My oldest starts Kindergarten this year and I can assure you he will not let anyone forget it. He has been asking me "when do I get to start Kindergarten?" for at least a year now. Now that we're in the home stretch for the first day of school I thought it would be fun to make a "visual" for him so he could really understand how much longer until that big day. (Well, OK to be completely honest- my mom gave me the idea!) I made an old fashion paper ring counter for him. I found a cute school bus photo online and printed it out. Then I counted off the days until the first day of school and made a paper ring for each day. Starting last night he gets to tear off one ring before bed and when he gets to the school bus he knows it's school time! What fun! My mom even had a great idea to add to the "good ol' fashion paper ring"....mark off special dates along the way with big events so he has even more to look forward to. I added a special ring for "the state fair starts," "back to school … [Read more...]
Rainy Day Activities
It's hard enough to entertain your kids during the summer, let alone when it rains outside. Today we're bringing you 10 ways to keep your kids occupied during the rain. #10- Make your own treasure hunt #9- Corn starch and water #8- Indoor obstacle course #7- Popsicle stick puzzles #6- Scratch drawings #5- Make cleaning fun #4- Make your own playdough #3- Shaving cream and glue #2- Coloring with your kids #1- Tissue paper flowers … [Read more...]
Avocado Corn Dip
Doesn't this look tasty? My kids LOVE it and it goes great with tortilla chips. A perfect summer dip. Here's the recipe: 1 can black beans(drained) 1-16oz frozen corn 1 can sliced black olives 1 onion 4 small tomatoes 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1/3 cup olive oil 1 lemon 3 T oregano 1/2 tsp. salt/pepper 3 T vinegar 4 ripe avocados Mix and enjoy! Leave the avocado pits in the salad to keep the avocados from discoloring. … [Read more...]
9 ideas for one on one time with your child
Source With 4 kids it is difficult to find time every day to devote to one on one time with each one of my kids. It doesn't happen each day but I make sure they each get special time frequently. We call it "special time" because it usually involves something extra special. 1. Bowling- when was the last time you went bowling? My 5 year old, er um 5 1/2 year old, loves this special time. Sadly, he often beats me. The bumpers in the gutters deflate when it is my turn to bowl and I often end up right there! 2. Arts and Crafts- many stores have great arts and craft ideas in their dollar section. My kids don't really know it costs only a dollar so they don't care but, my daughter especially loves when she and I have crafty time together. source 3. Ice cream date- need I say more? Well in all honesty this is one that I enjoy just as much as they do. Sometimes I pick up one of my kids from pre-school early and take them to the ice cream shop by there school. … [Read more...]
Hand Print Sunflowers
Ready for a super easy, super cute, super fun craft? Hand Print Sunflowers! Here is what you will need: a small paper plate yellow construction paper green construction paper brown construction paper (or a brown marker) sunflower seeds glue scissors Have your child trace their hand (or help them if they are too young) on the yellow construction paper and make 5-6 different tracings. Help your child cut each hand out carefully. Glue (or tape) each hand to the back of the plate leaving a little space for the stem. Glue or tape a green strip of construction paper to the base, this will serve as the stem of the sunflower. Next flip the plate over and color in the plate with a brown marker or cut a circle of brown construction paper to fit on the inside of the plate. Smear glue all over the brown part of the plate and sprinkle sunflower seeds all over. And now you have an adorable Sunflower to add to your collection! … [Read more...]
12 fun Beach Day Activities
1. Fill a bucket relay- Set up a bucket a few feet from the water. Have each child race to the water and fill their hands with water and race back to the bucket to dump it in. Time them to see how fast they can fill the bucket up with water using only their hands! 2.Go on an archiological dig- Dig deep into the sand to find rocks and trinkets. Discuss how each item looks, feels, and even smells. Explain how the smooth rocks got their feel from the waves crashing over them and buffing them smooth. Tell them how the sharp and jagged rocks may not have been in the water very long and they haven't been smoothed by the water. 3. Look for sea glass- Did you know that glass is smooth after it has been in the water for some time? Mason jar glass often takes a blue color to it when it has been buffed by the waves and shore. Brown glass is usually from root(beer) bottles and red sea glass is considered one of the rarest colors! See if you can collect enough sea glass to make a mosaic … [Read more...]
