In Children's and Preschool Ministry, my favorite lessons are Christmas and Easter. There are a ton of resources for Christmas, but not for Easter. The death and resurrection of Christ is a difficult lesson to teach to a four year old. Through the years I have stumbled across a couple of really good and fun object lessons that put AWE into Ascension. Here are a couple of fun ones....
1. Ping Pong Ball Ascension - Supplies: a ping pong ball, a hair dryer and a toilet tube role. What to do: turn on the hair dryer (cool air if possible) and point it to the ceiling. Place the ping pong ball in the airflow and watch it balance there. This is a good time to review Jesus was resurrection and appearances on the Road to Emmaus ( Luke 24:35-37) and the 40 days he appeared alive after his death (Acts 1:3). With practice you can even walk around balancing the ball in the air stream. But of course, we want to end with a HOORAY! Jesus is risen. So after you talk about the ascension (Luke 24:51 and Acts 1:9), place the toilet role over the ball. The channelled air will move faster and force the ball to pop out the top. Preschoolers love it. Children want to try it themselves.
2. Breaking Free Baking Soda - Supplies: empty water bottle, lemon juice, water, baking soda, one square of toilet paper, a cork, and an aluminum baking tray or craw fish plate to catch the fizz. Prep: fill about an 1" of lemon juice in the bottom of the water bottle and then add water until about 1/2 full. This is a good lesson to talk about the resurrection. The lemon juice is the oils used to treat the body of Christ. The baking soda is the body of Christ placed in the toilet square which is the linen cloth. They placed the body in the tomb (pour the baking soda into the bottle) and then rolled a great stone in front of the tomb (do it quickly after the pour, cork the top). Then three days later Jesus was resurrected (the pressure builds until the cork is forced to pop out. depending on how much baking soda you use and how tight the cork is in, determines how high the cork will fly.) If you can't find the right size cork, you can try to make one with play dough. It didn't work so well; never popped. But the fizz created did leak out and the discussion became how Jesus's love just keeps flowing. Jesus loved us so much He went to the grave, broke out of the grave, and pours His continued love and forgiveness on us even today.
3. Resurrection Explosion - this one is great fun and an outdoor experiment. It can be used on Easter Sunday as something special for an exciting day or you can use it on Ascension day as the climax to a multi-week study of Easter. All this is is the Mentos experiment which you may have seen on the Steve Spangler, the Science Guy website. Supplies: 2 liter bottle of cheap diet soda, a roll of mentos mint candy, and optionally a geyser tube which you can get on the Spangler website at http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/ or check the discovery section of some toy stores or Hobby Lobby sometimes carries them in their impulse buy section by the cash registers. You don't need the geyser tube but it sure makes it easier. Anyway, I recommend having multiple bottles and multiple rolls of Mentos. I keep the kids back since this makes a huge mess so I holler out, "Can death keep a good man down?" Student reply, "No!" I holler, "How many days was Jesus in the tomb?" Student reply, "Three!" I holler, "What happened on the third day?" Student reply, "He rose." I holler, "Let's count! One, two, three!" Then release the mentos into the soda. The explosion is quick so wear a poncho or have an umbrella for you. Kids will squeal with glee. Then I repeat the holler, student reply. Review is always important, and the kids are having so much fun, they don't realize they are learning.
I love the Ascension Lesson. The kids have fun, and we get to celebrate life. Best wishes for success in your Children's program.
Showing posts with label Family Fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family Fun. Show all posts
Monday, May 9, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
The Birth of a Ministry
Reviewing my blog, I have noticed a trail of ups and downs including the death of my grandmother, the death of my stepfather, and ups in steps of faith, kitchen science experiments and more. I am befuddled by this path that I am on. I have felt an urge to enter ministry since I was a kid, but event after event has shown me I am not ready. I have prayed for years for God to reveal His plan for me and to make it simple for I am a simple person. I guess when my boss fired me last week; that was a pretty simple, "you are in the wrong place. get moving!"
So again I am faced with which path to take. Do I continue my pursuit to be a professional marketing person with expertise in copy writing and event planning? Do I pursue a career in ministry? Do I go back to school and get my teaching certificate? What is God's plan for me?
Since I have some time on my hands and really want to get this right this time, I have decided to commit to read the "The Bible in 90 days" a Zondervan Bibles publication. I have finished Genesis and the whole thing about circumcision has struck me. So God tells Abraham in Genesis 17 for every male to be circumcised, young and old alike to seal the covenant between God and Abraham. To seal a deal with God, a super good deal where they get a bunch of blessings, all the men say, "Sure." I am not a man, but ouch. But they did it and they were blessed.
Now later in Genesis 34, there is another story of circumcision that did not end well. Jacob, the father of nations, also had a daughter named Dina who was violated by a man from the city of Shechem in Canaan. Jacob was sad, but her brothers were furious. The brothers tricked the men of Shechem. They said if they all got circumcised then they would live peacefully among them and become one people sharing livestock and wealth. The men of the city said, "Sure," and were all circumsiced. Now the brother's new of the pain of circumcision and on the third day after the procedure, the brother's entered the city and killed all the men who were still in pain from the circumcision. I guess the moral of the story is if you desire to seal a deal with God, then no price is too high; but if you desire to seal a deal with man for wealth and privilege, check his motives.
So what does that have to do with the ups and downs of this blog? I desparately want to seal a deal with God, but I don't know what the deal is. I have decided I must pursue my desire for ministry but definately not for wealth and privilege though I wouldn't frown on it if it came my way. I just pray that my desire is given to me by God. I pray to fulfill His purpose for me.
So what's next? I plan to offer myself as a guest speaker. I have more than 10 years of experience in Children's and Preschool Ministry and feel strongly that I can provide age appropriate, fun and relevant faith messages to youth, parents, and women's organizations. I have been in development of the DesignD ministry for more than a year. I have friends that are willing to partner with me, and friends who will be supporting me. The time has come to seal the deal and step out on faith. Soon I will be providing more information on DesignD and how you too can book me as a guest speaker at your next engagement.
So again I am faced with which path to take. Do I continue my pursuit to be a professional marketing person with expertise in copy writing and event planning? Do I pursue a career in ministry? Do I go back to school and get my teaching certificate? What is God's plan for me?
Since I have some time on my hands and really want to get this right this time, I have decided to commit to read the "The Bible in 90 days" a Zondervan Bibles publication. I have finished Genesis and the whole thing about circumcision has struck me. So God tells Abraham in Genesis 17 for every male to be circumcised, young and old alike to seal the covenant between God and Abraham. To seal a deal with God, a super good deal where they get a bunch of blessings, all the men say, "Sure." I am not a man, but ouch. But they did it and they were blessed.
Now later in Genesis 34, there is another story of circumcision that did not end well. Jacob, the father of nations, also had a daughter named Dina who was violated by a man from the city of Shechem in Canaan. Jacob was sad, but her brothers were furious. The brothers tricked the men of Shechem. They said if they all got circumcised then they would live peacefully among them and become one people sharing livestock and wealth. The men of the city said, "Sure," and were all circumsiced. Now the brother's new of the pain of circumcision and on the third day after the procedure, the brother's entered the city and killed all the men who were still in pain from the circumcision. I guess the moral of the story is if you desire to seal a deal with God, then no price is too high; but if you desire to seal a deal with man for wealth and privilege, check his motives.
So what does that have to do with the ups and downs of this blog? I desparately want to seal a deal with God, but I don't know what the deal is. I have decided I must pursue my desire for ministry but definately not for wealth and privilege though I wouldn't frown on it if it came my way. I just pray that my desire is given to me by God. I pray to fulfill His purpose for me.
So what's next? I plan to offer myself as a guest speaker. I have more than 10 years of experience in Children's and Preschool Ministry and feel strongly that I can provide age appropriate, fun and relevant faith messages to youth, parents, and women's organizations. I have been in development of the DesignD ministry for more than a year. I have friends that are willing to partner with me, and friends who will be supporting me. The time has come to seal the deal and step out on faith. Soon I will be providing more information on DesignD and how you too can book me as a guest speaker at your next engagement.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
God Changes Pumpkins, Part 3 (Salvation, Carved Pumpkin)
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Halloween is coming with all it's creepy crawlies. What's a loving Christian to do? Carve a special jack-o-lantern to express how God changes you.
This is a great object lesson for children. There are four parts to this 1) the Poem, 2) Action: Carve part of the pumpkin, 3) the Bible verses that inspired the poem and 4) Talking points to fill the time while you do the actual carving. You will probably want to carve and clean the pumpkin prior to the presentation, but leave some of the ooey guts inside and the pieces still in the pumpkin to create the illusion of carving.
