downstream activities for kids

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Kids of all ages enjoy getting involved in cooking… and it’s even more fun when they like the results! I recently tried a meal in a packet that I think kids will enjoy making. A quick and convenient meal in a packet.

Grilled Cheddar Burgers and Veggies

Feeds 6

1 1/2 pounds ground meat
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese (6 oz)
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
3 green onions, chopped
1 1/2  teaspoons peppered seasoned salt
3 medium potatoes, thinly sliced (or can of potatoes, sliced)
2 cups baby carrots, cut lengthwise if very big
18 cherry tomatoes, cut in half (if desired)
6 medium green onions, sliced
(or equivalent amounts of any preferred vegetable, consult your child)
1/2 teaspoon peppered seasoned salt

Prepare your grill as necessary. Then grab 6 pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil (approximately 12 x 18 inches).  Spray each piece with cooking spray. (If your child is old enough to do that part you might want them to do the spraying outside)

In a large bowl, dig in and mix the first 5 ingredients together. Divide the meat mixture into six and shape into patties.

Place sliced potato in the center of the foil. Add the meat patty and then the rest of the vegetables. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt.

Fold the foil over all and make a tight 1/2 fold. Seal the ends but be sure to leave space for circulation. (In other words, don’t let the kids wrap those ends up too tightly. It needs to be sealed well…just not rolled up tightly)

Put the packets on the grill at medium heat and cover grill. Let them cook about 20 minutes. If you’ve used fresh potatoes you will want to be sure to slice them as thinly as possible as they will take the longest to cook. (I found my carrots a bit undercooked… perhaps a bit of microwaving of carrots and potatoes would solve the problem of foods cooking at different rates) I also experimented with squash and green peppers. Both worked great!

Place a packet on each persons plate. Let each child carefully cut an X on the top of the packet (naturally only if age appropriate and remind them about steam)

Play Catch

No matter how addictive a video game might become, this simple outdoor activity will always beat it. Hurl a baseball, kick a soccer ball, toss a football, fling a Frisbee, whatever works for you and your kids. Give pointers on the best way to throw, but don’t be pushy. Just enjoy the time outside together.

Wall Ball

There are as many variations of this game as there are schoolyards. But for this simple version, all you really need is a wall and a ball — a tennis ball will do. Playing one-on-one, the first player throws the ball off the wall and the other player must catch it, in the air or on one bounce, and then throw it back off the wall (no holding or carrying). When a player misses or drops the ball (blocking opponents from getting to the ball is illegal), his or her opponent gains the point. Games typically go to 21 points. If there are more than two players, a player steps to the sidelines when he or she loses a point.

Four Square

Draw a court on the ground with playground chalk — it’s just four equal-size quadrants, each at least 4 feet by 4 feet — and label them 1, 2, 3, and 4.

The player in square 1 “serves” by hitting a rubber playground ball with his or her hands into one of the other squares. After one bounce, the player in that square must hit the ball into someone else’s square, or that player is out. players may never carry, catch, or hold the ball. Rotate spots based on game play — if the player in square 2 is called out, that player moves to square 4 (or to the sidelines if more than four players are involved) and the other players move up. The player in square 1 always starts the round and is often called the king; in some versions of the game, the king can make special rules that all the other players must follow.

H-O-R-S-E

In this classic basketball shooting game, players take turns calling shots: “Three-pointer from right here — nothing but net!” If a player makes it, his or her opponent needs to make the exact same shot or collect a letter; the first player to be saddled with H, O, R, S, and E loses.

Yoga Poses

Simple yoga positions are fun and good for you. They can be done indoors or outside on a beautiful day. Try this simple tandem exercise to start:

Seesaw
Stretches your hamstrings and back while strengthening your abdominals.

# Sit facing your partner, foot to foot, with both your legs in V’s.
# Hold hands while one person leans forward and the other leans back, then alternate, making sure not to yank or pull each other too hard.
# Repeat ten times.

