Sidewalk Chalk Recipe

By: Beth Engelman of Mommy on a Shoestring

Thanks Beth for this great idea! If you want to hear more of Beth’s great ideas you can listen to the replay of our recent radio show.

Ingredients

• Small Paper Cups
• 2 Tbs Powdered Tempura Paint - any color (available at most craft stores)
• 3 Tbs Plaster of Paris (available at most craft stores)
• ½ Cup Water

Directions

In a paper cup, mix powdered paint and water.

Stir in Plaster of Paris until the mixture is as thick as cream.

Allow the mixture to harden-approximately 2 hours.

Peel off the paper cup and take out the chalk.

Repeat for additional chalk pieces.

Mud Pies for Butterflies

By: Beth Engelman of Mommy on a Shoestring

Thanks Beth for this great idea! If you want to hear more of Beth’s great ideas you can listen to the replay of our recent radio show.

Mud Pies for Butterflies Recipe

• Combine soil, sand, and a pinch of salt.
• Add a flat rock in the middle for the landing pad for butterflies.
• Add a few drops of maple syrup to rock.
• Stand back and watch for butterflies

Simplifying Easter

By: Mandi Ehman of Organizing Your Way

As with any other holiday, it’s easy to get caught up in commercialism at Easter. In any given store across America, you’ll find large pre-packaged Easter baskets filled with cheap trinkets and candy, fluffy stuffed animals just begging to be taken home and aisles lined with chocolate and marshmallows of all kinds.

In our home, we prefer to take a low-key approach to Easter, focusing more on the historical and religious significance of the day than on the pressure to shower our kids with gifts. Here are a few ideas for focusing your Easter celebrations as well:

Separate the Bunny-Stuff from the Easter-Stuff

I like bunnies and chocolate as much as the next person, and I have wonderful memories of dyeing Easter eggs and going on egg hunts with my family. Rather than turn into an Easter scrooge, we simply separate those things from our Easter celebration. For example, this week we’ll be doing projects focused on spring with our girls, including dyeing eggs, planting grass in little gift baskets and making crushed shell art.

In the days leading up to Easter, we’ll be focused on the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and our crafts and activities will reflect that focus with things such as paper palm leaves, resurrection eggs and crescent roll tombs.

I’ve never quite understood how chocolate bunnies relate to such a significant holiday, but separating the two helps our family find a balance that works for us.

Select Meaningful Easter Basket Items

Rather than heading to your local superstore and picking up a basket of toys that will likely end up broken, lost or set aside after a few days, choose meaningful items to put in your children’s Easter baskets. We always start with a new pair of sunglasses for each of our girls, but your baskets should reflect your children and your family values. The key is to be thoughtful in your selections rather than just filling a basket to keep up with the Joneses.

Here are some more ideas:

:: Pretty stationery and pencils

:: A special necklace or bracelet

:: A family game

:: A travel or nature journal

:: A sketchbook

:: Crayon roll or art supplies

Create Family Traditions

Most importantly, take the time to thoughtfully plan family traditions that will become part of your family’s fabric over the years. Whether these include making breakfast together on Easter morning, having an early-morning egg hunt or reading the story of the resurrection while curled up together in bed, your children are sure to remember them for years to come!

Mandi Ehman is a work-at-home mom to four spunky little girls. She believes that organizing only lasts if you do it your way - to fit your needs, your preferences and your lifestyle - and she shares organizing and time management tips at Organizing Your Way.

Expressing Your Family Identity in a Whole New Way

Families with purpose are families who dream together and work together to make their dreams and goals a reality.

New starts, renewed energy, and fresh enthusiasm are all signs and feelings of the start of a new school year.  This time of year is often a time where families take time to reflect on their lives and try to make changes and improvements for the better.  So before the renewed energy and enthusiasm fades under the stress of daily life, take some time to reconnect as a family and reaffirm your family identity with this project.  It is a simple low cost way for families to remind themselves of their family goals and a fun way of expressing their family values, identity, and mission.

Purpose of this Project

The purpose of this activity is to build family closeness and unity by discussing and creatively expressing your family values, identity, goals, and mission.

Supplies You’ll Need

Paper Mache letter of the first letter of your last name (you can find these at your local craft or fabric store - we used a 23.5″ letter)

Mod Podge (you can find these at your local craft or fabric store)

Paint Brushes (one for each family member)

Scissors (one for each family member)

Paper plates or paint cups (one for each family member)

Old magazines and photos

Newspaper to cover the table

Optional: Copies of your family goals, vision statement, and mission statement

Things to Keep in Mind

The younger the children the smaller the letter - Smaller letters will take less time to cover and will be more suitable for younger children with smaller attention spans

The more children you have the bigger the letter - If you have a lot of kids, you might want to opt for a bigger letter, so there is less crowding and less arguments.

Short last names - if you have a short last name you may want to go with smaller letters and spell out your entire last name rather than just the first letter.

