Family Olympics

While the summer Olympics are going on I wanted to make sure that we celebrated!  In addition to watching events during the day and evening we held a "Family Olympics".  This is so simple to put together that you could do it in a matter of minutes--like I did!  After a nice healthy dinner we headed out back.  My husband had the boys warm up and stretch while I posted the signs of our events.

First up was basketball.  Since our kids are still little we just had them make a few baskets each.

Next event: Fencing.  

We have a plethora of light sabers at our house which is what we used for our swords but you could use sticks or wrapping paper tubes--anything works!  This ended up being J's favorite event.

One of the best things about our new home is the jungle gym in the back--and it made a perfect venue for our third event: gymnastics.

W showed us his skills at hanging upside-down.

And the boys loved doing their fancy jumps on the mini trampoline.

Our last event at home was track--my personal favorite (Amy and I both ran hurdles in high school).

We held a few different track events.  First was a race from one end of the yard to the next.  And since A was so sad about coming in dead last we had a relay--the two older boys were a team and A got paired with Dad which evened things up pretty nicely!

For our final event of the night we headed to the neighborhood pool.  

Usually when we head to the pool in the evening we have it all to ourselves.  Unfortunately there were several people swimming that night!  We adjusted our events and instead of swimming we did "diving".  After watching the men's diving events the night before the boys loved showing off their fancy dives.

After returning home we got in our jammies and held our medal ceremony.  Every boy got a gold medal (which my mom had given to me last summer and I miraculously still knew their location),  we sang the National Anthem, and had a special treat before heading to bed.

It was such a fun, low-key evening and everyone had a great time!  If you hold a Family Olympics we'd love to hear what events you compete in!

Melt the Ice Cube

My boys absolutely loved this game!  This would be a great game for outdoors in the summertime . . . although we played indoors in the spring and it was just as fun!

I first saw this game posted on The Activity Mom and knew my boys would have a blast.  The best part is that you probably have everything you need lying around at home!

You will need:

A bowl of water

salt

die

printable chart

ice cubes (one for each player)

bowl (one for each player)

Every player gets their own ice cube (or you could share an ice cube to melt).  Players take turns rolling the die and the numbers tell you what to do to melt your ice.  Sometimes you hold it for 10 seconds.

Another number may tell you to blow on your ice for 10 seconds.

And be careful if you roll a two!  Because then you stick it down your shirt!  Brrr!

This was a great combination of sensory activity and science experiment--a definite keeper!

Grocery Store Games

I am really lucky.  Nearly every week my mother-in-law volunteers to come over for the morning and play with my two smaller boys so that I can go shopping alone.  I get so  much more done without having to load everyone in and out of the car and keep them happy at the store!  Of course on those days that I do need to bring my boys along they are usually pretty good.  Occasionally, I remember to do something beforehand to keep them busy while we're there.

 I try to make a quick list of things from my list . . . things that I can draw (I am not an artist).  The boys love having their own list and it keeps them busy looking for items instead of bugging their brothers.

If I do forget to make a list (which is usually the case) I have them look anyway.  We play the "can-you-help-me-find-the-______" game.  It keeps them distracted from how long the shopping is taking.

And if you have kiddos that know their letters you could always have them go on an alphabet hunt--either looking things that begin with a certain letter (ie: find something that starts with 'b'--banana, beans, bacon, etc) or you could have them play the alphabet game finding every letter of the alphabet on signs, labels, etc.

These games have kept some of our shopping trips a little more sane!  What tricks do you have up your sleeve for shopping trips that get a little hairy?

Games for Kids

At our house we love games.  Amy and I grew up in a home where we played games at least weekly.  Even now, when we visit our parents it's just not right if we don't play several games.  When my husband and I were first married we would often pop in a movie, grab some treats, and play a game of Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, or Dominoes.  And now my boys love games.  Nearly every night before bed we sit by the fire and play a round or two of a game.  Occasionally during the day my nearly-4-year-old and I will sit down for a game while the youngest is napping.  Since the Easter Bunny brings a new game nearly every year we have collected quite a few.  Here are a few of our favorites:

Phase 10 for Kids: There are two different versions that are included... one is perfect for my preschooler while the "more advanced" version is great for my Kindergartner.

