Posts: 238
4/22/13 7:21 P

We have had plenty of fun just chasing each other around the house (structured run time), playing hide 'n' seek, going for walks/to the park, bike rides, waterparks in the warm weather, tobogganing in winter, kite flying, arts/crafts around holidays, eye spy, simon says, sing songs,, freeze dance... there are loads of things that we come up with!

We have a limited income so when you have 4 kids, you try doing things that are VERY inexpensive or cost free.

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4/8/13 11:21 P

Story time at the library.
Local zoo
Aquarium
Air and space museum
Park
In the summer there are a lot of water parks.
Other learning activities.... Everything is learning.

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1/31/13 2:25 P

when all else fails- pull out a balloon

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9/25/12 5:01 P

I turn everything into BINGO or Matching Game numbers, shapes, colors, letters, rhyming words...Everything

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9/25/12 12:39 P

I love that idea. Anything to get the letters and numbers rolling is great. Thanks

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9/25/12 9:13 A

We play hot potato ABC's/123's. I start by saying "A" and throw the ball to one of my kids and they say the next letter and throw it to the next person. We go through the alphabet then on to the numbers as high as they can go.

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8/30/12 1:37 P

It is so hot we spend a lot of time playing with water. They have a kiddie pool and we use the sprinkler. They love to pretend so they like to lay towels out and get their beach balls on the deck and pretend they are at the beach. I will hang the hose with the sprinkler up high so they can pretend it is raining, they will bring out their umbrellas.

They love to build tents and "forts" with sheets and pillows. Sometimes they want me to pretend to be a monster they are protecting their fort from. So cute!

We do a lot of learning things, I am teaching them about money a little bit and they are fascinated by the coins and pretending to sell me things. Pretend play is a big thing around here!

I had some old cardboard so the other day I took some colored paper I already had and made a little town with houses and roads. They play with their cars on it. I put a spot for each place we usually go, grocery store, grandpa's house, our house. They love that. I just did it flat like a bird's eye view so it was pretty easy to make.

Not that many places to go around here. They like the little ride they have at the store. There is a nursery here and it is fixed up so nice with goldfish ponds and paths everywhere. We will go there and wander around, watching the fish and I always end up buying some flowers for us to plant together of course. Then after that we of course have to play in the water again to get all the dirt off! :D





Edited by: SARAJANE_82 at: 8/30/2012 (13:39)

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7/31/12 8:22 P

We go to our local "Bounce and Play" which has tons of bouncy castles/slides in one area, it's usually $6/hour per kid. Then we do our local kids museum too which is only $60/year and you can go as many times as you want throughout that year. Or if I need a break I drop my kids off at the "drop and play" in our local malls for an hour while I shop or get a pedicure alone!! lol
One of the places I don't really care to go is ChuckeCheese, however with using coupons that come in the paper its affordable to just get a pizza, salad for me and drinks along with their game tokens. (I'd rather go during the week lunch hours since it's less busy!)

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6/10/12 8:36 P

I found a fun thing to do with my daughter. At Peter Piper Pizza (not sure if they are all over the place), on Tuesdays from 10-noon, they have for $4.99....2 pieces of pizza, small drink and each week a different theme. Last Tuesday was a jungle theme....they made bug catchers, and went all over the game section of the restaurant catching bugs ( the staff had put out about 200 plastic bugs). Then they had a lady from Fallen Feathers (a bird rescue) who brought in some injured and abandoned birds - she told the kids lots of great facts about those birds and what to do if you find a bird. It was a lot of fun for $4.99. This runs June and July.

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5/17/12 11:02 A

I thought I would start this post so we can share the fun things we do with our kids. Share your ideas - I know I love to find new things to keep myself AND the kids from getting into a rut.

I found this article about cooking with your kid(s). I already do this and if I can keep my patience in check - it is a lot of fun. (I don't always have the patience to let my 3 year old help with dinner)

www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=make_cook
ing_dinner_a_family_affair

Enjoy!
Malia

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