Inspiring families to find their happy place.

{Family Fun} Wrap Dad as a Mummy

April 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Cheap Family Fun Wrap Dad up as a Mummy

 

A cheap, fun and crazy game any family can do right now together

This post is a part of The Playful Family series based on my e-book, “The Playful Family,” which offers many inexpensive, fun ways to positively connect and engage as a family. With nearly 100 ways to play together the book is a great deal and a great way to re-charge and inspire fun times together.

Question of the Day: What is the best non-toy your kids have ever discovered?

About a year or more ago, I bought these great little idea cards for families to offer more inspiration for blogging and writing this site.

We’ve used them about two times.

Perhaps our own ideas are just usually more interesting?

But, early one morning a couple Sundays ago, one of my girls started going through the stash of cards, which we keep on our dining room table next to our Amazing Moments jar.

She read through them until she found one that literally nearly made her eyes pop out of her head with excitement.

Mummy wrap someone in an entire roll of toilet paper.

To be honest, that particular morning was one of the more stressful for our family in a long time for reasons I will not go into but nothing to do with our personal lives all that much. But, it was the kind of morning we could have easily said no and that would be that. It would have been understandable.

We didn’t say no.

I said yes and then she ran to her dad and he said, yes, as well, and she came bouncing downstairs with a fresh roll of toilet paper in her small  hands. She proceeded to stand on a chair and wrap him. Soon, her sister joined in on the fun …

The rest is history — fully documented in the following photos.

PicMonkey Collage

To be honest, we all got the biggest kick out of wrapping Daddy up as a mummy in toilet paper. I happily took a ton of photos while my girls happily use the ENTIRE roll of toilet paper. Possibly the most entertaining and most fun .53 cents ever spent — proving once again that non-toys rule. If you’ve been around here a while, you know that we’re not afraid of messes. In fact, we encourage messes quite often. And, if messes aren’t your thing, you learn to cope with them pretty easily and this is a great mess to start with.

DSCF6488

But the real fun began once we became the Incredible Hulk and forced his way out of his wrap. That’s when the girls went wild and made a huge mess, which a bit later, when they were exhausted from it all, they happily picked up in three minutes set on the stop watch on my iPhone.

DSCF6560

Question of the Day: What is the best non-toy your kids have ever discovered?

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6 Creative Games for Family Time

April 10, 2013 by 2 Comments
Connecting through art projects

Connecting through art projects

Question of the Day: When was the last time you created something?

Whenever I create something with my daughters, they are always amazed with my artistic work.

And, to be honest, so am I.

The Playful Family Series

Before becoming a mother, I would have never dreamed of picking up a paintbrush or a canvas.

And yet I find the process so relaxing and to be the creative boost I need that day to make me feel grounded and centered.

We’re big fans of experimenting with art as a family.

While my book, “The Playful Family,” doesn’t give any art project ideas, one of our favorite ways to play together is creating art.

Simple supplies and simple directions can lead to big results and big smiles.

You can get more inspiration for a Family Art Night over on Simple Kids.

But, at our house, Family Art Dates are really just slow days when we are drawn to gather around our dining room table and creating together.

It’s our time to slow way down, talk, laugh and be creative all at once. We all seem a bit more peaceful after a good hour of making something with our hands and sharing our work.

Connecting as a family through art

Here are some 6 Creative Games for Family Time to get you doodling and playing together in the spirit of playful creativity — our favorite kind of play!

The Doodle Game — If you have an easel, turn it around so only the artist can see their design. Everyone else sits and snuggles on the couch, waiting. The illustrator draws a picture and then the rest of us must guess what the picture is by asking 20 questions. Like Pictionary, but backwards — and way more fun for little kids. Also, like 20 Questions or Headbandz but much more creative.

Family Banner — Honor your personalities and fun traits with a family banner. We love doing this together on a slow night. Dads should participate, too.

Color Wars — Cut out paper crowns and have each person decorate it with their favorite color and then dress up and get all fancy in just that color for the night. You can even hold a parade at the end. And take pictures … lots of pictures.

Puppet Show — Using craft sticks, paper, glue and other materials, have each person in your family create their own puppet character. It can be anything at all. When you are all done creating, share your characters and perform a puppet show with them.

Secret Drawing Game — Another favorite that is perfect with a theme — such as a season or a holiday — is to have each person in your family draw a picture in secret related to the theme you all agree on. Take as much or as little time as necessary. Try to be as creative as possible. At the end, share what you each created and compare and contrast your ideas.