If your children are younger consider breaking this activity up into smaller segments.  Use this first segment to discuss your family characteristics, goals, mission, and values and then use the remaining time to cut out the pictures.  Save the gluing of the pictures and words for a different time.

Turn the TV off prior to starting this activity.  TV will only distract the kids and take away from any meaningful conversation.

The Activity

Set aside some time on your regular family night or on your family calendar for this activity.  Depending on the size of your family and the size of letter you chose, you will need about 60 - 90 minutes for this activity.

As a family begin discussing the things important to you as a family and what qualities and characteristics make your family unique.  If available use your family goals and mission statement to help you get started.  For example for some families this may be things like doing well in school, having regular family nights, taking fun vacations, or being open and honest.  Be sure to include any hobbies or special interests.

After you are finished discussing the things important to your family and your family characteristics, begin cutting out pictures and words from magazines that express all of these qualities.  If old enough, give each family member a pair of scissors and a magazine and let them go through each one cutting out different pictures and words.  While cutting out pictures, take the time to talk about things going on your lives.  This busy time is often a good time to check in with the kids on how school is going, remember old memories, or plan family outings.

Once all of your pictures and words are cut out, it is now time to begin attaching them to your letter.  Cover your work space with newspaper to protect it from the Mod Podge and give each family member a paint brush and small paper plate or paint cup with Mod Podge in it.  Using the pictures and words you cut out, use the Mod Podge to glue them to the letter.  This part can be messy and a little tricky on some of the angles, so parents may want to let the kids do the attaching while they help and assist.

After your letter is completely covered, let it dry overnight.  Once completely dry, display the letter in a prominent spot where everyone can easily see it and enjoy it.

Good luck!

I want to give a shout out of thanks to my dear friend Louise for this idea.  You will be forever in my heart. - Polly

These Are the Days We’ll Remember

Parents never know which gesture, tradition or spur-of-the-moment childhood adventure will become a treasured memory.   However, chances are more treasured moments will occur during the summer months when most parents have more time to spend with their children.  Embracing the moments of life is one thing, but capturing those moments and turning them into treasured memories is something altogether different.

Here are some ideas (reminders) to help extend the celebration of summer’s meaningful moments, all of which are opportunities to grow your relationships, learn more about each other, laugh out loud, discover new things together, and have TONS of fun.

THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH PHOTOS

Whether your summer memories included a trip to the Disneyland or a dude ranch, wearing costumes to a friend’s birthday party or selling homegrown produce at your local farmer’s market, use these methods to relive the moments.

Scrapbook and Shadow Boxes

Before you begin your project, decide whether you like traditional or digital scrapbooking. Either you’re computer savvy, or you’re not.   Either way, you’ll end up at a craft store or on the internet and you must choose a theme.   Talk about your favorite summer memories.   What was the most fun?   What still makes you laugh?   What surprised you? Then tailor the project to your child’s interests.   If he wants to gather objects that won’t tuck into a book, consider alternate ways to preserve the collection, such as a shadow box he can display on a wall.

Here are a few theme ideas:

All About Me (Us)

Exploring the Great Outdoors

Roadtrips R Us

Somewhere Out There is…

Summer Buddies

A Camper’s Life

Video

Videography has come a long way in the past few decades.   Before digital camcorders, home movie buffs had to use VHS camcorders, and before that, 8mm film.   Fortunately, smaller cameras are capable of producing clearer images and the whole process of capturing, preserving and enjoying memories is much easier.

SUGGESTION: Schedule and then devote time to putting finishing touches on your videos.   At the very least, add labels and some front and back end graphics if you have the software.   Don’t make the mistake of putting one person in charge of the project.   The fun part is working together.

If you don’t have a video camera, you can create dynamic videos by uploading digital photos onto websites such as animoto.com.   Users of Animoto pay a $25 yearly membership fee allowing them to create an unlimited number of videos for one low price.   Animoto adds the fancy special effects, graphics and music; however, a project can be remixed if you don’t like their choice.   A high-resolution version will cost $5 extra.   Animoto is one of many websites offering this service.

Lastly, for a quick and easy way to make a time capsule of your summer vacation, find a large, clean, wide mouth jar such as a mayonnaise jar.   Gather ticket stubs, shells, maps, souvenirs, subway tokens, pressed flowers or anything with sentimental value.   Be sure to check local regulations if you want to gather natural items, such as fossils, feathers, or plants.   If you include photos, write names and dates on the back of images.   Place all of your items inside the jar.   On brightly colored paper, write a few notes about each event after interviewing family members.

IMPORTANT: Don’t put your scrapbook, photobook, shadow box, DVD or souvenir jar in a drawer. Instead, place it in a prominent place of honor so children can revive their cherished summer memories for many years to come.

