Category — Family Activities

My friend Carmen, from Albuquerque, New Mexico shared this great idea with me about how she creates special memories with her grandchildren. After they have done something together, she writes about it in her “Remember When” book. For example, if they went to the zoo she might write: Remember when we went to the zoo and the bear roared so loud that it scared Angie and she spilled her drink. She also includes photos. When her grandchildren come to visit they love to look through the book. It is now a tradition so the grandchildren will often ask her “Are you going to write that in the Remember When book?” As the grandchildren get older they can write in the “Remember When” book or even start their own.

I love getting out my family memory serving tray when the family gathers together. It seems we never tire of looking at the photos and remembering the vacations we took to a favorite cabin several summers in a row. Even though the grandchildren are not in the photos they enjoy identifying all the people and find it hard to believe their parents were once as young as they are now. You can make your own memory serving tray.
You’ll need:
tray (I bought my metal tray at a thrift store for $.50 but you could use a plastic or wood tray)
photos or memorabilia
Mod Podge (you can get this at any craft store)
paint brush
clear acrylic sealer (find at any craft or home improvement store)
Directions:
1. Wash and dry tray.
2. Decide how you want to display your photos and trim to fit tray.
3. Spread Mod Podge on the tray with a brush and apply photos.
4. Brush Mod Podge over all your photos. It will dry clear. If you are going to use your tray for display only you can stop here. If you want to use it for serving I would suggested spraying a clear acrylic sealer. Follow the directions on the can. It has a very strong smell so do it outside.
Tip: I just use my tray for bread, rolls or chips. I’m not sure what will happen if it gets water or other moist food items on it and I don’t want to take the chance of ruining my photos.

This is a fun, easy, and inexpensive party game. All you need are 12 balloons. The object is to see how many balloons you can hold onto in 2 minutes. You can use your teeth and toes, you can put them under your arm and between your legs.

Kids finding the treasure

Station 1 – make a picture using tiny shell & rocks ( while the kids were doing this, Callee was burying the treasure with an “X“ on top)
Station 2 – listen to a story (picture book about a family reunion)
Station 3 – act out scenes from Star Wars ( all the kids love the Star Wars movies)
Station 4 – using white crepe paper or toilet paper, wrap up someone to look like a mummy
Station 5 – sing 3 songs (that was my station)
The clue from station 5 was to find an “X”. The treasure was buried in a plastic container.
The kids loved it and stayed engaged because they wanted the treasure.
This could be done almost anywhere, even at home on a rainy day.

Kids getting their treasure

Sorting is a great activity to get kids thinking about data, attributes and patterns and how things can be organized in different ways. These are skills they need for math.

1. Collect many different kinds of things to sort (buttons, rocks, shells money, lids, beans, small toys, etc.).
2. Download the “How Many Ways to Sort” and “Sorting Mat”.
3. Use the Sorting Mat to sort the items into categories. There will be many different ways to sort the items. You can sort by shape, size, color, etc.
4. Write down all the different things you sorted and the way you sorted them on the How Many Ways to Sort sheet. See how many different ways you can sort the items. This activity also reinforces writing skills.

Download All Sorts of Sorts

I attended a fantastic two day bookmaking workshop presented by artist and bookmaker Susan Kapluscinski Gaylord. I have been following Susan for several months and she inspired me to have my grandkids make books of their “Special Day with Grandma Liz.” All of her ideas use materials you already have and would probably recycle but now they have a new use. Check out her website Makingbooks .

Ethan making his “Special Day with Grandma Liz” book.

It was very easy to make: I just folded paper, punched two holes in the center, and tied a ribbon to hold it together.

What could be easier? Just make your favorite sandwich and use cookie cutters to make the shapes. What child wouldn’t want to eat these?

Sometimes it’s hard to get children to tell you about their day. Talking sticks can get child talking. On craft sticks write different questions. Put the sticks in a cup and during dinner have each family member take turns drawing a stick and answering the question. You can also use strips of paper instead of sticks.

Suggestions:

Tell about something funny that happened to you.

Tell about something that made you nervous or scared.

Tell about something that made you happy.

Tell about something that made you feel proud.

Tell about something that made you feel angry.

Tell about something that you are excited about.

Tell about something that you look forward to.

A fun way to preserve special summer memories is by using a tin lunch box. You can find them at craft stores and they come in various shapes and sizes.

Use permanent markers and stickers to decorate the outside then use a clip magnet on the inside cover to hold all the photos. You can make a booklet with your photos or just stack them together and secure with the magnet clip. Put souvenirs, postcards or other memorabilia inside.

You can also use a tin box you already have and paint it.

Great ideas from the National PTA, to help your child learn to read or become a better reader.

1. License to read. On car trips, make it a game to point out and read license plates, billboards, and interesting road signs.

2. Better than TV. Swap evening TV for a good action story or tale of adventure.

3. Look and listen. Too tired to read aloud? Listen to a book on tape and turn the book’s pages with your children. You’ll still be reading with them!

4. Labels, labels, labels. Label things in your children’s room as they learn to name them. Have fun while they learn that written words are connected to everyday things.

5. Pack a snack, pack a book. Going someplace where there might be a long wait? Bring along a snack and a bag of favorite books.

6. Recipe for reading. The next time you cook with your children, read the recipe with them. Step-by-step instructions, ingredients, and measurements are all part of words in print!

7. Shop and read. Notice and read signs and labels in the supermarket. Back home, putting away groceries is another great time for reading labels.

8. Your long-distance lap. Away on a business trip? Take a few books with you, call home, and have your child curl up by the phone for a good night story.

9. A reading pocket. Slip fun things to read into your pocket to bring home: a comic strip from the paper, a greeting card, or even a fortune cookie from lunch. Create a special, shared moment your child can look forward to every day.

10. A little longer? When your child asks to stay up a little longer, say yes and make it a 15-minute family reading opportunity.