Play Smart - Game of the Week: Candyland Colors and in Spanish

During the holiday break my kids broke out the board games en mass, which I was totally cool with other than the fact that they never seem to get all of the pieces back in the right containers.  I hate having to hunt for dice and raid Yatzee every time the kids ask to play Monopoly, and then there is the using a button as a place marker for the lost pieces of Sorry.  So annoying!!

...But I digress.  I love board games because they so often facilitate learning opportunities, and the kids are having so much fun that they don't even notice.  The game idea we are featuring this week is that classic game you play a million times with the littles,

Candyland!

This is a sweet game (pun intended;) for teaching your youngest children colors and counting, but this week we are switching it up to make it a little more educational for the older kids as well.  Here's what you do... for the kids who have mastered their colors, play Candyland in Spanish, no English allowed (at least for the color and counting words.)  The visual of seeing the colors and saying the Spanish word for the color is a great combination to help them quickly memorize a bit of foreign vocabulary and may even spark their excitement to explore the language more.

Here is a list of some the the words that you might need for this game:

Red: Rojo (ro ho)

Blue: Azul (azool)

Orange: Naranja (naran ha)

Green: Verde

Yellow: Amarillo (amari yo)

Purple: Pupura (pu pura)

Good luck and ...  Divertirse!!

5 Activities to make Dish Duty Fun - For Kids

My husband and I recently came to the conclusion that our children are old enough to help more around the house.  This largely came about because the house is never clean, but also because they need something to do besides reading Harry Potter and begging to play the Wii.  We've given them a variety of small chores, and then they are all required to help with the dishes after each meal.

Unfortunately my dishwasher is currently in retirement due to the fact it was extremely temperamental and turned on and off at will.  I'm crossing my fingers that my Birthday Santa will bring me a new one soon for my birthday, but in the meantime we are doing dishes the old-fashioned way.  It was super exciting the first time I let my kids wash the dishes, you know because they were big and responsible enough to handle such a job:)  Now it's just old, so I've been coming up with fun things to do while we clean the dishes together so it is a happy experience and a great memory instead of daily torment.

Here are some of our favorites:

Sink Improv:  I call out a situation like, "You just saw the Eiffel tower for the first time" or "You are throwing a fit at the grocery store because Mom didn't let you have a lollipop."  They have to instantly go into character and start acting and talking like they are in that situation.  I fill in where needed and we have fun until it starts to slow down and then we start a new situation.  It's super fun, and they have a chance to act outrageous and it's ok.

Dish Time Story:  It's an oldie but goodie, Kids love stories!  Sometimes I tell them and sometimes we read them.  We do Aesop's Fables, Bible stories or anything else they love.  We also sometimes have a special library book for "dish time only."  One child gets the chance to read the book out loud while the rest of us do dishes and listen.  If we haven't finish the book when the dishes are done it gives them something to look forward to after the next meal is over.

I Spy Dishes:  This game is your basic I Spy, except you are describing dishes.  You have to be a little creative to be tricky enough to keep them from guessing the dishes right away.  For example, "This dish has a small chip on one side," or "This dish has red food on it," ect.  It's a great way to work your brain a little bit, talk to your kids and get the chores done at the same time.

Silly Songs with Dishes:  If you are the kind of person that doesn't take life too seriously this could be a great game for you.  We absolutely love making up weird random songs, that sometimes rhyme, make very little sense and are usually funny.  We usually take a simple tune that we already know and then just make up our own words.  There really is no way to do this wrong.  Just go with it and have fun.

Dish Drama:  Sometimes our sink turns into a grand theatre with all of the dishes playing various parts in some great drama.  We have the dragon chasing the villagers and a knight in shining armor saving them all from the foamy flames or we try to rescue all of the silverware by ferrying them over the raging river (the rinse sink) on a boat (a plate) before the cups pouring water over the top can sink the boat.  There are endless options.  This can end up taking much longer than a normal dish run, but it's worth it on occasion for the excitement and creativity.

However you choose to do your dishes, I hope you have some fun!!

30 Minute Playtime Ideas - Week 5

It's time to play again:)  This week I included several singing games, but if you can't stand singing just sub out those activities for some of your favorites from past weeks.  Either way, play and have some fun with your kids this week.

YouTube Karaoke - My girls love finding their favorite disney songs or other silly songs on YouTube.  Often you can find them with the words so your readers can follow along.  We click full screen, turn up the volume and have a fabulous few moments of Karaoke in the kitchen.  For best results have something to use for a microphone.  We often use the whisk.  It works great:)

Charades - My children love to act, and if I let them dress up for the activity that is a complete bonus.  They choose a favorite story to act out, plan it upstairs and then come down and act it out for me not using any words.  I have to guess what it is that they are acting out.  This is a great activity if I do not have a lot of time because they spend most of the time on their own planning while I do dishes or make dinner.  Then I only have to spend 1-2 minutes watching and guessing before I get another break.  If you have lots of time that day then take turns guessing so you can act out too.