This is a great object lesson for children. There are four parts to this 1) the Poem, 2) Action: Carve part of the pumpkin, 3) the Bible verses that inspired the poem and 4) Talking points to fill the time while you do the actual carving. You will probably want to carve and clean the pumpkin prior to the presentation, but leave some of the ooey guts inside and the pieces still in the pumpkin to create the illusion of carving.
Fun Tip: "Jesus" is just long enough to carve in the shape of a face. "J" and last "S" carve large like ears. "E" and "U" carve small like eyes. Middle "s" long like a nose.
Poem: God Changes Pumpkins by Danika LaBrant, copyright 2009
Bible Verses: "Life Application Bible, New International Version." Tyndayl House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois and Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, Colorado. Copyright 2004
My big round pumpkin shows me
Where I want to be
From faceless, full of mess-ups
God changes me
- Action: Present Pumpkin
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
- Talking Points: This pumpkin is a lot like me. On the outside it looks nice, a good shape, just like a pumpkin should. It has a few bumps and imperfections, just like me, but on the outside it looks pretty good. On the inside, however ooey's and gooey's and all sorts of yucky stuff. I need God to change me.
The first thing I must do
Ask God to make me new
Please God open my mind
Your truth I want to find
- Action: Cut top of pumpkin
- Ephesians 1:17 "I keep asking God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better."
The first thing I must do
Ask God to make me new
Please God open my mind
Your truth I want to find
- Action: Cut top of pumpkin
- Ephesians 1:17 "I keep asking God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better."
- Talking Point: Nothing can happen until I ASK God. I must pray. I need to "A" accept I am a sinner, "B" Believe in Jesus Christ and "C" Confess my sins. And then God can start his work in me.
The gooey slime inside
Confess my sins and do not hide
God forgives my ooey heart
He offers me a brand new start
- Action: Clean out pumpkin
- Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
- Romans 6:18 "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves of righteousness."
The gooey slime inside
Confess my sins and do not hide
God forgives my ooey heart
He offers me a brand new start
- Action: Clean out pumpkin
- Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
- Romans 6:18 "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves of righteousness."
- Talking Points: Everybody is a sinner, me, you, your Mom and Dad, your best friend, everybody. But we don't have to suffer for all eternity for the wrongs we do. We can ask forgiveness and start new. God will forgive, but FIRST you must pray and ask, then God can work in you.
My clouded eyes I pray
The Lord will wipe away
So I may see the sight
What Jesus has made right
- Action: Cut eyes
- Ephesians 1: 18 "I pray also that eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."
My clouded eyes I pray
The Lord will wipe away
So I may see the sight
What Jesus has made right
- Action: Cut eyes
- Ephesians 1: 18 "I pray also that eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."
- Talking Point: No matter how dark and creepy or lonely things get there is a light in your heart. You have to ask the light to come in. You have to pray to God, and then the Holy Spirit will live in you. You will always have someone you can turn to, someone you can talk to. When you ask Jesus into your heart, God will start to open your eyes to see hope and to see the many blessings that surround you.
Open my ears to Your word
I want to be altered
The lessons Jesus taught
In practice, I want to rock
- Action: Cut ears
- Matthew 7:24 (Jesus said) "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
Open my ears to Your word
I want to be altered
The lessons Jesus taught
In practice, I want to rock
- Action: Cut ears
- Matthew 7:24 (Jesus said) "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
- Talking Points: So it is not enough to hear God's word, you need to live God's word. You need to do God's word. It is important to memorize the 10 Commandments, but you need to actually do them too. Don't lie, don't steal and KEEP GOD FIRST.
To breath is to live
A life that God gives
To choose to believe
A greater gift I receive
- Action: cut nose
- Genesis 2:7 "The Lord formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
- John 20:22 "And with that (Jesus) breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
To breath is to live
A life that God gives
To choose to believe
A greater gift I receive
- Action: cut nose
- Genesis 2:7 "The Lord formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
- John 20:22 "And with that (Jesus) breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
- Talking Points: No one asked you if you wanted to be born. Your life is a free gift, no strings attached. The gift of Jesus is a choice. God asks you if you want Jesus in your life. If you say yes, then the light of Jesus enters your heart and lives in you for the rest of your life.
Praise and Thanksgiving
From my mouth are coming
To others I will share
For them Jesus cares
- Action: Cut mouth
- Romans 10:9-10 "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
Praise and Thanksgiving
From my mouth are coming
To others I will share
For them Jesus cares
- Action: Cut mouth
- Romans 10:9-10 "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
- Talking Points - With your heart you believe, but it is with your mouth that you are saved. You need to "A" accept you are a sinner, "B" believe in Jesus Christ and "C" confess with your mouth. With our mouth's we can also Praise, give Thanks and share the Bible with others.
My big round pumpkin shows me
Where I want to be
In me, through me, for all to see
God's love for all eternity
- Action: add candle
- Ephesians 5:8-9 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light of in the Lord. Live as children of light. (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.)"
My big round pumpkin shows me
Where I want to be
In me, through me, for all to see
God's love for all eternity
- Action: add candle
- Ephesians 5:8-9 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light of in the Lord. Live as children of light. (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.)"
- Talking Points: When God enters your heart, the light of Jesus will change you little by little, but the light within you will shine. The more you change to be more like Jesus the brighter your light will be. (turn pumpkin so kids can see the carving) Whose light do I want to shine through me? JESUS!
And that's it. A fun poem, inspiring Bible verses and a cool pumkin that shines the light of Jesus. Have a Happy DAY!
Friday, October 30, 2009
God Changes Pumpkins, Part 2 (Salvation, Carved Pumpkin)
Halloween is coming with all it's creepy crawlies. What's a loving Christian to do? Carve a special jack-o-lantern to express how God changes us.
NOTE: Yesterday, Part 1: The Poem; Today, Part 2: the Bible verses that inspired the poem; and Tomorrow, Part 3: Talking Points and tips on presenting this object lesson.
Poem: God Changes Pumpkins by Danika LaBrant, copyright 2009
Bible Verses: "Life Application Bible, New International Version." Tyndayl House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois and Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, Colorado. Copyright 2004
My big round pumpkin shows me
Where I want to be
From faceless, full of mess-ups
God changes me
- Action: Present Pumpkin
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
The first thing I must do
Ask God to make me new
Please God open my mind
Your truth I want to find
- Action: Cut top of pumpkin
- Ephesians 1:17 "I keep asking God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better."
The gooey slime inside
Confess my sins and do not hide
God forgives my ooey heart
He offers me a brand new start
- Action: Clean out pumpkin
- Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
- Romans 6:18 "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves of righteousness."
My clouded eyes I pray
The Lord will wipe away
So I may see the sight
What Jesus has made right
- Action: Cut eyes
- Ephesians 1: 18 "I pray also that eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."
Open my ears to Your word
I want to be altered
The lessons Jesus taught
In practice, I want to rock
- Action: Cut ears
- Matthew 7:24 (Jesus said) "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
To breath is to live
A life that God gives
To choose to believe
A greater gift I receive
- Action: cut nose
- Genesis 2:7 "The Lord formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
- John 20:22 "And with that (Jesus) breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
Praise and Thanksgiving
From my mouth are coming
To others I will share
For them Jesus cares
- Action: Cut mouth
- Romans 10:9-10 "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
My big round pumpkin shows me
Where I want to be
In me, through me, for all to see
God's love for all eternity
- Action: add candle
- Ephesians 5:8-9 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light of in the Lord. Live as children of light. (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.)"
NOTE: Yesterday, Part 1: The Poem; Today, Part 2: the Bible verses that inspired the poem; and Tomorrow, Part 3: Talking Points and tips on presenting this object lesson.
Poem: God Changes Pumpkins by Danika LaBrant, copyright 2009
Bible Verses: "Life Application Bible, New International Version." Tyndayl House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois and Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, Colorado. Copyright 2004
My big round pumpkin shows me
Where I want to be
From faceless, full of mess-ups
God changes me
- Action: Present Pumpkin
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
The first thing I must do
Ask God to make me new
Please God open my mind
Your truth I want to find
- Action: Cut top of pumpkin
- Ephesians 1:17 "I keep asking God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better."
The gooey slime inside
Confess my sins and do not hide
God forgives my ooey heart
He offers me a brand new start
- Action: Clean out pumpkin
- Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
- Romans 6:18 "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves of righteousness."
