Kids

Beta Fish An Easy Pet For Kids

Filed Under: Kids March 9, 2020

Easy Pets for Kids

Betta Fish

“Can I have a pet? Please! I promise to take care of it.” -said every child at some point in their life. Most of the time it’s something that will inevitably fall back on the parent even if it’s just partially which I think is what makes us dread it when we hear that question.

At the end of the school year, my daughter’s teacher asked if someone would like to take the class Betta fish. My daughter begged, “please!! I know how to take care of it!” as she proceeded to explain to me the process of feeding and cleaning the bowl. It was a fish, that came with the tank and all, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to say yes. Apparently, other people felt that way also so there way a drawing for it, which we didn’t win. This led us to the next inevitable question… “Can we buy one?” which makes my 5-year-old pipe in too “I want one!” Great. Now I need two? Initially, I explained they could just share one, there wasn’t a point to two. Besides, you can only have one Betta in a tank.

Proven Wrong By Amazon

In order to look for cheap tank options, we decided to look on Amazon. We needed something more than just a plain bowl that didn’t have a lid. We found this Betta Falls Kit by Aqueon.

It’s three separate containers that are part of one tank. It’s pretty cool and it allowed for each kid to pick out a Betta fish which was a bonus.

The tank setup was super easy!

We also got these Betta Bed Leaf Hammock which apparently Betta’s like to lay on?

Interesting Tidbits about Betta Fish

They are jumpers- so you need a lid
They are Carnivores- You can supplement the fish’s diet with frozen or freeze-dried brine shrimp or tubifex worms.
They can live up to 3 years
They grow up to 3 inches long
They gulp air from the surface of their tank so they don’t need aerated aquariums

Bettas don’t need a lot of room or a filter in their habitat. However, having a bigger habitat and filter helps with maintenance so that’s the route we went with the Aqueon Betta Falls Kit. The setup process and cost for a Betta fish is much more affordable than a full-on aquarium (especially a saltwater one). The nice thing is they are beautiful and colorful, which you don’t get a lot of in a freshwater tank.

You feed them a very small amount 1-2 times a day, and their maintenance is very little. This makes them a great pet for kids.

The Betta Bed Hammock

I’m not going to lie about this, I laughed at my husband when he purchased these. I mean… really?? A Betta bed hammock? Then, after about two weeks, the fist started laying on it. This was one of the funniest things I had seen. It was like a dog trying to get comfortable on it’s dog bed so it walks around in a circle before sitting. The fish did nearly the same thing.

Is It Really An Easy Pet for Kids

Overall, this is an easy pet for the kids. They like to watch it and talk to their fish. It also helps with encouraging responsibility as they remember to feed their fish every day. Fun fact, you can train your Betta to play with it- Playing With Your Betta Fish. This was funny because when my son went to pick out his fish he looked, and looked, then looked some more before saying “I want to see which one comes to me” meaning when he stuck his finger on the outside of the container which one came over.

If you’re looking for something very low maintenance that will allow your child to have a pet but not drive you crazy, I think a Betta fish is a great option to check out!

Helpful Betta Fish Resources:

Petsmart Betta Fish Care Guide

Aqueon Betta Care Sheet

Great Kids Books To Read Together

Filed Under: Kids October 16, 2019

Great Kids Books

There’s no denying the benefit of reading for kids. Whether reading to your toddler or an older kid reading themselves, the benefits have been shown many times. It can be fun to sit and read books as a family or as a bedtime routine.

Now that school has started and my youngest is in kindergarten, we’ve been reading a lot more. Below are some great books to read with your kids that are even fun for kids (who can read) to do so out loud, which by the way is also helpful when there are younger siblings. They are a sure way to help increase your child’s love of reading and will entertain you both along the way!

The Legend Of Rock Paper Scissors

Author: Drew Daywalt and Adam Rex

You’ve played the game. Now read the legend of how it all began . . .

