Fun Christmas Games for Kids

Posted by: Adriana

Christmas is a time for festivities.  There are so many different ways to entertain children during the holiday season. Fun Christmas games for kids are available in a variety of different formats to keep children entertained. These games can be played on computers or they can be played at parties or during a child’s leisure time. The whole point of Christmas games is to get the child into Christmas spirit. There are a variety of resources available for those that are looking for ways to entertain children throughout the holiday season. Many of these games are either free or do not require a steep investment.

Anyone that is interested in hosting a Christmas party for children should consider looking into a variety of different Christmas games for kids. Children love to be entertained and what better way than with a festive holiday game. It is very easy to take common games that children play on everyday basis and give them a Christmas theme. For example, children will enjoy having a Christmas scavenger hunt. Basically, items with a Christmas theme such is ornaments, candy canes, Christmas trees and stockings can be strategically placed in a children can be given a list of all the items that they have to find. The first child or group of children to find all of the items will win a present. Another interesting game that is played by children all the time that can be given a Christmas theme is a relay race. A Christmas gift wrap relay race if a fun variation on a traditional relay race. Children are divided into two teams and each team is given a box, pre-cut wrapping paper, ribbon and tape.  The goal is for each child to wrap the box as a present. The first team where each child has gifted wrapped the box wins. These are just two examples of common games that can be given a Christmas theme.

All kids love computers, and there are a number of Christmas games for kids that can be found throughout the Internet. There is no cost to play these games and many of them are very easy to understand so even little children can play them. Most of these games are very interactive and feature Christmas songs in certain themes such as helping Santa fill his sleigh or helping Rudolph navigate through the sky. The combination of the Christmas music and game itself is sure to keep children well occupied for some time. There are many websites for children that feature holiday games so there should be no difficulty in finding some to keep children busy.

Keeping children entertained during the holiday season is not difficult at all.  There are a number of games that can be created with a Christmas theme to play at home, in a classroom or at parties. Likewise, the Internet offers a smorgasbord of online Christmas games at varying levels that children can play in their leisure time. Fun games are great way to put children into Christmas spirit.

Family Movies

Posted by: Adriana

Everybody needs a family fun night, where all the family can gather together and spend some quality time together. Try this tonight: have everyone help cook dinner, then grab a family-friendly movie and gather around the television for some relaxation. Movie night is a great time to pair fun with teaching good life lessons to your kids. Try out these movies for a lot of laughs and messages about the importance of environmental awareness, history, and the power of families.

Wall-E

This Pixar movie about a robot who cleans up Earth leads us on a whirlwind journey through space. Kids will love this animated adventure and adults will get the chance to talk to their kids about the importance of taking care of the planet and ourselves. Wall-E is a great feature film for family fun night because of its message of environmental awareness and because Wall-E is just that adorable. Rated G. 98 minutes long.

Night at the Museum

This story brings a museum to life at night, in an action-filled exploration of the Museum of Natural History in New York. Kids — and probably most parents — will get a lesson about history intertwined with a hilarious romp through a magical world brought to life on the big screen. A story about the power of imagination, Night at the Museum will capture the minds of child and adult alike. Rated PG. 108 minutes long.

And if you’re looking for a double feature, you can always check out the sequel, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, for a look at another of the great American museums, The Smithsonian in Washington D.C.

Up

Another Pixar movie, Up tells the story of a balloon salesman who heads off on an adventure when his house floats away after he attaches thousands of balloons to the roof. Kids will like the over-the-top events and lovable characters, while parents will love the heart and message about finding family where you can. Rated PG. 96 minutes long.

The Wizard of Oz

A classic with something for everyone, The Wizard of Oz is the perfect family feature film. It’s a story about finding home, and the love and safety of being with family. Whether you’re watching for the songs (“Over the Rainbow”) or to see the Cowardly Lion find his courage, gather around the television and share this piece of cinema history with the whole family. Rated G. 101 minutes long.

Grab the family, make some dinner, and settle down for a feature film tonight. If you’re looking to learn a little history, try out Night at the Museum. If the “green” bug has got you, grab Wall-E
and cheer him on in cleaning up the Earth. And, since family fun night is all about family, sit down with Up or pick up the classic The Wizard of Oz
to reinforce those values of love and respect that come with having a close-knit family.

Painting On Rocks For kids

Posted by: Adriana

If you’re looking for a fun, cheap activity for kids, it’s time to try out painting on rocks. This activity is a great natural art form, where the canvas can come from anywhere and changes based on which rock you decide to use. You’ll learn how to choose a rock, what materials to use, and some helpful tips for making your masterpiece. By the time you’re done reading this article, you’ll be ready to get your kids painting on rocks like pros.

Choosing your rock

You can find rocks anywhere. Keep an eye out around your house. Or if you really want to, you can purchase them online. The best rocks are smooth, with a solid surface. River rocks work well. Ones with lots of holes, like pumice stone, don’t work well because the paint gets soaked up. Finding the right rock is half the fun. Take your kids out and hunt for rocks and have them search for the right rock for their project. Collect lots of rocks and play around.

Start with small rocks. They take less material and time to paint, and the kids can paint multiple rocks and make one big painting of all the rocks.

Collecting your supplies

The basics your kids will need: some rocks, a cup of water, some brushes, some acrylic paints, and some newspaper to work on. Acrylic paints work best because of their quick drying time. Look for synthetic brushes because they better weather the toughness of the rocks. When the kids are ready to get more involved with painting on rocks, you can get a painter’s palette, some more paints and better brushes.

A few helpful hints

* Rocks are great for kids to paint on, because you can’t mess them up. If something goes wrong, kids can just paint over the mistake or wipe away the paint before it dries. Or they can just throw away that rock and pick up another one.

• Clean off the rocks before they start. A nice, clean rock is the best canvas.
• Let them mix and match the paints however they like. Don’t let paint dry all over the brushes; clean them up in your cup of water.
• A paper plate or the lid from a sour cream container works as an artist’s palette for mixing paints.
• Use some old clothes for painting it. This lets the kids focus on painting and saves expensive dry cleaning bills!
• Have fun with the kids. If you get involved searching for rocks and painting along with the kids, it can be a great bonding experience.

Once you get your kids started out painting on rocks, they’ll be hooked on this natural art form. With a little investment in the painting supplies and a few adventures out hunting for rocks, they’ll be creating masterpieces in no time at all. Once they’re ready to move on, you can start looking around for some books that detail specific techniques for moving from a beginning rock painting student to a skilled rock artist.

Thursday Thinker Answer – So Many Trading Cards

Posted by: Adriana

Here is the answer to yesterday’s Thursday Thinker.  The first thought of many kids is that if Steven gave Sue 10 cards then she would have 10 more cards than he does.  But, let’s check that out.

Suppose that they each have 20 cards.  If Steven gives Sue 10 cards then Sue has 30 and Steve now has 10.  That means that Sue has 20 more cards than Steve.  For each one card that Steve gives Sue he total goes up by one and his goes down by one.

So, Steve if Steve gave Sue 5 baseball cards she would have 10 more then Steve.

Thursday Thinker – So Many Trading Cards

Posted by: Adriana

Steven and Sue collect baseball cards and they happen to have the exact same amount.  How many cards would Steven have to give to Sue so that she has ten more cards than Steven?