Creative Family Fun

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Parenting

101 Kids Activities That Are the Bestest, Funnest Ever

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*Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

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.

Friends, let me tell you something. My creativity flew out the window as soon as summer started. Kid’s crafts… can’t come up with a good one. Kid’s activities… forget about it. Thank goodness for my friends Holly Homer and Rachel Miller from Kids Activities Blog. Their book, 101 Kids Activities That Are the Bestest, Funnest Ever!, is full of fun ideas. It’s perfect for busy families, families with kids of multiple age groups, bored kids, or just anyone wanting to do something fun. It was a life saver for me and I know it will be for you too.

The girls gravitated to the book as soon as it came in the mail. The leafed through it several time. I finally got out a pad of post-its and asked them to mark anything that sounded interested. They marked a lot. Luckily, the projects in this book are easy and it’s very likely that you’ll have all the supplies you need at home. Thank goodness! I love activities that you can do spur of the moment.

We started with these bouncing balls. They’re a fun combination of a bouncy ball and a yo-yo. We made them early on in the summer and they are still going strong. They were fun to make and once you are done, you can play all sorts of games with them. Fun!

We also started making this DIY Straw Building Set. We veered off a little with the project and worked together to make the longest straw chain ever. It was a great way to spend a rainy afternoon.

With modifications listed for younger kids and older kids, this is the perfect book for any family or any grandparent. Keep it in your toolbox. Don’t worry about ever running out of ideas. 101 Kids Activities That Are the Bestest, Funnest Ever! will come to your rescue!

The All or Nothing Approach to Parenting

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Have you seen all those articles lately? They’re everywhere. They’re telling you what you’re doing wrong, that you’re ruining your kids, and you should start doing these 5 (or 10) things to fix it. Then, two days later you read another article which completely contradicts the first article. And yes, you’re still ruining your kids. Is your head spinning yet? I know mine is.

How do you make sense of it all? Are they even worth reading? I’ll tell you what I’ve done. I’m still reading them, but I’ve stopped trying to make sense of everything. We’re all so vastly different and come from vastly different places. There is no “one size fits all” way to parent. Certainly there are good practices and bad practices that can apply to all. But, on the other hand, there are many areas where the nuances of a situation can warrant many different approaches.

Case in point: Dear Mom on the iPhone and the many responses to it, such as this one. Talk about uproar. And, I was one of those roaring (privately in my own home, but roaring nonetheless). First you find out that people are actually judging you when you pull out your phone at the park. Then, the line gets drawn in the sand. On one side you’ve got the “never ever look at your phone in the presence of your kids” crowd that accuses all the phone people of ignoring their children and never engaging. On the other side you’ve got the “I’ll pull out my phone whenever I feel like it” crowd who are angry and ready to toss any bit of good advice that comes their way out the window. Honestly, I can’t blame them. Where’s the middle ground? I never saw it in this situation.

Just recently, there was the British nanny letting us know that we were raising a bunch of spoiled, entitled brats and she can tell us how to fix it. Sigh. Yes, this went down the same path. All or nothing with no middle ground.

The good advice is getting lost in the approach. 

Always be present. Never pull out your phone or check your email or talk to a friend, etc.

OR

Let’s go back to the 1970’s. Ignore your kids. Let them run all over the neighbor and drink out of the hose. That’s the only way to raise good citizens of the world.

Do you see the highlighted words? It’s the absolutes. Always, never, only. You slap those words on there and suddenly people are up in arms. Do I pull out my phone at the park? Yes, I do. Do I always pull out my phone? Nope, I don’t and neither do the majority of the parents you see on the phone at the park.

So, why all the controversy? Where’s the good stuff. Where’s the stuff that won’t make me feel like the world’s worst parent? Unfortunately, the good stuff doesn’t always go viral. But, it should. It should get people talking. It should get people thinking. It’s there right in the middle of that all or nothing approach.

Let’s tune out all the fighting. We’ll step back and we won’t engage. If the advice makes you feel crummy or it makes you feel angry, it’s not the advice you need. The good stuff gives you hope. The good stuff makes you stop and think. The good stuff is delivered with kindness. It’s personal and shares the imperfections of life. The good stuff… well, that’s what we all need to hear.

Where’s the good stuff? 

Luckily there is some great advice among all of the controversy. These ladies have it right. They’re real. They’re honest. And, they’re not out to start a fight. When you’re feeling down-trodden thanks to the latest viral bit of parenting advice, read the advice from these ladies instead.

Getting Ready for Planes: Fire and Rescue with Kohl’s #sponsored

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I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Kohl’s. I received a promotional item to facilitate my review. 

Did your kids love the Disney movie Planes? We loved it. Did you know that there’s going to be a second movie coming out this summer? Planes: Fire and Rescue hits the theaters on July 18. Awesome, right?
It’s over a month away, but you certainly get ready for a fun viewing experience. Kohl’s has your back with their exclusive Disney apparel by Jumping Beans. It’s already available online and in stores. Even if you have girls, don’t be afraid to pop over to the boys section for some great unisex styles. We do that all the time! Below are of my favorite choices that would be fun to style for girls. Add some cute legging or a skirt (or both) for a fun look. (Note: Clicking the pick below will take you to the Jumping Beans Collection.)