Get more family-friendly poses »
The Kids’ Yoga Deck: 50 Poses and Games

Wacky Races

Remember three-legged races? Sack races (use king size pillow cases if you can find burlap bags) Your kids have probably never even seen one! Or try a walking race where each competitor holds a spoon in his or her mouth with an egg balanced on it, or carrying an orange tucked under their chins (no hands allowed). Or make up your own obstacle courses, using whatever is around. For example, turn on the sprinkler to make a water obstacle. Using your imaginations to create a race is half the fun!

Frisbee Golf

All you need for this game is some room, some imagination, and a Frisbee for each player. Before teeing off, agree on a target or “hole” (such as a tree, a sign, or a similar landmark), then take aim with the disc. The goal is to reach the target in the fewest number of throws. The player who accomplishes this gets to select the next hole and go first. Play as many holes as you like. The player with the fewest throws at the end of the game is the winner. If you have a big field and a dozen hula hoops you can create your own course.

Sardines

It’s hide-and-seek flipped on its head. While one player hides, a group of seekers close their eyes and count to a predetermined number. When they finish counting, the hunt is on! The seekers spread out to search; as each finds the hiding player, he or she joins the hider in the hiding place, until the last seeker finds the spot (where the players are now packed like sardines). The last player to find the hiding place becomes the next person to hide.

Make Your Own Hopscotch Court

Let your imaginations, and your chalk, run wild! Draw a bunch of boxes for you and your kids to hop through. Create wacky rules for what happens when you land on a given square: Recite the alphabet backwards; dump a bucket of water on your head; jump rope on one foot — whatever sounds silliest!

The most important thing? HAVE FUN!!!

The Native Americans offer us beautiful arts, crafts, and traditions. It’s fun to connect with their traditions through art with our children. Native Americans have long held a strong relationship with Mother Earth and have focused on preserving the environment long before the concept of ‘going green’ that we talk about today.

Making a Storyteller Animal Mask helps us understand how the Northwest Coast Indians taught their children important lessons about life. The storytellers of the native northwest coast people use many masks to weave tales. Their mask, made of wood painted with rounded, circular, and curvy designs, helps the listeners understand who the story is about. Of course, mask carvers often get their ideas from the world of animals around them. Many of the stories speak of living in harmony with nature.

Storyteller Animal Mask

Materials:

White paper plate
Wooden tongue depressor or Popsicle stick
Markers, tape, stapler, hole punch, scissors

Step 1:

Cut 2.5 inch slits on opposite sides of the plate as shown. Then poke with tip of scissors or use hole punch to add eye holes.

Step 2:

Staple and tape the wooden stick on the inside of the plate at the bottom.

Step 3:

Turn the plate over and decorate the plate bottom with markers (crayons or paints will work fine too). Make an animal face using very simple curves and ovals.

Step 4:

Overlap the slits and staple closed. This will cause the plate to bend out.

Step 5:

Hold the mask by the wooden handle and place over face while telling story!

Tip: Before you start this project it might be fun to have your child do a search on the Internet for Northwest Coast Indian Art for some designs ideas as well as to advance their education! Have fun!

One of my favorite painting activities to share with kids of all ages is gelatin finger painting. There are a couple of reasons it’s a favorite… one is because it’s an amazing sensory experience, moving the artist from the dry and gritty to the slimy then sticky, all while smelling delicious… and the other reason is because I always have everything I need.

*

Because all you need is:

• a spray bottle filled with water

• a small box of fruit-flavored gelatin like Jello

• finger paint paper or butcher paper

Yep… that’s it. Tape some paper down on whatever surface is handy, a kitchen table, picnic table, playroom floor, really any area that can be easily cleaned up. (A picnic table outdoors is my very favorite place because we can hose it off when we’re finished )

Spray water onto the paper and then simply sprinkle the dry gelatin wherever you’d like to start painting! Of course, you’ll have to spray more water as the gelatin starts to absorb it.

Fun and tasty!

What unusual things have you used for finger painting at your house?

Traveling in a car with children can be fun… if you’re prepared to keep them occupied. Especially on those longer rides.

