You might be wondering …
What should I do
with my kids today?!
Daily Idea #26: Doodle Bug
Welcome back to the abnormal normal schedule! We have Passover behind us and we are ready to dive back into daily ideas.
Today’s idea is to find pictures within scribbles.
Get a blank piece of paper (I use printer paper) and a pencil.
2. Create your frame
Make a square “frame” on your paper (about 4 inches X 4 inches). You can create more then one work of art per page
3. Doodle Away
Take your pencil and draw droopy lines inside the frame that you created. Make as many overlapping lines as you would like until you start to see shapes appear.
4. Add as many lines as you’d like
I didn’t think I had enough lines on my first go around, so I added more.
5. Darken up the images
When you begin to see images “popping” out from the loopy lines go over them with your pencil or a pen to make them darker and allow them to stand out.
6. Finish your art
Use markers or colored pencils to color in any shapes that you’d like to stand out.
Daily Idea #25: Get in the Kitchen
We are coming up on the last days of Passover which means we’ll be offline Wednesday and Thursday.
In honor of the holiday of no yeast/leavening we are making our favorite brownies that we just so happen to make all year round (my daughter is gluten free), however, it works for Passover as well.
We try to include the kids by measuring out the ingredients and having them pour the premeasured ingredients into the bowl. They can hold your hand or even hold the beater to help incorporate the ingredients. And if you are using a whisk, they can take turns mixing while you hold the bowl.
No flour Fudge Brownies Directions:
ingredients—
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. Baking soda
1/2 tsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Vanilla
(optional: chocolate chips)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Crack the eggs into a bowl with the oil. Using a whisk or a electric beater, whisk/beat for at least 2 minutes.
Add in baking soda, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Continue to whip for another 2 minutes.
Add in cocoa powder and sugar and using the whisk or a fork, mix the batter until it is all combined and looks wet (it shouldn’t be very runny but it also shouldn’t be to too thick).
If you want or have chocolate chips, now is the time to incorporate those
Pour the batter into an 8x8 or 6x10 pan and spread as evenly as you can
Bake for 30-40 min until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the brownies comes out clean
Have fun! Enjoy!
Daily Idea #24: Make a Galaxy
I don’t know about you, but I have always been obsessed with space, the stars, the galaxies… Planetariums are one of the coolest school trips, in my humble opinion, because the universe comes directly to you.
NASA has some pretty great DIY things for this time at home.
For example: Make your own galaxy!
For today’s activity, I am attaching the instructions from NASA’s site for you to create it yourself at home HERE
Have fun! Stay Healthy! Stay Home! And bring the galaxy to you!
Daily Idea #23: Dance Party
Well, we’ve been offline for 3 days and while it was nice to not have the onslaught of news its really nice to feel connected again to the outside world.
And on that note, since we’ve also not had electronics (due to the first 2 days of Passover and then Shabbat) my kids and I are itching for some noise that is not us.
So, why not have a dance party! Have google home or Siri or Alexa play freeze dance or create a playlist with 10 songs or so and do it the old fashion way.
Enjoy it, have fun with it, and let that music move you!
Daily Idea #22: Signs for the kitchen
It’s almost Passover! We are trying to cook and get ready for the chag and of course we need our kids to just get out of the kitchen! Well, if you are like me, the one thing I forget every year is to make the “STOP! CHAMETZ” sign.
This year, I’m having my kids make them. My 8 year old will be drawing the octagon and writing the words. My 6 year old will color them in and help my 3 year old hang them up.
If your kids aren’t old enough, make some stop signs yourself. Have them color and help them cut them our and then show your child(ren) where to hang them up.
This will be the last post for this week since we are headed into the 3 day chag (holiday) but we’ll be back on Sunday!
As always, have fun and stay healthy
Daily Idea #21: Car Wash!
No, not an actual car wash… It’s the day before Passover and a few days before Easter but more importantly it’s spring cleaning time! And why not, during the COVID-19 outbreak when we are washing our hands every 15 minutes?
My kids are officially on Spring Break (shhhh… they don’t actually know that) and I am sure that they want nothing more than to get into a bathing suit and play in a pool or the ocean.
