Lancecrossfire | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 12:31 am  This is pretty cool! |
Tess | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 12:36 am  I'm trying to think of things that we don't already have around the house but it hurts my brain....maybe we have too much stuff! LOL Let's see...already mentioned Go Fish and Uno... teach the kids to play poker, rummy, gin (my dad taught me) Did you already say----learn a langauge? My daughter (4-1/2) is learning Spanish by watching "Dora, the Explorer" also works with Sesame Street, etc. Won't cost her money since daddy & I both took Spanish in school. have a build your own ice cream sundae party---everyone gets to put whatever they want on their sundae (as long as it's already in the cupboard--sprinkles, fruit, marshmallow, etc) |
Tess | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 12:41 am  Thanks, Lance.. Whit..love your one about pretending something all day...my daughter is always (stress always) pretending she's someone else. Usually it is the older sibling of one of her little friends..then there are the invisible friends to contend with. Gets crowded around here sometimes! |
Tess | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 12:56 am  make your own stationery or note card using construction paper (you already have that) and a photo of child or stickers, etc. find as much stuff as you can that is recycleable and go to the nearest recycling center volunteer to read to kids at the hospital or elderly people at the nursing home take the flowers from your garden to your church (if you go to one) and donate them for decoration over the summer (we do this for our church) make paper snowflakes and have a pretend blizzard when it's 90 degrees out make juice pops....eat them go on a nature walk and pick up acorns, seed pod, etc and make a necklace out of them little kids like to make necklaces out of pasta go bird watching --can go to the nature preserve two blocks away or can watch quitely out the window while the birds come to the backyard feeder pick up your toys!!!!(ooops, that one just slipped out) make doll quilts out of the scraps of material you have around or out of old clothes (hubby's grandma made an entire queen sized quilt for him out of old clothes) play restaurant...make a little order pad and let your child take your order and "write" it down then see how creative they can be making your "food" My daughter's specialty is making soup in her pail with grass, dandelions and water. Ohh. Have a water balloon fight! |
Whit4you | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 12:58 am  Tess - well 1st I'm not sure what you mean by : I'm trying to think of things that we don't already have around the house but it hurts my brain: That's what I'm hoping folks share here.. ideas that they dont have to go out and spend more then a buck or so on ya know 2nd as far as "not being sure if it was already said" That's why I made a point to say .. take a quick glance if you want but other then that dont worry if it's "already" been said...cause - every idea gives others ideas - even if worded slightly different and when everyone's all done I'm gonna take hours..and hours to sort it out and delete duplicates - being ON a roll.. and brainstorming is more important I think - for our kids awesome summer then - worrying about a few duplicates ... so just go with it ... Frankly it's driving me nuts that we are the only ones up cause I have like 23424 ideas and try and wait till you post to post again so I don't have 20 posts here in a row LOL ! |
Whit4you | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 01:05 am  LOL Tess you know every sentence you write - gives me 20 ideas... biting lip... I could go on for days and days... I'm about to make another post on ideas.................. You will definately have an unfair advantage over those wacko's who believe in sleep - in winning the prize.... (I know a few here that'll make you earn it though once they awake Hope you have a lil one or business you'd like a website done 4 The prize I think for anyone with kids will be a awesome list to post on the wall when this thread is all said and done.. but ... I'd love to make a website for someone's lil one - with a this list we all make posted on it (among of course other things for the site LOL Whit |
Lancecrossfire | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 01:09 am  You aren't the only ones up---maybe you are just the only ones with the imagination that can come up with such things. I find that while there are advantages to the paths my mind works in, there are also disadvantages. I am enjoying the exchange between the two of you...the way you play off of each others thoughts/ideas. Sometimes wisdom involves knowing when to sit back and let others "do their thing" and learn from it. Do not take that as a sign of not being interested or as sign of not caring. |
