Monthly Mama Miscellany

Traveling and Moving with Kids

2008-04-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

TRAVELING

Traveling with kids can be crazy at best. Here are some tips for activities in the car or plane that might make the trip a little more fun for everyone (and that don't involve a DVD player--even if you use one liberally, chances are the kids will get bored at some point).

*Make up Bingo sheets (or just a sheet of various pictures) of things you will see from the road that your kids can mark off.

You can also make up a sheet with the letters of the alphabet and with the numbers 0-9. I put ours in page protectors and then put them on a clipboard and give them dry erase markers to cross them out so we can use the same sheets over and over. Even if your child is too young to really play the game, just drawing with a dry erase marker can be fun.

*Buy little dollar store toys, or confiscate the kid's meal toys before your kids see them (if they aren't old enough to protest that--mine don't realize those meals come with toys), and then hand them out when boredom is setting in.

*Wrap the little toys to make them more appealing (and if the child is young enough, the unwrapping may use up a few more minutes).

*Buy Dum-dum's or another small sucker and offer those spaced out along the trip--I like them because they take longer than most candy to eat so I know the overall sugar damage isn't quite so bad.

*Get a bag of some sort for each child and fill it with their own snacks, books, games, projects--they'll love having their own travel bag or carry on and you won't constantly be trying to remember who has had what.

*Buy a few new books, or check out new books from the library (you can always mail them back media mail if you will be gone for longer than you can have them checked out). Richard Scarry books are great for little kids who can't read yet because they have lots of details in the pictures to keep the kids busy looking. I Spy books would also be fun--anything that is more than a 5 minute read.

*Have your child take pictures along the way of your journey and then help them make a scrapbook after you get there. They can photo lunch stops, gas stations you fill up at, intersting people or sights you see, the car/train/airplane you travel in (or all three if you're really lucky), where everyone was sitting, what their luggage looked like. You could also have them draw pictures or take notes about things that happened along the way.

*Buy disposable bibs--they make mealtimes on the go so much easier.

*Pack a change of clothes for everyone that are accessible--its always nice to not have to sit through a 5 hour flight in dirty clothes after a diaper blowout or upset stomach incident.

*Carry a light weight blanket (such as a receiving blanket or something similar) with you--it can be used as a pillow, to shade a window on a plane or in the car, a towel to clean up messes, a changing pad for a baby--it's almost as valuable as duct tape!

*Even if your kids are all potty trained, you might want to pack a pull-up if their is any chance that you child is going to panic at the thought of trying to go to the bathroom in bushes at the side of the road. We learned that from experience.

*Use a front carrier or sling for your infant in airports and train stations. I was able to travel with my 2 kids by myself this last summer by using the stroller to load up our 4 carry-ons and 2 carseats and carrying the baby in a Baby Bjorn. Now, getting from the baggage claim to the curb for pickup with our 4 suitcases was a whole different story (Just pray that there are kind people in the airport).

MOVING

Anything you can do to make the move smoother will help the kids. And anything that makes your new home feel more like "home" to them will help.

*Check out this list of kids books about moving and begin preparing them for what is going to happen by reading a couple of them together. Our favorite is the Bernstein Bears Moving Day.

*Have them help you pack up their items if they are old enough--if you aren't moving for long term, have them help pick out the few items they will take with them. Otherwise, they could still fill an "important" box that you can mark so you know its the first one that needs to be unpacked.

*Pack up the kids rooms last and load them into the truck last so they can be the first thing you unload when you get there. This way you can set up their rooms immediately and they'll have a safe, familiar place to play while you are working on the rest of the house. Make sure you have everything you need for their room together so you aren't digging through boxes to find their sheets at bedtime. And go ahead and put up pictures and other familiar items right away so they really will feel like its home.

*Try to keep routines and schedules as much as possible, especially for younger kids (and if you know your kid NEEDS those routines). If you have everything packed in one spot that they will need for that first bedtime and to be able to use their room that first night (sheets, pillows, bathtowels, bath toys, PJ's, nightlight, books, special blankets or stuffed animals, and anything else they might use on a regular basis, it will be easier to get them to bed on time and let them know that life is still going to be the same, just in a different home.

