Looking through pictures of past holidays,
I was reminded of this gem:
My husband usually teases me for completing my Christmas shopping in July, but this year: It didn't happen. In fact, it won't even start until after Thanksgiving and may include a final countdown starting Dec. 18th. Oh, for easy stocking stuffers that can be ordered online and delivered before the holiday rush!!! Have mercy on me readers: Please post your ideas in the comment area now. Looking through pictures of past holidays, I was reminded of this gem: This simple beauty came with monster arms, twisty legs, googly-eyes, and enough colorful brads to make a family of five legged beasts. Low tech - it's fun in the morning, fun in the car, and fun after Christmas dinner at Grandma's house.Overall, that's enough to qualify for a 5 star rating on my Christmas list.
0 Comments
Pizza eaters of the world love their pie, and what’s not to love? Bread, cheese, and warm-hand-held goodness. In fact, I’d like to offer this tag line to the pizza chains of America: “Do not underestimate the power of pizza.” How powerful is pizza? It’s powerful enough to serve as its own math curriculum. Enter: Pizza Fractions... This game is a hit at our house. Easy enough for Kinders and just as appropriate for 4th graders, players spin, slice and build their very own pizzas as they make sense of fourths, thirds, and halves.
Food has always been my favorite way to approach this topic with school children – as everyone can relate to sharing food. It’s real life math with a purpose. Here’s a few online games with the same focus: Grandma introduced us to this fun and easy bubble/foam blower. It's great for hot summer days! Thanks Grammy! Thanks to Kevin MacLeod for 'Open Those Bright Eyes' To make your own bubble blower follow these directions..... Items needed: Empty, plastic water or juice bottles An old wash cloth or towel Rubber bands Scissors/Xacto knife Liquid soap Small plate Directions: 1) Cut the bottom off the plastic bottles. 2) Cover the newly made openings with a scrap of towel and secure tightly with a rubber band. 3) Dampen the towel with a little water 4) Pour soap onto the plate and dip the cloth-covered bottle-end into the soap. 5) Blow gently into the top of the bottle. For the past three years, we have been lucky enough to carpool to school daily with our lovely neighbors. The arrangement saves gas and time and adds a flexibility to our schedule that is wonderfully helpful. My advice for all families considering such an arrangement: Be sure to secure the following three essentials.... 1) Parents you trust to transport your most precious cargo 2) Young passengers you enjoy 3) Brain Quest We have a variety of these trivia card sets in our car to keep the ride interesting. Recently at home, we also played the Brain Quest Board Game. It’s the first trivia game we’ve played as a family that my youngest son was able to equally enjoy. Actually, it was more than equal – the sweetie of a boy won the game which made him over-the-moon proud. Each card offers questions grade 1 through 6, leveling the playing field for everyone involved. I highly recommend it for curious kids young and old.
We recently finished off our Summer Neighborhood Camp with a family potluck. Besides great food and company, we also enjoyed a variety of “Minute to Win It” games. The kids had played several “Minute to Win It” games during the week and presented their favorites to the adults after dinner. Havoc, mayhem, and uncontrollable laughter ensued! In order to protect the innocent (including me looking like a complete fool), there are no pictures to post. However, here are videos of the races we tried. Are you up for the challenge? Face the Gingerbread Man: We substituted pretzels! I scored 2!! I shared with you before the tale of my oldest son and his love of Monopoly. Many a day I have sat on the living room floor, smiling lovingly as my boy rolls the dice and secretly asking myself: How did I possibly give birth to a capitalist? While my son delights in collecting rent from players landing on his property, I pale at the thought of being a landlord. I don’t want a second home, until everyone else in the world has ONE of their own. Enter: Monopoly Junior. Some dear family friends recently gave us this version of the classic board game and my boys wasted no time in cracking it open. Inside ... I found a bit of board-game- redemption. Monopoly Jr. is set in an amusement park with players moving around the board buying tickets for the Ferris Wheel, snacking on cotton candy, and securing a seat at the magic show. Instead of going to jail or collecting a salary, players go to lunch and earn an allowance. Kid and Mom friendly – the game doesn’t last for days and currency denominations are a good fit for young mathematicians as they learn to add, subtract and make change. It gets my vote for family friendly game of the month.
