Tuesday, July 14, 2009
1 Hour : Play It : Quiddler
Monday, July 13, 2009
15 Minutes : Make It : Snack Trays

Friday, July 10, 2009
Friday Focus : Swimming Fun and Safety
Swimming Activities
- Do you remember playing "Marco Polo"? This game never gets old.
- Jumping/Diving/Splash contests off the side or diving board.
- Dive Rings. My kids LOVE rings. Our favorite game for younger tots is putting the ring on the first step of the pool and encouraging them to put their face in the water to pick it up. This is a great way for them to get comfortable getting their faces wet.
- "Monkey Wall" Teaching babies and toddlers how to grab onto the side wall. You'll be amazed how well they can hold themselves up.
Swimming Safety:
- Never leave a child unattended near water.
- Invest in swim lessons. It's important for kids to learn to have fun in the water but also to have a healthy respect as well.
- Always have one adult on "lifeguard duty." If you're with a group of adult friends who want to chat, take turns designating one adult to be on duty--carefully scanning the water counting every head. It only takes seconds for dangerous situations to occur and having a sharp eye could make all the difference.
- Have younger swimmers wear life jackets. Although tubes and arm floaties are cute, children can easily remove themselves when mom and dad aren't paying attention. For our non-swimmers life jackets are non-negotiable if they're in the water; unless of course the kids are having one-on-one time with mom or dad practicing their swimming techniques.
- Remember the sunscreen. It's best to put it on before you leave the house to give it time to start working. Always re-apply for longer activities.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
1 Day : Visit It : Tracy Aviary
My family loves Tracy Aviary, in Salt Lake City. We plan to take a day trip soon, and hope to see/do some of our favorite things at this "bird zoo".
- Have a picnic with friendly peacocks who enjoy bits of our lunch.
- Try to pet the tinamou (above).
- Get up close to the flamingos.
- See turkey vultures, black swans, emu, owls, and even a bald eagle.
- Interact with birds at one of the programs.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
1 Hour : Play It : Water Buckets
A couple days ago I filled a bucket with water, collected a few objects--funnel, scoop, toy boat, paintbrush, cup--and took the kids outside. I watched as they played in the water, "washed" bikes and patio furniture, and filled and emptied a dozen containers. It was a great way to cool off on a hot July afternoon.
**Be sure to practice water safety by keeping young children in your view at all times.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Share It : Poetry & Penmanship
Guest blogger, Jill T., is the mother of four boys.
image via here
This summer, I am helping my kids memorize poems. To improve penmanship, I also have them copy out the poems. It's so fun to hear my children reciting the poems they're learning. I'm hoping to instill a love for literary beauty and a greater ability to memorize and retain information.
I have found some wonderful poety books at our local library (usually found in the non-fiction section). A few of our favorites are:
- The Cuckoo's Haiku and Other Birding Poems, by Michael J. Rosen
- Side by Side: New Poems Inspired by Art from Around the World, by Jan Greenberg
- Ivy in Bloom, by Vanita Oelschlager (This one is more of a picture book, but the author lists in the back of the book all the poems she referenced. She uses poetry from Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Robert Browning, and others.)
Writing the poems down helps the kids with both their memorization and their handwriting. This site has a good assortment of printable writing paper.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Friday Focus : Travel Time
Listening to stories or books on CD is a great way to make the miles fly by during a long trip. Here are a few we picked up at the library and enjoyed on our most recent drive. (We like shorter CDs that are a mix of both new and familiar stories.)
Donald Davis uses his cozy Southern voice to re-tell old favorites like The Little Red Hen and Three Little Pigs. The man paints pictures with his storytelling.
Who doesn't love fairy tales? Hans Christian Anderson's are charming and familiar.
Fast-paced, fun, and full of rhythm in the way that no master like Dr. Seuss. Kids know these stories that are best when read aloud.
The Mercy Watson series is a light, silly mixture of reality and fantasy, starring a pig. Kate DiCamillo has a good way with words: simple, appealing, clever.
Images via bn.com
Thursday, July 2, 2009
15 Minutes : Know It : Fireworks Safety
- Only buy fireworks legal for your area.
