Games

Turtlediary.com

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 19:24:46 EST

Here's another great educational website filled with grade level appropriate games for Math, English, and Science. Plus, you can print out worksheets, read biographies, get ideas for experiments, crafts, and more! Click here to start the fun!

Toss 'n Talk Ball

Wed, 29 May 2013 10:39:32 EST

Here's a fun "get to know you" game from thepartyanimal-blog.org. Just buy a 24" bouncy ball that you can get at stores like Target or Walmart. Write fun questions with a permanent marker all over the ball. Have the kids sit in a circle and throw the ball back and forth to each other. Whoever catches the ball has to answer the question that their thumb lands on.

Cooperation Game

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:50:43 EST

Here's a great game from schcounselor.com that helps facilitate cooperation. Put kids into 2 groups and give each group a large handful of spaghetti noodles and a bowl of marshmallows. Tell them that they have 10 minutes to work together to build the tallest tower. The team with the tallest tower at the end of the 10 minutes wins.

Don't Eat Pete!

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:31:33 EST

Here's the simplest game that is really fun! Visit: candacetodd.blogspot.com for the free download of the game board.

Here are the instructions:

Send the first player away from the game board or into another room, then have the remaining players choose which one of the twelve people on the game board will be "Pete" for the round. Place one M&M (or any other small snack or candy) in each square of the game board. Have the first player come back and begin picking and eating the candies from the game board. As soon as the player tries to pick "Pete" everyone yells "Don't Eat Pete!" The player keeps all the candy picked up before trying to get Pete. Refill the game board and play again with the next player.

Thinking Games

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:43:20 EST

Looking for a good way to pass time in the car without giving your kids your cell phone to play with? Try these great thinking games from whatdowedoallday.com.

1. Imaginary Traveler. Taking turns, and continuing with consecutive letters of the alphabet, kids imagine where they might go and what they object want to take along on their trip. For example, "I'm going to Aunt Amanda's and I'm taking my Aardvark." "I'm going to Bermuda and I'm taking my Blue Balloon." Encourage participants to be as silly as possible.

2. Story Time. One child begins a story with a single sentence. Building upon that sentence the next child continues the story with his own sentence to continue the story. You can vary this game so that the story is told with alternating words, phrases, sentences or paragraphs.

3. I See A Rhyme. Taking turns, complete the sentence "I see a ____." Each player must rhyme the last word with the previous player's word. For example, "I see a bat", "No, I see a hat", "But I see a cat!" When you've exhausted one rhyme, start with a new word!

4. Fortunately/Unfortunately. This game is inspired by Remy Charlip's book, Fortunately. One player starts a story with a sentence such as "Fortunately, the bus is coming." The next player counters with a sentence such as, "Unfortunately, it turned into an airplane and flew away!" The next player starts again with "Fortunately..." My boys love this one.

5. Name Five. Choose a category such as states, flowers, animals and going through the alphabet, each player must name five things in that category. For example, if animals is the category, the first player may say aardvark, antelope, ant, anteater, ape. The next player starts with B: baboon, bee, bear, bullfrog, bird.

6. Timed Categories. The cell phone in your pocket probably has a stopwatch. Pick a category such as animals, games, plants, purple foods and challenge you children to see how many items they can come up with in that category in one minute.

Bean Bag & Sidewalk Chalk Tic-Tac-Toe

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:27:40 EST

The weather's warming up and it's a great time to start creating some fun outside. Here's a clever version of tic-tac-toe from trainupachildlearnaswego.blogspot.com. Simply draw a tic-tac-toe grid on the sidewalk or driveway and have the kids throw a bean bag aimed at the grid. Wherever the bag lands, have them write either an "x" or "o", depending on their designated letter. Whoever gets three in a row first, wins.

Shuffle Caps Game

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:53:26 EST

(Taken from: spoonful.com)

Here's a fun version of shuffleboard played with juice bottle caps that can slide off or be knocked off the table.

What you'll need

Masking tape (we used easy-to- remove painters' tape)
8 large plastic bottle caps (4 per player) individually marked to represent two teams

How to play

SETUP: Create the scoring triangle with tape: the tip is worth 50 points, the middle 25 points, and the base 10 points. Use another piece of tape to mark the push-off point at the opposite end of the table.
HOW TO PLAY: Take turns sliding your caps (they slide best upside down) from behind the push-off point. You can knock your opponent out of the triangle or right off the table. More than half the cap must be inside the space to count as in. The first player to score 200 points wins.
REF SAYS: If you shoot your cap off the table, you lose 25 points. But if you knock off your opponent's cap, he loses 25!

Sound Memory Game

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:20:12 EST

Here's a clever twist on a classic game. Fill old plastic Easter eggs, empty Playdough containers, or paper cups with paper taped over the opening, with 2 of the same kind of objects. Here are some examples: cheerios, pennies, paper clips, jingle bells, beans, beads, barley, etc. Make sure that each object has a match. Set them up in rows. Instead of flipping over cards, like clasic Memory, shake the containers to hear what's inside and try to find it's match.

(Taken from: omakoppa.blogspot.com)

Spring Break Activities

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:24:48 EST

(Taken from: answers2homework.com)

St. Patrick's Day Cootie Catcher

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:19:44 EST

For a fun twist on an old classic, visit: bnute.blogspot.com for the free download to make this fun little fortune teller.

Connect the Dots

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:13:35 EST

For this and many other free downloadable dot to dot printables, visit: spoonful.com.

Whyville

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:36:06 EST

Whyville is a virtual world geared for pre teens and teens. The site is designed for users to come learn, create, and have fun together. Whyville has its own newspaper, its own Senators, its own beach, museum, City Hall and town square, its own suburbia, and even its own economy- citizens earn "clams" by playing educational games. Try it out at www.whyville.net.

Free Educational Apps

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 09:56:07 EST

Here's a fantastic list of free educational apps compiled by: kidsactivitiesblog.com.

Language Apps

(letters, phonics, grammar)

Android

50 languages by 50 languages. Learn 50 languages for free using your native language! 50languages.com contains 100 lessons that provide beginners with a basic vocabulary. With no prior knowledge, you will learn to fluently speak short sentences in real-world situations in no time. The 50languages method successfully combines audio and text for effective language learning.