My clouded eyes I pray
The Lord will wipe away
So I may see the sight
What Jesus has made right
- Action: Cut eyes
- Ephesians 1: 18 "I pray also that eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."
Open my ears to Your word
I want to be altered
The lessons Jesus taught
In practice, I want to rock
- Action: Cut ears
- Matthew 7:24 (Jesus said) "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
To breath is to live
A life that God gives
To choose to believe
A greater gift I receive
- Action: cut nose
- Genesis 2:7 "The Lord formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
- John 20:22 "And with that (Jesus) breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
Praise and Thanksgiving
From my mouth are coming
To others I will share
For them Jesus cares
- Action: Cut mouth
- Romans 10:9-10 "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
My big round pumpkin shows me
Where I want to be
In me, through me, for all to see
God's love for all eternity
- Action: add candle
- Ephesians 5:8-9 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light of in the Lord. Live as children of light. (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.)"
Thursday, October 29, 2009
God Changes Pumpkins, Part 1 (Salvation, Carved Pumpkin)
Halloween is coming with all it's creepy crawlies. What's a loving Christian to do? Bring a little light into the darkness, carve a Jack-o-Lantern, but not just an ordinary jack-o-lantern. I very special pumpkin that expresses God's love for us.
NOTE: This is Part 1, the poem. Tomorrow, the Bible verses that inspired the poem.
Poem: God Changes Pumpkins by Danika LaBrant, copyright 2009
My big round pumpkin shows me
Where I want to be
From faceless, full of mess-ups
God changes me
(Action: Present Pumpkin)
The first thing I must do
Ask God to make me new
Please God open my mind
Your truth I want to find
(Action: Carve off top lid)
The gooey slime inside
Confess my sins and do not hide
God forgives my ooey heart
He offers me a brand new start
(Action: Clean out pumpkin)
My clouded eyes I pray
The Lord will wipe away
So I may see the sight
What Jesus has made right
(Action: Carve eyes)
Open my ears to Your word
I want to be altered
The lessons Jesus taught
In practice, I want to rock
(Action: Carve ears)
To breath is to live
A life that God gives
To choose to believe
A greater gift I receive
(Action: Carve Nose)
Praise and Thanksgiving
From my mouth are coming
To others I will share
For them Jesus cares
(Action: Carve mouth)
My big round pumpkin shows me
Where Iwant to be
In me, through me, for all to see
God's love for all eternity
(Action: Add candle and present pumpkin)
NOTE: This is Part 1, the poem. Tomorrow, the Bible verses that inspired the poem.
Poem: God Changes Pumpkins by Danika LaBrant, copyright 2009
My big round pumpkin shows me
Where I want to be
From faceless, full of mess-ups
God changes me
(Action: Present Pumpkin)
The first thing I must do
Ask God to make me new
Please God open my mind
Your truth I want to find
(Action: Carve off top lid)
The gooey slime inside
Confess my sins and do not hide
God forgives my ooey heart
He offers me a brand new start
(Action: Clean out pumpkin)
My clouded eyes I pray
The Lord will wipe away
So I may see the sight
What Jesus has made right
(Action: Carve eyes)
Open my ears to Your word
I want to be altered
The lessons Jesus taught
In practice, I want to rock
(Action: Carve ears)
To breath is to live
A life that God gives
To choose to believe
A greater gift I receive
(Action: Carve Nose)
Praise and Thanksgiving
From my mouth are coming
To others I will share
For them Jesus cares
(Action: Carve mouth)
My big round pumpkin shows me
Where Iwant to be
In me, through me, for all to see
God's love for all eternity
(Action: Add candle and present pumpkin)
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Disney Train Tour, "A Christmas Carol"
Houston, Texas - Family Fun? NOT! DO NOT GO! This was a miserable experience for my kids and me. I received an e-mail promoting the "one day only" event the day before it was supposed to arrive in Houston, so I suspected the crowds might not be that big. BOY, was I wrong.
The gist - Disney is promoting its new animated feature "A Christmas Carol" starring Jim Carey. They have outfitted a train to be a rolling museum with cars with costumes and behind the scenes information. The big reward is the last car of the tour which allows you to have your picture digitally taken and morphed into one of the characters from the movie.
The Problem - oh, there are so many
The gist - Disney is promoting its new animated feature "A Christmas Carol" starring Jim Carey. They have outfitted a train to be a rolling museum with cars with costumes and behind the scenes information. The big reward is the last car of the tour which allows you to have your picture digitally taken and morphed into one of the characters from the movie.
The Problem - oh, there are so many
- 3 hour wait for what was supposed to be a 20 minute tour
- 100+ heat with little shade and little to no breeze. They had 3 small misting fans near the end of the wait, but not everybody got to enjoy them. Those who were fortunate to stop in front of one, huddled around them, blocking the air to others in rows farther back.
- 100+ heat with little to no water or other beverages. I don't think any of us anticipated this kind of a wait. I took two bottles of water with me but those were gone before the end of the first hour, and we still waited two more hours. The Amtrack train station had vending machines but after a 30 minute wait in line to get to the vending machine, my friend with me discovered the machine was out of water and only took exact change. It would not take her dollar. She had to buy chips from the neighboring machine to get change to get a drink. Near the end of the line we did find 2 water stations offering dixie size cups of water which did help, but not enough for older people or very young children.
- Staff - the staff outside was very patient and understanding, but the staff inside was rude. We were told to hurry along. I just waited 3 hours to get in this train and now you are telling me to hurry!?!
- Exhibits - the first train car had costumes. Why would you display costumes if the actors never wore them? Supposedly the actors wore black jumpsuits with wires and acted in front of a green screen. If there was an explanation somewhere, I wouldn't know since the staff told me to "hurry along." They had a number of screens with different stuff being shown but you couldn't hear anything coming from the speakers over the crowd noise. As far as I could see, there were no written explanations of what you were seeing, but again, I was told to "hurry along." From what I could tell, there was nothing on the train that you would not see on the DVD in the 'Behind the Scenes" section.
- Snow - We live in Houston so snow is a pretty big deal. The radio stations were promoting that Disney would bring snow to Houston for this one day event. There was no snow. There were two pillars that periodically spit out the top a handful of bubbles. They were pitiful bubbles to boot.
Bonus
For waiting 3 hours and "hurrying along," we were ushered into a very small booth to have each member in our group's photo taken digitally. Each picture was then morphed into 4 different characters from the movie. You got to pick your favorite and supposedly that picture is being e-mailed to me for each member of the group. I still haven't received the e-mail, but the directions did say it could take up to a week to get the pictures.
My dilemma was when to cut and run. In all fairness, we were told when we got in line that we could be waiting 2 to 3 hours, which we did. The deceptive part was how fast the line moved in the beginning. The first hour went very fast. The lined twisted and turned, and there were radio stations to talk to and booths to sign-up for sweepstakes. We decided to wait a little longer. At an hour and half the line turned behind the train, and then we could see exactly how long the line truly was. We were mortified. We had already invested so much time, but we could tell the line was just as long if not longer over here. We hoped the line would move fast like the first part but we were very wrong. The line came to a crawl and did not twist and turn and there was nothing to look at or do. At the end of the line we did get treated to one carol by some strolling singers. We did see two screens showing trailers for the movie, but you couldn't hear the screens over the crowd noise. Besides, what you saw on the outside screen was exactly what you saw on the inside screens.
I suppose if we had not waited 3 hours in 100+ heat with little to no shade or water and told to "hurry along", it would be worth the trip. I guess if you happen to live in a small town that the train is visiting. Go. But if you live in one of the 4 largest cities in the USA and the event is coming for only one day, skip it.
Trip Stats
- Who: two Mamas, one 10 year old boy, one 8 year old girl, and two 5 year old boys
- What: Disney Train Tour of "A Christmas Carol," http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/christmascaroltraintour/
- When: Tuesday, we arrived at 9:45 am and left at 1:15 pm
- Where: Downtown Houston Amtrak Train Station
- Why: Museum
- Cost: Train Tour was free, but parking in downtown Houston cost $9, plus the $2 spent on vending machine chips and $2 spent on vending machine sodas
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Kids Movies, G-Force
G-Force, http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/gforce/ , is a kids movie. I have heard a couple of official Movie Critics "boo" this movie. I disagree. I am guessing these critics don't remember being a kid and certainly don't have kids. So here's just my two cents....
I took four 10 year old boys and one 5 year old boy, and they loved it. To them, it was a simple story with some really cute characters, funny lines and cool action sequences. The transformer at the end was a good touch. The favorite line in the movie that, of course, my 5 year old learned, "Get your face out of my butt. (other character) Get your butt out of my face." Yes, I am a proud Mom.
