Water Safety Tips for Kids

R has taken swim lessons for several years now, and in addition to learning how to swim, he has learned a great deal about water safety. I realize that professional swim lessons aren't an option for every family, but it is important for all children to know how to swim and to know the basic rules of water safety. Even after swim lessons are over, I make it a priority to continuously talk to R about how to stay safe in and around water.  Because this is such an important topic, I would like to share some of the basic rules that we discuss.

This list is not intended to be a complete safety lesson for children. It is meant to be a conversation starter. The age and skill level of your children will affect how many of these safety rules they can retain. You should always closely supervise children, and take measures to prevent them from having access to unsupervised areas of water.

Also, CPR certification is a great thing to have. Those of you in the United States can find classes near you by visiting The American Red Cross website. Your local chapter may also provide water safety classes and swimming lessons for children.

And remember, drowning doesn't always look like drowning. For more information you can visit this post.

10 Water Safety Tips for Kids:

1. Always swim with a buddy in a supervised area. Don't enter any body of water without permission and supervision.

2. Follow pool rules. This typically includes no running, no horseplay, and no glass containers in or near the pool.

3. Look before you leap. Before you jump in, look in the water to make sure there's no debris or people in your path. Also look for depth. In a pool, the depth is marked with a number. The higher the number, the deeper the water.

4. Don't dive into shallow areas of the pool, or into lakes and rivers. Lakes and rivers can have weeds and grass that can trap even the best of swimmers.

5. Stay calm and think so you don't sink. Stop and think about what you should do if you find yourself struggling in the water.

6. Reach or throw. Don't go. If you see someone that needs help, you shouldn't jump in the water to help them because they could panic and hold you down. Instead, throw something that floats, or lay down on the side of the pool and reach for them. You should lay down so you don't fall in while reaching.

7. Don't go swimming when it's cold. Cold temperatures can be dangerous.

8. Learn about boating before you go. Make sure the boat has everything you may need. This includes a first aid kit, an anchor, oars, a map, flashlight, and food and water. And always wear your life jacket! Don't just pack it. Wear it.

9. No playing around drain pipes or suction fittings. These can be very dangerous places and should always be avoided.

10. Know what to do in an emergency. Talk about what you should do if someone is in trouble in the water. Know how to get help and how to call 9-1-1.

Have a happy and safe summer! 

Read more ...

Number Line Fun

Sidewalk chalk is a staple of our summers. It's inexpensive, versatile and fun! So I often find myself dreaming up new ways to use it in learning activities. This time, we used it to bring a bit of playful math practice outdoors with a kid-sized number line. Number lines are great ways to teach math to young kids, and this extra-large version keeps them active while learning. 

I set up this activity by drawing the number line for him. I alternated between two colors for the numbers to make the even and odd numbers stand out. By the way, I used the new Crayola Washable Sidewalk Chalk, and I must say that we're loving the new colors and shape! 

Ways to Play and Learn:

Counting- Number lines are great for children that need practice with counting. With this sidewalk chalk number line, kids can say the numbers as they walk (or hop!) over them on the line. You can also ask them if they notice any patterns as they move their way through the teens and twenties.

Adding- What's 6+3? Use the number line to find out! Stand on the six and hop forward three places. What number did they land on? Do they need practice adding bigger numbers? Just make your number line a little longer. 

Subtracting- Just like adding, only in reverse! This time hop backwards to find the answer.

Skip-Counting- The number line makes counting by 2's, 5's, and 10's a breeze! This was especially helpful with counting by twos and the alternating colors were very useful.

Even/Odd Numbers- I also used this number line as a prompt for a lesson on even and odd numbers. I explained that an even number has sets of pairs, two friends that go together. No one is left out. And an odd number is a number that doesn't have complete sets of pairs. 

I demonstrated this further by saying, "Lets find out if the number 8 is even or odd." Then I drew 8 lines on the ground and circled the pairs. Everybody had a friend, so the number is even. I repeated this with the number 7, which had one left out, so the number is odd. 

Then I gave R the chalk and asked him to discover even and odd numbers on his own in the same way. But what about the number eleven? Twelve? I let him figure out a few double digit numbers and then asked him if he noticed anything about them. The numbers 2 and twelve are both even!

