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Mommy, Blogger, Creative, Travel & Disney Lover

Little Miss…Mommy, Disney, Creative and Travel

Kids

Lego Advent Calendars Available at Target

Filed Under: Kids

Legos, Creativity and Gender Equality

Lego toys are fantastic because kids love them and they are educational as well.  They inspire and encourage creativity and critical thinking.  The company is known for promoting creativity and promoting gender-equal creativity, as seen in their 1974 letter (Snopes Fact Check) explaining that both girls and boys benefit and enjoy building with Legos.

Lego Advent Calendars 2020 at Target

Here are some fun Lego Advent Calendars available at Target!  These are great gift ideas for kids and serve as a great addition to any Lego collection!

Lego City Advent Calendar

Lego Friends

Lego Star Wars

Lego Harry Potter

 

More Lego fun-

Visiting Legoland Florida Resort

How Do I Cook With My Kids?

Filed Under: Kids, Mommy

How Do I Cook With My Kids and Not Go Crazy?

There are so many benefits to cooking with kids in the kitchen. It’s quality time that can be spent together but also teaches them many critical life skills during the process as well. Getting started can be a bit of a struggle sometimes. Knowing what is appropriate based on their age, finding a healthy recipe to cook with them, or figuring out ways to involve kids in the kitchen can get tricky (and let’s face it kind of intimidating) when you actually get into it.

Resources To Help You Start Cooking With Kids

I recently found some great resources to help answer all of these questions!  These provide some answers and ideas bringing kids in the kitchen to not only learn but help you out.

Fit Mama Real Food
This site has a page dedicated specifically to cooking with kids and she has some super helpful resources on the topic!

Teaching Kids to Cook By Age
100+ Simple Ways to Involve Kids In The Kitchen

Heather offers some great tips and advice. She’s a mom of four so you know life has to be hectic and she can understand the challenges that come up with bringing kids into the kitchen to help.

Food Network Recipes with Kids

Another great resource is Food Network, with their Cooking with Kids section which offers recipes to make with kids, as well as ideas on kitchen task and easy baking projects.

Cooking Task Kids Can Help With at Every Age

Kids Health from Nemours

Nemours is a trusted health resource and offers some advice on Cooking with Kids as well. Here are some of their suggestions:

  • Pick the Right time

Create opportunities for cooking with your kids when you aren’t short on time. If someone is hangry, it’s probably not a good time to try it.

  • Find Your Strategy

Prep work- Depending on your child/s age it can be easier if you do some prep work that could be pre-measuring for little ones, or pre-cutting things.

  • Set expectations

Most things work better when you set up the expectations upfront and this is no exception. Explain the boundaries and rules of the kitchen. If there’s a task an adult must complete let them know upfront.

  • Start Small

Keep it simple at first and let them complete a task that is small and easy to do with minimal assistance. This allows kids to build their skills slowly and the more you do it the more challenging the task can become.

  • Don’t Forget Breaks

Kids don’t have the longest of attention spans sometimes so it’s good to keep this in mind. For younger kids, it’s a good idea to give them a little bit of a break understanding they may not be ready to follow through from start to finish.

  • Acknowledge Their Work

Don’t forget to provide encouragement and affirm their accomplishments.  Be as specific/descriptive as possible with how they are doing a good job. For example, instead of just “great job!” you could say, “you did a great job mixing all the ingredients together and making sure they are all combined!” If something goes wrong, remind them it happens to everyone, and as long as they learn from it.

 

Kitchen Tools For Kids

Here are some tools from Amazon that are helpful and kid-friendly!


There are so many memories and lessons that are learned in the kitchen that kids will hold on to for years to come. It can be overwhelming and frustrating at times, so remember when those moments come, it’s not just you. There will be really fun and good moments too. The good moments will do your heart better than you can imagine!

 

 

Feeling overwhelmed with motherhood?  Check out the post below!

The Truth About Motherhood & Being An Awesome Mom feature

 

 

Kids are Great Cooks

Filed Under: Kids

Why Should Kids Learn How to Cook?

Kids Learn To Cook

If there’s something 2020 has definitely taught us; it’s the importance of life skills.  Due to the convenience of most things, we often take life skills for granted…that is until everything is closed, or supplies are limited.  Cooking is a vital life skill that even if you are someone who doesn’t prefer to do it, you still need to be capable of it which is why kids should learn how to cook.  Cooking involves critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration.

