ROCmomma

Father's Day Card for a Sports Fan

2014-06-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

While looking for Father's-Day-card inspiration today, I realized that there is an abundance of Father's Day "stuff" out there for hunters, fishermen, and guys who like tools. Those don't really work for us; we're vegetarians and while power tools are fun, I don't associate them with my husband.

There are also a ton of shirt-and-tie related ideas. But ya know what? Most people don't really like going to work, and many companies have even gone business casual, so the necktie thing doesn't seem right.

And barbecue-themed Father's Day stuff? Well, as much as I love cooking and baking, I don't really want a card or photo frame with whisks and spatulas so why would I do BBQ tools for my husband?

Hmmm…

My kids are sports fans largely because their dad is a huge sports fan. Voila - the winning idea. Sports jersey cards! But I could not find one out there. So I made it myself. If you have a sports fan, you have to make one of these cards with your kids.

TIP: If you're not sure about the colors of your team, do an image search (i.e., search "Buffalo Bills jersey" in your favorite search engine).

MATERIALS:

Construction paper in the colors of your team
Scissors
Markers
Glue stick

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. First, take a sheet of construction paper in the main color of your team's jersey. Fold it in half width-wise. Cut the top corners for the shoulders, cut a "V" for the neckline, trim the sides to make the torso and sleeves, and trim the bottom to your desired size. (I did not measure any of this; it is all free-hand.)

2. Cut out the details for your jersey. TIP: For thin stripes next to thick ones, cut the thick stripe a little wider than you want it, then use marker to draw the thin-stripe trim, as with the red stripes in the photo below. TIP #2: If the jersey includes a logo, as with the Sabres below, you may want to find the image online and print it…I'm going to say the kids drew mine.

Don't cut thin stripes! Just use marker to outline the
white stripes instead.

For the laces on the neckline, use a marker or gel pen.

3. Now it's the kids' turn: hand over the pieces and a glue stick so they can decorate the jersey.

Yes, this card is a little labor intensive for you. But overall it's pretty simple. I think it has taken me longer to upload the photos and type this than it did to create the jersey cards and all the details. Plus, I know they are going to be a big hit…so it's worth it.

I hope you enjoy these team jersey cards! Post a Comment and let us know how yours turned out. As always, thanks for reading.

Happy Father's Day

(a bit early)

to all the ROCpoppas out there!

Sidewalk Chalk Activities to Keep the Kiddos Busy

2014-06-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

Summer vacation is almost here. If you're home with the kiddos, you might be anxiously pinning ideas on Pinterest or frantically scheduling play dates to keep the kids busy. Or you might be in denial. That's okay - ROCmomma to the rescue!

Last summer, we posted a summer's worth of DIY Backyard Summer Camp themes and activities. This summer, we're making the most of things you have around the house (or things you should have around the house if you want to keep the kids occupied).

One thing you need in your summer arsenal? Sidewalk chalk. Oh, the things you can do with sidewalk chalk! Of course there's hop scotch, four square, and drawing pretty pictures…but don't stop there.

Tic Tac Toe - Draw a Tic Tac Toe grid with chalk and ask one kid to collect rocks while the other collects sticks. Take turns tossing rocks and sticks onto the Tic Tac Toe squares; three rocks or three sticks in a row wins.

Corn Hole (Bean Bag Toss) - Draw two sets of targets with chalk; draw different sizes and assign different point values. Grab bean bags or rocks and take turns tossing to hit the targets. Use chalk to keep a tally of points.

Corn Hole/Bean Bag Toss targets

"I got this, Mommy."

Shape Soccer - Draw a goal (large rectangle) with chalk, then draw different shapes that are large enough to stand on. Each shape should be a few feet from the goal, in somewhat of a semi-circle around the goal. Grab a ball and take turns standing on a shape and kicking the ball. If the ball passes through the goal, that player gets one point. Do this at each shape, and use chalk to keep a tally of points. Variations: Swap the soccer ball for hockey sticks and a small ball, or try bouncing a basketball onto the goal.

Here is the Shape Hockey variation.

Obstacle Course - Use chalk to draw spots for kids to hop, run, jump, turn around, zig zag, you name it! Once the novelty wears off, time them. Challenge them to beat their best time. Then have them try to go through backwards. Then while holding hands. Then while singing a song the whole time. The fun never ends!

START! 3 Hops (right foot)

3 Hops (left foot), then Turn Around

Jump Over, Jump Over, then Zig Zag

Turn Around then Run to the Shapes

Hop from Shape to Shape (follow the arrows)

Victory Dance! You made it!

Chalk City - Use chalk to draw streets, stop signs, buildings, a park, your house, etc. Kids can ride bicycles or tricycles through your city.

Of course we had to have Target
in our Chalk City. (and I can't
believe I didn't take more pictures!)

I hope you enjoy these games, and have fun coming up with your own.

How do you play with sidewalk chalk? Post a Comment and let us know. As always, thanks for reading.

Make a Checklist of SUMMER FUN!

2014-06-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

Are you looking to make the most of this summer? Then it's time to make a Checklist of SUMMER FUN with your kids!

Last June, my boys and I made a list of all the places we wanted to visit during the summer. We separated things to do on sunny days from things to do on rainy days (or days when it's just too hot out), as well as some day trips. By mid-summer, we had checked off 19 of 43.

One of my fellow ROCmommas saw the list hanging in my kitchen and told me that she had never heard of half the places on our list. I wondered how many other families are not aware of these wonderful locations in the Rochester, NY area...so it seemed like a good thing to share.

If you're not in the Rochester area, we can still help you make your own list.

3 Easy Steps to Make Your

Checklist of SUMMER FUN!

Step 1: List all the places to visit on a sunny day.
*What are some places to visit animals? Or farms with pick-your-own fruit available?
*What parks and playgrounds are close by? Are there any spray-grounds or spray-parks, water parks, beaches, or lakes in your area?
*List any outdoor miniature golf locations as well as other outdoor attractions.

Step 2: List all the indoor places to go on a rainy day or when it's unbearably hot out.
*What museums are in your area?
*Are there any indoor family entertainment centers or bounce-house centers in your area?
*Do you have access to any indoor swimming pools?
*Think about locations specific to your children's hobbies.

Step 3: List all the locations that would be fun to visit, but are more than a few minutes away.
*What cities or towns are about an hour away? Are there any attractions that would interest your kids? Think about zoos, state parks, beaches, farms, and museums.

There you have it! Hang up your list and try to check off as many as you can before school starts.

For all my fellow ROCmommas and ROCpoppas, here are some ideas for your Checklist of SUMMER FUN in the Rochester, NY area.

SUNNY DAYS:

Lollypop Farm (Fridays: storytelling at 11 a.m.) - Visit the dogs and cats inside the main building, rabbits and more in the barn, plus lots of farm animals along the walking path in the back.
Wickham Farm (Tuesdays: $2 mini golf games) - Activities are available for a fee: jumping pillow, mini golf, batting cages, & train ride. Plus feed the goats, sit on a tractor, or get some ice cream.
Powers Farm Market - Feed the animals (bring quarters) and stop inside the market for a huge, freshly-baked cookie.
Powder Mills Trout Hatchery - Feed the trout! (bring quarters)
Seneca Park Zoo - There's always a lot to see and do. Be sure to visit the new babies: orangutan, tamarin, and lions!
Mendon Ponds Park - Be sure to check out Wild Wings from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, or Friday.
Kings Bend Park - Playground, plus a good spot to watch trains go by.
Kreag Road Park - Playground, sandbox, picnic tables, basketball and tennis courts, and baseball diamonds.
Tinker Park - Playground, duck pond, and nature trail.
Veteran's Memorial Park, Calkins Road - Several playgrounds and picnic tables.
Erie Canal - Great walking path from Schoen Place in Pittsford or near Perinton Park in Fairport; great for spotting boats and kayaks.
Camp Arrowhead Pool and Sprayground (YMCA members only) - Open weekdays 4:30 - 8:00 p.m., weekends 11:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Camp Eastman Sprayground - Sprayground and dry playground; great spot for picnics. (Click here for directions.)
Seneca Lake State Park Sprayground - Open 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. weekdays; there is a parking fee.
Pineway Ponds Sprayground - Sprayground and dry playground; covered picnic tables.
Ontario Beach
Roseland Waterpark - Check website for coupons.
Seabreeze - Check website for coupons.
The Clubhouse - Mini golf, go karts, and indoor arcade. Check web site for daily deals and coupons. (e.g., Tuesday = 60 tokens for $10; Sat/Sun until noon = $12 for unlimited go karts and golf plus 10 tokens)
Adventure Landing - Mini golf, indoor arcade, batting cages, etc. Check web site for daily deals and coupons. (e.g., All You Can Play on Mon-Thurs until 6 p.m. and Sat. until noon)
Long Acre Farm - Outdoor kids' activities, farm market, and more.
G and S Orchards - Pick your own fruit.
Green Acre Farms - Pick your own fruit.
Whittier Fruit Farm - Pick your own fruit.
NY Museum of Transportation - Only open on Sundays; step onto real train cars, see the model train display, and take a 1-mile ride on a real trolley.

We visit Wickham Farms almost year-round.

RAINY DAYS:

The Strong National Museum of Play
Rochester Museum & Science Center
Planetarium show
Library - be sure to ask your librarian about their summer reading program for kids
Kango
Jungle Jolt
Bounce It Out
Chuck E. Cheese
Bowling - School-age children can bowl one FREE game per day all summer at participating AMF lanes, including Bowl-A-Roll in Rochester, NY.
Swim at the Eastside YMCA (YMCA members only) - The indoor family pool has some fun sprinklers and other features to make the water even more fun for kids.
Edgerton Model Railroad - Open to the public the last Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Lots of fun at the library!

DAY TRIPS:

Letchworth State Park
Browns Berry Patch - Pick your own fruit, Barnyard Adventure activities for kids.
Buffalo Zoo
Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Syracuse
Buffalo Science Museum
Genesee Country Village & Museum
Penn-Dixie Dig Site

Digging for fossils at Penn-Dixie.