Dictionary.com Flashcards by Dictionary.com. Study, learn and master words on your phone. Create and play fun, tailored study programs anywhere, anytime. Create your own or choose from over 70,000 flashcard decks, customize your study by grade level, standardized test, or subject, select your study method – audio pronunciation or definition matching, sync your online and mobile app progress, and study offline without an internet connection.

iStorybooks by iStorybooks. Free story books with fun pictures, text, and audio for your little ones ages 2-8.

Practice English Grammar – 1 by CrowdUni. Practice English Grammar (Beginner Level) helps you learn English grammar by practicing interactive grammar exercises. Practice English Grammar (Beginner Level) contains many pages of grammar lessons explaining the grammar topics of the tests. With over 500 questions in 16 topics, this app helps you practicing the basic usage of English grammar in elementary level.

Speak Spanish by Holfeld Apps. Most Apps or classes try to teach you 1000s of words you will never need. This App teaches you all the phrases you will very likely need! If you want to save time and money and just learn what you'll actually need while traveling, this App is ideal for you! Hear & Learn the basics, how to say Hello,Thanks,Goodbye and more.

iPad

Beginning Sounds Interactive Game by Lakeshore Learning Materials. Kids match words that share the same beginning sound! Children just "grab" fun picture balls and drop them into the correct spots on the board. For ages 4-7 years. Free

Letter of the Day Interactive Activities by Lakeshore Learning Materials. Kids explore the whole alphabet—from every angle! Animated lessons cover letter formation, letter sounds and more. For ages 4-6 years.

Phonics Genius by Innovative Mobile Apps. This app is loaded with content. We are talking over 6,000 professionally recorded words carefully grouped into 225 categories by phonics. Ages 1 – 6 Years Old.

Phonics Tic-Tac-Toe Interactive Game by Lakeshore Learning Materials. Children build language skills in a fast-paced game of tic-tac-toe! Fun, interactive game explores vowel sounds, syllables and more. For ages 6-8 years.

Sight Words List – Learn to Read Flash Cards & Games by Innovative Mobile Apps. Help Your Child Learn to Read. Sight Words, also known as the Dolch List are an integral part in learning how to read. The Dolch Word list contains 315 words that are broken down into appropriate age groups. It is important for young readers to be able to instantly recognize these high frequency words in order to be proficient and fluent readers.

Math Apps

Android

Geometry Eye by iauro Technologies. Play this game and see how accurate your eyes can observe the things.GeometryEye shows series of geometry figures which needs to be adjusted to make geometry shapes or to find out some geometrical properties like angle bisector,in-circle of a triangle,line midpoint etc.

Kids Math Lite by Explore in Android. Kids Maths Lite is a great app perfect for preschoolers to learn about numbers and counting. The kid can have hands on following activities: Learn Numbers- Choose from Play mode, previous and next buttons, Count and tell, Find missing number, Find bigger number, Find Smaller number, Learn number names, Find a match- play the popular fun memory game to match numbers, Draw and Learn- Practice to draw the numbers within the stencil with color of your choice.

Kids Numbers and Math by Intellijoy. Wouldn't it be just wonderful if there was a simple game for children that made learning numbers and basic math skills enjoyable? There is! It's called Kids Numbers and Math. This app is great for learning numbers, choosing max/min number, addition, subtraction, finding a match, and even advanced exercises.

Math Formulary by anjokes. Simple access to all math formulas with the Math Formulary App! Math Formulary covers all mathematical formulas that are usually used in the school and the university. Where necessary graphics are included to depict and explain the topic better. The content is organized into following groups: Basic Arithmetic, Algebra, Analysis, Geometry, Trigonometry, Analytical Geometry, and Logic.

Pocket Math by synQroid. Pocket Math is a unique quick reference android application that gives the user a list of all basic quant concepts and formulae with brief explanations. Concepts are grouped for easy reference.

iPad

Ace Kids Math Games HD by Brain Counts. Easily teaches kids how to Count, Add, and Subtract VISUALLY using fun animations with a prize reward system for completing each level.

Motion Math Zoomby Motion Math. Motion Math Zoom's zoomable, stretchable number line is missing some numbers – it's up to your child to put the numbers back where they belong. The new game uses concrete objects to represent abstract numbers: from dinosaurs in the thousands down to amoebas in the thousandths. Fun animal animations and sound effects help elementary school children master the number line.

Pizza Fractions: Beginning With Simple Fractions by Brian West. Ranked a top 100 iPad education app in the United States, May 2011, Pizza Fractions offers a simple, visually-based introduction to fractions for elementary school kids. In chef's pizzeria your child masters the concept of naming simple fractions using pizza picture examples. Designed for grade levels 2-6, Pizza Fractions provides introductory practice with fractions in an approachable game-like environment.

Rocket Math by Dan Russell-Pinson. Math can be fun! Build your very own rockets and fly them to the stars with Rocket Math! While your rocket is floating weightlessly in space, the real fun begins! Play one of the many fun math missions. Each mission has touchable objects floating in space, including stars, coins, 3D shapes and more! Earn a bronze, silver or gold medal and also try to beat your high score. Missions range in difficulty from even/odd numbers all the way to square roots, so kids and their parents will enjoy hours of fun while learning math.

Tangram XL by NG. Simple version of popular Tangram designed with kids in mind. Avoids unnecessary design and decoration to keep kids attention over important geometric concepts that the game develops. The pieces are handled naturally following the movement of fingers as much to move them or turn them both at once.

Science Apps

Android

3D Brain by Dolan DNA Learning Center. Use your touch screen to rotate and zoom around the interactive brain structures. Discover how each brain region functions, what happens when it is injured, and how it is involved in mental illness. Each detailed structure comes with information on functions, disorders, brain damage, case studies, and links to modern research.

Fun Science Facts by Heybuzz. This application features fun science facts you did not know. Provides snippets of information on animals, humans, space and the weather, for children and everyone. We have collected them from various sources over the years. This is a must have app for everyone.

NASA by NASA. Come explore with NASA and discover a huge collection of stunning images, videos, mission information, news, NASA TV and featured content with the new NASA App for Android.