This book is clever and full of sharp wit! It is the story (well an imaginary one) of how the legend of the popular kids game Rock, Paper, Scissors came to battle and who vanquishes whom. It’s entertaining and includes some silly “trash talk” with others who want to fight each competitor. The book is filled with fun silly scenarios. Paper battles a printer, Scissors challenges a tape dispenser and Rock challenges an apricot, just to name a few of the battles you’ll read.

There are sayings like “drop that underwear and battle me, you ridiculous wooden clip man!” (said by Rock to a clothespin) that will have kids rolling with laughter. It leads up to the point where each (Rock, Paper and Scissors) meet their match. Each is incredibly happy and grateful to have met a worthy opponent.

The book is best read out loud and don’t worry, the expressive fonts and incredible illustrations will help you get into character to read it. You may even find yourself putting on a full performance as you read it! This is definitely one of those books that is fun for kids and adults!

Mother Bruce

Author: Ryan T. Higgens

Bruce is a grumpy bear that becomes a parent to baby geese. In life, Bruce gets enjoyment out of cooking eggs. He’s particularly fond of “free-range organic” eggs. He spends his time collecting eggs from around the forest and looking up recipes online. One day however, four of his eggs hatch baby geese and they are convinced that Bruce is their mother.

He tries his best to rid himself of the baby geese but they are not going so he takes on his role as Mother Bruce. It even follows them from “annoying baby geese” to the struggles Bruce faces with “stubborn teenage geese” all the way to “boring adult geese” who don’t understand the concept of migration so Bruce finds a solution. The book is cute and comical, parents will be able to relate to some of the concepts and kids will find them funny as well.

More Reviews of Mother Bruce

Extension Activities with this book

There’s a Monster in Your Book

Author: Tom Fletcher

Some books were made to be read out loud.

A monster has invaded the pages of your book! You have to try and get him out by following interactive instructions such as tilting, spinning and shaking the book to get the mischievous little monster out. What do you do once he’s out though?

This bedtime story is fun and is great to read to your child. The book does a great job of being exciting but also helping your child get ready for bed. If your child is a new reader this is a great book for them to read out loud for practice. The book’s fun and interactive making reading feel less like work and more like a discovery. No worries, after the excitement of getting the monster out of the book it does wind down to bring calm to bedtime.

Looking For More? Check Out This Post!

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Overview

Filed Under: Disney, Kids, Travel July 8, 2019

The Magic Of The Disney’s Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Experience

A Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Overview

Want to give your little one the royal treatment? Look no further than the Bibbidi Bobbiti Boutique experience! This post will help you get a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique overview and be ready for your experience.

While visiting Walt Disney World we made an appointment at Disney Springs Bibbidi Bobbiti Boutique. A few years ago we did the one at the Magic Kingdom park inside Cinderella’s Castle which was a great experience, although a little crowded.

What is Disney’s Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Experience?

Remember the Fairy Godmothers three magic words that transformed Cinderella from maid to beautiful princess? This is the Disney real-life version. At the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, your child gets their very own Fairy Godmother-in-training to give them a royal makeover. The Fairy Godmother doesn’t allow them to use scissors, so no worries there! Your child will choose a hairstyle, will get makeup, nail color and accessories. There is a location in Cinderella’s castle as well as one in Disney Springs. The Disney Springs Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is roomier than the Castle location and now that it has it’s own space (previously it was inside World Of Disney) it makes it magical.

Before you see the package prices, I want to mention something very important. You can do the base package (starts at $64.95) and bring your own princess dress. That’s what we did and there is absolutely no difference in the experience you receive. You still go to the dressing room and change as you would if you bought the dress. If this is a once in a lifetime trip you are creating I can understand wanting to do the max package. It’s a lot to put out though if it’s not a super special trip. You can even opt not to do a dress at all and just wear regular clothes. Let’s face it- It’s Florida…hot…and humid, so there’s no judging.

Don’t forget these Must Have Disney Items to take with you!