We hope this list turns your summer into one exciting day after another. Be sure to Post A Comment and share your favorite summer spot! As always, thanks for reading.

Another Fun, Easy, No-Prep Scavenger Hunt

2014-04-30T12:40:00.001-07:00

I must admit: my kids tend to like doing the same activities over and over. And I'm okay with that. We love scavenger hunts around here (check out these three) and today was no exception.

Technically, it is Spring. But this sure is turning out to be one rainy season. We hope that means lots of flowers from these April showers, but until we can enjoy the outdoors again, we will keep up the hunts!

This afternoon began with a typical indoor obstacle course, and then my four-year-old wanted "a list to find stuff." Click the link below to print out a free, ready-to-go, no-preparation-required, super-fun scavenger hunt.

Free Printable: All-Star Scavenger Hunt

The items are all generic enough to do in just about any household. Of course, you can help your kiddo interpret any items as needed. For example, "A star" could be an item in the shape of a star or an item with a star on it. It's up to you.

If your kids like this scavenger hunt, check out three more! Again, these are free printables and there is no preparation required. Simply print it out, grab a pencil, and you're ready to go.

I hope you and your kids have fun with this scavenger hunt…and hopefully the sun will come out tomorrow so we can play outside. As always, thanks for reading!

Fun Dough! (Simple, Quick, No-Cook Recipe)

2014-03-19T08:51:00.002-07:00

The weather keeps teasing us here in Rochester, NY! It warms up, we play outside. The next day it's back to 17 degrees with chilling gusts of wind. Who wants to play outside in that?! We just want Spring to get here already.

While we await the big thaw, we keep testing out indoor activities. My four-year-old wanted to make cookies; but then I will spend the remainder of the week eating all the cookies. It all goes down like this:

KID: Mommy, can we have some cookies?

ME: You have to eat your lunch, and then you can have a cookie. (When Kid is not looking, sneak a cookie and shove into mouth. Repeat as necessary.)

Using my masterful skills of misdirection, I asked if he wanted to make some "messy stuff" instead - which is usually saved for outdoor play, where messes do not matter. But desperate times, ya know?

We decided to make some homemade play dough, instead of cookie dough. A quick search for recipes yielded this simple, no-cook version. Bonus: we had all of the ingredients on hand.

To make this version of fun dough, you'll need:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 envelope of unsweetened Kool-Aid OR sugar-free Jell-O
1 cup boiling water

1. Mix together the flour, salt, oil, and Kool-Aid or Jell-O in a bowl.

2. Pour in the boiling water; mix well. Once cool enough to handle, AN ADULT should knead the dough until smooth.

3. Have fun with your fun dough! Be sure to store in a sealed container after playing. Storing in the refrigerator will extend the life of the dough. However, our dough has been in containers on the counter for a week and it is fine.

Since the original request was to make cookies, and since all of the ingredients in this fun dough are edible (NOTE: the dough is technically edible, but it will taste awful), we used the rolling pin and the real cookie cutters.

Of course, with my boys it always comes back to cars. Or dinosaurs. Or both. The dough quickly became a roadway for trucks, and eventually a landscape for dinosaurs!

What do your kids like to do with fun dough/play dough? Post a Comment below and let us know!

I hope you have fun with this quick and easy fun dough. As always, thanks for reading.

Snow Day Fun: Playing "Home School"

2014-03-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

We all know how to create one: Wear pajamas inside out. Keep a spoon under your pillow. Put ice cubes in the toilet. Spin around three times with your eyes closed and say, "Snow day, snow day, snow day."

But once that wish comes true, how do you keep kids entertained? Especially if it's too cold to actually go outside and play in the snow? (It's every parent's nightmare.)

We found out about the last snow day on the evening before, so I had a little time to plan and prepare. First, I asked my kids if they had any ideas. They had one; they wanted to play school. What kinds of activities did they want to do at our school? Of course, we had to recreate my first-grader's daily classroom schedule. In order.

ROCmomma's Tips for a Fun Snow-Day Home-School:

Assemble a supply bin with glue sticks, markers, safety scissors, crayons, and pencils
Gather materials for your first couple of activities
Print out & hang up the ROCmomma Circle Time Materials; print worksheets from links below

SNOW-DAY HOME-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES:

ACTIVITY 1: MORNING WORK
1. LEGO Challenge - We started on a creative note. The boys were each given a LEGO base plate, a marble, and a tub of LEGO bricks. The challenge was to create a marble maze, with one entrance and one exit for the marble. Once they finished building, they had even more fun guiding the marble through the maze!

2. Math problems - My first-grader wrote out four math problems for each of us to solve. (7+3= __, 7+1=__, 3+3=__, and 3+1=__) He wrote the problems three times so we each had our own worksheet, and then set them up around the table with a pencil for each of us. My little future teacher!

ACTIVITY 2: QUIET READING
Have some books handy in case one child is finished before the others.

ACTIVITY 3: CIRCLE TIME/MORNING MEETING
1. Calendar, weather - go over the days of the week, months of the year; fill in the date and weather
2. Month/season worksheets - try these free printable winter worksheets from Learning 4 Keeps

ACTIVITY 4: THE DAILY 5
There are five different activity stations; each person does one activity and will have the opportunity to do more later.

1. Computer Station: We set up the laptop so the kids could read/listen to the Pocoyo e-book "Baby Bird's Birthday Party" and play games on the HITN Early Learning Collaborative
2. Word work/writing: Word Detective worksheet (page 11 in the Freebie Word Work Activities from TeachersPayTeachers.com); Letter Grab Bag (pages 24-25 in the Freebie Word Work Activities)
3. Writing Journal - Provide some paper and pencils, and ask them to write (or draw, depending on the ages).
4. Read to someone
5. Read to self

The Daily 5, Station 1: Playing Pocoyo games on the
Early Learning Collaborative web site

The Daily 5, Station 2: Word Detective worksheet

ACTIVITY 5: WORD FAMILIES
We wrote "___OT" on a piece of paper and the kids brainstormed "-ot" words while I wrote them down. Then we reviewed the list together. Finally, each child selected one word from our list and used it in a sentence.

ACTIVITY 6: THE DAILY 5
Station activities are the same as above; each child selects a station they have not yet completed.

ACTIVITY 7: BRAIN GYM
A well-deserved break for everyone! Choose a favorite song (You Tube, Pandora, or Songza are good options if you don't have a particular song in your music library) and have a mini dance party. We are big fans of Cha Cha Slide and Happy.

ACTIVITY 8: THE DAILY 5
Same as above.

ACTIVITY 9: MATH
1. Visit BedTimeMath.org together on the computer and complete a few problems together.
2. Math worksheets - try these free printables from TeachersPayTeachers.com

ACTIVITY 10: INDOOR RECESS
Be creative and get the kids moving:

Use painter's tape to create a hop scotch board on the floor; use a bean bag or small stuffed toy as the marker.
Play Simon Says.
Play balloon volleyball.
Play Freeze Dance.
Set up empty water bottles in the hallway; roll a ball for indoor bowling.
Play a physically active game on Xbox Kinect, Wii, etc.

ACTIVITY 11: LUNCH

ACTIVITY 12: STORY TIME

My boys love the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne. They snuggled together and we read "Afternoon on the Amazon" from cover to cover.

ACTIVITY 13: WRITING WORKSHOP
Write about your snow day (pre-school variation: draw a picture of your snow day).

ACTIVITY 14: ART
Make snowflake rubbings! Perfect for a snow day.

Materials needed: hot glue gun & glue sticks (OR yarn & craft glue - as per the original instructions on Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational), scraps of cardboard (an empty cereal box works well), construction paper, crayons

Instructions:
1. ADULTS ONLY: Use a glue gun to draw snowflakes on scraps of cardboard. (OR use the craft glue and yarn, per the original instructions)
2. When cool, instruct children to place construction paper on top of the snowflakes and use the crayons to create rubbings of the snowflakes. Children may then continue to decorate the page with additional drawings, etc.

ACTIVITY 15: SNACK TIME

ACTIVITY 16: SHOW AND TELL
Ask each child to select one thing from the house that is special. Sit together and take turns talking about the item and why it is special.

ACTIVITY 17: FAREWELL FRIENDS
Sit together and talk about what we learned today. If your kids have a goodbye song from school, ask them to teach it to you.

I was actually shocked that my kids completed ALL of these activities! We made the list the night before, and I prepared for all of them, but figured we would skip a few here and there. Oh no. They kept me on task and made sure we followed the list. In fact, my six-year-old kept tabs on the clock as well. School is over at 3:00, so we were not allowed to be finished until 3:00.

This was such a fun day for the three of us, and I'm glad we did it. If you're looking to fill an entire day with lots of boredom-busting fun (and a little learning, too!), then try out these snow day home-school activities. Be sure to Post a Comment and let us know which one your kids liked best! As always, thanks for reading.

Three Easy, No-Prep, Super-Fun Scavenger Hunts

2014-03-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

We are big on scavenger hunts lately! My four-year-old asks me daily, "Can we make a list and find stuff?" That would be a scavenger hunt.

Last month, we stayed at a house in Lake Placid with a few other families (11 adults, 8 kids ages 1-8). We try to get the kids out of the house during the day, but once the sun goes down it's cold…so I even brought a scavenger hunt there as one of the activities to keep the kids occupied in the house. Worked like a charm.

As you can imagine, we are amassing a variety of scavenger hunt challenges around here. What else would I do but SHARE THEM with the awesome ROCmomma followers?

These are all fairly generic so anyone can use them in just about any home. There are links to print each scavenger hunt page (PDF file) within the captions below.

Free Printable: Super-Fun Scavenger Hunt

Free Printable: AWESOME Scavenger Hunt

Free Printable: Extreme Scavenger Hunt Challenge!

Looking for more scavenger hunt variations? Check out these indoor and outdoor ideas on ROCmomma's Time for a Scavenger Hunt.

