Category Archives: Kids

Do you like dinosaurs?

Dinosaurs are fascinating but no more so than to preschool and young school age children.

Visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/dinosaurs/ for on-line games, information, and activities all about dinosaurs.

Check your local library for fact and fantasy about dinosaurs.

Make a dinosaur tooth necklace at:

http://almostunschoolers.blogspot.com/2010/05/salt-clay-dinosaur-tooth-choker.html

C is for Cookie!

Cisforcookie.jpg

Cookies are popular everyday, but since this is Cookie month you might want to bake your own with children ages 4 and up, or buy large plain sugar cookies at the store and have fun decorating them with store-bought icing, chocolate chips, sprinkles and other toppings.

Try this easy recipe:

Cookie Bars

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 32 graham crackers, crushed)
  • 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, stir to combine. Spread into a greased 8x8x2-inch square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cookie bars on wire rack. Makes about 18 cookie bars.

Happy Birthday Big Bird!

big bird

TODAY is Big Bird’s Birthday — HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Big Bird is an 8-foot, 2-inch yellow bird who lives on Sesame Street. Since Sesame Streetpremiered in 1969, Big Bird has entertained millions of pre-school children and their parents with his wide-eyed wondering at the world. Big Bird is also a bird who makes friends easily.

The world-famous bird has been a central character on Sesame Street for the program’s run, premiering in the first episode. The big yellow bird can roller skate, ice skate, dance, sing, write poetry, draw, and even ride a unicycle — pretty talented for a character described in the TV show’s writer’s guide as a 6-year-old. But despite this wide array of talents, he’s prone to frequent misunderstandings, on 1 occasion even singing the alphabet as one big long word, pondering what it could ever mean (see ABC-DEF-GHI). He lives in a large nest behind 123 Sesame Streetand next to Oscar’s trash can, and he has a teddy bear named Radar.

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To celebrate Big Bird’s Birthday – make this bird feed craft with the kids:

Regardless of the season, this easy-to-make feeder will be appreciated by your neighborhood birds. It features seed treats to provide them extra energy–particularly suitable during the colder months of the year.

Materials
  • 1/4-ounce package of unflavored gelatin
  • 2 cups of your favorite wild birdseed
  • Three 4-inch mini bundt or fluted pans
  • Colorful ribbon

Instructions

  1. To make a batch, bring 6 tablespoons of water to a boil. Empty one 1/4-ounce package of unflavored gelatin (we used Knox brand) into 2 tablespoons of cold water in a large bowl. Let the gelatin sit for 1 minute, then add the boiling water and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until the gelatin has dissolved.
  2. Next, stir 2 cups of your favorite wild birdseed into the gelatin, mixing thoroughly. Let the mixture set for a few minutes, then stir again. Repeat this process a few times, if necessary, allowing the seed to absorb the liquid. Spoon the seed mixture into three 4-inch mini bundt or fluted pans (available at many housewares stores–we got ours at Linens ‘n Things–or online cooking supply sites, such as www.nordicware.com).
  3. Place the pans in the refrigerator or a cool room and let them set for at least 3 hours. Remove the wreaths from the molds by inverting the pans and tapping along the bottoms. Allow the wreaths to air-dry overnight.
  4. Finally, tie colorful ribbon around your wreaths and hang them outside in a protected spot, such as under an awning or eaves, where the rain won’t melt them.

Pool Safety

Parents and families can build on their current safety systems at pools and spas by adopting additional water safety steps. Adding as many proven water safety steps as possible is the best way to assure a safe and fun experience, because you can never know which one might save a child’s life—until it does.
  • Never leave a child unattended in a pool or spa and always watch your child when he or she is in or near water
  • Teach children basic water safety tips
  • Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments
  • Have a telephone close by when you or your family is using a pool or spa
  • If a child is missing, look for him or her in the pool or spa first
  • Share safety instructions with family, friends and neighbors
  • Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim
  • Learn to perform CPR on children and adults, and update those skills regularly
  • Understand the basics of life-saving so that you can assist in a pool emergency.

If you own a pool or spa:

  • Install a four-foot or taller fence around the pool and spa and use self-closing and self-latching gates; ask your neighbors to do the same at their pools.
  • Install and use a lockable safety cover on your spa.
  • If your house serves as a fourth side of a fence around a pool, install door alarms and always use them. For additional protection, install window guards on windows facing pools or spas.
  • Install pool and gate alarms to alert you when children go near the water
  • Ensure any pool and spa you use has compliant drain covers, and ask your pool service provider if you do not know
  • Maintain pool and spa covers in good working order
  • Consider using a surface wave or underwater alarm

From http://www.poolsafely.gov/parents-families/simple-steps-save-lives/ and iaff523.org

It’s National Pretzel Day!

Bake your own soft pretzels. Here is an easy and delicious recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 11/2 cups warm water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • course salt to sprinkle on pretzels

Directions:

Stir yeast into water. Add the sugar and salt. Blend in flour with hands. Knead until smooth. Cut into pieces and roll into long, skinny twists. Put a little flour on the counter and give the child a piece of dough to create what he or she wants – balls, worms, letters, or pretzel shapes. Put onto a foil-lined, well-greased cookie sheet. Brush with the egg. Sprinkle with the salt. Bake immediately at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Photo from norcalcoupongal.blogspot.com

Let’s get moving!

