A couple weeks ago, we asked our fans on Twitter and Facebook for some great tips and tricks. Today’s guest blogger, Jessie D’Amato Ford, answered the call and shared with us about how her family uses our Tin Lunch Box: the Restaurant Box. Read the rest of this entry »
I just read through an article on Parents.com on the 10 best family movies for Thanksgiving. I must admit I agree with some. The Princess Bride, The Iron Giant, and a few more but they missed some classics with our family. My two favorite family movies are Holes and Second Hand Lions. How could they have missed these two? What are your favorites for your family?
First let me say that I am a happy, well adjusted adult (and when I am not, I pretend well). This article is amazing. I am sure I have been guilty of most of these things. I remember the talk I received when I was 12 or 13. My dad (who is wonderful and loving) thought he was helping me by explaining that my older brother was the smart one and my younger sister was the good looking one but I was the NICE one. Just what every almost teenage boy wants to hear. Of course I heard that I was the dumb, ugly one who had a really great personality. Now my dad was telling me this and explaining that of course he loved me best because I was most like my mom (which is another goal of soon to be teenage boy, be like your mom). I am sure my kids will tell stories of all the damage I did with my “talks” with them. Reading this article will hopefully make you aware of some of the things you shouldn’t say as parent or grandparents. Now hopefully my parents won’t see this post since I am sure they have a different recollection of this talk.
Hair-raising Halloween fun is not only necessary, it’s neceSCARY!
Making Halloween the best that it can be is not nearly as hard as everyone assumes, we just have to think out of the box! Games, snacks, books, and parties can reach a whole new level with our awesomely scary, fun ideas!
Our Top Ghostly Games
Mummy Madness
This game will be a hit at your next Halloween party!
All it takes are rolls of toilet paper or white crepe paper.
Skeleton Scavenger Hunt
This game takes treasure hunts to a new level, where kids have to find limbs instead of boring old treasure!
(Clues may be made to find pieces!)
Zany Zombies
This game is goofy and fun for any zombie lover. Plus, you don’t need any supplies. It will be a hit at the classroom party!
Each of these games will add spooky fun to any Halloween party!
Our Top Spooky snacks
Cup ‘O Dirt
This snack screams scary with it’s worms sticking out and delicious dirt at the bottom! These wiggly worms will slither down your children’s throats, creating a great Halloween snack!
You can find the recipe at:
http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t–2693/wiggle-worm-dirt-pudding.asp
Finger food
These delicious snacks are not only healthy, but are also actual finger food! What kid doesn’t want to eat a finger? All you need is mozzarella string cheese, green bell peppers, and cream cheese!
You can find the recipe at:
http://spoonful.com/recipes/cheese-finger-food
Mummy Pizza
These scrumptiously scary snacks will be your kid’s favorite at the next Halloween party! Not only is pizza one of the best foods ever, but now you get to eat a mummy face, and have it taste like pizza! We don’t think it gets much better than that.
You can find the recipe at:
http://spoonful.com/recipes/pizza-mummies
Our Top Scaaaary Stories
The Hallo-Wiener
BY: Dav Pilkey
This hilarious Halloween book will entertain and delight your kids with its fun imagery and creative illustrations! Oscar is a cute wiener dog, but the other dogs make fun of him for being short, until he shows how heroic he really is.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
BY: Alvin Schwartz
This haunting Halloween book of short stories will be fun and scary for kids, without being too much. We recommend this book highly for slightly older kids. It will knock your Halloween socks off with its thrillingly spooky stories!
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
BY: Linda Williams
This book shows just how scary Halloween can be. The little old lady who was not afraid of anything even gets scared in this fun, spooky story. When she has the scare of her life, she may learn to take Halloween a little bit more seriously.
Goodnight Goon
BY: Michael Rex
This hilarious hair-raising tale is sure to be your kid’s favorite this Halloween! With its creative illustrations and fun take on monsters, your kids will be dying to have their own goon!
Room on the Broom
BY: Julia Donaldson
When some friendly animals help a witch recover some items she has lost, there may not be room on the broom! This fun-filled book will delight with its hilarious story and fun witchy theme!
Our Top Petrifying Party Decor and Favors
Coloring Pages
Our spooky coloring pages can decorate the walls of any party, and give the kids a fun way to get into the holiday spirit! With their fun, frightening designs, they will inspire any child to get creative with their Halloween decorations!
Stickers
What can decorate almost any surface with our Halloween fun? Personalized stickers of course! Our Halloween stickers will decorate the party and the party favors!
Placemats
Our personalized Halloween placemats will spook up any party or meal with their fun, creepy designs! Your child will feel like Halloween was made for them with their name set right in place!
I know as parents we have all probably heard “I’m bored” from our children. Hopefully we can help here. I am sure you will find something that will interest your child in this list of 60 ideas for bored children. . Here is another great article which lists 30 ideas for summer only. Here is another article from momswhothink.com (I love the title even though I am not a mom). This article describes what you can learn from your child’s boredom.
Just pick one of these ideas and try it today. Which idea will you try today?
I just read this article in the Metro West Daily News. Maybe I like it because it speaks about something I believe in. It tells that sending our kids outside without a plan is good for their health. I think this is a great idea. For younger children it could be a trip to the local park without a plan or toys to direct their activities. Going into the yard without a plan might cause them to play in the leaves, draw items with a stick, or play in the sand.