Practicing math in this way was fun and effective. He could put himself inside the action, take a look around, and figure out the why's and how's in an active way. This is definitely an activity that we'll be revisiting!

{Did you find this post helpful? Don't miss out on any updates! You can subscribe for free or follow me on Facebook!}

This post contains affiliate links. To read more about my disclosure policy click here. 

Read more ...

Discover the Seasons: Color Hunt

A great way to learn more about the seasons is to get out and into nature. We recently investigated spring with a colors of nature color hunt and I'm thrilled to be sharing it over on the Melissa & Doug blog.

This activity is a fantastic way to encourage your kids to pay attention to the details. R was noticing far more than just colors on this nature walk, and observing nature closely was a fun way to learn. We plan to do this each season and compare his findings. 

To find out more about our colors of nature hunt and get the free printable record sheet, please visit  the Colors of Nature Color Hunt post. 

Happy hunting! 

Read more ...

The Benefits of Scooters

I didn't give a lot of thought to the benefits of scooters as I was picking one out for R. I just thought he'd like it. But recently, as I watched him riding his scooter, I was absolutely struck by the benefits. I love watching him grow into this new phase of childhood and I look forward to many more afternoons watching him do tricks, fall, and get up again.

The Benefits Of Scooters 

1. Promotes self-confidence. His pride and self assurance is evident as he masters something new.
2. Develops balance and coordination. The more he practices, the better he gets!
3. Provides exercise. He's expending energy and he's further developing his gross motor skills.
4. Fosters determination. It can be hard to learn a new skill, but practice and determination pays off.
5. Encourages risk assessment. He's weighing the risks and taking chances.
6. Increases resilience. He's getting up and trying again after some big falls!
7. Time outside. And outside time is good.
8. Knowledge of safety equipment. He discovered the very first day why he should wear his safety gear.
9. Pure joy. He's happy. Unbelievably happy. 

Do your kids love scooters too? Do you have a benefit to add to the list?

{Did you enjoy this post? Don't miss out on any of the fun! Subscribe for free or follow me on Facebook for future posts!}

Read more ...

Catch: 10 Ways to Play

Playing catch is a simple childhood staple and it's a great way to spend time together as a family. You don't need much time, space, or resources to play but the benefits are many. I'm sharing 10 of my family's favorite ways to play and I hope you find a few that you like as well. Have fun!

The Benefits:

Playing catch has a multitude of benefits. While playing catch your child is building and working muscles, practicing their hand-eye coordination, and learning how to take turns. They are also learning about persistence and determination. Plus, it's a fantastic way to connect with your child.

The Play:

There are various ways you can play catch. Adapt it for your family's ages, skills, and interests.

1. Play using a variety of balls. Try baseballs, softballs, tennis balls, footballs, nerf balls and even beach balls.
2. Use bean bags and play games like hot potato. 
3. Try to catch water balloons! The smaller they are, the harder it is to bust them. Fill some extra full, just for fun!
4. Count each catch and try to beat your record of consecutive catches. 
5. Play by bouncing a tennis ball off of the side of your house and trying to catch it as it comes back.
6. Play using velcro mitts.
7. Play "keep away" or "monkey in the middle."
8. Use a large basket or bucket and various balls. One person tosses the balls as the other runs around and tries to catch them in their bucket. If more than one person is catching, see who can catch the most. 
9. Throw and catch a frisbee instead.  
10. Play with a glow in the dark ball at night.

How does your family like to play catch?

{If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing or following along on Facebook.}

Read more ...

10 Tips for Fishing with Kids

Taking your children fishing can be a great way to connect as a family. It's also a fantastic way for your kids to experience nature and learn the art of patience.  But have you been worried about how a fishing trip with young children would turn out? Or was your last trip less than amazing? I've been there! So I thought I'd share a few of the things that have helped my family enjoy this fun past time.

10 Tips for Fishing with Kids

1. Decide on Location- The first step towards a successful fishing trip with your kids is deciding on a good location. Ideally, you'd like to go to a place that is well stocked because it increases your chances for actually catching fish. Other things to consider would be how crowded and family friendly it is, and if there's a good bit of room to explore and play if the fishing loses it's appeal.