“If you give a man a fish he is hungry again in an hour.  If you teach him to catch a fish you, and you feed him for a lifetime. -Unknown”

What Skills Does Cooking Involve?

  • It is an activity that engages all the senses: smelling, tasting, touching, hearing, and seeing.
  • Temperature- converting temperatures for a recipe
  • Time- working on cooking times based on weight
  • Measurements- measuring correct quantities or changing measurements based on quantities that are being made.
  • Colors and Shapes
  • Fractions
  • Hand-eye coordination
  • Reading

Cooking Helps Teach Kids About:

There are many things that teaching children to cook helps teach them that goes beyond just nutrition for their bodies.

  • Family traditions with certain foods or meals
  • Other cultures
  • Combining flavors
  • Presentation
  • Science (what happens when certain ingredients are mixed together)
  • Promotes healthy eating
  • Promotes awareness about what you are eating
  • Math

Dr. Nimali Fernando, MD, MPH, FAAP, a practicing pediatrician, joyful experiences involving food can help kids overcome the anxiety they may have around tasting the unfamiliar.  Over time, cooking with kids can help build confidence and provide rich sensory experiences.

Research has shown that cooking at home often leads to healthier meals.  According to research from John Hopkins, when cooking at home people consume less sugar and fat.

 

Empowering Children to Learn to Cook

Kids Are Great Cooks Subscription Box

So how do you help your kids learn to cook?  What if you aren’t all that experienced yourself in the kitchen?   I was recently able to try out a new subscription service called Kids Are Great Cooks.  It is a monthly cooking club for kids that teaches them to cook with step by step instructions, build kitchen skills, grow self-confidence, and increase their independence in the kitchen.  The box is aimed at kids from 7-14+.

The Difference in Kids Are Great Cooks

There are many subscription boxes out there, and there are websites that you can google recipes on, however, what makes Kids Are Great Cooks stand out is the video tutorials for each recipe.  The videos are taught by kids and give more details about how to prepare a dish.  The additional details include things such as what the consistency of something should look like, as well as kitchen tips which explain the different types of pots and pans as well as what types of tools you should use for them (wood, plastic, metal) depending on if it is a stainless-steel material or non-stick material.  One thing that really sets this subscription box apart from others is the kid led videos.

 

Kids are Great Cooks Subscription Box
Kids are Great Cooks Subscription Box
Kids are Great Cooks Apron
The apron that comes in the first box
Game Board
Game Board to enhance the fun

There are also bloopers and outtakes which are fun because they give a behind the scenes view to kids.

The Kids Are Great Cooks Blog has some fantastic information for kids (and adults!) where topics such as seasoning and flavorings, kitchen tools, herbs, kitchen how-to and more are covered.  If you need an indication of the expertise that will be provided in the subscription I recommend checking out the blog.  It’s detailed and there is a wealth of knowledge that is well laid out and authored by kids so that it isn’t overwhelming.

They offer three plans, a 3-month plan at $28/kit, a 6-month plan at $26/kit, or a 12-month Plan at $24/kit.  You can check out what the subscription plans include on the subscription page.

Additional resources on the benefits of kids learning to cook:

https://mommyuniversitynj.com/2015/03/16/10-benefits-of-cooking-with-kids/

https://www.healthylittlefoodies.com/developing-early-mathematical-skills-through-cooking/

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/learning-to-cook-and-cook_b_1099863?

 

GARMIN VIVOFIT Jr 2 Review

Filed Under: Kids

Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 Review

Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 Review

It’s important to encourage kids with physical activity without making it seem like a chore or punishment.  As parents, we want them to associate fitness with something positive, not negative. When we get up and move it is not only good for our body but our minds as well.   It’s also good to teach kids to be mindful of what they are doing and how their time is spent.  The Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 is a fun fitness tracker that provides a way to introduce kids to exercise and help them establish healthy habits.

What is Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2?

garmin vivofit jr 2

The band is a fitness tracker geared specifically towards kids.  They have fun bands that include favorite franchises such as Star Wars, Avengers, Disney Princesses, and more. The main purpose of the tracker is very similar to what adults use them for- it allows for steps to be counted, daily goals to be set and it can monitor sleep as well.  To up the ante on fun, Garmin has created a Vivofit jr. App which has fun games that kids earn moves on based on their activity.

Kids are able to set up competitions with themselves or with others to see who can get the most steps in a certain timeframe. This could be anywhere from a toe to toe challenge for two minutes, to a week-long competition.

