Spring Outdoor Fun

Even if you don’t live near a National Park and can’t take advantage of the free admission this week, don’t let that stop you from soaking up the gorgeous spring weather. Now that warmer days are here there’s no excuse for you to stay cooped up inside. Grab the kids, ditch the winter gear and get moving in the great outdoors. Children especially love exploring nature; however, too much too soon can be a recipe for disaster. While you may be itching to trek the entire afternoon away, if your children are young and not used to hiking, don’t force … Continue reading →

Make Learning Fun

If you have kids, then you know that getting them to study is not always a walk in the park. However, a sunny stroll in a national park could put learning in a whole new light. The same could be said for any educational destination that promotes hands-on learning. If you are looking for ways to make learning fun for your reluctant student, consider visiting: Independence Hall: A trip to Pennsylvania is not complete without a pit stop at Independence Hall where kids can learn about America’s founding fathers in a unique tour. Philadelphia’s Ghost Tour is a fun and … Continue reading →

State Fairs Make Learning Fun

Believe it or not, fairs are not all about deep-fried Coca-Cola, cream puffs and thrill rides. Many state fairs around the country offer a slew of educational exhibits that make learning fun for the entire family, including: Michigan State Fair The Michigan State Fair is held each August at the Michigan State Fairgrounds and Exposition Center in Detroit. The fair is one of the largest in the country and one of the most historic. The first Michigan State Fair was held back in 1849 and holds the honor of being the first State Fair in America. In addition to having … Continue reading →

Educational Summer Fun

Here’s a fun way to put your kid’s high tech skills to good use: Computer Summer Camp. If you have a hard time prying your son or daughter away from the computer at breakfast time, bedtime and every hour in between, then you might consider sending him or her to Digital Media Academy. The award-winning camp accredited by Stanford University is one of the most popular media programs in North America and is ideal for teens looking to get their hands on the most relevant software used in the entertainment industry. The summer camp sessions run from mid-June through August … Continue reading →

Food, Favors and Decorations to Complete Your Family Election Party

My last blog outlined invitations and possible activities for an Election Day (or Night) Party. This blog will help you prepare for the party. Favors/Name Tags Make name tags/favors in which the name is on a white circle of cardstock. Folded loops of ribbon be glued to the back of the cardstock around the edges of the circle. Leave two ribbons (hanging down. This resembles the rosette ribbons worn by members of political parties in England (hence the term, “showing your colors”). If it’s just a family party, rather than names you could make ribbons of different countries and write … Continue reading →

Election Night Party

Why not throw together an election-day party for your family? If you have extended family or friends who can join you, so much the better. (Use judgment in selecting guests who can watch and discuss election results with each other in a civil manner.) Invitations: Have these ready when your crew comes home from work or school: Folded cardstock: on front, paste a clip art image of Uncle Sam and write“I WANT YOU…” On the inside write “… to join me for an election party.” Then lower on the page put the headline: “Proposition One” and following that this text: … Continue reading →

Hands-On Fall Fun for Families

While the new fall season beckons families outdoors to participate in kid-friendly activities sometimes it’s also nice to have a place to go where your kids can blow off steam when Mother Nature throws you a curve ball. If you live in a city with a children’s museum then you know how valuable these structures can be. Some parents call these havens for hands-on fun sanity savers and if you have kids who have been cooped up for days because of inclement weather then you would probably agree with that description. These days children’s museums are bigger and better than … Continue reading →

Making Music With Water and Bottles

Here’s a fun activity for the end of a summer dinner or picnic. Take empty glass bottles or water glasses and fill them with different amounts of water. When you tap gently on the bottles or glasses with a spoon they make a neat chiming noise. If the kids can’t manage to tap gently with a spoon try giving them a wooden spoon or stick to use, or save the activity for when they are older. I also wouldn’t do this with my best crystal. Experiment with different levels of water in the glasses.. Your children will quickly figure out … Continue reading →

School Projects

I was going to write that we haven’t been having a whole lot of fun around here lately. My fourth graders have been very busy with research projects. They worked a little bit on them over spring break, but not as much as they should have. They have a wonderful teacher this year who has them very inspired so that not just any old poster with information will do. Instead they’ve made documentary movies, three dimensional displays, PowerPoint presentations, and dioramas. All of this project making hasn’t left any room for fun. In fact, their projects haven’t left any room … Continue reading →

Earth Hour – Fun in the Dark

Tonight, March 29, 2008 is the second annual Earth Hour, sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund. The idea behind this hour is to raise awareness of steps we can all do to fight climate change. It’s an international event. The idea is simple, turn off your lights at 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. your local time. Turn off those computers. You can leave on security lights, the fridge and the heat! Millions of people around the globe are participating. If you go to do a Google search today, you’ll see even they have “turned off the lights”. This hour is … Continue reading →