Sun Prints

Here's an easy science project for ya.
I know it doesn't look like much, but my boys were pretty impressed.

Get some construction paper
Lay it on the ground in the sun
Place various objects on top
Let sit in the sun for a while (ours were out approx. 6 hours)
Take objects off and see how powerful the sun can be!

                           BEFORE                                                                                 AFTER                            

This was such a simple little project.

My 7 year old (the "future scientist") loved explaining this experiment to his dad that night

and he's ready to do it again tomorrow with different objects.

Summer Reading List

Thought I'd pass this list along. It was complied by a friend of mine who is currently a reading tutor.
These are her recommendations. Some I've read, so I have not.
My kids love to read and be read to.
We try to hit the library about once a week. (There is one about 5 min. from our house.)
So, it's always good to have new ideas.

Picture Books
When Sophie Gets Angry
LaRue For Mayor
Skippyjon Jones
Click Clack Moo
Dooby Dooby Moo
Science Verse
Math Curse (has problems for the kids to solve)
Walter the Farting Dog
Squids Will Be Squids
Hooray For Diffendoorfer Day
Chicka Chicka 1 2 3
Chicka Chicka A B C
Piggies
Big Plans
The Touch of the Master's Hands
The Missing Piece Meets the Big O
Pricilla and the Pink Planet
How Do Dinosaurs...
The Giving Tree
Tuesday
Duck For President
Grace for President (great for teaching about elections)
Purplicious
The Day I Became a Pirate
Pirates Don't Change Diapers
What Pete Ate
I Can Be Anything


Workbooks
Summer Bridge series or Brain Quest Series
Primary journals (available at Walmart) to write an entry every day


Early Readers (30 minutes a day recommended)
Step Into Reading books level 1 (not Fancy Nancy though)
Hop on Pop
Fox in Socks
Cat in the Hat
Go Dogs Go
Easy Readers for Dr. Seuss series

Grades 2 - 3 (30 minutes a day recommended)
Junie B Jones series
Frog & Toad
The Magic Treehouse series
Step into reading level 2 and 3
Amelia Bedelia
Super Fly Guy

Grades 3 - 5 (30 minutes a day recommended)
Clementine
Star Girl
Matilda
BFG
James and the Giant Peach
Lemonade Wars
Lawn Boy
Hoot
Time Warp Trio books
Stink
Grades 5 -7 (30 minutes a day recommended)
Wrinkle in Time Series
Tuck Everlasting
The Bronze Bow
Prom
The Little Prince
Star Girl series

My 7 year old has gone through the Magic Tree House and Junie B. Jones series. Now he's onto Beast Quest, but he doesn't have many more of those left. We'll need a new series soon.

Are there any books or series that you recommend?

Don't forget the quiver!

My boys were very excited about making the bow and arrows.
But, they immediately just had to have a quiver to carry their arrows on their backs.

We just cut the sides of a cereal box to flatten it,
turned it inside out,
closed it back up again with duct tape,
put the sticky sides of some more duct tape together to make a shoulder strap
and, taped the strap onto the box

That's it!

Check out the last post to see a picture.

Watch Out Robin Hood!

I've had the idea for this project for a while. I was saving it for the "I'm bored" days of summer.

Here's the link where I originally got the idea.

Materials: (all found @ Home Depot)

• 1/2" PVC pipe (it was about 40" long which was enough for 3 bows)
• wooden dowels for arrows (we cut them in half)
• colored electrical tape
• twine that has nylon in it
• something to cut with (we used a small saw)

all materials were only about $9 - that was enough for 3 bows)

Cut your PVC pipe for the bow.

Decorate the bow with the electrical tape.

Cut a notch in both ends of the PVC pipe
Cut some nylon twine about the length of the bow
Tie knots in the end of the twine and secure it into the notches on the pipes
Cut your arrows to desired length

Then, make a groove in one end of each arrow
Pull back hard and let 'er fly!

My 7 year old got the hang of it after a while.
The 5 year old struggles, but still likes it.
The 2 year old just likes to carry it around and pretend.

