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
 

Stories and Story Scrambles

Easy to do, but the results are magical!

ADDED April 14, 2009

 

 

When most people are asked by their kids to tell a story, they freeze up.  The idea of coming up with a new story is a bit overwhelming.  

Today we're here to help you come up with kids' stories easily and effortlessly.  This will help any parent, not just when a story is requested by a kid, but when you need something to talk about or fill the time during waiting.  Making up original stories is very easy . . . especially when you have your kids do all the hard work!

Here are three parts to any and every story:  a beginning, a middle, and an end.  Not too difficult a concept, right?

These two sentences have all that you need to know to make up stories for kids:  "A story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.  Everything else is details."  Remember those two sentences, and you're set!

Start at the beginning.  Tell your kids, "In the beginning of this story, there was . . . "  If you can think of what there was in the beginning, great.  If you want to let your kids come up with the answer, even better.  What was there in the beginning of the story?  A whale, a snail, a kid who missed his mom, a guy who felt grumpy, a race car, an old neglected house.  The list is, as you might imagine, limitless.

Next the middle.  What happens next?  The kid who misses his mom goes and looks for her.  The whale accidentally swallows an empty rowboat.  Someone mysterious buys the old neglected house and brings in a team of painters.  Again, your kids are fully capable of supplying this important part.  Ask them, "What happens next?" and they will think it up!

And of course, the end.  This is the part that wraps up the story.  You can ask your kids, "What happens at the end of the story?"  Your kids will certainly have ideas about this.

And as it says above, "everything else is details."  Once you guys start your story, it's easy to add some details.  If your kid says the story is about a dog, you can chime in with "What color is the dog?  What is the dog's name?  What kind of dog is it?"  Details are so easy -- your kids will think up tons of them, and so of you.

Remember, the story does not have to be great.  No perfect prose or surprise endings are required.  Just have fun!

And what's a Story Scramble?  These are easy, too -- easy to think up and helpful for passing some waiting time with the kids.  Just tell a simple story with the beginning, middle, and ends scrambled up.  Super simple is allowed, people!  For instance, check this one out:  (1)  I brushed my teeth, (2)  I went to bed, and (3)  I ate dinner.  Can your kids unscramble the story?  Here's another one:  (1)  I watered the seed, (2) I had a beautiful sunflower, and (3) I planted a sunflower seed.  Get it?  Your kids will.

Here's one more scramble for you guys to puzzle out:
(1)  Fun, fun, fun for all!  (2)  You read Today is Fun, and (3)  You share the creative idea from the site with your kids.  (4) You tell your friends about TIF (5) They thank you!

What Does That Make You Think Of?

Free Association at its Finest (and Funnest)

ADDED March 26, 2009

 

 Waiting for my beautiful wife to finish shopping at Target the other day, my kids and I made up a game called "What does  that make you think of?" (Very original, I know.)

It was a life saver.  (Have you ever noticed that Target is enormous, and to finish a shopping trip you need to make several laps around the store?) The game is similar to Cute and Not-So-Cute, but maybe a little more advanced.

To play, someone spots an item on the shelves and points it out to the other players.  For example, someone could choose a light bulb.  They would then say, in their best quiz show announcer voice,"The item is light bulb.  What does that make you think of?"  At that point, it is up to the other players to do a little free association.  What does a light bulb make you think of? 

(When we played, I said a candle, my son said darkness, and my wife said a flashlight.  All approved answers and all fun. The next named thing was paper towels.  The panel thought the best answers were a mess, a spill, and a clean up!   Other items discussed on that particular trip were batteries, baggies and hand soap.)

We had a great time and the trip went very quickly!   Now, a visit to the grocery store makes us think of . . . fun!

(p.s.  If you have a grammatical problem ending a question with a preposition, please email us, leave a comment or join our facebook page and we will issue a full refund along with a sincere apology.)

 

(Photos compliments of the talented jae_yong and m_e_l_o_d_y )  

Books on the Run!

What fun place can you guys find for reading?

ADDED March 20, 2009

 

 

Okay, today's suggestion isn't jaw-droppingly original or unheard of.  But it is fun -- and we're here to remind you guys to get out and actually do it!

We hope that you're big fans of reading and books.  Reading can be super fun, and it can provide that fun for your kids' entire lives.

