure out the pattern.  Start by telling them words you like (such as "teens") and words you don't  ("tens").

Have you figured it out?  Once you have, it will be easy.  And once you have got the hang of it, you'll be able to create more examples for your kids.  (If you haven't cracked our code yet, don't worry.  It takes different people different amounts of time!)

Okay, here's the answer.  Double vowels.  We just really like double vowels (for the purposes of this activity.)

We hope you have fun with this one, and that you don't think we're too crazy.  (Kooky, yes.  We like the word kooky.  But not crazy!)  

--S

(Many thanks to the incomparable and always laudable Mr. David Silverman of Mar Vista, California, and to  Marina Cast. for the heart-shaped tree pic, and also to noricum for the shot of the bush.)

Trace and color!

The game with two activities in one!

ADDED January 29, 2009

To play this game and make the craft you will need a few things that every house with kids is guaranteed to have.  First you will need some paper, any kind of paper will do but is should be at least 8.5 x 11. Second you will need a small basket of toys, these toys should be small enough that they will fit easily on the paper.  Lastly you will need a pencil and of course at least two people to play the game.

Once you have gathered everything, here is how you play.  One person will be the Tracer and the other person will be the Guesser.  First the Guesser should leave the room, next from the basket of toys the Tracer needs to select one toy and using the paper and pencil, carefully trace around the outside edges of the toy.  They really want to just get the silhouette outlined.  Once the outline of the toy has been transferred to the paper the Tracer should put the toy back into the basket.  Then call the Guesser back. Now it is the Guessers turn to guess what toy the Tracer traced. For older kid the guessing is usually rather easy but still fun. Once the toy is guessed the Tracer and Guesser switch each doing the others job.

After a few rounds of tracing and guessing grab some crayons and the Guesser and Tracer now both become the Artists and they can color their master pieces.  Have Fun!

Where are we going and what should we take?

Get those imaginations packing for fun!

ADDED January 27, 2009

Here is a fun question to ask your kids at breakfast:  "If we were going on a trip to the jungle for two weeks, what would we need to take?" It is interesting to see what they would take and why.

If they get stuck for answers, you can start them off with some leading questions.  Here are a few examples: Should we bring our suitcases or our backpacks? What should we put in the suitcases? Will we need hats, boots and jackets? Should we travel around in a car or on an elephant?

My son, being a realist and very fond of numbers, decided to break it down in numbers:  he needed to pack 14 pairs of pants, 14 shirts, 16 pairs of underwear, 12 pairs of socks, hiking shoes, a guide book and money. He also wanted to stay in a hotel.  My daughter, on the other hand, was really not interested in packing clothes.  She just wanted to make sure all of her stuffed animals would be able to come.  She also would rather stay in a tent near a river or on a mountain and would ride on the elephant if it was trained.

Have fun with this one as you get those imaginations racing, and let us know what your kids would take with them on their trip.  Personally I would rather go to Hawaii for two weeks, taking a swimsuit and couple of  shirts, but I am still waiting for someone to offer!  (On a side note we would be more than happy to write up a review of any family vacation destinations.  Yes, we prefer to fly first class, and we are always available at info@todayisfun.com.)

 

 

Vocabulary builder

Teach your child other words for BIG

ADDED January 26, 2009

Big is a fine word.  It describes size, height, amount, and even age.  It can also describe importance, volume and quality.  The problem is, though, the word "big" is, well, it's too big.  It does too much -- so much in fact that sometimes using it can be a big problem.

So today while you are driving to piano lessons, eating dinner as a family or getting ready for bed, have a little fun making up sentences with the word "big."  Then encourage your kids to remove the word big and replace it with a more descriptive word like "king-sized" or "monolithic."

Start by having your child list other adjectives that do the same modifying work as big.  Here is an example sentence, "That is a big tree".   Fine . . .  but it does not create a specific picture in your mind that describes the size of the tree. Here are a few sentences my kids came up with:

"That tree is enormous."
"That tree is huge."
"That tree is tall."
"That tree is large."
"That tree is gigantic."
"That tree is massive."
"That tree is towering."

And here are a few of my attempts:

"That tree is monolithic."
"That tree is tremendous."
"That tree is fully grown."

In just a few minutes, we had all expanded our vocabulary and were on our way to becoming better writers.  (I mean superior authors.)

-Paul

 

Photo credit is given to the visionary genius of:martyportier and several_bees

thanks!

 

Higher or Lower?

Spend a few quiet moments and hum some fun

ADDED January 13, 2009

 

Next time you are feeling musical try this fun activity called "Higher or Lower."  All you need to play is some sort of musical instrument -- and if you don't have that you can always hum or make a fine giant kazoo.

