Posted by drozzell on December 10, 2008
Board games such as Chutes and Ladders, Scrabble, Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Parchesi are all great. Just pick the ones that you and your kids enjoy and that are age-appropriate. If you like to play cards, have a Crazy Eights Tournament, a Hearts or Spades competition, even a Go Fish! challenge. You probably have a few games that have been traditions in your family over the years. Every now and then, make a night (or an afternoon, particularly a rainy afternoon) of it. Parents, kids, grandparents and even your kids’ friends can get into the games. I personally really enjoy these times. After an hour or so, we often take a break for a snack. Many times we will just get a game going on the spur of the moment with any of the kids that happen to be around and interested. Whether we play for 15 minutes or two hours, games are good ways to spend time with your kids doing something you all enjoy.
Posted by drozzell on December 8, 2008
This is a good indoor activity, especially good if the weather is not suitable for playing outside. Puzzles are widely available and typically very inexpensive. Make sure the puzzle is age appropriate, not too difficult so that your child doesn’t lose interest quickly. If you want the activity to be more educational, choose a puzzle with a theme: the world, United States, the solar system. I think it is best not to help out too much, but rather let your son or daughter work the puzzle with only a little assistance from you. You can scratch your head as you pretend to look for a piece, and maybe occasionally nudge it into view if you see your child is having trouble. One of my favorite puzzles for kids who are about 4-5 years old and up is a puzzle of the United States of America with pieces in the shape of the states. What a great way to learn about the 50 states while doing something fun at the same time!
Posted by drozzell on December 2, 2008
A classic activity, and not to be overlooked, is simply reading to your child. Every son, daughter, grandson, or granddaughter loves to be read to. There are so many books to choose from, and so many of them are terrific. The choice of book matters less than your attitude. Just hearing your voice, happy and full of expression, means so much to a child. In my opinion, Dr. Seuss, with his creative invented words and fun rhyming patterns and word cadences, is about the best there is for younger kids. I have enjoyed McElligot’s Pool since before I could read, when my parents read this wonderful book to me, and I have read that book to my sons and daughter more than 100 times since, I am sure.
My wife and I have read to our kids since they were very young. Now, and I think it is partly but not completely nostalgic, my wife still reads to her daughters, even though they are now college-aged. They still love it! And reading to your child costs nothing but a little of your time. The reward will be to build a lasting bond with your child and create special memories that your child will keep forever.
Posted by drozzell on November 30, 2008
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And our new book “Mr. Buddy and Grandy” is available. The book contains a series of short stories about a grandfather and his grandson and the things they did together–written to be read to a boy or girl, but also enjoyable for adults. The overarching theme of this book is that just doing simple things together with a child pays big long-term benefits in building a strong relationship. Click the Buy Now button to pay by Pay Pal or credit card.
Or order from Lulu.com
Posted by drozzell on November 29, 2008
If you prefer a healthier option than cookies, try this fun, quick and easy alternative. Slice some fruit and cheese and create a fruit and cheese platter. Pick whatever items your child likes—grapes, apples, bananas, pears, peaches, nectarines strawberries, orange sections, tangerines. There is almost always something in season. Add some whole grain crackers such as Triscuits to eat with the cheese. Depending on the time of year, there are often local specialties. I grew up in an area with many strawberry farms where you could even go and pick your own. During the season the strawberries were plentiful and delicious. Sometimes it is fun to experiment with less common fruit like mangos, dates or figs. Your son or daughter will almost certainly enjoy this!
Posted by drozzell on November 28, 2008
This activity is always popular. Everyone likes cookies, and baking them can be almost as much fun and eating them. Easy-to-make recipes are widely available (Nestle’s Toll House, for example). If speed and easy clean-up are priorities, you can just go for the slice and bake variety—they are surprisingly good! Your child can help arrange the clumps of dough on the cookie sheet. A tradition at my house is to taste a little of the raw cookie dough. In 10-15 minutes your cookies will be ready to eat!