The bands are waterproof and come with a 1+ year battery (which is replaceable) so there’s no need to worry about charging.

Another cool aspect of the bands is that timers and chores can be set within the app.  When the chore is completed then they can earn coins that accumulate until a reward is reached. You can set reminders which will show on their band, for example, if they should start homework at 3:30, the watch will display an alert at that time.

GARMIN VIVOFIT Jr 2 Review Screen Shots

Why is Physical Activity Important?

It’s been proven that regular physical activity can help kids improve cardiorespiratory fitness, build strong bones and muscles, control weight, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and reduce the risk of developing health conditions such as heart disease (CDC).

The Vivofit Jr. 2 Band is a great way to make kids aware of how much activity they are getting and allows them to challenge themselves to real goals.  It’s a great tool to encourage physical activity and make them aware of how much they are getting in a fun way.

Verdict on Vivotfit Jr 2 Band Review

The kids love their Vivofit Jr. 2 Band and that they earn moves on the app when the meet their 60-minute activity goal.  For my nine-year-old, it also helps when she wants to sit in front of the tv and don’t realize how long she’s been doing it until I ask what her activity for the day so looks like.  It also makes for less arguing that “I haven’t been sitting here all day” which is a bonus.

My six-year-old loves his band as well and enjoys the challenges.  He also likes having the ability to set timers whether it’s for a challenge or to see how long it takes him to take a bath.

I want fitness to be a part of what they do not some dreaded forced activity.  The Vivofit Jr. 2 Band helps accomplish that.  Since using the bands, there is a definite increase in awareness of activity and fun in making sure that they meet challenges and goals.  Yes, there are definitely still lazy days but there is also excitement when they meet two activity rings or have a large number of steps giving them a sense of accomplishment which is a lot of fun to see.

The bands themselves are very durable and we haven’t had any issues with the graphics on them or the band coming off.  As mentioned earlier they are waterproof so the kids can wear them in the tub or pool with no worries of damage.   I’ve found that these have been a really fun way to remind the kids to be active without being pushy or feeling forced.

I hope you found this Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 review helpful!

Where to Find

You can find the Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 Bands at retailers such as Target and Walmart as well as on Amazon.  You can also find bands only on Amazon so that you can swap them out with new bands.

Bands ONLY

Have you tried the Vivofit Jr 2?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

 

Interested in more fitness ideas for kids? Check out these post!

Avengers Workout for Kids

Workouts for KidsUNO Fitness Workout

Avengers Workout for Kids

Filed Under: Kids

AVENGERS WORKOUT FOR KIDS

Avengers Workout for Kids

 

My kids LOVE the Avengers.  It’s become part of our nighttime routine that we all sit down and watch one of the Avengers animated shows on Disney+.   Right now, we’re on Season 2 of Avengers Assemble.   This Avengers workout for kids was something they found fun and it interested them more than just trying to “exercise” because it felt more like there was a purpose behind it.  After all, who doesn’t want to be an Avenger?  Not to mention the benefits kids gain through exercising.

Tabata Avengers Workout

This Avengers workout is a Tabata workout.  Tabata is the creation of Dr. Izumi Tabata, a former hockey coach, who helped to develop and refine the system in the 1990s.  The workouts are broken down into 20 seconds of HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) during which the exerciser goes as hard and fast as they can, followed by a 10 second rest period.  This is repeated for the duration of the workout, which lasts for 4 minutes.  The same exercise can be done throughout; you can choose to do 2 or more different exercises and rotate them, or do up to 8 different exercises.

An almost limitless range of exercises can be incorporated into Tabata workouts.  You could literally work out for years and not do the exact same workout twice.  This makes it a great form of exercise for anyone who is easily bored.

Examples of Tabata exercises 

  • Lunge (or lunge variation of your choice) ex; back lunge, side lunge, jump lunge
  • Squat (or squat variation of your choice) ex; wide squats, jump squats, frog hops
  • Mountain Climbers
  • High Knees

The video is by Get Kids Moving and they have many other workouts that you can try as well that are themed- Wonder Woman, Frozen, Star Wars, and more.

Avengers Workout

Warm-up 5-10 minutes 

Perform each move below, alternating 20 seconds of all-out effort with 10 seconds of rest. Repeat the same move for 8 rounds, for a total of 4 minutes.