Create a Story Mural — I first read about the idea of story maps on Mama Scout’s site and since then we’ve made it our own and have been creating a story mural about every month together. The best idea is to have the children decide who their characters will be and where the setting is and then from there let the plot develop. Our last story mural was about a black bear chasing after the strawberries in a strawberry patch.

Not only is a Family Art Day relaxing, it’s a great way to work in being creative when you don’t have time otherwise. Use this time wisely to boost your own creativity for your own art project ideas!

The Artful ParentFor more great art ideas, though, check out Jean Van’t Hul’s the brand new book just out this week, “The Artful Parent: Simple Ways to Fill Your Family Life with Art and Creativity.” With more than 60 projects for kids 1 to 8,  any family can find something worthy of a family art date.

I received my pre-ordered copy on Tuesday and can’t seem to stop flipping through its beautiful, inspiring pages. Jean and I have been friends for years and I’m excited to finally get a chance to meet her in real life very soon. Her creative adventures have long inspired my family and I can’t wait to give all of these projects a chance. We’re going to start with the pillow case art as our next Family Art Date.

Question of the Day: When was the last time you created something?

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7 Reasons to Slow Down

July 22, 2012 by 7 Comments
slow down

If the world has been spinning around you and your mind has been going along with it, slow down.

If the demands to keep up, join up, show up, stand up are weighing on you, slow down.

If the worries, the crying, the tears, the fighting, the tattling, the middle-of-the-night waking is frustrating you, let go and slow down.

If it feels like a chore, a job, a battle, slow down.

If there is no good reason to go yet you feel you must go anyway, slow down.

If things are just not right, not balanced, and you’re not saying “Hell, yeah, I got this,” then slow down.

Slow down when you find yourself down and out. Slow down when everything around you says speed up.

This week, let’s slow down and let the unimportant things fall to the side for a bit and let the good stuff — the stuff that leaves us smiling to ourselves – rise to the top where it should always be.

Slow down and see what comes.

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Filed Under: Intentional Parenting, Peaceful Living, Playful Living Tagged With: , , , ,

10 Easy Ways to Connect as a Family

May 22, 2012 by 32 Comments

Original photo credit: adwriter via Flickr

Relationships don’t have to be complicated.

And yet we make them so.

Children want to know that you love them.

Parents want to know that their children love them back.

What better way to demonstrate your love than by being together. I’m talking casual, easygoing connections. The kind that leave your heart bursting with joy and gratitude.

What better way to do any of that than simple, old-fashioned family time. This is about seeing the ordinary as extraordinary.

That’s what this project is about, you know. Staying awake to what matters most in a human being’s life. Loving and being loved. Embracing family. Restoring faith in humanity. Remembering to give your whole heart and your whole mind to the ones we love most — before it all disappears, whoosh!

To make this kind of impact in a lifetime is a special gift, but it takes practice. Some parents never, ever grasp this concept of showing their love.

Let this not be your fate. Let this not be your child’s fate.

Grab them by their face — big or small — and show them that your eyes are so full of love. Give every bit of your heart today to your child and you will not regret it. The only regret may be that you held back, that you let that special love pale in comparison to other people, places and things.

I asked my village of friends around the world, again, to give me their favorite, ordinary moments as a family. Their words are wise. This is not about traveling to Disney World or Paris. It’s not about spending a ton of money or throwing amazing parties. Their advice is simple: The best moments are when we’re together because simple traditions and rituals are powerful. Those moments are what make make for the best childhood memories. Please add your own ideas in the comments.

10 Easy Ways to Connect as a Family:

READ

“My oldest daughter (age 5) and I love to read chapter books together. At the end of the day, we’ll snuggle together on my bed and read a chapter or two. I love sharing some of the books with her that I loved as a child,” said Terri from Creative Family Fun.

Julie at Creekside Learning said she loves reading to her kids. “I love making different character voices and putting emotion into my voice based on what is going on in the story. I love how captivated my kids are when they are being read to and that books are such a big part of their everyday life.”

Photo Credit: Gracie and Viv via Flickr

SNUGGLE

Snuggling was actually one of the big themes that came up for this post. Krissy at B-Inspired Mama said her family ”loves snuggling up on the couch for family movie night. We get pizza and a movie from the Redbox. It doesn’t cost very much but seems so special to the kids.”

“Snuggling in bed with my daughter before she sleeps and talking about our favorite parts of our day,” said Rebekah Patel at The Golden Gleam.

