Today on "Real Parents. Real Solutions." we're talking about how to have a blast with your kids at home.
Debra Immergut, Disney FamilyFun magazine senior editor was kind enough to put these links together for fun activities.
FamilyFun is one of my favorite magazines for this purpose. Be sure to check it out!
You'll also see details about some great arts-related activities that Mimi Flaherty Willis , senior director for education at the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts provided below.
1. Get-Active Games
Cross the Sea
http://familyfun.go.com/playtime/indoor-games/cross-the-sea-792387/
Human Slide Show
http://familyfun.go.com/playtime/indoor-games/human-slide-show-708214/
Balloon Sandwich
http://familyfun.go.com/playtime/indoor-games/balloon-sandwich-707241/
Beat the Clock
http://familyfun.go.com/playtime/indoor-games/beat-the-clock-game-707079/
Hula Hoop Game (to be published in Feb 2010)
Players stand in a big circle. Slip a hula hoop onto one person’s arm, and
have them all the players join hands. Players have to find a way to move the hula hoop all the way around the circle without letting go of each other’s hands.
2. Kitchen Science
Crystal Tree
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/holiday-seasonal-crafts/winter-crafts/winter-crafts-test/crystal-tree-802327/
Cornstarch Clay Creatures
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/holiday-seasonal-crafts/winter-crafts/winter-crafts-test/cornstarch-clay-802347/
Eruption in a Bottle
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/crafts-by-type/educational-craft-activities/science-projects/a-mad-scientists-blast-706339/2/
3. Craft Projects
Critters That Keep Out the Cold
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/holiday-seasonal-crafts/winter-crafts/winter-crafts-test/critters-that-keep-out-the-cold-671472/
Tin Can Knitter (I am checking to see when the video how-to for this one goes live on FamilyFun.com)
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/tin-can-knitting-802352/
Glue Batik Banner (this might be a better choice than the tin can knitter?--more fun for boys as well as girls, and simpler to explain)
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/glue-batik-banner-785331/
Holiday Welcome Banner: http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/holiday-welcome-banner-674938/
4. Fun House ideas
Active ideas:
Basement Sports Center, All Ages Gym, and a Bedroom Swing
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/home-garden-projects/playspace-crafts/the-fun-house-710926/2/
Pretend Play Ideas:
Dress-Up Boutique, Starstruck Stage and Studio, Imaginary Elementary
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/home-garden-projects/playspace-crafts/the-fun-house-710926/3/
5. Fun for an Afternoon or Evening
In-Home Drive-In
“We like to create a drive-in movie experience. We make a cardboard car out of large cardboard boxes. Then we line them up in front of the television, pop in a movie, and turn the lights out. I set up a concession stand in the kitchen. The kids use coupons that they've earned from doing chores to buy drinks, popcorn, and candy. We usually watch a double feature.”
Restaurant at Home
“One activity I like to play with my kids is "Restaurant." We spend an hour or so making and decorating menus and deciding what simple meals we could make from what's already in the fridge or cupboard. Next we dress up for our parts (a chef's hat would be great, but not necessary). Then we take turns doing the role play. One person is the waiter/waitress, one person is the chef, and one person is the customer. My role is kitchen supervisor to make sure everyone prepares the food safely. We rotate roles until everyone has played each part, especially being the customer. “
At-Home Newscast
To stop boredom one cold winter day, I set up the video camera, a pretend desk, and a map of the United States. The kids didn't know what was going on until I explained that we were going to play Newscast. For a good hour or more we took turns being the cameraman, the news anchor, and the weatherman. The kids loved it, and all of us including Dad enjoyed watching the tape when he got home from work. (So much so that we did it again with him that night, mostly to add the sports anchor, which he couldn't believe we had forgotten.) --Pamela G.
6. Stop Motion Animation (from upcoming Dec 2009/Jan 2010 issue)
Innovative software has transformed the labor-intensive process that brought the world Gumby and Wallace & Gromit into one simple enough for a family to enjoy, as we discovered one drizzly day when I downloaded a stop-motion animation program to our home computer. We plugged a digital video camera into the computer, scrounged a collection of props (mostly lollipops and pretzel sticks), sketched out a storyline, and started shooting. The inexpensive software allowed the kids to see immediate results as we manipulated the objects. In fact, it kept them so engaged that our animated short could have easily turned into a full-length feature. The kids titled our mini-masterpiece Lollipop Tree and begged to watch it over and over again (you can too — see below). Then they got to eat the props.
Our Tips:
• Stop-motion animation programs are compatible with most digital
video cameras and some digital still cameras (check before you
download). I had to adjust my camera’s settings from HD to DV
before beginning.
• For a more professional look, we set our camera on a tripod and shot against a flat, brightly lit sheet of white paper.
• To inspire my young animators, I showethem some of the many finished works
posted online. The kids were particularl jazzed by a short called Western Spaghetti
(eatpes.com). You can check out our Lollipop Tree at FamilyFun.com/magazine.
Stop-Motion Software We Like:
Stop MotionMaker HDMI (for PC, about $60, free trial version with fewer
features) stopmotionmaker.com
iKITMovie Express (for PC, starting at $50, free trial version)
ikitmovie.com
Boinx iStopMotion 2 (for Mac, starting at $49; free 5-day trial) boinx.com
7. Instant Boredom Busters
Indoor Wax Paper Skates
“Our family has a great winter or rainy-day activity that is low cost and high energy. We clear out the coffee table and make an open space in the living room. We turn on some classical or soft-rock music. Then comes the real fun! We cut squares of wax paper and fasten them around our feet with rubber bands on our ankles. It's like magic: we have created "ice skates." We skate slow and fast, and we boogie. It's so much fun. We are all pooped out when we're done.”