- Have an adult supervise all lighting of fireworks.
- Always have a bucket of water nearby and never leave hot, used fireworks on the ground (i.e. sparklers).
- Light only one firework at a time.
- Wear shoes.
- Use lighter sticks instead of matches.
- Light fireworks outside in wide open areas but not close to any kind of dry vegetation.
Since we have so many little ones around our house my favorite Fourth of July purchase has been glow-in-the-dark bracelets. The kids (and even teenager) love being creative designing their own glow-in-the-dark wear and it makes it much easier for mom to keep an eye on them when it gets dark.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
1 Hour : Play It : Magnetic Letters
image via lakeshorelearning.com- If you can't use the traditional fridge for a board, try a cookie sheet.
- Help your child make her name, family names, and friends' names.
- Sort consanants from vowels; uppercase from lowercase; by colors.
- Make food words (corn, peas, apple, milk), then have your child draw a picture of that food.
- Make number words: one, two three...
- Cut out pictures from a magazine; make the words next to the the picture.
- Build word families: start with "at"...then create "sat", "mat", "hat", "cat".
- Place the letters in alphabetical order, then in backwards order.
- Choose a letter, then ask you child to find the one that follows (in the alphabet).
- Make sentences: start with "I am..." or "I love...", then have your child fill in the blank.
- Create words, then have your child write those words on paper.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
1 Hour : Make It : Watermelon Pops
image via familyfun.com- Use the cookie cutter to cut star shapes from 1-inch thick seedless watermelon.
- Insert a popsicle stick into each star, then place on an aluminum-foil covered baking sheet.
- Cover the stars with another sheet of foil and freeze for 1 hour, until set.
- Eat outside on a hot day!
Monday, June 29, 2009
15 Minutes : Make It : Tissue Stamp
Choose a piece of tissue paper that's dark or bright. Cut out a shape that is small enough to fit on your child's hand. Moisten the back of her hand with a bit of water, then press the shape down on it. Smooth the paper down. Peel the paper away to see the tissue transfer.
From an old Parenting magazine (May 2006) that I found in my laundry room closet.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday Focus : Travel Time
--With a pen, draw a simple face on your child's thumb. Ask them questions to create a personality for their new friend. (What's is his name? Favorite color, animal, thing to do?)
--Take turns reciting nursery rhymes.
--Toss your child a small blanket to use for hiding, as a tent, etc. Magical for my two-year-old.
--Do a spelling bee; use words that are appropriate for age and level.
--Tell a story from your childhood.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
1 Hour : Read It : Alphabet Series

Each book feature beautiful illustrations, a rhyme for the letter and word on that page, and a detailed sidebar that provides additional information. I can't say enough about these books. They challenge 10-year-olds with new concepts; they are accessible for young readers who are learning basics of a topic.
Find a complete list of titles at Sleeping Bear Press. Also, a list of the state books is available here. Books are available for purchase at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
(Note: I classified this book as a 1 hour activity because my kids ask so many questions while we read that it takes that long to read an entire A to Z book.)
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Quick Share : B&N Summer Reading
Friday, June 5, 2009
Friday Focus : Travel Time
Having a supply of games makes every trip better. My kids enjoy Car Bingo, especially the eeboo version that I save for "any trip that is longer than 3 hours one-way". Or, here's a printable travel bingo, and a bingo-like picture list that I like.
Monday, June 1, 2009
15 Minutes : Make It : Salt Art
image via Family FunStep 1: Tint the Salt For each color, put approximately 1 cup of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of liquid watercolor or 20 to 25 drops of food coloring in a ziplock bag. Seal each bag, removing as much air as you can. Outside, let your child shake, smash, and knead the contents until all of the salt is dyed. Next, pour the salt onto newspaper-lined trays to dry for about 2 hours (or just open the bags and let the grains dry overnight). When it's no longer wet to the touch, pour the salt into clean, dry spice shakers, one color per shaker.
Step 2: Make a Pattern Offer your child a glue stick and some stiff paper or a paper plate. Encourage her to scribble all over the paper with the glue.
