{click to see the whole series}
(1) Ice Cube Experimentation. With just a couple ice cubes and tupperware bowls, your children can transform into temperature scientists! Watching ice melt might sound as thrilling as watching paint dry . . . but kids really do enjoy this simple experiment.
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/218/
(2) Miscellaneous Squiggle. You draw a line and your child "fills in the rest" to create an art masterpiece. Gets the kids' creativity a-churnin.'
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/248/
(3) Monster Names. Another entry from our arts and crafts department, this is a fun way for kids to 'decorate' their own names. A big-time crowd-pleaser among the kids in our house.
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/367/
(4) Leaf Rubbings. Send the kids out back to grab some leaves (but please, no hacking down trees or butchering the bushes). Then, they come back in, grab some crayons, and make beautiful, natural leaf rubbing art!
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/443/
(5) Sidewalk Chalk Maze. This is generally time consuming and therefore good for kids who can stick with a project for a while. They create their own maze on the pavement outside, and then a hapless parent has to come out and try to find a way out.
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/220/
(6) Structural Problems. Using blocks or Tinker Toys or something similar the kids build a structure with a big problem: a planned flaw that will lead to the (fun) downfall of the whole shebang.
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/435/
(7) A map of the house. You (or the kids) make a map of the house. Once that's done, you can "track" people and objects anywhere inside. Really, woudn't your family benefit fromn a homemade GPS for your house?
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/102
(8) No-Cut Kite. A simple flying contraption . . . a perfect (and perfectly fun) way to keep the kids quite busy. They'll be folding and then out back flying! (Some wind required.)
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/444/
(9) Chalk painting. Get the kids outside. Give them chalk and water and mix all the preceding ingredients together. Messy, goopy, and vaguely arty fun.
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/496/
(10) Photo walk. Great for older kids who can be trusted with a digital camera. This one gets them outside and looking at the world. Then they come back inside for some artistic achievement.
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/319/
With the ideas listed above, you should be in good shape for the rest of the mid-summer blues. If you'd like suggestions for more kids activities along this vein, please swing by TodayIsFun.com, where we post a new keep-the-kids-busy idea every day.
And thank you to Carissa for inviting us to participate in GoodNCrazy.com. (A life that is "good and crazy" is a great goal for families of kids to have!)
About Steve and Paul of TodayIsFun.com
Steve and Paul are the two Dads over at TodayIsFun.com. Their website offers free, fun and educational activities for keeping kids entertained and out of their parents' hair. Between their two families they have four kids that keep them quite busy. TodayIsFun.com aims to be the premier resource for parents asking, "What can I do with the kids now?"
In case you are wondering: my blog's disclosure.
Today's GoodNCrazy series is brought to you by the two hip dads of TodayIsFun! Take it away guys!
It's the middle of July. Your kids have been out of school for some time now, and – uh-oh – the novelty of summer break has begun to wear off. The kids have played with all their toys quite thoroughly. They've settled into something of a routine with camps and summer classes. They're beginning to know the backyard like the back of their hands. With the "newness" of summer break gone, the children in your house need some new ways to keep busy and have fun.
At our site, TodayIsFun.com, we think having a number of kids activities ready to go at all times will save a parent's day (and a parent's sanity.)
We offer below ten fun-filled ideas for keeping your kids busy during the summer doldrums. The kids' activities here are pretty much geared towards ages six through eleven (roughly the ages of Carissa's two older kids), and they're designed for young ones to be able to do without a lot of parental involvement (because children playing happily on their own can contribute to parental sanity. And we all could use a healthy dose of that.)
It's the middle of July. Your kids have been out of school for some time now, and – uh-oh – the novelty of summer break has begun to wear off. The kids have played with all their toys quite thoroughly. They've settled into something of a routine with camps and summer classes. They're beginning to know the backyard like the back of their hands. With the "newness" of summer break gone, the children in your house need some new ways to keep busy and have fun.
At our site, TodayIsFun.com, we think having a number of kids activities ready to go at all times will save a parent's day (and a parent's sanity.)
We offer below ten fun-filled ideas for keeping your kids busy during the summer doldrums. The kids' activities here are pretty much geared towards ages six through eleven (roughly the ages of Carissa's two older kids), and they're designed for young ones to be able to do without a lot of parental involvement (because children playing happily on their own can contribute to parental sanity. And we all could use a healthy dose of that.)
(1) Ice Cube Experimentation. With just a couple ice cubes and tupperware bowls, your children can transform into temperature scientists! Watching ice melt might sound as thrilling as watching paint dry . . . but kids really do enjoy this simple experiment.Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/218/
(2) Miscellaneous Squiggle. You draw a line and your child "fills in the rest" to create an art masterpiece. Gets the kids' creativity a-churnin.'
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/248/
(3) Monster Names. Another entry from our arts and crafts department, this is a fun way for kids to 'decorate' their own names. A big-time crowd-pleaser among the kids in our house.Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/367/
(4) Leaf Rubbings. Send the kids out back to grab some leaves (but please, no hacking down trees or butchering the bushes). Then, they come back in, grab some crayons, and make beautiful, natural leaf rubbing art!Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/443/
(5) Sidewalk Chalk Maze. This is generally time consuming and therefore good for kids who can stick with a project for a while. They create their own maze on the pavement outside, and then a hapless parent has to come out and try to find a way out.
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/220/
(6) Structural Problems. Using blocks or Tinker Toys or something similar the kids build a structure with a big problem: a planned flaw that will lead to the (fun) downfall of the whole shebang.Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/435/
(7) A map of the house. You (or the kids) make a map of the house. Once that's done, you can "track" people and objects anywhere inside. Really, woudn't your family benefit fromn a homemade GPS for your house?Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/102
(8) No-Cut Kite. A simple flying contraption . . . a perfect (and perfectly fun) way to keep the kids quite busy. They'll be folding and then out back flying! (Some wind required.)Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/444/
(9) Chalk painting. Get the kids outside. Give them chalk and water and mix all the preceding ingredients together. Messy, goopy, and vaguely arty fun.Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/496/
(10) Photo walk. Great for older kids who can be trusted with a digital camera. This one gets them outside and looking at the world. Then they come back inside for some artistic achievement.Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/319/
With the ideas listed above, you should be in good shape for the rest of the mid-summer blues. If you'd like suggestions for more kids activities along this vein, please swing by TodayIsFun.com, where we post a new keep-the-kids-busy idea every day.
And thank you to Carissa for inviting us to participate in GoodNCrazy.com. (A life that is "good and crazy" is a great goal for families of kids to have!)
About Steve and Paul of TodayIsFun.com
Steve and Paul are the two Dads over at TodayIsFun.com. Their website offers free, fun and educational activities for keeping kids entertained and out of their parents' hair. Between their two families they have four kids that keep them quite busy. TodayIsFun.com aims to be the premier resource for parents asking, "What can I do with the kids now?"
In case you are wondering: my blog's disclosure.
