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Free Father’s Day Coloring Pages

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 More »

Mod Coloring Books for Your Lil’ Picasso

How often do you run across a coloring books that are truly inspired? Never, right?

Renowned children book illustrator, Taro Gomi, invites kids of all ages to not only color, but also draw, imagine, and create.

Unfinished pictures and intriguing prompts children’s powers of visualization, and at nearly 400 pages, this book provides plenty of room to stretch the imagination.

Taro Gomi Books at Amazon.Com for $10-20 bucks [+ shipping]

Toddler’s House Party

As parents know, they days of simple birthday parties are long gone. The themes and concepts seem to get more and more elaborate. And it is our challenge to make the whole thing seem effortless, right? My wife and I have been steadily downgrading the kids’ parties for the sake of sanity. We now have it whittled down to neighborhood kids, a few close schoolmates and best buddies. That is it.

Normally on the weekends I count him as my apprentice, whether I’m pulling weeds, fixing the fascia on the house or mending the fence. He’s had his own toolbox and tool belt for awhile now. So my wife figured he would enjoy a construction theme for his birthday.

Boy did he, our oldest son turned 4 last week. So we decided to invite a few kids over (twelve) to a Construction Themed Birthday Party (“Dress for Mess”). The festivities included lightening rounds of hot potato, musical chairs and duck-duck-goose. Mind you, we made all the games non-competitive. Meaning, for Musical Chairs we had equal number of chairs (12 kids, 12 chairs) to avoid the whole “you’re out” (meltdown). Which worked out well.

When the kids arrived they were given a yellow plastic hardhat and brought to an activity table where they could personalize it with stickers and such. They were each given a kid-sized work belt, that they could write their name on and draw all over. It was stuffed with little party favors (stickers, pencil and ruler set, brushes and travel size paint set).

The main attraction was three More »

DIY Dad – Make Your Own Plush Toys

What a great opportunity for you and your kid to create a custom plush toy! Consider this a “secret weapon” for those dreaded rainy afternoons or snowy winter mornings. This is a great opportunity for dads to see their kid’s imaginations in action.

Use this as an opportunity to stretch your kid’s storytelling ability (when they’re down with their little masterpiece, prod them for the character’s “back-story.” What planet is the plush character from, what do they eat, etc.) and their artistic flair. Sure it doesn’t look like much straight out of the box, but that’s the whole idea, the sky’s the limit!

Create your own plush monster or precious pal with Shawnimals 9-inch, DIY Plushform. Comes primed with a water-based solution so you can get to it with acrylics, oil paints and markers.

$20 (+ shipping) @ KIDRobot.Com

Dad’s Version of Kids’ Crafts and Activities

This past month I had a rare opportunity to slip into the shoes of “Mr. Mom” (sort of). With the birth of our third, my wife and I decided to divide and conquer. At work, I cashed in all my “chips” and coupled my paternity leave with some vacation time and overdue Comp time and took the entire month off. After breakfast, I would fill a bag with snacks, grab the two oldest boys and go on an “adventure,” leaving her with the newborn so she can feed and bond with him (and rest).

The adventure was anything from going to the beach and making a massive sand castle (on of the advantages to living in LA by the beach) to hitting one of the many area playgrounds or going to the museum. We would be back in the afternoon and they were officially spent for the day. A tired kid is a good thing (an exhausted kid is quite a different thing, as parents know).

So what is there to do for the rest of day, especially when they have built every house and tower with their Legos and colored every page in their coloring book? Like most parents, I turn to the web for ideas, feeding off of the boys current obsessions (firetrucks, race cars, and anything having to do with “good guys” and “bad guys”). For me, the emphasis is on fun and if they go off on a tangent and they’re playing “nice” and having a good time – so be it.

An example of one of these activities is the Firefighter Themed Crafts and Activities, the boys never get sick of this.

• The first thing the boys do is don their firefighter helmets and tall rubber boots (pants optional in our household).
• If I have the time I scoop up some of their favorite stuffed animals, dolls and action figures and scatter them throughout the yard (i.e. in bushes and trees, on the back deck, etc.), fill some water bottles or turn the hose on (real low) and “alert the firefighters” of various “emergencies.”
• When I’m feeling particularly artful, I will draw some fire on the driveway with sidewalk chalk and have them “put it out” with their water bottles or have them navigate through it to rescue their toys (of course having their toys drop and roll and so forth).
• When that starts to get tired, we break out the fire trucks (toys) and do miniature rescues with other toys.
• Come snack time, I make them a Firefighter Smoothie [generally strawberries, orange juice (fire colors), yogurt, a pinch of ground flax seed and a splash of milk - sorry I don't measure anything], you get the idea.

Related Links:
ChildFun.Com | Firefighter Crafts and Activities
ChildFun.Com | Doctor Crafts and Activies
ChildFun.Com | Police Crafts and Activities
KABOOSE | Fall Craft Ideas
Essortment.Com | Kids Craft Ideas

DIY – Cool Mod Kids Table Lamp

This is a cool way to furnish that shady corner of the kids’ room and to have a fun way to show off their best artwork, too boot. Slip a drawing or photos between the double shades to create a one-of-a-kind lamp you can change on a whim.

(Via TheSpottedGoose.Com)