Here are a few ideas for keeping kids of all ages busy when you find yourself on the road. Please share any ideas you have for the same! We’ll start with the very familiar –

Highway Alphabet Game
Play this game as a team: As you start your journey, everyone looks for a word beginning with the letter A. Have the kids scan billboards, road signs, bumper stickers, and storefronts to find an A word. Then move on to B, and on down the alphabet. The longer it takes to get to Z, the fewer times you’ll hear, “Are we there yet?”

Sing Together
Kids love to sing, and the car is a great place to do it because you don’t have to worry about disturbing anyone (except maybe the driver). Slip in a CD of songs everyone knows by heart and have a sing-along, or start a round of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” and give everyone a chance to sing their own verse about their favorite animal.

Two Truths and One Lie
Kids will delight in discovering tidbits about the grownups past through this simple guessing game. As the name indicates, players take turns telling two truths and one lie about themselves, and the other players try to identify the falsehood. It’s a great way to share stories from your life with your children or grandchildren, and they may surprise you by revealing unexpected facts about their own personalities and interests.

Spot the Motorcycles
Kids love being on the lookout. They also love simple competitions. All you have to do is call out, “The first person to spot _____ wins!”, and the game is on. It can be something as general as ten motorcycles or as specific as three blue houses. This game can instantly turn a boring drive into a fun game.

20 Questions
Pass the time playing this classic game; its simplicity and adaptability appeal to almost any group. One player thinks of a person, place, or thing familiar to all the players. The remaining players ask yes-or-no questions as they attempt to uncover what the thing is. The beginning player must answer all questions honestly, with a simple yes or no. Questions might be: “Does the person have red hair?” or “Is it bigger than a toaster?” The group of guessing players is allowed 20 questions to figure out the answer before officially being declared stumped.

Wiz Kids
This car-friendly card game offers a way for kids to take information they already know, sift through it and process it in an entirely new way. Players pick a card from the alphabet letter stack and a card from the answer stack. Then it’s time to think fast and generate as many logical associations as possible. Great compact card game that fits easily in a purse or glove box.

Buy it now » Wiz Kids

Waving Competition
Here’s a silly, social way to beat the traffic blues. Challenge the kids to see who can get the most passengers in other cars to wave back to them. They’ll smile sweetly, make funny faces, and gesture frantically, and the best part is they don’t have to make any noise doing it. Of course, there are sure to be giggles and cheers for each returned wave.

“I’m Going on a Picnic”
The beauty of this game is that there are so many ways to play. In the standard version, the first player says, “I’m going on a picnic and I am bringing ______.” The next player repeats what the first person is bringing and adds an item of his or her own, starting with the next letter of the alphabet. Players are out when they can’t come up with an item for the imaginary basket.

A fun variation is for the first player to establish a rule about what other players can bring to the picnic — without telling the others. To figure out the rule, the other players ask if they may bring a certain item to the picnic. Examples could include: only items beginning with the letter D, only round items, or only items ending in vowels.

Keep a Postcard Diary
Buy each child two postcards at every place you visit, whether it’s a scenic highway, a classic diner, or a roadside attraction. Have the kids glue the postcards into notebooks and write a few sentences about each one. Later, have them read their words aloud. It’s great to hear their thoughts and enjoy the lively discussions that follow.

Traffic Jams
A great CD to take along even on short trips to the store Traffic Jams by Joe Scruggs will keep your child entertained with Car Seat Exercises as well as amusing sing along songs like Big Toe Truck. Nothing syrupy or saccharine here!

Buy it now » Traffic Jams

Cooking with kids is an important way to move them toward independence. It’s such a win/win that it amazes me to run across children who don’t get much cooking time. Cooking is a chemistry experiment with wonderful results — and over time will build your child’s confidence in the knowledge they can always feed themselves.

Here is a simple and delicious cake recipe that even the very young can make with ease in a few minutes.

Lizzy’s Crazy Cake

What you will need:

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups cold water

Putting the cake together is as easy as one, two, threee. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place all the DRY ingredients in a 9×13 inch pan and stir with clean hands until well mixed.

Make three holes in the dry mixture and place the oil in one hole, the vanilla and vinegar in the second hole, and the water in the third whole. Stir all up together with a whisk or wooden spoon.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until the center springs back when you touch it lightly with your finger. Frost with your favorite icing.

