From your friends at Today Is Fun

ADDED October 30, 2009

Well, the big day is almost here.  It's tomorrow, in fact.  We hope that you've survived the run-up and that the rest of the holiday goes smoothly, too. 

My family is off to a Halloween pageant at school.  While we're gone, here is a round-up of our many fabulous Halloween suggestions . . .

The ever-popular (and really quite spooky) Haunted Egg.

Practice and warm-ups for little monsters.  (This one would be fun at Halloween parties.  It would also come in handy if the young monsters are antsy and anxious -- and impatient -- to get trick-or-treating.)

Halloween Words.  Think up a Halloween word for each letter in the alphabet.  This also might help your kids during a wait.  And it requires some use of brains, too.

Halloween Costume Design.  Have your kids invent outlandish costumes for friends and relatives.  A drawing activity.  And here's another fun pastime with paper and pens.  A little tracing will bring about some exciting monstrous results. 

A Halloween "prank" appropriate for younger kids.  If you have ten free minutes to do some preparation, this one is quite worth the time.  Fun for the whole family!

A little last minute decorating, perhaps?  Here we suggest your kids create monsters using . . . your furniture.

Finally, here's a cute and charming Halloween book to read with your kids.  And another beautifully illustrated Halloween book that teaches some Spanish along the way.

Please have a fun, happy, and safe Halloween.  Oh, and if your kids wind up with any extra candy, feel free to drop it in the mail to me!

(Wait.  On second thought, please email me your address so we can send you all the extra candy we wind up with here!)

Happy Halloween.


(And thanks to Lorri37 for the Halloween photo above!)


 

One of our most popular (and most spooky) suggestions

ADDED October 29, 2009

Today we would like to re-acquaint you with one of our most popular Halloween suggestions of all time.  It's a food item called the Haunted Egg.

(Who wouldn't get hungry hearing the term "haunted egg?")

Our Haunted Egg was created specifically for Today Is Fun by a professional chef.  It's not just good, clean, scary fun for your kids -- it's also nutritious!

The Haunted Egg is also quick and easy to prepare.

(Am I doing a good sales job here?)

Click here to read our post about the Haunted Egg.

And no, this next idea is not original, but we would just like to remind everyone that kids enjoy spiders in their ice cubes.  We made some recently, and it was a big hit.  (We used those seemingly ubiquitous spider rings that crop up this time of year.)

With some Haunted Eggs and some spiders in beverages, your family is sure to have an appropriately spooky-delicious dinner!

How honed are your kids' Halloween skills?

ADDED October 28, 2009

Length:  Ten to fifteen minutes.

Parental Involvement:   "Interview" your kids about Halloween creatures.

Kids Should Be Able to:  Use their imagination and bodies.  Be silly.  Enjoy Halloween.

As you may possibly have heard, Halloween is coming.  It's this Saturday, in fact.

Are your kids ready?

We're not asking whether your kids' costumes are made, and we're not wondering if their trick-or-treating plans are made.  Actually, we're wondering more about their Halloween abilities.  How ready are your kids' Halloween skills?

Can your kids growl like a werewolf?

Can they make a face like a witch?

Can they do a zombie walk?

There's only one way to learn the answers to these questions: ask your kids.  Have them try.

Today, we'd like you to "interview" your kids about Halloween.  There are no right and wrong answers, but rather many opportunites for fun and creativity.  (And yes, perhaps a little silliness.)

For any given Halloween creature, your kids could make (1) a noise, (2) a face, and (3) some movement.

Explain that to your kids, and have them start acting Halloween-ish.

Can your kids laugh like a vampire?

Can they make a monster face?

Can they flap their wings like a bat?

Use our "Halloween words" print out or link if you want ideas with which to prompt your kids.

But beware!  Your kids might start testing *your* Halloween skills.  Now that might sound a little bit scary!

Very scary letters!

ADDED October 27, 2009

Length:  A short while.  15 minutes or so.

