Tag Archives: children

Tinkering and the Value of Engaging Our Kids in Building

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What Tinking looks like for 10 year olds.

Kids are natural tinkerers. We all are really. But give them some wood, pvc, tape, glue, paper, markers, and when they are older power tools, and watch those kids who just moments ago said they are “bored” become engaged. Consider creating a Tinkering Kit or a place where kids know they can go to pick up scraps and create things. Encourage kids to follow their imagination! They can draw out a picture before hand or just go for it and create what they imagine along the way. I am always amazed at what my kids create!

Tinkering Kit:

  • Papertowel rolls [used]
  • Screwdriver & different size screws
  • Wood and/or balsa wood for younger kids [various sizes]
  • PVC [various sizes]
  • Hammer & different nail sizes
  • Tape [electrical & duct tape are great!]
  • Glue [non-toxic craft glue] and/or a glue gun [adult use only]
  • Recycled objects [plastic containers, corks, any item you are throwing away could be considered]
  • Art supplies [to decorate the creations]

Tinkering is messy. It is creative. It is fun. It is frustrating. But if we leave the tinkering open ended our kids come out with something they are proud of creating. Consider making a project with your child or making one of your own while they are making one. Remember as parenting we need to step back and let them make mistakes and learn from the process. If they nail something in and it cracks the wood, what can they learn from this process? If it doesn’t come out the way they want, should they have drawn out a picture first? Or could they simply change what they expected? Just help them through the process of considering how to improve next time.

For more on tinkering, watch this video on The Tinkering School and take a look at the post from OutdoorMom.com, Kids Love Plumbing.

Boulder Family Deals: July 12

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Here is a list of some of the deals I have noticed around town or online. This week there are two local Boulder organizations to support: Rocky Mountain Kids & Kutandara.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science Deal: Museum Entry, Planetarium, and and IMAX Film. $12/adult and $9/kids from Livingsocial.

Universal Orlando: 4 day/2 park pass for $144. Travelzoo says it’s 70% off. I’ve noticed cheap tickets to Florida online as well. Check Travelocity or Kayak.

Rocky Mountain Kids’ Big Sale: 25% off the ENTIRE STORE. July 13, 14, & 15. This is a great local store and they always sales worth checking out.

Kutandara Intro to Marimbas Class: Children’s 90 Minute Intro to Marimbas for $12. Again, a great local resource to support.

2 Slap Watches for $12. This deal is from Plumdistrict. Kids love them. They are great for learning to tell time. And this seems like a good deal with free shipping. Worth looking.

DIY: Finger Paints & Play Dough

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I love making things myself that I would normally purchase. These are simple, fun to get the kids involved with, and your kids can literally eat what they produce–though I don’t recommend it. Use baby food jars or other recycled jars to hold your paints and play dough. Make sure to get the kids involved mixing and adding colors.

Finger Paints

Younger kids: Just get in there and get messy. Paint outside so you can just rinse the kids off with the hose. Try making patterns with uncooked pasta, nature items such as sticks, rocks, etc. Paint rocks to put in the garden–these are super cute! Encourage your young kids to play with mixing colors. Have them guess what color they will create and then give it a try.

Older kids: Try making block prints [older kids can carve a piece of wood or get a block from Michael’s for carving] or veggie prints [experiment cutting veggies such as celery and use those veggies as blocks for printing]. Work with older kids on making their own color wheel by making a circle [or any other shape], breaking it into fractions. Color in 3 fractions with primary colors [blue, yellow, red], then work to blend these colors in the fractions between them. Create a color wheel.

Play Dough

Play dough is so super easy to make! The kids love it and you probably have all the ingredients you need right now in your house.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Food coloring by drops

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a pan and stir.  Cook over very low heat, stirring until a ball forms.

2. Add food coloring and mix thoroughly until desired color.

3. Cool on foil. Store in covered container.

#DIY #Boulder #Kids

DIY: Creative Kids’ Structures [Forts, Tents, Etc…]

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bellissimakids.com

Recently I have been really inspired by tents, forts, teepees, and any other fun place for kids to play, dream, create, be inspired, and just be a kid. There are a few links below to articles on just this. Remember that you and your kids can build a fort with a simple sheet [go to Savers for a cheep one you don’t mind leaving outside] and some sticks. Or start with a tree for the base. Have you made any shelters with your kids recently? Share you photos and ideas, please!

improvisedlife.com

Kai working on his own fort in our backyard.