War: I started playing this with my oldest before he started pre-K.  It's great because you can teach number recognition as well as greater than and less than.  This game can take forever though... so make sure you have some time to spare :)

Old Maid: Fun for all ages.  Easy enough for our preschooler to pick up on the first time he played.  Great for matching.

Go Fish: This has been our favorite for the last several months.  Another great one for matching.

Yahtzee Jr.: Very simple, very fun. 

Candy Land: Classic board game.  Great for recognizing colors.

Chutes and Ladders: Another classic board game.  I love to point out the pictures and help the boys recognize good and bad decisions when they go up the ladders or down the chutes.

Garanimals Fun at the Zoo: We don't own this one. . .but we might need to get it!  We checked it out from our library recently and the boys loved it!  It's similar to Candy Land but very interactive (when you pull the "invitation to kangaroo's party" then everyone gets to move to the space and then hop around the room like a kangaroo.  Fun!)

Playing games is such a fun way to spend time with your children and teaches so many great things: taking turns, being a good winner/loser, following directions, etc. 

What are some of the favorite games at your house?

Hide & Seek

I found this little scavenger hunt a while ago on All Kids Network but just haven't gotten around to doing it.  We got snowed in and I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to pull it out (so that we all wouldn't go crazy!)  I had previously printed and cut the pieces up . . . so all I had to do was place them around the house.

The first time we did it my 6-year-old told me that it was too easy . . . so I let him have a turn at hiding the clues.  This turned out to be the most fun part about it!  The two older boys had a blast taking turns being the one to hide the puppy and the clues leading to it.

Really, I think this is geared toward the younger set but letting my boys do the hiding turned this into a perfect game for a snowy day.

Learning Numbers

It's back to school time.  Time to get back on a schedule and have some structured learning time with the kids.

This is a simple little game that I've played with my daughter to help her learn her numbers.

We draw a "parking lot" on a piece of paper and put a number in each spot.  I'll then say a little rhyme like this:
Red car, red car, park on number nine.
My daughter will then drive the car into the correct spot.

  The great thing about this game is that it can grow with your child.  You can add bigger numbers to the parking lot as your child progresses.  We've had a lot of fun learning and playing together with this simple game.

Highlights!

I LOVE free printables.  Who doesn't???  Here are some of the absolutely darling printables that I have run into over the last week.

Check out these ABC and 123 posters over at Sprik Space. Aren't they to die for?  I love LOVE them!  She has several different colors for each poster so be sure to check out her blog to see all the options and to get your free download.  They would be perfect for a child's room or a play room.

 Homemade by Jill is sharing these super cute ABC flash cards.  She has two cards for each letter that you can print off.  Isn't it so nice of her to share? Find them HERE.

I love these converation cards over at Sumertime Design.  Wouldn't they make a fun family game?  Summer's blog is such a little treasure.  If you're into digital scrapbooking then you will want to stop by and see all the free kits she has to share.  Such a treat.

Have fun!

Sidewalk Game

It's that time of year to be outside.  My daughter and I have loved playing this new sidewalk game.  We write all the letters of the alphabet (both upper and lower case) around our driveway.  We then take turns calling out a letter.  One of us runs to the uppercase letter and the other to the lower case letter.  

We're learning, having fun, and getting our energy out all at the same time!

Marble Travel Game

Need something to keep little hands busy while waiting at the doctor, the bank, or while traveling this summer?

Here's a little marble maze game that can fit right in your purse to pull out at a moments notice . . .

I started with two 4 1/2 x6 1/2 inch pieces of fabric.

With right sides together I sewed a small quarter inch seam around the edge, leaving a small opening.

Clip corners, then turn right side out.

Sew the maze pattern on your fabric ( make sure you leave enough room for the marble to go through the maze), put the marble inside and then sew up your opening.

Super simple. Super fun.

I bet you even have the supplies just hanging around your craft room waiting to be used, don't you?

Go ahead. Give it a try. You'll be done in five minutes. Promise . . .

Reading Game

You know when you get carried away blog hopping and then don't remember where you found something?  That's what happened with this one.  So . . . it's not my idea, but I loved it . . .





This is a reading activity made out of paint chips.  Genius!  Put the ending sound on the card with the cut-out and then the different starting sounds down the strip.  Move the card down the strip and sound out the different words.
We've had a lot of fun with this one in our house.