Watch Old Home Movies

Last night we found an old video tape of the kids that we had not even remembered about. It was from six years ago. They and their friends were putting on a talent show for all of us parents. It was such fun to see the kids so young and watching them perform. We had many good laughs and it brought back some fun memories. This is a great way to spend a relaxing family night.

make your own crayons

Everyone loves crayons. Have you ever made your own? We did this activity years ago when my kids were small. You simply gather all your old, broken crayons. (Or you can do what some crafty people do and buy new ones!) Remove the paper wrapper. You may choose to sort colors into particular groups, or be like my kids and put them all together to make "rainbow" crayons. You then place the crayons into a mold. This can be an old muffin tin, the new silicone shapes or cookie cutters lined with foil. Put them into a preheated 300 F degree oven. Cook 5-8 minutes. Remove and let cool completely, 30-60 minutes. The crayons should pop out of the mold, ready to color your world.

http://annajoandsuch.blogspot.com/2007/08/fun-crafts-with-wax.html

birthday history

This could be a fun way for your family to spend some time together and learn a little history at the same time. If you head over to Wikipedia and type in your birthday, you will get a list of all sorts of fun information. You can learn about events that have taken place on this date, you will find famous people with whom you share a birthday, as well as folks who have died on this date. You can learn about holidays and observances that occur on this date throughout the world. This is a fascinating little project that will entertain a wide range of ages.

teachable moments

Tonight my husband had a wild idea. We normally do things together as a family on Tuesday nights. He decided that we would do a family activity that would involve a study of the Gospel of John. We read portions of John chapter one, describing Jesus as the light. Then, we all proceeded to tie blindfolds around our eyes. We then had our dinner with the blindfolds in tact. It was interesting, and everyone played along. We then discussed living in darkness as opposed to the light. This could be a great family activity to provoke discussion. And if you want to join in on the bible study, you can download it for free here .

puzzles

Putting puzzles together as a family can be a fun and relaxing way to spend time together. It allows you to relax together, have fun, get through some frustrations, and provides a great sense of accomplishment when the puzzle is completed. We have often left puzzles out for weeks until they were put together.





One took us three months to finish! (It's holographic!)










One of our favorites, which is still together, is the spherical globe puzzle.





Puzzles provide lots of fun for the entire family. The difficulty of the puzzles can increase as the children grow. It is good for them to see your family work together on a project that may not be so easy, and to get the feeling of accomplishment when that last piece is put into place.

PreSchool "Paintbrush"

Last weekend I caught the end of Donna's Day with Donna Erickson. I have not ever seen this show before, but I enjoyed what I saw. It seems to be filled with great ideas for families. One idea she shared was an easy way for young children to paint. She got a triangle shaped make up sponge and attached a clothespin to the "apex". Viola! A simple way for small hands to sponge paint! Less mess too!