meta-dad » kids activity

DIY Dad; 5 simple dad-friendly kids activities

Meta-Dad — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:30:28 +0000

I will be the first to admit, it can be quite a challenge taking care of three boys when my wife isn’t around, or heaven forbid, I need to take them with you to get my errands done, but with the right attitude you can turn a quick trip to the grocery store into a scavenger hunt or turn your living room into a theater.

Allow these fun times as a chance to listen to your kid, play on their terms, while maintaining fair play and encourage healthy social interactions. Young kids, toddlers and preschoolers alike spend most of their day playing by ‘our rules’, let this be a chance for them to dictate things a bit; it is good for their confidence and promotes self assurance.

1. Masterpiece Theater – turn the living room into a cinema! Put dolls and teddies on a row of chairs. Take money for tickets, then show a DVD. An interval with a chance to buy a snack is popular!

2. Mix it up - Assuming the weather agrees, take your kids favorite toy outside. Right now my boys are all about their Geo-trax train set. We bring all the kits outside and they set them up under the cool shade of our lemon tree, they love it!

3. Scavenger Hunt – If you’re running to the store, turn it into a Scavenger Hunt and have each of your kids ‘find’ the items. It’s funnest with one kid. If you do it with more than one kid you will quickly find yourself trying to find your kids as they all bolt throughout the isles, I have anyway.

4. Off-off-off Broadway. Take brown paper grocery bags and cut out some holes for eyes and have your kids decorate them as their favorite storybook characters. When they’re done, have them act out the story. “Where the Wild Things Are” is a favorite. We end up doing plenty of improv’ that quickly decends to a wacky chase through the house or yard.

5. Teddy Hunters - Play hunt the teddy. Dress up the kids as safari hunters and take it in turns to hide it in the house. Put on some appropriate music (example; Lion King soundtrack) and if they can’t find the teddy by the time the song ends, it’s the other kid’s turn.

INTERVIEW: Dr. David Elkind – The Power of Play

Free Father’s Day Coloring Pages

Meta-Dad — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 22:20:32 +0000

Father’s Day is coming up and here is a list of fresh links for decent free Father’s Day coloring pages. Use the back of some old documents and recycle a bit. This will give them an opportunity to create something nice for day without spending a dime.

Granted this image caters to a dad comfortable with his internal (or external) ‘geek’. Geek or no geek, every dad will appreciate this outstanding collection of free Star Wars Coloring Pages available, or perhaps Star Trek or even a coloring book of Gangsta Rap Stars. If you Pop is a republican, here’s a fantastic John McCain or for the Obama Pappa there are plenty of printable sheets, alongside wonderful coloring pages of Salvador Dali, Ghandi and many others famous people.

There is also a small selection of puzzles can print for their ‘Old Man’ so he can have something to do with all that spare time you give him on his special day. For those dad’s more into other sports, cars and other more traditional things, scan the list below and see if anything sparks interest.

[*The image above is perfect for printing on standard sized paper, just right-click and save to you computer or send right to the printer.]

Father’s Day Coloring Books;
Star Wars Coloring Pages
Star Trek Coloring Pages
Famous People Coloring Pages
Skateboard Coloring Pages
Basketball Coloring Pages
Baseball Coloring Pages
Football Coloring Pages
Football Coloring Pages

Father’s Day Puzzles;
Football Word Puzzles
Free Printable Word Puzzles

Kids In The Kitchen

Meta-Dad — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:55:55 +0000

Although our kids are still quite young, my wife and I feel it is important they are involved with cooking and mealtime at some level. It promotes a healthy sense of responsibility, safety in the kitchen, offers some special bonding time between you and the kids and lots of opportunities to learn different concepts along the way. Think about it; there’s lots of potential for basic math and science lessons (ex. why do they call it a teaspoon? why does yeast make dough rise? how many quarts in a gallon?) when whipping something up in the kitchen.

Generally, there is one or two times a week where I grab the cutting board and prepare dinner. Whenever possible, I try and engage my toddler in the kitchen and have him be Daddy’s helper. He absolutely loves it. He’s very receptive and very serious in the kitchen (it’s very cute, he’s four and a half). We usually make pizza together.

If you are not comfortable in the kitchen, don’t fret. Choose one thing, make it simple and master it. Here’s a basic recipe for pizza dough that I tend to use. It’s very basic.

1 envelope active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon sugar or teaspoon of honey
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of oregano flakes

Put warm water in a cup; sprinkle yeast over water and stir in sugar. Let yeast stand for about 10 minutes, or until it begins to bubble. Sift flour and salt into a large bowl; pour in yeast mixture and oregano – then beat until a stiff dough is formed. This is where we cheat a little (save some time) and use a electric mixer with the dough paddle attachment at a low speed. When it’s well mixed we turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Add extra flour as necessary to keep from sticking to hands and board.