By Jodie Randisi, author of 201 Things to Do When Children Say I’M BORED! The Checklist and Journal for Busy Families.  www.201thingstodo.com

Molly’s Babies

Started by a grandmother in honor of her granddaughter who died of SIDS at the age of six weeks, Molly’s Babies is looking for donations of new or gently used dolls for little girls who cannot afford one.    For additional details and information on how you can help visit http://mollysbabies.org/index.php.

8 Free or Low Cost Family Activities for the Summer

A few weeks ago we were discussing on our forum ideas for free and low cost family activities, so I thought it might be helpful to offer a few up here.

Letterboxing - Letterboxing is a treasure hunt hike that families take in search of hidden letterboxes.  Using clues found on the internet (most letterboxes are hidden in a park or central community location), families set out on a hiking adventure in search of the hidden letterbox.  .  Once the letterbox has been found, families then use the pen to leave a message in the logbook along with an image from their personal stamp.

Bike Riding - Take advantage of your local parks and trails by taking a family bike ride.

Berry Picking - Help your local economy and eat healthy too by spending a day picking berries from a local farm.

Backyard Campout - Pitch or make a tent and spend the evening making s’ mores, telling ghost stories, sleeping under the stars.

Treasure Hunt - Keep your kids guessing and moving all summer long with a summer long treasure hunt.

Make a Family Journal - Family journals are a simple way of expressing and recording your family’s life, dreams, and memories without a lot of fuss and most importantly without a lot of anxiety and time.

Homemade Rockets - Add a little science education to your summer by making rocket launchers.  Just do them for fun or add them to your July 4^th celebrations.

Nature Scavenger Hunt - Enjoy the outdoors and the thrill of a scavenger hunt with a nature scavenger hunt.  Use this nature hunt list to get you started or make your own.

For additional ideas for free or low cost family activities see our page with boredom buster ideas and family fun ideas.

10 Summertime Boredom Busters

Parents envision children being full of energy and ideas, happily entertained by nature, bicycles and friends. Sometimes this happens and other times parents will hear the dreaded words, “I’M BORED! There’s nothing to do.”

As adults, it is not our responsibility to pave the road for our children. It is, however, a good idea to provide a decent road map, and by decent road map I mean provide supervision when needed.

Here are ten ideas that will make summer less “boring.”

Make your own CRAZY PUTTY. Mix equal parts white glue and liquid starch. Knead to desired consistency. The substance will stretch, snap and bounce!

Name that SMELL. Gather items that have identifiable odors. Blindfold the guesser (s). Ask them to name that smell. If they can’t remember the exact name, let them describe some other revealing details such as the color of the bottle, or what meal the spice is used for, etc.

MOW a MAZE.  With a push lawn mower, mow a maze or a crazy path when the grass is fairly long. You could also use the path to play Mother May I? or Red Light Green Light.

Go fly a KITE. Better yet, make your own kite to fly.

Sort BUTTONS. Let children sort buttons into different groups. Use a muffin pan to contain the buttons. Sort by color, or size, or number of holes. Then make a craft using buttons.

Give children a tape recorder. They can record themselves telling or reading a story. You can type the words to their original stories on the computer. Print the words with space at the top of each page so the children can illustrate their ideas.

Find a scenic spot outside, set up an easel and paint the scenery.

Play dress up. Gather old clothes and add to the collection by buying weird and unusual outfits and accessories from thrift stores and garage sales. Store the clothes and props in a trunk. Props can include such things as briefcases, pocketbooks, jewelry, shoes, books, canes, etc. Encourage the children to be creative and act out plays they create. Or, children can emulate a character from a well-known story and have people guess who they are. NOTE: Giving hints may be necessary and will only add to the fun.

Have children hold a full glass of water in a plastic tumbler while they jump rope. Make it a contest to see who can spill the least. Give out prizes.

Ask children to design a product or service and then create a commercial to sell it on television. Go all the way and video the end result and post it on YouTube.

And for timeless summertime entertainment, find a place where you can build a bonfire, roast a ton of marshmallows, look for meteors and lightening bugs, and tell stories around the campfire. Your children will thank you…someday.

About the Author: Jodie Randisi is a certified Family Manager tm coach and the author of 201 Things to Do When Children Say I’M BORED. For more information about Family Manager coaching or to get a copy of her book, go to www.201thingstodo.com.

A Fistful Of Dollars: The Story of a Kiva.org Loan

Inspired? Learn more about how you can join our team and support the Kiva organization.

A Fistful Of Dollars: The Story of a Kiva.org Loan from Kieran Ball on Vimeo.

2009 Family Easter and Lent Activity Packs Are Here

Our popular family Easter and lent activity packs are in!  Our family Easter and Lent packs are designed specifically for families on the go who are looking for simple quiet ways to celebrate the Lent and Easter season without the planning, running, and hassle. Each activity pack includes a 2009 Lent calendar, daily family devotions for Lent, family activity ideas, and puzzles.  Lent begins February 25th!

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