Your one-stop shop for kids activities and family fun
It’s Friday and you know what that means? It’s time for the Kids Co-op! Link-up your favorite kid-related post and make sure and check out all the fun that has been linked up from other bloggers.
There was so much information shared last week! There was also sensory play ideas, baby play ideas, book recommendations, kid-friendly recipes and more. Today, I’d like to share three posts with some wonderful ideas for outdoor play.
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Taming the Goblin shares a fun science lesson from the beach.
I decided to surprise my girls recently with a pretend play garden center.
All it took was a couple of dollars at the dollar store, some recycled items around the house, and a brand new batch of play dough.
After I presented it to them, they spent the next couple of days playing exclusively with their garden center. No other toys were needed!
I made a batch of play dough for the girls to use as dirt.
I used this recipe for chocolate play dough from NurtureStore since I already had all the ingredients I needed at home. It came together easily and smells wonderful.
The money I spent at the dollar store was for the flowers. I spent a few dollars on several bunches of flowers and then cut them apart into separate flowers. For just a few dollars we had plenty of flowers for our garden center.
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I made a few seed packets from construction paper, added some colorful craft sticks, a pile of glass marbles and several small cups to the garden center.
I also cut apart a couple of egg cartons so they had some 4-part containers just like you would find in a garden center.
The girls played and played.
They turned the glass beads into seeds and boy did those seeds grow fast.
They made flower arrangement after flower arrangement.
They turned a chair into a delivery truck and started delivering flowers to everyone they could think of. I can’t even count how many flower deliveries I received!
Their imaginations were running wild and I loved every minute of it.
For just a few dollars and a bit of effort I gave the girls a toy better than any you can find in a store. I know we’ll be doing this again and again.
How would your kids play with a pretend play garden center?
Is your family excited about the 2012 Summer Olympics? We are!
If you’re looking to get in the spirit and celebrate the games, try hosting your own Family Olympics.
After only a little bit of preparation, our Olympics were ready to go.
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Medals:
Our medals were easy to make.
I cut circles from a cereal box out of the recycle bin that we painted.
We didn’t have gold or bronze paint, so I used yellow and orange instead. For the silver medal, I covered my circle in aluminum foil.
I drew the numbers on with a black Sharpie, punched holes in the top, and strung some yarn through the holes. Nothing to it! Our medals were ready to go.
Flags:
Before the games begin, you’ll need flags.
Instead of representing countries, we drew flags to represent ourselves. All it took was paper, a ruler, and a box full of crayons.
This is a great time to get started talking about the Olympic games. Talk about the sports, the ceremony, and the athletes. Mom and dad can share stories of their favorite Olympic moments. Use this time to get in the spirit of the games.
The Events:
Once you’re ready to go with your flags and your medals, draw up a schedule of events and have fun. Here are some suggested events for your Family Olympics.
Foot Races: Your races can be long distance or short distance. Set up a starting point and a finish line and see who can run the fastest. Have one race or three. It’s all about having fun.
Balance Beam: Use a scrap length of wood, your garden hose, or even rope. See who can keep their balance the longest. Can you stand on one foot? Hop? Turn in a circle?
Long Jump: How far an you jump? Grab a tape measure and see who can jump the furthest.
Disc Toss: We used hula hoops for our targets and tried to toss frisbees into the middle. Whoever gets the most inside the hoop wins. If you don’t have hula hoops, make circles with rope or even the garden hose.
Javelin Throw: Use pools noodles as fun javelins that are safe and that anyone can throw. See who can throw their pool noodle the furthest. Or, try to throw them in your hula hoop targets.
Obstacle Course: Set up a backyard obstacle course. Incorporate your balance beam, add obstacles to jump over or crawl under. See who can get through the course in the shortest amount of time.
Make sure and have plenty of water on hand to hydrate all your athletes!
Have fun! Enjoy the Olympics and your family at the same time.
What events would you add to the Family Olympics?
