Focus on Fostering: Personal Game Pieces

If your house is like mine.. you have enough plastic medicine vials and caps to build a model of the Empire State Building or perhaps a full size replica of the local DHHS building! Here is one of my favorite ways to up-cycle the plastic caps!  I talked about this idea once before, but I keep getting requests to repeat it, so here goes....

Take the caps off old medicine vials. Take some extra school pictures or old snapshots of your kids.  Cut the face of each child in a circle matched to the size of the cap. Glue the picture to the cap.  Voila... personal playing pieces!

For games like Monopoly you will only need one picture playing piece for each child.  For games like Parcheesi, Sorry etc. you will need a set of playing pieces for each child. Use matching pictures or a mix of pictures of each child. 

No more arguing over who gets to be the top hat or thimble in Monopoly or to play red in Sorry. No problem remembering who is what color or what symbol. Kids love moving "themselves" around the game board.  Plus, for kids with attachment or self-esteem issues, the personalizing is a real plus.

And don't let the kids have all the fun...make them for the parents too!  For an extra kick make some for frequent playmates of your children. My kiddos' friends are always excited when they discover I have made a playing person just for them out of an old snapshot.  Try it!  Let me know how it works for you.

Image credits: moderngent.com

School Bell: Multiplication Tables Trick

Having trouble helping your kids learn those blasted multiplication tables?  Try this almost no fail trick for the 1-6 tables....  Work them into a game.  

1. Pick a game with a long trail [like Parcheesi, Sorry, etc.]. 


2. Explain that when you roll the dice you won't move the total of the two dice, but the product of the two dice. That means that the range of random dice rolls will mean moving anywhere from 1 space [1x1] to 36 [6x6] !

So what would have been a move of 6 can turn into a move of 5 [1x5], 8 [2x4], or even 9 [3x3]. A roll that might have been 12 [6+6] becomes a whopping 36 [6x6]. becomes While it will slow down the turns a bit while the child figures the math, they will move around the board faster too. The options of 1-36 will keep it moving and exciting and anyone's game.  


It's not a cure, but it is a way to sneak in some extra practice in a fun, enjoyable way.


For beginners:
--make the move in sets [a roll of 2 and 4 means moving 4 spaces twice or 2 spaces four times to discover the total move is 8].
OR 
--allow a multiplication table, or calculator


If you have only a bit of time:
--Choose any trail game and just see who is first to get one playing piece all the way around the board and back to the start. 

--Skip all the other rules and sidetracks and just make it a race once or twice around the board. 

For advanced tables: 
Buy two special ten-sided dice 0-9 for 30¢each from enasco
OR---After they have mastered the 1-6 tables roll the dice twice.... The first time for the first number, the second time for the second number.  This lets you get the 7-12 tables.  
OR---Use two plain wooden cubes [under 50¢ at craft stores] and label with 7,8,9,10,roll again, and lose turn. 


Image credits and thanks: datedaily.mate1.com, shamusyoung.com

Anything Can Happen: Edible Fun

This is one for younger folks.... but ONLY if no one in the family or who will be playing has a nut allergy!!

Get your critters together... clear a clean spot on the table, lay out a large bowl [or two], wash hands well, put on aprons, and get ready for some creative fun where kids can be sticky, then playful, and can eat any mistakes!   You only need three ingedients to get started.

Edible Play Dough

Mix together:
2 cups powdered milk
2 cups peanut butter

Blend in 3 Tablespoons of honey

Options:
Add more powdered milk a bit at a time if the dough is too sticky to use at first.

Add edible extras for texture, taste, fun or to decorate what you create with the basic dough!

Gather some cookie cutters, presses, decorating stencils or whatever you would like to use for decorating and shaping.  We found that even egg molds will work!

You can decorate your creations with anything edible. [Ideas: nuts, raisins, and chocolate chips mix in well.  Stick pretzels, MandMs, gum drops, string licorice, and even sprinkles can be added to make roads, trees, etc. in your play dough world.]

My granddaughters tend to make fake cookies, cakes, flowers, etc.
My grandsons are more likely to make cars, roads, and villages.
What will your kiddos think of?

Think of it this way.... at least when your little one makes you play cookies of edible dough... you can eat them rather than fake-eating clay or play-doh creations.

Have fun.... after all it's Anything Can Happen Day!

Focus on Fostering: Game Tokens

So, when was the last time your kids fought over who got to be the thimble in Monopoly, or the blue playing pieces in Sorry, and on and on?  You get out a game for a few minutes of family bonding and before you even can start it seems they are at each other's throats. Sound familiar?  Try this.... take the caps off old medicine vials. Take some extra school pictures or old snapshots of your kids.  Cut the face of each child in a circle matched to the size of the cap. Glue the picture to the cap.  Voila... personal playing pieces!

For games like Monopoly you will only need one picture playing piece for each child.  For games like Parcheesi, Sorry etc. you will need a set of playing pieces for each child. Use matching pictures or a mix of pictures of each child. No problem remembering who is what color or what symbol.  No fighting over colored playing pieces.  Kids love moving "themselves" around the game board.  Plus, for kids with attachment or self-esteem issues, personalizing is a real plus.

And don't forget to make them for the parents too!  

For an extra kick make some for frequent playmates of your children. My kiddos' friends are always excited when they discover I have made a playing person just for them out of an old snapshot.  Try it!  Let me know how it works for you.

Image credits: moderngent.com

Anything Can Happen: Kids vs Parents

Do you remember the first time you beat your parents in a game? Do you remember the thrill of knowing they didn't "let" you win...that you won fair and sqaure?  Give that thrill to your kids... Turn the tables of power to give them the edge that you usually have in games.  Hold a topsy-turvy game night! Here are three ideas for a generational challenge.




1--Rent a video game and stage a round robin contest between kids and parents.

