this months theme: toys and games
I am really looking forward to bringing an interesting spin to this months theme of toys and games. Different to kids crafts - this theme is not necessarily child related and can be toys and games for any age group. Please send in your ideas, tutorials and articles to whipup[at]gmail.com - don’t forget to read our submission guidelines if submitting an article.
Recently we have really cut down watching TV at our house. We were noticing an ugly trend in ourselves (my partner and I) and in our two children of becoming bored and boring. We were losing our creativity and imaginations and becoming snarky and prickly towards each other much too easily. Since putting a limit on TV (in fact we disabed it so the kids can not just automatically turn it on whenever they feel like it), we have noticed that we and they play more games, accessing the games cupboard and craft boxes and book shelves more readily. At night we have been playing various board games, the whole families favourite is blokus and the kids play Uno and pick up sticks and have recently become obsessed with Monopoly (oh dear!). The drawing books have made a big come back and the kids love to play schools with each other now that my youngest is learning to read and spell. We also play word games with each other and charades … Some of the kids favourite things to do are really so very simple - dressing up the cat and organising their endless collections of stuff (see pics). love to hear your suggestions and ideas for more family friendly games.
This month I hope to discover more games and toys that can be played with kids with adults and with the whole family - I will be hunting for games and toys for outside, sports games, dangerous games, imaginative and playful games - so send in your ideas whipup[at]gmail.com
March 12th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
During our recent house move we were without TV for about 2 weeks. The children (ages 9 and 6) missed it for about 2 days then forgot all about it. We played more music, cooked together more as a family and the two kids both enjoyed activities like sewing. And the game brought out most often, Battleship. The TV is back on, but happily it’s not the childrens first choice for entertainment.
March 13th, 2008 at 7:14 am
“dangerous games” - that would include wrapping catty up like a baby, wouldn’t it?! :)
March 13th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Games! We love games at my house -blokus is good, played it at a friends and need to get it for here. We love all kinds of Cranium games - they have ones for all sorts of age groups and nobody ever gets bored with them.
The biggest hit of all lately is QUELF - but the kids have to be able to read to play it. It’s wacky - nuts - but a real riot & everyone always has a blast.
March 13th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
I plan to start limiting our TV and going fishing instead. There are lots of lakes around here close buy and I plan to use them.
One craft thats easy to do is draw a picture with crayons and paint on top of it with watercolor. The water color resists the wax and beads up ontop of the crayon and obsorbs into the paper where there is no crayon lol and not too messy, water color cleans up easy too. Cheri