Reading is so easy, though, that sometimes we forget how enjoyable and special it can be.  So today, we encourage you to have some special reading time.  Where can you guys take some books and read them?  What new and different location?

Here are some ideas:

• In the park.
• At the beach.
• At a friend's house.
• In your own backyard.
• At the library.
• At a restaurant or coffee shop.
• In the car.

Reading in a different location changes the experience a bit.  And reading outside can be especially fun and relaxing.

When you guys are reading outside, you can have your kids try to spot things they see in the books.  For instance, if there are birds in the book, can your kids find birds outside?  If you guys see a bus in the book, is there a bus in the real world, too?

Reading outside also allows your kids to re-enact things with their bodies.  They can put on a show about the book.  They could make themselves into birds, buses, lions . . . everything!

And bring a snack along, too.  Sometimes it's nice to munch while you read.

Have a great, fun weekend with your little readers!

Letter Hunt

Put on your thinking caps for this hunt

ADDED March 12, 2009

We all have minutes each day where we just need the kids to be entertained we need them to be doing something constructive with their time and energy and poking your brother in the eye does not count as helping.

So this week while you are waiting for a table at your favorite Mexican Eatery or just need a few minutes of activity before baseball practice try this fun game with your kids.  We call it Letter Hunt. Here is how you play, first you find something that everyone can see, it can be anything. For example and at our baseball field there is frequently a blue ice cream truck parked in the lot, so if I chose ice cream truck I will say "I see something that starts with the letter I and it is blue."  Now it is my kids turn using the information I have given them to try to figure out what I see that is blue and starts with the letter I.

The real learning in this game comes from letting the kids do the work, for example, if I am looking for something blue that starts with I, most likely someone will guess the sky because it is blue, this is an opportunity to let the kids do the work of figuring out what letter sky starts with.  Once they have figured out that sky starts with S and I am looking for something blue that starts with I the guessing continues.

Have some fun this weekend guessing and teaching!

The Week of Trickiness begins with . . . One Up, One Down

The fun will be up. Way up.

ADDED February 01, 2009

In the coming months here at Today is Fun, we'll often be organizing our ideas into themes.  We think these themes will be fun, and a fun way of organizing our creative activities.  This week's theme is:  Trickiness.  All our ideas this week will incorporate a healthy dose of trickiness, which will keep your little ones engaged and entertained.  So buckle your seatbelts, people, Tricky is Fun!

 

 

One Up, One Down is a "figure it out" game.  Everybody will need to get their brains revving to catch on.

Are you One Up, One Down right now? 

You might be, but you also might be Two Up or Two Down.

So, here is a review of the three options:
(1)  One Up One Down
(2)  Two Up
(3)  Two Down

(If we had to venture a guess, we'd say you're probably One Up, One Down at the moment.  If not, then our second guess would be Two Down.)

We hope you're not too confused or annoyed . . . but that's part of the game.   When you play with your kids, they'll be the ones figuring this one up thing out.

Here's the trick:  where are your hands in relation to your chest?  They both may be above your chest (Two Up), or both below it (Two Down), or, well, One Up One Down.

Get it? 

To play this with your kids, start by telling them which of the three options they are at the moment.  Then help them figure out the trick.

This activity works well with a number of kids, where everyone can be comparing each other, trying to figure out why some people are Two Up, some are Two Down, and so forth.  This game also might be a lot of fun at the dinner table with a group of people…or at a restaurant.

If your kids just aren't getting it, you might try changing your hand position as they're looking at you, then telling them "Look, now I'm One Up One Down."

Good luck with this one – we're sure that the fun will be up and the loose ends will be down.  And stay tuned this week for more tricky fun!

 

--S

 

 (Photo of up kid hands courtesy of st0rmz.) 

Quick tips: Waiting Around Activities

(Part one of many)

ADDED January 24, 2009

 

 

We've all been there before:  stuck waiting somewhere with the kids.  These times are especially difficult, both for kids and parents.  You've really got to bust your behind to keep the kids behaving.

So today we unveil Today is Fun Quick Tips, a list of quick, entertaining and satisfying tips.

Here are some Quick Tip activities for waiting around:

Clock counters / Sink testers. How many clocks do they have in the waiting room?  Or the house?  And do all the sinks work?  (This last was especially good a couple of years ago when our family was looking at homes to buy.)

