Weekend Reading -- Is There Room on the Feather Bed?

An entertaining book: Why bless your hearts!

ADDED May 30, 2008

This is a delightfully charming book for young ones:  Is There Room on the Feather Bed? by Libba More Gray and illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott.

The story involves a wee fat woman and her many animals (a green-headed goose, a wooly white sheep, a fat pink pig, and so on).  Sadly, the group excludes a small plump skunk from joining in their fun.  They don't think the skunk's aroma is up to snuff.

A major rainstorm begins to dump water on the animals.  Then this happens, that happens (we don't want to give away any plot twists, of course) and in the end, the animals accept the small plump skunk as a friend.  Which we think is a nice example for kids.

Along the way, the characters utter some lovely rhymes, such as:

"Why bless your hearts,
such a noise, such a fuss.
There's room on the feather bed
for all of us."

The book also helps introduce young ones to adjectives.  Well, the word "adjective" never appears in the book--and that's probably for the best.  But there are a lot of good adjectives used to describe the characters (small plump skunk, grinning gray cat, etc.), and the story will introduce your kids to the idea of description words.

And really, can't we all get along?  No matter how we smell?

Play some, read some, and have a great weekend with your kids.

Where is that Belly Button?

A fun way of making it through a diaper change

ADDED May 29, 2008

 

 

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

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

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

One way is to show the kid their belly button.

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

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

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

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

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

Traffic Jam Pack

A little planning ahead will save the day when you're in a jam

ADDED May 28, 2008

At some point, you're going to be stuck in the car with the kids, and you're all going to have to do some waiting.  It's inevitable.

So why not plan a head with a 'traffic jam pack?'  Maybe this idea isn't rocket science, and maybe it's something that has occurred to you before.  But have you actually taken fifteen minutes and put it together?  Do it today, and you'll be glad when you need it.

Get (1) a sizable bag and put some of the following stuff in it:

(2) A couple of picture books
(3) Some new, small, and interesting toys
(4) A CD of music that the kids haven't heard yet
(5) An easy snack, such as granola bars or a box of raisins
(6) An index card or two to help you remember some good-for-the-car Today Is Fun ideas (such as "Great Gadzooks" and "Bigger or Smaller.")

The trick here is novelty.  The more new stuff that the kids haven't seen before, the better.

And maybe you and the kids won't just wait it out.  Maybe you'll manage to have some fun.

Out of the Box

Seriously, get out of the box, kids!

ADDED May 27, 2008

 

 

An unquestionably physical activity, this will hopefully tire the kids out when they've got an excess of energy.  But make no mistake, you've got to be ready to get physical, too.

Play this at the beach, the park, or any large-ish space.

I draw a square in the sand and stand in it.  "No kids allowed in my box!" I say.

Of course, my kids need no further invitation.  They want in!

My job, of course, is to stick to my guns, and keep those little guys out!

They run in, and I lift them out.  And so on.

At the end, I let all the kids into the square (without seeming to be giving up.)  I then stand outside the box and say, "Nobody allowed out of the box!

A lot, a little, or so-so

A simple, entertaining way of finding kids' favorite things

ADDED May 26, 2008

 

Think of something -- anything -- in your child's life.  For now, let's use the example of a grilled cheese sandwich.

Ask your child, "How much do you like a grilled cheese sandwich?  A lot, a little, or just so-so?"  

It's that easy.

Once your child answers, you can share your thoughts on the subject at hand.  Then, think of another item to discuss.  Going to the park, for example.  Or an alligator.

Even little kids can participate in this game.  And there is something intrinsically charming about a toddler saying 'so-so.'

We all feel differently about various things in our lives.  This game helps pass the time in an entertaining way by talking about those evaluations.

We've had enormous success with this one during long car rides and while stuck in traffic.

Your family is guaranteed to like this game a lot (or a little or so-so).

Fun with Vowel Sounds

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

ADDED May 25, 2008

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

Weekend Reading: Barnyard Dance

An entertaining book: Stomp your feet and clap your hands! Everybody ready for a Barnyard Dance!

