Follow the sun
It can be your guide!
ADDED February 09, 2010
Teaching your kids direction can be difficult. North is always North, of course, but without a compass, you really can't be sure exactly what direction you are facing. But with a few simple instructions and a fun dance, your family can be close to knowing where you are at all times. . . .
Sweet and Sour
A fun game for the car
ADDED February 08, 2010
When we are driving around in the car, my kids like to play a game they call "Sweet and Sour." I know that this might not be an idea that we made up ourselves, but if your kids don't know it, they might enjoy it.
To play, you have to be an astute observer of human nature. . . .
Weekend Reading: The Runaway Mummy
A cute, fun book for people who enjoy spooky stuff
ADDED February 06, 2010
Truth be told, I wouldn't have thought that The Runaway Mummy would be such a hit in my house. I don't know why -- there's certainly nothing wrong with this book. But I didn't expect my boys to react as positively to it as they did.
My kids love it, though. When my four-year-old got to choose a book to bring into his preschool class, this is the one he picked.
The story here focuses on a mama mummy and her little boy (who is also a mummy.)
The book starts off with the boy wanting to get away from his mom. She light-heartedly threatens to transform into various magical creatures in order to catch him and be with him. She threatens to become a giant monster, a humungous gorilla, a sea serpent. Her threats inspire her son to come up with ideas of what he would transform into in order to foil her. And so it goes.
My boys love to watch this imaginary, proposed (and loving) battle of words unfold.
Of course, illustrations demonstrate each of the over-the-top ideas that mom and son come up with. The pictures are cute and charming, and they offer a lot of detail for kids to study.
I do need to say: I don't think that this book would be ideal for most girls. Each page focuses on monsters and similarly gruesome creatures. It has struck a chord with my two boys because they really enjoy "scary" stuff. Also, I've noticed that my beautiful wife —- she's a girl -- doesn't exactly relish this book. Instead, I would say that she goes along with it. Or puts up with it.
I hope I've done a good job describing and recommending this book. I hope I haven't scared you off it or come across as too tepid. The Runaway Mummy is really a cute, fun book. That is, it's cute and fun, if your family enjoys discussing mummies, monsters, sea serpents, and gargantuan apes.
Read to your kids! Do it now!
(Oh, one more thing. I read online that this book is a parody of classic kids' book The Runaway Bunny. I didn't know that -- and I don't think my family has read the original version. I might pick it up at the library to see if my boys enjoy the story sans the spooky stuff.)
Code Words
Your kids choose some code words. Then, silly fun ensues!
ADDED February 05, 2010
This activity is just pure silly fun. My kids really like it, probably because they love pure silly fun.
First, with your kids, choose some words -- any common word will do. Maybe you and your kids can each take turns contributing a common word. Here are a couple of examples of common words: dinner, sleep, hug.
Next, you guys need come up with a list of "fun, little" things to do. Here are some examples:
• do a little hop
• pretend to sneeze
• clap your hands
• raise your arms up over your head as if you were a referee signalling a touchdown
Write one common word down next to each "fun, little" thing to do. This word will be become a "code word" for the fun, little thing.. . .
The Not-Very-Good Drawer
Some not very good drawing leads to a lot of very good fun!
ADDED February 04, 2010
At some point, kids become quite self-critical of their artwork. "That picture is no good," they say. "That doesn't look anything like a fireman." Or a baseball player. Or a dragon. Or ballerina. Or whatever.
Well, here at Today is Fun, we do appreciate people who strive for perfection. That's good and healthy. But -- as with everything else in life -- perfectionism is good . . . in moderation.
Today's activity is all about making artwork communicate with very little effort and with no perfectionism! It's fun to boot.
Today you'll be doing some drawing and your kids will be doing some guessing. So get some blank paper and some writing implements . . . and off we go.
Tell your kids that they have to guess what you're going to draw. And then draw a banana. Try to do it very, very quickly and very, very simply. Give yourself no more than five seconds to do it. And use as few lines as you can get away with. Here's a really fast banana I drew:. . .