Have fun using Scavenger Hunts to fill in the last few wintry days before Spring is finally upon us! Hopefully, that's not just wishful thinking. As always, thanks for reading.

ROCstar Moments in Child's Play

2014-03-03T13:52:00.000-08:00

Testing out ideas pinned on Pinterest provides an excellent opportunity to teach kids an important lesson: IT IS OKAY TO FAIL.

Failure can even be fun!

The past few days have been full of "ROCstar Moments" for me. Have you seen those "Nailed It" photos on Pinterest, Facebook, et cetera? Yeah, kind of like those.

I pinned three ideas to try out with the kids. They looked like fun, and seemed to be simple enough:

SLIMY ATTEMPTS

First up, we tried the slime. In an effort to save money, I bought the generic fiber supplement rather than Metamucil. That was a mistake. I mixed the ingredients, microwaved it as long as the instructions said, and was left with pink water. No trace of slime. Oh yeah; who's a ROCstar?!?

Lesson Learned: When trying out a new activity from the web, link back to the original source if possible. Occasionally, the original lists an important note that the second-hand blogger did not carry over.

Example: When making Kool-Aid Rainbow Slime, it is important to either buy Metamucil or a generic fiber supplement with psyllium as the active ingredient. No psyllium? You're simply left with colored water. Colored water = not nearly as much fun as colored slime.

WATER BEADS

Second, we tried to make water beads. These looked so awesome, I couldn't wait to try making them! On Growing a Jeweled Rose, these looked like fabulous, colorful, squish-able marbles. Here's what our water beads looked like:

Colorful and squish-able? Yes. Fabulous and marble-sized? Not so much.

We still had fun with them. I had bought two packages of tapioca pearls because I wasn't sure how much we would need for this misadventure. While I cooked one package, my four-year-old had fun playing with the uncooked package.

We scooped the cooked tapioca into bowls then added food coloring and different colors of Kool-Aid powder or sugar-free Jell-O. There wasn't a huge selection of Kool-Aid colors available, so I thought we'd give Jell-O a shot. (pun intended)

After they cooled off in the fridge for a bit, we started to play. TIP: Place a large drop cloth or plastic tablecloth in your play area, and keep a couple of old towels handy.

We added water so they were free-flowing, instead of gelatinous blobs.

You can store the Water Beads for up to three days in the fridge. However, once the colors are mixed together the beads look like a stand-in for brains in a zombie movie.

Lessons Learned: Follow the blog post and search for large, instant tapioca pearls. Small, non-instant ones take three times as long to boil. Plus they are miniscule.

NO-FIZZ CUBES

Lastly, we made a batch of Fizzy Ice Cubes. We mixed the water, baking soda, and spooned it into ice cube trays. Then we sprinkled different Jell-O powders on top and used a toothpick to mix in the colors.

The next day we popped the cubes out into a container of water and waited for the fizz…

There was no fizz.

I had lemons in the fridge and added a few slices to initiate a reaction. Nothing. So we added the water beads and just played until it looked like this:

Yes! Nailed it! I mean, doesn't that look like something you want your child sticking his or her little hand into, playing, and splashing?!? Definitely.

Determined, we tried once more. This time we poured the cubes right into a vinegar bath. We even spooned some extra vinegar on top of the cubes. Success!

TIP: Use a drop cloth or plastic tablecloth to protect your play area, and keep a few towels handy.

Lesson Learned: Fizzy Cubes (with baking soda) need vinegar in order to actually fizz. Duh! I knew that. After all, we only made a zillion volcanoes in the backyard last summer. Sheesh! Also, read directions carefully. Somehow I completely missed the "vinegar" part of the instructions. Oops.

I hope your adventures in Pinterest, crafts, and science experiments are much more successful. If not, Post a Comment and share your misadventures! As always, thanks for reading.

25 Quick & Easy Elf on the Shelf Ideas

2013-11-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

If you have an Elf on the Shelf in your home, chances are you're always on the lookout for new and simple hiding places for your elf. Last year we had ROCmomma's 25 Days of SIMPLE Elf on the Shelf Ideas. This year, we're back with more! I have been pouring over Pinterest and blogs to come up with a 2013 schedule for our elf, Alvin.

Here is an easy breakdown of supplies you will need to follow this schedule.

WEEK 1:

December 1: art supplies, glue stick, sign that reads, "I missed you!"
December 2: Angry Birds toys (or other favorite toy set)
December 3: bathtub basketball nets (or other tub toys)
December 4: candy canes and ribbon to tie them together
December 6: white string and black paper to make a small eye patch
December 7: marshmallows, toothpicks, cotton balls, another toy/figure for a "snowball fight"

WEEK 2:

December 8: fishing pole (e.g., Let's Go Fishing game), Goldfish crackers
December 9: new ornaments, wrapped
December 10: Spider-man web (e.g., from a Lego set)
December 11: toy tractor, toy farm animals
December 12: dominoes
December 13: toy dinosaurs, string or ribbon
December 14: Christmas wrapping paper, tape, safety scissors

WEEK 3:

December 15: favorite snack bag for each child
December 16: Lego fire truck (or other favorite toy)
December 17: Lego Star Wars ship (or other favorite toy)
December 18: child-size knife and fork, plate piled with Hershey's Kisses (or other favorite candy)
December 19: small washcloth, bowl, water, mini shampoo bottles
December 20: toilet paper roll
December 21: Christmas book, stuffed animals or other toys/figures

WEEK 4:

December 22: Christmas stocking
December 23: mixing bowl, flour, sugar, cookie sheet, packs of Mini Chips Ahoy
December 24: Reindeer Food (glitter & oatmeal) to sprinkle on the lawn
December 25: goodbye letter

Other materials to keep on hand for posing your Elf during the next few weeks include:

glue dots
double-sided tape
twist-ties (the kind to close a plastic bag)
string

Check back throughout the next few weeks to check out pictures of our Elf in these poses.

One more thing! We are not using an Advent Calendar this year because I have a different idea. Our elf will hold a note each day of December instructing the kids to do a different holiday activity. For example, one says to make and decorate a gingerbread house. Another says to read a Christmas book. Each day is a different, simple activity to help us celebrate the season as a family.

If you would like to do the same, simply print these out on card stock, cut out the cards, and tuck one into your Elf's hands each night.

I hope you and your family enjoy these Elf on the Shelf ideas. There are some anti-Elf people out there, and that's okay. I just know that there is an expiration date on my kids' belief in Jolly Ol' Saint Nick. These few years when they believe in Santa Claus are short-lived and personally I would rather make the most of them, and watch my kids enjoy the magic.

Please Post a Comment to share your Elf on the Shelf's favorite hiding spot! As always, thanks for reading.

How to Have an Amazing Spider-Man Birthday Party: Part 4

2013-10-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

We hope you've been enjoying these ideas this week for an amazing Spider-Man birthday party. The activities you plan can make or break the party, so it's best to have a few extra tricks (or webs!) up your sleeve, just in case. Don't worry! We've outlined the party activities in great detail below, along with an extra activity idea and some modifications for an indoor party.

One of the things that became ingrained while I was student teaching was this: change the stimulus every 15 minutes, or else. The same holds true for a child's party. Below you'll find the activities are divided into 15-minute chunks, with a longer break allowed for lunch and cake. When you change things up often, the kids don't have time to get bored.

It is helpful to keep a shopping bag for each activity with all of the supplies needed. Or for activities with larger supplies, such as the boxes needed to "Rebuild the City," you may wish to keep them piled up with a tablecloth or old bed sheet covering them up. Go through the activities and supply lists ahead of time to organize everything. A few minutes of preparation in advance will do wonders in ensuring a smooth-running party.

Activities

11:00 - 11:15 a.m. - Free Play & Spider-Man Gear
Supplies needed: toys for free play or crayons and Spider-Man coloring sheets; Spider-Man masks, temporary tattoos, paper towels, spray bottle filled with water, small trash bag (for tattoo backing paper and used paper towels)

For almost any party, the first fifteen minutes should be free time to allow all your guests time to arrive. Have some toys out for the kids to play, or coloring pages and crayons.

We also used this time to get into character. Each child received a Spider-Man mask and Spider-Man tattoos to get us off to a great start.

ROCmomma TIP: Write each child's name on the inside of the Spider-Man masks before the party. This way you always know which mask belongs to whom throughout the party. Also, if the tattoos are connected on one sheet, it is helpful to cut them apart ahead of time and store in a baggie or small container.

11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Super-Hero Training Camp
Supplies needed: Spider-Man game, masking tape, rolls of toilet paper, lots of empty cardboard boxes, string, cones, tunnel, toss game, cans of silly string

Explain to the kids that Spider-Man is counting on each of them to become a super-hero and help save the city. In order to become a super-hero, they each have to complete the five activities in Super-Hero Training Camp.

Super-Hero Training Camp Activity #1: Practice using their spider-sense to play the Spider-Man game. This activity may be done indoors as well.

Pin Spider-Man on the Villains game was lots of fun for us. Unfortunately, it is no longer available, but there is another Spider-Man game available through Party City.

Super-Hero Training Camp Activity #2: Villain Wrap! Practice using their spider web to wrap up a villain. This activity may be done indoors as well.

Divide into teams of 3-4 and ask each team to choose someone to be the villain ("bad guy"). The other teammates will use the toilet paper as their spider web to wrap up the villain.

Super-Hero Training Camp Activity #3: Rebuild the City! The villains have destroyed the city, and Spider-Man is counting on each super-hero-in-training to help rebuild the city.

Divide into two teams; each person may only pick up one box at time. Bring the boxes to their team's area and stack them to see which team can build the tallest building.

ROCmomma TIP: For an indoor party, you may want to use ordinary blocks to recreate this activity on a smaller scale.

Super-Hero Training Camp Activity #4: Obstacle Course! Test your super-hero strength and spider-senses on this challenging course.

First, we went up the ladder or rock wall, then down the slide.

Next, we crawled under the spider web (yarn set up between two folding chairs).

