Showing posts with label playtime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label playtime. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Christmas Traditions Box: Indoor Snowball Fight

8:58 PM 0 Comments


When we lived in California we dreamed of a typical white Christmas. But the only white Christmas we got was sand. I didn't complain and we still got some type of "snow" when we made our own snowballs for an indoor snowball fight. They were a "hit" if you know what I mean.

I posted the instructions on how to make these snowballs years ago. I am posting them again for you now.



You will need the following three things to make these:

1) Scissors

2) White or cream-colored nylons- I buy the cheap $1 pair at Walmart. (In the photo are knee-highs that I already had on hand. A full pair works better and you'll get a lot more out of them.) One knee-high can produce up to 5 snowballs. One leg of a full pair of nylons can produce about 10.)




3) Poly-fil to stuff the nylon.



What you're going to do:

1) Grab a handful of the Poly-fil and stuff your stocking (just enough for one snowball). Then make a knot.


2) Make ANOTHER knot after the one you JUST made, leaving a little space between the two knots.


3) Cut between the two knots.


4) Repeat steps 1-3. Below is something you can do but you MUST remember to do step 2 or else you will waste a whole snowball.


Here's what you'll have:


We made hundreds of these last year for a Christmas party we had.


HOW TO PLAY:

If you are going to have a snowball fight, divide the group of people into two teams and divide the snowballs equally between the two teams.

Create boundaries. You can either put some masking tape down on the carpet to divide the room in half, or play on an indoor basketball court, or anywhere that has a boundary line. The teams must stay on their side of the line and cannot cross it.

Set a timer. Let them fight for 5 minutes or however long you'd like the fight to go on. You can have "rounds" of fights if you'd like.

At your signal, the teams will begin to throw snowballs at the other team. When time is up, each team will count the remaining snowballs on their own territory. The team with the LEAST amount of snowballs on their side is deemed the WINNER! (I like this part because they have to clean up the snowballs to see who the winner is.)

This is a great game for preschool, play dates, Christmas parties, birthday parties, office parties, or at home with your own family.

Monday, July 31, 2017

13 Cleaning Games for Kids

9:47 PM 1 Comments

First off, isn't this drawing just darling? Head on over to Little House Studio and get your free printable! Click HERE.

I think I need to frame this because every night we clean up the house to prepare for the next day and we all dread it. The kids hate to clean and I hate getting them to clean. I'm no Mary Poppins but we try to make it more fun by playing games. We have tried playing "Beat the Timer" but my kids now know that it's not that fun to race against the clock anymore. So, we have gotten a little more creative. Here are a few of the games we have played:

Dump Truck: My kids "drive" around laundry baskets, making truck noises, and put things in their "trucks." When the baskets are full or there is nothing else to pick up, they go to their room and "dump" the baskets. They sort their items and drive them to where they belong. 

Santa: I will usually pick up toys and belongings throughout the day and throw them into one box. Then I will gather the kids and play "Santa." I sit a kid on my lap, talk a bit and ask if he/she has been a good boy/girl and then give him/her a "gift" (aka his/her toys/belongings) to put away. My kids think this game is funny. I really try to play up the Santa role (ask the kid's name, ask what he/she wants for Christmas, Ho Ho Ho, etc.)

Chutes and Hoops: This one is a favorite game but it takes a while. We have a Little Tikes slide and I set it on a low table with a toy basket at the bottom of the slide. The kids slide toys down the slide and it goes into the basket. Sometimes we put the basket under our Little Tikes basketball hoop and the kids "shoot" toys into the basket. If you have the time, try this game. If you don't have a slide, make a simple ramp out of a cardboard box or poster board.



"The Lady": This is another game that my kids think is funny. My daughter named this game "The Lady." She wants me to "be the lady!" I knock on their bedroom door and say, in my best British old lady accent, "Hello! I love your house! Can I come in? Oh, it's a wee bit messy in here. Can I help you? I've never been to your house before. Can you tell me where this goes?" I hand the item to my kids and they put it where it belongs. I ask again, "Can you tell me where this one goes?" and we repeat. This is also good to see if THEY know where it belongs. Does it have a place? If my kids don't know where it belongs, we either find a place or we throw it away. Sometimes I pretend that I don't even know what some of the items are. "What on earth is this thing? (Lego piece) It looks like a miniature ice cube tray. Perhaps for a Barbie doll or mouse. Good heavens! I hope you don't have mice living here." They think it's funny and I chill out for a second to have fun with my kids. 

