Friday Fun: Ideas from SavvyAuntie.com
February 26, 2010 at 17:33 | In ALEX Toys, Family Time, Friday Fun | 1 CommentTags: Family, Friday Fun
We all run out of ideas regarding how to keep the kids busy- especially when you’re inside more than outside during the cold winter months. SavvyAuntie.com has some great ideas for activities with the kids. Here are a few for you to check out:
It is simply easy making ice cream in a plastic bag! Who would have thought ice cream could be so easy to make? And so tasty! The kids will be very excited to try their homemade concoctions.
I think having intimate conversations with your nieces and nephews helps create the strongest bond between them and yourself. But being a friend, sharing and listening to your little nieces and nephews is one thing that makes for a very special aunt.
This is a simple but fun activity that you can enjoy with your nieces and nephews. My nieces and nephews love art projects and they love nature and the outdoors, so this activity was the perfect way to spend our afternoon together.
We took two cardboard toilet paper rolls, stapled them, and then set out to decorate them. You can always decorate the toilet paper rolls before stapling them, but I stapled first to avoid having to ruin any of their designs afterward.
There are all different ways you can decorate your soon-to-be binoculars. You can use crayons or markers to simply just color and design the toilet paper rolls. You can collage your toilet paper rolls using scraps of paper, beads, gems and stickers. Or you can decorate your toilet paper rolls the way my nieces, nephews and I did, which is decoupage. This very simple craft is fun, easy, and the final product is especially exciting. All you need to do is pick up some vibrant, patterned, napkins, Mod Podge and a cheap, small paintbrush – all available at any crafts store, toy store, or party store – and you’re ready to go.
To Decoupage: Take the thin, first layer of the napkin with the patterns printed on it and gently tear it away from the rest of the napkin. Coat your toilet paper rolls with Mod Podge using a small brush and carefully paste on the piece of napkin. Now take your brush and paint over the napkin with more Mod Podge and let it dry.
Now that you have your decorated toilet paper rolls, poke two holes in each of the sides, with a hole puncher, and thread through some string so that the kids can wear the binoculars around their necks.
After we made our toilet paper binoculars, we went outside to the park and went bird and nature watching with our nifty creations. The kids loved their binoculars so much, they wanted to sit outside all day calling out the different birds, trees, and clouds they spotted!
What child doesn’t love cookies? Next visit, bake cookies with the kids. If you’re not much of a baker yourself, you can purchase ready-to-bake cookie rolls, or bring along a bag of chocolate chips with the recipe on the bag. If you are a baker, well now’s a great time to teach the kids how to make cookies from scratch. When cookie cutters are part of the process, let the kids pick their favorite shape and decorate the cookies themselves with jimmies, sprinkles, icing and little baking chips. What’s the only thing better than baking cookies with your nieces and nephews? Eating them!
More ideas like these can be found on SavvyAuntie.com
SavvyAuntie.com is the first and only community for Aunts: Aunties by Relation (ABR), Aunties by Choice (ABC), Mommy Aunties, Great Aunts, Godmothers, and all women who love kids. SavvyAuntie.com enables and empowers Aunts to exchange ideas, get advice, find gifts and connect with other Savvy Aunties.
To Grandmother’s House We Go!
February 22, 2010 at 17:41 | In ALEX Toys, Ask Nurit, Family Time | Leave a CommentTags: ALEX Toys, Ask Nurit
Dear Nurit,
My children love to spend time at grandma and grandpa’s house, but their home is anything but child friendly. I spend our whole visits fretting about them potentially knocking over an expensive vase or breaking the crystal candy dishes. My parents love their grandchildren but also enjoy having nice things. How can I make their visits more fun and less worrisome?
Full of love? Yes. Child-friendly? No.
Great question! Children will often find themselves in a home or environment that isn’t set up to accommodate them. If it is a place
they visit often, such as the home of a close family member, it’s wise
to establish an agreement with the home owner before the next interaction.