Parental Involvement:  Explain the idea, and help think of words. 

Kids Should Be Able to:  Spell a bit, or at least figure out first letters of words.  Enjoy Halloween!

If you've read this blog for a little while, you know that we don't just want kids to have fun, we want them to get their brains in gear, too.

Halloween is plenty of fun for kids, of course.  So it's easy to use this exciting holiday as a starting place for some thinking and learning...

You're probably familiar with "go-through-the-alphabet" games.  We've even suggested a few in the past.  With this kind of game, you choose a category and then go through the alphabet trying to find an appropriate word for each letter.

In honor of the coming holiday, we'd like you guys to spend some time thinking up some spooky, eerie, and even some downright scary words.  Today, we'd like you guys to think up a "Halloween word" for each letter in the alphabet.

This is harder than it sounds, even for children who love Halloween as much as mine do.  For instance, can you guys think of a good Halloween word for the letter "A?"

(This book, Z is for Zombie, suggests "alien" for A, and I think that's, eh, fine.  Half credit.  Another book, Halloween ABC suggests "apple," and I don't know if it even gets a point for that one.  Am I being too harsh?)

Some letters are pretty easy.  Think bat for B and 'creepy' for C.

Because we want you to have fun -- and not ever get annoyed with us in the process -- we've included some "answers."  Here's what we've thought up for each letter.  Click here to view in your browser or here to download.

(We think our answer for 'A' is pretty darn good.  Better than 'alien,' thank you kindly.)

But before you check out the answers, please think of your own responses first.  And award yourself one full Today Is Fun point for each answer you get that matches one of ours.  And give yourself two Today Is Fun points for your answers that we didn't think of.  (And email or comment, please, to let us know what we missed.  We care about this stuff!)

Wherein your kids get to be top fashion designers. Of really crazy costumes.

ADDED October 26, 2009

Length:  30 to 60 minutes.

Parental Involvement:  Explain the idea and help guide the activity, if needed. 

Kids Should Be Able to:  Enjoy Halloween.  Think up outlandish ideas.  Draw a bit.

Please don't be too frustrated with us.  Please don't roll your eyes or shake your head.  We know that it is a little late in the season to be talking about designing Halloween costumes.  We definitely hope that your family has already pretty much committed to a Halloween costume and that it's more or less ready to go.

So the costume designing that we're encouraging here isn't for your kids.  It's for them to think up some ideas for the *other* people in their lives.

My kids have a Gran and a Grandpa.  Gran and Grandpa -- while great and devoted grandparents -- choose not to dress up for Halloween.  (Can you believe it?)  To be  honest, Gran and Grandpa are pretty darn mellow about the whole subject of Halloween.

That's fine.  That's their choice.  But that's also an opportunity.  An opportunity to design some fun, outlandish and outrageous costumes for them. 

Really, why should the kids hold back?  Gran and Grandpa aren't going to wear the costumes anyway.

For Gran, my kids chose fish-body arms, a spider for a neck, and a jack-o-lantern for a head.  (Gran will be thrilled to hear about this, no doubt.)

For Grandpa, they chose 15 heads, including Frankenstein's head, a werewolf's head, a mummy's head, a black cat's head, and Superman's head.  (I hope Grandpa has been doing shoulder exercises.  He might get tired out after carrying the weight of all those heads to the first trick-or-treat house.)

As the kids thought up each detail of the costume, we drew it on a piece of paper.  There was a lot of excitement (and quite a few giggles) as the costume designs came to life on the paper.

In case you didn't notice, this activity is all about thinking up fun and creative ideas, not being realistic.

There is no limit to the designs you can do.  Not only can your kids think up creative costume ideas, they could design exterior house decorations, car modifications, even a costume for the dog.

And since you won't ever be saddled with actually making any of this stuff, well, you win, too.

Spooky, cute and fun. Read to your kids!