So bring the pool to you! Get them into a bathing suit and have them take some of their toys (plastic cars, blocks, big legos… anything that can withstand water and that you don’t mind letting dry out) into the bath with about 2 inches of water and bubbles and have at it. Kids love to help clean and this is a great way to keep them contained while helping out.
Daily Idea #20: Positivity Walk
Welcome to week 4 (or at least week 4 here in CA). I’ll be the first to say it, “it hasn’t been easy!” We are all feeling the distance these past 4 weeks have brought and it’s getting a bit harder as the days go on. So for today, we have a 2 part activity that you can choose to break up over a few days.
Write down some affirmations on sticky notes or notecards.
ex: We are in this together! You can make it through this! Looking forward to the future when we can see you again! We miss you!
Take a walk around the block and either hang your notecards with a bit of tape to a neighbor’s front door or on a pole. Don’t forget to WASH YOUR HANDS when you get back inside and then wipe down your door knob.
Have fun! We are in this together!
Daily Idea #19: Hot or Cold
My kids are one step ahead of me sometimes (and today was a day I totally appreciated it). I was going to post that we should all play the game, “Hot or Cold” for today’s game and they went and started playing that this afternoon!
So for those who don’t remember the rules:
1) Pick an item that will be hid some where in the house by the leader.
2) Everyone who going to search for the item closes their eyes.
3) The leader hides the object and the other players open their eyes.
4) As the players search the space the leader calls out cold (or ice cold and freezing) if the players are no where close to the object and hot (or burning, on fire) if they are close to the object.
5) Whomever finds the object is the next leader and the game repeats.
Daily Idea #18: Snowball Fight!
Even though we are all stuck pretty much indoors (good on ya if you can get out on a bike ride or have a backyard) I feel like I should give everyone a reminder that officially SPRING HAS SPRUNG!
To say good bye to winter let’s have a “snowball fight”! Take a few sheets of paper and crumble them up in to balls. Each person starts off with their own “pile of snowballs”. On the count of 3, have at it. Throw those snowballs, or hoard them all and then do a sneak attack on a sibling or a parent.
Have fun! Enjoy the fact that it’s Friday (if if that is meaningless at the moment) and give each other a hug, since you can still do that with the people with whom you live.
Daily Idea #17: What is it?
According to scientist, when we loose one of our 5 senses the other 4 senses become more fine tuned.
Let’s test it out and see!
You can either get a bandanna to cover your eyes or use the honor system for this game.
Get a paper bag or a pillowcase (or just use a bag that you cannot see through).
Pick out a few different items from your house: a crayon, a plastic bottle, a small tile or game piece, a spoon, etc…
Place them all in the bag and let your children take turns reaching their hand in to guess what they are touching/feeling.
When they have guessed the items correctly, have them pick out their own items for you to guess.
Have fun!
Daily Idea #16: Movie Night
The days are long but the years are short. I know this time at home seems like it is going to last forever but it won’t.
After a long day (and an especially long two+ weeks) have a movie night! As a family pick a movie (we have each person make a suggestion until it’s something we can all agree on— my oldest says, “Monster’s Inc”, everyone else says no. My middle says, “Pinocchio”, everyone else says no. We each take turns until we agree and sometimes it goes on for a while).
Set up pillows and blankets on the floor and/or the couch. Make popcorn. Turn the lights down. Snuggle in for some much needed family bonding.
Daily Idea #15: Long Jump
I have always said that my daughter could power our city with her energy and it seems she has more of it now that we can’t really get out. So for today, I am hoping that we can burn some of this energy with a competition.
1) Tape Lines— Make 5–10 separate lines of tape, each about a foot apart, on your floor or carpet.
2) Label the first one the “start” line
3) Give your kids the following instructions:
Long Jump: See how many lines they can jump over. Have them try and beat their best score each time. Experiment with arm swinging vs. arms behind their backs.
Run ‘n’ Jump: Now let them take a running start and see if they can jump even further!
Long Jump Backwards: Increase the difficulty by performing the tasks jumping backwards.
Hop: How far can they jump on one leg?
Daily Idea #14: How big is it?
I don’t know about you, but when the tape measure comes out in our house the kids want to measure EVERYTHING in site— themselves, the table, their beds, literally everything. Sometimes we allow it; other times we tell them to measure those items in a different way.