Then we dodged the villains by weaving through the cones. (Supplies needed: soccer cones, garden stakes, and villains* printed on card stock and attached to the stakes with packaging tape)

Next we crawled through the tunnel.

And jumped over a few buildings (just take some boxes from Rebuild the City).

Last but not least, a bean bag toss to get a villain. (We had the game Toss Across. I printed out some villains* to attach to the game. There was a pre-made toss game on Amazon but with shipping charges, this was way less expensive.)

ROCmomma TIP: Indoor parties CAN have an obstacle course. You can still set up a course where the kids crawl under the web, weave (walking) between cones/villains, crawl through a tunnel (or under a tall chair), jump over buildings, and hit a villain on the toss game.

Super-Hero Training Camp Activity #5: Zap the Villains! To finish their training, these super-heroes must use their own spider-webs to defeat the villains.

ROCmomma TIP: Remove the seal around the caps ahead of time. While you explain the rules to the kids (e.g., do not spray faces), have one adult shaking the cans and have a second adult spread out the cones with the villains (from the obstacle course).

ROCmomma TIP: You may be able to get the kids to help pick up the silly string by challenging them to see who can make the biggest ball out of the string!

12:00 - 12:30 p.m. - Lunch & Cake
Get the kids seated, pass around the wet wipes, and serve lunch. We sang "Happy Birthday" and served cupcakes and ice cream immediately afterward. It's much easier to get the kids seated once, rather than have them play, eat, play, eat.

This is also a great time to take pictures of all your guests. Walk around and ask each child to make his or her best Cupcake Face. I like to print the pictures and slide one into each thank-you card so that our guests have a little something to remember all the fun they had at the party.

12:30 - 1:00 p.m. - Piñata & Free Play
Supplies needed: piñata (filled ahead of time; we used Spider-Man tattoos, Spider-Man stickers, mini bottles of bubbles, spider rings, plastic spiders, and Spider-Man fruit snacks), string to hang the piñata, baseball bat (optional), goodie bags for each child to collect their loot.

We ended the activities with a Spider-Man piñata found at Party City. The pull-string piñatas are a great option since they can be used indoors or out. We have also found that injuries tend to happen when you hand a baseball bat to a blind-folded kid. True story.

After the piñata, the kids went back to free play. However, if you'd like to fill the remaining time with a more structured activity, try a good old scavenger hunt (below).

Bonus Activity: Spider Hunt
Supplies needed: plastic spiders or spider rings (Note: Party City has bins of small items and we were able to find spiders. You may also want to try Michael's - they have a section with bins of small toys and sometimes have plastic animals and insects.)

Simply hide the spiders before the party. Explain to the kids that some radioactive spiders have escaped Spider-Man's lab and he needs their help to recover them all. The kids can add the spiders they find to their goodie bag.

ROCmomma TIP: For outdoor parties, you may wish to place the spiders in snack-sized plastic bags or to tie bright ribbon to the spiders. This will help kids identify the prize and avoid picking up an actual garden critter.

1:00 p.m. - The Party Is Over
Say thank you, and say good-bye, because your party is done! Make sure they have their goodie bags and masks, and send the kids on their merry way. Then help yourself to a post-party cocktail (or a cupcake) to celebrate your hard work. YOU DID IT!

* FREE PRINTABLES: Here are the printables I created for this party in PowerPoint for Mac. Here is another pdf version, in case you have trouble opening the PowerPoint version. Please note that I do not own these images, nor do I have permission to sell them. These are FREE and are for your personal use and convenience only.

We hope these ideas have been helpful, and that you have a truly AMAZING birthday party for your child! Be sure to check out the rest of the How to Have an Amazing Spider-Man Birthday Party series for more ideas:

Part 1 - Invitations & Thank You cards

Part 2 - Decorations & Attire

Part 3 - Goodie Bags & Party Food

As always, thanks for reading!

How to Have an Amazing Spider-Man Birthday Party: Part 3

2013-10-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

Now that you have your invitations, thank you cards, decorations, and super-hero attire, you are ready to think about goodie bags and party food. Dig in and enjoy these ideas for your amazing Spider-Man birthday party!

Goodie Bags

Some of our guests have severe food allergies, so we tried to avoid most edible treats for the piñata and goodie bags.

Spider-Man treat bags were filled with a Spider-Man book and then the kids added more after the piñata was broken. The piñata was filled with Spider-Man tattoos, Spider-Man stickers, mini bottles of bubbles, spider rings, plastic spiders, and Spider-Man fruit snacks.

Party Food
The tables were set with plastic cups filled with fruit bars that had Spider-Man faces* glued onto the package, so the kids could help themselves. We also set up a cooler with juice boxes and a beverage dispenser with ice water.

For lunch we had a sheet pizza delivered, plus had a few sandwiches of SunButter and jelly made for anyone who did not like pizza or is lactose-intolerant. SunButter is made from sunflower seeds, is peanut-free, and is made in a facility that is peanut-free, so it is safe for those with tree-nut allergies. We also offered cups of grapes.

ROCmomma TIP: Wash the grapes ahead of time, remove from stems, and place in small plastic cups the night before or morning of the party. Place cups in a large tray and keep, loosely covered, in the refrigerator until party time. This makes serving the kids a breeze!

Dessert was cupcakes and ice cream.

ROCmomma TIP: The day before the party, scoop ice cream into cupcake liners. Place in a large tray and store, loosely covered, in the freezer until party time. We used Spider-Man cupcake liners. This time-saving tip makes it quick, easy, and mess-free to serve ice cream to a bunch of hungry kids!

We used the same Spider-Man cupcake liners for the cupcakes. To keep them allergen-free, we used Cherrybrook Kitchen chocolate and yellow cake mixes and vanilla frosting mix (to accommodate a dairy allergy, we used dairy-free vegan margarine in place of the margarine for the frosting).

Spider-Man's colors may be red and blue, but my son's favorite colors are green and blue. The cupcake frosting reflects his choice of colors, and were decorated using Wilton decorating icing tubes in black, red, blue, and white.

To make the spiders, use the decorating tubes to make a circle just above the center, and then a long diamond below. Draw two bent lines going up and two going down on each side to make the legs.

To make the spider webs, use the decorating tubes to write the number of the birthday you are celebrating. Draw lines at the 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00 positions, and then draw one line between each of those (8 lines, all together). Draw the scalloped edge of the web by connecting the outer point of each line to the next line. Repeat the same types of lines to surround the number in the center.

To make the Spider-Man faces, you might want to purchase cake decorating pieces for this purpose instead of attempting it yourself. Unless you are really skilled with decorating tubes. I am not so skilled, so I gave up on these after four attempts. At least they still tasted yummy.

* FREE PRINTABLES: Here are the printables I created for this party in PowerPoint for Mac. Here is another pdf version, in case you have trouble opening the PowerPoint version. Please note that I do not own these images, nor do I have permission to sell them. These are FREE and are for your personal use and convenience only.

Have fun filling your goodie bags and designing your party menu! Be sure to check out the rest of the How to Have an Amazing Spider-Man Birthday Party series for more amazing ideas:

Part 1 - Invitations & Thank You cards
Part 2 - Decorations & Attire

Part 4 - Games & Activities

As always, thanks for reading!

How to Have an Amazing Spider-Man Birthday Party: Part 2

2013-10-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

If your child is a Spider-Man fan, you're in luck! This week's series features everything you need to throw an amazing DIY Spider-Man birthday party.

Yesterday we featured the invitations and thank you cards. Today is a closer look at preparing for the day of the party: the decorations and the party attire.

Decorations

We set up a tent in the backyard and decorated with a Spider-Man banner, red and blue balloons, and the contents of a Spider-Man decorating kit.

The tables were covered in red and blue plastic tablecloths from Dollar Tree.

Since the party was in the backyard, we created signs* to lead everyone around back.

We had lots of foam sheets in our craft bins, plus some garden stakes in the garage. We printed the signs* on white card stock, trimmed and attached them to foam sheets along with some Spider-Man stickers. Then we attached the garden stake to the back with packaging tape and tied a red or blue balloon to each stake.

Attire

As the host family, it is mandatory to be dressed in super-hero shirts. Capes are optional. This is a great time to get a second use out of old Halloween costumes! No costumes on hand? No problem. We have had luck in both Old Navy and Target to find super-hero t-shirts. The birthday boy wore Spider-Main (of course!), ROCpoppa wore Captain America, and ROCmomma wore Wonder Woman. Little brother asserted his independence and chose a Toy Story shirt instead. Oh well; we tried.

Have fun decorating and finding your favorite super-hero on a t-shirt! Be sure to check out the rest of the How to Have an Amazing Spider-Man Birthday Party series:

Part 1 - Invitations & Thank You cards

Part 3 - Goodie Bags & Party Food

Part 4 - Games & Activities

As always, thanks for reading!

How to Have an Amazing Spider-Man Birthday Party: Part 1

2013-10-22T10:20:00.001-07:00

At the end of my son's sixth birthday party, one of the ROCpoppas commented, "This was great! No one has birthday parties like this anymore."

It's true; lately most kids' birthday parties seem to be at a venue, rather than at home. And I get it: someone else does the set up and clean up, the activities are already planned, and sometimes the goody bags are even done for you. How can you pass up all that?

But if you enjoy working with your child to pick the theme and throwing a personalized party, but you don't enjoy all the planning, I can help. Here are ROCmomma's tips and tricks for a truly Amazing Spider-Man Birthday Party!

Invitations

The Easy Method:
Type the party information* four times on one page (postcard or quarter-card style) and print on card stock. Cut each sheet into quarters and let your kid decorate the other side with Spider-Man stickers.

The More-Time-On-Your-Hands Method:
Purchase red, black, and blue card stock, spider-web themed scrapbook paper (Halloween section), white gel pen. Print party information* on card stock, print Spider-Man faces* on red card stock, cut out Spider-Man faces and fill in eyes with white gel pen. Cut all pieces and assemble invitations with your adhesive of choice.

