You might be wondering …
What should I do
with my kids today?!
Daily Idea #66: Appreciate the Unnoticeable Things
Now that we have looked into ourselves over the last few days to strengthen our mental and emotional core, we should look outward to those who help us in our daily lives.
There are people who come into our inner sphere who we automatically notice like our family and our friends. But there are also people who we encounter everyday that sometimes go unnoticed: the mail carrier or the store clerk for example. During these trying times these people have been a constant; they continue to work and help their communities and deserve to be noticed.
For today, make a thank you card. Color a picture, write a note of thanks, or just have a simple thank you on a card. Give it or leave it for the person or people you would like to thank. We will be making a thank you note for our mail carrier so we will leave ours in the mailbox for the person when they drop off our mail. But if you plan to go to the store, give it to the cashier or maybe the person stocking the shelves.
And for all of you who joined OURONLINEVILLAGE: THANK YOU!
Daily Idea #65: Face Your Fears
Forget that we are going on almost 4 months of social distancing, it’s been a trying few days and we are all feeling various different emotions. My own personal range of emotions has been sadness, anxiety, anger, (some joy in watching my kids just be kids), and fear.
To quell some of these, today I am writing down with my children all the things that have made us angry, or anxious, or fearful and getting rid of them.
ACTIVITY:
Make a list of all the things that have altered our emotions negatively over the last few days, weeks, or months. Spend sometime discussing why these emotions come up. When you are finished, let your children rip them up. Take the paper and rip it to smithereens. Make confetti out of your fears and anxieties.
Then look back at the previous 2 days’ of activities to remember what brings joy and when those negative emotions start to take over, remind yourself of how to control them and not let them control you.
Daily Idea #64: In My Heart
Trying to find the things you love when the world seems to be falling apart around you is difficult. Our children may or may not know what is going on outside their doors but they can feel our stress. We all need to time to reflect on the things that bring us joy in order to project our own happiness onto others. Today, we are literally going to fill our hearts with the things we love.
Start by drawing a large heart on a blank piece of paper. Write down 10-20 things you love (or help your child write their ideas if they need help). For each of those things you have written down find a place in the heart for it. Section out the heart for each of your things you love. Finally, color each section a different color.
Daily Idea #63: In My Control
I don’t know about you, but over the last few days I have been feeling like everything is out of my control; it’s been difficult to get some perspective back.
I found this exercise to be extremely helpful (even as an adult) to help understand what is in our own power to control and of what we have to let go.
To begin, make an outline of your hand/your child’s hand. Label inside the hand, “What I Can Control”, and the space outside of the hand, “Out of My Control”.
Once you have that completed, start naming some things that are out of our control and write them outside of the hand. When that space is full, list things that are in our control and put them inside the hand.
It makes for a nice visual to understand how our actions and feelings are things that we have power over versus the outside world. You can then discuss how one effects the other.
Daily Idea #62: Breathe
Today is a day we all need to breathe. Some good deep in and out breaths. In order to do this we are making bubbles (since we can’t get a store or even are able to go out today).
To make your own bubbles, here’s what you need:
1 quart water
3/4 cup of dish soap (Dawn seems to be the best option for this)
1/8 cup cornstarch
Carefully combine the ingredients, stirring slowly and gently so you don’t start making bubbles before you are ready to blow bubbles. Let this sit for 10 min or so.
When ready, you can use a few different ways to blow those bubbles.
1) Dunk your hands into the solution and clasp them together as if you were about clap. When you remove your hands make a small opening near your thumbs and pull you palms apart. Slowly blow into the hole you created and viola!
2) Make homemade wands. If you have pipe cleaners and a small dowel you can make a simple bubble wand by forming a circle with the pipe cleaner and twisting the ends around the dowel. You can even use beads on the pipe cleaner to make it fancy. Dunk and use.
3) Use any bubble wands you may have left over from other bubble solutions.
Use some deep breathing to get some big bubbles and let the kids play as well (we all need to breathe right now).
Daily Idea #61: Name Face
Since we were working on a coat of arms yesterday we decided for today’s activity to bring it closer into the personal sphere. We are making face’s and people with the letters of our name and only the letters of our name. Get creative, make it as intricate or simple as you’d like, and have fun!
Start at the beginning
Here I used the A to make the body
The L’s came next
I used the L to make ears
Then an E and another L
Using the L and E, I started making the face
K and A are used here
To make hair and eyes, the K and A came in handy
The I finishes the body nicely here
Daily Idea #60: Coat of Arms
Yesterday we explored our family tree. Today we are going to create a coat of arms or a family crest. According to www.yourdictionary.com a coat of arms is, “a shield with symbols and figures that represents a family, person, a group, or other organization.”
Using the picture below for ideas, get creative, and put together a coat of arms that represents your family.
Daily Idea #59: Family Tree
Since we can really only be with our immediate families right now, why not learn more about your extended family?