When my son received this gift for his birthday – he literally groaned out loud (……wait for it.……) in front of the wonderful aunt who had purchased it for him. Ugh! I had actually recommended the item and so the blame for such an honest (yet impolite) reaction clearly fell to me. I knew it wasn’t his greatest birthday wish, but I wanted this game in my kid’s closet. (Who knew who that his older brother had convinced him that the wrapped box was sure to hold a brand new Lego set?) To say that Boggle Jr. is a game – is admittedly a bit of a stretch. There are directions for a “2 Player Game” included – but unless both players are the same age and the same skill level, it’s really an activity for one. Instead, consider Boggle Jr. a tool for helping a child develop phonics skills; one of many tools that I like to keep around the house to help my son move from non-reader to a skilled-confident-reader. Here’s how it works: Two sided cards offer the player a choice between three and four letter words. (These words follow standard phonic rules and include dog, cat, jar, barn, fish, pond, etc…) A chosen card is placed in the plastic holder and the young reader works to “match” the letter cubes to the printed word under the picture. As a child develops their skills, the player can cover the printed word (by flipping a small plastic cover) and try to spell the word on their own before “unveiling” the text to check their work. Let that lovely aunt know: Now when we open the box, my son does not groan or complain at all. While he doesn’t always care to sit with a book and flex his emerging-reading-muscles, working the cubes, searching for letters, and unveiling the answer (with a dramatic “TaDa!”) accomplishes many of the very same goals. His confidence has grown and he’s eager to show me the words he can read, match, and spell on his own. He’s happy and I’m happy…. which, I guess, means the birthday wish that came true was mine.
This week my family battled cholera, ate 28 lbs. of salt pork, and lost a keg of gunpowder when our wagon overturned in the river. Not to worry – all this occurred in the virtual world. My boys and I have been playing Oregon Trail. Those who are older may remember this classic game from the bulky Apple computers that sat in their elementary school classroom. The computer software (now updated and Windows compatible) follows the original idea and continues to give elementary school aged children a glimpse into the hardships endured by settlers. Game controls allow players to choose supplies, routes, and even travel companions. A trail guide provides information about forts, landmarks, and wildlife along the trail. Carry too few supplies and risk hunger and low morale. Carry too many supplies and the oxen might not be able to haul you and your gear over the mountains. Unknown dangers lie ahead and winter snow is the enemy. My sons have tried a variety of strategies in their adventures so far. One boy likes to keep his supplies low, and use the extra cash to pay for ferry crossings at each river. My other young adventurer likes to take a large wagon and carry extra supplies to trade along the trail. As the momma, I’m just thankful that failure means having to restart the game, rather than facing actual life and death situations. My hat goes off to the real moms who blazed the trail to this gorgeous state.
Added extension: Check out these Oregon Trail books that entertain and educate young readers. We’ve been playing quite a bit of Settlers of Catan at our house lately. Friends first introduced us to the game and then neighbors got us hooked. In a nut shell… players are working to settle the island of Catan. Roads are being built, settlements constructed, cities erected and all the while: points tallied. I like this game because it includes chance AND strategy and is anybody’s game... right to the end. Best of all: ages 5 through 50 can play together and find it equally entertaining.
My kids spent the past rainy Saturday afternoon playing Cash Cab. Yep... you read that right: Cash Cab. Cash Cab is a TV game show that takes place in a New York City cab. Passengers answer questions on their way to their destination. Get a question right – you earn cash. Get a question wrong – and that’s one strike. Three strikes and game over: you’re out of the cab - right on the spot. My boys and I have watched this show only a handful of times – but the concept has stuck. Occasionally in our own car (when the drive is long and the boys are restless), I pretend to be the driver on Cash Cab. This week’s spelling words and a few simple math problems serve as the questions. The boys work together to earn the “cash.” Once during a particularly long drive, the boys missed three questions and I asked them to get out of the car. My eight year-old erupted in giggles. My five year-old was on the verge of panic. (Note to self: Youngest son delights in my silly jokes only AFTER I fully explain them.)
So… back to Saturday: It’s raining. My hubby and I are working on to-do lists. The boys take the computer chair and start pushing each other throughout the house. And then I hear… “Who is the president of the United States?” This is soon followed by a red light challenge at the bathroom door. TV that educates, entertains, and inspires quiet, indoor play on a rainy day. Oh, how I love the Discovery Channel! |
At Home
Categories
All
|