*Century 21 has tips, lists, and projects here for the kids to help them cope with the move. A few of the suggestions--have them put together a scrapbook of home (they even have pages you can download and fill-in), say goodbye to favorite places, and make a list of new "likes" as you get settled into your new home.

*Find fun activities to get involved with right away--lessons, clubs, sports teams--whatever your child likes. Even if you are only there for the summer, you can sign them up for summer camp or swim lessons, summer reading programs at the library, story times. Just try to make your new home feel exciting and fun for them and they will adjust much quicker.

*Take a walk around your new neighborhood the first day or two. It's easy to get caught up with the unpacking and want to just be done with it, but you and your kids need the break and exploring your new community can help everyone get excited about the move and the opportunities that await your family.

April Crafts and Activities

2008-04-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

This month's offerings may be a little sparse--our month is quickly filling up and with the warmer weather, we've been doing a lot more casual outdoor play, not so many organized activities. But here's a couple fun ideas. And then I will do a seperate post on traveling with kids because I know that a lot of us are preparing for moves--either short term or permanent in the next month or two and moving with kids can be crazy at best.

Make a rainbow indoors--Fill a glass with water (all the way to the top) and set it on a windowsill in bright sunlight. It should project over the inside ledge just a bit. Put a white sheet of paper on the floor beneath the window, and a rainbow will magically appear on the paper.

Make rain pictures--Start out by painting some shapes or blocks of color with water-soluble paints or markers. Place the picture outside when it is raining for a brief spell. The patterns made by the drops can be very intersting.

March Crafts and Activities

2008-03-01T10:31:00.000-08:00

Make a kite. You can make them from paper, or recycle one of your plastic grocery bags! And here are some great mini lessons you can do about kites.

Make wind chimes. You can use old CDs, frozen juice lids, seashells, old utensils, aluminum pie pans, sticks--see if your kids have any fun ideas.

Put branches in water for early blooms. Just cut a branch from the plant, and either peel or mash the thick end to help it absorb water. Put it in a vase or jar and change the water frequently.

Go for a winter walk and look for signs of thawing in a pond (the botany pond on the south end of BYU is a perfect place to look.)

Make a spring mural--paint, sketch, paste, and stick all sorty of pictures that show spring growth and change. Make a tree silhouette and paste down green paper leaves then the real leaves open. Glue pictures from old gardening catalogues or magazines. Paste down pictures of baby animals that are born in the spring. You can even label things with the dates that you observed them outside (when you saw the first robin, first green leaves on a tree, when the last snow melted.)

Learn some bird songs and calls. http://www.enature.com/birding/audio.asp

Make cloud art. You can give them blue construction paper, cotton balls, and glue and let them make their own cloud shapes, or use a white crayon to draw clouds on a large peice of white paper and then let them paint over the picture with thin blue paint--the clouds will "appear" in the sky.

February Crafts and Activities

2008-02-01T10:27:00.000-08:00

Still stuck indoors? Here's a few indoor activities for this month.

Make a treasure hunt for your kids--depending on their ages, you may want to take pictures of places around your house they are familiar with, write simple directions, or make up riddles or clues to where the clue is hidden. At the end, the treasure can be supplies for an art activity, a puzzle or game to play together, or some type of treat.

Learn about ground hogs and the tradition behind Groundhogs Day. http://www.groundhogs.com/

Celebrate Chinese New Year (February 7 this year)--

*make Chinese laterns with the kids (just fold a peice of construction paper in half lengthwise, make cuts from the folded edge to within 1.5 inches of th opposite side. When cuts have been made along the entire length of the paper, unfold and form into a cylinder by joing together the short uncut ends of the paper. Glue or staple another strip of construcion paper for a handle.

