Kids don't need a gymnasium to get exercise on a cold winter's day. This version of volleyball can be played indoors without risk to lamp or limb.
1. To play, first tie a piece of yarn or string across a 10-foot playing area, about 1 foot above the floor. Divide the players into 2 teams and have them set up crab style (faceup, leaning on their hands and feet) in their stocking feet on each side of the string.
Who needs the Easter basket full of chocolate eggs when you’ve got this winning Easter basket cupcake, topped with tinted coconut to resemble grass and garnished with jelly bean eggs? The waffle bowls can be found in the supermarket with all the ice cream toppings. For a special presentation, decorate with cute yellow marshmallow Peeps and arrange on a platter with wheat grass surrounding the little baskets. It’s best to eat these cupcakes with a fork.
* Makes 10 baskets (4 inches each)
Create a pirate ship, a photo booth, a corner market, or just a place to play hide and seek. This is an incredibly easy think to do. You can be as simple or elaborate as you want. It's amazing how kids will find ways to use their imagination by just cutting a few holes in a box.
Play-doh made from scratch is incredibly easy, and you can make an endless array of colors with basic food dye. Plus, it doesn’t have that awful commercial-brand smell. Spread the outdoor tablecloth on the floor, and give them dull knives, a rolling pin, and some cookie cutters.
This is a fun and healthy activity for most any age. Kids just love playing with food.
What You Need:
* 1 large grapefruit
* 1 honeydew or canteloupe melon
* About 12-15 medium-sized strawberries, hulls removed
* Fresh pineapple, cut into slabs 1/3” thick
* 24-30 Short (~7”) bamboo skewers
* Two cookie cutters: one round, about 1-3/4” in diameter, and one flower shaped, with 4 or 5 petals, about 1-1/2” in diameter.
* Fresh mint, if available
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a dynamic social activist and key leader in the Civil Rights movement from the 1950’s until his assassination in 1968. His famous speech delivered during the March on Washington in 1963 is the inspiration for this activity that is rich in creativity and imagination. Your child will create a colorful collage using her own illustrations and magazine pictures to bring the last part of the speech to life visually.
All you need for this fun activity is a small plate, a plastic drinking straw, dish washing liquid and tap water. Place two drops (that's all you need!) of dish washing liquid in the center of a plate. Carefully run tap water onto plate, pointing water over the dish soap to create some foam or bubbles. Carefully place the plate on a flat, sturdy surface, such as the kitchen table, and have your child point his straw into the water. To create bubbles, blow gently and slowly into the sudsy water.
Snow days are lots of fun for kids, who enjoy the novelty of missing school as well as playing in the snow, but can be stressful for parents faced with missed work, a houseful of kids and muddy boots everywhere. With an activity bag and fun ideas saved up for long snow days spent at home, you can enjoy the day as much as the kids -- almost.
Engage the children in snow activities after breakfast, which is a great way to unleash their pent-up energy and enjoy the wonder of snow and ice. Encourage them to build snow forts and snow sculptures -- and even if they are old enough to do it all themselves, they might appreciate some help with the construction.
Take a break from the chilly outdoors to engage in art work (after a snack, of course!) or a craft project. I stock up on small craft kits and tempera paints for days like this--and the kids love having a project to work on. Allow boots and winter gear to dry by the fire, or throw them in the dryer to get ready for the next outdoor adventure.
Board games and cards are an excellent way to while away a few hours while you are waiting for the drizzle outside to stop. Many beach houses even stock cards and board games for just such occasions. For younger kids, play fun games like Go Fish and Memory. Older kids will enjoy playing more complex games such as Rummy, Hearts and Spades.
Like most fish stories, this one just gets better over time. In 1984, on the site of a cannery immortalized by John Steinbeck, a new attraction showcasing the splendors of the sea opened its doors. In large glass tanks designed for easy viewing, sleepy-eyed octopuses clung to coral outcrops. Slow-motion stingrays kicked up sand along the bottom while antic otters skittered across the surface, clacking shellfish like castanets.