Exercise and Clean: I challenge the kids to hop, skip, run, walk backwards, roll, etc. while they put things away. 

Numbers in a hat: Write numbers on pieces of paper (usually 1-10). Each kid draws a number and that number determines how many items they have to put away before drawing a new number.

Colors: I pick a color and everything that has that color must be put away first. Then we pick a new color.

Bigger or Smaller: Anything bigger than a _______ (toaster, laundry basket, etc) gets put away first. Anything smaller than a _________ (rabbit, shoe, etc) gets put away next. Choose any item your kids might think is funny and mix it up.

Guessing Game: I close my eyes and each kid puts away 1 or 2 items. I open my eyes and try to guess what they put away. You can make this a challenge with points if your kids are competitive. Or your kids can try to 'stump' you (or trick you) by putting away more items. It's harder for YOU to guess but gets THEM to clean more.

Relay Races: One child has a task and another child has a different task. See who can finish first. The tasks are usually similar like, put all the figurines in the figurine basket and put all the blocks in the block basket. 

Dance: Clean and dance to music. This is fun if you can switch the genres of music (ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, etc). 

100: First child to put away 100 things (on a really messy day) wins. 

Tickets: Reward your kids. For every 20 items, they earn 1 ticket (I get my tickets at Dollar Tree in the party section). When clean up is done, have a raffle or let them "buy" a treat from you. 

I hope this helps make cleaning a little more fun in your house for you AND your kids.  

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

50 Nursery Games and Activities

8:07 PM 3 Comments

On Sundays I go to church. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I get to hang out with all the children that are 18 months to 3 years old for two hours while their parents attend other classes. I love being in the nursery with all the kids. 

Sometimes those two hours can feel very long so I came up with some ideas to keep the time flying and to have fun with the best group of kids there are! These are also good preschool or babysitting activities.