*Make little red packets to give to your kids and wear red and talk about good luck traditions

Make Valentine Day cards. With younger toddlers and preschoolers, its easiest to have everything ready before you start--cut out different colored hearts and shapes from paper or even material--felt works great, have stickers, foam hearts--whatever you want, and a paper folded into a card for them to glue their decorations on. Grandparents will love these!

See if salt water freezes. Try different amounts of salt added to containers of water to learn how salt affects the water freezing.

Finally, these paper globes may be a little more complicated, but the kids can help with the gluing, and lets face it--sometimes Mama needs a little fun craft too. Go here to find the downloadable template and instructions (as well as some more professional examples.)

January Activities and Experiments

2008-01-03T09:48:00.000-08:00

It's cold this time of year--perfect time to curl up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate, but since kids don't hibernate, here are some fun ideas of things to do with them:

Chart the temperatures--make a graph showing the temperature each day (you can check online or in the newspaper each morning for the high and low). If you moved from a different climate, or know where you are going for your internship/full time job, it might be fun to track the temperature in that city as well and compare the two (or maybe that will scare you from wanting to live there!)

Measure the temperature in snow bank. Animals take advantage of the snow to shield them from the cold and wind. You can see how the temperature differs by digging a hole into a snowbank, placing an outdoor thermometer inside the space and leaving it for a few hours. Come back and compare this temperature to the temperature of the outside air.

Feed the birds--for the birds that stay behind, its nice to help them find food. Pinecones slathered with pb and then rolled in birdseed, make holes in the cup and put a stick through each hole to make a perch for the bird, then fill the cup with unsalted nuts, seeds, raisins

Snow experiments--fill a jar with snow, mark the level of it on the outside of the jar. Take the jar inside and let the snow melt. What happened? Why?

Fill a spray bottle with water and a little food coloring. Let your kids decorate the snow with their "spray paint" Create a snow scene with white paint or chalk on black (or other dark) paper. Or make a snow globe by gluing small plastic figures (trees, people, animals) to the inside of a jar lid (make sure you use a waterproof glue). Then fill the jar with water and a tablespoon or so of white glitter.) Screw the lid on tightly and then shake!

Stomp in frozen puddles.

December Crafts and Activities

2007-12-01T09:58:00.000-08:00

Christmas decorations--Pinecone people--use pinecone as body, acorn or chestnut or woodbead as the head and make arms from pipe cleaners, cloth them in fabric or paper scraps and glue them to flat rocks or stick them in modeling clay so they can stand.

Make an evergreen wreath--twist a hanger into a circle and use fine gauge wire to secure evergreen boughs (you can use the branches you trim from a Christmas tree) around the circle.

Decorate a tree for the birds--use cookie cutters to cut shapes out of old bread and then cover with peanut butter, fill scooped out orange halves with bird seed or suet.

December Events and Field Trips

2007-11-30T09:09:00.000-08:00

Dec. 1, 10 a.m., West Center Street--Provo Christmas Parade
http://www.provo.org/index.php?module=ibcms&fxn=parks.Parade_main

Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m., Covey Center for the Arts, Messiah Sing-Along
http://www.provo.org/parks.messiah_sing_in.html

Dec. 3, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Provo City Library--Christmas Fiesta
http://www.provo.lib.ut.us/fiesta_navedena.html

Through December 31, 6-10 p.m.--Holiday Lights at Thanksgiving Point
http://www.thanksgivingpoint.com/entertainment/index.html#holidaylights

Through December 22, 5 and 7:30 p.m. departures--The Polar Express
http://www.hebervalleyrr.org/excursions/the_polar_express.htm

Through Jan 2, 2008--Christmas Lights at Temple Square in Salt Lake

Plays, musical performances, outdoor sports, and lots more on the Provo City Library website:
http://whattodoinprovo.pbwiki.com/Winter

Don't forget that Outdoors Unlimited http://outdoors.byu.edu// on campus has fairly inexpensive rentals for skis, snowboards, snowshoes and all your outdoor equipment.