For each card:

blue card stock: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"
spider web scrapbook paper: 4" x 5 1/4"
red card stock: 4 1/4" x 1/2"
black card stock: 4 1/4" x 1/4"
Spider-man face* (printed on red card stock; cut out with scissors; fill in eyes with white gel pen)
party information* (printed 4 per page on card stock; cut page into quarters; trim as necessary)
adhesive of choice (such as glue stick, double-sided tape, adhesive runner, etc.)

I gave the birthday boy all the cut pieces and some glue sticks, and he assembled the cards.

Center and glue the spider web paper onto the blue card stock.
Center and glue a red strip across the card.
Center and glue a black strip over the red strip.
Center and glue a Spider-Man face on top of the strips.
Turn the card over.
Center and glue the party information onto the back.

While we were at it, we made the thank you cards at the same time.

For each card:

white card stock: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"
red card stock: 4" x 5 1/4"
spider web scrapbook paper: 1 1/2" x 5 1/4", torn along one long edge
Spider-Man comic strip image*, printed multiples per page, and torn to fit: 1 1/4" x 4 3/4"
your favorite "thank you" stamp
black ink pad
adhesive of choice (such as glue stick, double-sided tape, adhesive runner, etc.)

To assemble:

Fold the white card stock in half, to 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"; set aside.
Ink your "thank you" stamp with black ink and stamp along the right side (long edge) of the red card stock.
Center and glue the stamped red card stock onto the front of the folded white card.
Align the spider web paper strip along the left edge of the red card stock, and adhere.
Center and glue the comic-strip image onto the spider web paper.

Have fun making your invitations and thank you cards! Be sure to check out the rest of the How to Have an Amazing Spider-Man Birthday Party series:

Part 2 - Decorations & Attire

Part 3 - Goodie Bags & Party Food

Part 4 - Games & Activities

As always, thanks for reading!

Family Halloween Fest

2013-10-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

If you have kids and live in the Rochester area, you must check out the Family Halloween Fest on Sunday, October 27.

The festivities take place from 2 - 5:00 p.m. in the St. John Fisher College Field House, 3690 East Avenue, Rochester, NY. Admission is free; simply bring one canned good per person to benefit the Pittsford Food Cupboard. There are hay rides outside, but the other activities are all indoors.

After turning in your canned goods, trick-or-treat down the corridor and into the gym for one amazing, spooktacular Halloween party.

Trick-or-treating down Sesame Street
(2012 theme)

There are carnival games to play,

sugar cookies to decorate,

a coloring contest,

refreshments, entertainment, and a costume parade.

There's a giant spider in the gym!

Kids can even have their picture taken with local heroes.

This event has become one of my favorite ways to celebrate the Halloween season with my family. Each year, I am awe-struck by the talent and dedication of all the volunteers who work so hard to pull this event together. So, grab your costumes and your canned goods, and we'll see you at Family Halloween Fest on October 27th.

Be sure to Post a Comment and tell us the part your kids liked best. As always, thanks for reading.

And on This Farm They Had Some Pumpkins

2013-10-16T07:56:00.001-07:00

You know how those Bloggy Moms seem to have it all together? They make the best crafts, yummiest treats, and post about holidays way in advance to help their readers? They post beautiful pictures of their joyful cherubs immediately after finishing seasonally appropriate activities with them.

Yeah, well, I am NOT one of those moms. Sure, I post about the good stuff. Behind the scenes? Chaos. Finding time to write during the day is on par with a Zelda-level treasure hunt. Then, actually writing during the day merely reminds my boys that they were just about to ask to play a computer game. Writing at night interferes with my ROCpoppa paying the bills online... Wait. Who am I kidding? Writing at night interferes with cleaning up the kitchen, folding laundry, getting ready for the next day's chaos, and falling onto the couch to watch shows that have been on the DVR since August.

This is my long explanation for the fact that this article should have been written and posted two weeks ago. Many apologies, and here we go anyway...

It's that glorious time of year. We bundle up for the morning bus stop, and change into shorts when the bus returns the kids home. The leaves are gorgeous, bold colors, and perfect for piling up and jumping into the crunch. Pumpkin spice lattes flow like water. Yes, it's fall.

So it's time to pick your pumpkins.

If you live in the Rochester, NY area, you are lucky. Pumpkin patches are aplenty around here, and these farms have so much more than pumpkins:

Brown's Berry Patch, 14264 Roosevelt Highway (Route 18), Waterport, NY

October weekends 10 a.m - 5 p.m.; hay ride ($2 each) or walk to the pumpkin patch to pick your own.

Barnyard Buster Pass is $10/kids $8/adults includes Barnyard Adventure activities (reg. $5/$4 each), Corn Maze (reg. $5 each), and Barnyard Express (reg. $3 each). Additional fees for hay ride ($2 each), pony rides ($3 each), face painting ($3 each).

Giant slide in the Barnyard Adventure

Cobble Creek Farm, 5161 Ridge Road West, Spencerport, NY

October weekends 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; hayride to pick your own pumpkin.

Admission is $7 per person (children under 2 are free) and includes hayride, cider, donut, train ride, corn maze, pumpkin hollow, straw crawl, duck races, and more.

Garden Factory, 2126 Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY

October weekends 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.; technically this is not a pumpkin patch but it is a great option in inclement weather since the fun is indoors.

Admission is free; tickets ($0.50 each) are required for rides, games, arts & crafts, and the Singing Pumpkin Light Show.

This is from their Winter Holiday Festival,
but gives an idea of the fun inside.

Gro-Moore Farms, 2811 E. Henrietta Road, Henrietta, NY

October weekends 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; weekdays 8 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Free daily activities include mazes, haunted house, fun house, and pumpkin slide. Additional weekend activities are pay-as-you-go or a $10 pass per child for: train ride, super slide, mini golf, wagon rides, duck races, trike track, straw crawl, spider web, one tattoo, and one pumpkin to paint.

Boo! (scaring the golf ball
into the hole)

Long Acre Farms, 1342 Eddy Road, Macedon, NY

October weekends 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; October weekdays 9 a.m. - dark

Free activities include giant tractor tires, wooden pirate ship and train, grass mazes, picnic table checkers, giant sudoku, Pumpkin Nursery Rhyme Land, and seasonal displays. The Back 40 activities are $5 per child and $2 per adult to join in (weekday prices): jumping pillow, hoop shoot, climbing wall, swings, giant slide, giant spiderweb, and more. Barnbuster tickets available on weekends include The Back 40, the Amazing Maize Maze, hay rides and cow train rides: $11 ages 5+, $7 ages 2-4, under 2 free.

Power's Farm Market, 161 Marsh Road, Pittsford, NY

October weekends 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.; October weekdays 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Free daily activities include the giant teepees with amazing jack-o-lanterns displayed inside, a small petting zoo, and lots of photo opportunities. Purchase your tickets inside the market for the spooky hayride.

Enter the teepee, if you dare...

...and check out amazing jack-o-lanterns!

Stokoe Farms, 656 South Road, Scottsville, NY
October weekends 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
General admission is $9.75 per person; children under 2 are free; includes all activities except pumpkin launcher ($1 for 3 pumpkins) and pumpkins (priced per pound). Activities include corn maze, bounce pillows, straw fort, giant slides, hayrides, train ride, farm animals, pedal cars, nature trail, duck races, trike track, and more. Lunch and snacks are available for purchase.

Pumpkin launch!

Wickham Farms, 1821 Fairport Nine Mile Point Road, Penfield, NY
Open daily 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Daily activities include play set, farm animals, and jack-o-lantern display; fees apply for corn maze, jumping pillow, train ride, mini golf, and batting cages. Weekend activities include hayrides (fees apply).

Photo opp at Wickham

With two more weekends to pick your pumpkins and enjoy the Halloween and fall festivities at these farms, now is the time to make plans to take advantage of all these activities. Be sure to Post a Comment and let us know which farm is your favorite for fall family fun! As always, thanks for reading.

Trick-or-Treat at ZooBoo

2013-10-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

Do your kids like animals? Do they like trick-or-treating? Then you need to check out ZooBoo at the Seneca Park Zoo.

Grab your costumes and get ready for some fun at the zoo on October 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, or 27. They'll provide a ZooBoo trick-or-treating bag, as well as a "passport" for each trick-or-treater.

Costume? Check. Zoo Boo bag? Check.

Stop by the trick-or-treat stations to get your passport stamped and pick up your treats. The fifteen trick-or-treat stations are located in the zoo buildings, which makes it easy to enjoy the day even if the weather doesn't cooperate. The nice part about the treats here is that about half are trinkets, so it's not all candy. Plus, each trick-or-treater receives a gift as they exit the zoo. This can be an invaluable incentive to leave for those kids who are reluctant to do so. (Translation: If your kid pulls a tantrum and doesn't want to go home, bribe them with the gift at the end. Not that I've ever done that. No.)

Be on the lookout for some zoo mascots, too!

The animals get to enjoy some treats throughout the day, too. Be sure to check out the schedule that day to visit the animal exhibits and watch them have some fun.

ZooBoo is family friendly and appropriate for all ages. There is nothing scary here! Plus Seneca Park Zoo is stroller-friendly, features several restrooms each with diaper-changing tables. The concession stands will be open for lunch or snacks.

Non-members need to pay admission, but ZooBoo tickets are only needed for trick-or-treaters (both members and non-members need to purchase ZooBoo tickets for $8 for each trick-or-treating child). Pre-sale tickets for zoo members are $6 each and are not date-specific so they may be used on any ZooBoo day this month.

ZooBoo is a great way to extend the Halloween festivities beyond October 31st, have some family fun, and to get at least one extra use out of your kids' Halloween costumes! After you visit, be sure to Post a Comment to tell us your child(ren)'s favorite ZooBoo treat. As always, thanks for reading.

Holiday Hollow Halloween & Pirate Festival

2013-10-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

Hooray for Fall! It's time for pumpkins, apple picking, and...pirates! Yes, pirates.

If you're looking for a fun new way to celebrate autumn with your family, look no further than Corfu, NY.

