Wednesday, June 4, 2008

WFMW


This week's WFMW has a theme! Very exciting. Let's talk about how to keep the kids busy and entertained during the summer. Well. Where to begin? We definitely do as many outdoor activities as possible to let the precious angels run off plenty of energy to keep that school year bedtime in place. Momma loves her quiet evenings. Here are some outdoor activity ideas:

1. Get colored sand from Wal-Mart. It is awesome and for some reason keeps the kids even more occupied than regular sand. 2. Let the kids plant flowers or plants in the garden. Give them a plant or two, small trowel, and have at it. Don't worry about it being perfect. The fact that they are busy and not whining is what's important. 3. Let them play with the hose in their clothes. (What is this? Dr. Seuss Wednesday?) They will think you are mother of the year and stay out of your hair for awhile while you catch up on your reading. 4. Kids are fascinated by everything (well, little kids anyway.) Let them try to find the most unusual rocks from the driveway or landscaping rock. Let them make a little collection. Then, if you are feeling brave, break out the fingerpaints and let them paint their rocks. 5. If the kids are young enough, you can make a game out of most anything. Who can pick the most weeds? Pick up the most sticks? Run the fastest? Jump the farthest? Make the best margarita? Wait...that's not right.

If you have to move things indoors (like for instance if you live in Indiana and it NEVER quits raining) you can still have fun without the TV. Here are some indoor activity ideas:


1. Play-Doh on baking dishes. Put all the Play-Doh and assorted tools on a deep baking dish and let them go to town. 2. For truck loving boys, try putting uncooked rice in a deep baking dish and let them use their little loaders and dump trucks in it. 3. Buy a piece of tile/shower board from your local home improvement store for about $10.00. Cut it to size and affix it somewhere in the house. We have a goofy little counter in our laundry area. We cut a piece to size, attached it to the wall, and let the kids use dry erase markers. It even covers up the actual marker on the wall. It's a win-win situation. 4. Turn the chairs, recliners, even the loveseat over, cover them with blankets and let the kids play in the "fort." This could free up hours for you to blog, read, blog, laundry, blog, clean, or even blog. 5. Have an indoor picnic. This is very popular at our house. Break out the blankets and lunch trays in the living room in front of your favorite Dora or John Deere movie. Follow lunch up with a popsicle and maybe an indoor game of Frisbee or Nerf football.


And Moms, if all else fails...try this.


I guarantee you won't care if the kids are crying, "I'm bored!"

If these tips didn't tickle your fancy, try this site for more ideas.


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41 comments:

Finding Normal said...

Great post! I need to do the rice thing now that Noah is so into his Bob guys.

Heather said...

These are great ideas! Luckily, the kids here go to school all year, so our "summer" is only a month long. Just as they're starting to get really whiney...they're back off to school.

Karen said...

Neat ideas.
I thought it was only here in western WA that it rains all the time!
a SITS sister

Finding Normal said...

Tell me again what I lose if I do a pyzam template?

Nonnas News said...

What great ideas! You have a cute blog! I hope you have a great summer day!!

Caroline said...

I really like your blog. I LOVED the chunky dunking post - had me cracking up! When my brother, sister, and I were out of school for summer, we knew that if we told mom we were bored she would assign housework for us to do. The LAST thing we wanted to do was sweep, vacuum, and clean the bathroom!

Angie's Spot said...

Great tips! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I came this way via SITS, this morning. You have the BEST ideas! And I love your About Me--we share a lot of things in common! I too LOVE office supplies, organizing (although my follow through on that leaves much to be desired), purses with matching wallets and starbucks (my blog is called Heavy on the Caffeine, lol.)

I hope you get lots of new readers--you definitely have soem great things to share!

Unknown said...

These are some great ideas! We live in AL...100 degree weather already! So, anything with water outdoors - or anything to keep from going stir crazy in doors is wonderful!

Acrimony said...

It's 9am, can I start that bottle of wine now? Because my kids are already fighting and whining.

Anonymous said...

Great Ideas!! Thank you for them as I am about to juggle mommy and work time...

KimmyJ said...

Great Blog - found you through SITS!

Candid Carrie said...

Guess what else is cheap? Scotch tape. One roll of scotch tape can buy you hours. My mom would never give us scotch tape so I hand it out like candy. Have you ever smelled scotch tap? It smells grand.

Amanda Jo said...

Great tips - especially the last one! ;)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for all of the ideas! I live in MO and it hasn't really stopped raining here either!

Sarahviz said...

Followed you from the SITS gals! My favorite wine is called "Mommy's Time Out." How true!

Maddness of Me said...