November Events and Fieldtrips

2007-10-23T09:47:00.001-07:00

Heber City's Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Buckaroo Fair, Heber City, Utah
November 6th thru the 11th - 2007
http://www.hebercitycowboypoetry.com/

Dart the Turkey Thanksgiving Celebration, Provo, UT
Nov. 15
http://www.provo.org/parks.events.html

Utah Chocolate Show, Salt Lake City, UT
November 16 - 17, 2007
http://www.utahchocolateshow.com/

Jewish Art and Food Festival, Salt Lake City, UT
November 10 - 11, 2007
http://www.slcjcc.org/

Do your kids love watching sports? Don't forget to check out BYU's sports schedules.
http://www.byucougars.com/

Or support your local high school and go to one of their games. You can talk to the youth in your ward to find out what sports they play and show up to cheer them on at one of their games. Or you can look up the high school's website and find a schedule there.

November Crafts and Activities

2007-10-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

It's getting colder, but there are still plenty of nice days to get outdoors. And if its raining or just too cold, try one of the fun indoor activities or crafts.

Outdoors:

Make a weather vane and see where the wind is coming from. Use a an empty plastic container filled with sand or pebbles and then covered with a lid (or anything else that you will be able to securely stand a pencil in). Cut a triangle from a piece of cardboard--snip the point off to make a smaller triangle--this will be the head and tail of your weather vane. Make a slit in each end of a drinking straw and attach the cardboard shapes (slit these also to make it more steady). Push a pushpin through the center of the straw and into the eraser of the pencil and stand the pencil in your container. Mark North, east, south, and west and then use a compass or the sun to line up the directions.
Collect birds nest when all the leaves are gone--you can try to identify them with a bird identification guide that includes pictures of the nests.

Collect pinecones and acorns to decorate your thanksgiving table or for holiday crafts.

Rainy day ideas:

Turkey Hunt-- Have children draw or paste pictures of turkeys on a dozen or so index cards. Mom hides the cards around the room, then everyone goes hunting. The player who "bags" the most turkeys wins.

Make an indoor sand box--using uncooked rice, beans or wheat, fill a box or other flat container and give them sand toys, or measuring cups, bowls, utensils, and let them play. (You might want to lay out a sheet or tarp to make clean up a little easier).

Let them play with water and bubbles--in the sink (they can even help wash the dishes!) or the bathtub.

Festive Thanksgiving crafts--Beyond the handprint turkeys (although these are really fun too!):

Pinecone turkeys--use yellow pipe cleaners for legs and feet, glue tiny circles of felt for eyes and snip pieces of red felt for the wattles.

Leaf Turkeys-- Cut a turkey shape out of brown construction paper and then glue the turkey shapes onto white or yellow construction paper. Let toddlers add eyes with markers and then glue on leaves that they collected to make turkey tails.

Cut vegetable turkeys--you'll need a pear, two zucchini, a carrot, two whole cloves, and a handful of toothpicks. Slice the top off one zucchini for the head. Slice the rest into 1/4" pieces. Cut a 2" piece from the narrow end of he carrot. Slice the rest into 1/4 inch pieces. Sick the cloves into the head for eyes. Attach the head to the neck with half a toothpick (push the toothpick through the carrot or zucchini first, then the pear). Use the carrot and zucchini slices as feathers. Use two toothpicks for legs with a carrot slice on each for the feet. You may need a toothpick in the back to steady the turkey.

Turkey sandwiches (no, not a way to use your thanksgiving leftovers--these are shaped like turkeys)--circles cut of bread for head on square bread (body) with bell peppers as tail feathers, bits for eyes, beak.

Thanksgiving placemat--give your kids old magazines and let them cut out pictures of what they are thankful for. Make a collage on a piece of construction paper and then laminate or cover with clear contact paper.

Or, make a thanksgiving can--put all the cut up pictures in a can and when you need a quiet conversation activity, have your child pull one out and talk about the item they are thankful for.

Songs

Let's Be Thankful

(Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)

Let's be thankful for this day

For our friends and our play

Let's be thankful; let's be glad

For our food and the things we have

Let's give thanks for you and me

And our home and family.