Step 3: Add Color Hand your child the shakers of dyed salt and show her how to sprinkle it onto the paper. Once the glue has dried, simply shake off the excess salt.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Friday Focus : A Mind for Math, Part 3
To further boost math skills, find other sorting activities around your house:
Sort socks in the laundry
Sort toy cars by color, type, etc.
Sort treasures from a walk (pinecones, sticks, rocks)
Put the silverware in the correct tray places (a good chore for little ones
Sort buttons, blocks, legos, etc.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
15 Minutes : Read It : A Tree is Nice
image via bn.comWednesday, May 27, 2009
1 Hour : Make It : Felty Friends
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
15 Minutes : Make It : Fruit Popsicles
Below there's a recipe for Orange Banana Popsicles that my grandma always had handy in the freezer. La Tartine Gourmande also has some great gourmet versions too.
Orange-Banana Popsicles
1 - 8 oz container yogurt, any flavor or plain
1 - 12 oz can frozen orange juice mixed with 3 cans of water
1 - 14 oz can pineapple juice
5 very ripe bananas
Mix and freeze.
Monday, May 25, 2009
15 Minutes : Play It : Ice Painting
Hot day + ice cubes + sidewalk = ice painting.
Refreshing and no cleanup.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Friday Focus : A Mind for Math, Part 2
Tasha Tudor is one of my favorite author-illustrators. 1 is One is a very beautiful beginning counting book.
How Much is a Million, by David Schwartz, helps children and parents alike to visualize that huge number.
My fourth-grader loves G is for Googol: A Math Alphabet Book. Every letter describes a math concept--some of them fairly advanced--and my son soaked it all in, and then taught bits of it to his little siblings. They love to astound strangers with this one: "How much is 10 to the power of 10 to the power of 100?" (Stunned look from innocent adult.) "Googol!"
One Grain of Rice, by the always excellent Demi, relates a clever story that uses math to teach doubles. Even if the concept is over their heads, the art is too gorgeous to miss.Wednesday, May 20, 2009
15 Minutes : Play It : Tic, Tac. . .Oh No

My oldest has loved sidewalk chalk hopscotch since before he was two. He used to beg and beg his auntie and I to draw him new boards everyday. FamilyFun has some great variations on lots of sidewalk games here. I really like their Tic, Tac. . .Oh No version.
Tic-tac-toe is a simple classic, but in this driveway version, a single toss can bring about a reversal of fortune.
WHAT YOU NEED:
Chalk
10 stones
HOW TO PLAY:
1. Setup: Mark out a 9-square tic-tac-toe grid and a toss line. Our grid was about 3 feet by 3 feet. Have each player use chalk to decorate 4 stones with his "team" color, and a 5th stone -- the "change" stone -- in a different color.
2. Players take turns tossing their stones, trying to get 3 in a row. If a player misses the board or lands in an occupied spot, he picks up his rock and his turn is over.
3. Once a game, each player can toss the change stone to try to take over an opponent's box. To be successful, he must land the stone on the targeted square. If he misses, he must pick up his stone, and his turn is over. The winner is the first player to get tic-tac-toe.
Monday, May 18, 2009
1 Hour : Visit It : Walter Wick Exhibit
The BYU-MOA exhibit runs through August 1st. On June 10th, the museum will host a special family art day using Wick's works as the theme.
Learn more about Walter Wick's art and publications here.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Friday Focus : A Mind for Math, Part 1
Math is easy to incorporate into day-to-day happenings: "Count the number of red cars you see." "Please set the table with 6 spoons and 6 forks." "Let's each pick up five toys." "Divide those fruit snacks evenly."
Lately, my four-year-old poses large number addition problems to the rest of our family. He is proud to understand that if 1 +1 =2, then 100 + 100 =200. We hear variations on this throughout the day. "So," he asks slyly, "what's 500 + 500?" He's even upping the ante with, "Do you know 500 + 500 +1?" The kid loves calculating.
We have found a couple online activities for more formal practicing.
This is a basic addition game for construction lovers.
My kindergartener prefers this higher addition game.
This game is excellent for visualizing groups of ten.
We often go to this site that includes the above games, as well as many other choices.