ADDED October 24, 2009

Now, some of the descriptions below might sound as if this book would turn out to be disturbing.  It's not, and that's certainly in large part thanks to the art here, which is very sweet, simple, and charming.  My three-year-old really enjoys this book and has not the faintest whiff of fear from it.

The plot
Two bad guys -- but cute bad guys -- are running away from a policeman, and they hide in an abandoned old house.  Unfortunately for them, though, the house happens to be a haunted Halloween house.

As it turns out, a haunted Halloween house doesn't make the best hide-out.  The creatures inside do their best to scare off the two cute, hapless bad guys.  They witness sights such as this . . .

In the Halloween house,
in a dark, dingy den,
a papa werewolf crouched
with his little ones, ten.
"Howl," said the papa.
"We howl," said the ten.
So they howled through the night
in the dark, dingy den.

The book follows this pattern, with Halloweeny parents and their little ones doing spooky stuff.  To say the least, each Halloween creature doesn't make an inviting host for the two bad guys.

After the ten werewolves, the bad guys get scared by vampires, witches, ghosts, skeletons, worms, and so on.

As always, we don't want to give away any of the book's secrets -- there are some twists and turns -- but it all works out quite nicely in the end.

The content and rhymes are fun.  The art in this book seems a bit "old school," in a very simple and charming way.

Order it from Amazon or pick it up from your local library.  The Halloween House will make for plenty of spooky, fun family time.  Read to your kids!

And it's a baby

ADDED October 23, 2009

Today we have a fun Halloween prank that is sure to get your kids talking.  We don't really like to "trick" kids -- here at TIF, we think tricks and pranks are too often mean -- but for this, we will make an exception.  The trick part is mostly fun and not scary.

First, you need to make a ghost out of a napkin.  You'll need one paper napkin, a small piece of yarn or thread and a magic marker. 

This trick requires a rather diminuitive ghost, not a big one.  So tear the napkin into quarters, four roughly square shapes.  Roll one of the napkin pieces into a ball and place it in the center of another one.  Wrap this second one around the ball, twisting to form a head for the ghost.  Some yarn under the "head," add a face with the magic done, and you are done.  It's very easy, and you have created a standard-issue napkin ghost.  (Well, a standard-issue baby napkin ghost.)

Your ghost should be about this big for the trick to work.

Once you have your mini-ghost made, it is time for the trick to start.  Grab a few inches of thread  and tie one end around the baby ghost's head.  Tie the other end to your kid's toothbrush, fork, or anything that your kids pick up.  When the mini-ghost is attached, hide it so it is out of view.  When your kid picks up the fork or toothbrush, everyone will be astounded and delighted by the sudden appearance of the floating baby ghost!  A hilarious and spooky trick all in one! 

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is our kind of Halloween prank!  We hope you all enjoy it.

And that chair is looking at me

ADDED October 22, 2009

A few weeks ago, we told you about a great activity to do with your kids in which you guys find faces in the everyday objects around you.  If you missed the post, here is the link (we think its great).  Since Halloween is coming, we are taking this activity one step further and encourage your kids to make their own spooky-faced objects. What could be more spooky than all the furniture in your house looking right back at you?  Here are the simple instructions.

Gather some construction paper, tape, pens, and scissors. Have everybody gather all of their imagination to envision faces on everything in your house.  Then set your kids free to create bloodshot eyes to put on the piano, razor-sharp teeth for the side of the tub, or happy jack o' lantern eyes for the kitchen garbage pail.  Finally, tape the eyes, teeth and noses on anything that needs to be gussied up for Halloween.

Have a great time, and don't worry the furniture won't really bite.

Is a spoon

ADDED October 21, 2009

Length:  Half an hour or so.

Parental Involvement:  Help the kids find objects to trace.  Help with tracing where necessary.

Kids Should Be Able to:  Trace a bit.  Think up imaginative Halloween stuff using the traced shapes as a starting place.

