Remember the trays I made for my adorable niece and nephew in NY? Well, now I made them art boxes filled with crafts for the summer. There are hours of activities inside these boxes. I bought the colorful open boxes at Michael’s Arts and Crafts, and just painted the letters and glued them onto the box. Then I filled them with goodies. The best part of all, is that it will be easy to put all that stuff away when the kids are done. And they will know where to find their art stuff when they are in the creative mood. Here are ideas for you. Keep in mind the ages of the children before filling the boxes. You don’t want them choking or making messes with supplies they are too young to handle!:
- Crayons
- Paper
- Construction Paper
- Coloring Books
- Markers
- Scissors
- Glue/Glue Stick
- Pencils
- Colored Pencils
- Foam Stickers
- Regular Stickers
- Craft Kits (i.e. make your own picture frame)
- Pipe Cleaners
- Popsicle Sticks
- Yarn
- Clay
- Beads
- Finger Paint
- Watercolors
- Paint Brushes
- Paint By Number
- Rug Hook Kit
- Stencils
Don’t limit yourself to crafts. How about an outdoor fun theme? You can fill the box with bubbles, jump rope, chalk, Frisbee, balls, etc. Or find a plastic bin and fill it up with beach supplies, like buckets, shovels and sand castle forms. Maybe even a special beach towel, hat and sunglasses. Another idea would be a brainy box, filled with puzzle books, pencils, fiction and science books, bookmarks and small handheld puzzle games. Use your imagination!
My kid will start her junior year of high school on Thursday, August 14. I for one am not happy about it. I long for the days when school started after Labor Day. Here in the South, we start in mid August. I am going to miss my daughter a whole lot. And I am not really ready for a hectic schedule, but I have no choice.
If you are in the same position as I am, here are some ways you can spend the last free days of summer with your kids:
- Rent a stack of funny movies, make a cozy nest on the floor with blankets, and watch them all day.
- Pack a picnic and go to the park for a leisurely lunch. Let your kids decide what to bring and help you make it.
- Close all the curtains and read a book together with a flashlight.
- Take the dog for a long walk together in a neighborhood you’ve never been before.
- Shop for school supplies, and have fun while doing it. Buy a few extras to donate to kids who cannot afford to buy them.
- Bake some cookies together to put in school lunches. You can put them in the freezer.
- Take a digital camera and walk around the neighborhood to take shots of plants and flowers.
- Visit a museum.
- Visit a friend or relative you haven’t seen in a while.
- Check to see if there are any county fairs in your area. Many are in late August.
- Have a special water day of swimming, running through the sprinkler and blowing bubbles.
- Go through old photo albums or scrapbooks to reminisce about previous school years.
If your child is a bit apprehensive about starting school, sit down together and review the calendar to plan something fun to do for the first weekend or day off.
Whatever you choose to do, I hope you enjoy every single minute of it!
1. Read a book (The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly: Costa Rica would be a good start!)
2. Attend a reading at your local library.
3. Write a letter to a friend near or far.
4. Make a photo album/scrap book.
5. Research a favorite animal on line and in books.
6. Call or visit a grandparent.
7. Paint a birdhouse from the craft store.
8 Plant some seeds.
9. Run through the sprinkler with a friend or the dog.
10. Bake cookies with you.
From an Early Childhood Educator:
Today at circle time we talked about love. I asked the children, "What is love?" Here are some of their answers.
Love is....
- when you love a girl and you buy her a Sleeping Beauty dress.
- when you buy the boy you love shaving cream.
- when you kiss a bunch.
- when you put on a ring and kiss.
- when Mommy and Daddy watch Monsters Inc. with me.
- a sleepover with my brother.
- a snuggle with my mommy.
- love is when your heart gets happy.
I also asked, "What does love feel like?" - It feels good...really good!
- It feels like a happy heart that is smiling.