Whit4you | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 01:17 am  Side note - hope you think this is fair Tess - ? Tess is like majorly on a roll and at the rate she's going - you go girl don't stop There won't be a million and one ideas left by morning when all you SLEEPERS wake up ... so - 1'st and 2nd place gets the website made for em by me ... ok LOL No tess you don't have to feel guilty for having a headstart LOL Ok now for my ideas.... Make up your own line dance... (adults you might have to go to a country bar to learn how line dances are done to do this) then make up a family line dance to BLOW away your relatives at the next family reunion at the way your lil family can line dance to - your youngest one's favorite tune (ya know I am making this up as I go along...? at least on this one Another making it up as I go along...... Pancake/ waffle recipe book..... Whichever your family likes best... each sunday - a family member makes up a NEW - has to have at least ONE new ingredient that nobody else in the family is allergic too - recipe. Make half a batch of normal pancakses/ or waffles and the other half with the new recipe - make sure to eat the NEW recipe first (while everoyone is still hungry LOL And those that the majority like - goes into the family recipe book..... Staring to feel sad here - that I don't have a little one..thinking for 30 seconds about that little one being 12 or 14 again will cure me of that though LOL Ok... another idea.... Dunno if this is good or not just something I"m thinking about here (reading Tess's posts is giving me more ideas then I could POSSIBLY write down Ok first lemme say this can be under a buck idea if you do this in the late summer - cause in the late summer you can get the spiral buond notebooks for 19 cents each. Anyhow a notebook for each family member... Mom.. Dad. Joey Lisa..... Anytime you see mom ...dad..joey .. lisa doing somethign special - or accomplishing something ... or learning something new.. or trying .. ya know what I mean? YOu write them a lil note in their book. FOr the really little ones - 4..5...6 if you have a tape recorder - and a tape you can teach them to push PLAY and say.. "I love it when mommy does (such and such) Work with this - I have 1423432 ideas on it but wont post them all but you get the idea i hope |
Tess | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 01:21 am  play hop scotch $ have movie night (we have dozens at home) where everyone gets to pick their favorite, make popcorn, have movie candy (need junior mints hence the $) play blind man's bluff (hope that's not too un-pc) play crazy eights, hearts, old maid, cribbage (I'm trying to think for older kids, too) make your own pizza---anything goes $$ go to your local amusement park (for us the closest is Camp Snoopy in the Mall of America, the n Valley Fair) the first can be very inexpensive and the second can bankrupt at family of four (we always choose the first) $ Window shop at the Mall while walking for exercise and then eat lunch at the food court teach your child to dribble a ball jump rope $tie dye those old t-shirts (we'd have to buy the dye unless you use organics like herbal teas or beets,etc--okay we'd have to buy the beets) offer to walk your neighbor's dog(bigger kids or little kids with parent) go for a walk with your wagon start a rock collection or a sea shell collection learn something about each of the presidents learn a new word every day make your own dictionary using those words do marble paintings---put paint in an old pie tin, roll a marble around in the paint, have your paper in a shallow box or disposable baking pan...scoop up the marble with a plastic spoon and drop it into the pan (on the paper) and gently shake the pan, rolling the marble around making a design. This also makes good wrapping paper. go to your local art fair and get more ideas (LOL) GO TO BED!! ooops, that last one was for me. Nighty, night, Whit. I've lost all brain function. |
Whit4you | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 01:23 am  Ya but lance.... your posting makes me feel (Don't know if Tess cares.. prolly we shouldnt care someone will gain from this right?? ) But your posting does make me feel like we aren't "hogging" the stage You need to remember I got reeeeeeeeeeeeemed bigtime after months of lurking here becuase I'm verbose. I mean I kept quite for months..and months.. and when I finally did start posting I had somethign to say but I didnt' say it in choppy ... "chat" format but in a newsgroup format ... so I've been hesitant ever since. I am loving Tess tonight but she's also driving me crazy cause with each of her posts I think of 100 things I wanna say LOL Your couple of comments in between though are giving me fuel to not feel that I'm hogging the stage I started here At any rate - I'm trying not to feel guilty anyone with kids here .. hopefully will benefit from it |
Tess | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 01:34 am  OH, btw, Whit...I get the idea behind what you're doing, it's just that we have lots of stuff that maybe everyone doesn't have available to them and they'd have to go out and buy...so, what would be free at our house may not be for everyone. I'm trying to think outside the box but I'm a little tired right now. I know others will be up long before I am in the morning and I'll be gone in the afternoon and then in the evening so others will catch up. If I do end up in the top two, however, my sweet baby (psst don't tell anyone her name is really Sarah) would think her own website is the coolest thing on earth. I think you are an for thinking of this! Thank you so much. |