Nature Facts by SusaSoftX. Contains thousands of nature related facts. (Animals, Astronomy, Biology, Bugs, Earth, Oceans, Human Body, Trees, Weather)

Science Facts by SusaSoftX. Contains thousands of science related facts. (Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Biology, Inventions ...)

iPad

Animal Fun by Brian Pfeil. Animal Fun is a simple animal learning program for children. Children learn about animals by seeing and hearing the sounds an animal makes. It combines an easy-to-use interface and fun sound effects to entertain children while they learn.

GoSkyWatch Planetarium – the astronomy star guide by GoSoftWorks. Easily and quickly identify and locate stars, planets, constellations and more with a touch or by simply pointing to the sky. Have fun with family and friends discovering the images in the night sky. Go outside and explore the night sky.

Periodic Table of the Elements by Kevin Neelands. This is a standard periodic table of the elements – a necessity for anyone interested in or even exposed chemistry. However, the version differs in that instead of cramming all the information for an element into one little square, you can select a chemical attribute and have the entire chart color coded to plainly show how the different elements vary with regard to the selected trait.

Science 360 by National Science Foundation. The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Science360 for iPad provides easy access to engaging science and engineering images and video from around the globe and a news feed featuring breaking news from NSF-funded institutions. Content is either produced by NSF or gathered from scientists, colleges and universities, and NSF science and engineering centers.

Self_Assemblyby Cacciuto. Design your own molecules and watch them self-assemble into complex two-dimensional structures. The idea is to provide a simple and direct tool for nonscientist to experience first hand the beautiful world of physical chemistry. Figure out how to form interesting structures by manipulating the shape of the molecules, the concentration of the solution, and its temperature.

Holiday Drawing Game

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 09:12:57 EST

This is such a fun game. Kids will love it! Just give everyone a sturdy paper plate and a pencil, have them put the plate on their head and then give them the following instructions to draw while the plate is on their head:

1. Draw a line for a floor.
2. Draw a Christmas Tree. Add decorations if you feel so inclined.
3. Draw a star on top of your tree.
4. Draw a fireplace with a mantel next to the tree.
5. Draw a stocking hanging from the mantel of your fireplace.
6. Draw a present below the tree.

After the six steps have been given, let everyone look at their masterpieces.

Get ready for a serious giggle fest.

Then have players count up how many points they received by following this rubric:

1. 2 points if the tree touches the floor.
2. 2 points if your stocking is touching your mantel.
3. 1 point if your star touches your tree.
4. 1 point if your star is above your tree.
5. 1 point for every Christmas ornament ball that is ON your tree, etc.
6. 1 point if your fireplace doesn't touch the tree (it's a fire hazard!).
7. 1 point if you actually drew something decorative on your stocking (or something cute, like a tiny kitten peeking out).
8. 2 points if your present is under your tree.

(Taken from: happyhomefairy.com)

Kwanzaa Games and Activities

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 11:07:06 EST

Check out some of these Kwanzaa online games and coloring pages at thekidzpage.com.

Witch's Stew Game

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:45:41 EST

Pucker up....this game requires skill, speed and raw straw-sucking power.

What You Need

Straws
Construction paper

Bowl

Instructions

Before the party, ask your kids to help you cut ten Halloween shapes, such as ghosts, bats and pumpkins from construction paper. Each shape should be about the size of a silver dollar. Place the shapes in a pile beside a small bowl.
Using the straw as a vacuum, each contestant tries to pick up a shape and place it in the bowl to create the Witch's Stew. Time the players to see who can get all ten in the bowl the fastest.

Tips:

Cut out several sets of shapes and let the players race head to head.

(Taken from: familyfun.go.com)

Masking Tape Games

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 10:10:53 EST

Who knew a roll of masking tape could be so fun? Whattoexpect.com gives several ideas of fun games to do indoors with just a little masking tape.

Hopscotch:

Bulls-eye Bowling:

Tic-Tac-Toe:

Balance Beam:

Long Jump:

Great fun for when the weather turns!

Digital Hot Potato

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:01:38 EST

(From familyfun.go.com)

Pull out a camera with a timer for this twist on a classic party game that produces priceless keepsakes.

Instructions

To Play: The first player sets the camera timer for the longest setting available and starts the countdown. He points the camera at himself for a couple of seconds, then passes it to the person on his left. The other players do the same until the camera snaps a shot. The person whose photo is taken must share it with the group, then perform a forfeit or tell something funny about himself before play resumes. The last person to avoid having his picture taken wins.

Tape Ball

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 10:02:11 EST

What kid would not love this idea? Make a tape ball using masking and duct tape on the inside and clear packaging tape on the outside. Tape small prizes inside, like little toys and candy. Have everyone who is playing get in a big circle. One player gets the tape ball and the player in front of them gets a pair of dice. The player with the ball removes the tape as fast as they can and anything they can get out is theirs to keep. The player with the dice tries to roll doubles as quickly as they can so they get a turn. As soon as they get doubles, they pass the dice to the person next to them and then they get the tape ball. To put a little more academic spin on the game, have the kids add up the sum of the dice when they're rolling.

Idea from: imacubmasterwhatnow.blogspot.com

Restaurant Waiting Games

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 08:52:16 EST

We all know that the wait for food at restaurants with kids can taint the experience. Repeatcrafterme.com has 10 great waiting games that can make eating out much more enjoyable. Some of them include:

Origami Fortune Tellers

Sugar Packet and Penny Trick

Straw and Sugar Packet Tic Tac Toe

Dot Game

ABC Spy

Disappearing Objects

Table Football

For more games and complete directions, visit their website.

Listening Games

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 22:06:51 EST

(Taken from: jessicalynette.com)

Simon Says – at 3 and 5 they are pitifully bad at this game but they have loads of fun trying to discern when they are to follow instructions and when they are not to.

What Time Is It Captain Midnight? – We stumbled upon this game while searching for unique Awana games to play as Paul and I are game directors and this game has been a huge hit with kids of all ages and our boys enjoy playing it at home with us. It is identical to What Time is it Mr. Wolf if you are familiar with that game. One person, Captain Midnight, stands on the other side of the room, with his back to the other players. The other players call out; "What time is it Captain Midnight?" Captain Midnight calls out a time between 1 and 11 and the players need to take that many steps. This repeats until Captain Midnight says it is midnight, at which point he chases the children back to the start line trying to tag them. Those that are tagged are out.