2. Build Anticipation- Before you go, especially if this is your child's first fishing trip, you could read a few picture books about fishing to build excitement. You could also mark the date of your family's fishing trip on a calendar and count down the days until it's time to go. Tell stories and ask open-ended questions to get them involved in the conversation.

3. Expectations and Rules- As you are building anticipation for your family outing, you could also take some time throughout the days beforehand to talk about your expectations and rules for safety. Go over them again as you leave to go fishing so that they are fresh in their minds.

4. Go Prepared- Of course, this is an important thing to do with any outing if you have kids. (I've definitely learned that one the hard way.) Before you leave, make sure you have plenty of water, sunscreen, and snacks. You might also need something to repel bugs, antibacterial wipes (to wash hands before they eat their snack!) and a change of clothes. Will you need chairs or a blanket? And don't forget your fishing gear!

5. Choose Your Bait- The type of bait you use will vary depending on where you are fishing and what you are hoping to catch.. and your child's interests. For some, a big bucket of worms will be the perfect bait. Not only will you be fishing with them, but they could provide some added entertainment between catches. However, if your child is squeamish, you may want to bring some cheese slices instead.

6. Bring the Bobbers- Lightweight bobbers will help your child notice when they have a bite. This is really useful if your child wants to wander a bit without his pole.

7. Give Them a Job- Giving your child a job can give them something to focus on and look forward to. Young children can hand you bait while older children might be in charge of releasing the fish.

8. Make it Fun- Fishing is a lot of fun when you are getting bite after bite, but it doesn't always happen that way. Show your children that they can enjoy themselves while waiting for the next fish to bite. You can use the slow times as a chance to talk and explore a bit of the nature around you. Catch bugs. Watch your worms. Take a break and have a picnic. You can even make up silly songs to lure the fish to your bait. One trip we began singing, "Here fishy, fishy. We don't want to EAT you. We just want to CATCH you." And now it's something we sing each time we go.

9. Keep it Short- If you plan to keep the trip short, then you wont be disappointed or frustrated if the fishing has lost it's appeal early into the day. Don't worry. You are likely to see an increase in their attention spans and patience the more often you go.

10. Practice Responsible Fishing- Talk with your kids about responsible fishing. Talk about why we only keep what we need and release the fish we don't. Pack up everything you brought with you and try to leave your spot better than when you found it.

I hope that you've found these tips helpful! Do you have a tip you'd like to share? 

Can't get out to go fishing? You might like my post on Pretend Play Fishing.


{I would like to stress that we supervise R while fishing and recommend that your children fish only under close supervision as well. You know your child and their capabilities so please only do what you feel comfortable with.}

Read more ...

Sidewalk Chalk Farm

Sidewalk chalk is a staple of our summers. We even keep it in our summer fun activity bag so we have some whenever we'd like. And we love to use sidewalk chalk as a base for more pretend play.  On this day we added some animals and other toys to make a sidewalk chalk farm for a fun playdate. 

We started by drawing the base of the farm. We drew a farmhouse, barn, pond, lots of grassy spots for the animals to graze, a dirt road, and sun.

Then we added the toys! The boys set up various areas of the farm before they decided to do some farm work. They plowed the fields, fed the animals, and went fishing in the pond. This definitely encouraged pretend play and sharing.

This is such a great activity because you can really tailor it to your kids' interests! We've had a lot of fun with pretend play cities where we only needed an imagination, the sidewalk chalk, and a few cars.

A Tip for Playdates:

Encourage each family to contribute a type of toy. Have the toys differ for ease in pick up and to ensure that the toys go back to the right home without quarrels or confusion. For instance, one family could bring the animals and another family could bring the tractors.

You might also like:

15 Outdoor Playdate Activities- No Playgrounds or Toys Required

Letter Sounds Hopscotch


{If you liked this post, please consider subscribing or following me on Facebook. You could also subscribe to my brand new monthly newsletter to get my most popular posts of the month (and other fun) delivered straight to your inbox!}

Read more ...