ADDED May 23, 2008

The whole point of this site is to give you ways to keep your kids entertained, without having to get more stuff.

But we also like to break the rules, once in a while.

Barnyard Dance, by famed children's author Sandra Boyton, is simply a great book, and one that inevitably leads to activities.

The book is told in the style of a country dance, kind of like a square dance.  But because it's a children's book, the animals are the ones doing the dancing.

Your little ones will want to join in, and soon they'll be bouncing with the bunny and strutting with the duck.

Our family didn't really know what 'promenading' was, until we came across it here.  Apparently, it's kind of marching next to somebody, marching two-by-two.

Needless to say, now that we do know what promenading is, we need to do a lot of it in our house.  And we do.

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".

Stroller Patrol

Finding something obvious helps keep kids occupied

ADDED May 21, 2008

Sometimes when you and your kids go somewhere fun or somewhere that’s geared for kids, there’s some waiting that must be endured, too.  For instance, if you’ve ever been to Disneyland (which is fun for kids) there are occasionally some lines to wait in (less fun.)

One way I keep my kids entertained is to deputize them into Stroller Patrol.  When I can tell that the waiting in line has started to wear thin, I proclaim, “Okay, people.  I need to account for every single stroller here!  Who can help me find a stroller?”  Since we’re at place for kids, there are always a good number of strollers.  Soon my kids are scanning and surveying the area, eagerly adding up the number of kid carriages.

Usually there is a lot of crowd movement at these places, and the number of strollers in view is constantly fluctuating.  Which is good.  I need an accurate count, at all times. 

Stroller Patrol is a very important and  time-consuming job, and no deputy has time to be at loose ends.

Zee-Papers Please?

A rowdy, running, screaming and chasing game.

ADDED May 20, 2008

This game started one night when I came home and my daughter took a parking stub that was hanging out of my back pocket and would not give it back. I really did not need the scrap of paper -- it was destined for the lint trap in the dryer. Since she would not give it back, I did what anybody would do, I started chasing her around the house while doing my best impersonation of an Eastern European Intelligence officer asking repeatedly, ”Where are ZEEEEE Papers?”

From that point on the game of “Zee Papers” was born. It is a rowdy, running, screaming and chasing game, but it is really fun.

All you need are Zee Papers and a few people to play. One of the kids will get Zee Papers and hide them. When I ask where are “Zee Papers,” they will say, “ I don’t know” or “He has them.”  Then I will tickle and chase whoever knows where Zee Papers are until they crack and tell me where they are hidden. Once I find Zee Papers, I’ll make it very easy for the kids to steal them away from me again and again. They love the chasing and hiding part of the game as much as I do.

Try it indoors or outside. Kids just love spending time with their parents. And Zee Papers is a perfect opportunity. So I ask you, “Where are ZEEEEEEE Papers?”

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.

An Animal, A Place, And Something You Can Touch

A custom tale just for your kid -- what could be more entertaining?

ADDED May 15, 2008

Ask your child to tell you three things: an animal, a place, and a thing that "you can touch."

With these three bits of information, it is very easy to create a story.  And your child will be enthralled to hear the suggestions molded into the story.

Here's an example that happened in our house the other day.  For an animal, my boy said an antelope.  The place was a market and the "thing you can touch" was a cactus.

I told a story about Andrew the Antelope (always give the characters in your stories names--kids like that.  You could also pause the story to ask your child for the name as well).  Well, Andrew the Antelope went to the market with his Mom.  He wanted to run and jump around the store (as antelopes are wont to do), but his mom told him to calm down and to be careful, please!  Well, Andrew the Antelope didn't listen, and in one big jump, almost landed on a - that's right - potted cactus.  

With the three details already in mind, it was easy to tell the story.  And my kids loved it.  (Except they felt the story could have been improved if the antelope had actually fallen onto the cactus.)