Place in a large bowl greased with shortening; turn dough over to coat the other side with shortening. Cover with towel; let rise in a warm place, away from drafts, for about 30 minutes. This is the hardest part because 30 minutes is a long long time, so I try and use this time as an excuse to take the dog for a walk or play ball in the backyard.

By the time we come back the dough will be double in bulk. Punch dough down and divide in half. Grease two 14-inch pizza pans and grease hands lightly. Place half the dough in each pan and stretch to fit bottom and up sides of pan. Let the dough relax (it will start rising again, which is good) while you shred the cheese and prep the toppings. Keep dough slightly thick around the edges. Find yourself a good pizza sauce recipe, there’s a million of them. Don’t use spaghetti sauce, it’s too wet. It makes a soggy pizza.

Fill with favorite fillings and toppings and bake about 15 to 20 minutes at 425°. While it’s in the oven we clean up (very important habit to teach the kids, right) and give the mixer a good wiping down before Daddy puts it away.

For my son I think the whole process is like playing with Play-Doh. The only thing cuter is how he gives every slice he eats the “Brooklyn Fold” like his old man (folding it onto itself the long way, like a pizza sandwich).

Family Fun | Kids Recipes
Kids Cooking Club
That’s my Home | Kids Recipes
Amazon | Cook Books for Kids

The complete Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Shopper

Meta-Dad — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:32:24 +0000

Every kid has their favorite show, right now my boys get excited about all things having to do with Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Last week it was Diego, next week- who knows! With birthdays coming up, I wanted to flush it out and see what things are available. Aside from birthdays, there is the seemingly endless need for fun, engaging activities and games for the little ones. I was able to find some pretty unique stuff, Wubbzy crochet kit, cross stitch, Here are some helpful links to build your Wubzy arsenal.

Check out the Frederator Studios link, it seems like they are involved with the production of the show and have some interesting articles and videos. Also, surprisingly, Amazon has done a decent job at creating a Wubbzy mini-store complete with free coloring pages and discounted and hard to find items.

A bit of show trivia for you thanks to the folks at Little Toons, originally based on a story by the show’s creator’s niece, Viviana Ogawa, which he assembled into a storybook called The Tail of Flopsy, Mopsy, and Ted which he later renamed as Widget, Wubby, and Walden. Wubby morphed into Wubbzy and Walden was named after Walden Pond.

Helpful Links:
Little Toons.Com | Wow! Wow! Wubbzy [*Beware! Loud streamed music on this page, adjust your speakers now!]
Baby Dreams | Wow! Wow! Wubbzy Party Supplies
Baby Dreams | Wubbzy Sticker Sheets
M80 | Great printable Wubbzy images (*great to set the stage for a Wubbzy Party)

Wow! Wo! Wubbzy! Videoblogs and Webcast
Frederator Studios | Talk to the Snail
Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Wubcast [* video webcast]
Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! production blog and webcast

Wubbzy Coloring Pages & Activities
Nick Jr. | Wow! Wow! Wubbzy Free printables and colouring sheets
Kids Turn Central | Wubbzy Coloring Book [*PDF download]
Amazon | Discounted Wubbzy Activity Books

The expanding world of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’

Meta-Dad — Tue, 05 May 2009 12:30:52 +0000

Maurice Sendak’s ground-breaking 1963 book Where the Wild Things Are established him as a true visionary in the world of children’s literature. In 1964 he received the Caldecott Medal for the book, and in 1970 was the first American illustrator to be awarded the prestigious Hans Christian Anderson Award, for his entire body of work. Wild Things is still one of the pre-eminent children’s books even today, and McFarlane Toys worked closely with Sendak to create a series of action figures straight from the pages of the book. These are well on their way to becoming priceless Collector’s items.

Premiering on October 16th, is a Spike Jonze adaptation of Sendack’s famed story, starring Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener and Max Records. Jonze, director of Being John Malkovich, Adaptation and many memorable Beastie Boys music videos, this film should be an interesting ride.

Evidently there are a lot of lessons to be learned from this classic. Whether you are willing to admit it or not, as a parent you are your kid’s first teacher, so pull up a chair and create a custom ‘Wild Thing’ word puzzle and show him or her how it’s done.

