Indoor Boredom Ideas, Rainy Day Or 100 Degrees!

{click to see the whole series}

1.
Indoor Play activities: Great ideas for younger kids.. Create-a-Road and Pinch and Clip

2.
Visit Playgroups USA Wow! what a fabulous amount of information and ideas about creating, joining and keeping your playgroup interesting! See this massive list of activities.


3.
Rainy Day activity ideas for kids ages 6-10... I love the Family Education site for great kid fun ideas!

4.

Anything with water! Bubbles in the sink, giving Barbies a bath, 'painting' the doors or any other hard surface with a paintbrush and a small cup of water... you get the idea...

5.

Build a Fort.. let the kids imaginations run wild... spaceships, camping tents, or just plain playing 'house'... help them out by suggesting wacky items from the kitcen as impliments for their adventure... a spaghetti spoon becomes the magic wand that drives the UFO, a rolling pin is the steering mechinism...

What rainy day or WAY too hot day indoor activity do your kids love.. feel free to share with us!

Kids In The Kitchen: Quesadillas!

{click to see the whole series}

Olé! It's Fiesta Time!

Jennifer from Savor The Thyme has provided an excellent post about creating fabulous Quesadillas with the kids! Jennifer is a Stay at home mom and fun foodie blogger!

"We have all been told to let our children ‘help’ in the kitchen and I have found that not only is it a great way to teach them about cooking, it is also a great way to empower them. What kid does not love the ideas of getting to make their own choices or ‘do what they want’? One way we let our kids have their free rein is when it comes to making Quesadillas. I simply place all of our favorite ingredients (and sometimes throw in new one) out and let them choose and assemble it.

This is truly a great way to entertain the children, use up leftovers, AND create a frugal and healthy meal."

I love how Jen created a buffet of options for the kids to 'try'... mine are always willing to try something once! They don't always like it, but I think it's really important to keep them trying!

See the rest of her post and ideas for Lil' Kid Quesadilla options!

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1.
For Mom! I have been looking for a swim suit for.. well the whole summer! What do you think? Will this one work? I found a new althetic store called Athleta.com.. cool stuff huh?





2.
I just came across this great book! You Think It's Easy Being The Tooth Fairy? Hilarious! By Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt. (catch her on twitter!)





3.
For tweener girls. GirlzLikeMe! An intriguing site where girls can safely upload pictures of themselves and talk with other girls. There's a place to upload artwork and other creative ways to express themselves. Plus check out the blog. I like that this site is run by a young girl!


4.
Car Travel Tips for Family Road Trips from About.com


5.
Fun Stuff for the Car: BackSeat Boredom Printables from FamilyFun.com.

A Soft Place To land: Try This!

{click to see the whole series}

Today. OMStinkin'Heck.

Today?

You can find me at Kimba's Crib Yo!
{Okay I sound like an idiot.}

HINT: There's cookies and lemonade involved!

Please click over to A Soft Place To Land for today's Summer Series Post!

Cure Kids' Mid-Summer Monotony: Week 7

{click to see the whole series}

Today's GoodNCrazy series is brought to you by the two hip dads of TodayIsFun! Take it away guys!

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It's the middle of July. Your kids have been out of school for some time now, and – uh-oh – the novelty of summer break has begun to wear off. The kids have played with all their toys quite thoroughly. They've settled into something of a routine with camps and summer classes. They're beginning to know the backyard like the back of their hands. With the "newness" of summer break gone, the children in your house need some new ways to keep busy and have fun.

At our site, TodayIsFun.com, we think having a number of kids activities ready to go at all times will save a parent's day (and a parent's sanity.)

We offer below ten fun-filled ideas for keeping your kids busy during the summer doldrums. The kids' activities here are pretty much geared towards ages six through eleven (roughly the ages of Carissa's two older kids), and they're designed for young ones to be able to do without a lot of parental involvement (because children playing happily on their own can contribute to parental sanity. And we all could use a healthy dose of that.)