Your Exercises:

DRAX PUNCHES – 20sec

REST – 10secs

SUPER SOLDIERS – 20secs

REST – 10secs

ASGARD SMASH – 20secs

REST – 10secs

INFINITY SQUATS – 20secs

REST – 10secs

HYDRA PUNCHES – 20secs

REST – 10secs

SPIDEY KICKS – 20secs

REST – 10secs

INFINITY JUMPS – 20secs

REST – 10secs

WAR MACHINES – 20secs

 

Click the youtube link below to follow along with the video 

Here’s another Fun Avengers Workout to also check out.

Also, here’s a fun Avengers Challange for adults to check out

 

Uno Fitness Workout for Kids

Filed Under: Kids

UNO Fitness Workout For Kids

UNO Fitness Workout

Here’s another idea for making fitness fun for kids.  It shouldn’t seem like a punishment or something they absolutely dread, but just part of life, like brushing your teeth or putting on your shoes.  Something you just do because it helps to keep you healthy and strong.  This activity switches things up a bit by using Uno Cards to help determine the activity and how many reps that will be done.  You could also do this with a regular deck of cards and instead of colors use the card symbol to determine the activity.

Don’t forget to check out the benefits of fitness for kids!

Purpose of Activity:

To increase cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength.

Materials Needed:

– Deck of “UNO” cards
-Colored signs (1 of each color in UNO deck)
-Paper card with an exercise listed;   ex: red=push ups, yellow=mountain climbers; blue=wide sumo squats, green=side jumps (or lateral jumps) or you can create your own exercises for each color.
wild card draw pile with cards with activities listed on them

Description of Idea

Each child is dealt or draws a UNO card. They are to perform an activity by the following criteria:

 

  • Skip Card — skip one lap around the yard or down the street and back

 

  • Reverse Card — jog/walk 1 lap around the yard or around the street or neighborhood

 

  • Draw 2 Card — draw 2 cards from regular UNO cards deck and perform the activity which corresponds to the card color using the number of repetitions indicated by the number on the card

 

  • Wild Draw 4 Card — draw 4 cards from the UNO deck and do all 4 activities

 

  • Wild Card – Pick a color and do the activity for 10 repetitions

 

  • Number Cards — the child does the number of repetitions indicated by the corresponding to the color. Example: A child draws a card that is 5 red. Go to the red sign with the exercise listed and do 5 push-ups or whatever that sign has listed.

 

After completing an activity the student puts the card back in the completed pile and the student is dealt another card. Continue this for a set amount of time or each child has completed a certain number of cards.

Here is an updated version of the activity that allows you to do this at home.

Variations:

Other types of activities could be included such as jumping rope,  bench steps, or frog leaps to get away from traditional exercises.

Try the activity as a group challenge. Can your group do X amount of the activity in a given amount of time? How many cards were you able to complete?

Want more fun?

Workouts for Kids

Workouts for Kids

Filed Under: Kids

Making Workouts for Kids Fun

Workouts for Kids

Why Is It Important?

Exercise has been proven to have many benefits both physically and mentally.   According to children’s specialty health provider Nemours, some of the main benefits of exercise for kids include:

Need more benefits?  Check out 10 Benefits of Physical Activity for Kids from Parents Magazine.

As kids exercise they are working on endurance, strength, and flexibility.  It also plays a part in improving their mental health as well. Being fit and exercising doesn’t mean it has to be a rigorous, dreaded activity.  It is about moving and having fun.

17 Exercise Ideas That Aren’t Boring or Intimidating

Going on a Bear Hunt

Remember the song “I’m going on a Bear Hunt” from when you were a kid?  Have some fun and act out the motions as you sing!  Swim across the lake, climb up the tree, and stomp over the bridge! Kids will have a blast as they run and scurry from the bear at the end!  They’ll feel like they’re just having fun, singing, and acting it out while they are working their arms, lifting their legs, and running around doing cardio.

Hula Hooping

Kids love hula hoops!  Check out this Hula Hoop Challange for inspiration! Find Hula Hoops on Amazon

Follow the Leader

This is super simple and fun.  Throw in some jumping jacks, stomping, and squatting to make it fun and challenging.

Dance Party

Put on a playlist of your favorite songs and get moving!

Freeze Dance

Another option to a dance party to kick it up a notch is to play freeze dance and be ready to stop and start at a moment’s notice!  You can even get Alexa to play Freeze Dance!

Bubble Smash

Blow some bubbles and have the kids run and try to see who can smash them.