Start with your basic family tree and branch off from there. Call your grandparents to interview them about their grandparents and their aunts, uncles, and cousins. Call some of your cousins, or your own aunts and uncles; set aside some time to see how far your family tree extends.
Daily Idea #58: Paper Airplanes
Thank you to all those who served the USA to protect our freedoms. This is honor of and memory of you.
PAPER AIRPLANES! Who doesn’t love trying to get their airplane to fly the farthest or glide the longest? I have never been that great at it but with these helpful tips from the Smithsonian Maker Lab, by Jack Challoner, maybe I can make a better paper airplane and actually get it to fly.
Daily Idea #57: Cup Catch
Cup catch can be played inside or outside so if you have the space, get outside and enjoy the fresh air!
You’ll need two plastic cups (red solo, IKEA, hard plastic… just nothing that may break) and a small light weight ball (ping pong, bouncy, you get the point).
Have the players stand about a foot apart from each other. One person uses the cup to toss the ball to the other player. That player then catches the ball (or tries to catch the ball) in their cup. If they are successful, have both players take a step apart. If the ball is dropped have both players take a step towards each other.
Play for as long as you’d like👌
(For one player, try just tossing the ball up in the air with the cup and catching it with the cup. See how many times that can happen in a row)
Daily Idea #56: Chores
It’s Friday! In our house that means that it’s cleaning day and since everyone is responsible for helping around the house, this means everyone is involved in some way, shape, or form.
There are a few ways you can turn cleaning in a game; I am going to give you two ideas with which to have fun.
1) Turn matching putting away socks into a game of HORSE
Have your child find all of their own matching socks. Show them how to roll them up and fold them together. Once they have their pairs matched get the game started.
Open the sock drawer (or, as in our house, get their sock/underwear basket out), set a spot from where they can shoot, and have them try to make the shot in the drawer or basket. For every shot they miss they get a letter (H-O-R-S-E). Whomever gets all their socks in before finishing the word HORSE wins.
2) Sweep it up
In two separate rooms set up a 4inX4in square with painters tape or masking tape (this is not a necessity but it helps keeping the pile or dust/dirt together for little kids).
Challenge your “players” to sweep their assigned room and see who can get the most dust/dirt into their square.
Alternatively, if you don’t have many floors to sweep and instead need to use a vacuum, start with an empty vacuum and have each child vacuum their assigned room. When they are finished mark the outside of the vacuum with a piece of tape to the line where it got filled. Empty the vacuum in between each child’s turn and whomever has the highest tape mark wins.
Daily Idea #55: Picnic
Making ordinary events exciting really only takes changing one thing about them. We have been going through such a monotonous few months and I’m not even sure what day it is most of the time. I’m changing it up a bit, so for today, make a meal exciting by turning it into a picnic. Take everything you have for lunch or dinner and eat it away from the table. Employ everyones help and set up a blanket in the back yard or in the living room. Get the plates, utensils, cups, etc… on the blanket and enjoy something different today.
Daily Idea #54: What is It?
Before the days of iPads, one of the things we used to do while waiting for a table at a restaurant or at a doctor’s office or anywhere really was to have one person “draw” (with their finger) a shape or a letter on someone’s back and the “someone” had to guess what was drawn.
This version takes it up a notch.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Take two pieces of paper.
Person A gets one piece and person B gets the second piece.
Person A places the paper on person B’s back and person B places their paper on the table or wall in front of them.
With a thick marker, person A draws a shape on the paper of person B’s back. Person B takes their marker and draws the shape they think was made on their paper.
Continue with one shape at a time with the intention of making a simple picture— a frog, a stick figure, a rainbow with clouds, a bird, etc… When your picture is finished compare the two!
Daily Idea #53: Knock, Knock…
Dad jokes, kid jokes, whatever you want to call them, are cheesy but oh so much fun! Here are some of the best that I’ve rounded up to make each other giggle. Tell some to your kids; if they can read, have them tell some to you. Just have fun!
KIDS JOKES ABOUT ANIMALS
Q: What kind of key can never unlock a door?
A: A monkey
Q: What do you call a pig that knows karate?
A: Pork Chop
Q: What is the smartest kind of bee?
A: A spelling bee
Q: What goes tick-tock and woof-woof?
A: A watchdog
Q: What do you call a monkey that loves potato chips?
A: A chipmonk
Q: Where does a polar bear keep his money?
A: a snow bank.
Q: What is a frog’s favorite restaurant?
A: iHop
Q: What is a crocodile’s favorite drink?
A: Gator-ade
Q: Why do bees have sticky hair?
A: They use a honey comb
KIDS JOKES ABOUT FOOD
Q: What do you call cheese that is not yours?
A: Nacho cheese
Q: What do you call fake noodles?
A: An Im-pasta
Q: Why did the girl throw a stick of butter?
A: She wanted to see a butter fly
Q: Want me to tell you a joke about pizza?
A: Nevermind, its too cheesy.