From an adults view the story was predictable, the characters shallow, the humor was cheesy and the action sequences were just not plausible. Now, did I go to a kids movie expecting an epic tale of courage, of good triumphing over evil, of a personal journey of discovery to find what family truly means? No. These are all loosely touched on in the movie and slipped right over the heads of my kids. Did I go to a kids movie about guinea pigs expecting a realistic story with plausible action and engaging dialogue? No. Get real people.
What I am not sure of how I feel is what the kids talked about on the ride home. The kids spent the entire trip quoting the commercials and debating whether or not they saw it in the movie. I am sad my kids have watched the commercials enough to have them memorized, and not sure if it is misleading of Disney to promote scenes that are not going to make it to the final cut. Anyway, just be aware that not everything that was promoted in the trailers is in the movie.
Overall, it was a good movie with some really cute guinea pigs. To answer my oldest son's favorite questions: 1) Blaster was my favorite character, and 2) my oldest son is most like Hurley, incredibly cute, love for sweets, heart of gold and tremendous inner strength when it really counts.
I took four 10 year old boys and one 5 year old boy, and they loved it. To them, it was a simple story with some really cute characters, funny lines and cool action sequences. The transformer at the end was a good touch. The favorite line in the movie that, of course, my 5 year old learned, "Get your face out of my butt. (other character) Get your butt out of my face." Yes, I am a proud Mom.
From an adults view the story was predictable, the characters shallow, the humor was cheesy and the action sequences were just not plausible. Now, did I go to a kids movie expecting an epic tale of courage, of good triumphing over evil, of a personal journey of discovery to find what family truly means? No. These are all loosely touched on in the movie and slipped right over the heads of my kids. Did I go to a kids movie about guinea pigs expecting a realistic story with plausible action and engaging dialogue? No. Get real people.
What I am not sure of how I feel is what the kids talked about on the ride home. The kids spent the entire trip quoting the commercials and debating whether or not they saw it in the movie. I am sad my kids have watched the commercials enough to have them memorized, and not sure if it is misleading of Disney to promote scenes that are not going to make it to the final cut. Anyway, just be aware that not everything that was promoted in the trailers is in the movie.
Overall, it was a good movie with some really cute guinea pigs. To answer my oldest son's favorite questions: 1) Blaster was my favorite character, and 2) my oldest son is most like Hurley, incredibly cute, love for sweets, heart of gold and tremendous inner strength when it really counts.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Beat the Heat, Water Guns
Houston, TX - Living in Texas you know what "Texas Hot" really means. It is hot, and this summer, even for us Texans, it is super hot. According to AccuWeather.com, in just June and the first 10 days of July we have recorded temperatures at 100 and up for 8 days. Do you want to know how many days we have been above 95 degrees? This number includes the 100 temps: 28 days. That's hot.
So what's a mother to do with active, preteen boys in the house? Get out of the house. One day my kids were on the verge of tearing the house down with their rowdiness, so I decided, regardless of the heat, we were going to get out of the house and let them run some energy off. I took a medium size cooler and filled it half way with water, then I dumped all the ice we had in the freezer into the water as well as enough water guns for everybody. We drove to a nearby park with shaded benches and nice fields (Matzke Park at Jones and Grant), and let the kids run, shoot and get wet.
The kids loved the ice water for the guns. Of course, being clever boys, they decided why settle for little squirts from water guns, why not just dunk your head in the water. Then it became a contest to who could hold their breath the longest in the ice water. Eventually, that led to some splashing. The kids drained the cooler of the water and thoroughly soaked themselves. They were happy. I was happy. They had fun and I had fun watching them. Of course, I recommend towels for the ride home.
For a fun cheap way to let your preteens spend some energy all you need is a cooler, some water, some ice and maybe a water gun or two. You might even save money on the water guns by taking some plastic cups or over sized cooking spoons and ladles. Any way you do it, be prepared for wet and dirty with high chances of fun.
So what's a mother to do with active, preteen boys in the house? Get out of the house. One day my kids were on the verge of tearing the house down with their rowdiness, so I decided, regardless of the heat, we were going to get out of the house and let them run some energy off. I took a medium size cooler and filled it half way with water, then I dumped all the ice we had in the freezer into the water as well as enough water guns for everybody. We drove to a nearby park with shaded benches and nice fields (Matzke Park at Jones and Grant), and let the kids run, shoot and get wet.
The kids loved the ice water for the guns. Of course, being clever boys, they decided why settle for little squirts from water guns, why not just dunk your head in the water. Then it became a contest to who could hold their breath the longest in the ice water. Eventually, that led to some splashing. The kids drained the cooler of the water and thoroughly soaked themselves. They were happy. I was happy. They had fun and I had fun watching them. Of course, I recommend towels for the ride home.
For a fun cheap way to let your preteens spend some energy all you need is a cooler, some water, some ice and maybe a water gun or two. You might even save money on the water guns by taking some plastic cups or over sized cooking spoons and ladles. Any way you do it, be prepared for wet and dirty with high chances of fun.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Bowling
Houston, Texas - Mom, home alone all day with two 10 year old boys and a 5 year old boy, could grow some grey hair trying to keep the kids off the furniture, off the walls and nothing broken including the kids. But I have found creating a schedule of activities really helps keep the time moving and the kids under control. We try to plan at least one outside activity every day. Usually it is either a trip to the community pool or to a park. This year we have collected a number of coupons and are trying a few entertainment places: today - bowling.
Bowling has fond memories for me (Mom). I remember my Dad spending Daddy-Daughter time teaching me how to bowl. I remember before I married my husband, bowling with my future spouse and actually being able to beat him at something (yes, we are a little competitive. keeps things spicy.). So when my friend offered me a coupon to take the boys bowling, I thought this will be fun.
The first game was fun, but the second game was not. We went ahead and got bumpers on the lane. The 10 year olds said they would agree to bumpers to help the 5 year old, but they really didn't need the bumpers. Hmmmm. The 10 year olds loved the bumpers. They didn't worry so much about technique as they did about throwing the ball as hard as they could. They scored pretty good the first game. The second game was a lower score mostly because the boys discovered you could bank the ball off both bumpers . It became more of a game of who could hit the bumpers the most times like a pinball machine and less about hitting the pins.
The 5 year old did the "Granny" bowl placing the ball on the floor between his legs and pushing as hard as he could. We were continually amazed that the ball never stopped and actually made it down the lane. We were continually amazed at the number of pins the 5 year old hit. He was very into the game the first round, but the second round he was much more into the soda and popcorn and playing with one of his Match Box cars.
As a Mom I would recommend bowling but plan only one game, not two. At the end of one everybody will be in good spirits, but by the end of two silliness will teeter on the edge of bad behavior and tempers may flare.
Trip Stats:
Bowling has fond memories for me (Mom). I remember my Dad spending Daddy-Daughter time teaching me how to bowl. I remember before I married my husband, bowling with my future spouse and actually being able to beat him at something (yes, we are a little competitive. keeps things spicy.). So when my friend offered me a coupon to take the boys bowling, I thought this will be fun.
The first game was fun, but the second game was not. We went ahead and got bumpers on the lane. The 10 year olds said they would agree to bumpers to help the 5 year old, but they really didn't need the bumpers. Hmmmm. The 10 year olds loved the bumpers. They didn't worry so much about technique as they did about throwing the ball as hard as they could. They scored pretty good the first game. The second game was a lower score mostly because the boys discovered you could bank the ball off both bumpers . It became more of a game of who could hit the bumpers the most times like a pinball machine and less about hitting the pins.
The 5 year old did the "Granny" bowl placing the ball on the floor between his legs and pushing as hard as he could. We were continually amazed that the ball never stopped and actually made it down the lane. We were continually amazed at the number of pins the 5 year old hit. He was very into the game the first round, but the second round he was much more into the soda and popcorn and playing with one of his Match Box cars.
As a Mom I would recommend bowling but plan only one game, not two. At the end of one everybody will be in good spirits, but by the end of two silliness will teeter on the edge of bad behavior and tempers may flare.
Trip Stats:
Who: Mom, two 10 year old boys and one 5 year old boy
What: indoor playtime
When: early morning, weekday
Wednesday at 9:30 am - not a crowd but at 10 am two day cares came in and that really made it crowded. One day care came into the lane next to us and the kids were bad about not waiting their turn to bowl, horsing around in our sitting area (tripping over my kids) and were loud.