“I’ve often told my husband that when I think of a truly warm and happy moment, it is the moment that I wake up and see that both of my kids have crawled into bed with us. Once we are all awake and cuddling as a family before we start the day…if I ever have to to my inner happy place now or when I’m older- that’s the memory and feeling I’ll invoke.” Tricia of Critters and Crayons.

GO OUTSIDE

MaryAnne at Mama Smiles loves spending time outside with her kids. “I love watching them explore, find an ordinary rock that they find extraordinarily beautiful, and the joy they see in discovering the ‘perfect’ stick!”

“All of us piling in the hammock—a tangle of children’s feet, arms, and legs in all different sizes—and we tell stories,” said Heather at Word Play House. 

TAKE WALKS

“We love going for a walk or heading to the local park! In the summer the kids and I enjoy even just walking around outside the house looking at the plants & gardens to see how they are growing and changing and looking for butterflies. A current favorite at our house is a basketball game in the driveway… I think they like it best because Dad plays :) .” Jennifer from Plain Vanilla Mom

“Our family loves walks. We enjoy exploring the neighborhood, the park, a trail, or the woods. Spending time together outside, talking, listening, and taking in nature. It’s the best.” Trisha from Inspiration Laboratories.

Photo Credit: Skyseeker via Flickr

CONNECT

“In this warm weather we love to sit on the old couch on our back balcony in the evenings and watch the sky get dark and the moon get brighter and brighter, watch the birds fly off to their trees for the night, and watch the bats come out. We have an ongoing competition to see who spots the first star, and the second, and so on,” said Jane from Mama Pea Pod.

Katherine of Creative Play House said she loves her family’s snuggles before bed. “Chatting about the day. Just playing; tickles, rolling around, being silly together. I also love cooking dinner while Jake sits on the counter helping, learning how to peel veggies, talking about food and anything else he wants, and watching everything I’m doing.”

Photo Courtesy of Gina at famiglia&seoul

PLAY

Gina at Famiglia&seoul has found connecting with extended family and old-fashioned play to be a very meaningful connection for her family. “I really want my son to get to know his grandparents and great grandparents. A couple of weeks ago, I asked them what they enjoyed doing outside as a child and some of the answer I got included playing with chalk, bike rides, making mud pies, and jumping rope. So, we decided to try out each one of their favorite memories (with them) to be able to enjoy the simple things in life that were important to them as a child. It is wonderful to see the smiles on my son and my family’s faces when they share these experiences for the first time.”

Danielle at 52 New Experiences said, “I love waiting for the bus with my children. We are the only ones at our bus stop, so we play tag, Simon Says, Mother May I, Red Light Green Light…all the games I used to play as a child!”

Amanda at Dirt and Boogers said, “We horseplay a lot around here. We tickle each other, run around the house, give piggy back rides, and wrestle around on the floor. The giggles are contagious, and we have a great time!

Photo Credit: Familymwr via Flickr

BAKE TOGETHER

Valerie from  Glittering Muffins said cooking and baking is a favorite “because we all love food and to be able to make it together and see Nico’s excitement when stirring, pouring or cutting is just contagious.”

photo credit: cookie flores via Flickr

TAKE A DRIVE

“We love to go for ‘dinner drives’. We pack our dinner into foil containers, jump in the car and drive around until we find a spot we like (next to a beach, lake or playground usually). If the weather is nice we open up the rear hatch and sit on cushions in the cargo area together to eat, chat and sometimes watch a movie if we take the portable player with us. The kids particularly like parking near the airport and watching the planes land while they eat!” Carrie at A Little Learning for Two.

Photo Credit: Flashy Soup Can via Flickr

RELAX

“Hauling all our blankies and pillows to the living room floor on friday nights, making marshmallow popcorn, and giggling our faces off while we try to watch a movie. With 6 kids, it’s not so quiet and we miss most of the movie every time!” Arlee from My Small Potatoes.

“Sundays are family day for us. Everything we do is together as a family and we love it. From the mundane grocery shopping to an afternoon family spa (hot tub) to dinner at grandpa’s house.” Deborah with Learn with Play.

FAMILY MEALS

“I enjoy our mealtimes together. Sometimes we sit for a couple of hours talking and eating. It’s not always at dinnertime either, sometimes it’s over pancakes on a Saturday morning. We have some the most memorable and interesting conversations with our 4-year-old because he wants to know more about something or simply because we’re just reminiscing about something from the past,” said Heather at Little Moments to Embrace.

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Filed Under: Abundant Mamas, Peaceful Living Tagged With: , , , ,
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