The Turkey Strut

(tune: "The Hokey-Pokey)

You put your right wing in, you put your right wing out,

You put your right wing in and you shake it all aboutl

You do the turkey strut, and you turn yourself around,

That's what it's all about!

2. You put your left wing in. . .

3. You put your drumstick in. . .

4. You put your stuffing in. . .

5. You put your wattle in . . .

6. You put your tail feather in. . .

7. You put your turkey body in. . .

October Events and Fieldtrips

2007-09-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

This can be a fun month to get out and do things. The weather is cooler, but there are still often days that are great for those outdoor activities, so take advantage of it while it lasts. Go hiking, play at a new park, collect leaves and pinecones, or check out one of these places:

Thanksgiving Point Gardens--these are only open until October 27th, so go see what's there before its too late! Of particular interest for anyone with kids would be the Children's Discovery Garden. They even have a link from their website for a self guided tour you can print out before you go so you'll be ready to talk about the various habitats and animals you'll see. It's aimed more for grade school ages, but you could certainly adapt the information to use with younger children as well.

Thanksgiving Point Farm --This does stay open through the winter, but it can get pretty cold and windy. They have lots of animals to see and even offer pony and wagon rides, which just sound like an autumn activity. And there are some great hands-on learning opportunities, including a chance to "milk a cow"--let your kids see where their milk is coming from. Bring along a lunch and some hot chocolate if its chilly and have fun learning about the farm animals with your kids.

Haunted house or corn maze--there are too many to list, but a few that are more family oriented and suitable for all ages are the Haunted Canyon in Provo Canyon (this is a spooky train ride--sounds fun!), Halloween Central at Thanksgiving Point, Halloween Cruise on the Provo River, and Pumpkinland at the Vineyard Garden Center in Orem.

For more ideas, check out the Provo Library website for links to festivals, events, sports and more.

October Crafts and Activities

2007-09-25T09:21:00.000-07:00

Wizened apple faces--Peel and core a large apple, carve a little away to suggest eyes, nose, and a mouth. Then place the apple in a bowl filled with salt water or lemon juice for about 30 min. Dry the apple gently, spear it from below with a pencil and place in a long-necked jar. The apple will dry and shrink over the next few weeks and start to look like an old, weathered face. You can decorate the jar with fabric or paint to make clothing for you apple person.

Pressed Autumn Leaves--just find leaves that are not too dry and press them inside a heavy book (protect the pages by putting down paper on each side of the leaf.

Leaf Prints--use a sponge to cover one side of the leaf with ink or paint, lay the leaf where you'd like a print, cover with newspaper or a paper towel, firmly rub (you can use a rolling pin or your hand). You can decorate cards, wrapping paper, picture frames, etc. . .

More leaf fun: leaf rubbings, mapleleaf crown (just link the leaves putting their stems through a slit in the next leaf)

Corn necklace--soak kernels of Indian corn in water for a day or so, then use a needle and thread to string them.

Roast pumpkin seeds--clean, salt, bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan a couple times. Remove when crisp and dry, before they turn brown.

Preschool at home

2007-09-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

For those of you who attended the "Help for Mom" class, this is an overview of the class on doing your own preschool:

*Set aside a specific time each day.
*Have a set location for your "class"--ideas for location: linoleum piece painted with shapes for each child to sit on, carpet remnants in different shapes or colors for each child.
*Have a set routine--most kids thrive on routines and knowing what is coming up next (for example, start with 10 min. of show and tell, 10 mintues songs, 10 minutes learning stations, 10 min. lesson).
*Remember their attention span is very short--10 min. max! Keep things really simple and short
*Be flexible--some things will take way longer than you think, others they will be done with before you are done setting up--always have a couple back-up activities.
*Let the kids take their time learning and HAVE FUN with them--the most important thing at this age (and really, any age) is that they learn to love learning.

If anyone is interested in a GREAT starter reading program to contact Tracey Minaker--she has all the details.

And remember to use music--look at your local library for great compilations of kids CD's--there are songs to learn just about anything and its just fun to dance around and get silly.