Captain Hook & Mr. Smee Show

Holiday Hollow is a Renaissance Fair-type of setting and is home to some truly entertaining performance art. When you enter this little village, you may be greeted by some of the actors, in character. Walk around the Halloween Shire at your own pace and stop by the shows, play some games, and take in the scenery. There are seven shows that rotate continuously throughout the day, and move to the heated indoor theater in case of inclement weather. From pirates to witches to ditzy gypsies, they have it all.

Wacky Witch Show

The shows are family-friendly and might leave your kids laughing themselves silly. Plus there are some jokes just for you that will go right over their heads. The one show that may not be suitable for younger children is the Hunt for Jekyll and Hyde. The Mr. Hyde costume might be a little overwhelming for wee ones; our five-year-old loved it, but our three-year-old opted to skip out and get a cookie instead.

Holiday Hollow is located at 1410 Main Road (Route 5) in Corfu, NY. It is open during October weekends from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. although it's best to arrive by noon to see all the shows. Admission is $13 for ages 11 and up, $12 for ages 3-10, and free for children 2 and younger. Be sure to check out their web site and print the Show Times and Prices page to receive one dollar off each admission. There are additional charges for food, pumpkins, and games.

What else do you need to know? Most of the Halloween Shire at Holiday Hollow is stroller-friendly (The Hunt for Jekyll and Hyde is probably the only area that is not stroller-friendly). There are port-o-potties on site, however there are no diaper changing facilities.

There certainly are lots of Halloween and Fall festivities in the Rochester area this month, but the Holiday Hollow Halloween and Pirate Festival is one you don't want to miss. Be sure to Post a Comment after your visit and tell us your favorite show. As always, thanks for reading.

Who Likes to Dig for Fossils?

2013-09-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

At one of my son's soccer games, I was talking with a fellow ROCmomma about how our kids love dinosaurs. She asked if I had ever taken them to Penn Dixie Dig Site because you can take home the fossils you find.

We HAD TO go. What are you doing next weekend? Because you HAVE TO GO, too.

There are no dinosaur fossils at the Penn Dixie Paleontological and Outdoor Education Center, but you will find tons of marine fossils from 380 million years ago. That's older than any dinosaur!

During the one-hour ride to Penn Dixie, I was a little nervous that the boys might not find any fossils. I was worried that they might be disappointed, especially since I had hyped it up so much and we were driving so far. Rest assured, you can't help but find fossils there.

We found our first one within the first thirty seconds at the dig site:

Coral from the Devonian Era
(380 million years old)

And we filled our buckets in no time!

When you arrive at Penn Dixie, the parking is free and there are some port-a-potties - including a handicap accessible one - in the parking lot. Unfortunately, there are no diaper-changing facilities available.

There is a park-shelter-type entryway where staff are available to accept your admission fee and help you get started. You will receive a fossil identification card to help you figure out what types of fossils you've found. One of the guides even walked out to the dig area with us and showed us what we would be looking for at the site. She was extremely patient and answered all of my boys' questions in a way they could understand. (I learned a lot, too!)

We brought our own buckets and some small gardening shovels, but we actually didn't need to dig at all. It's just a matter of turning over the rocks to look for cone-shaped coral, black flecks of trilobites, the swirl of a gastropod (snail), ridges of a crinoid (sea lily), or the shell-shapes of pelecypods (clams) or brachiopods (lamp shells). Most of the shale is so soft, you can even break some of the rocks with your fingers to remove the fossils.

"I found one!"

"Look at this one!"

More fossils, more fossils,
and more fossils.

There are paved trails around the Penn Dixie site, so it is stroller-friendly as well as wagon-friendly. You'll find plenty of fossils on either side of the paved trails. If you're not tethered by a stroller, little explorers will have a great time wandering off the trails and into the great big piles of rocks at the dig site.

Future paleontologists will be fine with a bucket and gardening shovel. However, there were some serious fossil-lovers there with goggles, mallets, and chisels getting into some of the bigger shale pieces.

Covered picnic tables are available, if you bring lunch or a snack. While there are no vending options available on site, you'll find plenty of restaurants in the area after you leave Penn Dixie.

The best part of it all? You get to bring home all of the fossils you can carry!

When we got home, my six-year-old insisted he had to start working on the rocks. We set up a sturdy table in our sunroom, and he found his goggles and wooden hammer from his tool set.

Future paleontologist at work.

He has been having fun breaking the fossils out of the rocks. Then they go into a bucket of water to be washed with an old toothbrush. Once the fossils dry, we paint them with a solution of half Elmer's glue and half water to preserve them. We have been busy trying to pick out the best fossils to mount on the identification card in time for show and tell at school. He is really excited about that.

Penn Dixie is open during weekends May through October, and seven days a week during mid-June through Labor Day. They also host many special events throughout the year; check out their web site for upcoming events. Driving directions may be found on their web site; if using a GPS device, the address is 4050 North Street, Blasdell, NY 14219.

Please Post a Comment below and let us know about your fossil findings! As always, thanks for reading.

Backyard Camp-Out!

2013-08-26T09:24:00.001-07:00

If your kids are new to camping and you want to test-drive the experience before committing to an actual camping trip, try a Backyard Camp-Out!

Grab (or borrow) a tent, sleeping bags, pillows, and folding chairs. Then enlist your kids to help set up your camp site.

Don't forget some stuffed animals to snuggle at night! And a few extra blankets; it can get chilly at night.

Once the camp site is ready, it's time to have some fun! Take a dip in the pool, play catch, get out your lawn games, even unleash a few surprises. As long as you're outdoors, any activity is fair game.

Splash time in the kiddie pool.

Game-face during Bocce Ball.

Surprise! Silly String time!

To help keep everyone outside during the Camp Out, be sure to pack snacks to keep at your camp site and load the cooler with water and other beverages. Enjoy your meals picnic-style, or just lounging in chairs. Of course, trips inside to use the bathroom are allowed.

Lunch break.

Play a few more games, blow some bubbles, have another splash in the pool or sprinkler, then take a walk to gather sticks for the fire. After the walk, it's time to prepare the fire.

We decided the barbecue grill was in-bounds for our camp out, so we grilled veggie burgers for dinner, along with some side salads that were prepared ahead of time.

Another walk and a little more play time, and then it's time to settle down. The boys had their first S'mores by the camp fire!

S'mores face.

Then we changed into pajamas and read stories by the fire. It's a good idea to keep flashlights or camping lanterns handy for night-time bathroom runs.

Once the kids were asleep, my ROCpoppa and I got to enjoy the camp fire in peace and quiet for a little while. Then we snuggled in with the kids. Miraculously, everyone stayed asleep until their normal wake-up time. Woo Hoo! Success!

Now that we know the kids enjoy camping, we are definitely going to plan a real camping trip. How about your family? Be sure to Post a Comment and share your camping tips and experiences! As always, thanks for reading.

Backyard Summer Camp: Numbers, Letters, Shapes, and Colors Week

2013-08-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

Get ready for back-to-school with this Backyard Summer Camp theme week! Help your young ones review the basics in lots of fun ways. Of course, these ideas are just the beginning to a boredom-free week at home with the kids. Be sure to come up with your own creative ideas - and encourage the kids to come up with some, too.

If you're interested in the other Backyard Summer Camp theme weeks from this season, be sure to check out Wacky Sports Week, Under the Sea Week, Outer Space Week, In Our Neighborhood Week, Dinosaur Week, Messy Stuff Week, Games Week, Animals Week, Pirates Week, and Things That Go Week. Enjoy.

Numbers, Letters, Shapes, and Colors Week

Active Play

Alphabet Hunt: Materials: camera, scrapbook supplies or digital photo book site (such as Shutterfly.com). Instructions: Go for a walk and take photos of things that begin with A-Z. Upload or print out your photos and make a photo book together.
Play Hop Scotch. Use sidewalk chalk outside or painter’s tape indoors.
Rainbow Ice for the Water Table or Kiddie Pool. A little preparation is necessary for this one. Day 1: fill an ice cube tray or muffin tin with water and add drops of food coloring to each section. Day 2: pop the cubes out into a water table or kiddie pool of water and watch the kids go crazy!
Jumping Letters. Draw a chalk grid with a letter in each square – use a Scattegories die to roll and call a letter; players run to that letter…or take turns spelling names by jumping to letters.
Target Practice. Use sidewalk chalk to write age-appropriate words (i.e., Kindergarten sight words, or just letters or shapes for Pre-K); give kids a bucket of water balloons; call out a word or letter and have the children find it and hit it with a water balloon.

Quiet Play

Sponge-shape stamping. Materials: new kitchen sponges, safety scissors, paint, paper. Help your kids cut the sponges into a variety of shapes, then let them stamp the sponges into paint and onto the paper for some unique artwork. For even more fun, try vegetable stamping!
Play BINGO.
Shape experiment: roll card stock into different shapes (cylinder, triangle, square); stand on one end and test to find out which tower can hold the most books (see All for the Boys blog)
Mixology: fill two clear cups halfway with water and place an empty clear cup in between; place drops of one primary color (red, blue, or yellow) into the water of one cup and a different primary color into the other water cup. Twist up two paper towels; place the end of one into the first color and the other end into the empty cup. Place the end of the second paper towel into the second color and the other end also into the empty cup. Check back every few minutes to see what happens.
Check out some fun math problems on Bed Time Math. Each day features a new story with related math problems for all age groups.
Make LEGO letters, numbers, and shapes; sort LEGO bricks by color.
Use colored dominoes to make numbers, letters, shapes, and even a rainbow.
Read stories about numbers, letters, shapes, and colors.
Write a story together about numbers, letters, shapes, or colors…perhaps a story about what crayons do while we are sleeping. Let kids illustrate.

A domino rainbow.

Making LEGO numbers.

