What a great way to spend Father’s Day — any day, really! Do something together — truly. All of you. Like facepainting! 
Facepainted Family
A Kids-Helping-Kids Garage Sale
Summer is the perfect time to encourage the kids to look through their toys and … SELL them! Even better sell them to support a charity. Start out by asking what toys they still play with and give them a chance to really think about the things they have that matter to them. Then talk about other children who may not have as much as they do or kids who are sick and need our help. Find nearby child-oriented charities on the computer and when your child finds one that touches his heart, suggest your kids raise money for that charity. Get your kids into a “Kids Helping Kids” campaign this summer by selling their unused toys is a great way to do it!
Turn a Chore into a Game by Ryan Munro, 5
A chore can turn into a game but you have to think of a way to make it fun. Like you can clean up your toys and sing a song and when you’re finished, it’s all done. Or turn a big mess into a small mess by cleaning up one at a time — that’s what I do. it’s very helpful to me.
In our Hideaway
Here we were — Sari in her life jacket wearing a hat and lots of suntan lotion on a boat. Beautiful day, but a little hot. So, what did we do … we found our own little a hideaway, a cabin, just big enough for a cushion for us to lie on and play on with a window and, honestly, it was heaven! Just the two of us.
But, it doesn’t matter where you are — get out a sheet and make a little hideaway for the two of you! Put a sheet over a table and get under it — try putting it over a couple chairs to make it a tent inside. Whether it’s your hideaway to share with your child, or for her all alone or for a couple of kids, it’s fun to sneak away from the “real” world just a bit!
Share Your Hobbies – Bring the Kids!
Yesterday, my choir performed at an outdoor festival. But, first we had rehearsal. It was a hot day so coming indoors to rehearse was a relief. Ryan wanted to cool off, too. So, she and her mom, Amy, came with me. Ryan sat by my side and was fascinated by the whole rehearsal process. I loved it and I was so proud of her being so good.
Are you involved with an activity that your child could hang out and really share the experience? Think about it. I have a feeling my rehearsal will be a lasting memory for this 5 1/2 year old! (I hope so!)
“Gonna’ Wash That Man Right Outa’ My Hair” … by Hope Feldscher Horwitz
Bath time is fun time for most of parents, depending on the phase your child happens to be in that day! For me, my 2 and a half year old, Sari, has loved and hated bath time and when she hates it, we all hate it. Lately it’s been fun though with bubbles and paint (colored soap) and a boat.
But even now, she doesn’t like her hair washed and sometimes her body washed. My mom, Sharla, was with us one day for bath time and she started singing a silly little bath tune and it worked wonders! I have never been able to remember that song so one day when Sari was in an especially foul mood in the bathtub, I started singing, “I’m gonna’ wash that man right out of my hair”, from the show South Pacific and it worked! Tonight she asked for, “man hair”. I’ll admit, it took me about five asks to realize what she wanted but once I did we sang it together! I even switched out the word hair for arm, tummy, leg…whatever body part I was washing. She sang along the whole time. Then we called Grammy to sing it to her!
That Great Standby – Bubbles!
What is it about Bubbles? Their flight of light frivolity just seem to delight children — the child in all of us, that’s for sure! This is a simple KIDFUN reminder to always keep bottles handy in warmer months with all kinds of bubble tools. The rounded wand that comes in the bottle is great but try making a wand by twisting pipe cleaners into a circle. Pour the bubble solution in a small pan and place your homemade wand in that and then wave it gently to make larger bubbles, too. 
“1 – 2 – 3 GO!”
What is it about this chant that is such a motivator? “1 – 2 – 3 GO!”
This is a sentimental KIDFUN, for sure. My daughter, Hope, who is editing KIDFUN for a series of e-books we hope to have available in time for the holidays, read a KIDFUN about Ryan, her niece, from two years ago. Hope realized, the same thing holds true for her daughter, Sari, who is now 2 ½. I wrote on KIDFUN how Ryan loves to have races and now Sari is right there with her. Hope said, “Sari loves to run. It’s how we get her to walk instead of being carried. Joe started it – ‘I’ll race you!’ he says and then he pretends to run and she follows suit. Or he’ll say.”Go get Mommy” (or Grammy or whoever is walking with us) and then she chases me and sometimes she’ll ‘catch’ me and we’ll do it over again.” But, Hope especially loves when Sari runs to her. That’s what I love about this story. Because I reminded Hope that’s exactly what we did. I’d bend down to her when she was a little girl and shout, “1, 2, 3” with my arms out and she, Sari’s mommy, would run right to me! Hope even remembered!
From generation to generation … how beautiful!
Tie Dye Fun
The other day, Ryan and her cousin Molly, had a great time with leftover Easter Egg Dye. I bought it AFTER Easter knowing dying eggs is a favorite activity of Molly’s. So they made beautiful eggs and we had so much leftover dye that I didn’t want to waste. So I grabbed some paper towels and they folded each one in different ways and dipped into the tie dye, you never separate sections of the towel dipped each time. It was really beautiful as Ryan is demonstrating.Then we had to dry them so we went outside and hung them on a tree. Artwork — easy. And, a great reminder that just after a holiday is a great time to get great buys! Try it after Halloween for costumes that are just as good all year round!