Where: AMF Willow Lanes facility, http://www.amf.com/corporate/index.htm
Why: exercise and fun
Costs:
- Parking - FREE
- Shoes - $4.50 / person
- Games - We had a value pak coupon for $0.99/game up to 10 games which made two games for 4 people only $9.00. I think the original cost with no coupon is $4.25 / per person / game.
- Snacks and Drinks - We got a pitcher of Sprite which was enough for one game, not two. Pitchers were $7.00 so we only got one. We also got a small popcorn for $3.00. The snack bar also sells pizza, but we decided to go home for lunch.
- Extras - They have a few video games: a couple of driving games, a punching bag game, a crane game, etc.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Summer Fun, $1 Movies
Houston, TX (2009) - If you have the privilege of staying home with your kids, a couple of theaters around the area offer Summer Children's Series. These are second run family and animated films for only a $1. Studio Movie Grill is our personal favorite, http://www.studiomoviegrill.com/summerseries_houston.html . AMC has a good offer too, http://www.amctheatres.com/smc/ .The movie times are early: Studio Move Grill - 11 am and AMC 10 am, but for kids this is a good time.
Studio Movie Grill is our favorite but more expensive. It is my favorite because of the seats. This is a dinner and movie theater and offers independent, rolling office chairs. Because there are moving chairs, I can position chairs to mark off a boundary to allow my Preschooler to play out of his chair. Allowing my Preschooler to move around, makes the movie experience better for everybody and is my Preschooler's favorite part.
My Grade Schooler's favorite part is the food. The food is where it gets expensive, but at least I only paid a $1 to get in. Anyway, you hit a button and a waiter comes to you and you can order popcorn, pizza, hamburgers or a number of other things. They do have a children's menu which helps keep some of the cost down. Sometimes to help costs, I feed my kids a snack before going, allow them a dessert (one to share) at the theater and then feed them lunch at home after the movie.
AMC is much cheaper and the movies are just as good. The seating is traditional movie theater which is tight and difficult for my Preschooler. The bonus for my Grade Schooler, again, is the food. They offer a "Kid's Pack" for $3 which includes popcorn, candy and a drink. What else do you need?
Beat the heat and enjoy family entertainment, we recommend $1 movies.
Studio Movie Grill is our favorite but more expensive. It is my favorite because of the seats. This is a dinner and movie theater and offers independent, rolling office chairs. Because there are moving chairs, I can position chairs to mark off a boundary to allow my Preschooler to play out of his chair. Allowing my Preschooler to move around, makes the movie experience better for everybody and is my Preschooler's favorite part.
My Grade Schooler's favorite part is the food. The food is where it gets expensive, but at least I only paid a $1 to get in. Anyway, you hit a button and a waiter comes to you and you can order popcorn, pizza, hamburgers or a number of other things. They do have a children's menu which helps keep some of the cost down. Sometimes to help costs, I feed my kids a snack before going, allow them a dessert (one to share) at the theater and then feed them lunch at home after the movie.
AMC is much cheaper and the movies are just as good. The seating is traditional movie theater which is tight and difficult for my Preschooler. The bonus for my Grade Schooler, again, is the food. They offer a "Kid's Pack" for $3 which includes popcorn, candy and a drink. What else do you need?
Beat the heat and enjoy family entertainment, we recommend $1 movies.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Summer Fun, Pools & Picnics
Houston, TX (2009) - If your neighborhood maintains a community pool, this is a great way to spend the day. It is out of the house, requires exercise, a great way to get to know the neighbors and is a lot of fun. If your neighborhood does not have a pool and you live in Houston, the City of Houston maintains over 35 swimming pools. Check them out at http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/aquatics.html
Our community pool opens late at 11 am. This is frustrating since my kids wake-up wanting to go swimming and count the minutes until it is time to go. AND as soon as we get to the pool, it is time to leave for lunch.
Solution: Take a picnic.
For a fun filled day at the pool, we pack a picnic lunch, a couple of extra snacks and drinks. We also pack diving toys, a floaty toy of some kind, goggles and a pool safe car of some kind for the 5 year old (Matchbox and Hot Wheel cars are too small; get lost easily and fit in the pool filters). For comfort you will need plenty of sunscreen, towels and flip flops.
Another help is the pools required "Safety Breaks" also known as "Adult Swim." This happens about every 50 minutes and lasts about 10 minutes. Ten minutes is plenty of time for kids to snack and take a drink. It is important to get them to snack on something. All that exercise swimming can really drain a body and a little snack and maybe some sports drink can help keep the blood sugars and electrolytes in balance.
Swimming: it is good for you and fun too.
Our community pool opens late at 11 am. This is frustrating since my kids wake-up wanting to go swimming and count the minutes until it is time to go. AND as soon as we get to the pool, it is time to leave for lunch.
Solution: Take a picnic.
For a fun filled day at the pool, we pack a picnic lunch, a couple of extra snacks and drinks. We also pack diving toys, a floaty toy of some kind, goggles and a pool safe car of some kind for the 5 year old (Matchbox and Hot Wheel cars are too small; get lost easily and fit in the pool filters). For comfort you will need plenty of sunscreen, towels and flip flops.
Another help is the pools required "Safety Breaks" also known as "Adult Swim." This happens about every 50 minutes and lasts about 10 minutes. Ten minutes is plenty of time for kids to snack and take a drink. It is important to get them to snack on something. All that exercise swimming can really drain a body and a little snack and maybe some sports drink can help keep the blood sugars and electrolytes in balance.
Swimming: it is good for you and fun too.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Summer Fun, Vacation Bible School
Houston, TX (2009 ) - In the Houston area there are several Vacation Bible Schools (VBS). VBS is fun with a purpose. It can be free. The expense is t-shirt and other potential souveniers such as a music CD. VBS is for kids who have completed Kindergarten through 5th Grade. After 5th Grade students can become youth volunteers. Some churches have special events for older students.
Some VBS accepted preschoolers as young as 4 years old, but these are hard to find. If you are a member of a church, if you volunteer to serve at VBS, then you can get your younger children registered.
I highly recommend volunteering in crafts. The prep work is pretty intense, but all the hard stuff is done before VBS begins. If you are not in charge of crafts, you may only have one or two work days and that is all the prep you do. The week of VBS students come to you for about 20 minutes for their craft time. The rotation of students makes the time go by very fast. It is also just fun to meet all the kids and see all their special creations.
We have attended the MET (Metropolitan Baptist Church, http://www.themetonline.org/jonesroad , VBS is July 13-17, 2009). For the kids it is a blast; lots of energy and fun. For volunteers it is tough; high expectations with little to no staff support.
For the last two years we have attended Copperfield Church (http://www.copperfieldchurch.org/ , VBS is June 15-19). For kids it is a blast; lots of energy, fun and the "Shark" song. For volunteers it is fun; lots of staff support.
Houston has a strong Christian Radio Station, 89.3 KSBJ which has a calendar of community events and listings of VBS throughout the city. http://www.ksbj.org/events_list_category.php?category=bible
We just finished our first day at Copperfield VBS, and it was fun listening to the boys talk (I took 4 boys: a 5 year old and 3 - 4th Graders). The boys remember the story (Paul becomes a disciple) and were proud of their craft (a sun catcher). They enjoyed talking about the music the most. The sang the "Shark" song and said the most memoriable song verse was the "Boomerang Express" theme song.
VBS a cheap fun way to spend a summer day.
Some VBS accepted preschoolers as young as 4 years old, but these are hard to find. If you are a member of a church, if you volunteer to serve at VBS, then you can get your younger children registered.
I highly recommend volunteering in crafts. The prep work is pretty intense, but all the hard stuff is done before VBS begins. If you are not in charge of crafts, you may only have one or two work days and that is all the prep you do. The week of VBS students come to you for about 20 minutes for their craft time. The rotation of students makes the time go by very fast. It is also just fun to meet all the kids and see all their special creations.
We have attended the MET (Metropolitan Baptist Church, http://www.themetonline.org/jonesroad , VBS is July 13-17, 2009). For the kids it is a blast; lots of energy and fun. For volunteers it is tough; high expectations with little to no staff support.
For the last two years we have attended Copperfield Church (http://www.copperfieldchurch.org/ , VBS is June 15-19). For kids it is a blast; lots of energy, fun and the "Shark" song. For volunteers it is fun; lots of staff support.
