notes of jubilee

Last time we started our list for free family fun. Today, I have come up with a few more ideas to add.


* Tell a Silly Story Ever since my kids realized that "Mommy is writing a book," they have been interested in writing a book of their own. I let them get on the laptop and click away on the keys. But they get stuck and often. Also like mommy. A-hem.


I have found that if we "write" a story together, then it becomes much easier for them to be creative. We pick out a couple of characters and a minimal storyline.

Two worms look for something to eat.

A old, old tree with a tire swing drops it's leaves one by one.


A child thinks a kangaroo is in his closet.


You get the idea.  We try to stay away from scary scenarios, but if a scary scenario can turn into a silly one, then it turns into fun.


It sparks the imagination and yet gives a guide for where the story might go.  Each family member can only contribute one sentence at a time.  It keeps everyone involved and no one has the chance to get bored since their turn is coming up.


* Terrific Taffy Pulling Party  It may sound terribly old fashioned, but one of the best Christmases I remember as a kid is when my dad let all six of us kids (including cousins) pull taffy.  We still talk about it.  It was a bit of a mess for my parents, but it was great fun for us.  I haven't been adventurous enough to try this with my own kids yet, but I plan to.  And I have all the ingredients in my pantry already.  You probably do too.  You can find the recipe for the sticky, stretchy stuff here.  Don't forget to take pictures!


* Bubble Station  Even my tween is into bubbles if they can come out of a plastic gun or a big hoop.  Usually my two youngest like to run around and pop the bubbles even more than making their own, so it works out well for everyone.  In the past, we have even put on music to see how many bubbles they can pop before the music ends. 


The only downer is when the bubble run out.
Well, THIS is the solution to that little dilemma!  And here is the recipe to go with it:

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 cup Dawn dishwashing liquid

Put water and corn syrup in a bowl and microwave for 3-4 minutes.  Stir to combine.  Gently mix in dishwashing liquid.  Put in a nifty dispenser like this -- and viola!


Hope these ideas add to your free family fun list.  What ideas have worked for you in the past?  Please share in the comments!

Counting it all joy,

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We are broke. There, I said it. No mincing words. Nothing left to the imagination.

Done.

So what's a mama to do when her chickadees need to be entertained? Here are a few ideas that I have gleaned from the WWW and from my own imagination.

Hold onto your pony tails. It's gonna be a bumpy fun ride . . .

* Seeking Silly Stuff. Now, I could have gone all conventional and said a "Scavenger Hunt," but usually this brings to mind a lot of preparation, so it often geets nixed right away. Or is that just me? At any rate, I take the easy way out. We go to a park we haven't visited for awhile and I make up clues as we go along.

"Find me something bumpy." They scamper off and look for a bumpy object.


"Bring me something that crawls."  My son once asked a mom if he could "borrow" her baby for the game.  Her reaction and mine for that matter are for another post . . .

"Look for an object that has at least three colors on it."

It's funny some of the things they come up with and how they justify some of their finds (i.e. stranger's baby). My ten year old is too old for this game *sigh* But he joins in anyway and he is the funniest when he tries to justify the silliest of objects to satisfy the quest.

* Doodle Painting  I originally saw this idea on Pinterest.  It then lead me to  Delaware County Moms.  And I love it.  Even my ten year old gets into this kind of thing.  And all of the ingredients, you probably have at home already.  Bonus -- and also the point of this post!


*  German Spotlight.  I have mentioned this a time or two, I know.  Probably because it brings back such memories from my childhood.  Wait 'til dusk.  Break out the flashlights with fresh batteries (trust me, stopping in the middle of the game to fiddle with batteries = no fun).  Establish your boundaries and "home base" for safety and play hide-n-seek.  Yes, in the dark.  You get hit by a light, you are out.

This is a great game to play in fall or spring when it gets dark sooner, but it's still not too cold to deter the fun.


* Family Photo Phun Fun  Throw up (that may be a poor choice of words) an old sheet to use as a background or find a great tree for a twist on locale and let the kids take silly pictures.  Yes, let THEM use the camera.  Dress up in silly clothes or make mustaches out of construction paper and snap away.  Don't forget, parents have to participate too!  Have fun looking through the photos on the LCD screen or on the tv after the shoot is over.

Which naturally leads us to the next activity that can be done the same day or saved for another day . . .

* Attack of the Archivers  Preserve those memories and silly pictures -- don't let them just sit on your SD card!  Slide those printed out photo shoot pictures into a small photo brag book.  But only after you dress them up a little.  Mount them on colored paper, add a sticker or two and write a silly caption that makes you laugh.  Slide in the little album or post on the fridge.  For those of you who loathe scrap booking, STOP HYPERVENTILATING:  THIS IS NOT SCRAP BOOKING.  Just keep telling yourself that and it will go much easier.  No need to get fancy. Just do it.  For the kids.


* Dinner Danger  Okay, okay this really isn't a dangerous activity, but your kids will enjoy the sense of danger or intrigue the name implies.  Unwrap the labels from a few (preselected) cans before you get the kids involved.  Gather around the table with said cans and a can opener.  Each child gets to pick a can to open and "serve" for dinner.  The family members who are not serving must wear blindfolds and let the server feed them a bite or two of whatever is in the can.  Once they have sampled the mystery food, let them take off the blindfold to enjoy the reactions of the others. 

You can choose to heat and eat or just dig right into the can.  Depending on how adventurous you are.  If you don't eat what's in the can, you don't get to serve.  Simple as that.  Or you can make up your own rules to fit your family.

Whatev's have fun with it!

Hope these few ideas sparks your imagination and fun in your family.  I'll be back later with more fun free family activities.  Enjoy!

Counting it all joy,

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