Marco Polo – One child is blindfolded and calls out "Marco" and the other players respond with "Polo". The blindfolded child tries to tag the others by following their voice. (Usually a pool game, but the boys enjoy playing it in our living room).

Blindfolded Obstacle Course – Blindfold the children and give them verbal instructions to get through a series of obstacles set up in the room.

Find the Object – Set up a random assortment of items on a table in one room and take the children to another room. Give them details about which object you'd like them to go and find from the table, for example; "Please bring me the smallest yellow item on the table." or "Please bring me the book that talks about a little girl and a bear eating blueberries."
This game has been the boys favorite and we've played it about 4 times so far!

Get Across the Room – So similar to Marco Polo and the Obstacle Course, however slightly different. Put the blindfolded children on one side of the room and have a partner for each child on the other side of the room {this works well for us as each boy is blindfolded and Paul and I play the role of the partners}. As the partner we direct our own {blindfolded} partner across the room to us, so they need to know and listen to the voice of the parent they are partnered up with.

Whac-A-Mole Arcade Game - a great game that is truly fun to play. At the beginning of each round each player is assigned a sound and a mole and when your mole pops up he makes his sound and you need to whack it. **Note, they don't seem to be manufacturing the exact game we have, which is described above. This is another Whac a Mole version which we haven't played, but I imagine is similar.

Leaky Ladder

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 21:53:22 EST

(From: parents.com)

Get set: Put a ping-pong ball into a two-gallon bucket. Assemble the kids about ten feet away, next to a five-gallon bucket of water.

Cooperate: Give each player a paper cup and tell them that they have five minutes to put enough water into the smaller bucket to make the ping-pong ball float out of the bucket. Let kids try to fill the bucket on their own. If they don't make it within the time limit, explain how a bucket brigade works, then give them another try.

Sponge Balls

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:58:37 EST

Here's a great way to cool off in the hot weather:

(Taken from: familyfun.go.com)

Materials

FOR EACH BALL:
3 plain kitchen sponges
Scissors

Strong string
Bucket

1. For each ball, you'll need 3 plain kitchen sponges fresh from the package and still slightly damp. Use scissors to cut each sponge lengthwise into 5 strips about a half-inch wide. Stack the strips as shown.

2.Loop a piece of strong string around the center of the stack and pull tightly. Double-knot the string and trim the excess.

3.For a fast cool-off game, have two players stand a few feet apart, each beside a bucket of water. See how many times they can toss the ball back and forth, taking a step apart and dunking the ball in a bucket before each throw.

Sidewalk Chalk Games

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 08:49:30 EST

Looking for some ideas to spend time outdoors now that it's spring? Break out your bucket of sidewalk chalk and try some of these games (taken from: www.birthdaypartyideas4kids.com)

Hopscotch
You will need small rocks or buttons for markers. The object of hopscotch is to move from the start square to the end of the hopscotch board and back again. You can only have one foot in one square and you have to jump OVER the square with the rock in it. TO PLAY: Draw a hopscotch board. The first player takes their rock and throws it on the first square marked with a "1". Then jump over the "1" square to the "2" square and continue hopping down to the end of the hopscotch board. At the end the player must turn by jumping and turning in the air to land with one foot in the last square(s). They then hop back towards the front of the board - when you get to the square with the rock they must hop in that square with one foot and pick up the rock. Then continue to the front of the board. If at any time the player hops on a line, misses the target square when throwing the rock or loses their balance their turn is over. If while throwing the rock it lands on a line then the player loses their turn. For older children: once the kids have mastered the hopscotch game add a twist by writing instructions in some of the squares that they must do before they can move on such as: hop three times, spin around twice, switch feet, hop backwards, etc.

Body Outline Trace
Have the kids lay down in different positions on the concrete and then draw around their shapes. Then let them fill and color the outline with their face, features and clothes. Give them a theme such as beach, formal, summer day, winter day, farmers, etc.

Masterpiece
Print out several pictures of different famous art masterpieces that have simple lines and shapes. Give each child a different masterpiece and ask them to make a bigger version of the art with their sidewalk chalk. After they are finished take a picture with the original artwork in the picture. Variation: Chalk out a large rectangle and then divide it into 4, 6 or 8 equal parts. Cut the art picture into as many pieces as you divided the rectangle into and assign each art piece with a part of the rectangle. Have the children draw one part of the masterpiece. When they are done take a picture and see how close they came to the original.

Stencils
Make or buy stencils of different sizes and shapes. Have the kids place the stencil on the ground and color in the stencil.

Trace Shapes
Use cardboard shapes you've cut out in different shapes or have the kids trace around objects such as buckets, hoses, chairs, boxes, etc.

Eraser
Have the children color in a large rectangle (4 x 6 feet) with different colors of sidewalk chalk. Then fill small squirt bottles with water and place the nozzle to "stream". Let the kids spray the rectangle with water to create a picture.

Box Out
This game is simple enough for younger children and can also challenge older kids as they learn to use strategy to win. Draw a very large square about 10 feet x 10 feet. Divide the large square into a grid 10 spaces wide x 10 spaces deep. You can make the initial large square smaller, but the grid spaces need to be big enough for kids to stand inside them. Give each player a piece of chalk and assign them a corner to start. The first player will move to a connecting square and then cross out the square that they came from with their color chalk. Players take turns moving from one square to the next crossing out boxes as they go. After a box is crossed out no one can step in that box again for the entire game. If a player is stuck and cannot move they must forfeit their turn. The winner is the one who can move last after all the players are "stuck". Use the same grid over and over by using an X to cross out the squares for the first round, an O for the second round and color in the square for the third game.

Snail Hopscotch
This game is a lot of fun! Draw a large circle (about 12 inches) on the ground and then draw a very large spiral board on the concrete starting at the circle and spiraling out to look like a snails shell. The spirals of the snail shell need to be about 8 - 12" apart. Make 3 or 4 large spirals around the center circle. Divide the spirals into spaces about 12 - 14" apart and number them. The first player hops on one foot from the center circle to the outside and back. If they make it without stepping of a line or losing their balance they can use sidewalk chalk to mark ANY space they want with their initials. No one is able to jump on that space the rest of the game. The next player must hop on one foot from the center and back but must jump over the space that is marked with initials. If they make it then they may write their initials on any square they choose. This is a simple game, but it gets crazy when kids have to hop all the way across the board to an empty space near the end of the game. The person with the most initialed squares wins.