Mother May I - I always love this game, and it works indoors or out.  One person is it and the rest line up at a distance from that person.  The Mother (it person) takes turns telling each player to take so many steps, jumps, mini steps, backwards steps or leaps forward.  The player must remember to say, "Mother may I," before taking the steps.  If they remember to say it the Mother says, "Yes you may," and they can take the assigned steps.  If they forget they have to go back to the beginning.  The first person to reach the Mother is it.

Sing Off - One person starts by calling out a common work, usually a noun.  The other players have to quickly think of a song that has that word in it.  Whoever starts singing their song first gets to choose the next word.  My girls favorite words were Jingle and Pumpkin.  I like that we can play this one in the car or waiting in line somewhere if we aren't too loud:)

I'm Going on a Trip... - The first person starts by saying, "I'm going on a trip, and I'm bringing ______."  We often follow the alphabet so the first item would start with the letter A like "an apple."  The next person then says, "I'm going on a trip, and I'm bringing an apple and a ______."  Their item must begin with the letter B.  The game continues with each player having to remember all of the previous items on the list and adding a new one of their own.  This is also a great traveling game for the car or airplane.

30 Minute Playtime Ideas - Week 4

It's summer which means I like to spend as much time outside as possible, so a lot of the activities my kids and I are doing this week are outdoors.  Still all of these fun things can be done in 30 minutes or less, and it is such great bonding time with the kids.

Badminton - I recently purchased a set that came with a net, birdie and rackets so we have the entire set up to play easily.  However, you can often find a set with just rackets and a birdie at the dollar store or some other inexpensive place.  If you aren't looking to become professionals and just want to have some fun in the lawn this may be a great option for you.

Bike Rides - One of my daughters has just learned how to ride her bike without training wheels and since the other two will both fit in my bike trailer it is the perfect time to head out and hit the sidewalk.  Make sure to wear helmets:)

Frisby Golf - This game is great because you don't have to be good at it to be able to participate.  Each person participating needs a frisby, or we have found that plastic lids from large plastic containers work well for younguns.  You all start at the same place, select a target to hit with your frisby and then count how many throws it takes you to get there.  Everyone should be able to reach the target eventually, and hopefully they practiced their counting skills along the way.

Family Pics/Videos - While I often find it obnoxious that all of our family pictures and videos are on the computer instead of printed somewhere, it is very convenient for a quick bit of family viewing fun.  I sit at the computer chair and all the kids grab a stool around me and we watch funny video clips and look at photos of trips and holidays.  It's easy, it's fast and it's a great bonding moment with your kids.

Balloon Wars - My kids really love this one even down to the 1-year-old.  Everyone gets a balloon to blow up and tie.  Then we pull the rubber tied part back, let go and shoot them at each other.  As the balloons are being shot you reach down to get whatever one is closest to you and continue the battle.  They don't shoot very far, and they don't hurt at all, but the kids have a great time ganging up on mom and dad.

Have fun playing this week!!

30 Minute Playtime - Week 3

So I missed a couple of weeks.  It's one of those things where I've been too busy to write about it, but the kids and I did do some fun things including a family vacation.  On to this week's list.  It's summer so I tried to think of some fun things that represent summer to me.  Here is the list:

Paper Airplane Races - Each of us get a plain piece of white paper to create a paper airplane out of.  Check out some "How to make paper airplanes" tutorials here or just experiment with folding the paper until you come up with something you like.  If you have the time let each of the children decorate their airplane with crayons or stickers.  Then starting at the same line take turns throwing your airplanes.  You can do contests for longest distance thrown, how high the plane will go and how straight it flies.

Domino Snakes - Gather a large collection of dominoes.  Place them standing up in lines to make a pattern.  The dominoes must be close enough together so that if you make one fall down all of the rest will get tipped over in the wave.

Water Balloon Toss - There are a few ways to play this game depending on how many people you have playing.  For few players, toss the balloons back and forth between two people.  Take a step backwards after each successful pass until someone drops the balloon.  For 4+ players, set players up in sets of two and give them a towel to hold as a team.  Place the balloon in the middle of their towel.  Working together they launch the balloon out of the towel into the air and to the other team.  The other team runs to catch the balloon in their towel.

Sidewalk Chalk Art -  This is a great summer evening activity.  Everyone has a chance to draw something on the sidewalk or driveway with chalk.  One of my daughters drew an amazing ballerina picture with a girl on one foot while the others traced each other in chalk outlines on the driveway.  Either way they were having fun with mom.