Whit4you | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 01:36 am  LOL Ok Tess - you realize with a couple of sidenotes from Roger - we did 35 posts on this thread..shoul.d we feel guilty? I am but I'm not.. I'm hoping one lil one gains from it then - I have nothing to feel guilty for..... I could go on and on about the ideas you suggested for example your $$ movie night - good all - glad you got the idea of putting a $$ on the things that cost $$ - but you can get that under a $$ easily by finding another family or two in the neighborhood to swap movies with. 1st and 3rd week of month you rent 3 movies - 2nd and 4th week of the month they rent 3 movies all family oriented. Most places have 3 day rentals some 5 day rentals - at any rate - 1st and 3rd week you rent 3 movies and watch them first two nights - and give them to the other family the 3rd night - and visa versa then 2nd and 4th week of month. I didn't do this when my son was lil cause well - they didn't HAVE vcr's then LOL but I am doing this on the adult level now with my tenant and the folks down the street - 3 weeks a month - we rent 3 movies first week... tenants rent 3 movies 2nd week and the neighbor rents 3 movies 3rd week. We have them 5 days - so whoevers week it is gets them for 2 nights.. whoevers week it just was gets them 2 nights whoevers week it is next gets them the last night. It's workign out great. So I'm sure with 2 families it'd work out great too ------------ learn a new word every day make your own dictionary using those words I love this oen - and let me add - make UP a new word every week per family member and a definition for it... something that's made me so close to a few jr high friends is we still 20 yrs later have our own lingo..... It'd be so fun if you do this once a week.. to be able to carry on a convo next year with your kids where only YOUR family totally understand the convo. "an inside joke" - ya know how this board has it's own lingo... it really does bring people closer together ... and makes outsiders a lil envious.. Example? Lil Johnnie says "Mom and Jen both love snuggles" Snuggles in this case might = getting "bearded by daddy" |
Tess | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 01:37 am  Lance, I think it's your turn now to chime in...no I didn't go to bed....can't stop, need to keep posting...can't stop...hellllppppp! OH, I'm loving you, too, right now Whit! How old is your son? Sarah will be five at the end of September. |
Whit4you | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 01:39 am  Tess hope you read this before you go to bed -for helping me get this thread going - you already win the website 4 your lil one but hopefully that wont stop you from brainstorming on this another night cause I LOVE your ideas..even if it does make me feel narcissitic hehe Email me WhitInWa@aol.com - and we'll start working on your site for the 2nd place (or 1st place winner as the case might be- to see the work in progress  |
Whit4you | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 01:44 am  Tess - my "baby" is 20 - I lived and breathed 24/7 complete obsession with being the best mom - for 8 years then I ... completely checked out a few years later (don't wanna get into that in this thread) but I'm gonna have a 2nd chance with my grandbaby in a few years - I figure - I tought my son right the first 8 years he's got that down pat - I'll check IN when the lil one is 8+ if I need to...... My self esteem right now is at about -20 but there is one thing I have always been good at and that is creativeity and thinking of ideas - every post you post makes me think of 20 more ideas LOL I will be sharing them as this thread goes on Helping others helps ME - so it's a win win - I hope |
Tess | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 01:44 am  Whit, my daughter's new word of the moment is 'budgee' it's what you do when you blow on their tummies and kiss at the same time so you're making those really attractive noises--you know the ones! OMG, Whit, we've been archived already. I hope you download all this before we drop off the end of the earth, girl...now I'm counting on this list for summer. Oh, during the day you can steer Willi and Twiggy over here..I'm almost positive they have younger children. Not sure who else. |
Tess | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 01:49 am  Whit, pump that self-esteem up a few notches there..this has been stupendous. I'm sure others will be loving it too when they wake up. If they don't find it you may want to just drop a little note in their folders. Now, I'm going to send you that e-mail and toddle off to bed in a little bit. It's almost 4am! Thanks again...I have some pretty creative friends so I'll start asking around for more ideas, too. |
Whit4you | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 01:53 am  LOL Tess - every 25 posts (or something like that) they "archive" it - I read all archives in any thread I'm interested in - especially the first acrhive of the thread to see how it started. To read the archives just click on the words beside the folder of the archive (email me if you don't get that) Seriously I do thank you for getting on a roll and helping me get this going - your lil one - will hae a site that's 4 sure Email me and I'll tell you what will come in handy to make it This list will eventually go on her site Ok folks time for some brainstorming Collections?? Books to write? Plays to act out?? Best plants to grow??? Easy to do craft ideas?? Best games to play with a big age range .. ie a 7 yr old and 4 yr old?? (gawd I could go on and on and on and on and on .. and I think I will LOL Ok here is a disclaimer - If you have a problem with me going on and on and on and on .. JUST don't read this thread anymore or .. hit NEXT on my posts ok dammit.. I'm tired of feeling guilty for having ideas... - it's just a self-esteem thing..going on |