Human Board Game
Draw a large gameboard on the ground using sidewalk chalk and the kids are the playing pieces and move themselves around the board. Start by drawing a giant size oval or rectangle game board. Divide the game board into pieces that are large enough for kids to stand in. In some of the spaces write instructions on what they have to do when they land on that space. Some fun examples are: Move back 3 spaces, Jump up and down until your next turn, Go ahead 2 spaces, Cluck like a chicken until your next turn, Dance in your square until your next turn, Sing "Happy Birthday", Change places with any player, Go back to Start, Go to any square on the board, etc. You can use regular dice or decorate a large square box with construction paper to use as the die.

Portraits
Have the children draw portraits of each other with their sidewalk chalk. When they are done have them draw frames around their pictures and/or have the object of the portrait lay down next to their portrait and take a picture.

My View
Have the children draw pictures of what is right in front of them - a picture of their house, car, backyard, street, etc.

Bug Parade
Draw pictures of a bug parade. Draw large ladybugs, grasshoppers and beetles one right after the other like they are parading across the sidewalk.

Flower Garden
Draw a huge flower garden with different colors of large flowers, leaves, bugs, worms, etc.

City Map
Draw a picture of your city using sidewalk chalk. Include your house, streets and landmarks that the kids are familiar with in your town.

Yard Map
Have the kids draw a bird's eye view of your backyard with their sidewalk chalk. Include the shape of their house, car, swingset, bushes, sidewalk, etc.

Treasure Map
Draw a sidewalk chalk treasure map. Let the kids draw a treasure map of the yard and how to get to a hidden treasure using broken chalk lines on the map. After they draw the map let them hide a small treasure for other children to find.

Under the Sea
Have everyone contribute to an under the sea picture. Include water, sand, underwater plants, fish, sharks, whales, starfish, waves, boats etc.

Rainbow
Use 7 colors of sidewalk chalk to draw a huge rainbow. Include a pot of gold at the end!

Tic Tac Toe
Draw a tic tac toe board with sidewalk chalk on the ground. Draw a line about 2 feet from the board that the kids will have to stand behind. Using beanbags or rocks have the players one at a time throw their markers onto the board trying to make a tic tac toe.

Sidewalk Chalk Maze
Draw a large maze on the ground that kids have to maneuver through on their bikes, scooters or on foot.

Target
Draw a large circle target of the ground with sidewalk chalk. Divide the circle into sections and give each section a point value. Draw a line about 7 feet from the target and have children throw bean bags or rocks onto the target. Tally up the score and the child with the most points after 3 round wins.

Connect the Dots
Draw a simple outline of a familiar object such as a tree, house, flower, etc. using only dots. Let the kids use sidewalk chalk to connect the dots and find out what picture the dots make.

Four Square
Draw a large square (over 10' wide) and divide it into 4 equal squares. Number the squares going clockwise 1, 2, 3 and 4 and then draw a diagonal line in square 1 because it will be the serving line. The player in square 1 serves by bouncing the ball in his square and then hitting the ball into any of the other squares. Players have to allow the ball to bounce one time in their square before they hit it into another players square. Players can be eliminated from the game by hitting the ball out of bounds, letting the ball bounce more then once in their square, hitting the ball more then once during their turn or holding or catching the ball. Players that are eliminated leave their space and join the players on the sideline. All remaining players on the court move up to the next highest square and a new player from the sidelines moves to the lowest square (4 is the lowest). The winner is the one who can stay in the #1 square the longest without being eliminated.

Bounce Out
Draw a large rectangle about 2 feet wide and 10 feet long. Divide the rectangle into 5 equal sections - number the sections 1 - 5. Draw a line about two feet from the #1 section. Two players stand behind the line. One of the players takes a ball and tries to throw it so it bounces in the #5 space. After they throw the ball the other player races to the end of the rectangle and tries to catch the ball before it bounces in the square. If the first player successfully throws the ball so it bounces in the #5 square without touching a line or getting caught by the other player they get to try and throw the ball to the #4 square. When the first player misses mark which square they were in and then it is the other players turn to try. If the second player during a round catches the ball before it bounces in the square it becomes their turn.

Faces
Draw lots of oval shapes on the ground and let children fill in the heads with eyes, noses, hair, mouths, ears, hats, etc.

Footprints
Research several animals and find out what their pawprints look like. Using sidewalk chalk draw the footprints / pawprints so that they go up and down the driveway and sidewalks. Some fun animals footprints to draw are elephants, ducks, cats, horses and dinosaurs.

Lilypad Jump
Draw different sizes of green lilypads on the concrete making sure the distance between them are different distances apart. Ask kids to jump across the "pond" by only standing on the lilypads.

Artist Switch
Draw large rectangles on the ground ( draw as many as the number of children who will be playing)and give each child sidewalk chalk. Ask them to start drawing a picture in their space. Set a timer for 5 minutes and when time is up have the children rotate to another rectangle and have them draw on that space. Continue until all the artists have had a chance to color on all the rectangles.

Sidewalk Chalk Message
Draw a message with large letters to a family member or friend. Make a Mother's or Father's day card, birthday message or just a great way to say I love you. Remember to take a picture for your scrapbook. :)

One Line Run
Players make one continuous line with side walk chalk and another player has to follow the line. The first player takes a piece of sidewalk chalk and begins to draw a continuous line with it making circles and squiggles as they go. The second player must try and follow the chalk line by walking or running on the line. Simple, but lots of fun!

Cookie.com

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:21:56 EST

Cookie.com is an amazing kids' website filled with learning games, stories, videos worksheets, arts & crafts, and more. Try it out!

April Fools Day Pranks

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:16:14 EST

Need a good April Fools Day prank? For directions on how to make this "sponge cake" and other fun ideas, visit, www.familyfun.go.com.

St. Pat's Bingo

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:54:31 EST

For a fun and free St. Patrick's Day Bingo game, visit: www.thecraftingchicks.com.

Nerf Gun Shooting Range

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:28:35 EST

Here's a fun way to keep kids entertained. All you need are some disposable cups (figures optional), and a nerf gun. Just stack them, back up, and shoot away.