(1) Ice Cube Experimentation. With just a couple ice cubes and tupperware bowls, your children can transform into temperature scientists! Watching ice melt might sound as thrilling as watching paint dry . . . but kids really do enjoy this simple experiment.
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/218/

(2) Miscellaneous Squiggle. You draw a line and your child "fills in the rest" to create an art masterpiece. Gets the kids' creativity a-churnin.'
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/248/

(3) Monster Names. Another entry from our arts and crafts department, this is a fun way for kids to 'decorate' their own names. A big-time crowd-pleaser among the kids in our house.
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/367/


(4) Leaf Rubbings. Send the kids out back to grab some leaves (but please, no hacking down trees or butchering the bushes). Then, they come back in, grab some crayons, and make beautiful, natural leaf rubbing art!
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/443/

(5) Sidewalk Chalk Maze. This is generally time consuming and therefore good for kids who can stick with a project for a while. They create their own maze on the pavement outside, and then a hapless parent has to come out and try to find a way out.
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/220/

(6) Structural Problems. Using blocks or Tinker Toys or something similar the kids build a structure with a big problem: a planned flaw that will lead to the (fun) downfall of the whole shebang.
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/435/




(7) A map of the house. You (or the kids) make a map of the house. Once that's done, you can "track" people and objects anywhere inside. Really, woudn't your family benefit fromn a homemade GPS for your house?
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/102

(8) No-Cut Kite. A simple flying contraption . . . a perfect (and perfectly fun) way to keep the kids quite busy. They'll be folding and then out back flying! (Some wind required.)
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/444/


(9) Chalk painting. Get the kids outside. Give them chalk and water and mix all the preceding ingredients together. Messy, goopy, and vaguely arty fun.
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/496/




(10) Photo walk. Great for older kids who can be trusted with a digital camera. This one gets them outside and looking at the world. Then they come back inside for some artistic achievement.
Link: http://todayisfun.com/blog/readmore/319/

With the ideas listed above, you should be in good shape for the rest of the mid-summer blues. If you'd like suggestions for more kids activities along this vein, please swing by TodayIsFun.com, where we post a new keep-the-kids-busy idea every day.

And thank you to Carissa for inviting us to participate in GoodNCrazy.com. (A life that is "good and crazy" is a great goal for families of kids to have!)


About Steve and Paul of TodayIsFun.com

Steve and Paul are the two Dads over at TodayIsFun.com. Their website offers free, fun and educational activities for keeping kids entertained and out of their parents' hair. Between their two families they have four kids that keep them quite busy. TodayIsFun.com aims to be the premier resource for parents asking, "What can I do with the kids now?"

In case you are wondering: my blog's disclosure.

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Geocaching: What is it? Summer Series Week 6

{click to see the whole series}

One of my earliest blogging pals is my feature today! Her name is Arizona. I know, AWEsome name huh?? She writes a blog titled Travel Bugs. And lately her specialty has been GeoCaching. Geo-What? Believe me, you are going to love this! And talk about perfect for the summer-time boredom doldrums!

She has written a Geocaching How-To Guide and here's what she has to say about Geocaching:

"Geocaching is a high-tech game of hide-and-go-seek using a hand-held GPS device. It may sound difficult, but it isn't. It's a great way to get the whole family outdoors. It's also a wonderful way to bond as a family since you all have to work together to find the "hidden treasure".

A geocache is a hidden container. The container can be a simple, small magnetic key holder with a simple logbook inside or it can be as large as a 5 gallon bucket. A fellow geocacher hides it in a location and provides the GPS coordinates so others can locate it with their GPS devices. That's the whole idea behind geocaching; find the cache! Then, go online to log your find and share your experience."

And since we got that GPS for daddy for Father's day... think he'll mind if we try it out this week!!?

Feel free to share your geocaching ideas!

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1.
Speaking of LOOONG Road Trips! How about these? A block of topics for family discussions! Including things like: What's your favorite family tradition? Or What family or school rule would you most like to change? From TableTopics.com

2.
What a terrific summer series! check out CAMP wanna-laffa-lotta! Great ideas, Great fun! From the creator of LifeAsMom Thanks to Katie for the submission!



3.
Give Kids a Camera! What a great idea from Bonnie of BonnieLovesPhotography! She suggests handing kids a disposable (or inexpensive digital) camera to play with while YOU take pictures of them! Great chances for fun shots and keeps them busy and entertained too! Bonus... often the pictures they take turn out better than you'd think!

Get Kids Reading This Summer!