This fabulous recipe and more can be found in:
Lotions, Potions, and Slime: Mudpies and More!

Long before anyone had heard of magnetic poetry, one of the summer activities at our house was creating Rock Poetry.

This is not one of those activities that can be done quickly as there are various steps involved. The beauty of that is that you can have a different kind of fun at each step of the way so why not simply declare the week ROCK POETRY WEEK!

For instance, the first activity is picking out a poem. Depending on the age of your child/ren you may want to select a short poem… but really, anything that delights will do.

We love reading the poems of Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky and often get lost for over an hour being silly and dramatic as we explore these sometimes silly, sometimes poignant and always entertaining poems.

Once you have selected a poem you want to count the words because that’s how many rocks you’ll be looking for on your upcoming rock hunt! [tip: if your poem has several long compound words you might want to write those on two rocks. Depending on rock size it can be tricky to write a lot of letters.]

The next activity is going for a walk in your neighborhood or a local park looking for just the ‘right’ rocks. Most kids are quite naturally attracted to rocks and given a purpose like this they’ll have a ball.

Look for rocks that have at least one relatively flat surface and are of similar size. Of course, if there’s a word or two in your poem that deserves exaggeration don’t hesitate to search for a larger rock for those words.

Be sure to bring a sturdy bag along for each child and if you have several children bring a wagon. (Rocks get heavy and children get weak! lol)

After you bring your rocks home you’ll want to wash and dry them all. After the rocks are dry then it’s time to settle in and write one word on each rock. For this we use a variety of Sharpie pens and markers. You want as fine a point as you can get in order for the letters of each word to be distinct. And remember to use paint shirts or have scruffy clothes on as these markers will definitely leave permanent marks. After the words are written I apply a clear acrylic spray on the rocks simply for the ‘polish’ effect. The rocks in the image below were done 20 years ago.

The next day, after the rocks are completely dry… children will have fun creating the poem out of the assortment of words on rocks before them. I had a large group doing this activity and they had a lot of fun sharing their rock poems with one another and having competitions to see who could successfully create their poem the quickest. Another activity they enjoyed was seeing how different original sentences they could create just using the words from their poem.  [additional note: these were best sellers at our end of summer ART FAIR. So if you're planning a children's art fair be sure to include some ROCK POEMS]

The rocks below are the Shel Silverstein poem titled Hug O’ War

I will not play at tug o’ war
I’d rather play at hug o’ war
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs.
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
And everyone grins,
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins.

Lie in a Hammock
There’s no better way to spend a lazy afternoon than in a hammock. It’s a great place for kids to rest after a hike or a big backyard barbecue. Bask in the midday sun or cuddle under a blanket to watch the stars come out; there’s no wrong way to hang.

Make a Fort
Left to their own devices, kids will make a fort or a clubhouse out of anything. Large cardboard boxes are perfect, but old sheets and poles or rods that can be stuck into the ground will also do. Supply your children with some art supplies, and let them turn your discards into a castle of imagination. If you’re lucky, you might get a peek inside before they make a “Keep Out” sign.

Predict the Weather by the Clouds
If kids can learn to tell the difference between types of clouds, they can try to predict the weather.

Cirrus clouds, which form high in the atmosphere and look like thin, feathery wisps, are a sign that fair, sunny weather is on the way.

Altocumulus clouds look like cotton puffs, slightly gray in parts, and appear in large clusters. If you see these above, rain may follow.

Stratus clouds are big blankets of thick gray clouds that cover the sky. These usually arrive with some light rain.

Cumulonimbus clouds are tall and look like mushrooms with wide, flat tops. When you see these, head for cover — there’s a thunderstorm coming.

Kind of puts a different spin on looking at clouds with kids doesn’t it? While kids love it when you take the time to go cloud gazing with them trying to describe what you see in the different shapes, you’ll be pleased how proud they are of their new weather knowledge based on clouds!

Make a Dandelion Necklace
When you’re not trying to eradicate them from your lawn, dandelions are actually quite pretty. Pick a bunch with the kids — the longer and thicker the stems, the better. To make them into a necklace, knot the stem of one dandelion just under the flower of another, and so on until you reach the desired length.