(Idea taken from: www.busykidshappymom.org)

Clapping Games

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 21:15:32 EST

One of the great things about elementary school and recess is doing clapping games with friends. Visit www.funclapping.com to help your child learn some new rhymes, like the old favorites "Miss Mary Mack" or "Roller Coaster", and tons more. They'll love you forever!

Laminated doodle faces

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:13:40 EST

What child would not love this?! Print off a large photo of their face (or other family members or friends), cut around it, laminate it, and voila! Now you've got a blank slate for all kinds of doodles with dry erase markers. How fun!

101 Indoor Activities

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:56:24 EST

Winter weather getting your kids down? Sixsistersstuff.com gives us a fantastic list of 101 indoor activities for kids that is sure to cure the winter blues.

1. Have an indoor picnic.
2. Build a fort out of blankets (use chairs, couches, yarn- anything to hold up the blankets!).
3. Make sock puppets (check out our tutorials for monster puppets and sock puppets!).
4. Finger paint with pudding.
5. Playdough- use rolling pins and cookie cutters.
6. Dance PARTY–dance to your favorite songs.
7. Have a tea party.
8. Read nursery rhymes.
9. Make your own indoor hopscotch with masking tape on carpet/wood.
10. Pedicures.
11. Play school–have the child be the teacher.
12. Make a letter book. Let the kids take a picture of something that starts with each letter of the alphabet.
13. Look at photo albums.
14. Make a movie of yourselves, then watch it.
15. Paint with water colors.
16. Play Barbies.
17. Play with matchbox cars (check out our $5 Rain Gutter Race Track and Car Caddy!).
18. Play board games (my kids love Candy Land!).
19. Color with crayons. Take off the wrapper and see the different ways you can color with them.
20. Make paper bag puppets.
21. Watch a movie and eat popcorn.
22. Go on a treasure hunt.
23. Bake cookies.
24. Play dress-up.
25. Make paper hats.
26. Make a healthy snack.
27. Make a relay race or obstacle course in your house–be creative!
28. Play hide and seek.
29. Indoor snowball fight with socks.
30. Build a fort out of cardboard boxes and duct tape.
31. Make plans and invitations for a party.
32. Play tic-tac-toe.
33. Make your own puzzle out of poster board or cardstock, color and cut it out.
34. Make your own matching game.
35. Swim in the kitchen–put down a tarp, fill up a little kiddie pool with warm water and let them play for hours!
36. Make Valentine's décor.
37. Make a car track all around your house with masking tape.
38. Play "Monster in the Middle." Pillows are "safe" the carpet is the "lava." Jump from pillow to pillow and if the monster touches you, you are in the middle.
39. Apple stamps. Cut an apple in half horizontal and use it as a stamp using washable paint.
40. Make lacing cards with their favorite cereal boxes.
41. Learn a new song.
42. Create a giant dot-to-dot with poster board.
43. Make homemade Valentine's.
44. Make a necklace with yarn, beads or Fruit Loops.
45. Have a talent show.
46. Cut paper snowflakes.
47. Make a paper countdown chain to Valentine's Day or an upcoming birthday by cutting strips of paper and stapling them together.
48. Hard noodles, Elmer's glue, and paper... need I say more?
49. Marble racing. Take 2 of your swimming pool water noodles and prop them on the stairs. Race marbles down the middle of them. The hole is a perfect size for a marble.
50. Sculpt clay, let it dry, then paint.
51. Play paper dolls.
52. Write letters to Grandma and Grandpa.
53. Play with magnets. Cut up colorful pipe cleaners into 1 inch pieces, put them in a glass jar, put a magnet to the jar and see what happens!
54. Make an advent calendar for Valentine's Day or an upcoming holiday.
55. Make princess/king crowns (check out our Felt Crown Tutorial!).
56. Manicures.
57. Take silly pictures and e-mail them to Dad/Mom at work or other relatives.
58. Make big cars out of a cardboard box. Have the kids sit inside the boxes, cut holes for their legs and let them use their feet as wheels to move around.
59. Play red-light, green-light. Play this with #58. It is so fun!
60. Toilet paper a room in your house.
61. Make a super hero costume out of household items (check out our No-Sew T-Shirt Cape Tutorial).
62. Pillow pile. Collect all the pillows in your house and jump into them.
63. Dress up in Mom or Dad's clothes.
64. Plan a date for your child and you (or spouse) that makes them feel special.
65. Cream painting. Put shaving cream and drops of food coloring in a cookie tray and then mix it all around with a paint brush.
66. Make a story book out of paper. Have them make it up and draw the pictures.
67. Watch old family videos.
68. Make and frost sugar cookies (try our delicious Sugar Cookies Recipe!).
69. Make paper airplanes.
70. Toilet paper trail. Give them each a roll and have them make a trail all around the house.
71. Read their favorite book to them.
72. Start a journal. If the child can't write, have them tell you what to write.
73. Make a time capsule of their favorite things and open it next January.
74. Make flash cards (letters, sounds, addition, etc.).
75. Make homemade paper dolls (Check out these free printable paper dolls!).
76. Make cupcakes and let them do everything themselves.
77. Plan a family vacation.
78. Teach them to sew.
79. Do an exercise video with them.
80. Rearrange the furniture in their room.
81. Hot cocoa bar. Chocolate covered spoons, marshmallows, whipped cream, Andes mints. Get creative! What do you put in your hot cocoa?
82. Make a bird feeder with toilet paper rolls. Put peanut butter on it and roll it in bird seed. Hang it with yarn outside and watch the birds come.
83. Make little pizzas. Use English muffins, tomato sauce, cheese and any toppings you want. Cook at 350 degrees. Watch until cheese melts.
84. Put on a play.
85. Make an Ice Sun Catcher. Take a pie tin and fill it with water, leaves, pine cones, and yarn so it can hang. Then put it outside and let it freeze. When it is frozen, take it out and hang it on a tree.
86. Color the snow. If it isn't too cold outside, fill squirt bottles with warm water and food
coloring. See what designs you can make in the snow.
87. Let them use your makeup to give you a makeover–this one is HILARIOUS!
88. Let them pick and print out coloring pages online–there are TONS!
89. Make a piñata and fill it with yummy (or healthy) treats.
90. Have a campout in the front room... tent and all.
91. Play doctor. We do this a lot at my house!
92. Mummy wrap. Have your kids work together to wrap you, or another child, up in toilet paper.
93. Practice your fire drill. Stop, drop, and roll. What is your plan and your meeting place?
94. Ball toss. Have a few different sized buckets and have kids throw balls into them. For
older kids, fill the buckets with water almost to the top. It is a lot harder than it seems.
95. Put lipstick on your kids and have them make a kiss Valentine for Dad or grandparents.
96. Read a book then act out the story.
97. Indoor bowling. Stuff socks into toilet paper rolls and line them up. Roll a ball into them and you have your own bowling alley!
98. Fill up the sink! Add some dish soap, cups, spoons, bowls and anything else that isn't breakable. Just make sure there are a couple of towels under their chairs.
99. Play grocery store with items from your pantry. Let them check out with plastic bags!
100. Take a bath! Put in toys you usually don't let go in the tub (that are still waterproof) and they will play forever!
101. Chores. Kids don't always have to LOVE what they are doing, but I think it is very important to teach what chores are at a young age.