Dance to the Music
In the absence of sunlight, fill your home with another sensory pleasure, namely music. Put on some upbeat tunes and play Do What I Do. The leader performs a motion and everyone dances around the rug doing it. Switch leaders with every song.
Clipboards
Hand your kids clipboards (to set an industrious mood) and give them each an assignment. For example, they might need to draw a treasure map, invent a better flyswatter, create a secret code or write a mock newspaper article about what's happening outside the window.
Foil Fun
One roll of aluminum foil can provide an instant cure for the doldrums. Your kids can shape it into crowns, animal models or an army of toy knights.
8. Surprise Bags
Before winter starts, assemble a few grab bags to open in emergencies (sick days, snow days, terrible moods). Fill a paper bag with a few ingredients for fast fun and set aside until needed. Here are some suggestions:
• A bunch of googly eyes, pom-poms and glue for making creatures
• A recipe for play clay and all the ingredients to make it, plus a few sculpting tools
• A set of paper dolls, plus scissors and gift wrap for making a wardrobe
• A yo-yo and a book of yo-yo tricks
• A pair of plain sneakers and some fabric markers
• A magnifying glass, a "spy notebook" and a secret code to break
These ideas are from Mimi Flaherty Willis, senior director for education at the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.
Created by Ingrid Crepeau
Anything puppet
Make an easy puppet out of pipe cleaners and 2 circles. With the pipe cleaners bent into a W shape and the eyes attached, it is slipped onto a hand and by creating a hand mouth, it can be “Anything”
--Anything can sneeze, bark, dance
Family members can create Anything Challenges.
Turn your Anything into a ____________ (animal)
Make your Anything ______________ (do an action)
Create a role for Anything to play in a story, family event (he/she can travel, be in pictures)
Find a costume for Anything
What would Anything sound like if he/she were an elf, a princess, a bear,
Select a story and create a performance with family members’ Anything taking different characters.
Recycled Rhythm Instruments
Challenge family members to make instruments out of recycled materials like rain sticks out of round cardboard tubes with rice placed on the inside and a seal of duct tape on the ends.
Rhythm Orchestra
With recorded music take turns conducting and playing the instruments you created.
Use familiar and new music: world music, classical, folk songs.
Dancing Names
Create movements or gestures that can be done to the syllables in your name.
Be able to link the movements so that you can do them in a sequence of 4 times
Older family members may help younger ones create and sustain their name movement
One family member plays a steady 4-4 beat on a drum or tambourine—or use recorded music, each family member does their name dance as a solo. Then pair off and have each pair create a duet, repeating each name 4x. Form one group and decide how the entire family will dance their names together so that each member’s name is done four times.
Dance Box Challenge:
Levels Shapes Props Body Part featured
High curved scarf legs
Low twisty streamer head
Medium straight stick/cane arm
Pointy ribbon elbow
Create slips of paper, using a different color or container for each category above.
Preselect music that is fast, slow or medium tempo.
Each family member selects from each category. For younger children, one or two categories is sufficient.
Assignment: create a one minute dance to your choice of the preselected music.
It must contain the elements you selected.
So, your dance could feature curved shapes, that are on a low level, highlighting your arm and a scarf.
Each dance should have a name, beginning, middle and and end.
Family members may play the judges and rate the dance, but they must give 2 reasons why they assigned the number value. “I gave it a 6 because the low level wasn’t very strong and she dropped her scarf.”
Dancing Objects
Inspired by Amanda Leyton
Place lots of objects scattered in the middle of the group
Choose one; create an image by shaping your body that represents that object.
Family guesses what it is, then all create their own interpretation of the object.
Repeat
Coffee Can Theatre
Create/find the Coffee Can objects: a craft project (spoons, clothes pins, toys). Improvise with random objects. Place them in the coffee can and as you pull them out of the can tell a story.
Tell a familiar story with objects that represent setting, characters, important objects. Use a scene from a favorite book or movie---to be continued next week/time. Extend a story: give a character to family member and let them speak the character’s lines. Improvise what happens before and after the story
Create CCT for favorite books, family stories, or original stories; as a gift for a family member.
Each family member can bring their CCT to a family story telling night.
Process
Opening the can
Setting the stage
Introduce each character/prop
Manipulate the character as plot progresses
Allow audience to say repetitive/familiar lines
Use character voices; add a gesture for each character
The end: return to can in order of appearance or reverse order or ask a question that a child answers and returns the appropriate character or object to the can
Imaginary Gift – e family member takes a turn handing an imaginary box (various sizes) to another; the gift recipient takes the box, explores it through mime, unwraps it, takes out the imaginary gift and mimes the shape, use/purpose until the family guesses. The one who guesses, gives the imaginary gift to the next person.
Story Telling w sound effects
Select a story and in the telling/reading, family members take turn adding a sound effect. Can be a familiar story or one that is made up and passed.
Variations of Going on a Bear Hunt
Parents or older sibiling tells a long story that takes the family through 5-8 adventures that can be mimed w gestures and sound effects. It culminates in a surprise ending and the participants need to turn and return back through the sequence until they are back home or wherever it started. The story could be a familiar children’s book, a real or imagined family trip or adventure.
More than reading the book: (especially for little ones)
Inserting Songs into Books
Eg Twinkle twinkle into Good Night Moon
Row Row Row into Wild Things
Make up a song to a familiar tune
For very little ones
Sing the repetitive phrase or chant it as a call and response
Use character voices
Add sound effects
Create gestures or use ASL to symbolize a character, a place/setting, an action; encourage the child to do the action every time it appears in the story. For very young children, select only 1-3. Tell the story by dropping out the word and only use the gesture.