Most crafts we do here do not require technically advanced pens, fancy paper from France, or an art degree.  In fact, we always try to use what you have on hand to create something new and awesome.  We know that some of the best home craft ideas come from using things you already have and just re-purposing them.  And that's where the idea for this craft came from.  We call it "The Shape of Halloween."  We guarantee your kids will look at everything in your house differently once you have finished with this one...

Here is what you do:  first, spend a few minutes looking for interesting objects around the house that your kids can trace.  These objects can be of any size really, but to make it easy (and avoid somebody trying to trace the dog), the chosen objects need to easily fit on a piece of paper.  Here is what we chose.

Second, have your kids trace the things you found around the house.

Third, use the interesting items you traced as inspiration to create some unique Halloween characters.  Make ghosts, skeletons, bats and scary jack o' lanterns and . . . an evil duck? Anything is fair game, and here is our finished art. Can your kids find the shapes we traced to make these haunted pictures?  When the art is done, create a mini-art gallery on the refrigerator for all to see.  That is, if they dare!

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). 

Equal real fun!

ADDED October 19, 2009

We all have heard of "no laughing contests."  These are games of skill in which none of the players are allowed to laugh, but as we all know, a "no laughing contest" always ends in laughter. 

Thank you to ableman for use of the picture

Beautiful and fun -- a great book for kids to enjoy as the big holiday approaches. Oh -- and it's got some Spanish to teach, too!

ADDED October 17, 2009

Sometimes we find a book that just "knocks it out of the park."  Everything about the book is just top-notch.

Well, that's kind of how we feel about Los Gatos Black on Halloween Night.  This book is truly a pleasure for me and my kids to read.

First of all, this book is all about monsters and other "scary stuff" related to Halloween.  (My kids -- three and five years old -- aren't one bit scared by this book.  Instead, they're interested and thrilled by it.)  Los Gatos contains witches and werewolves, ghosts and ghouls, and all the fun, usual suspects.

Secondly, the art is just beautiful here.  Many, many kids' books have excellent art, but in my humble opinion, the images here are just a bit better than the rest.  The use of light, colors, and contrast captures the eye and makes the reader want to linger on each page.

Next, the language here is wonderful.  The flow of the words and the rhymes are just very pleasing.  For example...

"And in a slow and strange parade,
The creatures of the night invade
A haunted casa, long asleep–
The mansion's secrets buried deep.

Finally, for parents who want their kids to learn something now and again, this book features a couple of Spanish words on each page.  This new vocabulary is brilliantly woven into the text, so that the new words are easily understood by English-speaking parents and kids alike.  Additionally, there's a glossary at the end of the book to really help learners along.

(Admittedly, your kids might not need to learn words like "monstruos" and "esqueletos", but gato [cat], perro [dog], luna [moon] and others can also be found here.)

There's not much of a story here, but a lot of fun visuals and words, with plenty of rhymes, too.  And there is a small twist at the end. 

You can read more about the book (and buy it) here.

Read to your little monstruos (monsters) this weekend!  And have some fun.

Behold the magic of paper towel!

ADDED October 16, 2009

Length:  15 minutes or so of set-up.  (And it's easy, fun set-up for parents and kids.)  24 hours of waiting for the science and magic.

Parental Involvement:  Find two bowls that you don't cherish. 

Kids Should Be Able to:  Follow simple directions.  Wait 24 hours relatively patiently.  Enjoy science!

Lately we've been performing some science experiments with the kids.  The purpose of these activities is just a fun introduction to scientific investigation.  In our house, we're not always sure what the outcome of any experiment will be -- or if anything will happen at all.

When the experiments do "work," we'll share it with you here.

Today we present the "Paper Towel Escalator."  Like any escalator, ours moves stuff from place to place.  The Paper Towel Escalator moves water, though, not people.  And -- as you'll see -- it does not move *dirt!*

For this activity (or "experiment") you'll need two bowls and three pieces of (still attached) paper bowls.  The bowls should not be your grandmother's finest china because, well, we're going to be putting *dirt* in them.