Have you kids make a list of something. For instance, if you're waiting at a restaurant, the kids could make a list of what's on the table:  salt shaker, sugar packets, soy sauce, etc.

Look for a minute.  Have the kids look around for  a minute and then close their eyes.  With their eyes closed, can they tell you everything they've just seen?

Name everything in your room.  Have your child close her eyes and envisage her room.  Ask her to tell you everything she has in there.

Hand tricks.  What can you make your hands do?  Think of shadow puppets minus the shadows.  Make your hands impersonate different things:  a butterfly, a bat, stairs, a house.  (Not to brag, but my hand can transform itself into a very realistic brontosaurus.)

We'll be presenting more Quick Tips in the future, on this and other subjects.  (Speaking of which, if anyone out there has any other ideas for keeping kids quiet, happy, and in their seats, we will gladly accept them!)

 

--S

 

(Photo courtesy of zoutedrop.)

 

Syllable Flipper

A quick and tricky way to get those little minds going

ADDED January 19, 2009

 

You're driving.  The kids are in the back, and they're getting restless.

You ask, "Who knows what a 'Nut Dough' is?"

Well?  Does anyone?

Chances are very good that everyone will be baffled by this Nut Dough thing.  So give them this simple clue:  Say, "nut dough nut dough nut dough nut dough nut."  Now does anyone know what that thing is?

Try this syllable-flipping trick with any word you'd like.  Just make sure to say the first syllable last.

Here are some flipped favorites for you to try out:  Ray hoo, Pee pup, Mee mom, Yon cray, Fish gold, Kull tick, Knee fun, and of course, Larious Hee.

You guys can also try flipping the syllables in your family's names -- or in the names of favorite characters.  (We're very big fans of Lung Tai in this house now.)  And of course, see if your kids can pull off a syllable flip or two themselves.

We hope this simple game is fun and Full use.  (You can't really flip one syllable words, we've discovered.)  Spend some time with those kids, and have a great time Day to!

 

--S

 

Many thanks for the use of the photos:  Sprinkle Donuts courtesy of Flirty Kitty, and Clapping 3-year old by Rageman.

Conversation Starter Cards

Could save the day

ADDED December 23, 2008

 

These are really simple, but might come in handy in a pinch.  They're conversation starter cards.  Download them, cut them out, and keep them in your purse or car for long waits or traffic jams.

Download here.

These cards each have many questions on them.  Ask your kids the questions, and get them talking.  Hopefully, the clock will move nicely along.  With these cards, you don't have to wrack your brain for conversation topics.

You can answer these questions, too, to keep the conversation going.  Everyone in your family gets extra points when your kids say something funny or cute.

And here's a conversation topic:  how can Today Is Fun help you in the new year?  Drop us a line if you need more help.  (And if you wanted to mention our site to a friend or two, that wouldn't be such a bad start to a conversation either!)

 

--S

Conversing father and daughter by pocketwilley via Flickr, thanks to a creative commons license.

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!

Professional Food Tasters

Better than bad and better than good

ADDED November 25, 2008

What words can you use to describe food?  If you're like most Americans, there are three words you use to describe food:  good, bad, and delicious.  You might throw in an occasional "awful" or "wonderful," too, but of all those words we've just reviewed, only "delicious" is specific to food.

There are people whose job is taste food:  Professional Food Tasters.  And those people have to use better words than "awful" and "delicious," right?

Right.  They do.  There are many, many words to describe food specifically.  And what better opportunity for your kids to try some of these words out than . . . your Thanksgiving feast?

Here are some fine words to describe food . . .

•  crunchy
•  crispy
•  spicy
•  sweet
•  salty
•  buttery
•  flavorful

During meals this week, teach your kids some or all of the words in that list.  You could plan to include foods that get you guys talking about sweet and about salty (apples and pretzels, for example).  

Then, encourage your kids to use their new vocabulary to fun effect during Thanksgiving dinner.  This can also be a tool if they get restless:  talk about the Thanksgiving food.  What is the most crunchy thing on your plate?  What is the most buttery?  What is salty and what is sweet?  What is your favorite item?

Do try to show respect for the person who cooked the meal, of course.  We don't want your kids using descriptive words like "icky" or "inedible" during the holiday celebration!