Look at these two sites of inspiration:

fort magic (pop-up rooms indoors and out)

http://www.bellissimakids.com/2012/06/20/playtents-teepees-on-etsy/

It’s Too Hot!: What To Do With Your Family In The Heat

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Here are some ideas to get you and your family out of the heat of Boulder. Sometimes in this heat our brains shut down and we cannot think of anything creative to do with the family to beat this heat–well here are some suggestions. Let us know what your favorite ways of having fun, but staying cool. We want to know!

Visit Pearl Street: Visit the pop fountain, take a ride on the TEBO train, get a coffee and/or kid friendly drink at Spruce Confection on West Pearl, where you can avoid the heat in their shady courtyard. You can also stop in to Piece, Love & Chocolate for a yummy treat.

Take a Tour: Check out the FREE Celestial Seasonings tour. They are open almost every day and you get free samples. Kids love this one! For more info click here.

Get in the Creek: We are really lucky to have Boulder Creek running through town. Don’t forget there are family friendly sites just East of the library to play in the creek. Walk up the bike path from there to watch the kayakers navigate the kayak course. Bring a picnic. Head to the library to pick up a book, look at the art exhibits, or just play in the kids’ area.

Head to Nederland: It is always cooler in the Mountains. Take a trip to Nederland where you can ride on the Carousel of Happiness, get a yummy treat such as the “famous” donuts at the Train next door. It is a beautifully restored old train with stained glass windows and wonderful details including a very extensive candy shop–the kids will really love it and you can sit down in the cafe to enjoy the treats.

Go for a Hike: Try the Anne U. White trail for a shady hike that is approximately 3 miles round trip. This is a fun and easy hike for your family and much of it is shady and wanders along a creek. For more details and directions click here.

Other ideas: Make popsicles, make slushies, make juice ice cubes, turn on the sprinkler, make a fort in the living room or outside, buy a block of ice and head to your nearest large hill and ride the block of ice down the hill, sit under a tree and sketch the coldest place on earth, etc…

This should get you started. I am personally thinking chilly thoughts for all of us at this point.

#boulder #free #bouldercreek

Boulder Family Projects: DIY Recycled Garden Markers

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The garden is finally all in the ground. It looks great, but we really needed some markers. I hate to let this opportunity slide to get the kids involved in creating something for the garden. They love to pick the plants and harvest the produce and fruit, but I wanted them to have some artistic buy in, so I wanted them to create garden markers. Here are some ideas of ways you can create markers:

1. Wood Markers: You can pick out sticks or 1×2 cedar in short 1ft lengths [more or less as you like]. The kids can carefully carve points on the ends for pushing into the ground. Then then can draw [paint or sharpies] on the wood. On sticks you could create flags with tape to draw on.

2. Rock Markers: Find rocks and have the kids paint names of the plants/veggies in the garden. These turn out super cute. Any rocks work. I like to take the kids on a walk to find the “right” ones for them.

3. Recycled CD Markers: Remember all those old CDs sitting around that you never listen to? The ones that clutter your house. Grab some of those [If you don’t have them ask a friend or neighbor!] and have your kids use sharpies to write the names of each of your plants/veggies. They can add artwork or whatever they like. They could easily embellish with gems or stickers [great for little kids!]. We then used a glue gun and some popsicle sticks to make the stake. They love them and they were so easy!

What every you decide to do consider having your kids go into the garden with you and write down a list of the different veggies/fruit you have. They can do some fun math with this one [e.g., if we have 5 tomato plants, 6 pepper plants, & 3 basil plants, how many do we have all together]. They can also get some writing practice by writing down the different types of plants for which you need markers. The ideas are endless. Whatever you do have fun with it! It always helps if you stay involved and make some markers or something else that has to do with the garden at the same time.

How do you get your kids involved in the garden?

Kids’ Summer Reading: Boulder Style!

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School is out. Kids are getting settled into a new routine. How do we keep out kids reading? Check out these great programs and resources to keep our kids reading all summer long! These programs really motivate kids to read with great books, give aways and incentives. Join 1 or all 3. Which ones do you like the most?

Boulder Area Reading Programs

Boulder Public Library: Their reading program, Dream Big: Read!, started today. You can sign up at any library  and your kids can earn prizes, books, and a pool party. Join any time, but the sooner the better!

Grandrabbits: This Summer join Grandrabbit’s “Jump Into Reading”. Staring June 11th, children 3 to 13 can join their Summer Reading Program at the store. Read books, fill out a tracking sheet, then bring it in for a special prize.