Due to the indisputable presence of *dirt* involved in this activity, we did it in the garage.  You might want to do the same.  (A certain Mom in our house draws the line at *dirt* in her kitchen.) 

Have your kids put a few tablespoons of dirt in one of the bowls.  Next, mix in about a cup or two of water and mix.  The scientific name for the resulting concoction is . . . mud.)

Elevate this dirty, mud-filled bowl a bit.  (We placed this bowl on top of an overturned pot.)

Next, put the other bowl -- which should be completely empty -- on the ground (so that it is lower than the mud bowl.)  Fold the paper towel two or three times so that you have a narrow (and "fat") strip of paper towel.  Put one end of the folded paper towel into the top bowl, and the other end into the bottom, empty bowl.

(A kid could really do *all* these steps, with minimal parental supervision.)

That's it.  That's all you need to do.  Leave the experiment alone for twenty-four hours, and then check back.

When you and your kids return the next day, the Paper Towel Escalator will have taken the water out of the mud and given it a ride into the bottom bowl.  Water and dirt will be separate again!  (Don't you feel that you're getting a good value out of this paper towel?  It's really working overtime in the cleaning department.)

Why does this happen?  The paper towel is designed to be very absorbent and very sturdy.  "Capillaries" -- or very tiny tubes -- in the paper towel absorb the water and transport it along the length of the towel.  The dirt, which is too big and heavy to make the trip -- is left behind.

Try it today with your kids.  It really works!

Science is fun.  So are escalators.  And of course, so is dirt.  We hope you and your kids enjoy experimenting!
 

Little Old Lady Who?

ADDED October 15, 2009

Length:  10 minutes (but it could seem like hours.)

Parental Involvement:  Explain the idea.  Share the YouTube video.  Cover your ears.

Kids Should Be Able to:  Have fun not holding back! 

Yes, we know that school is in session, but we still occasionally suggest activities with some educational benefit.  No, your kids won't be awarded a prestigious Ph.d. degree after completing these activities, but they will have fun and learn something in the process. 

Today we are going to learn a bit -- a very little bit -- about German and Swiss culture.  People, it's time to learn about yodeling.

You know what yodeling is.  Unless you're from the Alps, chances are good that you're not a big fan of too much yodeling.  But yodeling is interesting -- and kind of funny-- especially for kids. 

(It's also a funny word unto itself -- a great "Y" word for your kids to add to their vocabulary.)

Here are two fun yodeling YouTube videos to show your kids and get them in the right frame of mind:

Once your kids have seen yodeling in action, you can give them some simple instructions on yodeling themselves.  (We promise you -- while grown-ups might be hesitant to give yodeling a try, kids will happily comply . . . and have fun in the process.)

The first thing a kid will need to do is make the lowest sound their voice can accomodate. Show them an example of this with your voice.

Next, they should make the highest pitched sound they can with their voices.  This shouldn't be difficult.

Next, all they have to do is 'slide' up and down with their voices.  If their voice 'breaks' while doing this, that's great; it's real yodeling! 

They can try yodeling with just two letters, "A" and "E."  Have them do low voice with "A" and high voice with "E." 

Another thing for kids to try is yodeling the words, "Little Old Lady Who."  The last word, "who," should be the highest of all.  Make sense?

And here's some good news:  even if the yodeling isn't perfect, kids will really enjoy trying.  Yes, they might sound a little like crazy chimpanzees, but if that's the case, send them right into the garage to keep practicing their yodels.

Many thanks to beige alert for the cool yodeling image at the top of this post!

With Halloween on its way, here is an activity of which Dr. Frankenstein would approve.

ADDED October 14, 2009

Length:  30 minutes or more.

Parental Involvement:  Explain the idea.  Admire the results.

Kids Should Be Able to:  Represent people and animals using toys and household objects.