  1. Toys. Every nursery is pretty well stocked with toys. Sometimes the children get sick of the same old thing. Try to be creative. Have the children sort the toys, count the toys, or have them clean them. (Give the children baby wipes to clean the toys or a clean sponge with a little soapy water. Have other children dry them.)
  2. Sing action songs that get the wiggles out.
      • Do As I'm Doing
      • Popcorn Popping
      • Once There Was a Snowman
      • Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam
      • Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
      • Eensy Weensy Spider
      • The Wheels on the Bus
  3. Do puzzles. If you don't have puzzles, make some by cutting up some big pictures that have been mounted on card stock. 
  4. Look at pictures around the room (or in the Gospel Art book/kit, or in the nursery teaching manual). Ask questions or tell stories that relate to the pictures.
  5. Coloring. Color the handout from the lesson, coloring books, or plain paper.
  6. Trace hands and/or feet of the kids. They love to see their hands on paper.
  7. Read books. One of our very favorite books is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle. The children LOVE this book. We also love to read HUG by Jez Alborough.
  8. Play "Ring-Around-The-Rosie."
  9. Play "Duck, Duck, Goose."
  10. Play "Motorboat." Have the children hold hands in a circle like you would for Ring-Around-The-Rosie. Say "Motorboat, motorboat, go so slow" while you walk slowly in a circle. Continue saying "Motorboat, motorboat, go so fast" while you walk quicker. Then say, "Motorboat, motorboat, step on the gas!" Everyone falls down.
  11. Play "Follow the Leader."
  12. Play "Freeze." Have the kids move around and have them stop when you say, "freeze!" They must freeze like statues. You can do it with or without music.
  13. Play "What Did I Change About Me?" One leader leaves the room for a second, or have the kids close their eyes. The leader changes something about him/her- takes off shoe, changes hair style, etc.) Leader returns to room (or children open their eyes) and try to guess what is different. We decided to have a bag of props outside the door. Inside the bag I included socks, glasses, gloves, a scarf, different shoes, lipstick, hair bow, and a belt. The children like this game too. 
  14. Play "Red Light, Green Light." You can substitute the words "Stop" and "Go" to make it easier for the younger children.
  15. Play "Snake in the Grass." Lie a jumprope down on the floor. Take one end of a jumprope and move it back and forth to imitate a moving snake. Have the kids jump over the snake without touching it.
  16. Floor shapes. Use masking tape to create large shapes on the floor. Children must walk/balance on the tape shapes.
  17. Play-doh. Use a disposable plastic mat (like the ones you put under a high chair). Make sure the play-doh stays on/over the mat.
  18. String cereal onto yarn. We use Froot Loops because the holes are bigger and they taste good. Tape one side of the yarn with a little piece of masking tape (kind of like the end of a shoelace) to make it easier to thread the cereal. This is a good activity for your older children.
  19. Flashlight stomp. Turn off the lights. Hold a flashlight so it makes a light on the floor. Have the children try to stomp on the light.
  20. Flashlight shadows. Turn off the lights and hold a flashlight up to the wall. Show the children how to make shadows on the wall.
  21. Sing "Old Mac Donald" with puppets or pictures of different animals. Have the children choose a puppet or picture before you start. They will be excited when you sing "their" verse.
  22. Singing with rhythm sticks. Sings songs while the children click their sticks together like "Follow the Prophet" or "Book of Mormon Stories." If you don't have rhythm sticks, you can use wooden dowels (found at any craft store) or PVC pipes, cut to about 10"-12". 
  23. Rhythm sticks beat. Pick a beat for the children to follow or drum with the sticks on the floor.
  24. Camping with rhythm sticks. Pretend you are camping. Use the sticks to build a "fire." Reserve a few sticks for the children to hold to "roast" pretend marshmallows or hotdogs. Sing a couple of songs around the "campfire."
  25. Play "Peek-a-Boo" with scarves. Have the children put the scarves over their heads. Say, "Where's (name)?" The children love to pull it off their heads and reveal their cute little faces.
  26. Scarf play. Have the children pretend that the scarves are a hat, apron, cape, and a scarf. You can sing "My hat has 4 corners" or just play. See scarf song at end of post.
  27. Butterfly Wings. Have the children pretend they are butterflies. Give each child two scarfs to use as "wings." See butterfly rhyme at end of post.
  28. Stickers. Have the children decorate plain paper with stickers. 
  29. Bubbles. Blow bubbles for the children. The children will want to blow bubbles themselves. It is a good idea to hold the bubble wand for them so it doesn't drip everywhere. See bubble song at end of post.
  30. Bean bag toss. Bring several bean bags and big plastic bowls or sand buckets. Have the children toss the bags into the bowls or buckets.
  31. Hot Lava. Set out several carpet squares, pieces of fabric or beach towels on the floor. Pretend the floor is "hot lava." Have the children jump from one square/fabric piece/towel to the next without touching the floor.