Storytelling with Clouds

I mentioned in a couple previous posts (here and here) that watching clouds could be a fun activity. Were you a little skeptical? We've laid back and looked at clouds (and it was very enjoyable on it's own!) but it never took up an afternoon. Until now. We used the pictures we found in clouds as a starting point for storytelling, and he loved it. I knew he would enjoy this activity, but just how much kind of surprised me. So I have to share!

We started the afternoon by playing at the park. When he started getting tired and hot, we took a break underneath the shade of a big tree. We laid back and looked up at the sky and I asked him if he could find any pictures in the clouds. Then we told stories based on the pictures we seen.

For our first story, R seen a giant mouth in the clouds. I want to share the story with anyone that's interested in getting a glimpse at one mom's attempt. It didn't take long to actually tell the story, but it's a decent amount of reading so I'm including the story, "The Very Hungry Giant" in a separate page. You can find it by clicking here. I made this up as we went along and R's interactions will be in orange. 

It wasn't long before R was up and acting out the story as I told it. He shook and stumbled when the giant's tummy was growling. He picked various pieces of grass and weeds for the different foods. He was engrossed in the story.

After I finished my story, R found different pictures in the clouds and told his own stories. He didn't want to stop! And he didn't want to go back to playing. We sat and he told stories as I listened. And I was engrossed. I think that he's probably a better storyteller than I am.

Have you ever struggled with telling tales? Here are 10 simple tips for storytelling.

{If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing or following me on Facebook for more updates.}

Read more ...

15 Outdoor Playdate Activities

Sometimes I get caught up in the planning of playdates. I want the kids to have a great time and I try to plan creative and fun activities. And they usually like what I plan. But often, all kids really need is a playmate and a big open space. I was reminded of this fact sometime last week, when R and his buddy played for three hours straight underneath a big shade tree. All they had was each other and their imaginations. They had a blast.

So I thought I'd share a few ideas for a no frills playdate. Chances are you won't even need my suggestions. I bet your kids will have their own ideas! But if they need a few ideas to get them started, you can share these kid-tested favorites.

1. Play "Red Light-Green Light." 

2. Look at bugs. 

3. Play Tag.

4. Pretend to be airplanes. Or wild animals. Or anything else you can dream up.

5. Have races. Don't just run. Who can crawl the fastest? Hop? Crab walk?

6. Compare boo boos.

7. Play "Simon Says". 

8. Roll down hills.

9. Play "Follow the Leader."

10. Watch clouds. Find various shapes in the clouds. What can you see?

11. Do flips!

12. Play with rocks. 

13. Play hide and seek. Just make sure there's an adult watching!

14. Climb trees.

15. Make land art. Make art out of found objects in nature- rocks, twigs, flowers, etc.

{If you liked this post, please consider subscribing or following me on Facebook. You could also subscribe to my brand new monthly newsletter to get my most popular posts of the month (and other fun) delivered straight to your inbox!}

Read more ...

Pretend Play- Fishing

Fishing is such a wonderfully fun and relaxing way to spend the afternoon. But if you can't get to a body of water, what are you to do? Pretend fishing, of course! This is such a simple and fun activity that will stretch your child's imagination (and your's if you choose).

Supplies:

• Imagination- The only thing you truly need. Props are just a bonus.
• Fishing Pole- Ours is an old piece of unused PVC pipe with a string and bobber tied onto it. You could use a stick or a dowel. Or nothing tangible at all.
• Boat- Ours is a boat made from a huge cardboard box and hot glue. You could use any box or laundry basket big enough for your child to sit in. Or nothing tangible at all. :)
• Extra People- (Or pets) For fish! Or they could just imagine the fish.

The Play:

Solo- If your child has never fished and has no idea what to do, you could show them how to play by demonstrating yourself. Pretend to catch a great big fish. Pretend it gets away. Have fun with it. Then let them takeover. Let them make up their own stories and scenarios and watch how their play evolves. R's imaginative play usually starts slowly and then speeds up and changes direction as he gets more engrossed in the activity and really puts himself into the story. For instance, this time his play started out as him catching fish and such, and evolved into catching sharks and swimming to shore for more bait. It was entertaining to watch!