Marble Race Track

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:36:23 EST

Here's a fun rainy day activity- set up a marble race track in your house! Just cut a pool noodle in half with a serrated knife, pin them together with toothpicks, and put a shoe box at the bottom to catch the marbles. Your kids will be thrilled!

Idea taken from: www.myhomespunthreads.blogspot.com

Painted Stone Tic Tac Toe

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:52:12 EST

Here's a fun twist on an old classic. Have your kids help gather stones from the yard, paint them like 2 different types of bugs, and then use them to play tic tac toe. You can either use a small chalkboard, like the one shown here, or draw a grid with chalk on the ground outside.

Guess the Resolutions

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:24:39 EST

Here's a fun game to play at a New Year's Eve party. Have each person write down 5 resolutions, each on its own slip of paper. Pull one slip of paper out of a basket at a time and read it out loud to everyone. Everyone then has to write down who they think made each resolution. At the end of the readings, the person who guessed the most correctly wins a prize. Just for fun, read some of the wrong guesses out loud too.

Present Scramble

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:19:58 EST

This game requires a bit of prep but is well worth the effort. Put a small prize (such as a $10 bill) in a small box, tape it well, and gift wrap it. Put the box in a bigger box, wrap that box and put it in another, and so on, wrapping it as many times as you have the boxes and the patience for.

With everyone sitting in a circle, the youngest chooses a number from 1 through 6 and rolls a die, then passes the die to the next player. The first person to roll the chosen number puts on two oven mitts and tears into the present. The other players continue rolling the die. The next player who rolls the chosen number grabs the mitts and takes over the unwrapping. The person who unwraps the actual box with the prize gets to keep it.

(Taken from: www.familyfun.go.com)

abcya.com

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:50:25 EST

ABCya.com is a great website full of educational games for students in Kindergarten through the fifth grade. The online games are designed to help students develop and practice skills in reading, spelling, mathematics, and geography. Check it out!

M & M Straw Game

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:52:47 EST

Have some extra M&Ms left over from Halloween? Put them to good use with this fun family game.

THE M&M STRAW GAME

(Taken from: www.oneshetwoshe.com)

What You Need:

-1 or 2 large bags of Peanut M&M's depending on group size

-A big bowl for the M&M's

-2 dice

-Shake straws - like the kind you get from a fast food place

-1 cup/little bowl for every player

-Something to roll the dice in or on (pie tin, box, plate, etc)

Object:

Using the straw suck as many M&M's from the bowl as possible before the player to your left rolls a double. Once all the M&M's are gone from the big bowl, the player with the most M&M's wins.

Rules:

No touching the bowl other than to place it in front of yourself (i.e. don't have one hand on the bowl while trying to suck up the M&M's).
You must roll a double to pass the pie tin on and snag the M&M bowl.
The only way to transfer the M&M's from the bowl to your cup is with the straw by sucking. (NO HANDS!!!)

Directions:

Step 1: Pour large bag of M&M's into bowl. Peanut M&M's have worked best thus far. Also, a large bag of M&M's is more than enough. I bought a extra huge bag and it was WAY too many!

Step 2: Gather friends and/or family and have everyone sit in a large circle around the M&M bowl.

Step 3: Hand a straw and cup out to each player. Shake straws work the best for sucking.

Step 4: Pass the pie tin around with the 2 dice to the left. Each player rolls. The first player to get a double gets the M&M bowl.

Step 5: The person to the left of the "M&M Sucker" gets the die and keeps rolling until they roll a double. Once they roll a double, they get the bowl and the pie tin moves to the left.

Step 6: Keep repeating until all the M&M's are gone!

Tick Tack Turkey

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:39:50 EST

Follow this link for a fun printable Tick Tack Turkey game to be played this month.

Last Minute Halloween Costumes

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:42:30 EST

Halloween is fast approaching. Need an idea for a fun last minute costume?

Black Eyed Peas

Construction Worker

Quarterback

I Love My Mummy

For info on these costumes and other fun ideas, visit: www.familyfun.go.com.

Halloween Bingo

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:16:33 EST

Check out this fun free printable Halloween Bingo game. Click here for the link.

Ghost Busters

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:51:05 EST

GHOST BUSTERS

(Taken from: http://www.themed-party-ideas.com/halloween-games-for-kids.html)

The race is on to see which team will be the ghost buster champions in this fun relay race for kids. This is a game full of laughs and well worth the effort of setting it up.

Create balloon ghosts. You'll need small balloons (like water balloons) and white tissue wrapping paper or large white paper napkins. Blow up an entire bag of balloons.

Unfold and lay out a single sheet of tissue on a table. Place the balloon in the center of the tissue wrapping paper.

Gather the tissue around the balloon and tie a ribbon around the base of the balloon to create a head and body of a ghost.

Line up two chairs, or hay bales or any place that children can burst their ghosts. Next, place all the ghosts you created in a large box or tub about 30 feet from where the kids' chairs are. Then create a "dead ghost" box for each team. You can place them where you like, but make sure that the distance between this box and where the "live ghost" box is the same for each team.