Packages Offered at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

The cost can vary for your visit. There are various packages offered that you can choose from that fall into every budget. Below are some of the information on the packages offered at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for your Disney Princess

The Crown Package($64.95 + tax) includes hairstyling, makeup with a face gem, nail polish, princess sash and cinch bag. Every package includes these items.
The Courtyard Package($109.95 + tax) adds on a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique T-shirt and tutu.
The Castle Package(starting at $199.95 + tax) adds on a princess costume of your princess’ choosing and accessories (excluding shoes).
The Deluxe Castle Package (starting at $229.95 plus tax) includes hairstyling, makeup with a face gem, princess necklace, sash, cinch sack and Deluxe Disney Princess gown of your choice (excluding shoes) … plus a coordinating boxed accessory set!
The Princess Signature Dress Collection(starting at $450 + tax) features a princess gown made with heirloom-quality fabrics, a crystal tiara and organza garment bag.
The Minnie Dot Package(starting at $124.95 plus tax) Unique Minnie Mouse hairstyling, Minnie dot dress and matching bow, Face gem, Princess cinch sack, Nail polish
The Disney Frozen Crown Package(starting at 114.95 plus tax) Anna or Elsa hairstyling with braided hairpiece, sparkling snowflake hair accessories, shimmering makeup, face gem, Princess sash and cinch sash, nail polish, 12 Inch Olaf plush toy
The Disney Frozen Package(starting at 164.95 plus tax) adds on Anna or Elsa dress to the Frozen Crown Package

For Boys:

The Knight Package($19.95 + tax) includes hair styling with gel and mighty sword and shield
The Deluxe Knight Package($79.95 + tax) Knight costume, hair styling with gel and mighty sword and shield

Our Experience at the Disney Springs Boutique

For our visit, I found this dress on Amazon, which worked perfectly for a “Belle” dress as well as the gold sparkly shoes. It worked out perfectly!!! Plus is was much cheaper than buying a dress there. I highly recommend a dress like this or bringing your own Disney Princess dress from home. My son didn’t change clothes, he doesn’t really care for ‘costumes’ so we did the base knight package. He loved his sword and shield. At first, he was cranky because he had gotten up super early to drive down but the Fairy Godmother-in-training was an absolute pro and talked him right through it. “Do you like frogs?” she asked. He gave a smile and a mumbled “yeah.” She explained, “Well we use frog slime to put in your hair so that the dragon scales stick and then you’ll fool dragons into thinking you are one of them!” That was it, he was hooked. She told him it was helpful if he had to fight a dragon or if he wanted to train one.

You actually go into the dressing room regardless if you’ll be changing or not so the Fairy Godmother-in-training can show your child what they’ll do with their hair and then there’s a special visit from the Fairy Godmother herself (via the mirror).

Why You Should Consider The Disney Springs Bibbidi Bobbidi Location

While the Magic Kingdom location is definitely an experience that’s worth having, the Disney Springs location has much more room and since being renovated to have its own building it is equally as special as the Magic Kingdom location. Plus! You don’t need a theme park ticket. That means if you want to plan a fun day that is Disney involved you can do it without visiting the parks. There’s lots of shopping, things to look at, and even a movie theater on site at Disney Springs.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for Boys

I want to point out that Bibbidy Bobbidi Boutique has some adorable packages for boys. My son thought he was going to hate it and initially tried to refuse doing it. Once he was in there and they started talking about dragons and dragon snot (hair gel) he was all in. It was one of his favorite experiences and we’d do it again. The shield and sword that he received was very sturdy and something that he still plays with.

Things To Know Before You Go

Reserve Early – Reservations can be made up to 180 days in advance. You can make them by phone or online.

Time Required- 30 to 60 minutes depending on the package

Hair- Arrive with clean and brushed hair

Cancellation- A valid accepted credit card is required when booking. A $10 cancellation fee is applied for no-shows or if the reservation is canceled within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment.

Ages- 3 to 12

Want more Disney Fun? Check out the post below!

