Rebecca Green - Banish Boredom: Activities to Do with Kids That Youll Actually Enjoy

Contents

Activities to Do with Kids
That Youll ACTUALLY
Enjoy

chapter 1
Art Projects

Chapter 2
Science Projects

Chapter 3
Sensory Projects

Chapter 4
Outdoor Activities

chapter 5
Field Trips

Art, Craft, and Science Suppliers
Online Suppliers

Banish Boredom
Activities to Do with Kids
That Youll ACTUALLY
Enjoy
Rebecca Green

Copyright 2016 Rebecca Green

Published by Gryphon House, Inc.

P. O. Box 10, Lewisville, NC 27023

800.638.0928; 877.638.7576 (fax)

Visit us on the web at www.gryphonhouse.com.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or technical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States. Every effort has been made to locate copyright and permission information.

Photographs courtesy of Rebecca Green.

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Gryphon House books are available for special premiums and sales promotions as well as for fund-raising use. Special editions or book excerpts also can be created to specifications. For details, call 800.638.0928.

Disclaimer

Gryphon House, Inc., cannot be held responsible for damage, mishap, or injury incurred during the use of or because of activities in this book. Appropriate and reasonable caution and adult supervision of children involved in activities and corresponding to the age and capability of each child involved are recommended at all times. When making choices about allowing children to participate in activities with certain ingredients, make sure to investigate possible toxicity and consider any food allergies or sensitivities. Do not leave children unattended at any time. Observe safety and caution at all times.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The Cataloging-in-Publication Data is registered with the Library of Congress for 978-0-87659-345-5.

Dedication

To Kane and Cameron, my always up for an adventure loves who embrace wholeheartedly the idea of always saying yes and never being bored. To my husband who puts up with my never-ending shenanigans and our creative mess, and exemplifies with gusto the value of hard work and unconditional love. And to my parents, for nurturing creativity and an endless set of interests, and supporting me no matter what.

Introduction

Hello! If youre picking up this book, Im guessing that (like me) you are a parent who has spent some time wondering what you are supposed to do with your children now that they are no longer babies who sleep, coo, or cry most of the day. Now theyre just as cute (most of the time), but they are verbal, mobile, and ready to explore. Youre looking for some activities that will keep them stimulated, contribute to their physical and intellectual growth, and that you can enjoy and participate in as well. It can be a difficult balance!

As a mom of two young children, I have gone through the exact same transition, and I started writing a blog to share how I deal with the challenges. This book is based on my personal experiences and my realization that the best activities parents can share with young children take into account the personalities of both the parent and child. Its incredibly easy to lose yourself and your own identity when you become a parent, and that can especially be a concern if you leave a career outside the home to raise your children as I did. But Ive found that as our kids have grown, the most enjoyable activities we do together started from something that I was interested in myself and then adapted to best fit the developing personalities of each of our children.

I am actually an attorney by education and trade, and for several years I practiced law as an attorney in a so-called big-law firm. But after having our two children, it started to become clear that, for me, I wouldnt be able to be both the attorney and mom that I wanted to be. So I decided to take a break from practicing law and stay at home with our children while they were young.

When my family and I decided that I would stay home full-time, I knew that I needed a plan. So I pulled out all of the old calendars from our kids fabulous day care and tried to put together my own themed monthly plan. And I felt better. But by the second or third day of being a stay-at-home mom (SAHM), I realized that I had planned our entire days without much consideration of what the kids or I might actually like to do. I had gone the cookie-cutter-lesson-plan route, which seemed to contradict part of the reason I was staying home with them in the first place.

I recall frantically Googling, What do I do with my kids? in the early morning hours that first week home and discovering the creative parent blogs. (These are commonly called mommy blogs, but dads publish good blogs too!) I found blogs full of really creative art projects, science experiments, and visits to local destinations. I was relieved and remember thinking to myself, I can do this!

Besides the
activities I plan,
I also make sure my
children have plenty of
free play time by themselves, which is
an important skill
all on its own.

And I did. We jumped into adventures, and I started writing about them almost immediatelyfirst in a small family blog. Then I moved to the more public realm with our Not-So-SAHM blog (http://www.notsosahm.blogspot.com), whose name reflects our tendency to get out and explore rather than staying at home. I found a sense of accomplishment in documenting what we had done and maintaining my writing skills, a joy in establishing connections with other parents doing similar things, and some accountability to find new activities and follow through on them. I drew on my own creative childhood, which was filled with art, crafts, science, and outdoor activities. I planned some activities with the kids ahead of time and let others develop more organically. I consider myself quite lucky that I began staying home when the weather was nice outsideand that we live in a city with plenty of free and fantastic activities. I also know my entire family is lucky that Im able to stay home at all.

We were busy those first six months or so, before the kids were in school. As theyve both transitioned to longer days at school and organized extracurricular activities, the amount and kinds of things we do together has certainly changed. Besides the activities I plan, I also make sure my children have plenty of free play time by themselves, which is an important skill all on its own. But weve been so fortunate through all of our experiences together, developing and growing along the way. From those experiences, I have gained a sense of what types of activities are fun and educational for the kids and at the same time provide fulfillment for me as a parent and a person. Given how helpful I found other parent resources when I started staying home, I felt that sharing what I have learned would be useful to other parents. I may be at home full-time right now, but any parent, whether working outside the home full-time or part-time, or at home full-time, can use the resources in this book.