Divide the players into two teams. Each team lines up behind the respective chairs. Then you start the relay race.

The first player runs to grab a ghost from the box. He or she must run back to the chair and burst the ghost by sitting on it.

After the player has burst the ghost, the next player takes the ghost and puts it in the team's box, then runs to get his or her ghost. He or she brings it back to the chair and bursts it. This continues until all of the ghosts are burst.

The team who bursts the most ghosts wins the race!

Do It Yourself Popsicle Stick Puzzle

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:26:52 EST

What a fun way to personalize a puzzle! Just get some larger sized popsicle sticks from your craft store, put a long strip of scotch tape on the bottom, glue a family picture on the top, use an exacto-knife to cut the sticks apart, and then take the tape off. Now you have a family puzzle!

For more detailed directions and pictures, visit www.impressyourkids.org.

Homemade Catapult

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 09:38:35 EST

Taken from Family Fun Magazine)

Made with a spring clothespin, this simple catapult lets kids take aim with paper balls that pose no threat to man or beast. Materials

Block of wood
Paint (optional)
Hot glue
Clothespin
Jumbo craft stick

Plastic bottle cap
Paper plates
Markers
Paper

Instructions

To make a launcher, start with a scrap block of wood (your child can paint it a colorful hue if he likes). Hot-glue a clothespin to the block, and a jumbo craft stick to the clothespin, as shown. Then glue a plastic bottle cap near the end of the craft stick, leaving a short lip for a release lever.
Create targets of varying point values using paper plates and markers, and crumple small pieces of paper into balls to hurl. Now aim for the highest score.

Mazes

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:32:12 EST

Have a bored kid? Click here for a link to 6,000 printable mazes.

Road Trip Bingo

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:44:22 EST

Planning on taking a weekend road trip with the kids before the summer sun is gone? Need a boredom buster for the car? Check out this printable road trip bingo game and more here.

Popsicle Memory Game

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:55:16 EST

Want a fun new twist on the traditional memory game? Try this version. What kid doesn't love popsicles?

Click here for a link to this free Do It Yourself printout.

Funbrain

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 23:35:08 EST

Funbrain.com is a great website for kids with all kinds of learning games and games just for fun too! Remember Mad Libs that taught you the difference between nouns, adjectives, and verbs without you realizing that you weren't just having fun? Try this online version here.

A Fun Geography Quiz Game

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 23:26:48 EST

Try it out! Go to: http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/worldquiz.html

Games

Turtlediary.com

Here's another great educational website filled with grade level appropriate games for Math, English, and Science. Plus, you can print out worksheets, read biographies, get ideas for experiments, crafts, and more! Click here to start the fun!

Toss 'n Talk Ball

Cooperation Game

Don't Eat Pete!

Here's the simplest game that is really fun! Visit: candacetodd.blogspot.com for the free download of the game board.

Thinking Games

Bean Bag & Sidewalk Chalk Tic-Tac-Toe

Shuffle Caps Game

(Taken from: spoonful.com)

What you'll need

How to play

SETUP: Create the scoring triangle with tape: the tip is worth 50 points, the middle 25 points, and the base 10 points. Use another piece of tape to mark the push-off point at the opposite end of the table.

HOW TO PLAY: Take turns sliding your caps (they slide best upside down) from behind the push-off point. You can knock your opponent out of the triangle or right off the table. More than half the cap must be inside the space to count as in. The first player to score 200 points wins.

REF SAYS: If you shoot your cap off the table, you lose 25 points. But if you knock off your opponent's cap, he loses 25!

Sound Memory Game

(Taken from: omakoppa.blogspot.com)

Spring Break Activities

St. Patrick's Day Cootie Catcher

For a fun twist on an old classic, visit: bnute.blogspot.com for the free download to make this fun little fortune teller.

Connect the Dots

For this and many other free downloadable dot to dot printables, visit: spoonful.com.

Whyville

Free Educational Apps

Here's a fantastic list of free educational apps compiled by: kidsactivitiesblog.com.

Language Apps

(letters, phonics, grammar)

Math Apps

Science Apps

Holiday Drawing Game

Kwanzaa Games and Activities

Check out some of these Kwanzaa online games and coloring pages at thekidzpage.com.

Witch's Stew Game

Pucker up....this game requires skill, speed and raw straw-sucking power.

What You Need

Straws

Construction paper

Bowl

Instructions

Before the party, ask your kids to help you cut ten Halloween shapes, such as ghosts, bats and pumpkins from construction paper. Each shape should be about the size of a silver dollar. Place the shapes in a pile beside a small bowl.

Using the straw as a vacuum, each contestant tries to pick up a shape and place it in the bowl to create the Witch's Stew. Time the players to see who can get all ten in the bowl the fastest.

Tips:

Cut out several sets of shapes and let the players race head to head.

(Taken from: familyfun.go.com)

Masking Tape Games

Who knew a roll of masking tape could be so fun? Whattoexpect.com gives several ideas of fun games to do indoors with just a little masking tape.

Hopscotch:

Bulls-eye Bowling:

Tic-Tac-Toe:

Balance Beam:

Long Jump:

Great fun for when the weather turns!

Digital Hot Potato

Pull out a camera with a timer for this twist on a classic party game that produces priceless keepsakes.

Instructions

Tape Ball

Restaurant Waiting Games

We all know that the wait for food at restaurants with kids can taint the experience. Repeatcrafterme.com has 10 great waiting games that can make eating out much more enjoyable. Some of them include:

Origami Fortune Tellers

Sugar Packet and Penny Trick

Straw and Sugar Packet Tic Tac Toe

Dot Game

ABC Spy

Disappearing Objects

Table Football

For more games and complete directions, visit their website.

Listening Games

Leaky Ladder

Get set: Put a ping-pong ball into a two-gallon bucket. Assemble the kids about ten feet away, next to a five-gallon bucket of water.

Sponge Balls

Here's a great way to cool off in the hot weather:

(Taken from: familyfun.go.com)

Materials

FOR EACH BALL:

3 plain kitchen sponges

Scissors

Strong string

Bucket

1. For each ball, you'll need 3 plain kitchen sponges fresh from the package and still slightly damp. Use scissors to cut each sponge lengthwise into 5 strips about a half-inch wide. Stack the strips as shown.