Pillow Fight.

You know how that works ;).  They’re getting in activity and movement and they run and swing that pillow, never realizing that it’s an exercise in motion.

HopScotch

This can be done inside or outside by using floor markers or tape inside or chalk outside.   While playing a game they will be jumping and practicing balance as well.

Balloon Ball

Don’t let the balloon touch the ground!  Each child can have their own balloon or it could be a game with just one where they continually move and hit it to keep it from hitting the ground.

Parachute

Using a parachute or a sheet at home, each kid will take an end of the parachute (or sheet) and fan it upward while one of you runs underneath.

Wheelbarrow Race

Have kids race from one end of the yard to another, or time a pair to see how long it takes them to wheelbarrow around the house three times. Check out this Kids Wheel Barrow Race on YouTube!  It’s sure to tire them out for the evening!

Clean Up Race

This is an activity we do a lot when I’m tired of fighting with the kids to get stuff done.  Set a timer and make it a competition for them and it seems to set off some inspiration!  Plus, things get done quickly!

Obstacle Course

You can use couch cushions, pots and pans, and plenty of other household objects to construct an engaging and challenging obstacle course!  Kids can climb under blankets stretched between the couch and coffee table, or they can somersault across the living room. This can be done inside or out!

Bubble Wrap Attack

What kid doesn’t love bubble wrap?  Put some on the floor and have them jump around until it’s all popped!

Headstands

This is a great way to work core muscles!  Many times kids catch on quickly.

Dinosaur Workout

This is one of our favorites.  The kids both LOVE dinosaurs!  You can make it up as you go, or use Fit Mom Go’s Dinosaur Theme Workout!

Speaking of Fit Mom Go, she has a great playlist of Mommy and Me workouts to check out.

Fun Yoga

Cosmic Yoga has fantastic videos for kids to get moving and practicing yoga with themed workouts such as Alice in Wonderland, Super Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog and so much more.

 

Check out At Home Activities- Movement!

VIvofit Jr

UNO Fitness Workout

Helping Kids Handle Worry

Filed Under: Gifts, Kids

Helping Kids Handle Worry During the Pandemic

*Products mentioned in this post are not sponsored but something I found very helpful and wanted to share*

Worry is natural when you face the unknown.  Regardless of your age or even your experience, the unknown is scary.  A change in your routine makes you feel unbalanced.   This is especially true for kids.  While kids are resilient, this isn’t to say that the sudden changes of the current pandemic going on doesn’t affect them.   How do we, as parents help?  After all, this is a first for us too.

Understanding that kids feel the pandemic stress too is the first place to start in understanding why they may be more clingy or reverting to behaviors from earlier in childhood such as bedwetting, tantrums, or thumb sucking.  There are things that can help though, such as talking with them about how they’re feeling.  Finding a new hobby or way to be creative can help them focus on something positive.  It’s been proven that for kids and adults exercise is very beneficial when it comes to not only physical health but mental health as well. It seems hard right now, but perseverance through this is building kids grit and will make them stronger.

Now that school will be starting back, I wanted to find a way to help ease the kid’s concern about going back with mask, and sadness about not getting to visit with old teachers or interact with friends as much.  It’s going to be different than prior years and I don’t want their worry and fears to contribute any more than what it already is to their learning process.

I follow Vickle Pickle Boutique on Instagram and saw that she was offering “worry stones” for kids that come in adorable tin containers.   The best part was she not only had one for girls but boys as well.

Worry Stones from Vickle Pickle Boutique

 

Kids Worry Stone Vickle Pickle Boutique

I decided to get one for each kid as something small they’d be able to carry with them as a reminder that things will be ok.  They were so surprised when they opened them and read the message inside.  I thought they would like them, but their reaction was so much sweeter than I anticipated.

Inspire Kids Worry Stone Vickle Pickle Boutique

Dream-Kids Worry Stone Vickle Pickle Boutique

My six-year-old will stick his in his pocket when he’s having a bad morning so he remembers that he doesn’t need to worry, things will turn around.   I only know this because one day he had gotten mad and was sitting on the couch huffing when he reached in his pocket and pulled out the stone feeling it with his hands.

Kids Worry Stones Tins With Stone Inside from Vickle Pickle Boutique

My daughter, who is very analytical and very much an overthinker which then sometimes leads to worry and fear has found that it’s a small reminder to stop letting worry in.  She’s nine, but sometimes her little brain seems much older in the things it contemplates.  She likes to hold hers, or carry it with her so that she says ‘when I’m not feeling too happy so it reminds me to smile.’