You know, we put quite a bit of effort into each suggestion here at TIF.  We are always busy thinking up great ideas, testing them out on actual children, and then writing them up to post here.  It's a pleasure to do, really, and a labor of love.

But, with all the work we put in, it *is* a refreshing break when other people chip in and lighten the load a bit.  So today I feel very grateful to my five-year-old son, who contributed today's idea.

My five-year-old loves games and activities.  If given some free time, he'll make up a project to enjoy.  The other day, he was busy with this one...

Today your kids will be putting together some bodies.  They'll be using anything they've got on hand.  (Pun not intended.  Really.)

Your little ones will lay out every necessary body part.  For a head, they could use a tennis ball, a Lego wheel, or -- well -- pretty much anything they want.  After the head's accounted for, your kids need to move on to the next body part.  Time to add a neck (a tinker toy, maybe), shoulders (Matchbox cars), and so on.  Once you explain the concept to your children, they're sure to understand, and they'll be off and running.

Here is a list of body parts that your kids could use as they assemble their creature:

•     head
•     hair
•     ears
•     eyes
•     nose
•     mouth
•     chin
•     neck
•     shoulders
•     arms
•     hands
•     fingers
•     chest
•     tummy
•     belly button
•     legs
•     feet
•     toes

   
   
(If your kids want to make an animal, you could add "tail," "fins," and "antlers" to the list.)

When a body is complete, you guys should all admire it, and then . . . . the kids should start up again. 

We hope you guys have fun and that your little Frankensteins behave better than monsters during the day!

A fun drawing, thinking, and guessing game for kids. And it's pretty easy, too!

ADDED October 13, 2009

Length:  30 minutes or so.

Parental Involvement:  Explain the idea.  Tear up paper to make "cards."  Draw and guess.

Kids Should Be Able to:  Think of words starting with different letters.  Do basic drawings.

My kids absolutely love today's activity.  It is requested very frequently (as in daily) by my five year old.

Please don't tell my kids, but this activity actually involves a lot of brainwork.  Participants use letters, thinking, and creativity.  And they do some drawing.

There are a number of steps to follow, but they're all very easy.  (These steps are for two people -- such as you and your child -- to play.  You can adjust for more participants.)

(1)  First, make some "cards."

Tear or cut two regular, blank pieces of paper into eighths.  You'll wind up with sixteen "cards."  Fold each in half.

Once you're done with the preparation, eight cards will be for you, and eight will be for your kid.

(2)  Next, have your child call out a letter of the alphabet.  Any letter will do.

Write the letter on the "outside" of one of your kid's folded cards.  And write the same letter on the "outside" of one of your cards.

Repeat this seven times, so that there are two matching sets, each with a total of eight letters.

(3)  Now you guys have to think up a category.  The most popular category in our house is "Halloween Stuff."  (My kids love Halloween.)  Other suitable categories would be:  foods, animals, characters from TV and books, and many more.

(4)  For each card in your pile, you guys have to draw something in the chosen category that starts with the card's letter.

For example, with Halloween as the category, we had the letter "W."  My boys drew Witches and Werewolves.

For M, they drew Monsters and "Moldy Milk."

Creativity is encouraged.  For U, a scary unicorn would be allowed.  Or even a U-shaped bat.

We play with the rule that "not every picture needs to be fancy or perfect."  Everybody needs to just draw enough to convey the idea at hand.  (We're not making masterpieces today, we're thinking about categories and letters and all that good stuff.)

(5)  Don't show the other person your drawing, instead fold up the card and throw it into a pile on the table.  Then, move onto the next one. 

(6)  When everyone is done drawing, we switch piles of cards.  So I get my son's pile, and he gets mine.

Then we go through, letter by letter, and compare ideas and drawings.

"Oh, look.  For 'N' you drew a nightmare."

"Daddy, I drew a headless horseman for 'H!'"

