FunThingsToDoWithUrKidz

As the end of summer comes and school starts we like to clear out any summer toys that are broken or will not get played with again next year. So for us that meant clearing out the pool noddles! My kids learned to swim now and could care less for them, so instead of throwing them out we made them into a game. Pool noddle ring toss is fairly easy to put together. We used two pool noddles for the rings and taped them into circles. Then cut one pool noodle into 3 pieces and used sticks to stick them in the ground. It was very fun to watch as the kids threw them and the smaller ones even trying to hula hoop with them. 

Need~ paper crayons or markers glue real flowers I let each kid pick some flowers from our garden and then they picked the peddles off of each flower. After they drew their pictures and glued on some flower peddles. These pretty works of art lasted few days before the peddles dried out. This activity helps with hand and eye coordination as well as fine motor skills and even some of the 5 senses. 

Rain stick made from a voss bottle, sticks and rice. 

need~ Thick paper  black paint oil crayons  something sharp to scratch off with (we really just used tooth picks)  First step is to color the whole paper different colors with the oil crayons. Then paint over it all with black paint. I did two thin layers letting it dry between layers. Then just have fun making different pictures. Note~ I have seen people add soap to the paint before painting the page but really we had no issue leaving it out.

need~ Markers Different kinds of perfume or essential oil This one is simple and can be a lot of fun. Take any marker and pop the back off (this was pretty easy to do with thin markers)   then spray not even one whole spray of perfume or add one small drop of oil. Let any extra come out threw the bottom before recapping and placing the back on. Then just have fun creating! 

What you will need~ Balloons Fly swatters (one for each person) Can be played inside and outside. Just give each child a fly swatter and have them stand at opposite ends. If the balloon drops who ever hit it last gets a point. Who ever has the most points at the end wins. Can also be played with alone. See what child can keep the balloon in the air for the most amount of time.

My son loves his cars and I am not sure why we have random car track pieces but we do. So his idea was to add legos to make a ramp for his cars, came out pretty good and this is a idea he still comes back to and is easy to set up.

Today is our free craft day again. Free craft day meaning we do not pay for anything that goes into the craft we make. You can use stuff you have, recycle stuff and stuff found in nature, again as long as you do not spend anything on it. So this time we went with tree bark homes/dens for toys. Some tree branches fell into our yard few days ago and that is how this idea started. We normally cut up the wood to use for the fireplace but then there is bark and leaves still left all over, so we collected a few piece and my kids went to work making little dens and homes for toy erasers. They also tried making bridges and slides. It was fun, free and best thing was it got my kids outside and exploring.

So I have been seeing this going around..simple easy secret writing and pictures for kids...So we had to try it. This is how ours came out. It DID work but totally not like what I seen..It was very simple, all you had to do was write or draw with a white crayon and then paint over it with water paint. Some came out fine and others not really...maybe it was the brand crayon or color of paint we used but either way worth a try as my kids enjoyed it still and liked seeing what did show up after painting.

Lets start with what is a life skill? By definition a life skill is - a skill that is necessary or desirable for full participation in everyday life. They are very important to our kids because one day they will not have you to help them. One day they will need to stand on their own. One way to teach them is threw chores.  Chores that are to be done every day. This chart has helped me so much when I am trying to think of new things for my kids to help with. As parents we need to remember even though it may be easier just to do these things and get them done it is not teaching our kids anything. I know that is how it was for me and then teaching them how to do these chores the right way took time and some times was just down right frustrating, but once they got the hang of things it was really helpful! Does raising  kids without life skills lead to entitled children?  Of course it will! When children have every thing done or even bought for them they do not learn that real life

When we made the box washer my son (who loves Mario) jumped inside and said look I'm in a Mario pipe! That is when this idea was born. Built with 6 x-large boxes and painted to go with the Mario theme this box tunnel has been a huge hit. The pictures are from after it was painted and still needed to be tapped together. It measured 9 feet by 6 1/2 feet. Once we are done inside with it we plan on bringing it outside for the neighborhood kids or maybe make it bigger by adding different Mario worlds. :)