  32. Cars, Sleds and Magic Carpets. With your carpet squares or towels, have the children pretend they are riding in a car, sled or on a magic carpet. "Ride" to different places (church, school, Grandma's house, grocery store, etc.)
  33. Music! Sing songs with the children. Bring some kid-friendly instruments or have them clap along. You can make your own instruments with recycled containers and cardboard tubes. Make a drum with a big yogurt container or oatmeal can. Make a shaker by taking a toilet paper tube and fill it 1/3 full with dried beans. Staple or duct tape the ends shut. Make rhythm sticks with PVC pipe or wooden dowels.
  34. Blanket (or parachute) Toss. Bring a blanket (or a child's play parachute, if you've got one). Have the children hold onto a corner/side of the blanket. Put a soft ball or stuffed animal in the middle and lift the blanket together. See how high you can toss the ball/stuffed animal.
  35. Play a big game of memory. Prepare memory cards and place them on the floor. Let the kids take turns flipping the cards over to get a match. If you want to get fancy, take pictures of the kids and create memory cards with the pictures. Remember to print 2 sets of pictures. Mount the pictures onto some cute card stock and laminate the pictures. The kids love to see themselves.
  36. Dress up. Clean out your closet or bring in some old costumes. Let the kids dress up. Make sure the clothes are modest, and clean. No masks.
  37. Play "Choo Choo Train." Have the children form a line and hold onto the person in front of them, either on their shoulders or waist. Pretend you are a train. Stop at various "stations." 
  38. Punch balloons/balls. Bring in some punch balloons/balls. Let the children play. These are nice because they don't pop very easily.
  39. Balloons or beach balls. Blow up a balloon or beach ball and let the children pop them up.
  40. Pop! Have the children hold hands in a circle. Bring the children in very close together so the circle is very small. Have the children blow at the same time like they are blowing up an imaginary balloon. Every time they blow, take a step backward to make the circle bigger and bigger. When the circle is at it's biggest without letting go of hands, say "Pop!" Everyone falls to the floor.
  41. Musical Carpet Squares. Arrange carpet squares into a circle. Designate a special square as the "winning square." We have one bright red carpet square that we designate as the winning square. Have the children walk in a circle on the square while music is playing. When the music stops, the children stop. The child who lands on the "winning square" wins that round. Carpet squares are NOT removed after each round and no child "loses." 
  42. Do a Trick. Older children like to show off what they can do. Have the older children sit in a circle and take turns showing everyone what they can do.
  43. Do some rhymes with actions. See ideas at end of post.
  44. Play with ribbon dancers. Order a few online or create your own. Click HERE to see how to make your own.
  45. Shadow. Create movements with your body and have the children follow what you do. (Stand on one foot, touch the floor, stand up, turn around, clasp hands together and touch the sky, etc.)
  46. Play "I Spy." This is a good game with the older children. Sit the children down on the floor or at the table. Pick an obvious object in the room without saying what it is and say, "I spy something (color)." Name the color of the object. The children must guess what the object is that you are thinking of. Have the children take turns "spying" something. You might need to help them a little until they get the hang of it.
  47. Do an Age-Appropriate Craft. (paper bag puppets, spoon puppets, handprint/thumbprint art, etc.)
  48. Easy Hand Sewing. Click HERE for instructions.
  49. Have an Indoor Snowball Fight. Click HERE for instructions.
  50. Senses Activities. Create guessing games using the senses.
    • For smells, use extracts, perfumes or spices. Soak up some extract or perfume with a cotton ball and place each one in a separate, clean baby food jar. Or, bring in some different spice bottles and let the children smell the jars/bottles. See if they like what they smell or not. Can they guess some of the smells?
    • For touch, place different objects in a bag. Make sure the bag isn't see-through. Have them pick out an object that is rough, smooth, sticky, scratchy, soft, hard, etc. Or, place one item in the bag at a time without the children seeing it. Have them take turns putting their hand in the bag. See if they can describe how it feels or guess the item.
    • For listening, fill 3-6 similar containers with different objects. Make sure they cannot see inside the container. You can use empty Play-doh jars, or plastic Easter eggs, etc. You can do this two ways:
      •  Fill 3 containers, each with a different object inside. Display a duplicate of the objects on the floor or table. Have the children shake the container and listen. Have them guess which object is in which container according to the choices given on the floor/table.
      • Fill 3 containers with different objects (rice, beans, pennies, cereal, nuts and bolts, golf tees, paper clips, marbles, etc.) Fill 3 more with the same objects as the first 3 so there are 3 pairs of containers. For example, fill 2 containers with rice, 2 containers with golf tees, and two containers with pennies. Have the children shake the containers and try to match the sounds. Try to make it trickier by using similar materials.
    • For sight, have the children sort different objects by color, shape, size, etc.