"For Q, we both drew yucky, scary quilts!"

Comparing (and admiring) is always a big hit in my house, and a necessary conclusion to this game.

We hope that this is fun and entertaining brainwork in your family, too.  And next time you're walking alone at night, we hope you don't bump into a scary unicorn.  Or any moldy milk!

 

How quickly can your kids get the info?

ADDED October 12, 2009

Length:  Ten minutes to half an hour.

Parental Involvement:  Explain the idea.  Pose some questions.  Monitor internet searching a little bit.

Kids Should Be Able to:  Use the internet on their own.  Type in words a bit.  Think of ways to frame questions and perform basic internet searches.

Have you ever heard people complaining about the internet?  I have.  Some people say that the internet makes kids lazy.  They argue that the internet makes it too easy to look information up.  These people say that kids no longer need to memorize important information.  Kids, they say, don't need to access information in their minds any more, because they can just look everything up on the internet.

Well, those people might have a point.  Or maybe they don't.  People can disagree.  We're not going to choose sides on this one.

But the internet is here to stay.  So whether you love the web or not, we think that you should get your kids comfortable using the internet and get them accustomed to finding answers on it.

Today, we suggest that you set up some "Google races" for your kids.  That is, set up "questions" for your children to answer using the computer.

It's easy to create fun and stimulating questions for your children:

• Can you find a list of farm animals?
• Can you find information about your favorite character in books or TV shows?  (My kids rather enjoy Scooby Doo, for instance.)
• How many teeth does a shark have?
• Can you find logos for your favorite sports team?
• Where is Saskatchewan?  What is Saskatchewan?  What is its capital?. . .
  
  
   
  
  
  

Today, put someone else first!

ADDED October 09, 2009

Length:  Ten or so minutes, a couple times a day.

Parental Involvement:  Explain the idea.  Participate in helping and loving!

Kids Should Be Able to:  Think up nice things to do.  Then do nice things!

Here at Today is Fun, we are not kings, presidents or even mayors (but we do resemble models).   We really don't have the power to declare a holiday_, but we are going declare one anyway.  We're going to start small and see where it takes us. 

This weekend we are declaring our first "fifteen minute holiday."  For fifteen minutes this weekend, find someone in your house and dote on them.   Make sure they are comfortable, have everything they need, and just plain feel loved. . .

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.)

If you stick to it, you'll get it!

ADDED October 07, 2009

Learning to spell words can be tricky.  (Even for adults!)  When repetition and memorization don't work, we like to get out the Post It notes.  When the Post It's come out, simple fun (and learning) begins!

First, we get a stack of Post It notes and a list of words to be learned.  The kids write each spelling word out on its own Post It note.  As the kids write each word, the kids (and I) watch carefully to see what words are easy to spell and what words are tricky.

We take the Post It's with the "easy-to-spell" words and put them on the fridge.

The "still-working-on" words don't go on the refrigerator.  Rather, we put those Post It's in places where the kids can review regularly.  The front door, the bathroom mirror, the walls in the hallway, and even their chair in the dinning room get decorated with pesky words. 

Whenever the kids pass by a difficult word's location, we stop, read and practice spelling the word. 

When a kid learns the spelling of a formerly troublesome word, its Post It gets moved to the front of the fridge, where the Post It's of the other successfully spelled words hang out.

If a kid has a spelling test in school,  we review all the words one more time the night before.  Then everyone wakes up then next morning prepared and ready!

Have some fun, learn some spelling, and please, post it!

Thanks to lizmarionga for the photo!

And everyone has fun!

ADDED October 06, 2009

At my house, we try to eat every meal together, but school, work, and life sometimes make that goal darn near impossible.  So when we are all together, we make the most of our time -- everyone helps and everyone has fun.  Use what we do as a jumping off point for a special family time of your own.

First, when possible, we all contribute to helping get dinner on the table.  Now this does not need to involve sharp knives or complicated whirly-gigs, but if snap-peas need to be snapped, corn shucked, or the table set we make sure everyone is included in the work. 