Tin-Can Telephones
Actually, any kind of cup will work for this classic experiment in sound vibration. If you do use tin cans, make sure they have no jagged edges. Poke a small hole in the bottom of each can or cup, just large enough to thread some string through. Knot the ends of the string so they won’t come out of the holes, and start talking.

Feed the Birds
Anyone can throw crumbs on the ground. But you and your children can give the local birds a real treat: Spread some peanut butter in the crevices of a big pinecone, tie it to a branch, and wait for your flying friends to find it. Or slide a stack of plain Cheerios onto a string, tie some small object to one end to keep them in place, and tie the other end to a branch. The birds will thank you for their breakfast.

Bowl Outside
Keep ten two-liter plastic bottles (with caps) out of the recycling pile. Fill each about one quarter of the way with water or sand, enough to keep it standing in the breeze but not so much that it won’t fall when hit by a ball. Cap the bottles tightly, then locate a good spot, like your driveway, for a bowling alley. Set up the “pins” and let the kids have at them with a small soccer ball or basketball.

Make a Sundial
As Earth rotates on its axis, the sun appears to move across the sky. To show kids how this works, help them create a sundial. Place or Find a small tree or pole that’s casting a shadow on a flat area of ground, then trace the line of the shadow on the ground with a piece of yarn.

Wait 30 minutes and see how the shadow has changed; mark the new shadow with a piece of yarn of a different color. Then wait another 30 minutes and trace the new shadow with a third piece of yarn.

Challenge the kids to figure out where the shadow will be in an hour, or what time it will be when the shadow reaches a certain spot on your dial.

Play Red Light, Green Light
This game will help the kids burn off some energy. Line the children up at one end of the yard. You can be the “stoplight”: When you say “green light,” the kids run as fast as they can. When you yell “yellow light,” they must slow to a walk. And when you call “red light,” they must freeze. Whoever doesn’t freeze is out or has to stay frozen until the next red light or goes back to the starting line. (The rules are up to you.) The first racer to the end of the course on the other side of the yard wins. Then line everyone up and start again.

Chuck-O Pro
Sometimes called bags, beanbags, or cornhole, this popular game is fun for all ages. Players try to toss their bags onto the board and into the hole. It’s simple to play but a challenge to master.

The Deep End
This is how some instructors teach children to get comfortable in deeper water: Toss a set of submersible sticks or rings in the pool and let the kids hop in and swim down to pick up as many as they can. Before they know it, their fear of the deep end is gone. (Whenever kids are in the pool, make sure there is an adult standing nearby who is able to jump in and help children who can’t swim well, and never leave any child unattended in or near a pool.)

Build a Dam
Getting wet and muddy is every child’s right, as well as a ticket to good times! Step into a local stream after a storm, scour the area for fallen sticks, leaves, and logs, and help your busy-beaver kids construct a minidam to temporarily divert the water. This simple task is great experience for future engineers, but mostly a great way to spend an afternoon.

A great alternative if you don’t have a ‘real’ stream handy is to grab a handful of toothpicks, have the kids color them in some way so each child can identify their own (dipping into various colors nail polish works great) and then take them out to race them in the stream by the side of the road that the rains have left.

Skip Stones
Head to the lake and spend an afternoon passing this skill on to the next generation. Teach kids how to find the perfect stone — the flatter and rounder the better — and how to toss it to get the most skips. (It’s all in the wrist.) They will love showing their friends the cool trick.

Hydroblast
Summer just isn’t summer without a water fight (or two). This amazing toy shoots water up to 25 feet. Get two and have a blast!

But it now »

Marco Polo
This classic game is perfect for a day at the pool. Here’s a refresher on how to play:

A player, designated It, closes his eyes for a set number of seconds while opposing players disperse in the pool. It, with eyes closed, then swims around the pool, attempting to tag the other players. It may detect the presence of others by feeling around with his or her limbs, or by sound: When It calls out “Marco!” the other players, regardless of location, must respond “Polo!” When It tags another player, that swimmer becomes the new ‘It.’