Call grandma and grandpa and express your concerns. Ask which rooms are off limits to the children and which area of the home your kids can play in during family gatherings. Pack a few simple toys, crayons, paper, and non-messy snacks when you visit. If your children are preschool-aged or older, explain to them that they need to walk, not run and how to ask before touching something.
Weather permitting, try to keep the children outside. If they burn off energy outside, they’ll be less likely to attempt to juggle the candy dishes.
Have fun!
*photo from townandcountrymag.com
Friday Fun: Classic Children’s Books
February 19, 2010 at 18:20 | In ALEX Toys, Family Time, Friday Fun | Leave a CommentTags: ALEX Toys, Friday Fun
Happy Reading!
The weekend is the perfect time to take it easy and enjoy a good book with your family. While there is no shortage of wonderful new books for children, here are a few classics that your kids are sure to
enjoy. These literary gems have stood the test of time and have been delighting lovers of the written word for years.
Visit your local library, make some hot cocoa, and enjoy some read-aloud time.
1. Pooh’s Library by A. A. Milne
2. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
3. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
4. Sarah, Plain & Tall by Patricia MacLachan
5. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
6. The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
7. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
8. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
9. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, William Nicholson
10. The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
*photo learningsupport.co.uk
Ask Nurit: Reaching Olympic Gold
February 15, 2010 at 17:38 | In ALEX Toys, Family Time | Leave a CommentTags: ALEX Toys, Ask Nurit
Dear Nurit,
My family and I have been watching the Winter Olympics with our two children and have been really enjoying seeing peak athletes enjoy the fruit of their labor. It’s very tempting to look at my own kids who are involved in sports and wonder if they’ll ever experience an Olympic gold moment! I read last week’s Ask Nurit about keeping reading fun rather than pushing young children before they’re ready, does this apply to creating athletic champions? How do I balance wanting my pre-teens to reach their full potential and allowing kids to be kids?
This is a great question. It is inspiring to watch speed skaters whiz past the cameras and skiers fly through the air with their parents (and entire country) cheering from the sidelines. Make sure it inspires you to help your children reach their dreams, not yours. If your kids have a passion for a sport or art, encourage them and let them take it as far as they want to, within reason of course. Know your child well enough so that you can help them push past obstacles and keep their commitments. Reaching for the gold isn’t only about earning medals, it’s about being the best version of yourself. Let’s be sure to pass that on to the generations to come.
photo from MSNBC.com
Friday Fun: Enjoying Weekends In
February 5, 2010 at 16:13 | In ALEX Toys, Family Time, Friday Fun | Leave a CommentTags: ALEX Toys, Friday Fun
Whether it’s too cold to go out or you just want to enjoy a night in with family, staying home can be more fun than you’d think! Cozy evenings spent at home with those you love can create some of the most cherished memories and hilarious moments you’ll ever experience.
Here are four ways to create cold winter nights that will warm your heart from the inside out.
1. ‘Smores: Chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers are the only ingredients you will need. The marshmallows don’t have to be toasted over an open flame. If you don’t have a fireplace, use your microwave or oven. Enjoy them over silly stories.
Everybody wins!
2. Board Games: Clear a place on the living room floor and bring out a board game that even the youngest members of your family can enjoy.
3. Hide and Seek: A spooky game of hide & seek in a dimly lit house will incite lots of delightful shrieks! Just make sure your younger family members hide and seek with an older sibling or a parent.
4. Inside Camping: Assemble a clean tent or use bedsheets to make a makeshift fort for your little ones to sleep in overnight. Use a flashlight to make wall hand puppets and read bedtime stories with.
Spring and summer will be here before we know it. Enjoy how the cold weather months can really bring your family together.
*Photo from Countryliving.com
Friday Fun: Chocolate Covered Strawberries
January 29, 2010 at 15:51 | In ALEX Toys, Family Time, Friday Fun, Holidays | Leave a CommentTags: ALEX Toys, Friday Fun, Family
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! With about two weeks until the big day, now is the perfect time to start thinking about how you’d like to celebrate with your children.
