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1. Suggestions
for spending time with your kids
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Golf Clubs for Kids
If you play golf, one
of the great joys in life will be playing golf with your
son or daughter. It's a game both can play at completely
different levels and a sport everyone can enjoy throughout
their lives. (Read
)
2. Suggestions
on activities with kids on a budget
Everyone loves to have a little
fun now and again. Especially kids! And, of course those
that are still kids at heart. But, with the rising economy,
it becomes more and more difficult to have money on hand
for fantastic family outings.
There are plenty of activities
for you below. Select a few, or invent a few of your own
from the ideas you get from reading through the activities
below:
2.1 Blowing Bubbles
Making your own bubbles couldn't
be easier! You can use liquid hand soap and a bit of water
to do this. All you would need is a bubble wand, which you
could create out of a bit of thin wire(left over Easter
Egg wire dippers would be excellent for this), and a container
for the bubbles(you could simply use a bowl or plastic container
for that) and you're all set.
For smaller children, try
picking up some "tear free" shampoo to create your bubble
mixture with. Do remember that the more "foamy" a liquid
soap is, the lower quality your bubble mixture will be.
Now, to create your own bubbles, simply take 1/15 cup of
liquid soap(actually it is said that dish washing liquid
works best) mixed with 1 cup of water inside whatever container
you want to store it in.
Bubble mixtures of liquid
soap and water can also be mixed with glycerin, sugar, or
corn syrup as well. For even more bubble recipes, check
out these websites:
1) http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/bubbles1.html
2) http://bubbleblowers.com/homemade.html
2.2
Board Games
Almost every family home has
one form of board game or another. Whether it be your standard
board game such as Monopoly, Sorry, Trouble, etc., or a
DVD type trivia game, these can provide hours of fun. While
DVD style games are fun, the classic board games are better
as you will never have the same outcome. Meaning, even though
you are playing the exact same game, the winner is unknown
until you have finished the game.
Try spicing up the game by
playing for different types of prizes, but be sure that
everyone will win something. The prizes could be dividing
up chores that are to be done, having the 1st place winner
getting the easiest household chore and the last place winner
receiving the more difficult, or the chore that is least
preferred by all family members.
You could also try having
the prizes consist of allowing the 1st place winner pick
tomorrow's activity, 2nd place winner picking the following
day's activity, and so on. If you don't have a board game
lying around, why not invent your own games?
Activities such as "treasure
hunts" can be fun and educational at the same time. You
can create your own maps or clue lists and let the first
place winner(s) have first pick at the treasures. And, of
course, the treasures can be anything you can think of that
would have significant value within your particular family
unit. Also, a good game of hide and seek can also be hours
of fun for all ages. And, hide and seek can be played both
indoors or outdoors depending on the weather.
2.3
Coloring
Always a great way to pass
time on a rainy day, coloring pictures is a fantastic way
to have some fun while developing artistic skills. Not only
that, but you can turn an otherwise boring day of coloring
into an "in-house" art contest.
But, be sure that you have
prizes for everyone so that each time everyone is a winner
;-) If you don't have any coloring books, you can always
print out pictures from websites like:
1) http://www.free-coloring-pages.com
2) http://coloringbookfun.com
3) http://www.kidprintables.com
Don't forget to check out
all the other free information within those websites for
other terrific family oriented ideas, tips, and more. Now,
if you don't have any new crayons for coloring, the best
time to pick some up is right before the new school year
begins.
You can get a box of 24 count
crayons for 20 cents or less. So, if you need to stock up,
this is the best time to do so. Coloring doesn't have to
be limited just to crayons and coloring books. You can do
some fingerpainting, watercolor painting, or creating clay
sculptures too.
2.4 Play
Card Games
Almost every "dollar store"
sells decks of cards for a buck. And, almost everyone knows
how to play card games. Whether it's "Go Fish", "Old Maid",
Gin Rummy, or 5 Card Draw Poker. Obviously, you wouldn't
want to teach your child how to become a poker virtuoso,
but playing a card game such as "War" or "Go Fish" can help
develop your child's math skills.
Now, you don't have to have
a special deck of cards for games like Go Fish, Old Maid,
or War. Any standard deck will do. So, when the kids are
awake, you can play those card games that are child oriented,
and when they go to bed, you and your friend, or significant
other can play a more adult oriented game such as poker
or Rummy.
Always have some sort of "prize"
on hand if you plan on having a family Go Fish tournament.
And be sure that everyone is a winner with the prizes going
down in vaule or size. This is especially important for
younger children so that no one every feels as if they are
a "loser". And, no one likes to feel that way, even older
children. Although they might never admit it ;-)
2.5 Working
On Puzzles
If you need a bit of quiet
time, then working on a 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzle may just
be what you need. Not only does this type of activity build
a child's problem solving skills, but it also helps develop
their multi-tasking skills when you add conversation into
the mix. There are other forms of puzzles you could work
on together, including crosswords, word finds, and of course
the ever popular Sudoku. Any one of these can help develop
yours and your child's brain power while spending some wonderful
quality time together.
If you don't have money to
spend on "paper" puzzles(meaning those other than jigsaws),
you can always print some out from these websites for free
at:
1) http://www.teacherhelp.org/puzzles_and_games.htm
2) http://www.mirroreyes.com/crossword
3) http://www.billybear4kids.com/jigsaw-puzzles/main-page.html
4) http://www.sudoku.com/program.htm.
Remember too, that if you
don't have a "physical" jigsaw puzzle, there are plenty
of free online jigsaws you can do together available from
websites such as:
1) http://freejigsawpuzzles.com
2) http://www.jigzone.com
3) http://www.thekidzpage.com/onlinejigsawpuzzles/index.htm
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