Taking Your Toddler to Disney

For more creative fun check out: Tie-Dye Mickey Shirts at the Grand Floridian

Staying at Walt Disney World? Learn more about The Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World, Florida

Why Every Kid Needs Grit and How To Help Them Get It

Filed Under: Kids, Mommy January 28, 2019

Kids and Grit

We all want our kids to be their absolute best. One of the ways we can try and do that is by helping them grow their grit. (See- What is Grit) This doesn’t necessarily mean making them pull themselves up by their bootstraps and get a job done. It is more about coaching them and helping them realize that failure isn’t bad, it’s a stepping stone. Encouraging them to try things on their own and take on manageable challenges. As they meet goals, they will build confidence.

An article that I came across by Jenny Williams, has a great post on A Fine Parent about what grit is, why kids need it, and how you can foster it; is a great explanation. One of my favorite quotes from this post is- “While the word grit may conjure images of Rocky Balboa or Dirty Harry, in the past decade or so it has taken on a whole new meaning that has stolen the attention of parents and educators alike.”

Grit is that focus that allows someone to maintain the discipline and the optimism to persevere in their goals regardless of how hard it gets, how afraid they might be of rejection or failure. It is determination, passion, and resilience to keep moving forward. Jenny’s article is extremely informative and helpful. A warning, this can be as hard for you (as the parent) to watch as it is for them to overcome sometimes. It hurts us when our kids “fail” or when they feel bad about something. Trust me, I know! Helping your kids with their grit definitely helps you strengthen yours as well. (Learn more about the power of grit for you.)

Scholastic has a great article on how to raise a kid with grit. In it, it talks about ways to help your child be gritty. One suggestion is to let them pursue something difficult, something that will require discipline to practice. Another suggestion is to promote perseverance. Everyone is not great at everything and even if you have some natural talent you still have to practice and hone your skill.

If your child gets into something that they find isn’t for them, try and have them finish through that season/session. There are valuable skills that can be learned even in things that we find aren’t for us. I attempted trying to learn to draw, and I’ll tell you I’m completely horrible at it. However, I learned skills about patience, colors, and attention to detail that I didn’t know before. There’s always something you can pull out of an experience to help you in other areas.

Another great article found on Very Well Family talks about allowing your child to get frustrated. It helps develop resilience. Be there to encourage them and to direct them into finding solutions for their frustration. That’s the key to growing. If you child learns early on that in their frustration they should step back and find a solution it will help them throughout life.

Books on helping kids with Grit

What are your thoughts on helping your child grow their grit?

6 Easy Kid Costumes That Can Be Worn More Than Once!

Filed Under: Holidays, Kids October 12, 2018

DIY Costumes For Kids That Are More Than Just Costumes

Getting costumes for kids can add up quick! There are some costumes that can only be worn once or twice so it can be a little frustrating when you’re spending $40+ to buy it. It is not only cost effective but can be very fun and creative to come up with costumes with things that you either already have or that can be worn again besides just for Halloween or a Fall Festival. Here are some easy diy kid costumes!

1. Farmer Costume

I love this costume! It is not only adorable, but can be worn through out the year. Plus, you can easly sawp out shirts for the overalls or bottoms for the tops and create new outfits!

2. Rosie the Riviter

This is a classic! The outfit can be worn together or seperatley with other pieces later on.

Bandana

Denim Outfit

3. Minnie Mouse

Definitley a favorite! This dress could be worn for other occassions as well and if you’re planning a Disney Trip, both the dress and ears will come in handy!!

Minnie Dress

Minnie Ears

4. Hunter

For all the outdoor lovers, Here’s a fun costume that can not only be worn again, but also won’t get dirty fast! (Well, never say never..lol)

Camo Pants

Shirt

5. Superman

Easy and super cute!! A dress shirt and pants is always a good thing to have. You can also pair them with other bottoms and tops as well as the Superman shirt!

Black Dress Pants

White Dress Shirt

Superman Shirt

6. Mime

This costume has an extra bonus…. your child has to stay quiet! It may only last for 30 seconds or less but they will definitley look adorable in this costume!

Looking for more costume ideas?