Kids are especially helpful at making sure the table is set.  They excel at putting the salt and pepper are in place.  Everyone's drink orders are taken.  Kids are also very good at choosing (or picking) flowers and arranging them.  Have your kids get some scissors, give them a small vase (unbreakable is good), and send them into the yard to pick some flowers.  You might get some interesting arrangements, but they will have their own special beauty none-the-less.

Then, most importantly, we all eat together.  We all eat the same thing (if possible), and everybody waits till the last person is done eating before leaving the table. (That last is very important.)  After all, if you leave the table early, you might miss out on dessert, and that would be a shame.  Finally, when dinner (and dessert!) is done, everybody helps with the clean-up.  Kids are great helpers when it comes to clearing plates, pushing in chairs, and even taking out trash. If you missed it our Table Captain post, it is a really good idea for dinner clean up time.

Some of these things might sound simple, but mealtime can become fun time when everyone pitches in and when you work together as a team!

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
 

A fun knight-and-dragon kids' tale by James Mayhew

ADDED October 03, 2009

The book we recommend for this weekend is the story of a not-so-great knight.  He's really quite impressed with himself, but doesn't pay much attention to anyone else.

Actually, the knight would like to impress a beautiful princess, too, and convince her of his charms.  He hopes that he'll get his chance when an uninvited, rambunctious dragon arrives in the kingdom. 

The knight spends quite a bit of time primping before the confrontation with the dragon.  He won't step outside without his shiniest armor and fanciest helmet.  The dragon approaches menacingly as the knight gets gussied up.

As always, we don't want to give away any of the exciting twists and turns, but . . . let's just say that the princess gets tired for waiting for the knight to do his job.

This book is good for both boys and girls pre-school and kindergarten.  Boys are sure to like the knight and dragon, while girls are sure to appreciate the plucky and practical princess.

You can get this book quite easily from Amazon here...or look for it at your local library!

Read with your kids!  (And have a great weekend!)

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.. . .

Did you ever think that cleaning pennies would be a fun (and educational) activity for your kids?

ADDED October 01, 2009

Length:  About 30 minutes.

Parental Involvement:  Explain the idea, help cut the lemon, and supervise the pouring of water.  Also, contribute dull pennies.

Kids Should Be Able to:  Dunk pennies and observe change.

 

Some people don't think pennies are very valuable.  They frown on pennies.

We disagree.  We aren't frowners.  And pennies are fine by us.

Pennies are very useful for kids and parents.  Counting pennies can help kids learn their numbers.  Kids can collect pennies from their parents' transactions and over time amass a sizable savings.  Pennies can also be used as markers for games when you're in a pinch.

While we approve of pennies, there is a variety that is less approved:  dirty, grungy pennies.  Don't you think shiny pennies are much more pleasing?

Well, today we'd like your kids to help America's monetary system out a bit by cleaning some dirty pennies.

Here's what you'll need:

Some older, dull brown pennies.
A lemon.
A tupperware.

Have your kids squeeze some lemon juice into the tupperware.  When they've got a good number of drops in there, fill the thing with water.  Drop in the less-than-perfect pennies, making sure they're not stacked on top of each or overly clumped up.

After about five minutes, take the pennies out.  (You can let them air dry on some paper towel for another five minutes, if you're so inclined.)  You guys should now have some nice shiny pennies.  As good as new!

If your kids want to be true scientists, you can do a comparison test.  Clean some pennies with a lemon as described above, and clean some other pennies in a different tupperware that contains soap and water.  Which is better at penny-cleaning, soap or lemon?

If you'd like to show us the results of your kids' efforts, we can email you an address to mail the pennies.  We also would be happy for you to mail us dollar bills and credit cards.

Have fun with those newly sparkling pennies, people!

(Thank you to r-z  for the pennies photo above!)