Q: What did one egg say to the other?
A: You crack me up.
Q: What kind of nut has no shell?
A: A doughnut.
Q: What are the two things you can’t have for breakfast?
A: Lunch and dinner.
Q: What do you give a sick lemon?
A: Lemon aid.
Knock-Knock Jokes for Kids
Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
Cow says.
Cow says who?
NOOOOOO! A cow says moo!
Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
Boo.
Boo who?
Don’t cry, its only a joke!
Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
Interrupting cow.
Interrupting cow….mooooo.
Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
Atch.
Atch who?
Bless you.
Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
A little old lady.
A little old lady who?
I didn’t know that you could yodel.
Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
Figs.
Figs who?
Fix the doorbell, it’s broken!
Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
Lettuce.
Lettuce who?
Lettuce in.
Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
Honey bee.
Honey bee who?
Honey, be a dear and make me a sandwich!
Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
Ice cream.
Ice cream who?
Ice cream if you don’t let me in!
Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
Pecan.
Pecan who?
Pecan on someone your own size.
Knock Knock.
Who’s there?
A broken pencil.
Broken pencil who?
Nevermind, it’s pointless.
More Jokes for Kids
Q: Why do graveyards have a fence around them?
A: Because people are dying to get in.
Q: What did one eye say to the other?
A: Between you and me something smells.
Q: How does the ocean say hello?
A: It waves
Q: Why can’t you let Elsa watch your pet?
A: Because she will let it go
Q: Why is a baseball stadium always cool?
A: It is full of fans
Q: What did one toilet say to the other toilet?
A: You look flushed
Q: Why don’t dinosaurs eat clowns?
A: Because they taste funny
Q: What kind of shoes to ninjas wear?
A: Sneakers
Q: Why did the golfer wear two pairs of pants?
A: In case he got a hole in one.
Q: What kinds of money do mermaids use?
A: Sand dollars.
Q: Why did Mozart sell his chickens?
A: They kept saying, “Bach, Bach, Bach.”
Q: What is a cat’s favorite color?
A: PURRRR-ple.
Q: What kind of tree can fit into your hand?
A: A palm tree!
Q: How can you tell that a tree is a dogwood tree?
A: By its bark!
Q: How do you get a tissue to dance?
A: You put a little boogie in it
Q: Why did they quit giving tests at the zoo?
A: Because it was full of cheetahs
Q: Where do polar bears keep their money?
A: A snow bank.
Q: What room can no one enter?
A: A mushroom
Daily Idea #52: Cup Tower
Remember those cups you used yesterday for bowling? Well, today you can use them to build towers and pyramids.
Make a pyramid and see how many levels high you can get! Or try different ways to make a tower! Super easy, super fun 👌
As always, enjoy! Have fun!
Daily Idea #51: Bowling
If you can’t get to a bowling alley, bring the bowling alley to you!
Red Solo cups or something similar make great “pins” and a roll of socks or a whiffle ball make a perfect indoor bowling ball.
Set up your cups in a ten pin fashion (or you could go the boardwalk game route and set them up vertically in a pyramid). Have your child stand a few feet away from the pins and start bowling.
Daily Idea #50: Travel the 50 States
In honor of this being the 50th Daily Idea, today’s activity is to travel the 50 states of America; see places you may have never seen or revisit places you may have visited before. I discovered this link on Pinterest and found it to be really quite spectacular. In each state there are a few videos to watch and some of them even have a “choose your own adventure” type format which makes it even more entertaining.
Click here to travel to the 50 states and enjoy your Staycation!
Daily Idea #49: “Laser” Maze
Do you have a hallway? If not, use a doorway for an easier challenge.
Do you have painter’s tape, masking tape, crepe paper, or string? Use any of these items to create a zigzag of lines in your hallway/doorway for your kids to climb through.
Challenge them to find different pathways or even have them set up a laser maze for you to try and get through.
Daily Idea #48: Story Time
If you have ever heard your child tell a story you know how it can go off a tangent and never really get back on track. Well, with this activity the whole point is let the story go wherever your children take it. You can help them keep the tale going in a certain direction or let them just be silly and wherever the story goes, it goes.
Start by giving a sentence to set the scene. Have the first child add 2 minutes worth of their own ideas to the story. Then let the next child add another 2 minutes to the story. Keep it going by taking turns adding another 2 minutes from each person for as long as you’d like or until there is an end to your saga.
If you are really into, try writing it down so you can retell the story another day or even add to it later.
Daily Idea #47: Collage
There is no wrong way to make a collage. Magazine cut outs, drawings, pictures, words, literally anything you’d like can go into making one.
Have your kids create their own collages today. Give them magazines, or pictures that you had printed out that aren’t in any photo albums. Let them go crazy with colored pencils, markers, crayons, etc… Have them find words that describe themselves or pictures they love. When everything is cut out and arranged on the paper (or the poster, or even a box) glue it all on and let it dry.