Spring in the South means tornados so now is a good time to go over what to do in case of a weather emergency: Make sure everyone knows the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning. Explain how to determine a building’s safe space. (Hint: It’s a place away from windows or a wall to the outside and is usually a closet.) Decide where your house’s safest place is. Stock up on flashlights, Read more…
Egg and Spoon Race 🏁 Have you ever competed in an Egg and Spoon race? This classic outdoors game dates to the late 1800s. To introduce this fun activity to your family, all you need are eggs and wooden or metal spoons. The traditional game used raw eggs but for less mess when they fall (and they will fall!), you can substitute hard-boiled eggs instead or even plastic eggs. Kids can do this activity by Read more…
With Easter coming up this weekend, make this cute Easter chick craft project from a simple loop of paper that has been curled around and taped together. You’ll need: Yellow paper Scissors Glue 3 yellow feathers 1 orange pipe cleaner Markers or crayons (black & orange) To turn these supplies into your Easter chick, follow these simple instructions: Cut a 2” x 6” strip of yellow paper. Glue the short ends together to make a Read more…
Celebrate beloved children’s TV host Mr. Rogers’ birthday today with Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day. For tips and suggestions for ways your family can spread love and kindness to your neighbors and to let everyone know how you are celebrating, check out their website at https://wontyoubemyneighborday.com/. You’ll find a sign to download and decorate, a video demonstrating how to do fun sidewalk chalk art, and a free family activity kit.
The approaching arrival of spring also means it is time for Spring Cleaning! Make it into a fun family activity by turning it into a game. Set timers to see who can clean an area the fastest or create a chart that lists all the areas in your house that need cleaning. Create a prize or family activity that will reward everyone when all the cleaning is finished, such as a Pizza Night, a special Read more…
Today is National Children’s Craft Day, a day set aside each year to encourage crafting with children. Crafting as an activity is a great way for children to explore their creativity and imagination. It also encourages them to learn something new and to explore what inspires them. You can purchase pre-made kits at most dollar stores or you can challenge your children to take everyday household items to use for their crafting projects. Popular items Read more…
The windy days of March are a great time to fly a kite! To decide if it is windy enough, ask your family some questions: Do you feel anything blowing on you face? Are your clothes moving around? What about any tress or bushes – what are they doing? Are they still or are they moving around? If you do not have a kite at home, you can make your own. The PBS website at Read more…
Plastic Easter eggs make great learning tools for young children. In addition to using them to identify colors, if your young ones are just learning the letters of the alphabet, print an upper-case letter on one piece of an egg and a lower-case on the other piece. Mix all the pieces up and then help children find the matching pairs. Another fun idea is to put a letter on one piece of an egg and Read more…
Play a game of dinosaur tag today. Whoever is ‘it’ has must scrunch up their arms insides their shirt to make their arms short like a T-rex and try to tag the others. And bonus points for making T-rex noises as you run around! The variations on this game are endless. Whoever is ‘it’ could pretend to be an elephant and try to catch others with one arm swinging like an elephant’s trunk or ‘it’ Read more…
Make your own snow globes today by grabbing an empty jar, such as a baby food jar, a mason jar or even an empty peanut butter jar. Fill it with anything sparkly you have – tiny beads, small plastic spangles, or glitter are all great ideas to use. Add water to the jar, tighten the lid securely, and have fun shaking the jar to watch all the glitzy stuff swirl around. You can also glue Read more…