Houston has a strong Christian Radio Station, 89.3 KSBJ which has a calendar of community events and listings of VBS throughout the city. http://www.ksbj.org/events_list_category.php?category=bible
We just finished our first day at Copperfield VBS, and it was fun listening to the boys talk (I took 4 boys: a 5 year old and 3 - 4th Graders). The boys remember the story (Paul becomes a disciple) and were proud of their craft (a sun catcher). They enjoyed talking about the music the most. The sang the "Shark" song and said the most memoriable song verse was the "Boomerang Express" theme song.
VBS a cheap fun way to spend a summer day.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Summer Time, Daily Treats
Summer sun and fun is coming as well as the ever present children crying "I'm bored." Well, beat the migraine of whiney kids and motivate those little soldiers by letting them know about the fun planned for the summer. Kids can easily entertain themselves. A great motivator for that is knowing that they are going to be rewarded for playing nicely and sharing with a trip tomorrow or the next day. I like to plan a summer calendar, so I can tell my kids that in two weeks, one week or tomorrow is the BIG day.
Our calendar is filling up. We have three weeks booked with BIG Things: a day camp, an overnight camp and a vacation. We have loosely scheduled one FIELD trip for each summer month: the Children's Museum, the Zoo and the Oil Ranch. Now it is time to look at Daily Treats.
Daily Treats cannot cost a lot of money since they are daily. So we start with a loose schedule. The morning is stuff around the house (cleaning, video games, building train tracks or Lego's, whatever), about 10 am is an activity which will be discussed later, about 12 pm is lunch, about 1 pm is quiet time / nap time / reading time, about 3 pm is park time and then 5 pm is dinner and normal evening stuff. It is summer so I am not strict about the schedule. Lots of things depend on the kids and how they are doing. If they are particularly interested in what they are playing, we may not do a morning activity and focus on the fun we are having. If they are being particularly bad, we may delay a FIELD trip day or skip an activity for appropriate time outs and groundings. It all just depends on you and the kids and what you think is appropriate for a reward or for a punishment.
Activities are not in stone, but it is good to have a bag of tricks to easily pick something out that fits the day and the mood. Daily treats (activities) include physical time, mind time and go time.
Our calendar is filling up. We have three weeks booked with BIG Things: a day camp, an overnight camp and a vacation. We have loosely scheduled one FIELD trip for each summer month: the Children's Museum, the Zoo and the Oil Ranch. Now it is time to look at Daily Treats.
Daily Treats cannot cost a lot of money since they are daily. So we start with a loose schedule. The morning is stuff around the house (cleaning, video games, building train tracks or Lego's, whatever), about 10 am is an activity which will be discussed later, about 12 pm is lunch, about 1 pm is quiet time / nap time / reading time, about 3 pm is park time and then 5 pm is dinner and normal evening stuff. It is summer so I am not strict about the schedule. Lots of things depend on the kids and how they are doing. If they are particularly interested in what they are playing, we may not do a morning activity and focus on the fun we are having. If they are being particularly bad, we may delay a FIELD trip day or skip an activity for appropriate time outs and groundings. It all just depends on you and the kids and what you think is appropriate for a reward or for a punishment.
Activities are not in stone, but it is good to have a bag of tricks to easily pick something out that fits the day and the mood. Daily treats (activities) include physical time, mind time and go time.
- Physical Time - Everybody knows how important exercise. Physical time is easy with kids. Kids love to swim, ride bikes and run. We try to go to the swimming pool 2 - 3 times a week which takes up a number of morning activity time. We also like to ride bikes to neighborhood parks which easily takes up 2 - 3 afternoon activities. Running can be done in the backyard, in the cul-de-sac playing with neighbors or at the school park. I like to keep a stash of water guns in the backyard to promote running. Except for an annual pool tag fee, all these activities are free.
- Mind Time - You will have rain days or in Houston we have days where the temperature and humidity are just too high for outside play. For Mind Time, I like to have something interactive for the kids to build or to experiment. Play dough is a cool one. You can buy it to have on hand or make an experiment out if it by letting the kids make their own (http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Play-Dough ). The computer has all sorts of kitchen science experiments available (baking soda and vinegar are favorites as well as Menthos and soda). A couple of sites I like are Science is Fun (http://www.scifun.org/homeexpts/homeexpts.html ) and Mad About Jesus Laboratories (http://www.madaboutjesus.net/index.html ). Mind Time also includes crafts like finger painting or painting a planter or t-shirt, planting something like a potato to watch it grow, building a bird house or a pine cone bird feeder, or creating musical instruments with stuff around the house. My older son is a Cub Scout and I have found the Cub Scout manuals a great resource for constructive and creative things to do. This year my son needs to work on his Craftsman Badge. I think we will make a leather wallet (supplies at the local hobby store) and I saw some interesting kids crafts for camping on the Oriental Trading Website (http://www.orientaltrading.com/ ). There are just tons of things you can do at home with stuff around the house. Just keep a list of websites readily available and a few generic supplies readily available. Generic supplies include paper, scissors, glue, tape, markers, paint, bubbles, balloons, and baking soda. Paper airplane day is always fun too.
- Go Time - I have two boys and boys need to move. They are busy and need constructive activities that allow them to be loud and to move. Parks, malls and tourist spots help with cheap and fun ways to fill the days. Parks - We are fortunate that we have a large county park near our house where we can ride bikes, picnic and play on the playground or in a field with Frisbee or football or kites or whatever. There are a number of parks that we can drive to and enjoy (http://www.co.harris.tx.us/parks/park.asp ). Many are not good for bikes so check ahead, but almost all have good picnic spots and bathrooms. Malls - Again, we live in the Greater Houston Area and shopping malls can be a fun daily activity that can easily be combined with an errand for Mom (need new shoes or a purse?). Our favorite mall is Memorial City (http://www.memorialcitymall.com/home.html ). It is a treat for the kids to pick their own lunch in the food court, we run our errand and the kids get rewarded for good behavior with a ride on the carousel, coins for the arcade, time on the castle playground for preschoolers, and/or ice cream. Tourist Spots - These could easily be put under Field Trips, but because they are economical, they can be enjoyed more often and thus have been placed under Daily Treats. Tourist Spots include the Houston Arboretum (http://www.houstonarboretum.org/ ), San Jacinto Monument (http://www.sanjacinto-museum.org/ ), Sea Wolf Park Galveston (http://www.galveston.com/seawolfpark/ ), and Sea Center Texas Lake Jackson ( http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/seacenter/) There a bit of a drive, but a good day for the kids.
The key to keeping the kids happy and Mom happy daily is to have a bag of tricks to pull from. Your bag of tricks does not have to cost a lot of money and can easily utilize things from around the house, but on those days that the kids need a little more room to stretch their legs, it is good to have a list of cheap and easy places to go. Another website of interest when trying to figure out how to fill a day is Nina Loca, a Houstonite with a more comprehensive list of kid friendly restaurants and locations, http://www.ninaloca.com/ .
Our summer is full of fun and relaxation. No stress for Mom trying to figure out what to do with those wound up tots. We have a day camp, overnight camp and vacation to look forward too. We have a Zoo trip, Museum trip and Farm trip to look forward too. We have lots of days to relax and enjoy swimming, biking and numerous parks and picnics. We even have some rainy day things to do including paint and play dough. We will still have a few "down" days where we just hang out, but Mom is armed to battle the "I'm bored" shots with the "look what we have planned for...." and with the "if you are good, we will do a kitchen experiment (or craft or game or whatever)."
It's a rough schedule, but a fun and flexible one. Have a great summer!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Summer Time Field Trips
Summer is coming with good news and bad news. The good news is you can put the alarm clock on permanent snooze; the bad news is the kids will be home and will probably wake you up anyway. I love the summer, but bored kids can quickly steal any peace and quiet. So get prepared, let those kids know that BIG things are coming, FUN field trips are planned and daily treats will reward them for good behavior and using their time wisely.
Yesterday, we talked about BIG things which included day camps, overnight camps and vacations. Today we discuss FIELD trips. The number of field trips we schedule depends greatly on the budget. Since we have scheduled the BIG things, we know what is left to cover FIELD trips and daily treats. I try to schedule at least one FIELD trip per month, perferably two and in a perfect world, one per week. FIELD trips include museums, entertainment complexes, pizza fun places, tourist spots and farms.
Yesterday, we talked about BIG things which included day camps, overnight camps and vacations. Today we discuss FIELD trips. The number of field trips we schedule depends greatly on the budget. Since we have scheduled the BIG things, we know what is left to cover FIELD trips and daily treats. I try to schedule at least one FIELD trip per month, perferably two and in a perfect world, one per week. FIELD trips include museums, entertainment complexes, pizza fun places, tourist spots and farms.
