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Small details best characterize our lives, but they are the first to slip away. Time has been whizzing by in these early hectic days with my three-year-old Jack and his baby brother, Nick, and I find myself hoping that my memory will miraculously double in capacity. Journals, videos and photo albums get squeezed out by the necessities of our lives--laundry, meals, getting to work on time. But last summer, it was in this daily round of activities that I finally discovered a solution to my sentimental yearnings. In the half hour or so before Jack's bedtime, when we would normally be drawing pictures together, I realized we could carve out time to work on a family scrapbook.
Continued... |
Christmas Ideas Early for Early Planning:
I do the treasure hunt for my three sons. When they found out that I was Santa, they still wanted to have Christmas morning special. I write the clues on the computer, like you, and then I cut them out and tape them on crepe paper. I start with the last clue on the end of the crepe paper and start wrapping it up to make a ball. Each boy gets a different color, red, green and white. Then as they unwind the ball they find more clues. As the boys have gotten older, now 18,16 and 15, I have had to make the clues more of a challenge. Some are written backwards, some are directions, like take so many steps to your left, some are in picture clues, some are riddles. They take turns unwinding their clues and then they go and find the present. When all gifts are found, we take turns opening them. This makes Christmas morning a little slower and not just a flurry of torn wrapping paper and over in 20 minutes. They ask each year if "Santa" will do the treasure hunt. thank you switzer5 |
Things to add to your Advent or Holiday Calendar that will draw your family closer together. | While I am Away Book |
How Busy Parents Can Stay Involved:
Story Time
Every employer gives you a lunch break. Many don't take advantage of the lunch break in order to get as much work done as possible in the short time they have at the office. Why not take one lunch break per month and head over to the school and read your daughter's class a book at story time? Imagine the smile on that little girl's face when you walk through the classroom door on that special day each month. |
Continued from Family Activity below: You could all put up a tent in the front room and "Camp-Out" with flashlights, microwave smores and popcorn. Tell stories around a circle and get the sleeping bags out to make it feel like a real campout. | How about everyone in the family dress up in their Jammies for dinner and serve a breakfast around the table, no TV. Talk about your day, tell each other one thing that you learned that day. |
WHAT IF? Take turns answering these hypothetical questions and then invent some of your own:
•If you were king or queen of a country, how would you use your power? •If you could be the best on your block at something, what would it be? •If you could live any place in the world, where would you live and why? •Describe your perfect vacation. Where would you visit and who would you want to travel with you? •If you were stranded on a deserted island and could eat only one kind of food for the rest of your life, what would it be? •If Spider-Man and Batman fought, who would win and why? •If you could make up a holiday, what would it be and how would you celebrate it? |
GROUP STORYTELLING: Someone starts a story and, after a couple of sentences, points to someone else to continue the story. It's more fun if you go fast. The crazier the story, the better. | Ball games - if you have a minor league ball team in your town, take advantage of the low cost of enjoying a cool night out with the sports fans in your family. "Peanuts and Cracker Jacks"... what could be better? Take time and enjoy what you have. . .Amy H. |
10 tips to help busy families create
15 minutes of reading time each day.
License to read. On car trips, make it a game to point out and read vanity plates, license plates from different states, billboards,and interesting road signs. Also keep a few favorite books or books on tape in a book bag for reading-on-the-go. Better than TV. Read a good action story or tale of adventure to replace an evening television program. Look and listen. Too tired to read aloud? Many children's books are available on tape. By listening to a story and turning the book pages together, you'll still be reading with your child. Labels, labels, labels. Go around your child's room to name the objects there. As your child names each object, write the name on a stick-on label and affix the label to the object. You can read the labels aloud and add new items each time you play the game. Pack a snack, pack a book. When you're going someplace with your child where there might be a long-such as the doctor's office or an airline terminal -- bring along a book bag of favorite books. Recipe for reading ingredients. All that's needed are favorite recipes, a pack of index cards, and a child. Just jot down recipes on the index cards, then read the ingredients with your child as you prepare a meal together. Shop and read. Read aloud signs and labels in the supermarket. Encourage your child to help you clip coupons from the newspaper. Putting away groceries is another great way to foster reading and classification skills. Even prereaders can sort cans and boxes by label colors and pictures. Phone home. Work the night shift or can't get away from the office? Keep a few children's books at work. Instead of a coffee break, call home and use this opportunity to read to your child. Reading pockets. Slip interesting reading material into your pockets to bring home from work or shopping. It might be a story or comic strip clipped from the newspaper, a brochure, a button with a slogan, a greeting card, or even a fortune cookie from lunch. Let your child know when there's something to share in your reading pocket. A little longer? When your child asks to stay up a little longer, the answer is yes! This is a made-to-order 15-minute family reading opportunity. Bonus Tip. Visit your local public library on a regular basis! Idaho State Library |
Family Time Capsule
What will your family be doing in 20 years? What will you look back on and laugh about? Lime green clothes, hip-hop? Put your thoughts together in a Family Time Capsule, then bury it (underground or in the messiest closet in the house) and promise not to open it until the year 2022. Then stamp it with a high five! Think of the items that would be fun to see 20 years from now: Here are a few ideas. Restaurant menu Catalog CD Newspaper Favorite small toy Picture of your family Ideas based off of the Crayola Kids November Issue 1999 |
Here are some little notes that you can print off and put in your
childs lunchbox to tell them that you love them.