Check out-

Adorable Halloween Costumes For Baby

Awesome Costumes That Will Last After Halloween

The Aadams Family- Easy DIY Costumes

Easy DIY Costumes: The Parent Trap

Do You Have A Favorite DIY Costume? I’d LOVE to hear about it!!

Affirmations and Encouragement

Filed Under: Kids, Wisdom September 25, 2018

Speak Life- The Importance Of Affirmations And Encouragement

I am not the “give everybody a trophy” kind of person and sometimes I think that is what affirmations is made out to be, however, it’s not what they are. It’s a positive assertion, a pronouncement. Remember the phrase “you are what you think”? This is saying that life stems from your thoughts. Keyword- stems from. Those thoughts then turn into words, which eventually become actions.

Power in Words

There’s a proverb in the Bible- “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Proverbs 18:21 Hence the importance of “speak life.”

What all of this means is that we have to be very careful with our words, choosing to speak only those which work towards our benefit and cultivate our highest good. The word affirmation comes from the Latin affirmare, originally meaning “to make steady, strengthen.”

What all of this means is that we have to be very careful with our words, choosing to speak only those which work towards our benefit and cultivate our highest good. Share on X

You may have heard the phrase “your perception is your reality.” There’s an interesting article on Medium about perception and how it creates your reality. It boils down to this- what you think does affect your ability and how you perceive things. What you think, doesn’t stay shut up in your brain, it becomes what you speak and then how you act.

I’ve known absolutely brilliant people who were paralyzed by the idea that they weren’t good enough. The would constantly speak about how they weren’t good enough. Here’s something very important that people have to understand about being good enough and it’s a Rocky Balboa quote:

“If you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth”

You’ve got to know your worth in order for other people to know you’re worth. If you think you’re worth $3 an hour, there’s some cheap-o willing to pay you just that for a job that may be worth $15 an hour. There’s nothing wrong or bad about acknowledging that you are a hard worker and that you put all of your energy into something to get the job done.

Affirmations For Kids And Adults

We recently did a school project where we put affirmations and encouraging quotes on bathroom stalls at a local elementary school. My hope is that it encourages and lifts up a kid when they are having a rough day, or when they just need to be reminded that they are capable of amazing things.

Affirmations aren’t just for kids though. Adults need them also. Our brains and our thoughts play a part in our health and success. There’s an article- Ruining My Day that has a great look at how we look at ourselves and life.

Here are some of my favorite affirmations and encouraging quotes:

I understand if you’re a little skeptical reading this, but when you stop and think about the correlation of your thoughts and words in how your life is you can see the connection. There’s an article “Why Affirmations Are Important To Your Health And Happiness” that talks even more about it.

Can you think of one successful person that says “I’m not worth what they are paying me” or “I’m really not smart”?

Speak Life

I love the quote above from Muhammed Ali. He spoke life. He spoke that he was the greatest and worked hard and pushed himself to show he was the greatest. You know what? It stuck. He is still thought of as one of the greatest boxers in history.

There’s an old quote from NFL player Maurice Jones-Drew “You may be bigger, You may be stronger, But your WILL is not as great as mine.”

Understanding Failure Is Not The End Or Bad

These are the things that we ourselves need to remember and that we also need to remind our children of too. Failing at something is inevitable. What you do with that lesson is what counts.

This quote is one of my favorites. It is for kids, however, adults can easily apply it to their lives as well

Do you have any favorite affirmations? Share them with me in the comments!!

Vinyl Project: Elementary School Bathroom Affirmations & Encouragement

Filed Under: Creative, Kids, Mommy September 24, 2018

Investing In The Community Through A Vinyl Project At Local Elementary School

It Started With Bold Week

In the business of life, we sometimes forget that we are a part of our overall community. It’s easy to do when you are already being pulled in so many different directions. This past year, we started attending a new church and during a week in August they have something called “Bold Week.” It’s a week where several of the local churches in the community get together and go into the 6 local schools in that part of the city and they help teachers get things together- they clean, they paint, whatever is needed- they do it. They feed teachers and administration and help them prepare for students and get the school year off on the right foot.