The rules are simple: you make a musical sound, and your kids try to make a sound that is higher or lower.  There are no winner or losers, just some ear exercises for everyone.

Once the kids have mastered "Higher of Lower," another game you can play is "Match My Note," wherein you hum a note and then have your kids try to match it.  Surprisingly enough, most kids can match notes with ease and will become experts after just a few rounds .  When this happens, have them softly hum a note and see if you can match it.

Have fun with this one.  Who knows:  you might be starting to train a very famous opera singer or violinist?  (Or, less excitingly, a master heavy metal, monster rocker.)

 

-Paul 

 

Photo credit is given to the talented and popular:

kables for the building with notes, erix for the train station
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

 

But this is that and that is this?

Fun with Homophones (two words that sound the same but have different meanings)

ADDED January 12, 2009

English has a lot of confusing words.  It can be plenty difficult learning to read and write (or is it right?), but then throw the tricky homophone into the mix, and it is enough to break (or is it brake?) a kid.

 

So here at TIF, we are at the ready to help take some of the confusion out of homophones.  With just a little practice and explanation, you can take this subject, make it fun, and have your kids ahead of the pack in no time at all.

What we like to do at our house is: first we talk about all the words we can think of that sound the same but have different meanings.  There is always flour and flower, knight and night, nose and knows and the ever-popular ate and eight.

When we have identified a few key offenders, I use each word in a sentence, for example, "I ate my dinner at eight o'clock." And, "Eight kids ate eight eggs, they were famished so they ate eight more."  I always try to make the example sentence as silly as possible; I think it adds to the fun and keeps the kids engaged. Then I give my kids a chance to make up a sentence using a tricky homophone.  And of course each one sentence gets progressively more silly.

This is a great activity to use anywhere you have a few minutes to kill, and since you are just talking about words, it's perfect for the car, while waiting at baseball practice, in the line at the market -- really anywhere.

We will be looking for your silly homophone sentences in the comment section below and would like to hear (or is it here?) from you!  See (or is it sea) you soon.

 

-Paul

 

***UPDATE***

One of our beautiful and intelligent readers Jackie left this helpful and insightful comment:

Homophones are fun. Go here http://pbskids.org/lions/videos/homophones.html for a great song about homophones.

Thank you Jackie!

 

Photo credit is given to the talented and popular:

stansich for the apple ,kentigern for the eights ,savannahgrandfather for the peach 

thank you!

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Daily Triple Treat - Monday Edition

An old stand by, historical significance and a scale full of oranges.

ADDED December 29, 2008

Last week we had the week of Great Gargantuan Giving at Today is Fun.  Needless to say, it was a hit.  People loved it, and the question everybody asked was, "How will you ever top the week of Great Gargantuan Giving?"

Well don't worry, we've devised a way to make keep the special-ness going during this final week of 2008.   We have decided to give you three ideas each day that encourage family togetherness. We are ending the year with a DAILY TRIPLE TREAT!   That's right three ideas every day!  

One idea will be for inside fun, one idea for outside fun, and one idea will be educational fun. As usual they are all completely free, easy, and -- best of all -- fun. Please, tell your friends: we have a feeling the TRIPLE TREAT is going to be a very helpful and popular feature!

 

Monday's Treats
Inside Treat-  Today try the old stand-by a board game.  It can be Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Memory, Hi-Ho Cherry-O or Elefun. While these games may take some time to play and might not be the most entertaining activity for an adult, you will be spending time with your kids . . . and that is fun for everyone.

Outside Treat-  Visit a local park.  But today don't go to an old standby park. (You know, the one with the play structure and ice cream man).  Forgo the familiar and try another park:  maybe a National Park that has some historical significance or a local park that has a hiking trail. Wherever you end up, pack a lunch and make a day of it; this activity will not be soon forgotten!

Educational Treat-  Practice counting on your trip to the market with our idea Market Price (If you missed it here is the link).  This is a truly great idea for kids of all ages.  Really, what is more fun than a scale and some oranges?   After all, you do have to pick up something for lunch at the local park?

 

 Picture thanks to mag3737

Quizmaster & Answermaster

Because all good games have funny titles.

ADDED December 19, 2008

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

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

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

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

Answermaster answer.
All three are colors.

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

Answermaster answer.
All three are cars.

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

Answermaster answer.
All three are parts of your body.

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

Answermaster answer.
All three are used for camping.

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

Sounds like a…holiday

A great game that can make a drive a festive adventure.