Animal Automobiles

Kids have fun thinking up appropriate vehicles for our furry friends

ADDED May 14, 2008

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don’t Drop the Baby

Seriously . . . don't drop the baby

ADDED May 13, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

Build a Bridge

Entertain the kids by transforming them into busy bridge builders

ADDED May 12, 2008

First take all the cushions and pillows off the couch. Next gather five stuffed animals. Then have your kids close their eyes and count to ten.  While they are counting place the stuffed animals around the room, these will be the alligators.  When they open their eyes tell them they need to work together and use the pillows and cushions to build a bridge to get across the river (from one side of the room to the other) without touching the alligators or falling off the bridge.

My kids love this game and I like to see them solve problems by working together. It is also fun to see how serious the game can become especially when construction takes place near an alligator.  Their genuine concern for each other is so cute.

If they fall off the cushion or touch a stuffed animal tell them that you have to see them fall or make a rule that if they fall and return to the bridge before you count to ten they are safe.  Whatever you do make it fun.

Try it with a flashlight or have the kids blindfold you and be your guides across the deadly gator infested river.  Be sure to clean up before company comes over, most people are scared of alligators.

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

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

ADDED May 11, 2008

 

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

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

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

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

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

Keep them guessing, and keep them on their toes!

How many steps?

A counting adventure.

ADDED May 08, 2008

When we are out shopping and my kids are tired what I like to do is make the mundane activity of walking around Costco into a counting game.

 

This is when I let my beautiful spouse continue her shopping trip and the kids and I will break away on our own adventure.

I will say to the kids, “ok I will only take 20 more steps and then we can rest and we will look at whatever we stop by”. So I will let the kids guide me for 20 steps and stop. We usually stop by the extra virgin olive oil or some kind of bulk paper. Not very exciting to a 7 and 8 year old. So I will ask,” how many steps do you think it is to the freezer section or the book section?” They will make a guess like,”40 steps to the freezer section”. I will let them take my hands and guide me 40 steps. If they guess to many steps we will keep walking past the freezer section and that also tends to be fun.

 

Then I will let them choose the destination bikes, tires, books, toys is always a popular option. I will also try and mix it up by taking different kinds of steps. I will skip, hop or take baby steps. We will often get funny looks skipping around Costco but the employees don’t seem to mind enthusiastic customers.

Then comes the best part of the game. Asking my lovely wife how may steps it took her to find us (usually 4987).

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?”

Entertaining learning in the tub!

$4.00 for a cup of bubbles

ADDED May 06, 2008

Tub time is one place where teaching is not the easiest. Most books, flash cards and personal computers are not made for the bathroom. But I have found a creative way to teach fractions and math related learning without the risk of electrocution.

I will take the set of measuring cups from the kitchen and relocate their usefulness to the bathroom. Here is where the fun starts.

I will fill the tub and then ask simple questions that require my kids use the cups to measure the water and answer my questions. I will say, “ how many times does 1/2 cup fill up the 1 cup” or “ does the 1/4 cup fill up the 1 cup”? Once they understand the concept of 1/4, 1/2 and 1 then we can build on that knowledge and assign a monetary value to each cup. I will pretend like I am at a store and ask,” If 1/4 cup of tub water is one penny how much is 1/2 cup or 1 cup”?

It is a lot of fun and eventually we will start measuring shampoo, soap and bubbles and in the end I always end up paying $4.00 for a cup of bubbles. I really do love bubbles.

Note: start with 1 cup,1/2 cup and 1/4 cup. The 1/3 and 2/3 cups still confuse me.

The perfect toy

Who needs toys when you have a box

ADDED May 05, 2008

We all know that kids love boxes but here are some other uses that you may not have thought of. So I now present a list of possible uses for a box. This list is not exhaustive and let us know how a box can entertain your little ones.

 

Make it into a…
Rocket ship
Transportation for a Queen
Race car

Decorate it for…
Birthdays
Thanksgiving
Hanukkah
Christmas

Put your…
Toys in it
Pet in it
Brother in it

Wear it as a…
Suit of Armor
Big shoe
Hat

Ride it…
On a blanket (wood floors required)
On a skateboard (helmet and pads required)
To a Drive-in Movie in your living room

Make it into a…
Stage for a Puppet show
Hospital for sick stuffed animals
Garage for cars

Use it as a…
Stove for cooking
Table for eating
Throne for a King

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.