2024 Fall Fun Guide Casey Animated GIF

wmlogo022021

Homemade Toys & Activities

homemadetoys 
Playtime doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive! These homemade toys and imaginative activities are easy to put together and offer tons of fun! Enjoy!

Use old flannel shirts or denim jeans to make your own bean bags. Cut the fabric into squares, sew up three sides, and add beans or rice before sewing up the final side. These make for a fun game of catch or bean bag toss, and are an interesting sensory tool.
 
A large cardboard box is an imagination booster! Draw or cut-out windows and a door to make a house. Cover the bottom with a blanket, tie a jump rope to one end, and you’ve got the perfect “car” to pull your tot through the house or the lawn. Or simply set the unaltered box in the middle of the floor and see how creative your child can get.

5 Easy Birthday Party Themes for your Teen

Check out these 5 easy themes for your teenager's next birthday bash: 

Murder Mystery Party:  A unique  choice for a boy/girl party.  Many websites offer ready-made, age-appropriate murder mysteries specifically for teens. This type of party provides a great opportunity for creative teens to get dressed up and utilize their natural tendency for drama.  Look for a mystery which includes a basic story line, not a script.  Teens won’t want to have to learn lines.  Also, be sure to incorporate a meal or fancy snacks with the production.  This draws out the players and provides more time for mystery solving.

8 Fun Ideas for Family Time as we await the hurricane!

We’re awaiting a hurricane! Here are 8 fun ideas to help pass the time together with your family! 

  1. Do a school project - The learning doesn’t have to stop because school’s out of session. Have your kiddos create a presentation on a topic they’re learning about, such as a colorful play dough model of the digestion system, or a salt dough map of the earth.

  2. Indulge in a read-aloud - If you’re not currently reading a book to your child, start one this week. Use our online library system to check out a digital copy for your Kindle app if possible. For young kids, are few books we recommend the Little House series, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Boxcar Children. For picture books, a few of our faves are Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, The Little House, and A New Coat for Anna.

  3. Watch the storm - It might seem odd, but children and adults alike find it interesting to watch the radar of large storms while listening to meteorologists and news reporters give updates.

Keep your whole family moving with these tips!

If you’ve been stuck at home juggling working remotely, homeschooling, and trying to keep everyone happy and healthy, you may have seen your otherwise active lifestyle fall by the wayside.  

Regardless of age, being physically active provides numerous health benefits. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity for adults each week, and 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for kids between the ages of 6-17 each day. Finding ways to move daily can help everyone in the family maintain their health – and prevent them from going stir crazy. 

Have a Christmas in July celebration!

Pretty soon, it'll be "Hello August"! Wow, this month has blown by quickly! And if it has felt pretty uneventful because of … well… COVID-19 and all, then here’s your last chance to win Mom of the Month for July: a Christmas in July celebration that the kiddos will love. Here’s how to pull it off!

Here's how to Explore Nature in The Woodlands with Your Child

The outdoors are open and beckoning for you to visit! You and your child can enjoy the beauty and wonders of nature by exploring just outside your front door. All you need is some observation skills (tips below), and you can add in a notebook and field journal if you’d like! 

Even if your child is an infant confined to a stroller or baby carrier, he/she can still benefit from nature – there’s a lot to see and hear, and plenty of fresh air to breathe!

Use your senses to observe the world around you. Lizards and June bugs are really showing out this season, but what else can you see that isn’t immediately noticeable? What can you hear? Stand still, wait, and watch.