Activities for Families, Adults, and Kids

In-A-Day Activities

Our Activities offer creative ideas that you can do with your family or modify for a unique date idea. When you add a little imagination to activities you create memories that last a lifetime.

A new In-a-day are posted a few times a year. Check back or enjoy browsing our extensive archives for other great ideas.

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Make a jar rock garden

11/12/2015

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If you have kids, there is a good chance that you have several plastic or glass peanut butter or jelly jars that you can save after you have used them up. Don't throw them away, they make excellent impromptu rock gardens. I always recommend plastic for safety, if you can, but with adult supervision carrying around a glass jar to collect with is fine.

To make your "garden", simply clean out the jars and then take a walk around your nearby park or even your backyard. The kids can place soil, sand, and cute rocks they find to make the bottom of their jar surface. At many of the dollar stores you can find small fake plants, decorations, and even some plastic animals to use to decorate their garden. Place the lid back on and you have a cute little decoration for their room. Pour it out and remake them when ever you need a quick activity.

These can also be themed for holidays to serve as decorations for the table. Place holiday colors and decorations inside instead of nature themed terrariums.

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Cocoon to Butterfly

3/28/2015

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If you are looking for something creative to do with the kids that also involves studying nature, growing a pupae to a butterfly just might be a great answer to combine both an activity and a science lesson. There are a few companies online that sell kits and offer direction to help your through the stages.

Watch the beautiful metamorphosis process with your own butterfly kit. Many sites also have classroom kits available. You can add to the fun by taking pictures of all of the developing stages to share.

*Make sure to confirm your home state allows for the transportation of the pupae into your area and that your temperatures are adequate for development.

http://www.butterflyworkx.com/

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UFO Play Date or party idea. Simple, silly, fun.

2/26/2015

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If you are looking for a fun and unique play-date activity consider having a UFO get-together. Invite the participants over and ask them to wear green or silver. Your snacks can be quick and easy with sandwiches cut in a round shape to represent flying saucers, "flying" pizza pies, moon pies, and pop-rocks for dessert.

A few other ideas to make your get-together interactive:

1). Have a UFO-themed movie like E.T or a cartoon playing on TV (Lilo and Stich), or else some background music like "The Purple People Eater' by Sheb Whooly or Will Smith's "Men in Black".
2) Search for clues to the alien ship using a list of clues to follow.
3) Make crafts out of paper plates. Have a table set up with things to decorate the outside of the plates (Pens, Glitter, glue, stickers) and then glue the plates facing each other to make a flying saucer. Make sure and use a heavy glue that binds paper quickly. They can take these items home as gifts.
4) Have the group come up with a Martian language.
5) Make a cardboard cutout with holes in it, put the point value on top of each hole, and then have the kids try and fly mini Frisbees though them.
6) Many of the dollar stores carry the bobbly antennae head bands. These would make great "welcome to the get-together" gifts and also be fun for the group pictures.

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Biking with Youth at Risk

1/1/2015

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Every once in a while, we find a great activity that has many locations around the US and Canada as well that we want to share. While these activities may not fit many of our readers, some of our readers might know families that are in need of these kind of services. So, if you know of such a family, please pass the info along.

Trips for Kids is a non-profit organization that arranges for bicycling trips for kids that are at risk. Each chapter has its own set of rules and ages they allow to participate as well as type of terrain they cover. Some are mountain bike rides while others are focused on city riding. While doing my research, I found that Trips for Kids has a presence in many cities across the US and Canada. Mind you, there are not as many in some of the northern states currently but they are adding more to the website as chapters open up. Most chapters that I found request that you join the chapter in your area and then they set up bike events in which they provide the bike to be used by the youth during the ride and the ride event. For many kids, this is a wonderful way to get them out of the house and provides a positive and fun interaction with the adult volunteers.

If you know a family in need, please pass along their information.
http://www.tripsforkids.org/

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Gofundme a website with a heart

12/1/2014

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If you are looking for an indoor activity to do with your kids that also can help them realize all the blessings in their life, there is a website filled with people that can really use your help. Gofundme.com is a website for people in need. People that need financial assistance with medical expenses, surgeries, treatment, care, and much more.