(We didn't want to inundate you with words, so we just featured the ones above.  But here's a quick appendix of more food adjectives, if you're so inclined:  savory, garlicky, nutty, minty, zesty, tart, tangy, sharp, mouthwatering, tasty, yummy, delectable, bitter, flavorful, lemony, chocolatey, and so on.)

Point and say, point and delay, point and no way!

A tricky, fun word game that'll get those brain cells moving

ADDED November 24, 2008

In honor of this festive Thanksgiving week, we're posting activities with special holiday relevance.  However, you'll certainly be able to tweak this one for non-holiday days, too.

Imagine this:  it's Thanksgiving afternoon, and dinner is still an hour off.  The kids are restless, a little shy around various unknown relatives, and bored with the assortment of toys you've brought along to the dinner.  So, give this game a try . . .

 

First, "point and say."  This one's simple.  You point at anything you see, and say what it is.  "Candle."  "Grandma."   "Place mat."  "Gravy."  Easy as can be.  

Fine, let's move on to "point and delay."  This one is a little bit more tricky.  For the very first item, you point and say nothing.  For instance, you point at the candle, and this time, instead of saying "candle," you say "hmmm."  Then you point to the next item, Grandma.  You don't say Grandma, though; you say "Candle."  Then the place mat.  You say "Grandma."  (You don't have to do the same items or the same order as 'point and say.'  This might work well for younger kids, but it's not required.  We're just using the same items and order here for ease of explanation.)  

Okay, do you understand "point and delay?"  Kind of tricky, huh?  Now the next:  "Point and no way."

This time you point at the candle and say, "Hippopotamus."  You point at beloved Grandma and you say (affectionately), "Sofa cushion."  You point at the place mat and say "Purple pants."  No way!

These are fun and challenging.  They really get everybody's brain cells working.  (They'd also work quite well as a car game--if you can concentrate carefully on the road during the "No way!" exchanges.)

Have some fun with this sorta tricky one.  Oh and one more thing, no matter what you do, if you're pointing at Grandma and she can hear you guys, you better choose words that are respectful and kind!  Give Grandma a break, please, would you?

Thanksgiving jokes

Easy to remember and funny.

ADDED November 20, 2008

Clue Countdown

A clue per finger until there are no more left!

ADDED November 13, 2008

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three, two, one.  Fun!

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

Kids Entertainment - - Find the Quarter

Make waiting for a table a little more enjoyable.

ADDED September 10, 2008

While waiting for a table the other day at one of our favorite eateries, the kids started getting a little anxious. That was when this game was invented: find the quarter.  It is very easy to play and can pass 10 minutes of time for only 25¢.  That is cheaper than some parking meters.

Here is how you do it:  take out 1,2 or 4 quarters and secretly hide them around the waiting area.  Put them in potted plants, under newspapers near your chair anywhere you think will be a good hiding spot. Then tell the kids there is a quarter for each of them hidden somewhere in the waiting area and they need to find it. Make sure you tell them the boundaries of your hiding area and set them free.  

You will get at least 5 minutes of peace while they're searching if you let the group start their hunt at the same time, even longer if you have your kids hunt one at a time. And if you are short on quarters whoever finds the quarter gets to hide it next time.

Try it today and leave us a comment letting us know “Who found the quarter.:

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 -- 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 -- 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!

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!

Eat It or Don't Eat It!

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

ADDED July 20, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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!

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!

Lk, M! N vwls!

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

ADDED July 07, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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!

Albert the Aardvark

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

ADDED June 26, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Sticker Story.

An activity that is sure to stick.

ADDED June 16, 2008

This is a fun activity for a lazy summer afternoon. Take some stickers and one piece of paper. Have you child put all the stickers on the paper. They can be upside down, on top of each other and all over. When all the stickers are applied to the paper now the fun begins.

Look over the page for little scenes or still life portraits that have happened accidentally on the page. Point out how it looks like two of the stickers are having a conversation or how one sticker is standing on its head in a tree. As these scenes begin to develop you and your child can start to make up a story about the action on the page. They usually are short and at my house definitley silly, but Mom always loves to hear all about it.

Yesterday I heard one about a puppy who liked to ride dinosaurs to go camping. When the puppy and the dinosaurs got to the campground they made friends with a family of hamsters and roasted s’mores. Now that’s what I call a story.