ADDED December 18, 2008

I am sure everybody reading this will very soon be driving in a car with kids.  There will be traffic, inclement weather and festive kids music playing on the stereo.  Instead of being frustrated with your situation embrace it.  Spend a few minutes talking with them about what specific sounds they are likely to hear at Christmas.  

Here is a list of what my kids came up with
Rain on the car and house
Music in the car and house
Dishes at a family dinner
Bells
Popcorn popping while watching a special movie
People saying, “Ho, Ho, Ho”

If your kids are younger they might also like practicing the holiday sounds they hear.  Really nothing is cuter than three year old saying,”HO HO HO”.  
If your kids are stuck for sounds use our list as a starting point and make today fun!

Handmade Mistletoe

Crafting and kissing.

ADDED December 17, 2008

My son the decided he was going to make some mistletoe. I am not sure if he has someone in mind to use it on but his ingenuity and enthusiasm for this craft was so sincere how can I not pass a great idea along.

First he created the leaves, this was accomplished by folding a green piece of construction paper in half lengthwise.  Second he drew three half hearts on one side of the paper with the point at the bottom and the curved top pointing down. Third on a white piece of paper he drew three small circles these are the berries.  Fourth he cut all the pieces out.  Fifth he unfolded the hearts glued them together to make the leaves and added the berries. Sixth he tied the mistletoe to a string and started kissing!
 
Here is the final result. It's great.

It was fun to see him create this truly unique craft, try it today.  Because Today is fun! And I am sure you’ll get some kisses out of it.

 

Snowflake Tortilla

Delicious edible momentarliy decorative treat.

ADDED December 15, 2008

Snowflakes are fun to make but they are even more fun make when you can eat them.  This is a great idea for an after school snack or just a fun cooking activity to do today with your kids.
 
First grab a few tortillas pop em in the microwave for a few seconds so they are warm, carefully fold the tortilla in half and then in half again.  Then using scissors cut triangles circles and diamonds into the tortilla to create your edible snowflake.  
 
When you finish cutting the tortilla unfold it put in on a plate and if you want a treat that is a little more sweet, toss the tortilla back into the microwave for about 15 seconds, spread some butter, cinnamon and sugar on it once you have your snowflake ready to eat take a few seconds to behold the beauty of your creation and eat it.  There is nothing like a nice warm snowflake treat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Huggy!

A nice monster

ADDED December 04, 2008

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

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

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

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

Heads or Tails

You will flip for it!

ADDED December 02, 2008

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Christmas chain

Countdown to Christmas

ADDED December 01, 2008

One of my family's fun Christmas traditions is to make a Christmas chain.  It is a great craft to do with kids: the construction is simple, and it is a fun activity to do together everyday.
 
Here is how we make ours:  first, cut 25 strips of paper that are about 6 to 9 inches long.  Next, using all the strips of paper, write the numbers 1 to 25 on the strips.  These numbers will represent how many days are remaining until Christmas.  Third, starting with strip number 1, glue, staple or tape the ends of the paper together creating one link, do the same with strip number 2, making sure link 2 attaches to link 1, then do the same with links 3 through 25.  Once the chain is complete and all 25 links are attached, your kids will have a visual representation of how many days remain until Christmas.

The excitement will build as the chain comes apart!

Have fun tearing the links off and counting down.

(but please don't stand on the tables)

 

 

Thanksgiving leaf sculpture

Holiday beauty for all to behold.

ADDED November 18, 2008

 

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than have your little ones make a cool Thanksgiving leaf sculpture?  Nothing says thankfulness like leaves.

First go out and collect some really big leaves.  We used magnolia leaves because of their leathery texture, but really any leaves will work.  Just make sure they are not to brittle and still have their stems.  Next, have your kids lay two or three leaves out in an interesting pattern, making sure the stem and leaves overlap a little bit. Then mark where the stems overlap (you can use a pencil or just eyeball it) and make a tiny cut in the leaf. Once the cut is made, insert the stem into the leaf to connect one leaf to another.  Continue inserting the stems into the leaves until your child's masterpiece is complete.

Have fun and send us photos of your sculpture and we will post them for all to admire.

 

 

House band

Rock the house

ADDED November 07, 2008

Some days kids need an opportunity to be loud and rowdy.  With a few simple household items, you can make a little band that will make the neighbors consider calling the cops.
 
Collect a tissue box, the tube from an empty roll of paper towels, two plastic cups, two spoons, two pencils or even two Hot Wheels cars. Anything percussive will work perfectly.
 
Once you and your child have collected the necessary instruments, crank up your favorite music and play along.  Try and play with the percussion if possible.   If you don't have any musical training, it's not a problem; this activity is about noise, fun and creative instruments.
 