Group- Want to join in on the fun? Maybe you could both do the fishing. Or take turns fishing for one another (or siblings and friends). We made up silly songs to trick the fish into taking our bait. We were surprised when a catfish was lured into the boat with a flower as bait! We battled with great big ticklefish. For those of you that are unfamiliar with "ticklefish," they are huge, merciless fish that will tickle it's captor until they are thrown back. Anything goes!

Happy fishing!

{If you liked this post and would like to be receive updates about my new content, you can subscribe or follow me on Facebook.}

Read more ...

15 Ways to Have Fun Outside- In The Dark

We love playing outside and the fun shouldn't end just because the sun went down! So today I thought I'd share fifteen ways to have fun outside.. in the dark. 

1. Flashlights are fun! Give the kids flashlights and take a look around. Much fun can be had by simply exploring with a flashlight. What looks different at night? What does my mouth look like with the flashlight? My fingers?
2. Flashlight tag. Tag players using the beam of light, or simply play tag with flashlights to guide the way.
3. Flashlight limbo. How low can you go? Two people, holding flashlights, face each other and make a steady beam of light for others to limbo under.
4. Catch the light. My son absolutely loves chasing after the ever-moving beam of light. I shine it around and just when he thinks he's caught it, I move it again. He has so much fun and this really tires him out. He also enjoys reversing the play and watching me scurry after the light. 
5. Catching shadows. We've also had a lot of fun chasing each other's shadows. The object is to catch the other person's shadow by chasing after it and jumping on it. All you need is a porch light that shines out into your yard and you're ready for some fun. 
6. Shadow puppets. Shine a light onto the side of your house or fence to set the stage for an evening of puppet shows. 
7. Catch lightening bugs.
8. Put a spin on some classic games. How much fun is "Red Light, Green Light" or "Duck, Duck, Goose" in the dark? Lots, actually.
9. Glow in the dark dancing. Put on shows for one another, or simply rock out with glow sticks. 
10. Hide and seek with glow sticks. One person hides a glow stick and then all of the others try to find it. The person that finds it first gets to hide it again.
11. Hunt for glow sticks. Hide a bunch of glow sticks all throughout the yard and let the kids hunt for them. 
12. Flashlight hunt. One player hides an object, like a rubber duck, and the others try to find it using their flashlights.
13. Build a campfire. Listen to music. Play cards. Cuddle. Make s'mores. 
14. Tell spooky stories. But maybe not too spooky.
15. Tell stories with constellations. Show your children a few constellations and then ask them if they can find any pictures in the stars. Ask them to tell you more about the object they see. Can they make up a story about it? Can you?

More Tips:

• Regular flashlights are great fun, but a child-size headlamp can make the night extra special and some of the games a bit easier. 
• Make sure your yard and area of play is safe before playing. As with anything, supervise your children and use caution and your best judgement. 
• Set a timer to let everyone know when the play must come to an end to transition smoothly into bedtime routines. 

What are some of your favorite ways to have fun in the dark?

{If you liked this post, please consider following me on Facebook to get future updates! Thanks!}

Read more ...

What We Learned From Playing With Rocks

We recently made a day out of visiting a nearby dam. We had a lot of fun and it was very educational. Looking at the dam and talking about it's purpose was educational. Reading signs about local wildlife and then seeing it first hand was amazing!

But the part of the day that struck me the most was when we were playing with rocks. Rocks are fantastic and fun learning materials! For well over an hour we were throwing rocks into the water and he was learning! Of course it was great use of gross motor skills, but it was also more than that.

It was a wonderful conversation starter and experience. He would choose a rock and we'd talk about  it. We'd talk about how big it was, it's shape and color, how heavy it was. We'd speculate on whether or not it would be good for skipping. We'd throw them and listen to all the various sounds they would make as they kerplunked into the water. We noticed that the big rocks made a sound that differed from the small rocks. We attempted to recreate the sounds we heard. We played music by throwing rocks. We talked about distance. We talked about the splashes the rocks made and the outstretching ripples. I did a lot of listening and let him lead the conversation. It came naturally and he didn't want it to end.

