Rainy day boredom: It’s bound to happen at least once in every kid’s life unless they’re growing up in the Sahara (in which case you can consider the following projects “Sand Storm Boredom Busters”), and what good is it being a kid if you can’t get outside and defy several tenets of safety, gravity, and common sense? Sure, you can kill a lazy afternoon vegging out in front of the TV, but too many lazy afternoons in a row quickly add up to a lazy lifetime. Before you know it your kid will be creeping up on thirty and still living in your basement with a vague degree from an art college (I’ll pass along my parent’s phone number if you need a specific example cited).

Next time it’s too rainy to risk life and limb outside without risking pneumonia as well, try one of these unique activities to keep your little ones creative, entertained, and curious.

Treasure Hunt

This game requires a little preparation but can keep an energetic adventurer occupied for hours. Its premise is familiar and easy: a set of clues is devised with one leading to the next until finally a treasure is discovered in some secret, hidden place. Write your clues on individual pieces of paper (maybe tear off the edges and heavily crumple/crease them so they look worn and piratey) and hide them in unique places throughout your house.

The clues could be vague descriptions, puzzles, or even crudely drawn maps that lead from one location to the next to the next to the next and so on. If you start with something simple and let the clues increase in difficulty the game will quickly grab your child’s attention and imagination and then give them a real sense of accomplishment at the end.

First Clue: “You sleep on top of this, but the next clue is hidden under it.”

Under their bed they find the second clue: “Re-arrange these letters to find the next clue: ATC.”

Tied around the neck of the family cat, Sgt. Mittens, they find: “Use Planck’s Constant to find the energy of a photon with a frequency of 2.1 Hz and wavelength measuring 3.9m, then check under the sofa.”

Of course you will need more than three clues and a challenge appropriate to your child’s age, but with just a little preparation this can be a truly adventurous game for kids of any age. Most importantly, don’t forget an appropriate prize at the end of the hunt, something like a little treasure chest with candy in it. Nothing will slay an adventurer’s spirit like struggling all afternoon just to be awarded a perfunctory slap on the back and something from Hallmark’s “Arrr, Congratulations Matey” selection.

It goes without saying that you should be very careful about where you hide the clues and definitely keep an eye on your tiny explorer on their adventure. Hiding Clue Six under the sink may have seemed like a good idea at first, but nestling it under a candy-blue bottle of Windex will only turn out badly and seem quite inappropriate in retrospect.

Recyclebots

If you’re like most families, you occasionally have lots of trash around your house. Not the gross kind of trash like piles of banana peels behind the furniture or gently breathing leftovers in the fridge, but normal and clean(ish) discarded items like empty coffee cans, milk jugs, and cardboard boxes. Well I’m going to suggest that you hold on to a few of those items, and only partially because there’s packrat in my family’s bloodline.

With just a bit of glue, some tape, or a little string, those items can be Transformed (if you’ll allow a forced but popular franchise tie-in) into Little Recyclebots. Use empty spice shakers for stubby little legs, a coffee can for a body, jam some coaxial cable arms into a pair of egg carton shoulders, and top it off with a past-its-prime Tupperware bowl for a dome that would make R2D2 proud. Accessorize with coke bottle tops for little scoop-like hands, folded up cardboard Reebok’s for stylish feet, and maybe a shoulder-mounted death ray made of discarded paper towel rolls.

The possibilities are endless and only limited by what you have around your house (which I guarantee is a lot more than you might suspect). Finish the robot off with a trendy paint job or decals for the necessary details like eyes, racing stripes, and/or battle damage. If you’re looking for a classy and exciting final product, try to work out ways to give your robot some flexibility. Punches little holes where the joints should be (like at the shoulders or ankles), will allow you to use twist-ties instead of glue, giving your Recyclebot the much needed ability to pose heroically from its perch-like display on top of your fridge.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6465858

If you love the summer and spring months, then more often than not you are one of those people who just love to spend as much time outdoors with friends and family. And there is nothing better than having lovely picnics during the warmer seasons wherein kids and adults alike can enjoy great food and outdoor activities. But if you plan to organize your first picnic, take note of these few essential factors to that make up successful picnics.

A picnic will not happen without people. Find out the number of people who will be arriving. You can send out invitations via email, phone messages or just pick up the phone and get the names of those who will be at your picnic. Also, do not forget to check if there will be young kids and elderly people as they may need more comfortable seats and tables.

In connection, decide on a location for your picnic as that will also determine what you need to bring. If you will be having your picnic at the beach, then you need beach blankets or towels and coolers. However, if it is at the park or in your yard then maybe all you need to do is bring out the grill and some extra chairs and tables for people to seat on. Consider the weather too as if it gets too sunny then you need umbrellas. But the best thing to do to remedy that problem is to secure a spot under some shady trees.

Picnics are not the time wherein you will bring out your nice china and cutlery items. If you do not mind using plastic spoons, forks and knives then do so. Also, leave the antique silverware behind. Use those promotional cheese board and knives sets and the stubby holders. You do not need to worry about losing them during the picnic wherein people will be running around and using common items throughout the day anyway.