Whit4you | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 01:54 am  Lance? Roger? are you here?? |
Whit4you | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 02:03 am  Looks like I'm on my own here now ... ok going for it anyhow... Family local library niight - once a week - or every two weeks if mom & dad both work hit the local library - each lil one gets to pick out 3 or 5 (wahtever you decide) books and a movie each Make your own BOOKS ON TAPE for the visually impaired - the lil ones read the kids books for other kids with visual problems... or the family reads a book together for those with visual imparements - or mom and/or dad read a book to their own lil ones and record it for other lil ones (orphanage??) that don't have parents to read to them The kids can draw illistrations for the kids books Want more I could write a book on just THIS topic LOL SHUTTING up and going on to next one.... |
Tess | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 02:06 am  I don't know where Lance went (probably to bed since I have a sneaking suspicion that he's actually borderline sane--as opposed to myself-LOL). I was joking about the archiving because of your thread on asking Admin about the archives that have to be downloaded or whatever....You crack me up, girl! I got ugly annon. email about 3 weeks ago from someone who didn't like how I post and what I post, whatever--it's all in my folder -- so I know how if feels to be dumped on like that. I got lots of support from many board members and practical help from one of the moderators so guess what, Whit? There are people lurking about who just don't like to see people be positive, etc. You picked a topic close to my heart so I'm running with it but I'll be very glad if others chime in while I'm having my date with my pillow. But....be sure you get all these ideas because my memory is iffy at best. And at the rate we're going, they'll have to REALLY archive us!! I hope you got my e-mail and I'll see you around tomorrow --er, later today. |
Whit4you | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 02:16 am  Ok gonna work with Tess's ideas (thanks Tess) Collections - I'd love to see everyone reading this thread think of something their family can collect but... I also think it'd be great to have your kids and you spend a rainy afternoon thinking of "collections" listing off all the things someone culd collect.. then taling about them - why that might be fun to collect... what might be fun about it nd choosing a few of those things ya'all listed to collect.. and starting those collections in the future Jump rope - ya know those age old sayings we used to jump rope too? Time for your family to make up their OWN sayins to jump to ... exampole Yo my name is Johnnie and I jump so high... Hi my name is Mary and I like hitting johnnie with a pie....
President for a day: This is for lil ones 6.. and up - don't understimate a 6 year old they have "ISSUES" and "agendas" too lke making recess twice as long - making the lunch menu include their favorite snack ANyhow talk about the president and what the pres does the powers he has and so on - let your lil one be president for a day..and pass as many "laws" as they can in the family - then talk about the laws the passed and why they might be good or bad - live with those laws as long as saftey allows for a weekend (or week) and let everyone learn how they effect the infustructure of the family Making up your own games.... Gawd I could go on and on and on about this. Close your eyes and point... find something your pointing at and you and your lil one try and think of a GAME to make utlizing that item....example? You close your eyes and you poitn - you end up ptiong at hm........say a pillow.....?? Ok what games can you two think of using a pillow....... see?? Ok another example?? You spin yur lil one around - the point .. they are pointing at a wall painting what game can you two invent that involves painting/// or a wall //// ?? Getting the idea |
Whit4you | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 02:53 am  OK last one for me I swar unless someone else joins in before I hit the sack - Make your own crossword pusszle Make your own maze Be King / Queen / Prince / Princess for a day - win some other hard to win game ya'all have played recently to be King/queen/prince/princess for a day.. and have the rest of the family at your beck-and call for the day (within mom & dad's reason of course) OK this one is for the two parent household - daddy's gonna be king for a day.. or momma will be queen for a day - spend a week or two planning it and make the day somethign Daddy or Mommy wont forget - work together to make it so ... Workign on self esteem.. look I could write a BOOK about this topic.. but bottom line this - Hellen Keller succeeded because NOBODY .. and I do mean NOBODY could show her/ express to her/ or convicne her she could not succeed. Our children by 2nd greade undersand what "bragging" means .. that talking good about yourself or feeling good about yourself or showign your good points is a bad bad bad horrible