Jump Rope Competition - This one is pretty simple.  See who can jump rope the longest.  If you have a rope for everyone then do it at the same time.  If not, take turns and count as you jump.  This is great counting practice while having fun with the family.

30 Playtime Ideas - Week 2

Last week I was in charge of a large family reunion for about 50 people, so we didn't quite make it through the entire list, but we did accomplish most of them plus a few.  One of our favorites was Roll tag and the Mini Pillow Fights.
This week we have some new fun things to do.  Here is the list:

Flashlight Tag:  Wait until it's dark, (a bit hard to do in the summer,) and give everyone a mini flashlight.  We usually use the small ones from Harbor Freight.  Turn off all the lights in the house and select a person to be it.  While that person closes their eyes and counts the rest of the family uses their flash lights to find a great hiding spot.  Then they turn off their lights.  When the person who is it finishes counting they can turn on their light and search the house to find the hiding players.  If they find you then you are caught and wait for them to find the rest of the players.  Once the have found everyone the first person they found is the new it person.  My kids are terrified of the dark and they still love this game as long as they get their own flashlight.

Bikes and Scooters Tag:  This game is a lot like it sounds.  It's tag, but faster.  We get out all of our bikes, scooters, plasma cars and more and play tag on the sidewalks of our cul de sac and our driveway.  Use all safety precautions for this game, but it is super fun.

Beehive Tickle Tag:  One person is it, usually mom, and the others keep a safe distance.  The it person puts their cupped hands together to make a beehive type shape and says, "Here is the Beehive.  Where are the bees?  Hidden inside where nobody sees.  Soon they'll come creeping out of their hive.  1, 2, 3, 4, 5."  Then they make buzzing sounds while they chase and tickle the other players with their fingers (the bees.)

Charades:  You can do these as individuals or divide into groups of two.  Choose a theme like nursery rhymes, Disney stories or super heroes.  Then each person or team acts out their story for the rest to guess.

Hula Hoop Competition:  If you have enough, everyone gets their own hula hoop and you see who can last the longest without the hula hoop falling down.  If you need to make it harder you can add complications like walking or jumping while keeping the hula hoop rhythm going.

Whose Line is it Anyway - Kid Version:  For this one I give one of my kids a scenario and they have to immediately go into character.  The rest of us join in and it is an instant theater production.  The kids love this one, and sometimes they give me a scenario too.

30 Minute Playtime With Mom Ideas - Week 1

So one of the things that drives me crazy is sending my kids to bed when I'm grumpy. I hate feeling like the last thing they get from me before they go to face their nightmares and dreams is that mom was upset or annoyed with them. Instead I would hope they could feel love and happy as they slip into sleep.
To go along with that I have found that with all that our kids do these days, it is hard to find time to play with them. In the mornings it is a rush to eat breakfast, get dressed for school, make lunches, find shoes and get everyone out the door. They are gone to school for most of the day at which point they come home with lots of homework. Hopefully we have after school snack. Then they have their chores, their piano practice, dinner, bath time and reading time. Plus there is Gymnastics, Ballet and choir and other activities. When are we supposed to play?
I teach my kids to be independent and find activities to do on their own while I make dinner or other various housework, and they don't need me all the time to play. However, if I set aside just a little bit of time for playtime with me each day they are able to look forward to that.  Then I get to hear that I am "the bestest mom in the world" and it was their "best day ever." (Except for days at Disneyland. They always throw in that exclusion at the end:)
So to help myself remember to do our 30 minute playtime each day, and to make sure it actually happens I am compiling weekly lists of 30 minute activity ideas to do with my kids. Some take prep and others are last minute "I didn't have time to prepare, but still want to try" activities. Here is this weeks list:
Mini Pillow Fight: I love the idea of playing tag with bean bags, but when you throw them at each other they are too hard for my sensitive little girls. So instead we made our own bean bag size pillows. You just fill the bean bag with cotton stuffing instead of beans or rice. They are still small and fun to throw, but they won't hurt anyone or hopefully damage anything. We hide behind furniture, run through the kitchen and living room, occasionally jump on couches and have a ball.

Sock Wars: Each player needs two long socks on their feet. Do not pull the socks all the way on. Leave at least 4 inches of sock flopping on the floor at the end of your toes. The goal is to try to step on the other players socks and when they move their sock gets pulled off. The last person with at least one sock partially on wins. We look crazy hoping and jumping around trying to stay away from other player's feet or step on their socks first, but it is super fun and great exercise to boot.

Uno: My kids are starting to get into games, and I like this one because we can play and have fun while teaching my 4-year-old her numbers and colors.

Cartwheel Practice: All of my children have been or are currently taking Gymnastics lessons. I have not. They love showing me how to do their flips and skills and critiquing my cartwheels.