Of course, if you will be organizing a picnic, then you have to make sure that there will be enough food and drink for everyone who will be there. Many people prefer a pot luck theme wherein everyone gets to contribute something to the group for sharing. When it comes to drinks, decide early on if there will be alcoholic beverages or is it just going to be juices and sodas. The latter choices will be the best ones if your group is going to compose of kids and teenagers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_S_Smith

With Summer now well and truly here and the abundance of festivals and family days out, we turn our attention to Child Safety. With generally such big venues it can take only seconds to lose your child, they can wander to have a look at something without you noticing even when you are the most attentive of parents.

Losing your child at a country show or festival is absolutely terrifying for both the parents and the child, therefore being reunited as quickly as possible is really important. Every moment they are away from you seems like a lifetime and is of course a very traumatic experience for you both. At this point you seem to forget that there are many good people in the world and only focus on the bad. But rest assured any family friendly event will have staff and stewards who have all been briefed on what to do when/if this happens.

It is always advisable to talk to your children about different scenarios like this and to cover all the ‘what ifs’. Our children are a little older now but we always have a meeting up point in the event that we get split up, failing that, they know who the stewards are and like many children of their age carry a mobile phone at such events. But for younger children, they need to know who to approach and what the stewards are wearing, it is very easy to assume that they would know, but point them out on arrival. Another option is also to discuss who else they could approach, for instance another mum with children.

Child safety Identity wristbands are a wonderful idea for younger children and for those that cannot talk yet. There are some lovely bracelet ID wristbands that children will be all too happy to wear, with safety catches so they cannot be easily pulled off by your child, but do tell your children why they have them as they will not be obvious to the person who has found your child. Wristbands speak for a child and help children and parents to reunite in the shortest time possible. They can be used to put contact information on or even medical information therefore giving peace of mind.

But always remember prevention is better that a cure, so when you are in a busy environment hold hands or carry them as nothing can replace your supervision.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6453712

With Summer under way, one should start taking advantage of the natural resources around them. Of course, if you live in the city then this could make it a little more difficult but that does not mean you have to limit yourself to staying indoors. If you are bored of staying indoors, then here are four things you can do with your friends and families outside.

The first activity I will like to mention is to go fishing. Yes, not everyone has the patience of waiting for a fish to bite the bait but it is still a fun group activity. Fishing gives you the opportunity to chatter with friends while waiting for the fish to bites. If you want to boost your chances of catching a fish then perhaps you should go with a professional (group organized tours etc.) or go to a fishing farm where you know you have a chance of catching a fish. If there are no fish farms nearby then you may have to go to the closest lake, pond, sea, or river. Make sure you have the appropriate fishing license if you are going to a national park.

The second activity you could do is to go river rafting. It is relatively cheap and it requires a lot of team work. There should be many local agencies that will be able to link you with up a river rafting company. Although this may require you to travel a little further than normal, I definitely think its worth the travel as you’ll get fun and wet at the same time. Make sure you can swim. They will provide you with life jackets but there may be times when you have to swim to the shores.

The third fun activity is to go hiking. There are many great trails at every state. They vary in difficulty so make sure you find a route which is suitable for your fitness level. Hiking is a great time to socialize with friends and families. If you want to take it up a notch then perhaps you might want to think about going camping for a few nights.

The last activity I would like to mention is outdoor photography. Of course, this will require you to either purchase or rent out camera equipments but you can gain a lot out of this activity. Who knows? Someone may want to buy your photos if they look professional.

If you are getting ready for a family vacation here are seven tips to make certain that it will be a happy family experience, with as much joy and little stress as possible.

Travel Tip #1: Do your research ahead of time. Have you researched any towns or cities, parks, or points of interest that you may want to explore, either along the way or at your destination. A point of interest depends on your family’s interests. Areas of interest could be related to a sports venue, a natural feature such as waterfall, historical monuments, a facility related to the arts or music such as a museum or performing arts center, or could involve local cuisine or arts and crafts. This research should not fall to one family member, everyone can get involved.

Travel Tip #2: Know the directions for getting to your destination. If you are reaching your destination by plane and need to rent a car, have you packed a GPS or do you have a printout of the directions that will get you from your rental car pickup point to your first destination? If you are driving, have you selected your route and again have a GPS, maps, or a printout of directions.

Travel Tip #3: Prepare your kids ahead of time for the vacation. Let them know what to expect. Find a book from the library which is related to where you are going and read it together. Have your kids draw pictures about what they expect to see on the vacation. Let your kids pack a boredom bag that they can carry with them. It should include items that will keep them occupied and that they find comforting.

Travel Tip #4: Give your kids instructions for what to do if they get separated from you. It’s very important to discuss what you expect your children to do if they get lost. Each child should have a small card that they carry in his or her pocket which includes your destination’s address and phone number and your cell phone number.

Travel Tip #5: Make certain to pack essentials for the trip. These essentials include a first aid kit and water for the trip. Also, if you will be on a plane, pack items such as medications that you can’t be without in your carry-on bag in case your checked luggage takes longer to reach its destination than you do.

Travel Tip #6: Use your packing checklist to make certain that everything is packed. Now is a good time to create a packing checklist for this vacation and all future ones if you haven’t done so already. Such a list ensures that nothing critical gets left behind. Make certain to include sun protection items such as hats, sunglasses, and sun tan lotion.

Travel Tip #7: Pack items to chronicle your vacation. It’s fun to look back on your family vacation and reminisce about all the adventures planned and unexpected. Taking photos, sketching scenes, or writing journal entries will ensure that those memories are preserved.