Spend an hour or two on the site with a budget in mind for every child in your group. Even if it is $5 or $10, any amount will help. They can search through those in need and split up their budget or donate to one. No, this is not a "whoo hooo, let's have fun" activity, but rather one that is heartfelt and hopefully helps not only the children but yourself feel as though you are helping someone relieve pressure off of their illness from a monetary standpoint.

Since some of the illnesses are things your kids may have never heard of, look them up. Knowledge can build compassion. Look at what happened when someone developed the ALS ice bucket challenge, a disease very close to my own heart. So many people now realize what that disease is. The research from the monies raised can really bring about a difference to a cause.

Want to step it up? Instead of giving them an amount to donate, have them sell one of their favorite toys and use that money to donate. You can do it on your social media outlet by auction style.

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Rock Art In The Park

10/2/2014

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If you have a lunchtime or even an early morning breakfast time free with the kids, consider an art day at your local park. Picnic-lunch style is always a favorite. Spend the first part of your day wandering the area and collecting rocks in a basket. Talk about their shape, size, and color. You can even discuss how rocks are formed.

After strolling the area for treasures, set up your blanket and set out to make your art project out of the rocks you have collected. Maybe make jewelry, decorate a bird house, or just paint the rocks.
Make sure you bring scissors, glue, markers, string, paint, paper, some jewelry items to glue the rocks to or any other items you might need for your project and a piece of cardboard for them to work on.

This is a great gift-making idea for the grandparents. Don't forget to bring the camera to take pictures as they create their masterpieces and maybe to use as your family picture or next year's calendar photos. Top it off with a contest of who can stack the most rocks without falling while you are packing up the supplies and you have had a great day at the park.

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Pajama Party Entertaining

8/28/2014

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Pajama Parties are a fun and easy idea to entertain for all ages. No, I am not talking about a sleep-over pajama party, I am talking about a daytime pajama get-together. Keep it as simple as you like and serve breakfast food that everyone will enjoy. Waffle or pancake-making bars can become an activity as opposed to just having food laid out. Have bowls of yummy add-ins like Resees pieces, M & M's, fresh fruit, nuts, peanut butter, unique jellies, flavored syrups, and of course whipped cream. If you are thinking about making waffles, they now have a spray can waffle batter so everyone can make their own with a counter flip waffle iron.

For kids this can be an afternoon party where your kids invite their friends over and watch cartoons in front of the TV or they can even decorate pillow covers to take home. Purchase puff paints or fabric painting kits that can be placed on the kitchen table, just make sure it is covered well. Teens will like this idea for an early evening party where they can tell ghost stories, play board games, and, if you have the ability, make S'mores. An adult-only get-together can include a breakfast bar with some mimosas and socializing. For family reunions, include some fun games like Pictionary with a large drawing pad on an easel so everyone in the room can see. If you have the right number of boys and girls, then make it a gender challenge or else just split up the guests equally.

Each age range can have its own spin on a pajama party. A fun game for guest of all ages that requires little prior planning is the wink and murder game where each player pulls a slip of paper from a stocking cap and some papers are blank and one paper identifies the player as the killer. Throughout the party, the "killer" winks at his/her victims and they have to fake their death a few minutes later and far away from the actual killer. Guest can guess who they think the killer is before they are wink-killed. If they guess wrong, they have to fake their own death. (The player has to whisper the question "are you the killer?" into the person they suspect's ear for a yes or no reply. If it is yes, they are the winner, and if it is no, they must fake their own death).

When we played this for our family reunion, my father-in-law turned out to be the killer and absolutely no one suspected him as he had a bit of difficulty getting around and is pretty quiet so he just waited for his victims to come say hello to him. One of my nieces even decided to up her game on her faked death by painting herself with horror makeup and fake blood. This game has been around for a while and has many different spins and names. I am not sure where it originated, but it is a brilliant activity that does not have to be planned.

Looking for Pajama ideas? We bought ours at http://www.jumpinjammerz.com/ because they had camoflauge footed ones for the guys. Of course, you can find cute pajamas anywhere.