Now that you’re all suited up and ready to go, let’s make the most of our experience with some fun paper airplane projects.
Are you ready to have fun with Kohl’s and Planes: Fire and Rescue?

*Thank you again for viewing this post sponsored by Kohl’s and Mom Central Consulting. It’s posts like these that keep my blog afloat. You rock!

My Life on Instagram

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I love Instagram. I love capturing a moment. I love seeing the details. I love the beauty of the everyday. I love the reminder of the little things.These are just a few of the things I’ve captured on Instagram over the last couple of weeks.

Now that spring has sprung, our sandbox is no longer under a couple of feet of snow. The sand is at a perfect slightly wet, mold-able state. The girls just can’t stay out of it – not that I’d stop them. This is what they’ve been doing the last few afternoons.
I’ve been trying to participate daily in the Tinkerlab Sketchbook Challenge. Since we’ve been spending so much time outdoors, a lot of my sketching has been done on the driveway, like this 1-minute challenge sketch. I haven’t been able to participate everyday, but I’m enjoying the chance to draw and stretch my creative muscles.
This, my friends, is my favorite sign of spring. My tulips are poking their way out of the mulch and I couldn’t be happier.

Sewing. It’s kind of my thing. I’ve become addicted in the last couple of years and this year I decided to make both girls a new dress for Easter. This is Miss First Grader’s. I’m nearing my deadline and I still have one dress to go. Ack!

 

We’ve been doing some of the TinkerSketch Challenge together. Drawing on foil day was way too much of a fun idea to do by myself. The girls and I sat around the table one afternoon with my Sharpies and sheets of aluminum foil. This is Miss First Grader’s masterpiece.
I’ve never, ever been able to capture a good sunset pic. Apparently, all I needed was a smart phone. That’s what I get for being behind the times! Thank you Instagram for the pic.
If you want to see more of my day-to-day, you can follow me on Instagram at this link. I’d love to follow you too!
 

Connecting After School: The Questions You Should Be Asking

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“How was your day?” 

“Good.”

“Did you do anything fun?”

“Ummmm… I don’t remember.”

Sound familiar? Talking to kids after school can often get you nowhere.

Every question I asked would get me silence.

It was driving me crazy.

Was school so bad that she didn’t want to talk about it?

No, that wasn’t the case.

Was she bored and just wasting her time there all day? No, that wasn’t it either.

You know what the problem was? I was asking the wrong questions.

How do you get your kids to talk about their school day?

Connecting After School: 20 questions to ask your kids about their school day.

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.

How could I get my child to talk?

I asked everyone. I posted the question on-line.

I looked for blog posts that had suggestions.

Everyone had different opinions, but there was one key thing they all mentioned and it was the one thing I was doing wrong.

Ask about the details.

My questions were too vague.

Of course my 6-year-old wasn’t going to give me the answers I was looking for if I didn’t help her out a little bit.

I know a bit about her day. I know when she has art and when she has music. I know the subjects that are covered each and every day. I know that her teacher reads chapter books to the class and that each student keeps a science journal and a reading journal.

I’m sure you know basic ideas about your child’s day too.

The key is asking detailed questions to get them talking about their day.

So what can you ask? Here are 20 questions to ask your kids about their school day.

Who did you sit by at lunch?

Who did you play with at recess?

What did you do in P.E. (art, music, etc.) today?

Did anything surprise you today?

Tell me something nice that you did for someone today. Did someone do something nice for you today?

What book did your teacher read to you today? What do you like about that book?

What book did YOU read (or listen to) today?

Did anything make you sad today? Why did that make you sad?

What made you laugh today?

Tell me one new thing you learned today.

What was the most fun part of your day?

What made you bored today? Is there anything that could make that more interesting?

Who do you wish you could sit by in class? Why?

Did something out-of-the-ordinary happen at school today? What was it?

What was the hardest thing you did today?

Did something (or someone) make you angry today? What did you do (or say)?

Was there something that you didn’t understand? Can I help you understand it more?

Did you do something that you are proud of today? What was it?

Is there anything coming up that you are excited about?

What was your favorite thing to learn about today?

If you know something special is going on at school, make sure and ask questions about it.

Recently my daughter participated in Jump Rope for the Heart during school. She loved that I asked about it and very eagerly answered all my questions.

We were able to make that connection after school.

20 Questions to Ask Your Kids About School

Connecting with your child after school does take some effort. I’ve learned that if I make the effort, my daughter will meet me halfway. I couldn’t expect her to automatically tell me everything I needed to know. I learned that detailed questions get better answers. And now, we are making that connection and I love every minute of it.

Do you have any more questions to add to the list? How do you get your kids to talk to you after school?