Rock it and make some noise!

Don't spill the tickle!

Training program for young mimes

ADDED November 05, 2008

At night when I am putting my kids to bed, I really don't need much of an excuse to tickle them.  However in my quest for more inventive ways to tickle and make them stay up past their bed time, I created a mime-inspired game called "Don't spill the tickle."
 
It is really easy to play:  cup your hands and pretend you are holding a tickle. Carefully pass it tickle to your child, being very careful not to spill the tickle.  After the tickle has been successfully passed, now it is their turn to pass it back to you. When they are passing, even the smallest bit of shake or wobble will cause the tickle to spill and result in a good tickling.  While the tickling is going on, encourage your child to grab the tickle and pass it back to you as fast as possible in order to stop the tickling.  When the tickle is back under control, keep passing it back and forth until it inevitably spills again.
 
I like this game because if your kids don't want to be tickled, they will be very careful not to spill the tickle.  But if they do like to be tickled, then of course there will be a big spill!

Savings plane

When you are done clipping, coupons make some fun!

ADDED November 04, 2008

At our house, coupons come in the mail on Tuesday.  After looking through the bounty of savings brought by the postman, we have started a tradition that has really become a soaring success.  We make airplanes out of the coupon pages.
 
I believe the simpler the plane the better, so we usually make the basic model.  The basic model is best because it is very easy for the kids to make and we can make a fleet very quickly, giving us more time to fly.
 
After heading outside and giving our planes some air-time, we will ground the fleet and head off to the recycling bin and wait till next Tuesday.
 
We like this idea because it is a quick activity, and it is great fun to make something fun out of what would otherwise just be simply recycled!  To the skies!

 

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?

A Monster at the Fork Store

Bon Appétit! Well, almost.

ADDED October 17, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First to Find the Moon

Scan the sky every night for a very exciting sighting

ADDED October 14, 2008

 

 

This isn't a kids game, exactly, but rather a fun late afternoon ritual.  Who can be the first to find the moon?

Sorry to say, there isn't a glorious cash prize for the winner.  Rather, the first person who spots the moon is rewarded by being given the title "the Moon Catcher" for the day.  Hooray for the Moon Catcher!  Thank you for helping our family find the moon.

(I've found that reminiscing about past victories can help assuage the feelings of the second place finisher.  "Remember how you spotted the moon yesterday?  You were my Moon Catcher yesterday."  Another consolation prize for non-moon-catching siblings is the title "Airplane Catcher.)

Moon catching has become a fun late afternoon ritual in our family.  On a ride home from a play date, or on a walk around the neighborhood, I start to hear the kids ask, "Who's gonna catch the moon?"

It's always nice when Mother Nature provides a free, fun activity.

And please, there's just one request we have to make of the Moon Catcher of the Day:  Once you've caught it, please put it back.  Other kids are looking for the moon, too.

Your own Freaky Friday!

Fun weekend bedtime activity.

ADDED October 10, 2008

Weekend bedtime is a great time to play this fun game.  (The weekend part for this suggestion is key, because it might rile your little ones up just a bit.)  But the joy on my kids' faces makes any rowdiness well worth it.

This game started one night as my lovely wife and I were putting our kids to sleep.  My beautiful spouse said, "Can you put me to sleep instead? Can you two be the Mom and Dad?"  Being the opportunists all kids are when it comes to staying up late, both kids in unison said, "OK!"  They quickly turned off the lights and closed the door, leaving the room dark.
 
I could see their shadows under the door wondering what they should do. They were the parents now. What exactly do parents do after the door closes?
 
I waited a few seconds and started to cry, then asked for water and said I was scared. Each statement caused a flurry of activity:  water was poured, questions were asked, hugs were given -- and each time the light went off very quickly and the door was closed.

Then I would get out of bed, and they would gently put me back in.  My wife would lose her blanket, and they would find it.   I would ask if I could eat a fried egg, and they would tell me it was best to eat eggs in the morning. It was so much fun, we played for about 10 minutes, and then the real parents put the real kids to bed.
 
My kids had a lot of fun pretending to be the parents, and they ask at least once a week if they can put me to bed.   Most of the time I say, "No, Not tonight, its to late."  But when I do say yes, they are thrilled.
 
Try tonight and have your own Freaky Friday style fun.  And try to stay in bed, okay?

Mirror dance

A dandy dancing distraction.

ADDED October 07, 2008

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

info@todayisfun.com.