{click to see the whole series}

Avoiding The Summer Reading Slump

I'm super excited to introduce Wendy Toone (@MobiMom on Twitter)! She is part of the Husband/Wife team behind MobiStories.com. They create and sell movie-like children's books and once purchased, you download directly to your computer... or even better(!)straight to your iPhone (or iPod or iTouch)!! The books range in price from $3.99 to $7.99 and are perfect for younger children and simply amazing for kids just learning to read!

I first saw her site when I was looking for ways to entertain my kids on a couple CRAZY loooong road trips coming up this summer. And yeah... I can download another 30 minute TV show to my iTouch, but how much better would my 5yrold be with 3 books read to him in that same amount of time!? When I approached Wendy about doing a GoodNCrazy feature she offered me a few titles to try out! Awesome of her huh?!

I counted over 20 book titles on their site, and I had a hard time deciding which ones to download! Even with the preview feature to help me decide! I chose Big Rig Daddy, and Mike and the Bike for my little boy. He's listened to both titles on the computer and on the iTouch, wow he totally loves them... and he's super close to reading on his own, so it's great to watch him with these.

PLUS** how cool is this? Wendy is offering a 30% discount to any GoodNCrazy readers who purchase thru the website MobiStories.com during the month of July!

USE CODE— GnC709

Wendy has put together some really fabulous ideas to keep your kids reading this summer, here's what she said on her blog:

"What??!!?? Oh yeah, here we go again. The kids will be thrilled to wake up late, laze around in front of the TV for a day, and completely decompress. {For – a – day!} Then what?? Camps, classes, & playdates can fill up the days and keep them active and occupied. But my fear is always that their brains will turn to mush by mid-July, leaving them (and in turn, me) frustrated and floundering come mid-September when they’re back in school with flabby grey matter that hasn’t been exercised in way too long.

*Warning: statistics approaching*

According to Kent State Graduate School of Education’s Dr. Timothy Rasinski, professor of literacy education, students can lose as much as 3 month’s worth of reading level over the summer. This means during the course of elementary education, a 6th grader could wind up as much as a year-and-a-half behind his/her peers. I know, it sounds rather drastic. But research shows that younger elementary school students rarely make up deficits in reading once they fall behind. Conversely, students who read (practice) during the summer could end up 3 months ahead, too.

So, why not be even just a little pro-active in keeping your kids reading. That doesn’t mean they need to plow through “War and Peace” by August 24th. Here are just a few FUN ways reading can become part of your family’s summer fun activities:

And then she lists 10 different terrific ideas. Including my favorite: Turning the sound down on your TV and turning the closed captioning on! I love this. We've been trying it.. maybe even try it in another language!! You can read the other summer reading ideas on her blog, enjoy!

If you have any questions about the discount code please tweet @mobimom to talk to Wendy!

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1.
The Daily Delights has terrific ideas for using children's books and creating activities around the books and the characters. One idea uses the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and I love another one from Make Way For Ducklings!

2.
This summer 'Be Creative @ Your Library'! Nationwide the library in YOUR town takes part in a theme summer reading program: Summer Library Reading Program or SLRP... have you checked out your local library? What activities and free events are they holding! See what the Rochester Hills Library is doing!

3.
I am all over this book! Great idea for older kids?? The Kids' Book Club Book! My tweeners are totally ready for this sort of thing.. would be awesome for a summer time plan, with all these road trips!!

4.
Terrific reading ideas from Family Education.com. 15 minute activities.. Every kids can handle that kind of time frame.. check some of these out!

5.
Turn off the Idiot Box! Some great tips from a fellow mom blogger Little Peachlings on getting your kids reading! I also love this one about Cloud "reading"!

EAT Your Veggies! {I Mean It!}

{click to see the whole series}

How to get your kids to eat healthier without pulling your hair out.. {or theirs!}


I want to introduce a fabulous woman, mom and Doctor! Dr. Joanna Dolgoff has created a weight loss program especially for children. You can find more information about her work at DrWeigh. She also hosts a weekly Twitter chat on Tuesdays at 1PM Eastern, #kidsweigh. Follow her @JoannaDolgoffMD.

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I recently was reading the blog attached to Dr. Dolgoff's website. And I came across her post about how to get kids to eat their veggies.. you know I was all over that! Here's what she has to say...

