Pig was feeling fed up. "I'm bored," he moaned. "Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored! There must be something to do that's fun and I'm going to find it!" So off he trotted. Pig, thinking all the other animals had more fun than he, decided to try being something else: a giraffe, a kangaroo, a bird... He figured out that being a pig was the most fun of all. As a kid, I remember moaning "I'm borrrrred! There's nothin' to doooooo!!!!!!!!" as I would dramatically fall into a living room chair. I'm glad our kids haven't figured out the word yet. Lately, I've been comparing the San Angelo summer to Sabetha winter. The temperatures are on the opposite ends of the thermometer, of course, but their extremes make it simply unpleasant to do much outside. Except swim. But there's only so much you can do in a swimming pool where the kids can't touch.
So we need your feedback. What should we do while we eagerly await Sabetha winter? (We're already excited to tromp in pastures, hunting for sticks to break for kindling. But we can't think about that just yet - it's only August.) :) How about commenting with cheap/free ideas of ways to pass the time?
We did go to Wal-Mart this morning thinking there must be something to do that's fun. Here's what we came back with:
perler beads
pinto beans
Isaac is making pretend lamb eyeballs out of his pile of beans. This stems back from our time living in temporary housing on base, where there was cable TV. The only channel in the evening fit for kids was the food channel. One night a man was trying delicacies, which included lamb eyeballs. This was a memorable moment for the kids apparently.
Order this book: http://www.amazon.com/365-TV-Free-Activities-Your-Child/dp/1558505857 (or find it at that awesome library)
ReplyDeleteI have a copy somewhere unless you or Tara had it....lots of great ideas.
Until then: make a "what box": box with removable lid...cut a hole in the top just big enough to reach in but not big enough to see into. Fill with things to reach in and touch and guess without looking. Try food, toys, clothes,household items like soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. put things in in categories for easy guessing, put things in all mixed up for harder guessing. Have the kids take turns filling the box and making YOU or each other guess! Go on a walk and bring back things to put in the box. Tell all the grandmas and aunts and uncles to send some things down with Sally and Alan to put in the what box!!! ;0
I used to do this at the beginning of the each science unit I taught...you could do it to introduce or review the preschool themes you've selected.
OK...another idea. How about make some puppets...a whole day or two making puppets out of socks or paper bags and craft materials. Then a whole day writing stories for the puppets to act out. Use a spring-loaded curtain rod to make a puppet stage in a doorway and then practice performing. Make a video and post on your blog to share with us!! Have the puppets tell knock-knock jokes for something easy to remember.
ReplyDeleteOh, man, this is fun....how about blanket tents inside in the air conditioning??? Use ALL your sheets and blankets and chairs to make a gigantic one. (Even high school kids like this as Z and E and their friends proved earlier this summer!)
ReplyDeleteHave a picnic inside the tent. Take your naps inside the tent. Take in a flashlight and read books inside the tent. Write letters to Aunt Lisa inside the tent!!!! :)
Why don't you take a little of those pinto beans..only if you have enough ;) and make tambourines. You know how you take paper plates and staple them together. You could decorate the outside with whatever and then sit back and listen to that wonderful "music"! I wish I could actually help you because all I was thinking today since I am alone with the kids while Kel is in OKC was that it would be a great day to hangout with Myra and the kids after preschool :( I'm such a downer I better stop! We miss you guys
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Those are great ideas! I was going to suggest a little science unit on fungus -- growing mold, experimenting with different kinds of mushrooms from the store (incl. dried ones), uhhhhh. . . . reading books about fungus, studying toejam. . . Hey, did you know that breastmilk is apparently an effective remedy for athlete's foot?
ReplyDeleteHow about doing yoga with your kids? I do it with mine sometimes, and they love it! You can make it last a LONG time! You could borrow a yoga DVD from the library for free.
ReplyDeleteBTW, Ellie loves perler beads, too. For a long time, she made things with them for at least an hour every day.
Try this site: http://www.wearethatfamily.com/2009/06/wfmw-mom-im-bored-summer-edition.html. There are, I think, 238 links to different moms' suggestions about what to do when you hear "Mom, I'm bored!"
Such wonderful ideas! How about making Oobleck or Fake Blood? Rachel should be able to tell you how to make Oobleck (she demonstrated it once at a 4-H meeting). The recipe for Fake Blood is on P. 74
ReplyDeleteHey, how about dress up clothes, too? Surely San Angelo has some thrift shops or Salvation Army stores to hit. Find out when they have "bag sales" and give the kids each a budget....like $5 each to spend on dress up clothes to take home. Play in them or have them practice and make a song/dance show and then take pictures/video for the blog. Have the kids pick out something for you and Jared to model and put on pics of that, too! When you're tired of them, take them back to the thrift stores for donations!
ReplyDeleteOkay, its decided that you are part of a very creative family! With my lack of imagination I have resorted to a huge tent in the living room on this rainy day. I think Alayna's entire room is going to be under there soon!
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Lisa, I love your thrift-store idea!! Awesome!
ReplyDeleteOh....I was just digging in my kitchen for something for my sweet tooth and had a flashback to a great childhood memory you could try: We used to make cookies out of graham crackers and powdered sugar frosting. Not the good kind of frosting...just powdered sugar and milk. Mom would let us put in the milk...it would be too runny, so we'd put in the powdered sugar...it would be too thick, so we'd have to add milk...yep, you guessed, it...too runny: more powdered sugar! And so on and so forth. Finally when it was right, we'd get the food coloring out. We'd put in what ever colors we wanted and of course it usually turned out NASTY looking. Then we frosted graham crackers and made sandwich cookies, meanwhile making every thing sticky! Then we ate them with a glass of milk. I'm thinking you could do different bowls of frosting and let them mix colors for an art experiment. Maybe do this right before Grandma Sally and Grandpa Alan come down and then serve them for dessert!!
ReplyDeleteYou guys are amazingly creative! I feel like I should make this blog turn into an open forum for you to all write on! Wow. Thanks, guys!
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