Creative Family Fun

Your one-stop shop for kids activities and family fun

Terri Thompson

Kid’s Co-op

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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 were so many great ideas shared last week, that it was so hard to choose three to share. Here is just the tip of the iceberg from last week:

Quirky Momma shared these fabulous homemade bath toys.

Dirt and Boogers shared some fun letter games for tots!
Learn with Play @ Home shared this idea for combining water play with pretend play. It’s washing time!

 

Now it’s your turn to share! Please join up and share your favorite post. (And, we’d love you forever if you’d link back to us!) Your link will show up on all of the hosts blogs. It’s time to link up, visit some new blogs, and have a lot of fun! 

10 Ways To Use Your Public Library

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Happy National Library Week! This week, April 8-14 is National Library Week. According to AtYourLibrary.org, National Library Week is “a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use.”

I love our public library and we visit it at least once a week. It’s a gem in our community and I couldn’t ask for a better library.

This week I wanted to salute my public library with a list of 10 ways to use your public library. And, believe me, it was hard to stop at 10!

I’m doing something a little different this week and linking to many activities provided by AtYourLibrary.org which is the public website for the American Library Association’s public awareness campaign, the Campaign for America’s Library.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

So here are my 10 favorite ways to use your public library.

1. Story time. We hardly ever miss story time at our library. The girls get to spend time with other kids their age, they hear several books read aloud by a wonderful storyteller, and get to play games. What’s not to love? Check with your local library for story times and stop by. I guarantee your kids will love it!

2. Expand your book collection. Find that list of all the books you want to read, save yourself some money and borrow them from the library. Are your kids suddenly interested in dinosaurs? They can find all the books they want at the library. Is the book you want to read not available at your library? Most libraries are part of a local county or multi-county association and will allow you to request books from nearby libraries. It’s time to start reading!

3. Research a subject you’ve always wanted to know more about. Do you want to know more about the bird’s stopping by your bird feeder? Check with the library. You can research science, history, and more! Curious about Native Americans? Check out this fabulous list of resources!

4. Learn a new skill. Sewing, baking, crochet, photography, or even knot tying. You can find resources at your local library to teach you any of these. Learn about the art and science of cooking or learn about gardening. It’s all at your library.

5. Learn manners and respect. Your local library is the perfect place to learn about behaving in public. Learn about using a quiet voice, being polite, waiting your turn, and other manners at a welcoming and friendly space.

6. Enjoy a movie. The next time you have family movie night, go by your public library. They’ve got a huge collection of new and classic movies, tv shows, and documentaries. And the best part, they’re free to check out.

7. Experience new music. Not only does your public library have movies, they also typically have a large collection of cds. Here’s your chance to experience opera, folk music, bluegrass, or music from all corners of the world.

8. Meet an author or see an interesting speaker. My public library has had opportunities to see poets, authors (of both adult & children’s books), local art exhibits, zoo presentations, family fun nights, and many more fun opportunities. And, I don’t live in a big city! Check with your local library’s website, follow them on Facebook or Twitter, and find out all the fun opportunities in your community!

9. Find a quiet place to unwind on a rainy or snowy day. If you don’t want to be stuck in the house in bad weather, go to the library! Read a book, work a puzzle, learn some new jokes, or even play a game. Find a  fun new cookbook and take it home to experiment in the kitchen. Or, find a craft book and spend the afternoon getting crafty. A trip to the library will cure the stuck-in-the-house blues!

10. Experience a new culture. If you can’t travel someplace, do the next best thing… find books and other resources to bring that culture to your home. Find books about festivals, food, clothing, history, crafts, geography, and literature from another culture. Find music and movies from that country. Bring it all home and immerse yourself. It’s an amazing experience! Here’s a list of the top 10 Spanish books for kids and here’s a list of winter festivals around the world.

*Bonus Activity: Do you have an e-reader? Guess what? Your local library may have e-books available to borrow. Ask and find out!

More library fun

Library Books We Keep Renewing at Mama Smiles.

Weekly Visits to the Library from Rainy Day Mum.

Now it’s your turn! Tell my something cool about your local library. What do you enjoy best about it?

How Do Birds Find Their Way? Book & Activity

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The girls and I are on a quest.

We’re on a quest to learn as much about the natural world as we can. I hope you’ll come along on the journey with us.

We’ll consult many books, do science experiments, look at things up close, observe, pretend, do art project, and many, many other things while we’re learning. Let’s have fun!

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

We’re still in love with birds and interested in learning as much as we can about them. We recently discovered a book that asked an interesting question:How Do Birds Find Their Way? (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2). We wanted to know.

As always, we went outside to read our book. I’ve learned that we learn a lot more if we can look and observe while we’re reading.

We learned that scientists are still learning about how birds find their way. We also talked about our own theories, and then read the book to see if we were right. We were thrilled to find that some of our theories were indeed correct!

We then decided to become birds ourselves.

We flew around the backyard… zoom, zoom, zoom. We dipped, we soared, we wore ourselves out and had to stop and rest.

After our rest, it was time to test out one of the theories in the book. Birds use the sun when flying north in the summer and south in the winter.

First, we had to learn about how the sun moved during the day; we also learned that this never changes.