Awesome ideas for keeping kids busy! Thank you!

Anonymous said...

The rice in the baking dish for cars/trucks is a FANTASTIC idea! I have a three year old who will find hours of entertainment from this one!
I've heard great things about the colored sand from Wal-Mart...I need to find a spot for it in my yard ;)
We have a small room under our stairs where we keep the kids' toys - I painted one wall with chalkboard paint...keeps em busy for hours in there on rainy days ;)
Thanks for the tips!!

Did I already mention I found you on SITS? hehe

Mamahut said...

I love all of your ideas! My boys would turn it into something not so fun, and I would have to drink 2bottles of wine a day and then my husband would be mad cuz I spent too much money on mommy time outs!

Connie said...

Only a week of school left and I need to stock my wine racks NOW!

Kristen said...

Those are some great ideas! Cute blog, I cam over through SITS!

The Mom Jen said...

Congrats on the SITS love!

Merrie said...

I'm forwarding this to my hubby, the stay at home dad. Great ideas! I'm so jealous -- I wanted his job by this summer!

Melissa Lester said...

Love your blog and all of the great ideas! I intended to pop over and read your first post, but found myself scrolling down and down to take more of it in. A+!

Cecily R said...

What GREAT ideas!!! We are in the second week of summer and it's been raining all week. I think I might have my very own padded room if this keeps up!!!

Jessica G. said...

Oh, the memories of building forts when I was a kid! Thanks for the ideas...I am going to need them once the movies run out.

(Came to your site through SITS!)

Biteofpunkinpie said...

Make the best margarita? Wait...that's not right.

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!! found you from SITS...

Love love love it!

Deanna said...

You got me! I'm hooked! I love your blog! I found you through Secret in the Sauce (which I found through the Equilibrium blog).

Anonymous said...

I really need to do the rice idea for my kids. They would really enjoy this, but isn't there supposed to be a rice shortage or was that just news propaganda I saw on tv?? Anywho, great blog. Thanks for letting my come and SITS for awhile!!

Laural Out Loud said...

Can I skip straight to the wine part?

I love your blog! I'll be checking back regularly.

Tiffany said...

Good thing you put the wine at the bottom, or you would have lost me...to wine.

GREAT ideas!

Anonymous said...

Great blog and post. I have to say that I think glass of wine might be the best idea.

Sandi McBride said...

I used to save boxes in the shed all winter and then about three weeks into summer vacation (mom I'M BORED) because they wouldn't get a job and were to young to be let out on their own, I dumped the boxes in the back yard for them to play fort or castle, cave or jail...it would occupy them for three days or until the boxes refused to stand alone (or ran away for self protection)!
Sandi
ps
great post and blog

M said...

Ah, a mom after my own heart!!

Great post!!

Tinabean said...

I absolutely LOVE your blog.
Thank you for sharing with all of us.
And thank you for the dinner ideas I'm totally making that this week.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic ideas! Today the the last day of school for my kids...thanks for all the summertime tips!

Bethany said...

I came over from SITS. I'm putting you in my reader right now! Love your blog.

Judy Schwartz Haley | CoffeeJitters.Net said...

Playing fort is awesome! I spent hours doing that as a kid. We don't have any kids of our own yet, but my husband and I play fort sometimes anyways ;)

Perksofbeingme said...

great ideas! I'll be sure to use them with my autistic kids.

Anonymous said...

Love it, love it, love it! I'd have to look up connoisseur as well...I actually did just so I could post it here! I'll need that bottle of wine to go with the whines when my keeps are back from camp! Great blog!

John Deere Mom said...

Thanks everybody for making my day with all the comments. I will check out all your blogs soon (if I haven't already!)
A couple comments from me:
Debbie-You lose pretty much everything except your pictures. You can play with it and preview and nothing will be changed/lost until you actually save it.
Caroline-I hear ya. My parents used to disconnect cable TV over the summer to keep our butts off the couch. The horror!
Christy-We sound like sisters!
Carrie-Have I smelled Scotch tape? I am a teacher with a sick love for office supplies. Hell yeah I've smelled tape! :)
Shanna-I've wondered about the chalk paint. I might have to give it a try.
Merrie-A stay at home dad? Wow! I know NO man who could do such a thing. Good for you! And him!
Melissa-Thanks for the A+ You know how to make a teacher swoon!
Strawberry Blonde-Hadn't heard about the rice shortage. But I did hear bananas would be "extinct" in seven years. Who knows what to believe?!
Sandi-Thanks for the box idea! My kids would love it!
I am so giddy to see all the mommy wine drinkers. Woo hoo!