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Fire Station Visit

8/7/2014

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When you ask a young boy (and some young girls) what they want to be when he/she grows up, a lot of times that answer will be "I want to be a firefighter". That fascination might have a lot to do with the shiny red engines we see streaming past when we are in traffic. A trip to your local fire station is a great way to spark the "what do you want to be when you grow up" conversations.
Just FYI, drop-in visits are not encouraged since this is a job that requires quick reaction by the emergency personnel; however, if you call in advance, they will let you know when the next open house or tours are. Most tours give kids (and their excited adults) a glimpse into what goes on behind the scene. The kids may get a chance to take an up-close look at all of the equipment they have on the fire truck and sometimes get to hop in the engine seat for pictures. Consider bringing a store-bought treat for the firefighters since they are on shift for 24 hours at a time and getting to a store can be difficult.

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Teaching kids about saving money

8/2/2014

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Balancing a checkbook has become a lost skill. Since the age of computers and smart phones, it is all too easy just to stuff a receipt in your pocket and then check online to confirm that the receipt went through correctly. The banks make it so easy that they even calculate your balance.

While that is wonderful news for the adults who have already had the experience of having to balance a checkbook and, hopefully, are conscious of where they spend money, and even remember to figure in those checks written long ago that someone did not cash, the younger generation is depending on the internet to tell them how much money they spent, without any concern about where, when, and how they are spending it. When you have to physically write down that you spent a whooping $5.99 at a coffee place for a gourmet drink with extra whipped cream five times a week, it might be a wake-up call for them to figure out that they just spent $29.95 a week. That's $119.80 a month! Trust me, a lot of the teens really do spend that kind of money on coffee, yet they ask you for a few bucks for a concert ticket they have been dying to see because they are broke.

If this project is done right, you could alter their future spending habits. If they have to face the truth everyday about who is getting their hard earned money and decide if what they are buying is worth the amount of money they are spending on it, at least they are making that choice with the proper information. They might actually consider what they could have bought or saved with that extra money.

So, TEACH them how to write and keep a bank balance. Do not let them check their balance online until they have written it down, and only to check for ones that cleared. At the end of every week, have them look over the things that they bought that may have not been worth what they spent. If they cannot have a checking account for what ever reason or you give them allowance in cash because they are too young, then get a play checking account and you become the banker. They withdraw money from you, but they have to write it down and balance the account. Most kids have no idea how to even write a check!

Consider this: Have you stood in line for morning coffee behind every teen holding up their debit card for a buck or two? (OK I know, there is no such thing as a buck or two coffee at the big chains, but you know what I am talking about). They deal only in immediate gratification. While they might not think it is a big deal, you certainly will if this becomes a life-long pattern. Kids become very good at what they practice. Some of the teens are practicing impulsive spending very well. They will roll their eyes at you and tell you that they can see perfectly fine how much they spend on coffee and "Hey, it's my money", but two points of that argument are incorrect. First, most kids learn by seeing, writing, and then doing. Missing the physical writing skips a step in the learning process. Second, is it really their money? Or are they spending the money that you will have to make up for on other things? If they are not saving for a car, or college, or prom... Guess what? They come to you for the difference.

*Side note- This is not only a good activity for kids and teens. Sometimes adults need a back to basics as well. If you are spending more money than you want and are doing the check online thing like the kids, you too are missing the important write-it-down step and skipping out on the consequences of your purchases.

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Swap After School Activities

7/25/2014

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The term "It takes a village" should not be taken lightly. When raising kids, we rely on other's input and help. From those lucky enough to have family and friends babysit, to sports club organizations, and even blogs that provide us with ideas, we benefit by the knowledge and help of others. When I was growing up, I was blessed to have been raised in a neighborhood with many cultures. Our neighborhood had an overwhelming number of service men that had brought home brides from their time abroad, my mother being one of them. Our parents didn't have the extra cash to send us to paid after-school activities. To be honest, in that time, it was more rare than common to send your kid to a paid lesson. We learned new things from our neighbors' moms and dads. I learned football from my friend's dad who was a high school football coach. We met at the school close by twice a week, he split us up in teams with a mix of boys and girls, then he taught us the game. He was our coach. I also learned how to make sushi, to speak a little Japanese, and to crab fish from my across-the-street neighbor. Each parent in our neighborhood taught us something. Still today, I make some amazing Japanese food.