Apple Sandwich Star Heart Honey Also here if the above links do not work |
Family Game Night?
Is a fun way to spend quality time together and create a family tradition that you and your kids will remember and cherish for years to come. Here's a fun recipe on how to maximize the time you have together: Mark your calendar one night each week to spend uninterrupted time with your kids. Eat dinner together, clear the dinner dishes and clean off the table. Resist falling into the same routine and get your family excited by pulling out your family's favorite board game. Put a bowl of snacks on the table. Let the games begin! (quote from http://www.familygamenight.com/) |
Why not look in the Family Bible or a Family record to make a Family
tree with your kids.
What a neat way to remember family members, maybe you can add a small piece of information for each person. Aunt Ruth was a school teacher for 6th graders and had the best recipe for apple pie. And then you can add the recipe. You can also add a picture or a favorite story or Song / Poem.... this is one of those projects that can be long or short. It is a neat way to connect the past and the present as well. I made one of these books and put it in a 3 ring binder and I add a funny saying or quote once in a while. This is a great rainy day project or a snowed in day project. This can also be protected with clear sheets and or a journal book. |
Going to the park is a fun free way to spend time with your family, there you can play "loud" games, run all you want, and kick a soccer ball, or play frisbee. The possibilities are endless. This is not only good exercise, but it can be a fun way to learn a little bit about the things around you, for instance, if you were to bring a tablet of paper or some blank sheets of paper, your child could do some rub art, by placing a leaf, feather etc... under the paper, and rubbing it lightly with a crayon. They can take their creations home, cut them out and make a collage of their trip to the park. This is also a good time to talk about what they see around them. |
2 Family Games that will help you Communicate and Have Fun
High / Low Going arond the room, table, car or wherever you are - - Ask, "What is the High Point of your day, and What is the Low point of your day. Fortunately/ Unfortunately This game is played like this. Fortunately I was up early and all ready for school. Unfortunately it was Saturday. You get it? Have fun with these games! |
You don't have to live close to be close
Make a family e-mail journal. Record daily happenings- like first words, first experiences, first days of school, etc.- as they happen. Very young children can be represented by a picture or can dictate their stories to an adult. Ask every one to make a SHORT entry everyday. If entries are short, it will be easier to sustain the journal. Make sure all grandchildren get a copy of each other's entries and file them in a "Journal" file. "You don't have to live close to be close. Loving, thoughtful, imaginative grandparents live in the hearts of their grandchildren." ~Selma Wassermann "The Long Distance Grandmother" Reference |
Improve your child's studies before he gets home by...
Asking him to take a few moments during each school day to jot down three exciting things he's learned - then have him share them with you when he gets home, advises education expert Pam Marton. "You'll be reinforcing the information twice: once when he writes it down, and again when he discusses it with you, which will help him remember it when test time rolls around." (Woman’s World) |
Give a kindness box.
This is GREAT for holidays, birthdays and other special occasions. Before a holiday gathering, wrap small, empty boxes for each guest and cut a slit on the top. Provide slips of paper so everyone can write thoughts about each other to tuck into the boxes, suggests Newman. (Woman’s World) Here is another idea along the same idea. If your spouse travels, or if you have a child that will be away overnight (for a swim meet for instance) have everyone write a note (of love, encouragement, “miss you” …) or draw a picture (so the younger children can participate) and tuck them in various places in their bag or suitcases. |
Make a treasure chest for each of your kids.
It can be any style of box, shoe box that they decorated, or one that you made. This will be a special place for you to put their little treasures, and once in a while, or for when they are older you can look through their treasures. My Mom and Dad saved all of the pictures I drew for them in one of those assorted chocolate candy boxes and after I got married they gave them to me. |