Hot and heavy—water is a great way to entertain kids and cool them off both at the same time. Here are a few ideas to switch up H2O activities into some awesome Water Games.
Like The Hunger Games? Then Try The Water Games!
My kids and I made up this water game last week (and it was AWESOME). So remember in The Hunger Games when the cornicopia had a bunch of useful items Katniss and Pita could use to defend/attack with? And remember the Gamemaker who crafted the game? And The President who oversaw everything? Ok, it's that...with water.
Of all the awesome activities I can recommend for kids this summer, joining the TD Summer Reading Club is high on the list. It’s a summer tradition in our family.
"What is it?" you ask.
The simple answer is this: it's a fantastic free activity that encourages reading and entertains kids.
I don't believe in giving an end-of-school -ear gift to every person in your child's academic life. However, one person I do acknowledge is the school bus driver. I trust this driver every singlebday with the life of my child. In traffic. In snow. In rain. In ice. This (very minimally paid) person has a great responsibility. And I appreciate that. Which is why I have a few gift ideas for your school bus driver...
I should have said something. Should I have said something?! Today, I surprised dear daughter by a "drop by" visit at the park where she eats lunch with friends. This one boy was "F-this" and "F-that" and "What up A-hole" left and right (seriously. every. other. word.). I was standing right there and this 12-year-old boy had no "grown-up filter" at all. Even when a girl said "Hey, her brother might hear you" (did I mention my 2-year-old was right there too)...he kept on going. Does swearing make this kid cool?
I came up with the idea for egg shell art because one of the eggs we boiled for Easter eggs cracked during the cooking phase. Throw it out?! No way. I gave that egg a second life (well, third—I ate the boiled egg for lunch) as Egg Shell Art. This is a great craft for pre-schoolers.
My daughter, recently, had her group project peeps over at our house for a work session and the 12-year-olds (a boy and a girl) both had cell phones with them. When the three kids went off to walk to the library, my husband insisted our daughter take his cell phone with her for security. My take: Really? Is 12 the right age to have a cell phone?
With overflowing toy boxes and bookcases filled to the brim we often hear "There is NOTHING to do!" from our kids over winter school break. Really kids?! Time to break the kids' boredom with these five tips to survive winter school break...
My grandmother's death was the first experience my kids had with death. From explaining what dying was to preparing them for what they would experience at her funeral, I was completely inexperienced and unready. So, I went to the library and looked through the shelves for kids' books that would explain what I couldn't. Unfortunately, always timely, here are some books you may find helpful when met with having to discuss death with your kids:
"She went to bed with it!" was the e-mail I received, along with a picture of an ecstatic toddler girl in her little bed, hugging an Abby Cadabby doll. It was a new-in-the-box toy, which I had donated earlier that week. CALL TO ACTION DEAR READERS: donate a toy this holiday season—it will change a child's day, and your own.
What is open-ended play? It's a pretty hot topic in the world of early childhood education. Basically, it's any activity that doesn't have a set outcome. Painting, cardboard tubes, and blocks are all examples of open-ended activities because you can play with each of them in a number of ways with no set outcome.