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The Simple Dollar is urging us to have a money free weekend. Spending time rather than money is a lost art for many of us. Living on one (and a bit) income, and being an avid reader of the simple dollar for some time now I have thought a lot about the activities we can do as a family that are free.

Have a DVD Night

Dig out the dvd’s you haven’t watched for a while, use snacks from the house and make your own ‘in-house cinema’.

Teddy Bears Picnic

Younger kids will love to take dolls and teddies on a picnic, all you really need is a blanket and a tea set.

Go Cycling

If you have bikes, go cycling, free and healthy. We don’t have bikes, but I think I might hire one when I go to Centre Parcs.

Visit Your Local Botanical Gardens

Most areas have local gardens that are well kept and free. Sometimes they even have free exhibitions.

Keep an eye out for Freebies

For example, in Scotland, this weekend, all historical sites are FREE entry, also, I just this week I received an invite to a FREE food tasting event.

Paddling/Ball Pool

Most homes with children have an inflatable pool for water or balls. This can provide hours of fun for kids.

Hold a Scavenger Hunt

Gather your kids and all their friends and hold a scavenger hunt. A quick list typed on the computer of about 20 items will suffice. Divide the kids into pairs, older matched with younger works best. Offer a small prize to the winner (something from the house will do).

Become an Entrepreneur

Ignite your kid’s entrepreneurial spirit and get them working. Make rose perfume (water and petal, remember that?), a lemonade stand, make badges/bracelets from those make and do sets from christmas, make slush puppies to sell, hold a toy sale, start a car washing business, kids love trying to make money!

Go to the Beach

Preschoolers love sand and they love water. At the beach there is an abundance of both, FREE.

Reading

Challenge your kids to read a certain amount of books in one weekend.

Visit Your Local Art Gallery or Museum

We have recently visited two modern art galleries and have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Hold a Tournament

This is great for older kids. If you have a computer, hold a gaming tournament. If you are lucky enough to have a pool table or darts board hold a knockout tourney.

Arts & Crafts Afternoon

Lay a large mat on the floor and get the glitter, glue, card etc out.

Make a Den

Provide a group of kids with a few sheets/tarpaulin, and other random items to make a den.

Sports

Encourage the kids to organise a mass game of football or rounders in the park.

Photo by flickr user The Alieness

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Today was a busy day, first I started a new work at home job, then this afternoon I helped a friend with her wedding invitations.

Erin enjoyed some ‘Daddy Time’. Together they produced these white chocolate crispy cakes

(I’m not quite sure if the spring onion in the background is for garnish?!?!)

I was informed that they simply melted some white chocolate, added puffed rice cereal and mixed together. They then divided the mix into paper cases, licked the bowl (!) and decorated with mini eggs and milky bar buttons

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We had fun yesterday with our first foray into the world of play dough. With only one attempt at ingestion I thought it went pretty well.

Erin enjoyed investigating, throwing it on the floor (!) and ripping it into small pieces.

The guide on the tub said two years upwards but having worked at a nursery prior to having Erin, I felt confident she would be fine with my full attention

Buy play dough supplies

We made these art work cards over a couple of days, if your kids are older they should manage them in an afternoon.

I gathered together the supplies. A piece of card, paint, brush, water and wipes (for the hands afterwards).

I painted Erin’s hands and let her loose on the card. She didn’t manage complete prints but that doesn’t really matter

I cut out the ‘prints’ and glued to some cards, you can see above that I added some embellishments in the way of glitter, stickers etc… If you have older kids they’ll love this bit.

We were both really proud of the finished article

My search results for this site threw up a visitor searching for ‘hawaiian activities for preschoolers’. That visitor will have been disappointed, I don’t think I have done anything on hawaiian themed activities yet….tut….tut…to me

Let me put this right, here are three hawaiin themed activities off the top of my head.

Hula Skirt

Take a length of elastic and crepe paper in a variety of colours. Cut the crepe paper into strips, staple or tape onto the elastic.

Kiddie Cocktails

Make some kiddie cocktails, get the beach towels out, and just imagine

Pineapple Paper Collage

Cut out brown and yellow diamonds and green leaves, stick them onto a piece of card in a pineapple shape.