Pass the thumb

Equals restaurant fun

ADDED October 06, 2008

Sometimes when we are out to dinner at a fancier restaurant and the kids are growing restless we will play this quiet game. It does not require anything other than our hands (and as I mentioned, it is a quiet game).
 
Here is how you play: Everybody sits with hands on the table in the "thumbs up" position.  The game starts when the person who is "it" uses their thumb to point at another person.  The thumb is now passed.  (No one's hand ever needs to leave the table to pass the thumb. We're not encouraging wild body movements with this game.)  

Once the thumb is passed, the next person is "it" and can pass the thumb to someone else. That's it:  simple, easy and a surefire way to keep everyone occupied till the Casoulet arrives.
 
If your kids are a little older, add some other rules to make it a bit trickier and keep everyone on their toes.  Make a rule that you can only pass the thumb with your left hand or you can only pass the thumb if you point to someone with two thumbs.
 
You can play until your meal comes or your thumbs grow weary, but everybody wins!  Next time you are at a restaurant don't ask to pass the salt and pepper, ask to pass the thumb.

info@todayisfun.com

Magnificent Micro World

Small things look really cool with a magnifying glass.

ADDED September 26, 2008

Here at TIF, we usually don't encourage buying things. We like free and are big fans of recycling and re-purposing.  But something we think every child should have is a magnifying glass. A magnifying glass opens up a tiny world that, unless you are looking closely, would go completely unnoticed.
 
Start your magnifying glass experiments with salt and sugar.  With the naked eye, both salt and sugar appear to be similar, but under the awesome power of a magnifying glass they could not be more different.  Have your kids look at the salt and sugar on black paper for maximum contrast, and they will be amazed at the differences in shape and texture.  If your kids are not old enough for this kind of experimentation, help them look at stamps, money, or even photographs under a magnifying glass's incredible power, and see what you have been missing.  Then once they understand how a magnifying glass works, turn them loose to find their own small world.
 
 Enjoy the small today! 

info@todayisfun.com

KIDS ENTERTAINMENT -- MAKE A PARACHUTE

Learn about gravity and how to defy it

ADDED September 25, 2008

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

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

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

info@todayisfun.com

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…?”.

KIDS GAMES -- What do you throw?

Family fun throwing activity

ADDED September 07, 2008

This is a good game for little ones that are still working on their throwing and kicking.  It is simple, fun, and -- as with all activities at TIF -- you can use what you have to make your own fun with no purchase required.

Here is what you do: get out every throwable and kickable item that you can find in your garage. Line them all up on the grass (like I did in the photo) and start tossing and kicking.  And when you have kicked, tossed and thrown everything in the line have your kids collect everything and do it again. Who knows, you might have a professional horseshoe player on your hands!

Side note about the items in my photo, if I do it again I would recommend not using a horseshoe. Even after explaining that you do not catch a horseshoe, my kids insisted on throwing it to me, thankfully it was made out of rubber.

Send us a photo of what you are throwing send it to info@todayisfun.com.

 

How to entertain kids -- At the market

Fun times with what you have on hand

ADDED August 28, 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!

KIDS GAMES -- Find the Shape

Fun game to help your kids learn shapes

ADDED August 27, 2008

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

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

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

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

KIDS GAMES -- The human adding machine

Fun family game that everyone can play

ADDED August 26, 2008

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

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

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

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

HOW TO ENTERTAIN KIDS -- WATCH THE CLOUDS

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

ADDED August 24, 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!

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.

How to entertain kids -- Clap, stomp, hop

Combine follow the leader and outrageous antics for a fun time

ADDED August 13, 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!

How to entertain kids -- With letters

I see my letter!

ADDED August 12, 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!

HOW TO ENTERTAIN KIDS -- What do you hear?

How to entertain kids with silence

ADDED August 11, 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!

Kids Games -- What Will You Bring?

An amazingly simple and amazingly effective way of passing some time

ADDED August 05, 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?

Market Price

A fun game to play at the market

ADDED July 30, 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!

Local Tour Guide

A game where your kids lead the way

ADDED July 29, 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!

1,2,3 Quiet Game

Quick game to help kids keep themselves quiet

ADDED July 27, 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!

How Many Fingers Am I Holding Up?

A game for kids that helps little ones learn math concepts

ADDED July 19, 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!

Popsicle puppets.

An easy educational craft.

ADDED July 15, 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!

Counting everyday and every way

Daily fun with numbers

ADDED July 14, 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!

Fishing for fun.

Entertaining activity with rowdy results.

ADDED July 13, 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!

Red, White and Blue hunt

Entertaining Game of finding the colors in the American flag.

ADDED June 29, 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!

Have you ever seen a PoodleRex?

Word jumble silliness!

ADDED June 19, 2008

Kids are always pretending to be animals. At any time a zoo full of hamsters, hyenas or hippopotami can be found thundering thru the house.  The question that always comes up is, “Dad, what kind of animal do you want to be?” I usually choose hippopotamus because they float around, listen to the zookeeper (my daughter)  and don’t get into a lot of trouble.

But sometimes when posed with this question what I’ll do is take two animals and create a new animal. It is really simple, take the first part of one animal and combine it with the last part of another animal and presto you have the fearsome ham-opotamus, the deadly hip-yena or the poorly behaved hy-ster.

Try this idea in the car or at the dinner table.  It is fun with sound effects and acting (I always encourage gentle acting), but I love to see their imaginations light up when one of these mythical creatures appear

Here is a list of my favorites The Rabburtle (Rabbit and Turtle), Buffmunk (Buffalo and Chipmunk) and Rhinokey (Rhino and Monkey) are all favorites.  And in my sons mind nothing is better then the ferocious PoodleRex (Tyrannosaurus Rex and Poodle) I just wish we could house break him!  

Next time you are asked, “what animal do you want to be” Let us know what you and you kids come up with. We are just an email away info@todayisfun.com or leave a comment.

The Table Captain

This Simple entertaining and helpful clean up game.

ADDED June 17, 2008

It would be very easy after dinner for everyone to rush away and leave Mom with the clean up. But this does not sound very fun for Mom so what we decided to do is make a game of clean up.

The kids and I take turns being “The Table Captain”. Table Captain is a very important job because they are the Boss, the one that makes sure every thing is cleared off the table and the only person who can give final approval to clean up process.

Here is how we do it, feel free to let me know what works for you. At our house The Table Captain decides the order things will be cleaned up in and is also available to answer any questions about what needs to be cleaned up should anyone forget where the dirty dishes go (this happens to me a lot). We all work together (even the Captain) clearing dishes, bagging leftovers, loading the dishwasher, pushing in chairs and wiping down the table and sneaking scraps of food to the dog.

When we think it is done we ask the Table Captain if the job is complete and only the Table Captain decides it is truly clean. Some Table Captains at my house are very tough.

I like this activity because everybody takes turns being the boss. We all know that when the team works together we can get the job done quickly and the kids really like telling their parents what to do. Don't forget to drop us a note and tell some of you entertaining Table Captain stories.

Water Painting

Part of our Summer activities series

ADDED June 15, 2008

A great way to pass an afternoon is to head outside and give your little ones a small cup of water and a paint brush. Sit down on the sidewalk you are now ready to paint. The water will make the cement dark, this is your paint and sidewalk is the canvas. Help you child practice letters, numbers or even words if you are fast enough. Explain how evaporation works and before you know it a whole afternoon has done just that. Have Fun!

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!

Jumper Helper

A little boost for kids can be lots of fun

ADDED June 05, 2008

Okay, this is a very simple idea. We hope it's not too simple, and that you don't demand your money back...

This is a good activity for a spare minute or two. I play it with my four year old while his younger brother is getting his diaper changed.

Your child is standing around, maybe while waiting. You say, "Ready to play Jumper Helper?"

When you get a yes answer, hold both of the child's hands. You say, "I'm going to count to three, and then you jump."

You count. On three, when your child jumps up, you pull them up by their hands, lifting them just a little farther up into the air (like 1 or 2 extra inches.)

It's super simple, and kids like it. Try it out -- it's fun.

(Jumper Helper is in no way related to Hamburger Helper or General Mills, in case you were wondering.)

 

Portable Game Books

Print out these handy games for anytime fun.

ADDED June 04, 2008

The other day I was looking for a simple organizer that I could print out and fold into a small pocket size to do list. I happened upon this very handy little organizer at
http://www.pocketmod.com/v2/
and as I looked thru the options for coordinating my life I found you could make little books of Tic-Tack-Toe, Dots and Boxes or a Blank Page for Doodling even little frames to make your own stories in, all you have to do is print, fold and cut to create a little portable game book to take anywhere. I immediatley printed some out and put them to use.

They really are a lot of fun and super simple to make. We have been playing a game of Dots and Boxes after dinner for the past 3 nights (this game can be very long) and the Tic-Tac-Toe book really came in handy during a recent Doctors visit and I can’t wait to use the Doodling book at a restaurant very soon.

I made five little booklets to print and take. I really like them. Let me know what you think!
Click link below to download in pdf format and print!