Posted by drozzell on November 27, 2008
Teaching a young child to use his or her imagination is great fun, and helps teach a useful skill. A game of pretend can be spontaneous or planned, but however you get started let the stories evolve as you and your child each tell part of the tale. Let your stories develop and build off of each other. Some of my favorite story lines are living in Alaska, going deep sea fishing, camping in the mountains in the snow. Just make up what happens as you go along, taking turns to add to the adventure. As this is Thanksgiving, your story line could be about being a Pilgrim and having the first Thanksgiving feast with Native Americans. You will be amazed at how creative young kids can be.
Posted by drozzell on November 26, 2008
This is a great activity for parents or grandparents. Assuming you have one or more a pet dogs, a great way to spend time with your son or daughter (or grandson or granddaughter) is to simply take the dogs for a walk around the neighborhood together. You are doing something that you need to do anyway, but with the bonus of having a chance to walk and talk with your child. He/she will love holding the leash for at least part of the walk, and you both get some light exercise as you have a chance to talk together without the interruptions that you might get in the home. Don’t forget to carry a doggie bag to pick up after your pet, if necessary. Doing this also teaches a good lesson to your child or grandchild.
Posted by drozzell on November 25, 2008
For Immediate Release
Burbank, California — November 25, 2008
“Mr. Buddy and Grandy” is a compilation of short stories about a grandfather and his grandson and the things they did together. The overarching theme of this book is that just doing simple things together with a child pays big long-term benefits in building a strong relationship. Although the stories focus on a grandfather and his grandson, many of the same activities would translate equally well to things that any adult could do with children, boys or girls. Fully illustrated, “Mr. Buddy and Grandy” was written in a style for reading to children, yet also enjoyable for adults.
“This book was a labor of love to memorialize what my grandfather did for me, and also to offer ideas to other adults of the things they can do with their children or grandchildren,” said the author David Rozzell. “I believe that the more time adults and children can spend together exploring the world around them, just doing simple activities, the stronger their family bonds will be and the better prepared for adolescence and adulthood the children will be.”
Along with the book, a pamphlet “25 Things To Do With Your Child: Things That Are Fun To Do and Won’t Break the Bank” will be offered free of charge with every book purchased. “Given the financial pressure that everyone is now facing, it is especially important to find inexpensive ways to build and maintain good relationships with children,” Dr. Rozzell added. “The message of “Mr. Buddy and Grandy” is that building a great relationship with a child doesn’t have to cost much. “Mr. Buddy and Grandy” promotes better adult-child relationships through the ideas described in the stories, and the pamphlet supplements those ideas with more examples of simple, inexpensive things that adults can do with their children or grandchildren.”
fun-things-to-do-with-kids
“Mr. Buddy and Grandy” is published by Lulu.com, the online marketplace for books and related digital content, and is also available directly from the author at his Web Site http://www.rozzell.com. The author can be contacted by e-mail at david@rozzell.com.
About the author
David Rozzell earned a Ph.D in Chemistry and has edited one scientific book, but this is his first foray into popular literature. He currently resides with his wife and five children and stepchildren in Burbank, California.
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Posted by drozzell on November 24, 2008
There are always errands to take care of, but you can turn these into a parent-child activity by bringing your child along. Going to the hardware store, the drug store, the grocery, the newsstand—your child will enjoy accompanying you while you do all of these types of things. You meet people together, talk to people, buy a few items that you need, and while you are taking care of your errands you have the opportunity to look around the stores and talk about things that you see. Hardware stores are especially good places to go with young boys because of the variety of items on display. Tools, nails, nuts and bolts, light fixtures, gardening needs—you may get a lot of questions about what these thing are for, and this is your chance to talk to your child about them. Tell him about what you see and watch his eyes sparkle! For a daughter, let her join you to shop for a few items at the drug store or grocery. Explain why you choose one product over another. Running errands with your child is both educational and relationship-building.