Crawl Tag: It's like regular tag, but you can only crawl. This one is particularly fun to play at our house because we have a 16-month-old baby who likes to participate. He tries to walk/run and we all crawl and he giggles like crazy.

Intstant Dance Recital:  For this one we turn on our favorite Pandora station, usually a Disney kids station or Owl City for my ballerina.  Then when a song comes on, someone gets to do an instant dance for the rest of us.  We take turns until all of us have had a chance to perform.

Duck, Duck Goose - Learning about Bugs and Insects Variation

Does anyone else become bored at the thought of playing Duck, Duck, Goose?  I’ll sit down with excellent intentions of a fun half-hour of the game only to find my interest is gone at about 1 turn per person.  At that point I try to point out who hasn’t had a turn so that I can stay under the radar, and in my seat.  Don’t get me wrong!  I love games, and I love playing with my kids.  I've just played this one too many times.   So I thought, why not change it up a bit?  The world is filled with animals besides ducks and geese, and maybe we can learn something while we are at it.

My kids love bugs, and they always want to know who eats who.  So I've compiled a list of some of our favorite bugs and their hunters for our Duck, Duck Goose games.  You call out the first animal until you are ready to be chased and then you call out the predator.  It is different, you learn something while you play and it is fun.  I love it!

I Spy Colors - A game to pass the time

A couple of years ago we were taking our 1 and 3-year-olds on a trip to Disneyland with my husband’s family.  His family loves to go in January when the park isn’t as busy which works beautifully except that we have to get there and back in winter weather.  We got stuck in our smallish airport for hours waiting for a storm to pass, and the batteries started to run out on their movie player.  We walked up and down the terminal several times, we ate, we looked out the window at the snowflakes and airplanes, but we still couldn’t leave.
 
Finally, we were sent to a large, circular, crowded boarding area where hundreds of people were sitting on every part the floor waiting to get on their flights.  Then we waited another 1-2 hours, and this time there was no space to walk.  So we played ‘I Spy.’  It was a bit tricky at first for my 3-year-old.  She had a hard time guessing and I wasn’t sure she was really thinking of something while I was guessing.  I decided to tell her what color the item was that I was spying.  “I spy something Red.”  Instantly she would look around the room for anything red.  If she happened to guess something that was not red, I would teasingly remind her that the item was not red and encourage her to guess again.

It was a fabulous game.  She was searching for colors, choosing colors, and getting an instant response on whether she was correct on her color guess and she was enjoying it.  Before long I noticed the a little girl from the family sitting next to us watching us.  I could see that she wanted to play so I invited her to spy along with us.  Her mother told me later when we were leaving to board our plane that her daughter had whispered to her, ” I wish I had a mom like that.”  Of course I was flattered, but it also deepened my appreciation of ‘I Spy.’  Any game that could make me look like an enviable mother, after getting up way too early in the morning and spending 4+ hours in the airport trying to keep 2 little children happy, was a good game!
A couple of other variations we play: Big or Small and Tall or Short.

Free Printable: Learning Shapes and Colors Game for Preschoolers

I started this game with my first daughter when she was about 18-months-old.  It worked so quickly that I was shocked, but hey when you do something right, be excited.  We got complements constantly for what a smart child we had, and of course we could only agree.  I will share my secret with you so that your small child can impress too with their knowledge of shapes and colors.

Print your game pieces here:  Color or Black & White


Shapes and Colors Game Instructions

SET UP:

First, print out the 6 sets of shapes for this game.  If you are printing the black and white you will need to make sure that you color the shapes so that both copies of each shape are the same color.  I typically print them out on card stock or cut them out of construction paper.

HOW TO PLAY:

Then, set your child down and put one of each of the shapes on the floor in front of them.  You will keep the other set.  Sit in front of your child, pull out a shape from your set (for our example the green circle,) show it to the child and then say find me the green circle.  Their job is to look at their shapes, find the one that looks like yours and hand it to you.  At first, particularly if they are very young, they may choose the wrong one.  If they pick up the blue square you say, "Not that one.  That is the blue square.  Can you find the green circle?"  Then show them the green circle again and continue until they figure out what you are asking them to do.  Praise them when they do it correctly so they will want to continue.  I also let them keep the matched set in a pile next to them so that they feel like they are earning something by doing it correctly.

VARIATIONS:
Once they have this basic step down make it harder by not showing them your set.  Just ask them to find the shape you want them to find.

To make it easier, start out by just asking them to find the shape.  "Can you find the heart?"  They love the heart.  Then when you feel that they are getting the shapes down, add the color into the question.  "Can you find the red heart?"  At some point you can change the cards so that the colors are different if you want to make it harder.  You can also just ask for the color and not the shape.

I typically can play this game through 2-3 times in a sitting before they start to get a little bored.