Field Trips

Playground Shapes. Make a list together of all the shapes your kids recognize; visit a playground and tally the number of times you spot each shape.
Go to the library for books about numbers, letters, shapes, and colors (e.g., “LMNO Peas” or "1-2-3 Peas" by Keith Baker, "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" or "Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3" by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, "Dog's Colorful Day: A Messy Story About Colors and Counting" by Emma Dodd, "Secret Agent Josephine's Colors" by Brenda Ponnay, "Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack: An Alphabetical Adventure" by Doreen Cronin, "SuperHero ABC" by Bob McLeod, "Alphabet Mystery" by Audrey & Bruce Wood, "One Fish, Two Fish, Three, Four, Five Fish" by Dr. Seuss, "Ship Shapes" by Stella Blackstone & Siobhan Bell, "The Greedy Triangle" by Marilyn Burns, and "Clay Quest Minis: Search for Shapes!" by Helen Bogosian.

Have fun with your numbers, letters, shapes, and colors this week. Post a Comment and let us know your favorite book about numbers, letters, shapes, or colors! As always, thanks for reading.

Backyard Summer Camp: Things That Go Week

2013-08-14T06:10:00.001-07:00

If your kids are fans of cars, trucks, trains, and planes, then this Backyard Summer Camp theme week is for them. There are plenty ideas to get you started here, plus have fun allowing your kids to come up with their own.

By the way, in case you've missed them, be sure to check out Wacky Sports Week, Under the Sea Week, Outer Space Week, In Our Neighborhood Week, Dinosaur Week, Messy Stuff Week, Games Week, Animals Week, and Pirates Week, too. Enjoy.

Things That Go

Active Play

Backyard Car Wash. Materials: shaving cream (foam, not gel), toy cars, containers, a hose. Instructions: for each child, fill a container with shaving cream for the car wash; fill a second container with water to rinse the cars. When the fun is done, hose everything off and leave them out to dry.
Chalk Roadway. With sidewalk chalk on the driveway (or painter’s tape indoors), this is perfect for racing toy cars around.
Marble Race Track. PARENTS ONLY: Cut a pool noodle in half lengthwise with a serrated knife for instant marble race tracks. Add an empty box to catch the marbles at the end.
Wash the car! Grab a bucket and some sponges or rags, and let the kids go crazy. Be sure to lock the doors first to prevent your helpful little ones from washing the inside. (Yes, it’s happened.) If your kids are too young to wash the car, turn this into a field trip and drive the car through a car wash together.

Washing the real car...

..."washing" the toy cars.

Quiet Play

Make box cars. (large boxes, paint) Although when we tried this, it turned into painting a vehicle onto a small box. Oh well; it was still fun!
Make paper airplanes and race them.
Clothespin Airplanes. Materials: clothespins, popsicle sticks, paint, glue. Check out the link for easy instructions.
Make and race bottle-cap sailboats. Materials: cap from gallon of milk; glue dot; toothpick; triangle of felt, paper, or foam, container for water. Instructions: Attach a triangle of felt, paper, or foam to a toothpick. Place a glue dot inside the bottle cap and insert toothpick into the glue. Fill a container about half-way with water and launch your sail boat. Older kids may want to try a milk carton sail boat.
Make a counting maze or analphabet maze – kids can drive a toy car through the maze, following the numbers or letters in order.
Paint with vehicles. Pour washable tempera paints onto paper plates; have kids drive through the paint with toy vehicles, then run the vehicles over paper to compare the tracks they make.
Use Play-Doh to make your favorite things that go; or flatten Play-Doh and drive different toy vehicles over the dough to make tracks.
Color-Sorting Parking Lot: use painter’s tape in a rainbow of colors to create a parking lot on the floor (alternatively, line up pieces of construction paper); gather toy vehicles and “drive” them to their appropriate parking space by matching the vehicle color to the tape (or paper).
Make LEGO vehicles
Read stories about cars, trucks, planes, trains, boats, etc.
Write a story together about the fastest car ever. Let kids illustrate.

Painting box cars
...or painting cars on boxes.

Bottle-cap Boat Races

Closer look at the bottle-cap boat.

Painting with vehicles.

Play-Doh roads for toy cars.

Field Trips

Visit the airport and watch planes take off & land.
Play and picnic at a park near train tracks to watch for trains that pass by. (Rochester Area: Kings Bend Park in Pittsford, NY and Perinton Park in Fairport, NY each have train tracks on the perimeter)
Attend an airplane show in your area.
Visit a train museum or model train display. (Rochester Area: Visit the NY Transportation Museum and take aride on the trolley on Sundays only, or visit the Edgerton Model Railroad on the last Saturday of each month)
Go for a walk along a nearby canal or river to watch the things that go. (Rochester Area: walk along the Erie Canal to see boats and kayaks)
Go to the library for books about cars, trucks, planes, trains, boats, etc. Some examples: Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey-Rinker, Cars Galore by Peter Stein, Dig Dig Digging by Margaret Mayo & Alex Ayliffe, Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton & Tom Lichtenheld, The Wheels on the School Bus by Mary-Alice Moore, Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry, Thomas & Friends series by Rev. W. Awdry, Terrific Trains by Tony Milton, I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track by Joshua Prince, Bob the Builder series, Road Work Ahead by Anastasia Suen, and books by Kate & Jim McMullan: I'm Dirty, I'm Fast, I'm Mighty, I Stink.

We hope you enjoy your Things That Go Week! Be sure to Post a Comment with your favorite ideas for this theme. As always, thanks for reading.

P.S. If you like this post, check out Kids Birthday Party Idea: Race Cars for even more ideas.

Backyard Summer Camp: Pirate Week

2013-08-02T03:30:00.000-07:00

We're in the home stretch of summer, so let's make the most of the next few weeks with some more Backyard Summer Camp theme weeks...

Ahoy mateys! Grab an eye patch, a bandana, some gold doubloons, and perhaps a sword (or a cardboard tube from a roll of wrapping paper, as the case may be) and prepare yourselves for a swashbuckling adventure with plenty of opportunities to say, "Yo ho ho." Have fun with these Pirate Week suggestions, and coming up with your own!

By the way, in case you've missed them, be sure to check out Wacky Sports Week, Under the Sea Week, Outer Space Week, In Our Neighborhood Week, Dinosaur Week, Messy Stuff Week, Games Week, and Animals Week too. Enjoy.

Pirate Week

Active Play

Have a Treasure Hunt. Make a map the night before - indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather forecast - while the kids are sleeping. Hide something fun for the kids to find – bubbles, punching balloons, etc.
Make a Pirate Fort with some chairs and bed sheets. Check out this Fort Round-up at the All For The Boys blog.
Canon Ball Toss! Use sidewalk chalk to draw a pirate ship for each player on the driveway or sidewalk; fill some water balloons. Have each player stand on their ship and play catch with the water balloons.
Build a Pirate Ship. Grab a cardboard box (the bigger, the better), some paint, and any other embellishments you can find to make your very own pirate ship. Check out this post on At Home With Ali for some inspiration.
Make an Active Treasure Map! If your kids had fun with a regular treasure hunt, blow them away with this variation. Add instructions to any ol' treasure map: hop on one foot down the walkway, walk backward from the back door to the tree, do 10 jumping jacks by the swings, etc., plus add in some letter recognition. Head over to the ReadingConfetti blog for the how-to.
Panning for Treasure. Fill a large bin or kiddie pool halfway with sand then water; hide treasure – craft store jewels, seashells, or fool’s gold – in the sand, then give each child a sieve to pan for treasure.

Treasure Hunt - we found a clue!

Quiet Play

Make paper pirate ships & decorate them.
Make a LEGO pirate ship.
Make a Play-Doh pirate ship.
Read stories about pirates.
Go through the costume bin and dress like a pirate.
Make a pirate snack! Create a Pirate Island using your kids' favorite veggies: corn for the sand, sugar snap peas for palm trees, zucchini slices for a hammock, and cherry tomatoes resting on the hammock. Yum!
Write a story together about your adventures on a pirate ship. Let kids illustrate.

Pirate Island Veggies

Shiver me timbers!

Field Trips

Visit the beach to dig for buried treasure (sea shells).
Rochester Area: visit the Palmyra Pirate Weekend, August 9-10, 2013.
Go to the library for books about pirates (e.g., Olive's Pirate Party by Roberta Baker, Follow That Map by Scot Ritchie, Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC by June Sobel, How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long & David Shannon, On a Pirate Ship by Sarah Courtauld & Benji Davies, Captain Abdul's Pirate School by Colin McNaughton, Pirate Girl by Cornelia Funke, No Bath, No Cake!: Polly's Pirate Party by Matthias Weinert)

Aye aye, cap'n!

We hope you enjoy your Pirate Week! As always, thanks for reading.

Backyard Summer Camp: Animals Week

2013-07-16T12:41:00.002-07:00

Backyard Summer Camp...Camp Mom...Keeping Them Busy...whatever you call it, this series is designed to provide some ideas to keep you and the kids busy with games, crafts, and field trips all focused around a theme for the week. These are a starting point; you and your kids can use your imagination and creativity to come up with your own ideas.

This week's theme is animals because almost every kid loves animals. Have fun with these suggestions, and coming up with your own!

By the way, in case you've missed them, be sure to check out Wacky Sports Week, Under the Sea Week, Outer Space Week, In Our Neighborhood Week, Dinosaur Week, Messy Stuff Week, and Games Week, too. Enjoy.

Animals Week

Active Play

Animal Moves - take turns naming an animal, then everyone acts like that animal and makes that animal’s noise
Backyard Safari - make a list with two columns; in the first column, ask the child(ren) to name all the animals you typically see in your backyard (or at the park, etc.) such as chipmunks, squirrels, deer, birds, etc. Leave the second column blank to tally the number of each animal you see on your “safari.”
Feed the Animals/Bean Bag Toss – print a coloring page with a picture of your child’s favorite animal; secure to an empty cardboard box and cut a hole over/near the mouth; give your child a bean bag (or other soft object) as the “food” for the animal to throw into the animal’s mouth. Be sure the hole is large enough for the beanbag.
Zookeeper Says – Just like Simon Says, except the caller says things such as , “The Zookeeper says hop like a bunny,” “The zookeeper says walk like a crab,” or, “The Zookeeper says slither like a snake.”
Animal Obstacle Course – set up an obstacle course outside where kids can go over, under, around, and through anything you have on hand; the catch is that they must crawl on all fours, hop, or slither through the course.

