Make your bed, clean your room, help with the dishes…and LEARN! “10 Minutes of Learning” is a daily summer job at our house. It is simple and adds a lasting dimension to chore time.… Make a learning plan by having a one-on-one visit with each child. Ask questions and determine what your child is interested […]
Fun Book Series for Elementary School Boys
One of my boys will only read if he has to…..meaning 20 minutes a day and not one second more! His teacher suggested a series to me that has helped reading time not be so torturous. It is the “I Survived” series by Lauren Tarshis. The books are historical fiction. In all the books I […]
Learning Based Dinner Activity
Who’s Invited to Dinner? –a learning based dinner activity Dinner time is a family time. Talking around the table is instrumental in building relationships. Occasionally, it is fun to feed their minds and not just fill their bellies at the event. A five minute “splash” of knowledge about a person in history sparks questions and […]
Family Reading Goal
Why not build family unity and help kids excel in reading at the same time? We love to have a family reading goal…mostly because there is a potential for ice cream….but the other rewards are really greater. (It is OK that my kids don’t realize that yet. :)) The process is simple: set a reasonable […]
Not Your Ordinary Fortune Cookies
Well, these aren’t the usual fortune cookies, but they cause chuckles at our house! We bake fortunes into some of our favorite cookies. The recipe I used in the pictures is Chewy Low Fat Banana Nut Oatmeal Cookies—of course, any one that knows me can be assured I used ½ cup chocolate chips instead of […]
Game Date!
Kids need one-on-one time. Sometimes going out on an official “date” with each child isn’t optional. Hence, this idea emerged during a time of my life when I had six little kids running around and when my husband was gone to church meetings a couple nights a week. I found that a “Game Date” was […]
Traveling the World at Home
Traveling is very expensive…but fun doesn’t have to be. We love to pretend to visit the countries of the world. Some of our most fond family memories have happened on those nights! Here is how we make the event happen: Decide where you want to visit. Check out simple books from the library or look […]
Card Commotion!
This is a simple activity that takes very little preparation! Tell your family it is time for “Card Commotion!” Immediately, they are intrigued… First, you make a card for someone to send in the mail. Second, you play your favorite card game as a family. Pop-up card idea: First, fold your paper in half and […]
The Ever-Changing Treasure Hunt
Let’s go on a treasure hunt! Kids’ minds are working and their feet are running…what a perfect game. Years ago, the idea came to create a treasure hunt that you simply print out, shuffle the clues, and have a whole new experience each time. The only effort is in writing the last clue that leads […]
Salt Dough Ornament Craft
Are you looking for a children’s Christmas craft that lets kids create, uses items you already have, and requires only minimal supervision? Then salt dough ornaments may become your new tradition. Salt Dough Ornament Recipe 4 cups flour 1 cup salt 1 ½ cups hot tap water Combine the salt and the flour in a […]