The goal of Bold Week is to show the community that the local church as a whole- not one denomination or another- is coming together to serve the community. They invest into the community by serving schools which in turn serves students, which can get their school year started off on a positive step. It can change the direction of a child’s life.

It never occurred to me that the schools might need help getting all of this together or that there may be ways that I could help serve the local school to make a positive impact. I know the statement sounds sort of dumb- but the fact is life gets crazy and we overlook the simple things.

A Vinyl Idea

You’ve probably seen on Facebook, Pinterest, or even the internet in general school bathrooms where positive sayings and affirmations are being applied to stall doors with either paint or vinyl. It brightens up the school bathrooms and also is there to encourage students.

I came across a post about it and thought it was brilliant. I debated on asking my child’s school about doing it there but I wasn’t even sure if they had stalls there (or if they were individual bathrooms). This school is not in the same community where we attend church and wasn’t one of the six that were being served at.

Self Confidence is something that I still struggle with but I sucked it up and emailed the school to ask if they’d be open to having it done. To my shocking surprise withing thirty minutes of me emailing the principal emails me back and said: “We were actually supposed to have someone do this but they had to cancel at the last minute.” I let her know I’d be more than happy to do it for them and we scheduled a meeting.

Come to find out, there were 25 bathroom stalls, then shared individual bathrooms for Kindergarten and First Grade at the school. A piece of me wondered what I was getting into but, then I thought- I’m up for the challenge!

Quotes, Cutting and Weeding Lots Of Vinyl

Over the next few weeks, I went through lots of quotes and affirmations to find the ones I felt would work best. Making sure that the fonts could be read by younger kids so that it wasn’t just “pretty” and served a purpose. I don’t know exactly how many hours went into it, but it was a lot. Luckily, I found a lot of really great quotes at lovesvg.com. I created some, which took a while and then others I was able to edit png images through Cricut Design Studio.

If you don’t have a Cricut but are a crafty person- these things are amazing! The older ones you were much more limited because you had to use cartridges but for the new ones the possibilities are endless!

You want to use permanent vinyl which can be found at Cricut.com or also at 651vinyl.com.

A Few Vinyl Quotes/Affirmations That Were Cut

Brilliant and Brave quote with hidden mickey for school bathroom — See the Hidden Mickey? 😉

My daughter helped with the weeding process on some of the quotes. At first, I didn’t tell her what we were doing it for but then I wanted her to know that we were doing it as a way of investing in the school. I want her to know she should take pride in her school and that we see it as an important thing. There are many different ways to convey this to your child, this was at the moment, the way we were able to convey it to ours.

Installing Vinyl On Bathroom Stalls

This Batman one was my favorite in the sense of the quote meaning. I have a picture of BatKid in our walk-in closet as a reminder to myself that what I Do defines me.

Bat Kid Quote — above: the picture that inspires me daily

Captain America Vinyl Hero Quote — A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength but by the strength of his heart.

My husband and another fantastic mom helped in installing the vinyl. It took a few hours but we all agree it was well worth it. I hope that it inspires a child. Maybe if their day is a little rough it can make them smile. Maybe it will serve as a reminder to them. It may be later down the road when they look back and remember it being there that they see someone hoped to brighten their day.

We can’t fix everything, and we don’t have time to. But it’s important to stop and realize that we can still do something, no matter how small.

Arts Education: A lot More Than Paintings on Our Fridges

Filed Under: Kids September 14, 2018

I completely believe that the arts and art education plays a huge part in childhood development. I’m honored to have this guest post from We The Parents to share with you!

Arts Education: A lot More Than Paintings on Our Fridges

Diplomacy is a skill that parents learn early. Like when your kiddo arrives home from school beaming, and eagerly thrusts a colorful piece of paper at you. Now you’ve got a split second to figure out what on earth it is.

Think fast… it’s definitely art… it’s got a Picasso feel (ears, eyes, and mouth not where you’d expect)… some sort of… animal.. maybe…

“What a gorgeous… giraffe?”

No. Oh, yes, an elephant. Of course. Now I see it!

