- Travel Journal: My girls keep a
"Travel Journal" whenever we take vacations or day trips. It all started
one summer when the day after a day trip the kids were complaining how bored they
were. I was so tired of hearing "What can we do?" that I came up with some
"summer homework" for them. I told them to find an empty spiral notebook,
crayons, and a pencil. They had to write at least 1 page of what they saw, learned
and enjoyed about our trip. Then they had to draw a picture of it. I
think they will enjoy looking back at it when they get older.
- Family
Book of Records: (pg. 93) Get a three-ring binder and some dividers.
Label the dividers Athletics, Blocks and Toys, Household, and so on. Collect a stack
of three-hole punched scrap paper. Cover the notebook with kraft paper, and decorate
it. Now ask questions like: "What's the greatest number of blocks that you have
stacked? The longest jump? The longest time standing on one foot?
The longest time starting at someone else without giggling? (You can keep the
competitive aspect down by asking the same questions of each child, so that children only
compete against themselves). Jot down the date and information in the appropriate
section. Affix a photo or drawing if available. There is only one rule: no one
can challenge anyone else's accomplishment for at least 24 hours-that lets everyone have
his or her day in the sun.
- Crazy Olympics:(pg. 65) Dream up silly
sports and games, such as: hopping on one foot across a room; walking backwards while
flapping your arms; crawling while balancing a book on your head. You and your
child can compete and enter the winner in your "Family Book of Records" (refer
to #2).
- Creature Deck: (pg. 66) With a pack of
three-by-five cards and a few crayons or markers, your child can create a virtually
endless menagerie of crazy creatures. Start by placing the blank side of three cards
horizontally, one above the other, on a table. Now have your child draw a head on
the top card, a matching body on the middle card, and a set of legs on the bottom
card. After ten or twelve creatures, start mixing and matching. Every new
drawing added to the Creature Deck increases the strange possibilities.
- Designer Memo Pad: (pg. 73) Your child can
design the family's next memo/message pad. Give your child a black marker and have
him/her set up the basic scheme on a sheet of paper of appropriate size. The
only requirement is that there be plenty of white space near the center of the page for
you to write messages on. A headline is also recommended: "Things we have to
remember" or "Messages" would do the trick. (I personally had one made with
the heading "The Wildbery's" with a drawing of a boat on it). Next,
take your child with you to the copy shop. Most will be able to produce the pads in
a tear-away format, but you can also use loose sheets. A true "Kid
Original!" (A great present for grandma!)
- Fancy Footwork: (pg. 100) Instead of
creating a conventional drawing, take a more radical step-hold the crayon between your
toes! Tell your child that people who have lost the use of their hands are well
known for adapting themselves to the new situation by learning to write, paint, draw,
count, hold objects, and do any number of other tasks with their feet.
- Dictionary Fakeout: (pg. 74) I personally
enjoy playing this game, recommended for older kids. One person takes a dictionary
and finds a strange, nonsense-sounding word. They write the word and the definition
on a sheet of paper. Then they say the word (word only, NOT the definition).
Each person, including the one who found the word, must now make up a convincing fictional
definition of the word. When everyone is done, one person reads all the definitions
aloud and asks players to cast one vote for the definition that sounds legit. (The
person who found the word can't vote though). Score five points for every correct
answer.
- Draw A Meal: (pg. 83) Here is a way to
entertain your child while you fix dinner. Cover the table with a large sheet of
paper, then use masking tape to keep the corners in place. Provide your child with a
good supply of crayons. Have him/her draw a place mat where everyone sits, followed
by a plate, a napkin, flatware, and a cup. Now, as you make your meal, explain what
you're making. Your child can then draw that particular dish and "serve"
it up on everyone's plate. Continue this for each course you're going to serve up.
- Fast Talkers: (pg. 104) How fast can you
talk? Select a poem or recitation everyone in your family knows by
heart. Get out your watch, and yell "Go"-then zoom through the text
as fast as possible. Record the times in your "Family Book Of Records" (refer to #2)
- Doorknob Hangers: (pg. 81) Cut out a
rectangle with a circular hole near the top large enough to slip over the outside knob of
your child's bedroom. Supply enough crayons, markers, and anything else that will
help the creative process (my kids LOVE stickers).
- Matching Game: (pg. 193) Take an egg carton
and place one object in each of six of the egg holders. For example, the first egg
holder might contain a paper clip, the second a toy car, the third a grape, and so
on. Show your child the contents, close the lid, then provide a second egg
carton. Your child's mission: find similar objects to the ones in your egg carton,
and put them in the same position as the carton you're holding. To increase
the challenge, expand the number of items or have your child race against the clock.
- Backwards Day: We were bored one day and
decided that we would say the exact opposite of what we meant. When my kids wanted
lunch, they would say to me "Dad, I don't want lunch now, thank
you." This is much harder than it seems, but alot of fun!
- Holiday Tablecloths: In order to
"holidize" our house a little bit more, we make holiday tablecloths.
If you have dollar store in your area, you will probably find plain colored plastic
tablecloths. Buy one that is a color of the season (i.e.: pink for
Easter). Have the kids make their own placemat with either crayons and markers
or, have them create one on the computer. Have them cut out holiday pictures or make
their own. Tape the placemats and pictures to the tablecloth. I made a
banner and placed it in the middle (like a runner). Then once it is done, place a
clear plastic table covering on top of it to protect all of that wonderful artwork!
- Make a Pinwheel: Draw a square that is
5˝ inches long on each side on a piece of white paper. Put and X in the
center. Draw dotted lines from one corner to it's opposite corner. Draw a dot
on every other corner. Glue this paper onto the dull side of a piece of gift wrap
paper. Cut out on the bold and dotted lines. Bend the corners marked with a
dot to the center X. Push a pushpin partially into the side of a pencil
eraser. Test your pinwheel by blowing on it or outside on a windy day.
|