- Museums - We live in Houston, Texas, which has a plethera of museums. For cost and kid friendly we like the Children's Museum (http://www.cmhouston.org/)%20and the Health Museum (http://thehealthmuseum.org/HomeDisplay.aspx ). Most musuems offer a "Free Family"; these musuems have FREE Thursday nights (check the websites for times). I like to do things during the day and do not care for the crowds on Free Nights. I try to budget time and money to go during the weekday. I also like to treat my kids to lunch out and eat at the museum (Health Museum does not have a food court). However, if money is tight, there are a number of parks and picnic spots near the museums. We get our re-entry stamp or sticker and then go picnic and come back to finish our day.
- Entertainment Complexes - These include laser tag, put put golf, go-carts, and inflatable jump places. These can get really pricey fast so I might go to one over the entire summer. However, living in Houston, the weather gets stifling hot and inflatable jump places are a great way for indoor and energetic fun for both my school aged child and preschooler. You have probably heard about these places for parties, but check out their websites, they usually have day time, open play times too and some even have "matinee" prices for going early. We like Pump it Up (http://www.pumpitupparty.com/ ) and Monkey Bizness (http://www.monkeybizness.com/ )
- Pizza Fun Places - What kids does not like pizza? Even my four year old, who does not actually like pizza, knows he is supposed to and will jump up for pizza. Pizza Fun Places include CiCi's Pizza (www.cicipizza.com), Chuck E Cheese (www.chuckecheese.com ) and IT'Z Pizza. (www.itzusa.com ). Depending on budget, is the one I pick. CiCi's is a pizza buffet so something for everyone, and they have a small game room that needs quarters. The quarters can add up fast so this does not take up much of the day. Chuck E Cheese can take up half a day. Never go without a coupon, they offer them on the internet and though the coupon does not help much with cost of food, it does help get more tokens so your kids can play and play. IT'Z Pizza is a buffet with much better variety of foods, but the games can get real expensive. My kids love this place, but it's a YIKES expensive place to go. They do have offer specials, so every now and then I will cruise their website for the deal of the week.
- Tourist Spots - These are super fun and usually educational. In Houston they include the Zoo (http://www.houstonzoo.org/), the Space Center (http://www.spacecenter.org/), and the Aquarium (www.aquariumrestaurants.com ). These can quickly become YIKES expensive, but again, check the websites for specials, coupons and "matinee" prices. And think about the cost of taking your family to the movies. When I figured out it cost the same to take my family of four to the movies as it cost to take my kids to the Space Center, we went to the Space Center. Of course, I was hugely surprised by the cost of food. Kid friendly food, but no kid friendly prices. Lunch ate my lunch. Next time, we will get our re-entry stamp and go picnic in the back of the minivan.
- Farms - Around Houston there are several farms designed for family fun and education. They used to be economical but as their popularity grows, so do their prices. Check their websites and be prepared. Around Houston there is the George R Ranch ( http://www.georgeranch.org/ ) which is more geared for older kids and the Oil Ranch ( http://www.oilranch.com/ )which has stuff for both preschoolers and older kids.
Living in the Greater Houston Area, there are a ton of tourist things to do. We enjoy our city, and have more tourist spots to highlight, but the economy of the next few put them on my "Daily" lists.
Our summer schedule is filling up. We have three weeks filled with a day camp, overnight camp and a vacation. We have scheduled some highlights for the other weeks with Field Trips to the Children's Museum, the Zoo and the Oil Ranch. Next is daily activities which we will discuss tomorrow.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Summer Time, BIG Things
SUMMER TIME IS COMING! A joy and a dredge if you are a stay-at-home mommy. I am looking forward to no alarm clocks and flexible, or no, schedules. I am looking forward to sunny days and star lit nights and time with my family. I am also dreading time with my family and mosquito filled nights and sun burns. So what's a Mom to do? Get prepared.
First things first, you need to set-up a schedule and map out the calendar. Three months at home can get really long and potentially hazardous to your house if the kids are not constructively occupied. It also helps with the "I'am bored," when you can tell the kids that next week you are going to go to ...whereever. Our calendar consists of the BIG things, FIELD trips and then the DAILY things.
I like to start by planning the BIG things. BIG things are just what they sound like, BIG. They take time, planning and resources and include day camps, overnight camps, and vacations. Planning the big things first also helps me know how much I have to spend, if any, on FIELD trips and DAILY things.
First things first, you need to set-up a schedule and map out the calendar. Three months at home can get really long and potentially hazardous to your house if the kids are not constructively occupied. It also helps with the "I'am bored," when you can tell the kids that next week you are going to go to ...whereever. Our calendar consists of the BIG things, FIELD trips and then the DAILY things.
I like to start by planning the BIG things. BIG things are just what they sound like, BIG. They take time, planning and resources and include day camps, overnight camps, and vacations. Planning the big things first also helps me know how much I have to spend, if any, on FIELD trips and DAILY things.
- Day Camp - Budget friendly, I always sign the kids up for at least one Vacation Bible School (day camp). They are usually free except for the cost of the t-shirt. This year we will be attending the Copperfield Baptist "Boomerang Express" VBS (http://www.ccpowerkids.org/events ). Next I look at what extracurricular activities the kids are involved in. There is some kind of camp for just about anything that interests your kids. My son is a Cub Scout (Boy Scouts of America). We went to the District Day Camp last year and loved it. They also had a sibling program so my other child could participate too. It didn't work out for us this year, but it is economical and very fun.
- Overnight Camp - My oldest child is still in elementary school so this is a tough one. When he was in Kindergarten, Grandma's house for a week was overnight "camp." Now that he is older we have more options. Again, look at the Boy Scouts of America. They have several camps that were not cheap but nothing near the cost of other camps. We haven't been, and they don't fit our schedule this year. However, I will keep it in mind for next year. We are going to go to church camp. This is again a budget friendly event and many churches offer scholarships if you ask. We will be attending Copperfield Baptist Preteen Camp (http://www.ccpowerkids.org/events ).
- Vacations - Vacations take up a lot of time and money. Last year we did what everybody else did and had a "Stay-cation" which for us looked much like years before. Anyway, this year we have decided to rent a beach house. The up front cost gave me a small heart attack, but then I looked at the entertainment and food and beverage value. Cooking our own meals will definately make it more affordable. Being on the beach will definately help the entertainment budget. To help the cost, we are not getting a beach house directly on the front row, we are getting one that is a row or two behind. You can see the beach but you have to walk to it via a sidewalk between other houses. We haven't booked yet, but we are also looking at townhomes and duplexes on the beach which appear to be more economical as well. I don't recommend waiting this late to book. Being the first of May, the list of available properties is quickly dwindling for the time we want to go in July or early August.
So our calendar has one BIG thing per month: day camp in June, overnight camp in July and a vacation in August. Tomorrow we will discuss "FIELD" trips. Field trips are great ways to break up the week, have fun and to use as motivators. Your kids have to behave to be able to go on the Field trip. More about that tomorrow.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Fall Festival at Home
One year it rained and our church’s outdoor festival was cancelled. We made an impromptu festival in our house. Some of the games we created were:
- Bean Bag Toss - We got several plastic bowls and a bean bag (you could use a small ball). I dropped some candy in the bowls so the kids got the candy from the bowl they hit.
- Hool-a-hoop – We were fortunate to have two hool-a-hoops, so we had a little contest. The winner got candy.
- Jumpin’ Bean – If you don’t have hool-a-hoops, you could have a jumping contest. Just have the kids jump in place until only one is standing. You may want to do this one last as a way to wear the kids out and settle them down to go to bed.
- Bowling – We got some plastic cups and set them up like bowling pins and a ball. Depending on how many you knocked down, decided how many pieces of candy you got.
- What is that? – I gathered several things from around the house like a tube of toothpaste, a pair of socks folded into a ball, a wooden spoon, etc. I put them I a box and covered them with a blanket. The kids reached in the box and without looking had to say what it was. This is fun especially if you have small toys and squishy things.
- Long Jump – This was a standing long jump. We used tape to mark several distances. If they jumped on or below the first tape, the child got one piece of candy. If the child jumped between the second and first tape, they got two pieces of candy. If the child jumped between the third and second tape, they got three pieces of candy. You get the idea.
- Penny Walk – This is an old party game. Line up jars, cups or bowls at one end of the room. Then you have one child per jar line up across from their jar on the other end of the room. Place a penny between each child’s knees. They must walk with the penny between the knees across the room and deposit the penny in the jar. You can do it with just one jar and take turns. Everybody who gets the penny in the jar gets candy.