The final product!
Chocolate covered strawberries are an easy, fun, and delicious way to enjoy February 14th with your youngest Valentines. Try the simple recipe below! If you can’t get strawberries in the winter, try dipping marshmallows, pretzels…whatever sounds good to you!
What you need:
12oz good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons of butter
1 quart of strawberries
Line two baking sheets with wax paper. Wash and dry your strawberries making sure they are free of all water. Leave the stems on as they’ll be the perfect handle for dipping time. Place your chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on 50% power for 60 seconds. Repeat in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until completely melted.
Dip the strawberries, one at a time. Lay strawberries flat on the baking sheet until the chocolate is cool and hard.
Share with someone you care about.
*Little hands will enjoy patting the washed strawberries dry. Be careful with small children and hot chocolate.
Contest! Enter to win a ALEX Hearts & Crafts kit complete with everything you’ll need to make Valentine’s Day special. Go to the Facebook Fan page to enter: http://www.facebook.com/ALEXtoys
photo from ifood.tv
Ask Nurit: Boys & Crafts
January 21, 2010 at 11:44 | In ALEX Toys, Ask Nurit, Family Time | 1 CommentTags: ALEX Toys, Ask Nurit
Dear Nurit,
It seems as if most crafting websites and groups are geared towards girls. I have a very enthusiastic crafting son who has had enough of the pink and purple themed crafting supplies. Do you have any suggestions?
Both girls and boys love crafts and understandably so! Some people think that creating art with one’s hands is a feminine art, but I don’t agree. Just as many boys like to participate which is why ALEX Toys carries many different gender-neutral crafting kits. Below is just a sampling. Enjoy!
Read All About Me Activity Book
*photo by Jean Allsopp of myhomeideas.com
5 Reasons to Start Crafting Now
January 15, 2010 at 15:18 | In ALEX Toys, Family Time, Friday Fun | Leave a CommentTags: ALEX Toys, Friday Fun, Crafts
5. Spending time crafting with your child encourages him or her to open up and talk to you.
4. You’re creating memories and keepsakes at the same time.
3. Children are naturally creative. Crafting encourages them to express themselves.
2. Quell sibling rivalries by helping them create a communal piece of art.
1. While your child is creating something wonderful you’ll never hear, “I’m bored!”
*photo from activityvillage.co.u
Ask Nurit: Sharing is Caring
January 11, 2010 at 13:05 | In ALEX Toys, Ask Nurit, Family Time, Little Hands | Leave a CommentTags: ALEX Toys, Ask Nurit
Dear Nurit,
I have two children 2 and 5. They usually play quite well together but as my youngest has grown in awareness she’s become somewhat grabby with communal toys. My 5 year-old is being as gracious as his age level allows him to be but I can tell he’s getting frustrated. How can I help my toddler learn to share?
Sharing is a developmental process that comes with time, patience, and guidance. Here are a few tips that will make learning to share less stressful for everyone.
1. Before play time or playdates, prepare your child for sharing situations. Role play at home how they should ask for a toy a friend is playing with and how to wait if the answer is, “No.”
2. Communicate with your child that grabbing toys from other children is not acceptable. Gently return the toy back to the child playing with it.
3. If your child has a tantrum or breakdown over a toy remove him from the situation calmly until peaceful play can be resumed
4. Expect a young toddler to behave like a young toddler. Set age appropriate expectations and share them with older children in the home.
ALEX in the Delta Airlines Gift Guide
December 16, 2009 at 09:25 | In ALEX Toys, Family Time, Holidays, Media | Leave a CommentTags: ALEX Toys, Crafts, Family
We were so pleased to see that the Deluxe Pottery Wheel by ALEX made it into the Delta Airlines Holiday Gift Guide!
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