When we left, instead of taking the stairs we opted to climb back up over the rocks, which was another fantastic learning opportunity. Before we started I knew that I would give him his space and let him conquer this on his own. It was a huge hill of rocks that might be "risky" but I knew he could do it. We still went over a few basic safety tips. The main one I stressed was to be aware of where he was putting his hands. I didn't want him accidently finding a stray fish hook or a snake. It is getting cooler and the chance of snakes is lessening, but it was a very warm day and you never know. I was never far behind, but I didn't want to hover.

He was eager to get started and he was doing great. I seen him thinking about his next move and being deliberate in his hand placement. And then there was an instant where he learned from experience. He jumped to a rock that was not stable. The rock started to move and he started to fall backwards. Now, this wasn't a huge rock cliff, but it was still instantly terrifying for me. Within less than a second I seen several different scenarios play out in my mind as I started to lunge forward. But he was quicker. He very quickly recovered and was to the next rock before I could let out a gasp. He stayed low the rest of the way up and was so proud of himself when we finished. He told me that he almost fell but that he kept his balance and it was easier to keep his balance if he stayed low to the ground.

Life experience. Excitement and fun. Critical thinking, problem solving, science, math, music, language and exercise. All from playing with rocks.

Rocks taught us a lot this day. Do you use nature as your playground and classroom?

Read more ...

Fun With Fort Building

Today's "Hands On Play Challenge" was to build a fort. Wow! What a fantastic way to start off with a bang! When I read the challenge for today I immediately knew what kind of fort we would make. It's something I've been wanting to do with him for some time now. We have several stacks of logs that he frequently plays on that would make a good starting point. We spent all afternoon climbing, building, exploring, and playing. 

My original plan was too ambitious, so instead of moving a bunch of logs, we climbed the logs and put up a tarp. We used logs to weigh the tarp down on one side and some string to attach the other side to a tree. R was involved throughout the entire process and I loved listening to him vocalize his plans and narrate what he was doing.

We spent almost four hours building and playing in our fort and we had so much fun. We ate our lunch in the fort. We read books in the fort. We pretended we were watching exotic wild animals. We looked at slugs and salamanders. And we told "spooky" stories. They cracked me up! I am so grateful for being able to spend an uninterrupted afternoon with my son, and I'm thankful for the wonderful inspiration this challenge is already providing.

My Rules:

Before we started, I debated on whether or not to bring along my camera. I didn't want this to be about my blog because, for me, that would defeat the purpose of the challenge. However, taking pictures is what I do. I like to take pictures. I like to have pictures to show R's daddy. He often misses out on some of the fun we have because he's working, and he's working so that I may stay home. Pictures help me capture memories and it goes along with my mission statement. I did set a few rules for myself though. I will not ask him to stop what he's doing to take a picture and I will not experience the whole thing from behind a camera lens. Any staged photos with finished products, etc, will be taken after we have finished playing.  I will not set out with expectations to blog, but it might work out to where I can and do. 

Did you participate in today's challenge? Do you have fond memories of fort building?

Read more ...

The Benefits of Climbing Trees

I included "climb trees" on my fall bucket list because you can never climb too many trees. Our autumn weather is wonderful for being outdoors and climbing a tree is an amazing way to spend an afternoon. This week R practiced in a tree at his Nana's house.

When he first started climbing trees he needed a lot of help, but this time he did it all by himself. He can now get into the tree by himself. He can navigate the branches. He knows where to place his hands as he moves from branch to branch. He practices judging which branches will hold his weight. He is learning which branches are not yet strong enough. And he is having loads of fun doing it.

I consider time spent outdoors to be critical during childhood. We don't always spend enough time outside, but I'm going to constantly strive for better because I know it's importance. I was watching R climb and I was struck by how fantastic it really is. R is learning a lot through play. Here are a few of the benefits of climbing a tree.

1. It promotes an increase of self-confidence. As he masters something new and challenging he gains confidence in himself. He is proud of himself.
2. Climbing is excellent for gross motor development. It's great exercise. It builds strength. It improves balance and coordination. 
3. It is fantastic for building critical thinking skills.  I helped him, when he was younger, figure out where to put his hands and feet. We talked about why some branches might not be safe. Now he's doing it on his own. Every tree is different and he has to figure it out each time he climbs.
4. It helps with resilience. R is less likely to stop and cry about a minor injury when he's enjoying something and thinks I might make him stop his cherished activity. It's teaching him to get up and brush himself off, so to speak. Although, at this point he hasn't fallen from a tree and the minor injuries are just scrapes and scratches.
5. Tree climbing expends energy.
6. It exercises imagination.
7. It delivers happiness. The happiness is evident by the smiles and giggles. It's fun!