1) Tic-Tac-Toe
2) Dots and Boxes
3) ½ Tic-Tac-Toe & ½ Dots and Boxes
4) Blank pages for coloring
5) Make your own story

If you are having trouble folding the paper look here for a quick primer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAb31rIeGZo
and if you forgot the rules of Tic-Tac-Toe look here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tic-tac-toe
also if you are not quite sure how to play Dots and Boxes look here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dots_and_Boxes
and of course you can always email us here to let us know how it’s going.
info@todayisfun.com

 

A little help and a lot of learning

Daily chores made fun with the help of your little one!

ADDED June 03, 2008

On laundry day the little ones in my house always like to help. But all the good jobs are taken. Dumping the mountain of dirty clothes that’s to heavy. Folding clean clothes is too hard. Sleeping on the pile of clean or dirty clothes that’s the dogs business. So what to do? Have the littlest ones sort the clothes. You can’t wash whites with colors -- and you have to do it anyway -- so put ’em to work.

It’s really not that hard. Three piles:  white, dark and colors. If they don’t understand, this is a great opportunity to teach while you work together. Explain and show them what pile the clothes go into. Before you know it the job is done and back to the fun. An unexpected bonus: training for college laundromats.

 

What jobs do you give your little ones? Drop us an email at info@todayisfun.com or leave a comment!

The Eggs are gone, but the fun has just begun

Make recycling items into toys

ADDED June 02, 2008

 

The other day my beautiful wife was cleaning out the refrigerator and putting away some groceries.  She set aside and empty egg carton for recycling.  Our daughter asked if she could have the carton.

 

“I could paint it and make it into a ride for some of my toys," she said.

 

“Great idea," I said.  And that is exactly what she did.

So that got me thinking about what else we have that can be recycled for fun. With a little cleaning and some tape, paint or stickers, all sorts of things that were heading to the recycling bin but could be put into the fun bin.

So over the next few days, we were playing with empty water bottles in the tub, stacking tin cans left over from a pot of chili and making tunnels for hot wheels from tubes of empty toilet paper rolls. It has been fun to try and see something else in what we would have just thrown away.

We do this all the time!  And now this is not a parent guided activity. My kids are always on the prowl for new things to reuse and play with.

And when the fun is done you can still recycle, of course. We would like to hear what recycled toys you come up with. Be safe and have fun.

Jump, Hop and Skip.

Help make kids tired legs even more tired and stop complaining at the same time with this entertaining idea.

ADDED June 01, 2008

We have been trying to walk places lately. With gas prices being what they are I see both a health and financial benefit.  However little legs sure grow tired when they are asked to walk places. I do imagine if we were to walk to a toy store I would not hear one complaint but three blocks to the market and you would think we were walking uphill both ways.

So what I will do is make the mundane exciting. I will tell my kids, “let’s jump the next five cracks in the cement” and like magic their legs are healed and we are off jumping over the next five cracks. Once we have finished our hopping they will usually ask what is next and from there the game is on and the complaining ends. I will have them hopping, skipping, jumping, running forwards and backwards, they will be worn ragged and looking at the smiles on their faces you would not even know it.

What is great about this game is once it is started it really does not stop till we get to where we are going and usually we are having such a good old time we can not wait to get our shopping taken care of so we can get back to the hopping, skipping, jumping, running forwards and backwards.

This is a great activity for the mall, giant super store parking lot (hand holding required) or even a sporting event (again hand holding required) because you never park near your seats. Let us know where this idea works for you!

Where is that Belly Button?

A fun way of making it through a diaper change

ADDED May 29, 2008

 

 

Some kids are willing to go along with a diaper change.  Other kids, not so much.  Some kids like to put up a struggle.

A struggle, or fussiness, or a lot of unwelcome moving around, can be a big problem during diaper change time, to say the least.

So the trick is to keep them entertained and not fighting the process.

One way is to show the kid their belly button.

"This is your belly button," you say, touching your child's ear.

Chances are, your child will be thrilled by your error, and will attempt to set you straight.

"Oh, you're right," you say, "this is really your belly button."  And you touch their toe.

This ignorance business will generally last through the entire diaper change.  And it's a great way to teach parts of the body to a young child.

Next week we'll discuss another great way to keep a kid from too much squirming during diaper change time:  a lot of duct tape.

Fun with Vowel Sounds

Entertain the kids with their own mouths (and have them learn a little in the process)

ADDED May 25, 2008

Kids like to play with anything at hand and sometimes what is at hand is, well, a face.

 

At some point during childhood, everybody hears the old wives' tale: "don't make that kind of funny face or it will stick that way." Well, these funny faces won't stick, but the educational benefit here just might.