How Cool is This Guy?

Came across this blog a few days ago.

He has some really unique cutout things.

I love how everything is so simple yet creative.

Check him out.

We'll be making these to take when the boys need to sit still for a while and have something to do.

(car rides, restaurants, etc...) Did I just say restaurants? Hmmm... Can't remember the last time...

Building Discs

Are your boys into helicopters? This one looks and fun too.

One more. There are other fun things on his site. These were just some of my favorites.

This is a great tool for those learning their letters. You could really use it as a learning tool for almost anything your child needs to work on. And, it's practically free. It's made of rocks! This guy is clever!

We'll be working on something really fun this weekend.

If all goes well, I'll post an awesome boy project on Monday!

Disguise Kit

Found this cute printable on another blog.

The boys had fun being silly with these.

Print the disguise kit here.

Father's Day Idea

Father's Day is just around the corner (June 20th).
My husband always loves when I come up with a gift that costs, "$ free.fifty-free", or at least close to free.
I came across the idea a while back and decided it would be fun for the boys to do with their
dad and Grandpas on Father's Day.
This link has the idea for Mother's Day. I just adapted it a bit.

How easy is this:
Grab a bag of m&ms. Then attach this poem and the questions below.

You're one special FATHER and I'm one special son

Let's play a game with M&M's & have some fun!
Pick a candy, any color will do.

And we'll learn together about you & me!

Red- What is one of your favorite things to do with me?

Orange- Where would you want to go anywhere in the world with me and why?

Yellow- What do you see us doing together in 10 years?

Green- Name 3 reasons why you love me.

Blue- Ask me any question you like!

Brown- Hum a tune and see if I can guess it!

I'd like to try...

I LOVE sherbet!!!

Just found this recipe.
This look like the perfect no bake, summertime dessert.
I think I'm headed to the store right now!
If you love sherbet too,

Check this out...

I think I would be good to try with pineapple sherbet too.

Cheerios = Sanity

Who knew a jar of Cheerios could help me keep my sanity this summer?

I know plenty of moms who do things similar.

This is just my "I'm a cheapskate" version.

Take kids to the dollar store and let them pick a few prizes.

Go home and hide them in your closet.

Pick a behavior or attitude that you would like your child to improve on.

Everytime they display that type of positive behavior, put a few Cheerios in a jar.

When it's full, give them a prize.

Repeat.  

Either with the same behavior or pick a new one to work on.

Right now we are working on doing things the 1st time I ask!

I find it best to just work on one specific goal at a time. And, I don't take Cheerios out for bad behavior.

I try to keep it positive.

Sometimes I will say, "That could have earned you Cheerios, maybe next time,"

when they don't display the positive behavior I'm looking for.

Does anyone have a behavior changing idea?

GAK Attack

We liked making and playing with the OOBLECK so much, that I searched around for something similar.

This time we made GAK.

It's just 3 ingredients and not as messy as the oobleck.

I'm sure we'll make it again.

I even let the 2 year old play with it... outside that is.

Ingredients:
1 cup Elmer's glue
Food coloring (optional)
1 cup liquid starch (found near the spray starch & laundry detergent)

Mix glue and food coloring in a plastic container.
Add the liquid starch a little at a time. You can stir with your fingers or with a spoon.
Soon, the mixture will resemble putty.
If it's too sticky, just add a little more starch until it's a nice rubbery consistency.

Summer Survival

School is out and summer has officially started.

It's hot here.

I mean, really, really, really, brutally HOT!

So, besides swimming and jumping on the trampoline with the hose, there's not much to do outside.

I had a coupon to Michael's Craft store.
So, we headed there to pick up a few things to keep busy inside.

Here's what I got for around $40.
The summer workbooks were the most expensive, but worth it.

I put all the goodies into a cardboard box so when the kids are

 "bored" they can go and grab something to try.

Some of the items, we picked up for only a buck!

Like these sand art things.

They really liked these.

We may have to go back and snag some more.

Jessica's "Daily Affirmation"

You'll love this video.

Dance and self-affirmation chant...

Not a bad idea!