Do your children climb trees? Do you have fond memories of climbing trees as a child?

{If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing or following me on Facebook. You can also connect with me on Twitter and Pinterest!}

Read more ...

A Day of Picnics

Have I mentioned that R loves picnics? He does. Whenever I really want to make him happy, I take him on a picnic. Instant happiness. In fact, just calling something a picnic makes him happy. Eating at the table? Well tonight we are having table picnic!! Yay!! Yet he cannot be fooled into thinking that eating at a picnic table outside is a picnic. No, no. A picnic outdoors calls for eating on a blanket on the ground! Seriously. I don't argue logic. I just go with what makes him happy. I like making him happy, so I planned a whole day of true outdoor picnics.



We started off our day with a picnic for breakfast! We often have picnics, but this was our first ever breakfast picnic. I packed up an autumn themed basket with some of our homemade pumpkin muffins and a few other much needed items and we headed out.  R had speech therapy that morning so we decided to go there and find a nice tree to sit under until it was time for his appointment. We had a lot of fun. We sat under a pecan tree that had hundreds of holes throughout its trunk. They were linear holes made by a sapsucker, a type of woodpecker. In the holes, scurried thousands of ants and one spider. We watched. We picked up pecan shells to use as boats the next time we went to a creek. We picked flowers. Oh yeah, and we ate breakfast.

For lunch we went to the lake with some friends. We spread out the blanket and ate sandwiches and fruit. We fed the ducks and geese. R splashed in the lake, which was probably his favorite part, and then changed clothes so that he could get filthy all over again. We played on the playground and in the sand. It was a fun filled lunch spent with wonderful company.

By the time dinner came around, I was in so much pain from back problems that I didn't think I could have another picnic. So to save the day and my emotions (I really wanted that day of picnics!!), R's wonderful daddy took him out on a special boys only, dessert picnic. They ate cookies and blew bubbles. And their party was crashed by a humongous lovable cat that just wandered up. I wish that I would have been out there too, but I'm happy they had special time together, just the two of them.

We spent almost the entire day outside, soaking up the autumn sun. R was thrilled with his day of picnics.

Would a day of picnics be possible for your family? What are some of your favorite picnic foods?

Read more ...

3 New Ways To Play "Red Light, Green Light"

A great way to have fun outside is to play all of those classic childhood games, and even give the classics a twist. Today I thought I'd share three new ways to play "Red Light, Green Light."

1. The first new twist to "Red Light, Green Light" is the fact that you can play this game with a soccer ball. It's the same basic concept, but instead of running you are dribbling a soccer ball. When the person acting as the traffic light calls out "red light" and turns around, the children dribbling the ball has to stop the ball with their feet. It is a great drill for young players because it teaches them to keep the ball close when you are dribbling across the field. Any child caught still moving, or with a ball that is not in their control (way off in front of them) has to go back to the start.  But, not only is it good soccer practice, it is also a lot of fun. R loves playing with his team, but we often play just the two or three of us at home. The downside would be, that you would have to have a ball for each runner.

2. The second variation is simple, but it's a lot of fun and the possibilities are almost endless. How about instead of running, you do something a bit different? At the start of each game, declare a new and different action. The traffic light could stay facing the runner to witness the hilarity and make sure everyone plays fair. After "red light" is called out, the players have up to two seconds to stop. You could skip, hop, walk backwards, crawl, crab walk, dance, wiggle, take gigantic steps, tiny steps, etc. What kinds of actions will you come up with?

3. You could also use this game to practice letter sounds. It would be great in a "letter of the week" curriculum. Pick a letter at the start of the game. When "red light" is called, the runners have to stop and quickly say a word that begins with that letter. They need to come up with a different word, starting with that letter, at each red light. If they repeat a word, or say a word that begins with a different letter, they must go back to the start. We also use this to practice the letter sounds R is working on during speech.