Lesson Plan’s Page – Math & Social Studies Lesson for Kindergarten

Easy Fun School – Literature Unit for Pre-k

The Teacher’s Corner – Where the Wild Things Are custom crossword puzzles

A Guide for Using Where the Wild Things Are in the Classroom

Other Related Links and Articles:
Where the Wild Things Are [Amazon]
Where the Wild Things Are [Google Books]
Where the Wild Things Are [movie]

Mother’s Day themed crafts and coloring sheets

Meta-Dad — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:30:50 +0000

Primarily in spring, it seems most countries around the world celebrate some form of Mother’s Day, with days honoring ‘mother’ dating as far back as the 16th century and some argue it reaches as far back as the days of ancient Greece with the celebration of Cybele, the ancient god of mothers. The current incarnation is said to be loosely based on the U.K. traditions of Mothering Sunday (the U.S. version falling on the 2nd Sunday of May).
Like most holidays, it is a highly commercialized day where it seems the only ‘proper’ way to celebrate and show your appreciation is by opening your wallet. As a parent, I see this as a special opportunity to show the kids that a few handcrafted gifts for mom out weigh anything they could get at the store.

Topping my list of preferred articles and links for this Mother’s Day season are the activities at FamilyFun.Com, a Disney driven site. They have some stellar ideas for kid-created gift ideas. Also, here is a current listing of some of the best Mother’s Day themed coloring pages and sheets available, I hope it can help your kids prepare for the special day. The one above is my contribution.

Think twice and consider grabbing some previously printed sheets of paper around the house and recycle before printing this out.

Mother’s Day Coloring books and pages;
Family Fun | Mother’s Day Craft Ideas
Activity Village [UK site with fresh ideas] | Mother’s Day Projects
About.Com, Family Crafts | Free Mother’s Day Coloring Pages

Mother’s Day Coloring Pages & Posters
Fun with Pictures | Mother’s Day card
Fun with Pictures | Animals Mother’s Day page
Fun with Pictures | Stork and Mother, Mother’s Day card
Fun with Pictures | Precious Moments, Mother’s Day card
Fun with Pictures | Animal Mother’s Day coloring sheet

Free Father’s Day coloring pages

Great coloring pages online
Great free educational coloring pages
The best kids activity and coloring pages ever
Mod coloring books for your lil’ Picasso

Go fly a kite!

Meta-Dad — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:30:40 +0000

Flying a kite with the kids is yet another golden activity that holds great potential for learning, bonding and just having a little fun. Ever wonder exactly why and how a kite flies? Chances are at some point your kids may ask you, right? With a little digging around I have found some great sites for explaining why and how kites fly, believe it or not NASA’s Glenn Research Center has a fantastic (and thorough) explanation of exactly how and why a kite flies.

While the forces on all kites are the same, each kite flies a little differently. Some kites are highly maneuverable and some kites are very stable. There are kites with multiple control lines that can perform stunts, while other kites can be flown to high altitudes. We can use math techniques that you learn in school to determine the altitude of a kite graphically. With a little more knowledge of mathematics, you can actually calculate the altitude at which the kite is flying” ~ Kite Flight, NASA’s Glenn Research Center

I got my kids into kites last spring with a simple $5 classic delta design and 200′ of line. I think it was a Diego design, surprise-surprise. They were thrilled at the action we got from the nearby ocean breeze. But kids being kids, they already have their eye set on getting one of those cool dragon designs where the long tail twists and whips about. They’ll just have to put it on the top of their “list” and wait for their birthday.

Regardless, it is yet another cheap and easy activity for dads to do with their kids. Remember, these are the kind of activities that hold the potential to build great memories, opportunities to connect with the little ones, be silly and show them you know how to have fun, too.

If you want to take it to the next level, you can experiment with building your own kite! There are some wonderful kits out there (check the links below) for DIY Dads and Moms for making a full array of kites, spinners, flyers and fighters – from traditional Delta Wings, Babu Khan Fighter kites, Kono Box kite or even a Bell Tetra kite kit. Evidently, March 28th to May 3rd is National Kite Month, I guess they can not fit all the festivities into the calendar month so they have to let the celebration slip over, a bit.

Great free educational coloring pages

Meta-Dad — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:30:33 +0000

We have a activity table set up for the kids and it is forever piled with coloring pages, doodle pads, sticker books, boxes of crayons, rubber stamps, glitter and paint markers. Coloring is something they do when they get bored with everything else. It is what they do when they’re waiting for dinner to be served. It is what they do when they are inspired to make a card for their aunt or grandmother. You get the idea.

We have found that printing free coloring pages on the backs of previously used paper is a great way to recycle at home, save a dime and offer the kids a great variety of coloring pages. Here are the latest list of free downloadable Animal & Wildlife coloring pages and other great related links to follow.