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

 

Great Gadzooks

Alphabetical word fun.

ADDED May 22, 2008

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

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

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

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

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.

Olden Days

Good times with the way-back machine.

ADDED May 07, 2008

This isn’t so much a game or activity, as a great topic for conversation.  It’s fun, too.

Kids naturally like learning about the world about them—everything is new and exciting.  When your kids reach a certain age (four or five?) they can begin to understand this concept:  that in Olden Days, a lot of things didn’t exist—a lot of things that kids are used to seeing.  

When I first told this to my kids, they thought it was a bizarre concept:  there didn’t used to be cars?  Or TV?  Or Barney the Dinosaur?

My kids like guessing what was around in Olden Days, and what wasn’t.  (“Were there leopards in Olden Days, Daddy?”)

Just  be careful around touchy grandmothers.  You, not your innocent child, will get blamed if a touchy grandmother is asked, “Were there horses in Olden Days, Grandma?”

On the go hairdo

Did you know how entertaining hair care can be?

ADDED May 04, 2008

I don’t really spend time doing hair -- my kids' hair or my own.  There are about a million other things in life to do before I get to those chores.

But when we’re waiting in line, or at the check out, it helps to pass the time to get out some hair care products.

Of course, I don’t really have any. But I make my hand into a ‘comb,’ and ask, “Who needs a good combing?” My kids volunteer, and I ‘comb’ their hair with my fingers. They think it feels weird, and kind of tickles.

Then I offer to use the hair dryer on them (a contraption that has always held a certain fascination for kids.) Making a loud, hair drying noise, I quickly move their hair around with my fingers and hands.

Then it’s time for some goop—a necessary finale to any good haircut. I hold an invisible goop bottle out, and squirt it all over the kids' hair. This involves random, crazy tickling of the top of their heads.

When I’m through, everybody’s hair certainly looks a little worse and a lot more messy…but everybody’s had a decent time, and the waiting is over.

Schmippopotamus

A quick and simple way to keep young kids entertained and on their toes

ADDED April 29, 2008

 

This one's quick and easy. I've found it also helps get a kid's attention back when they're getting bored and possibly mischievous.

All you need to do is say: "I'm thinking of an animal. See if you can guess what it is. Here's a hint: schmippopotamus."

If your kid is old enough (three and above, certainly), they'll get the joke, and correctly figure out the animal.

Keep naming animals, but with the "schm–" sound at the beginning instead of the actual consonant sound. So, make them figure out the true identity of a schmiraffe, a schmea lion, a schmuirrel, a schmelephant, and so on.

This is fun, but it's probably better for younger kids. I haven't tested this out personally, but you might not want to try it on any teenagers.

Questions for the kids

Entertain the troops with a little kid interrogation

ADDED April 17, 2008

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

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

What's Your Favorite On This List

List five items in a category, and ask your child for a favorite

ADDED April 16, 2008

 

 

This activity has definitely saved the day in our house, especially when the kids had to sit and wait for adults to finish eating dinner.

List five items in a category and ask your child for a favorite among the options. Some examples of categories are: farm animals, zoo animals, ocean animals, pets (if you break these animal categories out, you will have more to talk about than if your one category was just ‘animals’), colors, lunch foods, Sesame Street characters, etc.

After your kids has chosen, tell them your favorite. They’ll be interested to know.

My kids seem to enjoy this activity even more when I hold up five fingers and point to a finger with each item in the category. They look at their own hands and fingers when deciding.

This pastime is sure to be a favorite, on anybody’s list.

On the Road

Entertain your kids anywhere with an invisible racetrack

ADDED April 04, 2008

All the change in my pocket

Great way to help kids learn how to count money.

ADDED March 18, 2008

Often at a restaurant the final minutes of the meal are the worst part of the evening. The “helpful servers” have made sure that the kids meals are served 10 minutes before the adults assuring that the end of the meal will be more about crowd control then eating. What I will often do in those final minutes while I am trying to enjoy the last bite of my fish taco is ask if they would like to count all the change in my pocket. They always do.

While they are happily counting and sorting away I am able to finish my meal and take a possibly chaotic situation and turn it into a teachable moment.

 

If your kids are too young to understand the concept of counting money they can sort them by size or color. Just make sure they don’t take the money, and if they do, make them pay.