Backyard Safari (at the park)

Animal Obstacle Course

Quiet Play

Pinecone Bird Feeders (Materials: pinecones, bird seed, peanut butter – or substitute seed butter for any allergies, plastic knives or spoons, string to hang the bird feeder)
Popsicle Stick Animal Craft (Materials: craft sticks, paint, googly eyes, buttons for noses, glue, craft feathers, pipe cleaners, etc.)
Make animal sock puppets & have a puppet show
Toilet Paper-Tube Farm Animals – paint toilet paper tubes and decorate with pipe cleaners, buttons, pom poms, shape stickers, markers, etc. to make your own farm.
Animal Tracks Painting – dip plastic toy animals into paint and make tracks across the paper; add background scenery with paint, markers, or crayons
Draw an Animal - Clip magazine photos of animal faces; adhere to paper and ask the child(ren) to draw the rest of the picture
Watch animal videos on http://www.sandiegozoo.org/videos
Play animal games online
Make LEGO animals
Read stories about animals
Write a story together about what it would be like to have your favorite animal as a pet. Let kids illustrate.

Making LEGO Duplo Animals

More LEGO Duplo Animals

Field Trips

Visit a zoo (Rochester Area: Seneca Park Zoo, or day trip to Buffalo Zoo or Syracuse Zoo)
Visit your local humane society (Rochester Area: visit the barn, the walking trail of farm animals, and the domestic animals inside Lollypop Farm in Fairport, NY)
Visit an animal sanctuary (Rochester Area: check out Wild Wings at Mendon Ponds Park in Honeoye Falls, NY: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, or Friday)
Visit a local farm (Rochester Area: say, “Hi!” to the animals at Wickham Farms in Penfield, NY: Tuesday = $2 specials on mini golf; Friday = story time at 11 a.m.)
Feed some animals (Rochester Area: feed the chickens, deer, sheep, goats, alpaca, pony, donkey, and rabbits at Powers Farm Market in Pittsford, NY)
Go to the library for books about your favorite animals: The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen, The Underpants Zoo by Brian Sendelback, Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann, If You Give A…series by Laura Numeroff, the Pigeon books or Elephant & Piggie books by Mo Willems, or the Llama Llama books by Anna Dewdney

Feeding goats at
Powers Farm Market

The lions at Seneca Park Zoo!

We hope you have fun with your own Animals Week this summer. Be sure to Post a Comment and let us know what activities you did. As always, thanks for reading!

Backyard Summer Camp: Game Week

2013-07-13T10:30:00.001-07:00

I hope you have been having as much fun with this Backyard Summer Camp series as we are. My kids get pretty excited about picking a new envelope each week, and they are even coming up with their own ideas to add to our list. I love it! Of course, the list is just a starting point. It gets us going in the morning and then we go off on tangents. And the best part is: minimal whining. Yes!

Now, get ready for Game Time!

By the way, in case you've missed them, be sure to check out Wacky Sports Week, Under the Sea Week, Outer Space Week, In Our Neighborhood Week, Dinosaur Week, and Messy Stuff Week too. Have fun!

Games Week

Active Play

· Life-Sized Angry Birds (Materials: cardboard boxes, Angry Birds coloring pages, water balloons, etc. Instructions: Select images of the pigs from the Angry Birds coloring pages and secure to a few boxes. Stack the boxes to look like the game and launch filled water balloons as the birds. Take turns trying to knock down all of the “pigs.”)
· Play Twister outside
· Play tag or freeze tag
· FrisbeeTic Tac Toe (Materials: 9 frisbees or paper plates in 2 different colors; square blanket or tablecloth; duct tape to make the Tic Tac Toe grid on the blanket. Instructions: players throw their Frisbee or plate and try to get three squares in a row.)
· Hang a felt “target” outside; cover balls with adhesive Velcro (you'll want the stiff side of the Velcro; not the soft side) and have kids throw to try and hit the target
· HopScotch on bubble wrap ...or in the driveway with sidewalk chalk...or on the floor with painter’s tape
· Life-sized Candy Land: use masking tape or painter’s tape to secure a variety of colored construction paper on the floor to make the game board. Use the cards from Candy Land to move to a certain color (be sure to use colored paper that matches the colors in the game), or roll dice and move that number of spaces. You could make up silly rules to add more movement to the game. For example, when a player lands on red s/he jumps three times, when a player lands on blue s/he barks like a dog, when a player lands on orange s/he touches his/her toes, etc. ECO-NOTE: Save the paper after your game! If you roll a piece of masking tape and place on the back of the paper to secure it to the ground, you can save it. The tape pulls off easily; just stack the paper and return to your craft supplies for future use.

Life-sized Candy Land!

Quiet Play

· Play board games
· Set up a domino run
· Make your own board game (large piece of paper or inside of a cereal box, paint, stickers, etc. - let the kids make up the object of the game and the rules!)
Play online games, such as the games for kids in grades K-8 at funbrain.com
· Make a game board out of LEGO bricks
· Read books about games
· Write a story together about playing your favorite game. Let kids illustrate.

Super-fun Domino Run

Field Trips

· Go bowling (school-age children bowl one free game per day this summer at AMF lanes; check out kidsbowlfree.com)
· Visit a local children's museum to play games (Rochester Area: check out the new Game Time exhibit at StrongNational Museum of Play)
· Play video games at an arcade such as Chuck E. Cheese (Rochester Area: The Clubhouse in Henrietta, NY and Adventure Landing in Greece, NY are also kid-friendly)
· Go to the library for books about games: Games: Traditions Around the World by Godfrey Hall, Games: From Dice to Gaming by Liz Miles, The Games Book by Huw Davies, Play These Games by Heater Swain, The Big Book of Games by Dorothy Stott, and Games Galore by Shari Ann Pence.

Giant-sized fun at the new
Game Time exhibit at
Strong National Museum of Play

Ginormous Battleship at
Strong National Museum of Play

Playing dominoes on
a larger-than-life domino

Giant light-up Connect Four

We hope you enjoy your Game Week, and as always, thanks for reading.

Backyard Summer Camp: Messy Stuff Week

2013-07-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Last summer I scoured Pinterest for ideas and created a Messy Backyard Fun Week for my boys. They had such a blast that they still ask to "do messy stuff" on a regular basis. I suppose that was the impetus to all the Backyard Summer Camp theme weeks this year.

When I was brainstorming theme-week ideas, I had to include a Messy Stuff Week once again. It was just too much fun. Most of these can be done outside to minimize the clean up. Trust me, the mess will be worth it for the smiles on your kids' faces!

By the way, in case you've missed them, be sure to check out Wacky Sports Week, Under the Sea Week, Outer Space Week, In Our Neighborhood Week, Dinosaur Week, and Game Week too. Have fun!

Messy Stuff Week

Active Play

· Color volcanoes (food coloring, vinegar, baking soda, plastic cups)

· Sock bubble-blower (cut off the bottom of an empty water bottle and secure a sock over the cut opening; dip the sock-end into bubble solution then blow through the other end)

· Make sponge balls; play sponge ball tag (cut three sponges into six strips each; pile the strips and tie in the middle with a piece of string; fluff pieces out into a ball)

· Jackson Pollock painting. Materials: drop cloth; poster board; washable tempera paint; old kitchen utensils, sticks, rulers, etc. for flinging paint. Instructions: Place poster board on the drop cloth and have kids dip the utensils/rulers/sticks into paint and then splatter to their hearts' content.

Color volcanoes

Jackson Pollock painting

Quiet Play

· Make Jell-Doh Materials: 1 c. flour, 1/2 c. salt, 1 Tbsp. oil, 2 tsp. cream of tartar, 1 c. water, and 1 pkg. Jell-O mix. Instructions: Combine and cook all ingredients on medium heat, stirring until thickened. Cool, then knead until dry to touch.
· Make Lava Lamps. Materials: empty plastic bottles, oil, water, food coloring, glitter, and salt. Instructions: Fill bottle 3/4 with water; add food coloring and glitter. Fill almost to top with oil; let separate. Pour salt into jar and watch the lava-lamp-like bubbles!

· Bubble wrap print Materials: bubble wrap, paint, brushes, white paper. Instructions: Paint directly on the bubble wrap, then press clean paper on top to make a print.

· Microwave Ivory soap Materials: paper towel, Ivory bar soap (no substitutes, or it won't work). Instructions: place bar of Ivory soap on paper towel in microwave; heat for a couple of minutes, until it "grows." Remove your soap blob and play!

· Dissolving egg shells & bouncing eggs Materials: eggs, vinegar, water, clear jars. Instructions: Place eggs in vinegar and observe. Leave eggs in for 1 week, then observe; remove and bounce them. Bonus: put vinegar-eggs into corn syrup for a few days then observe.

· Milk Art Materials: dish, whole milk, food coloring, dish soap. Instructions: Pour milk into a dish; drop in food coloring. Then add dish soap a few drops at a time and watch the colors dance!

· Blow Up a Balloon with Yeast Materials: empty bottle, balloon, ½ cup warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 packet active dry yeast. Instructions: In the bottle, mix warm water and yeast; swirl around to dissolve then add sugar and swirl again. Stretch out the balloon then place over the top. Let sit in a warm place for about 20 minutes; observe.

· Read science books

· Write a story together about a crazy science experiment. Let kids illustrate.

Field Trips

· Visit a science museum (Rochester Area: check out the Rochester Museum & Science Center)

· Go to the library for science books: Science Experiments: Shiny, Slimy, Stinky, Shocking by Steve Parker; 60 Super Simple Science Experiments by Q. L. Pearce; A Moldy Mystery by Michelle Knudsen; Crazy Concoctions: A Mad Scientist's Guide to Messy Mixtures by Jordan Brown.

Have fun getting messy! As always, thanks for reading.