Posted by drozzell on December 18, 2008
Is the weather too cold for a “camp out”? Not really up to sleeping outside yourself? Then make a “tent” or “fort” with bed sheets and blankets and pretend to have a camp out—really a camp-in, since you will do this activity with kids indoors, not outdoors. You can lay out sleeping bags, or just layer a few blankets on the floor. Bring flashlights and turn off the lights in the room to create the feeling of a dark night. Take turns telling scary stories. No camp-in would be complete without some food to enjoy together. Snacks are even more fun when shared under the makeshift tent you have created.
Posted by drozzell on December 15, 2008
A movie night is a great activity with kids, whether you have one, ten, or any number in between. Rent a DVD or video, find a great movie on TV, or watch a video or DVD that you already own. All our kids like watching movies, and we filter what they are allowed to watch based on their ages. My 6 year old daughter doesn’t enjoy many of the action movies that my teenage boys like (although she does like the Star Wars movies!), and many are not even appropriate for her, so when she is with us we may watch an animated movie, a Disney feature, or something similar.
Interestingly, my older son has certain movies he enjoys to watching more than once. However, as much as he likes certain movies, he gets the most enjoyment from watching them when I am watching with him. He wants to share this great experience he is having, and I can see that it gives him a lot of joy! In my household we often make popcorn to munch on as we watch, but whether you enjoy snacks or not is up to you. The most important part of the activity is simply the time together. Family movie night is a great thing to do with kids.
Posted by drozzell on December 12, 2008
I decided to stop numbering these posts; it was getting a bit ridiculous. But today’s post is anything but ridiculous.
Want to do something fun with your kid(s) and feel like you are doing something good for yourself as well? How about exercising together. If you are a member of a health club and your son or daughter is teenage or older, think about taking your child with you the next time you go for a work out. But going to a gym is not necessary. Maybe you have some weights or exercise machines at home. If so, so much the better, because you have a ready made location and equipment in place. if you don’t have a work-out area at home, you can do this in your back yard, on your porch, or even in your family room. If your child is older the exercises can be more strenuous. For younger kids, even simple things like jumping jacks, skipping rope, push-ups, and running in place will serve perfectly well. The length of the work out will also depend on the age of your kids—maybe only 10 minutes for a 5-10 year old boy or girl, up to an hour for a teenager. This type of time together is also valuable opportunity to talk about whatever is on your child’s mind.
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.
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