Boulder Bookstore: Their summer reading program starts June 1. The program is aimed at kids K to 8. Kids go to the store, grab a tracking form, & pick up a few books to kick off the program. Kids read 6 books total and they can earn a $5 gift card to the Boulder Bookstore.

Summer Reading Resources/Lists

Kids: What Do The Outdoors, Rock Climbing, and Special Needs Have To Do With It?

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I have been thinking a lot about differences. I have personal experience struggling with parenting my two very different children. Tonight I heard about the struggles of a friend’s preschooler who is very sensitive & at the same moment aggressive. I sit on a finance committee that makes though choices about how to spend money at a local public elementary school and hear from many different parents abohow the needs of their kids or find them advocating for a specific special need. The most recent being TAG & sensory integration (was a new one for me).

It is so easy for us to see one right way to be–especially for those of us with kids in public schools (even the ones described as great such as BVSD). Sit still. Listen carefully. Do your work. What about those kids who don’t fit into the mold? Your child may not be autistic or be diagnosed with ADHD, but there still some strong lessons. Here are a few inspiring articles about families with kids who have special needs and how they support them and themselves through activity and the outdoors.

Rock Climbing, therapy for ADHD? (I love this article! Thanks to Outsidemom.com)

Nature as a support for Autism

What about articles on how nature and outdoor activities support gifted kids?Howe about kids with dyslexia? And of course ALL our kids need nature and outdoor activity!

Happy Earth Day! and What to do on Earth Day in Boulder…

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This is a day to focus on Mother Earth. How can we help our children become great stewards of the Earth? Great lovers of nature? Explorers & people who ask the important questions about how we will leave the Earth for their children and then next 7 generations or more?

One year we went around our neighborhood and picked up trash and put it in our red wagon. We were all amazed at how quickly we filled the wagon in a neighborhood that didn’t appear to have much trash laying around. Another year we went on a long hike with friends. What do you do to celebrate Earth Day with your family?

Listed below: 1) Things to do in Boulder on Earth Day, 2) Some nature blogs to check out, and 3) A link to the Osprey Webcam so you can spy on those amazing birds [2 eggs].

What to do around Boulder on Earth Day:

  • Denver Museum of Nature & Science SCFD FREE DAY. Celebrate Earth Day all day with DMNS.

  • Denver Botanic Gardens’ SCFD FREE DAY.
  • 11th Annual Wild Earth Day sponsored by Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center. All ages. 11:00 to 4:00pm. FREE. Scientific speakers, animal demonstrations, and much more.
  • Nature For Kids and Parents: Celebrate Earth Day!. All ages. 1:00 to 3:00pm. Free. Earth is home to billions of people and also home to millions of species of animals and plants.  We can learn to use less and share resources so that wildlife habitats aren’t decreased or disrupted. Join the OSMP for an easy hike starting at the Chautauqua Ranger Cottage.
  • Earth Day Concert: Nature & Songs. Children and parents can join OSMP’s Jeff Kagan, Mark Wesson and Paige Doughty for an Earth Day concert of children’s music, nature education and fun! Music will be appropriate for children ages 3-8 but all ages are welcome! Meet at the Sunrise Amphitheater on Flagstaff Mountain (map here).

  • Wanted: Nature Detectives. 4:00 to 5:00pm. Ages 5 and up. Can you solve a mystery? Search for clues?  Who are they, and how to they do it – the feathered, furred, 6-legged and green beings who live on Flagstaff Mountain?  Are you an investigator who can help us explore these

    Photo - Flagstaff Nature Center

    questions? Flagstaff Nature Center (map here). The Flagstaff Nature Center will be open 1:00 to 5:00pm on Earth Day.Don’t miss the exhibits, fun activities and animal mounts in the Nature Center! Follow this link to learn more about the Nature Center.

Here are some Nature Blogs you might like.

Boulder County Open Space’s Osprey Nest Webcam. Take a live look at these amazing birds. There are 2 eggs in the nest!

How did you spend your Earth Day?

Globetrotting Kids: Check Out These Kids’ Blogs About Traveling

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National Geographic Kids is supporting kids to blog about their experiences on their Around The World family trip. Way to go National Geographic. I am SO jealous! For some interesting reading check out these two kids’ blogs:

National Geographic is such a great resource! My kids pour over it when it arrives and invariably there is an article & certainly photos that capture their curiosity. When I was researching stories about traveling with kids I found some great resources at National Geographic: