Here’s an idea for you: Take your kids to the backyard and play a GAME together.
Playing with your kids lowers your stress level and strengthens the bond with your kids!
Here are 3 games to play:
Select one person to be Mr. or Mrs. Fox. This person will stand with his or her back to the rest of the players.
All other players line up on the other side of the yard/field. The players take turns asking Mr. Fox what time it is. The fox will then respond with a time, such as 3 o’clock. The players must then take the same number of steps forward (in this case, 3 steps). These steps may be as large or small as the players wish, no matter how close they get to the fox.
Whenever the fox decides, she or he may yell in response to the question, “It’s LUNCHTIME!” When this happens, the fox will turn around and begin chasing the players with the intent of tagging one.
The players should run back to the starting line where they are safe. Once the fox tags someone, that person becomes Mr. or Mrs. Fox.
Optional Twist: Similar to Sharks and Minnows, after each round, the person who gets tagged JOINS the first Mr. Fox. The number of foxes chasing players increases until there are no longer any players. Then it’s time to start the game with a new fox!
The first team agrees to call one player from the opposite team, and chants, “Red Rover, Red Rover, send (player’s name) on over!”
The person called runs to the other line and attempts to break the chain (formed by the linking of hands).
If the person called fails to break the chain, this player joins the team that called Red Rover. But, if the player successfully breaks the chain, he may capture either of the two players whose link was broken by the dash, and bring them back to his original team.
Teams take turns calling out Red Rover and challenging a player on the opposing team.
Alternately – if they break the chain, they join hands with that line. We played this version in the video below.
“It” holds the ball and all the other players circle around him.
“It” then throws the ball straight up in the air while calling out a name.
While the player is catching the ball, all other players scatter and get as far away as they can from the person catching the ball.
The player whose name was called must catch the ball and yell “SPUD!”
The players who are running away must then stop in their tracks when they hear the word SPUD.
The player with the ball takes 3 steps in the direction of any person, then tries to throw the ball and hit one of the other players.
If the player hits someone, then that player he hits becomes “It,” if he misses, he is “It.”
Variations:
If a player who’s name was called catches the ball without letting it bounce, they can then throw the ball in the air and call another name. Then that player must run back and try and catch the ball.
If the person takes 3 steps and misses someone, they can take 4 more steps and try and hit another player.
Here’s a video of all three games. Stay tunes for some silly scenes at the end!
The day started as usual … oh, you know, four, I mean, FIVE boys – hungry and asking for bacon.
The boys completed their homeschool (aka distance learning) – as fast as possible because they had ‘important’ things to do.
George and Clark wanted to make a “What’s in the Box?” video for their youtube channel. The idea behind this video is that each boy has to take turns being blindfolded, then reaching their hand into a box, and “guessing” what’s in the box.
George and Clark both wanted to surprise each other with something ALiVE in the box! They commissioned Paul (the animal whisperer) to catch some live animals for them.
First, Paul caught some frogs that were attached to each other. He brought it to our backyard and taught our 6-year-old, as well as the neighbor girl, that these frogs are “mating” and this is how baby frogs are born. (Let’s call this homeschool science) I told Paul that mating frogs like to be left alone and to go put them back where he found them.
Next, Paul found a “non-mating” frog for George. George put the frog in an ENCLOSED container, and hid it in his room until he was ready for the ‘what’s in the box’ video.
Clark asked Paul to find a turtle for him and then hid it in his room – in a SHALLOW dish, with NO COVER.
When he went to get the turtle for the video…
…the TURTLE was GONE!
I was in the kitchen and overheard Clark saying:
Oh no, Oh no!!
Paul…I need your help!
I need some help in here!
– #clarkwayne
I came to check on Clark and he let me know the turtle was GONE and he couldn’t find it.
He showed me the shallow dish. No lid. No turtle.
We started looking around the room and COULD not find it.
We got Paul – Paul can catch any animal. Paul COULD NOT find it.
Ted came and looked – Ted COULD NOT find the turtle.
The door to Clark’s room was open when the turtle escaped. I started looking around the house. I could not find the turtle.
About 90 minutes later, Clark FINALLY found him…under a toy, under his bed.
Thank God it just a turtle this time.
Once the turtle was found, the boys were able to finish their video. Then, they took the animals immediately back to the pond.
Next, the boys had a water gun fight.
When it was time to come in for dinner, Luke said, “Mom, I’m not going to need a bath tonight, I had a water gun fight with my brothers.” (He DID take a bath)
This was just a regular Tuesday. A glimpse in the life of a #boymom! Never boring, always fun. Usually messy. Wouldn’t trade it.
For the record, this turtle was the 3rd creature that my boys have found, and then lost, and then found. Luke once brought a frog home, and accidentally dropped it in my kitchen. The frog jumped under the stove and it took us a LONG time to get him out. The first incident though, was when Clark lost a SNAKE in my car – to read about that adventure: Click HERE.
While raising four energetic boys, I’ve spent countless hours searching for ways to keep them engaged. We’ve endured many LONG, COLD winters cooped up indoors together.
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Pictures from one very long, extremely cold winter. Every day felt like Groundhog Day!
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Through experience (and a few hard lessons), I’ve discovered that when little ones get bored—or are left unsupervised even briefly—they have an uncanny talent for finding trouble and creating chaos!
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I left him un-attended for a few minutes, and he created “SNOW” with packing peanuts
I’ve searched the internet, and gathered my favorite ideas for keeping your toddlers busy!
Each link I’ve included is an affiliate link, so that means if you click on it and decide to purchase the item, I will earn a small profit. Thanks for your support!
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1. Stacking cereal
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Stack fruit loops or Cherries on Spaghetti noodles stuck in play dough!
Set out one item of each color, have your child search the house for items of the same color. (Bonus: see if they can put the items back where they found them.)
My oldest son received the Plasma Car for his first birthday – and each of my boys have been riding it ever since. This “bike” is almost 12 years old, and still one of their favorite toys. If you have an unfinished basement, or scratch resistant floors – this bike is a life-saver!
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Luke, just after his first birthday1 year old Luke loving his Plasma Car!
Step it up a notch with the Balloon Rockets. Kids enjoy watching balloons soar around the room! We purchased our Balloon Rocket set many years ago and my boys still have fun with this! I recently bought replacement balloons to keep them entertained during quarantine.
Spray it on a pan and let them draw or put shaving cream in a large baggie with some food coloring. Let your child “squish it” or practice writing letters on it with their finger.
18. Create sounds with Pots/Pans and Wooden Spoons
Let your kids bang away. (Put in earbuds to keep it from driving you crazy!)
Or:
Give your toddler pots and pans to bang on is a classic parent move, but here is a less noisy idea. Sit your toddler down with a pumpkin, melon, or squash and let them pound the vegetable to their heart’s content with a toy hammer. Most toddlers aren’t strong enough to do real harm with their hammer, so you can still make soup with your butternut squash once they’ve had their fun. She also says this works if you swap the hammer for stickers.
Singing to and with your child builds a unique bond with them. And just like reading to your child, singing songs with them helps to boost their vocabulary and language skills.
This bag has brought hours of entertainment for my kiddos!
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37. Have fun with ice!
Make ice in different colors with food coloring and add to their drinks.
Freeze their toys and allow them to ‘excavate’ with a toy hammer.
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38. Memorize a verse together
It’s the SWEETEST thing to hear your little ones quoting Scripture!
The first verses my mom had me learn were Psalm 91:1 and Ephesians 6:. The first verse I had my kids learn was 1 Timothy 4:12.
Scripture memory is something that will benefit your children throughout their ENTIRE lives!
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39. Clean together
Smaller things kids can do – wiping baseboards, lower cabinets, all door handles, pulling weeds, folding and putting away laundry, bathroom, bedroom, their closet, putting toys away and unloading dishwasher.
I offered my kids a quarter to whoever could wipe down the baseboards and bring me back the dirtiest wet wipe.
*I am an Amazon Affiliate, so I make a small percentage off of Amazon links I share if you click through and purchase. Thank you for your support in this way!
My two oldest sons wanted to provide some “clean” and funny entertainment for your family during this quarantine season.
Everyone needs a little “FUNNY” right now!
They are writing, producing and editing their own videos. This gives them a creative outlet and a fun way to add a little humor to your home.
They would love it if you would check out their videos and subscribe to their channel.
Here are a few they’ve done so far:
Quarantine Life vs Normal Life:
https://youtu.be/H5i5T7QwTEE
Hot Sauce Challenge!
https://youtu.be/OVJzG1pAY_U
Try Not to Laugh:
https://youtu.be/xtgHbEd40iw
What do you think?
Leave a comment, and I will pass the message on to them. Because their youtube channel is for kids, comments are not allowed under their videos.
Please share their videos with your family and friends! Also – you can subscribe by clicking on the logo/faces in the top left corner of each video. It should give you the option to “subscribe.”
This has been a unique season for all of us! I usually read about 5 books each month, however, I only finished 5 books in March and Aprils. My reading rate has been cut in half over the last two months. There are several reasons I haven’t been reading as much.
I have very little “downtime” with everyone home all day, every day.
Review: It took me a LONG time to read this book. I started it in JANUARY! The book is packed with stories and research – almost too much for me to consume. Finally, on the first Saturday after this quarantine began, I left Ted in charge, “quarantined” myself to the bedroom, laid in bed, and finished this book. The book builds the case that success comes with being a GIVER, not a TAKER.
Here are some key points I pulled from the book: 1. Admitting your weakness makes you appear human and approachable. 2. When selling, ask questions. People enjoy talking. By listening, you will learn about the person and how to sell to them based on their interests. Change your mindset from selling, to helping! Givers outsell takers. 3. People who maintain an equilibrium between benefiting themselves and others achieve significant increase in happiness and life satisfaction. 4. This book has lots of good stuff on the value in volunteering! For instance, those who volunteer 2 hours a week find that their happiness, satisfaction and self-esteem go up within one year. Those who volunteer see a drop in depression. Elderly adults who volunteer live longer. (I personally loved his chapter on volunteering. I wrote an entire post about the value in volunteering here.) 5. Decide to be a giver. Focus on making a difference and success might follow!
“By shifting ever so slightly in the giver direction, we might find our waking hours marked by greater success, richer meaning, and more lasting impact.”
I started reading this book with George in February. As I began reading, the lifestyle of the Ingalls family seemed SO foreign to me. I couldn’t imagine living back then, and was honestly glad that I didn’t. Let me describe a little bit of their lives to you:
Ma spends most of her days cooking and doing laundry.
The kids don’t go anywhere. They have no one to play with, except each other. They would create games to entertain themselves. They could play outside – but had to stay close by their home.
Pa works from home and only goes to the store to get “essentials.”
By the time we finished the book at the end of March, I realized we were living the “Little House” life!!!
What seemed so foreign at the beginning, felt suddenly, VERY familiar. However, I realized this slow-placed life really isn’t so bad. I’ve been wanting time to SLOW DOWN and finally got my wish. I’m thankful for this time with my family and feel like it’s given us an opportunity to grow closer. And just like the Ingalls family, we are all finding joy in the SIMPLE things!!!
Shauna Niequist recommended this book, and because I’m living in Minnesota, I checked it out from the library. (Our library is allowing us to do curbside pickup!!)
This book was an entertaining novel. I enjoyed that the book was set in Minnesota, and how the author refers to towns all around me. The novel follows the lives of a few women as they enter the ‘lager/beer craft industry.’ The ‘characters’ in this story are believable and endearing.
Review: This book was written by a parent and psychologist. It’s a practical and helpful parenting book. Topics include respect, chores, homework, helping your child deal with a ‘bad day,’ and building ‘faith practices’ in your home.
While some parenting books have left me feeling overwhelmed, that was NOT the case with this book. It was inspiring and useful. It’s a book I’ll go back to again and again.
Review: The “Who Was/Is” series are GREAT biographies to read with kids. The books are short, easy-to-read, and filled with the most interesting facts. I love that the books give me a ‘refresh’ on important historical figures.
This is a fantastic book and perfect if you want to know a little more behind the “Hamilton” phenonenom!
Have you read anything interesting lately? Leave me a comment!
Without warning, we are in a BRAND NEW phase of marriage and parenting. We are stuck together all day every day, juggling a job (or the loss of a job). The kids are now home, so we are also trying to figure out how to home school, keep up with house work, cook for kids that are always hungry, and there are endless opportunities to drive each other crazy!!
This is a season where setting a couple hours apart to re-connect with your spouse is more important than ever.
Institutionalizing “date night” is not only fun, it can protect your marriage from deterioration and it can keep you and your spouse more healthy, happy and able to manage your life stressors.
Jame C Williamson, PhD
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How date night helps:
I love being a mom, and one thing that helps me love it so much, is taking little breaks from my kids. I also love being married, and date night helps Ted and I reconnect and remember why we got married.
Taking a little time APART from the kids and WITH your spouse strengthens both your parenting AND your marriage!
My relationship with Ted started before we had children. I want it to remain strong during this challenging phase of parenthood, and keep thriving AFTER our children are grown!
Regular date nights build resilience to carry your marriage relationship during the challenging times.
Get dressed up! (Taking a shower, putting on some makeup and doing my hair suddenly feels LUXURIOUS! When you look good, you feel good.)
Order take out. (If you are on a tight budget, cook together.)
One spouse picks up food, while the other feeds the kids.
Put the kids to bed or set the kids up in another room to watch a pre-approved movie.
Enjoy a delicious dinner and conversation. Add some candles and music to really make it special.
Date night doesn’t have to be extravagant to make a significant positive impact on your marriage. Don’t let the tyranny of the urgent crowd out nurturing your relationship. It’s well worth the investment.
My post on 55 Summertime Activities for Kids has been a big hit with parents, so I wrote another post to give you MORE ideas for keeping your quarantined kids busy.
The Sports Action Figures inspire kids in creative, open-ended play of their favorite sport (while stuck inside). The sets can also be used for parents to teach their kids the rules of the game and introduce their kids to the sports they love. The sets can also be used as centerpieces for sports-themed birthday parties – or to decorate cakes and cupcakes! Coaches use the GUYS to go over positioning and strategy with their players!
The sets by KaskeyKids.com include: Football, Baseball, Hockey, Soccer and Basketball.
Kids don’t automatically know what it means to “Mind Your Manners.” Summer time is the perfect time to teach them! At the dinner table, talk about table etiquette. After dinner, practice how to meet new people, and how to make a great first impression. We WILL be getting back to normal soon. We WILL be shaking hands again one day.
Practice with your kids NOW so they can impress people with their top-notch manners LATER!
A gratitude list or journal is EXTREMELY valuable in uncertain times. Thinking about our blessings and what we are grateful for is extremely helpful in building resiliency! I researched journals a few months ago and decided to purchase this simple one for George. I’ve loved watching him open this up (without prompting), and write what he’s grateful for!
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13. Self Portrait
Have your kids look in the mirror and do a self portrait! Be sure to have them write their name and age. It will be fun to look back on this when they are older. You could have them repeat this every year around their birthday to see how their drawings improve!
Have your kids PAINT their coloring books instead of coloring – or – give them a blank sheet of paper to paint!
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15. Friendship bracelets
Making friendship bracelets kept me busy for HOURS when I was young. Perhaps it will entertain your kids too! Purchase embroidery floss, then search youtube for instructions.
*I am an Amazon Affiliate, so I make a small percentage off of Amazon links I share if you click through and purchase. Thank you for your support in this way!
Today’s blog post is one of my favorites – and it was written by my husband, the great Ted Egly. Ted works for Target and his job is working with their executives and senior leaders on their personal and team development. This article was published internally for all leaders and team members at Target. Ted, take it away…
It’s been said that tough times don’t last, but tough people and teams do. Right now, we are tasked with being more resilient than ever. Resilience is the capacity to be strong under conditions of uncertainty, change, and stress.
As we are struggling to come to terms with this crisis, we can treat it as a defining moment to grow in spite of it – and because of it.
I’ve found that many times, we don’t elevate to our highest capacity until we are faced with our highest challenge.
Resilience is the skill and capacity to be strong under conditions of uncertainty, change, and stress.
Here are 5 practical steps to build your resiliency:
Step 1: Build your personal energy
Sometimes people think that they were either born resilient or they weren’t. The truth is, your resiliency is something you can strengthen with a few steps.
Exercise and sleep. When you move your body, you change your biochemistry – releasing dopamine. This is called the “feel better effect.” As for sleep, limit screen time and media intake before bed, and keep a consistent sleep schedule.
“Physical distancing” – not “social distancing.” We are made for social connection and community, so find ways to engage others. Video chats are great place to start.
Enjoy the moments of levity. Recently while I was on a conference call with an executive and another senior leader, one of my sons began chanting, “I love bacon!” in the background. Soon, all my four boys began chanting, “I love bacon.” We all got a much-needed laugh.
Now, let’s explore the power of perspective – for yourself and those around you. It starts with paying attention to when we catastrophize (or jump to the worst possible outcome of a scenario), which dramatically diminishes our capacity to be more resilient.
Engage in a gratitude practice. Every night write down two to three things that you were grateful for that day. Be as specific as possible. Gratitude is a powerful antibiotic.
Limit where you give your attention. Our attention is under siege. What information you consistently feed on will shape your life. What you attend to the most becomes your reality.
Meter your social media/media intake. Negativity is like Velcro, and positivity is like Teflon. But it can take more effort to focus on positive things. So identify one activity that can help you shift your thinking.
Step 3: Control your attention
Now, direct yourself to areas in your life (at home and work) where you can take productive, useful action.
You can’t control your circumstances, but you can control how you respond. Try to be objective and keep an even keel – and try to see the good in a situation.
“Stay in the day.” It’s a phrase someone I know repeats whenever fear and doubt invites him to focus on the worries of tomorrow that he can’t control. Stay in the day.
Try the “circle of control” exercise. Draw a circle on a blank piece of paper. Then, write down all of the things you can control or influence inside the circle and all of the things you cannot control outside of the circle. This helps you see the things that are inside of your control.
You can’t control your circumstances, but you can control how you respond.
Step 4: Take Action
There will be moments when you feel a sense of helplessness. The best antidote when that happens? Take some sort of action.
Action cures fear. Helplessness comes from a lack of perceived control. When we are paralyzed by fear or worry, it gets in the way of our body’s ability to release the chemical dopamine – which leads to a greater sense of helplessness.
Next time you’re feeling stuck, think of the one action (not two or three, just one) you can take. There’s power in choosing that next step and following through.
By taking action, you train your brain to release dopamine, boosting your energy levels and producing a huge effect on your sense of control, mood and thinking.
Bottom line: Think of today’s problems or challenges as invitations to step through your fears.
Today’s challenges are really just invitations to step through your fears.
Step 5: Care for others
Another powerful antidote to our own fears and worries is to focus on others.
Random acts of kindness, even during this crisis, has a powerful effect on others.
A powerful chemical that our brain releases, oxytocin, is associated with empathy, trust and relationship building. It’s the feeling we get when we do something nice for someone or someone does something nice for us.
Be empathetic. During times of crisis, it’s a powerful opportunity to be exceedingly human.
Be a “dealer in hope.” Think about a time recently where someone brought hope into a situation. What did it feel like? What was the result? Resilient people can help breathe oxygen in the soul, by infusing hope in the form of appreciation, inspiration and recognition (A.I.R.).
Focusing on the needs of others has a way of refocusing your attention and motivating you to do more than you thought possible.
Random acts of kindness, even during this crisis, has a powerful effect on others.
Bringing it all Back
Becoming a more resilient person is a process. You have what it takes. Focus on personal energy, put things in perspective, control your attention, take action and care for others. These are some ways to get through this time by building up your resiliency – and in the process, bring about a better, more resilient world.
One of my first memories includes listening to my mom and older sister read Psalm 91 together before bed. Hearing them quote this passage of Scripture brought comfort and peace to my little heart.
My mom also sang with us, prayed with us, and helped us memorize simple verses. I believe those were the building blocks for a foundation of faith that I still stand on today.
As mothers – our days can be crazy and exhausting. Especially right now!! However, we can choose to start and end each day with HOPE.
Why do we see so many bunnies and eggs around Easter? These symbols may seem like springtime fun, but they actually point to something much deeper—new life!
Eggs remind us of new beginnings. Just like a chick hatches from an egg, we believe that through Jesus, we are given a fresh start and new life.
Empty eggs can also symbolize the empty tomb—Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday!
Bunnies are known for having lots of babies, making them a symbol of life and growth.
As Christ-followers, Easter is a time to celebrate the incredible truth that Jesus conquered death and rose again to give us new life—full of hope, joy, and purpose.
Now let’s have some fun with crafts and activities that point our kids back to these amazing truths!
Give your children a large sheet of paper and have them finger paint, scribble, or water color.
Cut their work out into the shape of an EGG!
Hang up or frame it with a contrasting background!
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2. Aluminum Foil Easter Eggs
Cut an egg out of Aluminum Foil
Color/decorate with Sharpies
When decorating the egg, set it on top of newspaper…I have sharpie marks on my farmhouse table because I skipped this step! 🙁
Pictured below is the artwork done by my 12 year old. When I asked him to color this egg, he rolled his eyes – but then he spent 20 minutes working on it. It’s okay to encourage your older kids to be artistic. It’s relaxing for them, and they enjoy it more than they will admit.
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3. Handprint Easter Bunnies
Trace your child’s hand
Create bunny ears and a face
Cut out and fold
Optional: Do this each year to see how their hands grow!
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4. Easter Bunny Pancakes
Create small and large pancakes and help your kids construct a bunny!
I used mini chocolate chips and bananas on the feet, and whip cream for a “bunny tail.”
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5. Easter sidewalk chalk
Tape out a design on a window, driveway or sidewalk.
Fill in the spaces with sidewalk chalk or washable paint.
Optional: Rub the sidewalk chalk with a paper towel for a smooth look and to make the chalk go further.
Peel off tape and ENJOY! Your neighbors will appreciate it too.
Money Saving Tip: I found tape and sidewalk chalk at the Dollar Tree.
