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10 Fun Outdoor Things to do with Your Children this Week
Posted On 2008-04-07 , 10:47 AM
Spring is finally here and we are all wanting to spend more time outside! Here are 10 great ways to spend fun family time together with the kids outdoors.
- Using sidewalk chalk draw a map on the front driveway. Plan it to be used with either cars and trucks or small action figures. Include buildings, roads, and signs.
- Using sidewalk chalk make a hopscotch pattern. Be creative and make it fun for all.
- Play 2 liter bottle bowling. Paint 2 liter bottles a fun color (spray painting works well) and weigh down the bottles with sand, beans, or water.
- Make a volcano and erupt it outdoors. Plan a mountain using sand or dirt. Don't forget to make a hole in the center. Fill the hole with baking soda (2 or 3 tsp) and then pour vinegar into the hole and "look out"!!
- Plan an outdoor picnic. Walk to the park or have it in the backyard.
- Make a bird feeder. You could be creative and build one of wood OR just take a pine cone or large nut and roll it into peanut butter than bird seed. Hang on a branch with a piece of string.
- Take a bike ride.
- Take a walk or hike. Pick up nature items along the way (twigs, leaves, flowers) and make a collage/ piece of art when you get home.
- Read aloud outside as a family.
- Plant a vegetable or flower garden. We like to plant herb gardens in a large pot and place them on the deck.
Enjoy the fresh air, get some exercise, and spend that much needed quality time with your family!
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Avoid the Winter Blues: Family Fun Activities
Posted On 2008-01-24 , 9:34 AM
Subzero temperatures, snow covered streets, and long evenings at home. This time of year is always a challenge for me as I try to keep everyone busy with indoor activities and projects to pass the winter evenings. My goal is to create memories and family fun times together. Now to be honest some evenings our "family fun night" activity is munching on popcorn and sitting down together to watch the latest episode of American Idol. I enjoy these cozy evenings together, but I like to mix that up with activities that strengthen the family ties and build memories that include laughter and learning experiences.
Here is a list of activities to keep our family active during the long winter months.
1. Plan a weekly trip to the library - The library can provide a quiet atmosphere to read children's books together. I then let the kids check out 3 age appropriate books and a movie or two. Checking out movies from the library is a frugal way to plan a family movie night as well and I have found that many libraries around the country have a good selection of family movies both on VHS and DVD.
2. Work on a family puzzle - This is a great winter activity for all ages. Pick a puzzle with at least 500 pieces and have a designate table, such as a card table, to place it on so that it can be brought out and worked on whenever the family has time. Tip: Our family finds the pieces with a flat edge first and we put the border together, then we work on the inside of the puzzle. This helps us stay organized.
3. Read a chapter book as a family - Wintertime is the perfect time of year to start reading a chapter book together as a family. Even the youngest of children can pick up what is going on in the story. When my youngest son was a toddler we would read books such as the Chronicles of Narnia and he would sit and play with a car or work on a child's puzzle while we were reading. He picked up much more of the themes and characters of the story than I thought he would and letting him have a toy to play with kept him from being distracting while we read. (see below for my family reading recommendations to get you started)
4. Take the kids on a "no purchase" shopping trip to the local toy store. Browse through the new toys, try out the store models, and make lists for family members and friends birthday gift purchases.
5. On a warmer afternoon, bundle everyone up and take a walk around the block, to the local park, or take a short nature walk. Search for sticks, leaves, pine cones, and seeds such as nuts or acorns to create a piece of nature artwork when you get home.
Amy's Family Building Tip: I have as found that keeping a journal of the families daily activities so a fun memory maker and reminds the kids of things that they enjoyed doing together and may want to try again.
Books to read together as a family:
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Obedience, Honor, and Family Time
Posted On 2008-01-18 , 8:58 AM
Last night we created a moment of special family time with our tween age boy of 12 (well, he will be 12 next Wednesday but likes to think of himself that age already). He is a typical boy of this age self-absorbed, messy, picks on his little brother, and talks back to his parents whenever he is frustrated, etc... He is also a typical boy of this age sweet, wonderful to hang out with when he is in a good mood, sharing, thoughtful, and a good friend.