A bird can indeed learn that the sun rises in the east and set in the west and use this knowledge to determine direction.

We tested out this theory. We found a round ball for a sun and then we figured out the best way to find direction.

If we were a bird and wanted to fly north in the morning, we would make sure the sun was on our right side. If we were flying north in the afternoon, the sun would be on our left. It sounds complicated, but it’s not. Once you try it out yourself, it’s easy to see how a bird can use sun in this way.

If you have a question about nature, get outside and test it out! It’s a fun way to learn.

We Make Music

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Awhile ago, I asked my friend Angelique Felix for help. I was hoping to provide you with a post about music play. Angelique graciously offered to write a guest post on this subject, and today I am happy to be able to share it with you! Thank you Angelique!

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This post I dedicate to a big love in my life and the joy it brought me and many of the children I encounter – MUSIC. Written for my lovely friend Terri of Creative Family Fun.

Children are magically drawn to music. A big master of music said: “If children hear fine music from the
day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline and endurance. They get a beautiful heart.” – Shinichi Suzuki (Japanese violinist and teacher who introduced millions of children to his  musical “Suzuki Method”)

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

The importance of tones, melodies and music for our children’s development start early.

Since the fourth month after conception kids have the ability to listen to the rhythm and melody of their mother’s voice. The newborn child will likely react positively and show recognition of songs sung by its parents during pregnancy. Reseacher Annie Murphy on TED explains that newborns can even cry in the dialect of their mother! The sense of melody and rhythm begins in the womb and will be mostly formed up to three years of age.

Letting your children hear music, move to music and join in when you sing and play, will give the child’s brain and memory a good boost.

My own experiences show how children playfully learn a second language through music. I play in English with Italian 2 to 3 years old. They hear this second language just a couple a times a week and have a limited vocabulary of their own language. The lack they have in expressing themselvs in words has never been an obstacle to include them in my games.

The approach I use, inspired by super simple learning,  is seeing the
English language as a variety of music and expose the kids to it’s different melodies and rhythms.

Some advices how to use music and dancing with children:

Repeat the same song – Young children love to repeat the same things over and over again. They feel safe if they know what will happen.

Sing Slow – be aware to sing slow,this makes it easier for children to participate and understand words and melody.

Tone height – The voice of a child is higher as the one of the adult. Adapt your singing to their level.

Action songs – Song with actions help him remember the words and tune.

Moving to Music – Expose your child to a variety of music from rock to classical ballet and encourage him to move in different ways.

For babies and toddlers: If your child is little let him sit on your knee or rest in your arms while you move to the
music. Move up and down with the tones, slow and fast with the rythm, soft and strong with the volume. This help the child to listen and respond to all aspects of the sounds.

For older children: Clap out the rhythm or tap it out on the table.

Use instruments: Make them yourselves: all it need is a used box and two wooden spoons! Or empty Bottles with pasta, rice, or whatever you like to listen to inside.

Musical play is a lovely tool that stimulates your child’s social, emotional and cognitive development. And the best is that you can use music everywhere and anytime: Inside or outdoors, as we show you in this
cute video! Have fun!

If you would like to see MORE of my videos, please visit me HERE.Angelique Felix

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Angelique Felix believes in play. She lives in Italy and provides many play sessions for both parents and children. She’s also an instructor in infant massage. Angelique works with the Reggio Emilia-approach in her play sessions. Please visit Angelique’s blog or her YouTube channel to learn more about her and her approach to playful learning.

Weekends: Finding Balance

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Would it shock you to hear that I sometimes struggle with balance?

No, I don’t have it all together. In fact, a lot of time, like this past week for example, I feel like I have way too much on my plate.

I struggle to prioritize. I know I need to do better.

So, this weekend, while spending time with my family, I’m going to work on balance.

So, how do you find balance? Here are the steps I’m going to take to help balance my priorities.

1. Write it all down. Write down everything, big or little, that you have to do. Write down things you have to do as well as things you’ve been wanting to do. Make sure “learn to crochet” is on that list right along with “go grocery shopping” and “mail birthday cards.” When it’s all written down, you’ll have a better idea of everything you have to do.

2. Prioritize. What do you have to do now. What can you put off until later? Is there anything that you don’t need to do. Make sure you fulfill both your wants and needs. Is learning how to crochet important to you? List it as such. You can’t find balance if you don’t allow yourself time to fulfill some of your wants.

3. Slow down! Stop the frenzied pace you’ve been living. You can feed your family sandwiches and raw veggies for dinner. The dust bunnies will not devour your house if you let them sit one more day. Step back and breathe. You’ll find it much easier to tackle your list if you take it slowly.

4. Say no. Are you over-committed? Is there anything you can say no to? If there is nothing you can cross off your list now, can you say no to any commitments that come up in the near future. Try not to add anything more to your list until you can cross things off.

5. Enjoy the little things. Read a book you’ve been meaning to. Help you child find rocks to add to their collections. Hold your husband’s hand. Snuggle with a baby. Remember, life doesn’t need to be frantic and focusing on the little things can help bring that into perspective.

I’m hoping I can find balance this weekend. How about you? Do you struggle with balance?