Want to get your family moving? Tempt kids with irresistible active play. If you join in, your children are more likely to want to participate. Plus, you’ll reap fitness benefits from these easy activities too.

1. Hit the playground for instant active play.

Preschooler on playground climber
Most kids can’t help but move their muscles when faced with a tempting array of climbers, swings, and slides. Sandbox play counts too; all that digging and scooping is great for the arms. Mix things up more by:
  • Bringing some extra toys (balls, kites, jump ropes)
  • Meeting another family and playing together
  • Playing obstacle course—chart out a wacky route and see who can do it the fastest
  • Trying out a new playground to check out its offerings—anything different from your usual haunts?
2.   Teach classic backyard games.
Red Rover backyard game for active play
Recruit a few neighborhood kids to join in, or just play as a family. Remember Red Rover and Four Square? Inside, try get-moving games such as Twister and Hullabaloo.

3. Have some good clean fun.

Girl rides tricycle in leaf pile
Tackling housework together is more fun than doing it alone, takes less time, and gets everyone up and moving. Older kids can vacuum and mop; littler ones can dust and wipe. Everyone can help sort laundry or move it from one machine to another (extra points for hanging it outside on the line!). Outside, take on sweeping, raking, weeding, digging, or watering chores together.

4. Host a dance party.

Kids groove at an indoor dance party
This works indoors, outdoors, anywhere, anytime. All you need is some jammin’ music. If you start shaking your groove thing, your kids will clamor to join in. For extra incentive, bring out some dress-up items for props (filmy scarves, silly hats, or feather boas are perfect).

5. Walk!

Boy with backpack and parents hiking
Take a family stroll after dinner (try a walking game for more active play), walk to school and back, take your dog on a spin around the block, do errands on foot or park at the far end of the parking lot. Consider outfitting the whole family with inexpensive pedometers, then tracking your steps together. Set goals and reward yourselves with a family outing (bowling, batting cages, etc.).

Explore the outdoors

bug on handPhoto by D Sharon Pruitt

It is great to see the world through the eyes of children.  There are simple things in day to day life that can be a thrill for young children.  Below are a few ideas to get you started thinking.  Try to take time for them to marvel at the world and see new things.

  • A car wash (the drive through kind or a bucket and a water hose in the driveway at home)
  • Parking on the street near a construction site to watch the big trucks
  • Feeding ducks bread at the park
  • Collecting leaves, pinecones and rocks
  • Driving across a bridge where they can see the water
  • Driving past a place where you can see animals
  • Any place that has something out of the ordinary, like a fountain or sculpture

Take a walk today!

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Take a Walk in the Park Day

Don’t miss out on ” Take a Walk in the Park Day”. It is an opportunity for exercise and relaxation. Are you stressed out? A walk in the park is just what the doctor ordered. Its calming and therapeutic. Taken after a busy work day, it helps clear your mind and re-energize you. Or, take the walk during lunch and you will find the afternoon of work goes by quicker and easier.

A walk in the park will likely be the most enjoyable part of your day. In addition to avoiding a fall, open eyes will allow you to take in the beauty of nature’s wonders: flowers, and trees, birds, and wildlife.

Take time to plan a Nature Scavenger Hunt for the kids.  It will be a great memory for them and will put a smile on your face.

Scavenger Hunt List of Items

  • Acorn
  • Animal Tracks
  • Caterpillar
  • Clover
  • Driftwood (small piece)
  • Feather
  • Fern
  • Flowers
  • Insect or bug
  • Items categorized by color or texture
  • Leaves (of trees native to the area)
  • Moss
  • Mulberries
  • Piece of litter left behind by someone else
  • Pine Cone
  • Pine Needles
  • Rocks
  • Sand
  • Shell
  • Snail
  • Tree bark from fallen branch
  • Worm

Celebrate Tiffany glass!

Louis Tiffany

Born in 1848 Tiffany (whose father started the Tiffany jewelry store) was a very fine painter but is best known for his work in stained glass.

Make your own “stained glass” by following these easy instructions. This is a perfect use for broken crayons. Spread out newspaper and make crayon shavings (a small pencil sharpener is perfect for this). Cover the ironing board with newspaper and sprinkle the crayon shavings on a square of wax paper. Cover with another square of wax paper and more newspaper. Press the paper with a warm iron until the wax of the crayons is melted. These look beautiful hung in the window! Make a frame out of construction paper if you wish.

from corningfingerlakes.com

Make a musical instrument!

Make your own instruments with children aged 4-8 and then sing and march along.

Drum: You need a coffee can or a round carton like the kind oatmeal comes in. Poke holes for a string so that the child can wear it around his neck; find two sticks to beat the drum.

Stringed Instrument: Cut a hole in the cover of a shoebox and tape the cover to the box so it doesn’t fall off. Stretch rubber bands over the box and plunk away. Try different rubber bands – wide and narrow, tight and loose.