“I love this elephant. It’s going straight up on the fridge.”

Of course, we adore our children’s artwork, but it’s the pride on their little faces when we hang it up that is truly priceless.

On top of this, the value of learning arts at school goes beyond the artistic skills they develop. Being immersed in the arts develops their cognitive abilities and fosters positive character traits, like self-confidence, openness, and empathy.

Shockingly, however, arts in schools are being chopped left, right, and center. With budgets being squeezed, it’s Arts Programs that is often the first to go. This is a serious matter. And if you’re not convinced, then take a look at these 51 ways that Arts Education benefits our children.

Arts have the power to positively transform the lives of our kids. That’s why we should all join together in support of this week’s National Arts in Education Week (learn more about it here).

Our children should have the right to a diverse and culturally rich education; one that attends to their minds, body, and wellbeing. We rob them of this opportunity if we drop Arts Programs from schools.

Let’s unite around National Arts in Education Week. I think we can all now agree that the arts have earned their spot in our schools just as your kid’s Giraphalant creation has earned a spot on your fridge.

———

BIO:

Neve is a music teacher, kid wrangler, and writer. She blogs at WeTheParents with husband, Keane. There, she gets serious penning parental advice, while he messes about reviewing kids toys. Ah, the imbalance!

Soggy Doggy Game At Home

Filed Under: Kids August 27, 2018

Soggy Doggy Game At Home

The Objective: Make it around the game board without getting wet

How to Play: Each player picks a game token: a bar of soap, rubber duck, paw print or dog pone.

Players take turns rolling the die and move their token around the board. Based on the color you roll (pink, yellow, blue, or red) you move your token to the first unoccupied space matching that color. There is also paw print on the die means you can move your playing piece to the space in front of the player who is in the lead. Then, you follow the action shown on the space. The action will be either a paw print or a dog bone.

The paw print means you push down on the paw print handle of the shower for the number of times shown (which soaks the dog). The dog bone means you turn the bone handle of the shower the number of times shown. Turning the handle is what will randomly cause the dog to start shaking getting you wet. If the dog starts shaking, you have to turn the handle again to stop the shaking and move your token back to Start, picking up a disk with the matching symbol of your piece. If on another of your turns the dog shakes again you can give back the piece in order to stay where you are.

There is also a Paw Print Symbol on the die which means you can move your playing piece to the space in front of the player who is in the lead. (You still have to perform the action on that space)

Do you get soaked? : No. You have to be really close to even feel the water which can be a little frustrating to kids who think they are going to get wet. Water will still get on the surface of whatever the game is sitting on though so be conscious of that. I put extra water on the dog to so that when he shook the kids would feel it.

Ages: The box says 4 & Up. It’s a super easy game to play and can help teach little ones their colors and counting (it is just 1-2).

Make it educational: When it’s your turn to roll the die, you have to spell a word or make a full sentence with a word. For the words, I use a list of sight words. It is an easy way to get my daughter to practice spelling words and for both kids to practice making whole sentences.

Other Great Resources

Mom Loves Best has a great resource on the importance of playtime and development in kids.

More activities you can do with kids

What are your favorite games to play with your kids?

10 Great 4th of July Books For Kids

Filed Under: Kids July 1, 2018

10 Great 4th of July Books For Kids

The Fourth of July is right around the corner and what better way to encourage summer reading than with books that talk about the 4th? It’s a great way to help them understand why we celebrate as well as encouraging them to read.

It’s been proven than reading helps kids in many ways. From helping to expand vocabulary, better comphrension, to more confidence- there are multiple positive results from reading. To make reading feel less of a chore it can be helpful to just work on having them read anything. Whether it’s a sign, a joke, a menu- it all adds up. There’s a great article- 23 Reasons to Encourage Your Child To Read that goes further in depth on the benefits of reading.

Using books that explain the holiday we are celebrating is a great way to get kids to enjoy reading. Even if they are not old enough yet to acually read themsleves the process of reading the book to them and pointing out colors, shapes, etc can help in their comphrension.