terrible thing.. face it.. it's true. I can't and don't expect to change society - but you CAN at least change it in your own home - till hell-freezes-over or we are allowed to feel GOOD about ourselves - we can at least teach our kids to feel good about themselves and understand "bragging" is ok at home... so have a .. BRAG night where everyone tells something they did good that week .. something the learned that week - something they accomplished that week - something they achieved that week .... and if they can think of something their mom/ dad / big bro / or lil sis did along those lines feel proud of those things too... Ok now for some easy things??? Pick up sticks - a staple when I was a lil one $ Linchon logs (worth every dime and then some $ Lego's (cost even more but I am 37 and STILL play with them $ SPirograhp (I hate to even put a $ by that one cause - it cost the same as what you'll spend in the next two months at McDonalds but worth their weight in gold) $ stencils - unless your creative then you can make them yourself (more on this later) |
Whit4you | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 03:00 am  RFLMAO ok it's 3 am my time - in an hour or two those sleepy EAST costers will be waking up A recap here of the jist of this thread Any thing you can think of to keep your kids busy/ entertained this summer.... don't worry to much about repeating what others here say - take a quick peek sure.. but when this is all said and done I'll be making a spiffy printable list for everyone and I'll delete anything IDENTICAL at the time. If your idea cost more then a buck put a $$ before it pelase - those ideas are good to - it's just good to list them seperately because for many folks 3 bucks here and 5 bucks there ad up to way more then they have to spend... the prize for the most buck or less ideas - is a website for your lil one or for you (made by me) if your a webdesignre well we can work to think of another prize if this compiled list isn't in and of itself ...enough Whit |
Whit4you | Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 03:43 am  Wow - it looks like Tess really DID go to bed - what a SINNER - lemme see she said an hour ago it was 3 or so?? (something like that) so it's what only 4:30 AM there and she's sleeping ????? Well if I keep typihg for an hour it'll be 7 am on the east coast... Ok; typing... Family web treasure hunt.... Every family member 5 to 45.. has to find something NEW on the web - something they really culdn't write a paragraph about .... and learn enoguh about it to share something new with all the other family members... If all family members are 8 or older - then a "3 new things" would be in order.. Ok how about a family triva night about a specific topic - a handicap is in order here as well - Example?? Ok lets say family topic is.......... soomething randoom on the net (need ideas on how to find something random. I can do that LOL Anyhow something random on the net ..say the choice ends up being ------- Farming in Afganistan Each family member gets 1 point for a question they ask that nobody can answer - each family member gets 1 poitn MINUS their age for a question they get right. So Johnie - age 10 asks 3 questions nobody answers them right he gets 3 points basically you as a family have to determine handicaps ok? Bottom line is make the hanidcap fair - don't "LET" them win.. they gain nosthign from that.. don't "stomp" them because your 20 years older they gain nothing from that as well. Creating fair hanicaps has to do with age and a multiple..... work with it till it works out fair - or what you all precieve as fair without - "handing" the lil one the win ... Really it's just a matter of having fun - your lil one beign able to win but not "handed" the prize.. they should have to strive for it or they can't be proud of it. Explaining handicaps in sports is and of it'self a lesson .... Believe it or not I've just touched on the tip of this iceberg.. I can discuss it for hours on end LOL Here's the bottom line - if you don't understand handicaps and need more - lemme know here or email me - if you do - then just understand - giving your lil on a handycap is of course the RIGHT thing to do - but make fair for THEM - learning how to lose - learning to be a good sport - learning to enjoy the game for what you gain from it ... learning to lose gracefully - are all importatn (in my opinion) In all the games I played with my son - I gave him a handicap - even when he didn't know it - but I gave him a handicap in HIS favor - not to WIN but to racch his OWN goal. He was not always playing agaisnt me - someone 3X his age - he was playing against his last score - example?? The last score (with a handicap - keep in mind he didnt understand handicaps then ) was Whit 120 Mat 89 I thought him his goal wasn't to beat ME but to beat the gap...see??? Well frankly it's drivign me nuts to be the only oe awake and posting here now cause I have so much to say LOL Handicaps are about leveling the playing feild not LETTING the otehr one win - your lil one learns nothing by winning every time - they learn more by trying to win, having a CHANCE to win cause of the handicap.... and not winning ....just keep that in mind.. if your handicap is not leeeling the playing field but giving them an advantage - your giving them and advantage today === but you are giving them a handicap i the future..... |