How? You may ask. Have your child use their feet to figure out how big a space is. By putting one foot directly in front of the other, have them walk across their bedroom or the dining room or even the whole length of the house and count how many steps they take. Compare your answers with others in your house to see the difference in measurements.
You can also use hands to measure things like their bed or the dining room table by placing your right hand with your palm at the end of one side of the table and then setting up the base of your palm on the left hand at the right hand fingertips. Continue this process across the surface to the other end. Count how many times you move your hands just like you did with your feet. Compare answers with others in the family to gauge how big or small our feet and hands are.
Daily Idea #13: Towers
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! There may not be shopping deals (for those who get that reference) but to me Sunday is a day that the kids can really make a mess. There’s no zoom classes, no worries about timing, and we feel more free.
So for today, let’s build some towers! Use products that you have in the house (toilet paper rolls— I hope you have some left, paper towel rolls— we are down to our last 2, a deck of cards…) Work together and see how big you can you make the tower. Try making towers with different products— but be creative; don’t just use blocks.
Daily Idea #12: Fashion Show
It’s Friday! It is Friday, right??? We’ve almost made it through another week!
It’s been stressful; it may have been full of yelling; it’s potentially been full of energy with no place to let it out. So today is all about having fun with your child(ren).
Let your child(ren) dress you; have them pick out a few outfits for themselves as well. When you are all ready, walk that runway. Make an area in your house/apt/condo into a space to show off your outfit and have your child(ren) explain to everyone else in the room what your outfit is made up of.
Come back later and see some pictures from our fashion show or even send us some shots from yours!
Daily Idea #11: Interview
Do you really know your child(ren)? Interview them! Find out what they love. These are the little people whom you influence the most and their answers may surprise you.
If you need help with some interview questions, head over to Our Village Page for an interview sheet.
Daily Idea #10: Story Time
Ever wonder what your kids are thinking about? Or maybe what happens in their imaginations? Have them tell you a story!
Start by gathering 5 objects from around the house (ones that don’t relate to each other— a hairbrush, a napkin, a stuffed animal, a pair of socks, and a spoon for example).
First, each child gets to pick an item and use it in a non traditional manner. Take turns seeing how many ways you can “use” your object.
Next, work together and create a story connecting those items in their unique way.
Have fun, enjoy hearing what your kids have to say, and if you are really into the story, try acting it out!
Daily Idea #9: Figure Skating
Clear an area on your floor; whether you have hardwood floors or carpet shouldn’t matter (you can even “rope” off an actual “rink” if you’d like), Grab a hat and mittens, and pretend you’re gliding across the ice. There’s several fun ways to make it feel as real as possible:
Use dryer sheets (tape them to the soles of your shoes or slippers)— they provide just the right amount of slide and won’t scratch your floors!
Use paper plates— Simply grab 2 paper plates, step on them with bare feet (they’ll “stick” better) and then slide away.
Mittens— Put a pair of wool-like mittens on your feet (kids think this is pretty silly which adds to the fun)
Wax Paper— Construct wax paper booties using string or tape
Tissue Boxes— Save old tissue boxes and kids can simply place their feet through the opening!
Idea #8: Hand Popping
We are officially one week into this new normal of schooling at home. I hope you are all surviving! We are going to work on some “3-D” arts and crafts for today’s idea.
Have you ever tried to make your hand look like it was popping off the page? Well, it’s really quite simple.
1) outline your hand (or your child’s hand)
2) pick out your colors (we went with rainbow pattern)
3) start near where your wrist meets your palm and with each color make an arch from one side of the outline to the other side
4) repeat with each color following the arch all the way up through the fingers.
5) to really make it pop draw small lines (2ish cm) on the outside of the outline of the hand matching up with each color of the arches
Check out the picture galaxy to see our step by step pictures.
Idea #7: Spa Day
Happy Sunday! Since we don’t have classes and work meetings today, I thought Spa Day would be a great activity for us all to do. Let your kids set up an area (outside if possible) with your hairbrush or comb, hair ties, nail polish, lotion, maybe even a bucket of warm water for you to put your feet into. Let them pamper you!
Get a new hairstyle, get your nails done, let them give you a foot massage or hand massage and then post pictures to show us all your childrens’ creations!