Happy Monday!
What a week it was last week! Anna turned 11, our water heater self destructed (and did its best to flood the basement), Daryl and I got sick, the blog got accidentally suspended, Jack got food poisoning (he’s fine), I injured my leg, and we went out of town to spend time with friends from various directions and sent Victoria back with some of them for a week.
I’m hoping this week is a little calmer!
I’m also hoping to spend some extra special time with the three kids that will be home this week.
So let’s get on with it! 🙂
Here’s some ways to make the days magical this week…
1. Check out a big pile of this year’s award winning children’s books from the library. The ALA announced the winners for the 2010 Caldecott, Newbery, Theodor Seuss Geisel Awards and many more, for books of all types and ages recently and it’s a great way to find some new treasures. Here’s the list.
2. Make up a silly family anthem and sing it together (videotape it if possible!).
3. Let your child decorate the inside of something — a garbage can, a desk drawer, a cupboard, a space in the closet… the hidden art will only show when you peek inside. If you like, cover it with shelf paper first (then it’s removable and it can be done again and again!).
4. Make up some letters and artwork to send to your children’s favorite celebrities together. If you’re lucky, they might get some neat replies!
5. Make a watercolor mobile to hang over the dinner table. I can’t remember where I saw the idea, but the kids traced cookie cutters onto watercolor paper, cut them out, painted them, and glued loops of white thread between two at a time with glue sticks. We love it!
6. Have a shopping spree at a thrift store. Give each child $5 to use on toys, art supplies, knick knacks, dress up clothes, whatever. We especially like looking in the kitchen supply areas for tools to use with playdough and in the sandbox, and checking for fancy clothes like prom dresses. My kids also love to get crystal goblets and other nifty glasses to use at supper time.
7. Give your little one a piece of bread, an eye dropper, and a couple of small bowls of bright juice or juice concentrate (such as cranberry, orange or grape). Show him how to squeeze the eye dropper in the juice to collect it and then squeeze it again over the bread to drop it. The bread soaks up the colors (and mess) nicely and if he likes he can eat it when he’s done making art!
8. Go on a nature photography walk together.
(Photos by Victoria Bayer, age 12)
9. Get a huge pile of dominoes and make domino runs together. See how long and complicated you can make them, and then zip them all down!
10. Have a winter picnic in the snow.
And with that, my friends, I’m off to make some green smoothies and smooch some children.
Have a magical week!
I just love your blog. I don’t read it often but I should make it a priority….My main job right now in life is to create, foster, make possible, provide, be part of… a magical childhood for my children! Beautiful thing. Thank you…today we shall try one of these!
Great ideas! Enjoy your magical day!
This is my number one go-to blog. You have such wonderful ideas!!
I gave my toddler the eye dropper with juice and bread project today. He did it for 1/2 hour and then ate the bread. Awesome idea, thanks!
Such MARVELOUS ideas as always!!! I love them all! Victoria sure has a eye for photography— wow!!!