Sited Links;
National Geographic | Animals Coloring Book
Los Angeles Zoo | Printable Animal Coloring Book Pages
Fun School | Animal Adventure Coloring Pages
The Coloring Spot | Animal Printable Coloring Pages
Karen’s Whimsy | Animal Coloring Pages [*beautiful stuff!]

meta-DAD | The best kids activity and coloring pages ever
meta-DAD | Great coloring pages online
meta-DAD | Mod coloring books for your lil’ Picasso

Pajama Party Birthday Bash

Meta-Dad — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:00:28 +0000

In an endless search for new and exciting (for us parents anyway) themed birthday parties, my wife and I cobbled together a successful pajama theme for our son’s second birthday. All the kids arrived in their favorite jammies, most with their favorite slippers on and ready to eat. We decided to throw a late afternoon soiree, for a couple reasons, first and foremost to be in phase with the Birthday Boy’s midday nap. Surprisingly, a few of the parents thanked us for having the party at this time because it worked out better for them too.

For food, we tapped a couple of our favorite local haunts hear in West LA, Dos Hermanos catering and Paddy Mac. Dos Hermanos has been around for 20+ years and like the name suggests, is a couple brothers originally from the Jalisco region of Mexico who have been serving up distinctly regional fare out of their small yet immaculate kitchen. There menu is short but these incredibly fresh dishes are memorable with favorites like savory chicken or cheese enchiladas, hearty Birria de la Jalisco and an almost cassoulette-style fajita. You cannot beat their price at $4.50 a person, you get an entree with rice and beans, salad (with dressing), and chips & salsa.

One of the few things our son can eat seemingly endless amounts of is macaroni & cheese. Always kid-friendly and parent-approved, we decided to order some of the famed Mac and Cheese from Paddy Mac. They have a diverse menu (all Mac & Cheese) including the standard, The Ship, with five kinds of cheese (pictured above) – you know the kids won’t go hungry. Our personal favorite is the Super Mac which slips in puree of cauliflower and carrot for a super vitamin boost, which goes virtually undetected amidst all that cheesey goodness. Other items on their menu seem to cater to a more mature palette like their Gourmet Mac (braised leeks, mushrooms and a touch of Gruyere) and the Old MACdonald’s Farm (bacon, broccoli and pockets of goat cheese & feta), regardless all recipes are perfectly balanced, thus always reminding you that what you have on you plate is some fresh and fancy Mac and Cheese.

My wife was in charge of fun and games, and considering we were hosting a party full of 2-4 year olds, she kept all the games non-competitive. Here is the break-down of the activities;

She had the kids make a big circle and grab the ends of the Play Parachute while singing “Ring Around the Rosey” and other songs.
When that started to get a bit tired, I (tried) to up the ante, by coming out with dozens of balloons that I had previously blown up and tossed them on top of the outstretched parachute. Unfortunately, we all quickly discovered one half of the kids wanted to pop the balloons while the other half was scared crazy of the popping noise. Note to self; strike the balloon surprise from next toddler bash.
Musical Chairs with an equal number of chairs (nobody gets bumped out of the game), to reduce mid-party melt-downs.
Simon Says – you really can’t go wrong with this one.
Duck, Duck, Goose – fun for days.
We have learned that setting up a “Chill-out” Zone for the kids is great to have. We set up our little beach tent in the corner of the backyard, so kids could slip in there, lie down and catch their breath.
We set-up a kids table filled with Play-Dough and cutters, rollers and stamps for those who wanted to relax with one of their favorite quiet activities.

While all of this was going on, I was able to clear the food and set up the cake and coffee. The light was quickly fading, which works out well with the theme of the party. As our sleepy guests filtered out my wife gave each of them a clear gift bag of her homemade butter cookies (*pictured above) in the shape of Zzzz’s and wished them all “sweet dreams.”

PARTY TOOLBOX:
Paddy Mac
Dos Hermanos, 4510 Inglewood Blvd Culver City, CA 90230 (310) 391.1303
La Pinata Party Rentals, 1711 Lincoln Blvd (@ Superba), Venice, CA 90291 (310) 306.3348 [*they have kid's height tables and chairs]

A Whimsical + Beautiful Waste of an Afternoon

Meta-Dad — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:00:48 +0000

I did not know a thing about this site stumbling in, and all I know about it (stumbling out) is that I look forward to exploring it again and again and again. This is a quiet reminder that games (of the casual kind, at least) have the potential of being whimsical, artful and thoroughly enjoyable for all ages.

On the surface, there is a wonderful cause and effect aspect to most of them but there is also some very clever ones as well. Bookmark it for a rainy day and take the kids along!

Orisinal: Morning Sunshine