I am not a fan of over scheduling my kids.
What are your your thoughts on this article?
Drawing in the sand….
Playing in the leaves
Here is a great idea from PBS Kids. Build a bird feeder with the stuff you probably already have in your house. Easy, fun, inexpensive and hopefully it will give them hours of fun.
Have your kids make a bird feeder!
At Frecklebox we are always looking for great resources to share with you. I did an earlier post about date nights which my wife always insisted on. We have great family and friends close by but sometimes I just wasn’t comfortable asking. Since we had family we usually asked it was hard to find a babysitter when we didn’t want to ask family. I wish this babysitting service was around when my kids were little (Sitter City).
Thanks to our friends at Cool Mom Picks for letting us know about this and they even have a promotion code going with them. Use CMPJuly30 until July 31st to get 30% off.
I hope this helps.
Use this to make sure you get your date nights.
Here is a great article about the iVillage PBS KIDS Summer Reading Community Challenge
An awesome read for kids AND parents!
School is out and summer’s here! No homework, tests, or projects (that are as much work for parents as their kids) it’s the perfect time of year. However, school will come again, and the staff at Frecklebox.com thinks reading is an awesome summer activity and a fun way to stay ready for school. Here are our top picks of children’s books that every kid should get a chance to read!
10. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
This classic children’s book takes a child’s imagination to a whole new level with it’s exciting story and awesome monsters. This tale is beautifully illustrated and will make your kids excited to go to bed so that they can begin their own adventures! Max, the main character, is a boy that discovers the land of the wild things, and gets himself into action, adventure, and a whole lot of fun!
9. Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
This great children’s story will take your child through a baby bat’s life when she loses her mother. She is found by a mother bird and told that everything she does that is like a bat is wrong, until she finds her mother and learns that her instincts are right. This book has great illustrations and will teach your kid about the birds and the bats!
8. Holes by Louis Sachar
This classic tale is for children a bit older, and will make holes take on a whole new meaning! Stanley Yelnats, the main character, may be the unluckiest person alive. As he tries to conquer his bad luck he is faced with all kinds of adventures, including mystery and a family curse from years ago. This adventurous book is imaginative and funny, creating an intriguing story that any kid will love!
7. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
This adorable classic will show all of the things that could happen by sharing a cookie with the mouse in the house. The sweet illustrations are fun and entertaining, making this a must read! This cute tale will teach the ideas of cause and effect, while taking your child on a fun adventure only fit for a boy and his mouse!
6. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Alexander T. Wolf
This quirky tale takes you through the story of the three little pigs, but from the wolf’s perspective. The wolf simply had a cold and needed to borrow sugar, he wasn’t trying to blow the houses down! This book is fun and very different, showing there are two sides to every story! Every child should get to read this funny tale that takes on a whole different meaning when you hear the tale of the three little pigs.
5. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
This great story teaches kids how important it is to help the less fortunate. When Opal, the main character, and her father move to a new place, she finds a big, ugly, ratty looking dog in the Winn-Dixie supermarket. This sweet, funny, ugly dog teaches Opal that making friends is easy, and that people shouldn’t be judged by their looks. Opal learns about her mother and herself, and realizes that friendship can be found anywhere. This book is beautifully written and any child will love it!
4. The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfizer
This fantastically illustrated book teaches kids that what counts in a person is on the inside. The rainbow fish is beautiful, and because of his beauty, he gets cocky and even rude. All of his friends stop being friends with him, and he can’t seem to figure out why. When he asks the wise octopus, he tells him to share his beauty with others. This story has a great message, is beautifully illustrated, and will take your child on an adventure of learning what beauty truly is.
3. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
This classic story shows kids today that the environment is important. The Lorax is the protector of the trees, but when the Onceler shows up, he starts taking the trees for himself for money. In no time at all, the trees are gone and the land is polluted, and though the Onceler had made a lot of money, he had nothing left. When the Lorax leaves, he writes one word for the Onceler to remember…”unless.” This amazing tale teaches the importance of caring for the environment and shows that money isn’t everything. We pretty much recommend ALL of Dr. Seuss’ books, the website is a lot of fun too! http://www.seussville.com/
2. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
This classic tale follows an unyielding friendship between a boy and his tree. Throughout the boy’s life, the tree will always help him, and will always give him anything he asks. Even when the boy asks to cut down the tree to build a boat, the tree agrees. The boy comes back to the tree, which is now a stump, as an old man and sits, the tree’s last wish. This book shows a beautiful friendship, and teaches any kid what a true friendship really means!
1. Captain Underpants by Dav Pilky
This is is a hilarious series about the adventures of a couple of grade school boys. The humor appeals to kids and their parents so if you have a younger child, this is a great one to read together. Kids who don’t like to read like reading these books! Take a surf through the author’s website to get a very good sense of his style and humor, http://www.pilkey.com/.
These are some great books that are not only classics, but perfect for your child’s summer reading! There are many other fantastic reads to choose from, and some awesome sites for these include http://childrensbooksguide.com/top-100, http://www.teachersfirst.com/100books.cfm, and http://www.ivillage.com/best-childrens-books-age-age/6-a-364926. A great way to escape the summer heat is going to your local library, where they have all kinds of books, and sometimes have author visits and fun events! Whatever the book, wherever the reading happens, get out and read this summer!
