Think all crayons are the same?  Think again.  We did a comparison test between the standard Crayola crayons and the washable Crayola crayons – with surprising results.  First, a  crayon fact.  Both the standard and washable crayons are made to wash out of most clothes.  The washable ones are formulated to come off of walls and other surfaces easier than the regular ones.  I haven’t tested this – have you?

We keep our BusyKiddy bags in the car at all times – even in hot summers.  As everyone knows, crayons gets mushy in the heat; but, as long as you cool them off prior to touching them, they reconstitute nicely.  Thinking all Crayolas were the same, I recently refilled our kits with washable Crayola crayons.  Imagine my surprise when we opened up the crayon case to find a mess.  The washable crayons had melted and molded into a single block while the regular crayons that were in another BusyKiddy were just fine.

Lesson learned – only regular Crayola crayons survive a summer in the car!

crayons · Road Trips with Kids

I can always tell that summer is winding down because the kids start bickering even more and my patience begins to wear thin.  I have also run completely out of fun, boredom-busting activities – my creative juices are tapped out.  I seem to accumulate books of kid crafting ideas so I decided to do a search and come up with a few fun projects to get us through the rest of summer.

1.  Start getting back into a routine by creating an activities chart.  Similar to a chore chart but with fun things to do everyday.  Our list includes playing outside, reading time, art time, practicing ball tosses (for my budding tennis stars) and more.  They get a sticker for each activity they complete and it has really energized the kids (tv and computer time aren’t on the list!).

2.  Make crayon resist paintings.

What you need:  black tempera paint thinned with water, drawing paper, crayons, paint brush

What to do:  Design a picture using light colored crayons (dark colors don’t work well).   Lightly brush one coat of paint over the whole picture.  The crayons resist soaking up the paint so the picture stands out.

Tips:  If you want an area of white on the picture, be sure to color it white.  For easy clean up, put your drawing on newspaper before painting.

3. Create peek boxes.

What you need:  Shoebox (with lid), paper & craft supplies, glue, tape, scissors

What to do:  Take the lid off the shoe box and make a whole in one end of the box.  Build a scene inside the box (facing the hole).  Cut a 2 inch hole in the box top to let in light.  Tape the top of the shoebox on and decorate the outside of the box.

Tips:  This is a good way to introduce the concept of perspective and for stimulating creative writing projects.

4. Play the button pitching game.

What you need:  20 buttons for each player, tape or string, tape measure.

Rules:  Measure 1 yard from a wall and mark the spot with tape of string.  Take turns pitching buttons at the wall.  The object is to get your button to bounce off the wall but land very close to it.  All buttons must hit the wall.

Game Play:  For each round, every player pitches one button.  The player with the closest button to the wall wins the round and collects all the pitches buttons.  Play continues until one player has all the buttons.

5.  Go on a collage walk.

What you need:  Piece of cardboard or flat board and a bottle of glue.

What to do:  Go on a walk around the neighborhood.  Collect objects as you walk along and create a collage.

Tip:  For my little kids, we use plastic containers for collection and glue them on when we get home.

6.  Create puppets from paper bags, socks, popsicle sticks or even spoons.

What you need:  Puppet base, supplies for trim (buttons, feathers, year, markers, straws, etc) and imagination.

Help me out – what fun, crafty ideas do you have for the end of summer blues?

summer activities

Where is your favorite resort?  Ask my kids this question and they will rave about the Britt Resort.  With its private pool, pond, lush grounds, nearby park (complete with carousel), children’s program and gracious hosts – they make it sound beyond compare.  My kids have stayed at five star resorts and hotels around the world and yet the Britt Resort is hands down their all-time favorite vacation destination.

Just where is this spectacular place?  It is actually my Aunt & Uncle’s house nestled in the heart of Chesterfield, Missouri.  Not necessarily the hot spot for tourist travel but my kids love it just the same.  And what is not to love?  A trip to the Britt Resort is all about the kids.  We swim, visit the park, play games, do crafts, bake cookies and eat all their favorite foods.   While it is a fun and relaxing for all, it isn’t the only destination we want to visit on vacation.   It does, however, highlight the value of having a portion of each vacation day focused on the kids.

Unless you are headed to Disney (or have a Britt Resort of your own), it is unlikely you will find a completely kid-centric vacation destination.  So how do you mix in some fun for the kids with the things you actually want to do?  Take some good planning, flexibility and a sense of humor and you have the ingredients for a great family vacation.

Good Planning: Before the trip, decide on the non-negotiable must-see sites and plan on visiting these early in the trip but limit it to only one or two a day.  Find a few kid things to do (like the zoo, aquarium or park) and mix these throughout the trip – including one within the first few days.  Do something fun and unexpected everyday.  Head to the hotel early for swimming, stop at a playground, visit a book store or grab an ice cream cone.  These small things are often the best vacation memories that come home with your child.

Flexibility: Change the itinerary as necessary.  Did you plan for 2 stops but you aren’t done with the first by mid afternoon?  Roll the second activity to later in the trip.  Or, if things are going well, add an additional activity for a day.

Sense of Humor: Simply stated – this is a must for any vacation with kids!  Things can (and most certainly will) go wrong – the ability to laugh along the way will go far towards making it a fun vacation.

While a vacation shouldn’t be ALL about the kids, it is important to remember it is a family vacation and they should have fun too!  What steps do you take to create a fun, family vacation?

family vacations · General Travel With Kids · traveling with kids

To celebrate my 40th birthday Brian (my husband) planned a 15 day journey to Prague and London including two glorious days at Wimbledon – and yes, we brought the kid (and my parents as well!).  Brian has a conference in Prague so we are spending 5 days there and then the remaining time in and around London.

I have not perfected the fine art of blogging on vacation and my husband refused to let me advertise to all the thieves out there that we were on vacation so I am trip blogging in arrears.  Starting tomorrow, I will have a post each day filled with travel tips and destination highlights & lowlights.   Join us as we explore two new cities family style!

travel to europe

As I begin the packing process for our summer European adventure, one of my first tasks is to create my paper essentials list.  Instead of scribbling on a piece of paper that I was sure to lose, I decided to create a master list that I could reuse and share with you.   Keep reading for the list.  I have also  included it in checklist form for easy downloading and printing here: International Packing List

1. At least $100 in local currency.  My husband used to swear this wasn’t necessary until we were stuck in Newark with no US dollars to use for an airport cart.  A painful lesson to learn when traveling with lots of luggage and little kids!
2. Passports.  Be sure to check expiration dates well in advance.  It pays to check the destination country regulations as some require the passport to be valid for one month or more after the trip dates.
3. At least 1 copy of every passport packed separately from other travel documents.  We include copies in a checked bag and then put them in the hotel safe when we arrive.
4. Health insurance cards.  Verify that your health insurance is valid in your destination country and be sure to carry the cards – just in case.
5. Hard copy of important phone numbers (doctors, relatives, etc).   Everyone has this information in cell phones these days but what if you lose your phone, forget the charger or it stops working?
6. Shot records (required for some countries).  Some countries require proof of immunization before entering the country.
7. Notarized health authorization (if traveling with grandchildren).  This doesn’t need to be complex – just a statement naming the adults traveling with your children and giving them authorization to approve health care in an emergency (just like most schools require).
8. Notarized travel permission or custody papers if both parents are not traveling.   It is common for passport control to request this information if a parent is traveling alone with a child.
9. Hard copy of itinerary and lodging phone numbers.  Better to be safe than sorry!
10. Leave behind – copy of itinerary and contact numbers with neighbor or relative.  See our free download here: Travel Plans

What additional items do you like to carry?

european travel · General Travel With Kids