Feel free to share your own hawaiian themed activities…

Photo by flickr user Theorris

I came up with this idea when I was staring at the piles of old birthday cards I am (supposed to be) scrapbooking.

1. Take all the cards and cut them in half, keep the picture bit and throw away the writing side.

2. Cut the cards into one inch squares (larger or smaller if you want). All the squares must be the same size so mark it out with a ruler or use a template.

3. Take a large piece of card and glue the squares on to make a colourful mosaic. The mosaic can be framed as a birthday keepsake (birthday cards) or as a classy christmas decoration (old christmas cards).

*Tip* Use family pictures to make a mosaic gift for an anniversary or someonelse’s birthday.

Photo by flickr user Today is a Good Day

**This post brought to you by a great place for birthday gift baskets and gift baskets on the web.**

This article from The Simple Dollar give a great insight into how to teach your kids about money.

This post about dads spending time with their kids during the holidays caught my eye whilst perusing this weeks’ carnival of family life.

The importance of ‘daddy time’ is very well documented and any father worth his salt will want to spend time with their kids, however, could it be that some dads lack the creative spark or imagination or even knowledge to know what their kids will enjoy and what activities are most age appropriate.

1. Swimming

Babies through to teens they all love swimming. Cheap and fun its always a good option especially in the winter.

2. Bake Cakes

This isn’t as complicated as it sounds if you buy a box which provides you with cake mix, icing, and decorations…in fact all you need is an egg and some water and you’re cooking (literally!)

3. Trip to the Park

Ideal for toddlers through to primary age kids, great for letting off some steam (and giving mum a break!)

4. Imaginitive Play

Horsee and aeroplanes for babies, cops ‘n’ robbers and cowboys ‘n’ indians for preschoolers. These games are imaginitive games. Experts say that in todays society of computers and tv imaginitive play needs to be especially encouraged.

5. Skittles

Skittles is suitable for toddler and primary age children.

6. Ice Skating

In most big cities there is a winter wonderland with an outdoor ice rink, a real treat for primary age right through to teens.

7. Make a Den

Dads are best at making dens so I’m not going to offer any so-called advice here

8. Make Gunge

Dads will enjoy this one just as much as the kids!

9. Baby Ball Pool

This one is great for babies.

10. Check Out Kids Websites

Surf the net for websites for kids. Here is a good place to start.

11. Make a Happy Sun

An easy craft project, suitable for toddlers and preschoolers.

12. Make Chocolate Fondue

Suitable for toddlers, preschool and primary age children. Yummy!

13. Ice Cream Collage

Another easy craft activity, suitable for toddlers and preschoolers.

14. Exploring Textures

Babies can be difficult to entertain but this usually keeps them amused for a while.

15. Hand and Foot Printing

Messy but fun. Suitable for babies through to preschoolers and maybe a little bit beyond.

16. Play Doh

Easy to set up and easy to clear away. Toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy the most.

17. Christmas Shopping

18. Buy Tree/Decorations

19. Paper Flower Collage

Suitable for toddlers and preschoolers.

20. Baby Games

Easy games that babies really enjoy.

A blogger I respect a lot has written an article with a title very similar to that above. Sticking to my rule of ‘more than three lines and it warrants a blog post rather than a comment’ here goes.

Is internet access necessary in schools?

Yes it is.

We are living in a society that is dependant on computers. Practically every company out there has a website, most homes are linked to the internet, and kids need to be able to use computers and the internet efficiently if they are to succeed. Scientists use computers to analyse lab results, retailers use the internet to sell their wares and computer programs for stock taking, accountants, teachers, and police staff all require computer skills. At some time or another each will require the internet, to do research, to purchase something, to acquire contact details.

I don’t think it does take a lot of skill to use a mouse or type something into google, therefore, I don’t think it needs to be taught as a subject in itself but it should be available in all classrooms for research purposes and to help with projects. Textbook learning is fine but it does get dull. To fully engage pupils you need to be more creative and utilise all medias along with arts, crafts, quizzes and as many other ways you can think of to really bring the subjects alive, especially at primary school, where a love of learning needs to be nurtured and is perhaps more important than the learning itself.

And whilst I’m on my soap box I think ‘Wall Ball‘ is a perfectly acceptable yard game too

Make a cute hedgehog from a pine cone.