Songs and Rhymes

My Hat, It Has Four Corners

My hat, it has four corners,
Four corners has my hat.
And if it there weren’t four corners,
It wouldn’t be my hat. 

*Substitute the word hat for apron, cape, scarf, etc.

BUTTERFLIES
Butterflies, butterflies, flapping around.

Visiting flowers, not making a sound.
Flapping your wings, as you go.
Flapping your wings, up high, then low.
Butterflies, butterflies, flapping around.
Visiting flowers, not making a sound.
                                                 
*Pin two scarves to the middle of each child’s back.
Have them hold onto an outer corner to create wings.
Recite the poem, as your children fly around the room.
BUBBLES (to the tune of "Where Is Thumbkin")
Hello bubbles, hello bubbles,
Come and land, come and land
Right in the middle, right in the middle
Of my hand, of my hand.

Good-bye bubbles, good-bye bubbles
Time to go, time to go,
I will help you, I will help you,
With a blow, with a blow.

I’M TOAST IN THE TOASTER
I’m toast in the toaster (squat down)
I’m getting very hot
Tick tock, tick tock (sway side to side)
Up I pop! (jump up)

MY FUZZY CATERPILLAR 
My fuzzy caterpillar, 
(wiggle finger along opposite arm)
Made his cocoon one day.
(cup hands together)
He turned into a butterfly,
(link thumbs together)
And quickly flew away! 
(wave fingers and move hands upward as though flying away)

TOMMY THUMBS
Tommy Thumbs up!
(bounce thumbs up)
And Tommy Thumbs down!
(bounce thumbs down)
Tommy Thumbs dancing
(bounce thumbs back and forth)
All around the town!
Dance them on your shoulders!
(bounce thumbs on shoulders)
Dance them on your head!
(bounce thumbs on head)
Dance them on your knees!
(bounce thumbs on knees)
Then tuck them into bed!
(tuck thumbs under arms)


Please share your nursery ideas!






Saturday, March 24, 2012

DIY: Ribbon Dancers

10:55 AM 2 Comments


My girls love to dance. These ribbon dancers have added a lot of fun to their dance parties. These are great for birthday parties, dance classes, preschool movement, or just for fun. We even "write" our letters with them in the air.

One of the best parts about these ribbon dancers are that they are inexpensive, easy to make, customizable, and don't require tools!!

What you'll need:


Wooden dowel (7/16 x 12 in.)
Screw eye (#14)
Split key ring (1 in.)
1 1/2" wide ribbon (about 10-12 feet long)
Fray Check
Sewing machine OR needle and thread
Acrylic paint (if you want to paint your wooden dowel)


NOTE: I found the dowels (came in a pack of 6) and ribbon at Michael's,
and the screw eyes and key rings at Home Depot.




Twist the screw eye into the top of the dowel.



Twist it in all the way to the base of the eye.



Thread ribbon through the key ring and secure the edge by machine (or hand) sewing it. Add as many ribbons as you'd like.



On the raw edge of the ribbon, use fray check to keep the ribbon from unraveling.


Link the key ring to the screw eye.


DONE! Time to dance!




This post was part of The Shady Porch Rock N' Share and Oopsey Daisy's Wednesday's Wowzers. For more super cute creativity across the blogosphere, head over to The Shady Porch and Oopsey Daisy

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Pocket Coat

5:51 AM 0 Comments

This is my pocket coat. I took a lab coat from a uniform supply store, sewed some pockets onto it, and turned it into something fun. I am the one that usually wears the coat for the activities that we do but anyone can wear it.

Here are some ideas of what you can do with it:

Spotlight: This is why I made the pocket coat in the first place. For preschool, or Sunday School, we would do a special spotlight on one child each week. I would gather together some interesting facts about the child (favorite color, favorite ice cream flavor, special talents, skills, etc.) with help from his/her parents. I would create a cute clue on 3x5 cards and put one clue in each pocket. The children would take turns pulling out a clue from the pockets and try to guess who the special spotlight was. The actual spotlight got to take home all the clues. (You could also do this with small trinkets that the child could keep.)

Delightful Dining: Load the pockets with questions to ask your children at dinnertime. Have your children take turns choosing a question. Let one child wear the coat. (It makes a great apron and it's completely washable.)

Color matching game: fill up the pockets with small items (or color cards) that match the color on the pocket.

Flashcards: Insert flashcards into the pockets. Let your child pick a card (sight words, numbers, letters, math, etc.)

Activity Day: Fill the pockets with activities that your child can do throughout the day. Pick a new card once you finish an activity.

Hide and Go Seek: Hide 6 different colored plastic eggs that match the pocket colors. The child that finds the eggs wears the coat. When he/she finds an egg, he/she puts the egg into the pocket that matches the color. The child will know which eggs are found or missing according to the pockets that are filled or empty.

Taking Turns: Hide numbered cards in each pocket. Each child picks one pocket/card. The child with the the #1 card goes first. The child with the #2 card goes second, etc.