"Mothers continually struggle with trying to get their kids to eat more vegetables. The question arises, should moms sneak veggies into their children’s food? Or should they spend their energy convincing their kids to eat vegetables on their own?

It is clear to me that it is worth the extra effort to get your children to eat vegetables knowingly and willingly. Sure, you can spend your time mashing up carrots and chopping up spinach to sneak into your daughter’s pancakes. But what will happen five or ten years from now when she is living on her own? She won’t be used to the true taste of a veggie and she certainly won’t have the time (or patience) to julienne her own greens. Your victory will be short-lived.

You are much better off teaching your sons and daughters to enjoy the taste and the crunch of a vegetable. It may seem easier said than done but there are some strategies you can use to make the process easier."

She then lists 10 Easy Ways to Get Your Children To Eat More Veggies.

I especially like number 10. She has come up with a fabulous way to sneak veggies in even while at a restaurant. I am sooo trying this out the next time we are out for dinner! Check out the other great ideas and let me know which one you are going to try?

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1.
"Eat, Play, and Be Healthy" shows you how to feed your children to ensure that their young bodies and minds enjoy full and healthy growth at every stage of development. Written by W. Allan Walker.

2.
Do you have any Looooong road trips coming up? I do. So what's a mom to do to find a healthy fast food restaurant on the go? Yup. Subway. AND they have a contest going on right now to win $1,000!

3.
My fellow blogger and friend Elizabeth Donovan has created ParentingPink.com, a resource for parents of girls. This is an article revealing The Truth About Soda and children.

Photo by: scriptingnews

Kids In The Kitchen: Week 5

Welcome to the Summer Series Boredom Busters!
Check out the whole series: Help! My Kids Are Driving Me Crazy!

What could be more fun than Breakfast for Dinner?

My Featured Foodie today is Kate of Cooking During Stolen Moments! She comes up with fabulous baking ideas and I'm excited to share her Breakfast Pizza!? What... you ask, is that?

Well lately my kids have been GaGa over biscuits and gravy. We've been eating 'em for dinner for pete's sake! So when I saw her breakfast pizza idea... I WENT Yippee!


Here's What Kate said about her recipe:

"Breakfast pizza has always been a bit of a mystery to me. I’ve eaten it a few times at restaurants and really enjoyed. So I’ve always wanted to tackle making it myself. However, all of the recipes I’ve seen for it have seemed like they would be too dry.

Today I finally figured out a creative solution and decided to have some fun experimenting. I’m so glad I did because the results were delicious. This recipe is somewhere between a cross of sausage and gravy with biscuits and breakfast pizza. It’s a perfect any-time-of-day meal.

For the recipe and instructions please click over to Kate's Cooking Blog.. we plan to make it this weekend, and she assures me we can cheat and use store-bought biscuits or crescent rolls to speed up the meal and make it easy for my kids to make it!

And totally check out her other site when you have a chance:
A Simple Walk

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1.

I don't know whether to love this SouthernFairyTale girl or be a little bit jealous of her.. Rachel has come up with two new fab recipes that are great for kids to make! Sunshine Cake and IceCream Cone Cupcakes!

2.

This is more for me than the kids. I HEART banana...ANYthing. So when I saw banana cake with chocolate cream frosting? Okay? Sold. Please meet my friend Mary Beth and her icebox banana cake! I will forever know her as @Cupcakes5... and I mean.. isn't that better??

3.

Since you can never be too early or too prepared for Halloween... here's a fabulous Ghosts-On-A-Stick recipe to get you prepared... I love basically EVERYthing from Noble Pig... you will too! Plus here's the link to her whole Halloween series!

4.
My pal and goto guy for the hard cooking questions like brining a turkey (!)- Mr. Chris Perrin of BlogWellDone fame, has created a terrific kid friendly TACO recipe, including great tips for teaching kids in the kitchen, and safety!

5.

Check out these melon ball appetizers! Wow Prociutto? I'm in! Kate's blog Tribeca Yummy Mummy is... YUMMY!

6.
One of my newest BFFs on Twitter is @SavorTheThyme, please check out Jennifer's Egg and Ham Sandwich! Wow... my kids are all over anything eggy lately! I think this is for lunch!

Please contact me if you have a great Kid Friendly Recipe to add!