Color Yourselves in the Rain
Here’s a great rainy-day (or sprinkler) activity: Put on bathing suits, then color all over yourselves with bathtub crayons or other washable colors. (Make sure that whatever you use will wash off easily.) Draw silly faces on your stomachs or write funny messages on your arms. Go wild! Then get out in the rain or the sprinklers and wash yourselves off. Ready for more? Dry off and start all over again.

Mix Your Own Bubbles
Follow this recipe to make superstrong bubbles. Add food coloring for extra fun.

You will need:
1 package unflavored gelatin
1 cup just-boiled water
1 1/2 to 2 ounces glycerin (available in the skin care aisle or at a health food store)
8 1/2 ounces Johnson’s Baby Shampoo

Stir the gelatin into the hot water until it’s dissolved. Mix in the glycerin and shampoo, stirring gently. The solution will gel as it cools.

Play Splat
Fill a dozen water balloons and take turns throwing them high into the air over the driveway or sidewalk so they’ll pop on impact. Compete to see who can make the biggest water splat. Use chalk to trace the outline of each watermark to determine who won.

MEASURE UP!® POTS and SPOONS
This cool set of spouted pots and measuring spoons will have your little ones stir, pour, measure, and pretend play their way to important early math and science concepts. These marvelous manipulatives are volumetrically correct and sized to interact with Measure Up!® Cups. From number associations, to stacking & sorting, to molding & stamping, this discovery cooking set builds a host of important preschool concepts and is a perfect addition to water and sand play. Includes: 5 Pots, 5 Spoons and complete Activity Guide

Okay… I admit it hardly qualifies as an “explosion”… but since we’ve always called these Popsicle Stick ‘bombs’ — a politically incorrect word these days… I decided I’d better come up with a different word for my subject line.

Regardless of what you call them… they are simple fun and I’ve seen them played with in a variety of ways by kids of all ages.

The biggest challenge here is finding 5 Popsicle sticks – and since summer time and Popsicles go together like bread and butter… that shouldn’t be a major challenge. (Not to mention you can buy a box of 1000 for a mere $2.49 over at S&S Worldwide)

Here’s How-To create them:

Pick up 2 sticks and create a V

Grab a third stick and set it onto the center of the V – It’s important to pay attention to this placement as the whole ‘bomb’ is held together just by pressure.

Now you hold these three sticks in your left hand (if right handed – notice I am left-handed so I’m doing the reverse:) and you pick up a fourth stick, inserting it so that it goes on top of the middle stick but under the two outside sticks that form the V (like weaving, but you slip it down from the top) note: you’ll find you must keep a bit of pressure in the spot where you’re holding those first three sticks forming that V shape.

And finally, you pick up the fifth stick, sliding it over the three but woven in the opposite way from that fourth stick. In other words, with the fifth stick you will insert it under the middle stick and it will be over the two outside sticks.

It should look something like this:

That’s it! You have your Popsicle Stick Bomb ready and loaded…

for your kids to do what they will! When you toss one of these they fly apart. The best part is that even if you get hit with a flying popsicle stick it doesn’t hurt. They’re a novel way to play tag. Today I had 14 month old twins giggling simply when I dropped these ‘bombs’ in front of their stroller!

Here are a few things to be aware of:

These are a bit unpredictable… that’s part of the fun! Some are really touchy and fragment quickly even when gently bumped… some surprise you and even survive the first toss.

If you have a LOT of sticks, it’s fun to make many, many of these, carefully lay them down in a pattern of your choosing (they’re triangles, after all, kids will come up with amazing geometric patterns… then create one that you’re going to use to toss at the pattern and ‘explode’ them ALL. It’s almost guaranteed to produce giggles! (I say almost because if a brother or friend comes and bombs your pattern unexpectedly it’s not quite so delightful)

Sometimes before creating them kids will color their sticks… one color for all five sticks and a different color for each child. That way they can create some competitive games and easily keep score.

Sometimes we’ll draw a circle in a patch of dirt or sand and everyone aims for the circle. The one with the most sticks inside the perimeter WINS!

Have Fun and PLAY WELL TOGETHER!!!