Kids Worry Stone Card from Vickle Pickle Boutique
A reminder that comes with the Worry Stone

I love the stones because they are not only pretty, as well as small, but can be stuck in a bag or backpack easier than a stuffed animal or blanket.  If you’re looking for a small reminder for your child, I think that this is definitely worth checking out and it’s something they can have for a long time than will mean something even beyond this pandemic and childhood.

If you’d like to hear more about the story behind the stones, check out “Woman Starts Vickle Pickle Gratitude Stone Business” from Staten Island Advance.

Don’t forget to check out Vickle Pickle Boutique on Instagram!  Also, she has Gratitude Stones that are great gifts for everyone!

Worry Stones from Vickle Pickle

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Picnic Food Ideas

Filed Under: At Home, Kids

Summer Picnics – Food Ideas

Summer Picnics

Summer is a great time for a picnic. Whether it’s at a park, the beach or even your own backyard it is a great way to spend time together and make memories to last a lifetime!

 

Fried Chicken & Cole Slaw or Crispy Roasted Potatoes in a Basket –

You can fry/bake your own Fried chicken or pick up some from your favorite Chicken place! Publix has wings that a great idea to use for any picnic
Fried Chicken and Cole SlawCole Slaw Recipe
Low Fat Oven Fried Chicken Recipe
Cripsy Roasted Potatoes Recipe

 

Pasta Salad 


A pasta salad is a great main dish – or side dish for hamburgers, Hotdogs, Chicken, and more.  Plus it’s so easy to do! 

Summer Pasta Salad Recipe

Summer Pasta Salad

Option 2 – Pizza Pasta Salad Recipe 

 

Pizza 

This is always great delivery//Frozen// leftover or making an easy french bread pizza together and going out on the lawn for a picnic.

French Bread Pizza 

French Bread Pizza



Classic – Sandwiches

Focaccia Sandwiches


Foccacia Sandwiches

Pita Bread  Tukey Sandwiches or Just veggie!

Pita Sandwiches for lunch

 

BBQ Chicken Skewers! 

 

BBW Chicken Skewers Summer Picnic Ideas



Parm Pesto Chicken

Pesto Chicken Summer Picnic Ideas

Dessert

Roasted Strawberry Sheet cake! 

Roasted Strawberry Sheet Cake for Picnic

 

Baked Apple Chips! 

 

Baked Apple Chips

 

What are your favorite picnic foods?

Rainy Summer Day Activities at Home

Filed Under: Kids

Rainy Summer Day Activities

Be Prepared with Rainy Summer Day Activities at Home

Random rain storms happen in Florida so it’s always good to have a backup plan for when it happens.  Sometimes it’s only fifteen minutes, other times it can be the majority of the day.  No worries, though I’ve put together a list of activities to help you find something to do if rain interrupts your day that and they are sure to help keep the kids from going stir crazy.

Easy Rainy Summer Day Activities

  • Camp in. Put the sleeping bags on the floor and have a family slumber party.
  • Experiment with new hairdos. Let the kids try out non-permanent colors, braids, or a spiked, gelled look.
  • Build a fort. Put pillows in the living room or cardboard boxes in the yard.
  • Rearrange the furniture. Give the kids’ graph paper and have them draw out a plan first.
  • Make a time capsule. Have each family member write down something they are grateful for and include a special item in the time capsule. Then, store it away until a designated date. You can open it as early as Thanksgiving or as far off as high school graduation.
  • Play a card game. Choose from crazy eights, spoons, go fish, or even poker. Take your pick.
  • Have breakfast in bed. Take turns being the server and the served.
  • Hold marble races. Use an old pool noodle as the track. Simply cut it in half, making two tracks of equal length. Then, race the marbles down the tracks to see who has the fastest one.
  • Make paper airplanes. See whose airplane goes the farthest.
  • Get an origami book and fun paper. Create fun animals and shapes. Give them to friends or family members as gifts.
  • Play charades. Turn all the summer drama into a game.
  • Break out your movie collection or use Netflix. Have a movie marathon complete with popcorn.
  • Build a Lego castle. Clear off a table and make it a family project. Work on it all summer.
  • Set a goal and complete a home project. Whether it is cleaning the garage, organizing the basement, or redecorating the spare bedroom, find ways to let the kids help.