If your kids don't know already, list for them all the vowels: A, E, I, O, and U. (Sometimes Y.)

Then, you and your kids make the different vowel sounds: an A, an E, an O sound, and so forth. Part of the fun of this activity is looking at how your mouths are shaped for each sound: an O sound, of course, makes a circle of course, but what does a A do? In our house, we think an A stretches your lips, and an E really stretches your mouth!

It's learning and it's fun. And we hope that your kids will say, "Oh, this is A great time. Yip-EE!"

 

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.

Fill in the blank

A simple, fun game to help pass the blank.

ADDED May 19, 2008

You say the first two words of a phrase your child knows, and wait for the blank to be filled in.

For instance, “Grandma and Blank.”  (Answer:  Grandpa.)

“Brush your blank.”  (Answer: teeth.)

“Stars and blank.”  (Answer: stripes.)

Kids quickly pick up on how this game works, and are eager to provide the right answer.  Mine are so enthusiastic at times, in fact, that they’re trying to fill in the blank before I’ve fully told them the clues.  This leads to occasional mishaps such as “Grandma and Teeth”…which everyone seems to enjoy.

Bigger or Smaller

Have fun estimating everything.

ADDED May 18, 2008

My kids are always comparing sizes of things. I frequently hear things like,” I am tall enough for this” or “I am big enough to do that” or the ever popular, ”but mine is the smallest”. What they don’t realize is that they are estimating. So to keep the estimation party going in a positive way I will ask them questions about what things they see around them and have them estimate the answers.

I will ask, ”what building, tree or flag pole is taller?” “What car do you think is heavier?” Or I will say, “What line has the most people?”

I think it helps expand their vocabulary and encourage critical thinking. Besides who doesn’t like to guess which line will move faster at the market? Somehow I always chose the slowest.

Animal Automobiles

Kids have fun thinking up appropriate vehicles for our furry friends

ADDED May 14, 2008

 

 

If animals could get around in cars and trucks, what would they choose to drive?

If you'd like to know the answer to this philosophical question, just ask your kids.

But before you do, you might want to give them these examples:

A snake would drive a long green car, and you really wouldn't be able to see the wheels.

A snail would drive a little truck with a beige cab and a dark brown back. And oh, it would drive really slowly.

A frog's car would be quite green, and it would make its passengers bounce around.

A monkey's brownish car would drive pretty quickly all over the place, and its wheels would really chatter.

You get the idea. It is guaranteed to hold a pre-schooler's attention.

And please, let's encourage all these creatures to drive slowly and to respect the road!

Don’t Drop the Baby

Seriously . . . don't drop the baby

ADDED May 13, 2008

I did it to my kids when they were very young—and it was a surefire way to get a smile. This is also one of the first ways I really started interacting with my infant children—before I discovered this trick I was kind of a separate, distant admirer.

What you do is hold the young child up a bit, about to the height of your face. Say, “Don’t…drop…the…baby.” When you say the last word, move your hands very slightly off the child and let them fall.

Of course, you don’t let them fall. You are very, very careful…and after a tenth of a second, after they’ve dropped a foot or so, you stop their descent. This isn’t really ‘catching’ the child, since you’ve never really let go.

Anyway, safety admonitions aside, kids generally enjoy this brief free fall. It usually gets a big smile. And once they understand the game…that they always get dropped on ‘baby,’ there is further fun as they anticipate what will happen during the recounting of the preceding words.

Have fun, and whatever you do, don’t drop the baby.

What Color Shirt Is Mommy (or Daddy, or Somebody Else) Wearing

A simple guessing game to help you get home in one piece

ADDED May 11, 2008

 

While returning from an outing, kids can get bored and grumpy. The last couple minutes can be the worst:  when they start to recognize that they’re close, but not there yet.

One quick and easy activity I do with my kids in this kind of situation is to guess what color shirt their Mom is wearing. (Of course, it would work for anyone whom they will see at the destination: Dad, Grandma, a younger sibling, etc.)

Everybody takes a turn guessing the color. Then we fill the time with “talking up” the choices: “Mommy really does like red, so that was a good guess of yours,” or “I think Mommy looks pretty in brown, so I think I’m right—it’s going to be brown!”  Kids seem to respond well to this color commentary, and start to offer their own analyses.

(You’ll be delighted to know that this pastime works well even when you actually know the exact color of the person’s shirt.)

Another benefit to this activity is that when we arrive home, my kids are dying to see their Mom, and what color shirt she’s wearing. The reunion is all the more fun and exciting—and their Mom likes to hear the guesses (and that she’s being talked about.)

Keep them guessing, and keep them on their toes!