Chores: Load chores into the pockets. Have your children pick a chore to accomplish.

What would you use it for?

This post was part of The Shady Porch Rock 'N Share. Visit The Shady Porch for great ideas!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Mickey's Mousercise!

8:14 AM 0 Comments
Let me take you back to the 80's when Mickey's Mousercise was super awesome!

We listened to the songs on vinyl when I was in elementary school. We pushed all the desks out of the way on rainy days and exercised in our classroom with our teacher. If we were really lucky we'd watch it on VHS and follow along.


I wish they had this on DVD. It would be part of my library so fast! The good news is that there is a great little work out song available through iTunes. I've used it in my preschool co-op and the kids LOVE it! They love the medley of songs they all recognize, and it's easy to follow along-Mickey and Goofy tell you exactly what to do throughout the song.

For a 7-minute Mousercise workout with your own kids or preschool, download the "Mousercise Medley" on iTunes for $0.99

I guarantee your little ones will have fun. I know mine do!

Let Them Play!- Wall Mural

5:30 AM 1 Comments


Unfortunately, we spend a lot of time indoors in the winter. It's just too cold! With 2 toddlers, I have to get creative when it comes to playing indoors.

Yesterday we added to our art gallery and created a "wall mural." I taped up some butcher paper on the wall and the girls went to town! They loved drawing on the "wall."


I gave my girls washable crayons only just in case. Luckily they were good about drawing only on the paper. If only they made "edible" crayons for my one-year old.

TIP: Depending on where you live, Costco sells rolls of butcher paper that will last for years! It's worth it! I find a million uses for it. I like to cover my table with butcher paper before doing any messy craft. It makes clean up so easy and it protects my table.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Chalkboard Placemats

5:23 AM 1 Comments



I've been wanting to make chalkboard placemats for months now. I finally did it. I decided that I would follow the directions from Sew 4 Home. However, I wanted to have waterproof fabric on the back instead of regular fabric so I grabbed some oil cloth. When it came time to put the placemat together, I couldn't press anything with an iron or use too many pins. I didn't want to melt my fabric and once the fabric is punctured with pins, the hole stays there.


I decided to do this thing a super basic way using bias tape.


What you'll need:




  • Chalkboard cloth (found in the "utility fabric" section of your fabric store)

  • Oil cloth (also a "utility fabric")

  • Bias tape (extra wide, double fold bias tape- 3 yd. Plan on one package per placemat just in case)

  • Jean needle (strong needle to sew your fabrics)

  • Scissors

  • Sewing machine (with jean needle)

What you'll do:


1) Cut one piece of chalkboard fabric and one piece of oil cloth the same size. Cut it to the size you'd like your placemat to be.


2) With wrong sides together, line up your bias tape on one edge of the chalkboard side! This is important! I found that the chalkboard fabric is quite slick and thick and doesn't grab onto the feed dogs well. So, having the oil cloth on the bottom allows for easier and nicer sewing.


3) Sew your bias tape on. See the following tutorial.



I already finished 2 edges. I'm going to show you the top edge. (Pretend this is your first edge.)






Here's one side of the placemat.





Here's the other side of the placemat.



Here's where the bias tape comes in. For super clear instructions on using bias tape without swearing, watch this video.





I followed the instructions in the video almost exactly. The only change I made was that I lined up the edge of my bias tape with the edge of my fabric. The woman in the video, Amy, lines up her bias tape a little below the edge of the fabric but, don't do it! You need that space when you're using the thicker fabrics.


So, unfold your bias tape, with the thinner edge up. Sew along that first fold. I tucked in my sides like Amy did too.









Start folding your bias tape over to the other side of the placemat.





Now it should look like this on the reverse side.



Sew the edge down. The chalkboard side will be facing down but since you now have the bias tape on the bottom, the feed dogs will grab onto the bias tape nicely and you won't have problems.



Repeat with the remaining sides.




You're done!





Prep your chalkboard by rubbing the edge of your chalk all over the board. Wipe it clean with a clean cloth. You're ready! You can also use liquid chalk which I'd like to try out sometime. It looks a lot cleaner and brighter.






This post was part of The Shady Porch's Rock 'N' Share! Visit The Shady Porch for other great ideas across the blogosphere.

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