In my recent article “Kids Just Wanna Have Fun” I offered some
ideas to keep your fun hungry kids happy. But, duhhhhh. . .I
forgot the FREE FUN STUFF! Well ya’ know that’s the most
important stuff. I don’t know where my mind was that day! So,
now that I’ve seen the error of my ways, Let me share some more
great activities we sometimes forget about as we get older.
These timeless activities have been around for ages. Things that
we enjoyed as kids are still fun for kids today. Even in an
electronic society!
If you have kids, most likely you have a box of crayons
somewhere. I hate to admit it but I still love to color! Come
on, give it a try no matter how old you are. I have found that
it is contagious. Even if your kids think they are "too old" for
coloring, you will be surprised how quickly they join in when
they see you enjoying it! Go ahead, it works every time.
 Silly putty is another fun activity that we tend to
think we're "too old" for. But the older you get the more
creative ideas you have and the more silly fun you can have. So
come on, get your creative juices flowing.
Hey ladies, and maybe some of you gents too, do you remember
paper dolls? I had almost forgotten they existed until one
Christmas I came across a paper doll kit in a craft store.
Suddenly, I remembered the hours and hours of fun I had playing
with these simple toys. And, they are so much easier to dress
than Barbie. Sorry, Barbie.
There are literally thousands of craft ideas that can keep you
busy for hours or days. Crafts come in all different levels of
difficulty. So find one that suits everyone in the family and
work on it together. Hmmmm, could this mean more conversation
time! Take advantage of these fun times together. Get to know
your kids better.
You can always choose a variety of different level crafts to
suit everyone and work on different crafts all at once. Either
way, you're accomplishing several things at once…...
Children learn through creating.
You'll be keeping that FUN meter up, keeping them from getting
bored.
You'll be saving money on outings by finding creative ways to
have fun at home.
You'll have more "Quality Time" to get to really know your kids!
Need some ideas? Just visit your local craft stores or do a
search online. Check out FamilyFun.com for some super
ideas for having creative fun with the family. You’ll find arts
and crafts, party and game ideas, parenting help, recipes, and
even travel ideas.
If you're into quilting, sewing, knitting,
crocheting........well if you are, you know the possibilities
here. It's not just for "old folks"! Get the kids involved.
There are kits created for these activities. Kits created
specifically to get children interested and having fun doing
these activities.
There are so many wonderful ideas for crafting the possibilities
are mind blowing. One walk around your local craft store and
I’ll bet you can come up with a craft idea for each week of the
year at least if not two or three per week! Take a pen and
paper. I never trust my head to hold everything inside. Seems
most of it leaks out before I get to use it if I don’t write it
down. There so much to take in!
Crafts for painting, sewing, candle making, transfers and art
supplies that personalize items (purses, shirts, bandanas,
jewelry, tote bags ..etc.), drawing, knitting, quilting, doll
making, puzzles, woodworking, scrap booking……..well I could go
on and on. But, best thing for you to do is get on down to that
craft store and get some ideas.
You don’t necessarily have to buy everything you see! Just
get ideas. Keep a notepad of ideas and then remember to look
for arts and crafts supplies in your thrift stores, consignment
shops, and at yard sales.
Oh, and don’t forget to recycle items you might normally trash.
Keeping a good supply of these items will help keep expenses
down. Things like, scraps of fabric, ribbon, paper, egg cartons,
coffee cans (all sizes), Styrofoam (packing pieces or sheets)
wrapping paper scraps, buttons, toilet paper and paper towel
tubes. Don’t throw away anything that you could possibly use in
a craft project. Don’t get carried away though. Never keep more
than you have room to store comfortably.
Seriously people, HAVE FUN WITH YOUR KIDS! They won’t be kids
forever, and believe it or not….You WILL miss them when they’re
all grown up and out the door!
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