Now I have been thinking about how to build special moments with him in ways that are thoughtful, somewhat more spontaneous, and in ways that he can relate to as a pre-teen. The time presented itself last night because our 6 year old son was sick and feel asleep early in the evening.
I had a parenting commentary on the topic of obedience and honor that I have been wanting to share with our tween. So, I asked him to take a break from the computer and we sat down in the living room and began discussing the following characteristics of obedience: having a good attitude, doing more than what is expected of you, seeing what needs to be done and doing it without being asked, encouraging others, and contributing to a nurturing atmosphere.
We took each characteristic individually and together thought of examples in our tween's life when he did a great job of exemplifying that quality, a time when he failed to make the effort to do the right thing in that area, and then brainstormed a "what I could have done better" for the situation. It was a good time of open discussion, showed ways of practical application of the characteristics, and it was in a non-threatening atmosphere where he did not feel any condemnation or fear of consequences.
Finally, we discussed how all of these characteristics of obedience when wrapped together show honor. Honor to his parents, his household and family, and most importantly to God.
Family Fun Time can show itself in many different ways and my heart was encouraged by the unexpected relationship and character building family time we had with our tween.
Visit http://www.essentialfamilyliving.com/ for more tips, ideas, and suggestions for family fun nights, frugal family living, organizing your family & home, and so much more!
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Family Fun Night - Teen Talk
Posted On 2008-01-07 , 10:38 AM
During the pre-teen (tween) and teenage years, the idea of a family fun night may not be received with the same excitement and enthusiasm as with your preschool and elementary aged children. The need for parents and children to spend time together during the teen years does not diminish; in fact, this is a critical time for parents to be actively involved in their kids' lives. Communication is the key to a healthy any parent/child relationship and so as parents we need to make the effort to understand how our teen feels and what experiences they are going through.
Teenagers begin to spend more time with their friends and less time with parents and family because they are starting on the road to independence. In the teens mind, parent = dependence and friends = independence. This is a natural, healthy process to maturity and if as parents we accept it as appropriate we will approach our teen with a new perspective. The need for a “teen friendly” family fun night is critical during this time. Here are some creative ideas to have family fun time with your teenagers.
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Include your child’s friends in an activity such as a teen movie night, back-yard grill out and lawn game night, or teen board game night in your home. Teen’s like fun and so take the time to make your home a place filled with fun and laughter.
- Find out a topic that your child is interested in and plan to take them on a day trip with their interest as the theme. If your son is a huge baseball fan spend the day at a ballpark, drive to a baseball museum, or plan a parents vs. teen baseball game at the local park.
- Get your teen’s input. Have your child make a list of 5 or 10 things that they are concerned about and then plan a family fun night using one or more of their concerns as the theme of the evening. Do not be surprised if your child has some “heavy” topics such as sex, drugs, or death on their list of concerns. Use these special times to address the concerns in a healthy way while taking the time to focus on your family values and love for the child.
Th There are several great websites that focus on raising teenagers that will both encourage you and give you the resources needed to successfully navigate through these years! Check out Christian-Parent.com and FamilyEducation.com to get started.
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Family Fun Night Success
Posted On 2008-01-06 , 7:56 PM
Suggestions for a Successful Family Night
Shut off the television. The purpose of family fun night is to build relationship, improve communication, develop character and values, and to simply enjoy time together in a relaxed and fun setting.
Schedule Family Fun Night on the calendar. As a family, plan the dates and times each month for the family fun night and make sure everyone gets the date(s) on their calendar. This is especially important as your children grow into teens and begin to have full schedules with sports, school activities, work, and social time with friends.
Everyone participates. The whole point of family fun night is to have fun together. This means everyone needs to participate for the event to be successful.
Everyone gets along. No arguing, fighting, put downs, or discipline allowed. Everyone should come to family night with a smile and be ready to laugh!
Make time for spontaneous fun. Family Fun Night needs to have general structure and maybe a special theme to it; however, don't have every moment scheduled with busy activities. Leave time for discussion, laughing, questions, hugs and kisses.
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