This can be just as effective in today's world. Most of use have some very talented friends with kids the same age as our own. Set up a swap of skill. Do you have a mom out there that is an avid runner? She can take the kids on a fun run one afternoon a week. An engineering, math-minded dad? He can set up a once-a-week building experiment. A mom or dad that likes to cook? How about a cooking class.
If you have a friend that is so overwhelmed that you would like her and her kids to participate, but they have no time and sadly no skill to offer, this friend can provide the food for the cooking class, help drive the kids back and forth, or be responsible for a once-a-month picnic in the park.

The benefits of this type of consortium is that you can build strong bonds and friendships between the kids. It also doesn't hurt to have multiple eyes on your kids. In my neighborhood, people actually used to tell the parents when they caught their kid doing something. I didn't just watch out for my own mother when I was up to no good, I watched out for everyone's mom and dad. Another huge benefit is the costs. Let's just take a moment to remember how much business-sponsored classes cost. Join karate? $100 a month. Tutoring? $100 a month. Learn how to play tennis? $100 a month. Heaven forbid you do all three. $300 a month. Think of what your group can accomplish for that kind of money?

Now here is the most important part of a consortium, you need to make ground rules and stick by them. Ask around to those people in your groups, maybe send out an email offering what you can do and what you are looking for. Make sure that you are not asking some people to do more than any other. If you want to find five skilled friends, ask for one hour a week. Fill it up Mon, Tues, Wed, Thur, Fri, or even a Saturday. Never ask for more then one day a week. Give people an out. Have them agree to a two month agreement. That way if it doesn't work out or becomes difficult for the person to continue doing, then they don't feel like they are letting someone down. Maybe the next go around, they just provide money to the group events and join back up the next cycle.

Potential problems to address:

What time of day? Pick a set time. It will not work for everyone, there is nothing that you can do about that. If you are looking for an after-school activity group then make it right after school or before most dinner times. Since you cannot please everyone, make that clear in your email from the start. Something like, "I am looking to start an after-school activity swap. I know that it is impossible to work within everyone's schedule. I wish I could, but I cannot. I am looking for four parents to host a different activity at their home one day between Monday and Friday starting at 4 pm to 5 pm." The first person to say, "I want to participate, but I can't at that time, can you change it?" let them know that you would love to possibly attend a consortium that they start. Add in that, hopefully, they can participate next cycle.

Someone offers up something that makes you roll your eyes? Underwater basket weaving not your thing? Don't knock it. It can be the one thing you never thought your kids would enjoy. Give it a whirl.

My child doesn't want to do a specific activity? There really is no easy way to say this. Do you give your child a choice whether they get to go to the school or to the dentist? Enough said. Kids learn from trying things they think they will like as well as those that they do not. Each cycle is only for two months. At the end of that time, opt out for that activity. You do NOT have to go to every activity in your consortium. Some kids do have other outside interests. Of course, you can always plan that "necessary" activity on the day your kiddo really tried it and it did not work for them. That way you have no hard feelings.

One of the mom has six kids and the rest of us only have one or two. That happens. The best way to deal with this is to understand the kids will only be with each person for one or two hours a week. I have always found it beneficially to mix single and dual kids in with families that have more kids and vice-versa. It opens their views to other families structure. That does not mean however, if one of the activities is a craft hour that might cost a lot more per child, that it is unreasonable to ask that any child over lets say two, pay a $5 per class cost. Remember put that in your email.

One of the kids can't behave or doesn't get along with the others. Again, while this is frustrating, it is part of life and how children learn to tolerate others when they are older. As much as we would like, children will not always encounter people they get along with. Does that mean you should have to put up with a kid interrupting every class? Of course it doesn't. Put it in writing. Maybe have each "teacher" give out a sticker for the kids that listen. That can clue in a parent that a child might be having social difficulties. Maybe a group treasure chest for so many stickers collected. It is also appropriate to ask the parent to stay with the child during the lesson because "Little Johnny may not be as interested in the lesson as I had hoped. He prefers to chase my cat and Mittens has been in hiding ever since. Can you come and help see how I can get his interest?"

Most importantly, relax and enjoy your child's new group of friends. They will all remember you fondly as they grow up because of the memories you helped create in their lives.

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In-A-Day Activities

Make a jar rock garden

Cocoon to Butterfly

UFO Play Date or party idea. Simple, silly, fun.

Biking with Youth at Risk

Gofundme a website with a heart

Rock Art In The Park

Pajama Party Entertaining

Fire Station Visit

Teaching kids about saving money

Swap After School Activities

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