Tabulating is fun!

ADDED February 01, 2010

Today we are proud to present one of my kids' all-time favorite activities.  I'm not exactly sure why this one excites them so, but it does.

For today's activity, your kids are going to help you make a mental inventory.  You guys can choose to mentally inventory all the kids' toys--or just certain ones.  For instance, my boys have a bunch of action figures called Playmobil.  For this activity, we sat down at the kitchen table -- away from the actual toys -- and made a list of every item of Playmobil they own.

I got out a pencil and a blank piece of paper.  I asked my kids to name everything in their "Playmobil bin."  Everything means everything, no matter how big or how small.

For truly exciting results, it's important to pursue details.. . .

A lively (and messy) book!

ADDED January 30, 2010

Here's the story in a nutshell:  a group of animals travelling by bus stops at a restaurant, the Critter Cafe.  Unfortunately for the waiter and the chef, the animals behave like, well, animals.  They make a huge mess and cause commplete (and comedic) pandemonium.

Children's books -- as you certainly know -- often feature whimsical and preposterous story lines.  Well, A Crazy Day at the Critter Café is fully and satisfyingly preposterous.  The prime example:  one of the animals is a skateboarding cow with questionable coordination.  To say the least, this clumsy bovine contibutes more than her fair share to the mess.

The restaurant's waiter and chef try to re-establish order with predictably poor results.  You wouldn't be thrilled if you were one of the restaurant's patrons that day.  Viewing the scene from the comfort of your clean couch, however, makes for a much more enjoyable experience.

My kids love the outrageous occurrences in this book.

The rhymes and images are very nice here.  But it's the crazy, slapstick story that leads to a lot of fun for readers of all ages.

Grab a copy today, and read to those kids!

You and your kids are the newsmakers

ADDED January 29, 2010

Most activities on our site are meant be activities you and your kids can do together. Today's activity is no different, but for today's activity, you are the star . . . and your day is the big news that your family will be discussing.  Remember current events in high school? Well, your day is today's current event!

At dinner tonight, make a special point to . . .

Little bits of fun

ADDED January 28, 2010

Most kids know how to write poems.  Sometimes, though, it can be tough to get one started. Today we have a solution for the poet's variety of writer's block: have your kid use their favorite magazines, cut out words, and create a message all their own. 

First, gather all the . . .

Try one yourself!

ADDED January 27, 2010

Next time your kids want to record themselves with the family video camera, encourage them to shoot a long take.  In movie vernacular, a "long take" is slang for recording everything in the scene all at once, in order, and without stopping the camera.  When something goes wrong,  you just have to keep acting till the shot is done.

I always encourage long takes when my kids want to film themselves.  . . .