- Relay Treats – I got this one from a school holiday party. You need two bowls, a big spoon and candy like M&M’s or Skittles or Sweet Tarts. Pour the candy into one bowl and set at one end of the room. Set up an empty bowl at the other end of the room. Have the child use the big spoon to scoop up as much candy as they can, walk across the room and then put the candy in the empty bowl. Whatever candy makes it into the bowl, the child gets to keep. To make it more challenging, place a smaller cup in the empty bowl. Whatever makes it into the cup is the prize.
- Obstacle Course – Everybody gets candy for participating. Devise your own obstacle course. Time the kids as they go through it to make it a little competitive. Your course could include crawling through a tunnel (under a table or through a series of adult legs, lots of fun when the tunnel tickles), over the hill (a chair), around the mountain (a chair or kitchen island), into a cave (a table with a long cloth), along a ravine (walk a straight line: tape or 2x4 piece of wood or broom), and out of the forest (coats, through a coat closet or create a coat rack with a broom (one adult holds one end and another adult holds the other and the coats are hung on the broom)).
- Hot and Cold / Treasure Hunt – hide a special prize. The simple version the kids walk around and you simply say if they are hot or cold / close or far from the treasure. A more complicated version is the treasure hunt where you give cryptic clues where the treasure is buried. Clues can include “Cute and fuzzy, Beware of the Wild Animals” (a bunch of stuffed animals). “A reflection of me won’t appear before you” (a mirror)
Halloween is not really a holiday for me and my family, but the Fall Festival sure has a lot of family fun to offer.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Halloween vs. Fall Festival
As a Mom, I have a problem with Halloween. Regardless of its origins as a celebration to mark the passing of summer and the beginning of winter, regardless of its connections with honoring the dead, today’s version is far from a simple celebration or commemorative event. Too much of today’s Halloween is about blood and guts, devils and evils, and scaring the pants off people.
So what is a Mom to do? I tell my kids we do not celebrate Halloween. We celebrate the Fall Festival. We give thanks for the bounty God has provided and celebrate by sharing the booty (candy). Here are some ways we celebrate:
So what is a Mom to do? I tell my kids we do not celebrate Halloween. We celebrate the Fall Festival. We give thanks for the bounty God has provided and celebrate by sharing the booty (candy). Here are some ways we celebrate:
- Costumes - I allow my kids to dress up, but it can’t be scary. With boys, that is a tough order, so we try to stick to cartoon characters, super heroes and vehicles (trains, cars, etc.).
- Candy – We do not go trick or treating, but we do attend a church Fall Festival. Personally, I really like this option: less fear about what is in the candy, not as much candy, but enough candy to bring smiles to little faces.
- Pumpkins – We enjoy the pumpkin patch experience. If we have time, we will drive out to a pumpkin patch and enjoy a day in the country.
Decorating our pumpkins - When my kids were young, I gave them a bunch of markers and let them decorate to their hearts content. Now that they are getting older, I do allow them to carve the pumpkin but again nothing scary. Two (three and four) faced pumpkins are fun. Geometric designs make interesting shadows.
Pumpkin Story – I have read and heard several versions of how to incorporate the carving of the pumpkin with the Christian faith. My favorite children’s book is The Pumpkin Gospel by Mary Manz Simon. The copy we have glows in the dark so fun for all. Anyway, the basic Pumpkin Story is accepting Christ into your heart is like carving a pumpkin. Before Christ, you are full of all sorts of yucky stuff (sin). When you accept Christ, he opens you up and cleans all that yuck out (forgiveness). When the joy of Christ fills you, a smile appears bright on your face (decorative carvings). With Christ in your heart, his love will shine (candle) through you. - Decorations – I like to decorate for holidays so this is for me. I stay away from scary. I also stay away from happy witches, ghosts, goblins and any other superstitious figures. I do collect scarecrows and happy pumpkins. I like to use colorful fall leaves. If I wasn’t allergic to candles, I would probably enjoy setting out decorative candles in orange, rust and yellow.
- Craft – This is a take off of the gingerbread house. I cover a cookies sheet or piece of cardboard with foil. I gather graham crackers, icing, candy corn, candy pumpkins and other fall candies and sprinkles. My kids and I then create our own Fall Scene with barn, crops, fences and whatever seems like fun at the time. (The icing is the glue that holds the graham cracker buildings and fences together.) This craft is fun to create and fun to eat J
- Party – Fall Festivals are lots of fun and usually free. Some have an entrance fee and most usually have a snack stand to help raise funds so take a little cash. Fall Festivals usually have areas for photo opportunities, games, rides and candy. Fall Festivals allow your kids to wear their costumes, have fun and if you go to one at a church, learn a little about faith, family and fellowship.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Budget, Plan and Have Fun
Fun with kids in public places like parks, zoos, museums or other entertainment or amusement place can be a memory you will never forget for one of two reasons. Everybody had a fantastic time, or something, or someone, went terribly awry; and oh my gosh, you/they will never live it down.
Whether your disaster had to do with money or people, a little planning may have averted the trouble. Here are a couple of tips to help you prepare.
Whether your disaster had to do with money or people, a little planning may have averted the trouble. Here are a couple of tips to help you prepare.
- Use the interent – The internet is a great place for ideas. Once you have decided to go to a certain place, you can usually find a website for the location you are going to visit. Visit the website and budget your time, your costs and your mileage (see below for more information.)
- Budget – This relieves a lot of stress. Budgeting your expenses and your time will help you to communicate with all adults and children participating. You don’t have to be extremely detailed. If everybody has a general idea of expectations, kids won’t whine so much about being bored and adults won’t whine so much about being ready to go. It also helps elevate some of the tension when the, “I wants,” creep up. Here is the budget. If you want that, you have to sacrifice this. Don’t forget flexibility. Fun with kids does not always go as planned and flexibility is the key for both kids and adults to have fun.
- Budget Your Time – If you have small children, you need to consider naps, potty breaks and feeding schedules. Visit the website of the location and get a list of activities. Review the list and create a rough agenda of things you want to do. This is to be rough. Again, fun with kids does not always go as planned and flexibility is the key for both kids and adults to have fun. With an agenda it will help you to be flexible so you can adjust for non-optional events like naps and feedings while having a list in mind of what you can move around to accommodate your child’s, or spouse’s, needs and wants.
- Budget Gas Money – There are several places on the internet that allow you to map directions from your home to your destination. (Yahoo Maps is just one. http://maps.yahoo.com/) This is a great tool not only for directions but for budgeting how much money you will spend on gas. I use a simple formula which is miles round trip from home to destination divided by my vehicle’s average miles per gallon times the average price per gallon of gas. For example, to drive from Houston to Austin round trip is roughly 330 miles round trip (does not include driving around Austin). The formula looks like (330/15)*3 = $66 dollars for gas. The 330 is the miles round trip. The 15 is the average miles per gallon my car gets, and the 3 is the average price of gas per gallon. So 330 miles, should only consume 22 gallons at 15 miles per gallon (does not account for speeding, traffic or detours). Twenty two gallons time three is $66.
- Take a Cooler - Regardless of where our field trips take us whether it is an hours drive or just 5 minutes, I always pack a small cooler. I always pack at least one drink and one snack for everybody going. This really helps the budget by preventing temptation to buy at snack stands or road side stops. It also helps prevent temptation of buying dessert if you know you have a tastey treat waiting for you in the car. If it is a long trip, I pack two; one for bored kids asking, “are we there yet?” on the way there and one for worn out kids on the way home.
- Reward Grab Bag – This is my way of keeping my kids from asking, “are we there yet?” I usually don’t take the Grab Bag unless the trip is a couple of hours or more. Basically, when the noise level in the car has gone beyond my patience, I announce quiet time. If you are quiet for 15 minutes, you get to grab from the bag. If my children are being troublesome on one hour trips, I may take the bag and say they have to be good for the entire drive time. The grab bag is not hard to fill. I fill it with little toys, small crafts like paper airplanes, crayons, color pages, stickers, puzzles and books from dollar stores. Wal-mart has a cheap toy isle where you can usually find stuff for less than a dollar, and Target has a dollar section that has seasonal fun stuff. Some of the toys are toys we have collected from kids meals. They are unopened kids meal toys. Some went to the grab bag because my kids did not eat/behave well and lost their toy privilege. Some went to the grab bag because the meal was eaten somewhere the kids forgot about the toy as they ran off to play (picnics at the park). Regardless, it is a cheap way to reward your kids for good behavior.
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