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Our Day of Free Fun

Because we are on a limited budget, it sometimes takes a bit of creativity to have low-cost fun, and free is even better. Today was a good summer day in the free department for the kids. After an early morning dentist appointment (free, but not necessarily fun), we headed over to our local library for their Tuesday morning program. Today, the kids got to make their own bubble solution and wands and also experience making giant bubbles. We went home with the wands and a recipe to make our own giant bubble solution. We took advantage of the trip to … Continue reading →

Preventing Summer Brain Drain

The school year is winding down for millions of students across the country, and while most kids are thrilled to be getting a much needed break from studying, some parents are hoping that summer vacation doesn’t lead to brain drain. Summer learning loss is nothing new; however, it is avoidable. While most parents think summer school is the key to keeping their kids at the head of the class, there are a slew of other activities that can help preserve lessons learned in the course of an academic year. My daughter would rather give up TV and eat nothing but … Continue reading →

End of the Year Fun

My daughter recently came home with a list of end-of-the-year activities that she and her classmates will be participating in before school lets out for the summer. I still marvel at the rate at which this academic year flew by. Soon I will be back in charge of entertaining my 6-year-old on a daily basis. Of course, there’s still a month or so left of school, and my daughter is thrilled that she will be participating in the following fun (and educational) activities: Letter Writing Doesn’t seem too exciting, right? Fortunately, my daughter’s teacher is extremely creative and loves to … Continue reading →

Pritikin Longevity Center and Spa

Before we begin, let me start off by saying that I am not affiliated with Pritikin nor is this a review nor was I compensated for writing this post. This information was relayed to me and I thought it may be of interest to some readers. I have never been to the Pritikin longevity center nor have I followed the Pritikin diet. Given this information I looked into it with an open mind and thought it sounded like a wonderful place to go on vacation. If only, this were a review where I could tell you of the wonderful time … Continue reading →

End of the Summer Fun

Public school kids in our area head back to class on Wednesday. The first day of September seems to be an appropriate time to kick off the new academic year. Meanwhile, my Catholic-schooled daughter has been back in class for more than a week. Honestly, it pains me to drop her off at school each morning when the weather is gorgeous and I see other kids riding their bikes to the park or heading to the pool… but that’s fodder for another blog. If you are looking for ways to make the most of your child’s last days of summer … Continue reading →

Fun at the Library

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In my opinion, one of the biggest challenges of being a stay at home dad is finding enough fun activities to keep your little one (and you) entertained. Trendy places like Gymboree may be the latest craze, but they are also very expensive. Museums and zoos will occasionally offer discounts, but even those locales are not enough of a bargain to be considered for frequent visits. Lily and I both love to go to the park and spend time outdoors, but we live in Georgia; so I don’t have to tell you how hot it gets down here. After all, … Continue reading →

Springtime Fun in the Great Outdoors

After two days of near 70-degree temps, reality hit, and our sleepy Wisconsin city got slammed with six inches of snow last week. Fortunately, the snow only stuck around for a couple days. Unfortunately, we got dumped on during my young daughter’s spring break from school. Despite the crazy weather pattern (a.k.a. spring in Wisconsin), we managed to salvage spring break with a few outdoor adventures that got my daughter itching for summer vacation. Spring has sprung in most states, and if you are looking for ways to take advantage of the seasonal temps with your kids, then consider the … Continue reading →

Make Learning Fun for Toddlers

With older kids back in school, now is a great time to bond with your toddler. However, instead of simply reading books or singing songs, mix-up your routine by adding these fun and educational activities that your toddler will love to play over and over: EGG MATCH Materials: 12 plastic Easter eggs Glue Egg carton Directions: Use leftover plastic eggs from Easter (about one dozen) making sure that you have at least five different colors. Glue or tape the two parts of each egg together. Encourage your child to sort the eggs by color and place them into the carton. … Continue reading →

Easy and Affordable End-of-Summer Activities for Preschoolers

The days of swimming until sunset, twilight marshmallow roasts, and flexible bedtimes are coming to a rapid end for many preschoolers (including my own). In our home the carefree days of summer will soon be replaced by structured school routines, but not before one last blast of pure preschool fun. The following are some of my daughter’s favorite activities, which we plan to partake in this week: HOMEMADE CANDY JEWELRY Materials: Your child’s favorite treats that can be strung on pieces of red or black licorice, such as Lifesavers, Gummi Rings, chocolate covered pretzels, Cheerios, etc. Directions: Measure the licorice … Continue reading →

Ways to Have Fun in the Sun with Your Toddler

Don’t let the calendar put a damper on your summer fun. Sure, there’s only a couple weeks left until Labor Day, but that doesn’t mean you have to head indoors right now. Instead, make the most of the gorgeous summer weather by partaking in educational games with your toddler outside. Here are a few to get you started: SAND DOUGH Take some Play-Doh outside and let your child have fun with it in the sand box. He’ll love feeling the texture of the dough once the sand has been incorporated into it. Use words to describe how it feels and … Continue reading →