What are some of your favorite outdoor games?


{If you enjoyed this post and would like to receive my updates, please consider subscribing or following me through Facebook}

.

Read more ...

Letter Sounds Hopscotch

R recently started speech therapy. He has a large vocabulary but he has problems with a few beginning and ending letter sounds. The therapist said that he has very large tonsils, which might be the reason why he's having a hard time making a few of the sounds. She says that she expects him to overcome it without surgery to remove his tonsils, but it will involve repetition and practice.

Earlier in the week, R and I had some fun at the lake while we practiced. On this particular day we practiced the beginning f sound.  I drew a hopscotch grid with sidewalk chalk and filled the squares with pictures of various words that began with that sound. I also spelled the word under the picture. Our grid that day included the words fox, fish, fork, four, five, flower, and frog. We used a shell from the lake to play. R would toss the shell onto the grid and hopped to retrieve it. He would say the word the shell landed on and finish the game. It was great because he was practicing making the sounds, he was surrounded by text, and he was using large muscle movements and balance in the great outdoors. And he loved it.

This game would be wonderful for use in a "letter of the week" program as well. You could also use more than one letter sound per game and practice that way. The possibilities are great. It was a fantastic game for speech and literacy development.



Read more ...

Catching Lightening Bugs

The days have been so hot lately that I was inspired to think about getting in our outdoor playtime after dark. R was happy with this arrangement as well. He loves any excuse to play with a flashlight. So tonight we decided to go out and catch lightening bugs after the sun had set. We drilled some holes in the lid of a clean mayo jar, got our net and our flashlight, and headed out. You may be able to see a few if you click on the picture.

Earlier today I did a little research and visited this website to learn a little more about fireflies. We are surrounded by woods with a few places of overgrowth, so they were merrily flying about in whichever direction we chose to look.  We spoke about where they like to live and such as we sat down to watch the light show. 

It was amazing. We used the flashlight to imitate them and they really responded. We could see hundreds flash their lights in unison in the wood line. We did far more watching and walking than actual catching, but we had a wonderful time together as a family. It's something that I hope we do much more of before the season ends.

Do you call them fireflies or lightening bugs? Can you see them where you live? Have you noticed them dwindling from year to year?

Read more ...

Colorful Bubble Art

We had a blast making bubble art! We used Crayola Washable Colored Bubbles-Screamin' Green as well as a homemade colored bubble solution. To make the homemade colorful bubbles I added food coloring to a recipe that called for items I already had on hand, which means I used sugar instead of glycerin.

I gave R a piece of plain white paper, and in order to make the art he had to use the paper to "catch" and pop the bubbles. When the bubbles popped it left various designs on the paper. He had so much fun with this. In between the bubble popping he had a huge grin plastered on his face. He came up with new ways to play. He'd say "I'm going to run really fast to catch the bubbles this time" or "I'm going to dance and catch the bubbles." So it was really about the process.

We loved the Crayola bubbles but we didn't care for the homemade. I had him wear just some old shorts in case the food coloring in the homemade bubbles stained his clothes. Turns out we wouldn't have had to worry about it because when they popped they barely left behind any color whatsoever. The Crayola bubbles were much more vibrant and we wound up playing with that the most. I'd like to buy a few of the other colors because I think the combination would make some really pretty artwork. I later realized though, that I should have probably used washable paint instead of food coloring in the ones we made. We might try that next.

The Crayola bubbles are really messy, which was part of the fun. By the end of the bubble blowing we were all covered in green spots and splatters. R would laugh wildly when a bubble would pop in our faces and a splatter of green was left behind. It is completely washable though and came off of our skin and out of our clothes quite easily. These bubbles are perfect when you have the time and opportunity to get messy. It combines bubbles and mess! And art! And silly exercise! What could be more fun for a child?!

*Edited to add- I've since heard that the Crayola Colorful Bubbles do stain. We didn't have that problem, but it's something to watch out for. I would suggest wearing old play clothes you don't mind ruining, just in case. Honestly I would still do this activity, in clothes we didn't care to ruin, because it was that much fun. 

Read more ...