Category — Activities

My friend made me this clever birthday card from a Laughing Cow Cheese container.

She cut out circle to match the size of the container, attached them with tape, decorated the pages, and glued one circle to the bottom of the container. The lid is decorated also. When I removed the lid, the card came out like a fan. It was so much fun.

This is a fun fall activity to do with your children and you’re helping the birds.
Directions:
1. Gather various sizes of milk cartons.
2. Cut out an opening.
3. Decorate with paint or permanent markers.
4. Make a small hole to push a dowel through so the bird can perch.
5. Secure a wire or heavy string at the top for hanging.
6. Fill with bird seed and hang.
You can also have an opening on opposite sides and push the dowel through so birds can perch on either side.

In acrostic poems, the first letters of each line are aligned vertically to form a word. The word often is the subject of the poem. Write your own Halloween acrostic poem. Here is an example:

Grayish white in color
Hiding, ready to scare
Often floating in air
Scaring is what they like to do
Terrifying

I found this idea at Make & Takes. It started out in bad shape but with some paint and cute laminated numbers it ended up a treasure. It has 20 small drawers you could use it for jewelry, sewing items or to hold a collection of tiny things. Go to Make & Takes to see the progression from trash to treasure.

I saw this idea on The Katie Brown Workshop. She just took a bunch of frames, put corkboard inside, labeled them with the days of the week, and wha la you have a place to keep all your important information. They would be great in a familyroom, kitchen, or office. You could have the kids paint the frames different colors and add embelishments too.
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Download the Matching Game

1. Download the word cards and cut them apart. Be sure to download 2 copies for each game set.
2. Use magazines or newspapers to find pictures that represent the words. Children can even make their own drawings on the cards.
3. Play the match game. Each time a card is turned over say the word. The person with the most matches is the winner.

Write a note to your grandchild sharing with them something that you remember about being their age and beginning a new school year. Tell them how you felt. Maybe you were excited, scared or embarrassed. Also add a photograph of yourself when you were their age. This could become a special keepsake for your grandchild and would be a part of your personal history, so make a copy for yourself.

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University in NYC found that the more children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs. “Frequent family dinners provide parents a perfect opportunity to connect with their children, to hear about concerns or issues when they arise, to send clear messages about expectations and rules,” said Lauren R. Duran, director of communications for the center. She invites families across the U.S. to participate on Monday, Sept. 27, in “Family Day-A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children.”
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This is a fun and inexpensive way to show photos of your grandchildren on your fridge or any magnetic board.
You will need lids from cans (any size will work – soup, vegetables, fruit, etc.), glue and magnets.
Directions:
1. Remove the lid from the can, I would recommend using a can opener that leaves the edges smooth.
2. Trace the lid onto the photo and cut out slightly smaller.
3. Glue photo on the lid and add a magnet to the back.

You can make then as ornaments by adding a looped ribbon to the back.