2--Play charades or name that tune with the kids songs, book, or movie titles.

3--[for older kids] Have them write question cards with questions about current culture for a 2011 version of trivia. Or to make it a LITTLE easier for parents, all questions have to be from the pop culture of the last 5 years.

Other ideas???

Image credits: strumpette.com, ksl.com, 3putt.wordpress.com

Quick Takes: Safe Sibling Wars

A couple of weeks ago I offered a tip for fun-provoking solutions to sibling squabbles [Orange Wars...July 30, 2011].  Here is another one:


Balloon Wars--
Use a yardstick to mark goal line for each child if inside. [If outside draw the lines in the grass or dirt or on the sidewalk]. 
The two children stand about 5 feet apart, each behind "their" line. Both kids have to keep their hands behind their backs.  Inflate a large balloon and have a "judge" stand in the center holding the balloon at shoulder height. On a 1-2-3-Go mark the judge releases the balloon  the two children can come out from behind their lines and start blowing.  The first two get the balloon across the other child's line "wins." If the balloon touches the ground it is a time out and the judge restarts the challenge. 

Like the orange war, the point is to defuse the anger by changing the children's focus. 

Less confrontational version... Outside draw a start line and about 25 feet away a finish line.  Each child has their own balloon.  Each tries to blow their balloon all the way to cross the finish line.  They still start over if the balloon touches the ground. They still have to keep hands behind their backs. First to blow their balloon across the finish line wins.  

Quick Takes: Stop Fights with Humor

Since I talked some this week about playdates... here is a unique [some might even say bizarre] way of settling disagreements between friends or siblings.  I find that humor is a wonderful way to diffuse anger.  The tough part is finding a way to work humor into that angst ridden atmosphere.  


Here is a way to settle an argument that actually has giggle potential, sometimes even gales of laughter... The next time two are arguing...say over who gets "X" or who goes first or whatever the disgreement du jour is.  All you need to do is have two oranges of relatively equal size on hand at all times to settle the argument and shift the mood. Here are the rules:

Battle of the Oranges:
Each warrior is armed with a tablespoon on which an orange is placed. The hold the spoon with one arm/hand and put the other arm/hand behind their back. At the "go" signal, each will try to knock the opponent's orange off the spoon. But... they can only do it by using only the hand which holds the spoon and orange. The winner is the one left with their orange on the spoon!

Give it a try... My kids used to ask for best two out of three, but by three they were usually giggling and laughing, the original difference not forgotten, but no longer as important as conquering the orange challenge. 

Image credits: freefoto.com,mifzgoesstudy.blogspot.com, smoothharold.com

Anything Can Happen: Old-Fashioned Silliness

Have some fun teaching your kids some of the old games that kids would play to pass the summer days. Think of your childhood games, or even your parents or grandparents. Try them with your kids.  Don't be afraid to look silly... that's half the fun.

Try hula hoops: I admit to remembering when they first came out 50 years ago.  They were only $1.98 and we spent hours and hours developing skills and tricks!





If you can't think of any or need something without shopping try these old favorites:

Tin Foil Ball and Cup:
Crumble tin foil into a ball and attach it to one end of a piece of string about 15-30 inches long. Tie the other end to the handle of a plastic mug. Holding the mug by the handle swing the cup so that the ball swings out of the mug into the air. Now try to catch the ball back in the mug. It is harder than it sounds!

Move a Penny with your Nose:
Lay flat on the floor on your back. Balance a penny on the tip of your nose.  Twitch your nose and move your lips but NOthing else. Don't wiggle you head or move your hands or feet or you body. No cheating.  Can you make the penny fall?




Air Football
A large dining room table is perfect for this game. You will need a ping pong ball. Divide the children into teams. Each team takes an end of the table. The ball is placed at the center of the table. Both teams blow the ball with all their might, trying to blow it off the table at the end of belonging to the opposing team. You can also try this with a balloon but a ping pong ball works best if you can.


Image credits:  dailyhistory.net, waggleroom.com, flickr.com, yorkblog.com, wired.com

Parenting Tips: Learning to be a good sport

My brother is a phenomenal board game player.  As an older brother he was a cagey game player and driven to the point of almost ruthless [at least from my view as the younger sister]. To this day I have NEVER beaten him in a game of Monopoly®.  Not terribly surprisingly... I am not an eager Monopoly® player. I remember my father telling me as an adult that he had sometimes played games with my brother so that my brother would learn how to lose and still be a good sport.

My children liked to win.  Since most games only have one winner per game and most games favor the older child, this led to predictable outbursts, funks, and sulks. So with great intentions I decided to try to teach my children the skill of sportsmanship in family/friends games.  The method I used seemed cumbersome and contrived. It was contrived. It was less cumbersome than it seems. But more important to me... it helped.  I can't say it succeeded completely or instantly. But it definitely helped.  Here are the three key things I found:

1- Pick short games.  This way the chances of being willing to play again after losing are better.  The chances of winning at least once go up because of the stats and playing more often.

2. Pick games that rely on luck. Any game that relies on strategy, accumulated knowledge, or planning ahead gives the advantage to an older, or wiser child. Luck based games add the frustration of bad luck vs good luck, but at least it is luck rather than skill or knowledge.

3. Teach the language of good sportsmanship.  Before my kids could read I use only one or two phrases over and over each time I played with them, modeling acceptable language to respond to game emotions. Silly frustration words: [Slibbit!..... Balderdash! ....Dang!... make one up] When its not going well:  Maybe next turn my luck will be better.  When it is going very well: Boy, am I lucky right now. When they got old enough to read if they still struggled I made little index cards with comments they could choose from during the game.

That's the gist of it.  If you need more ideas or specifics let me know. And for those of you who like knowledge based games I recommend you consider playing board review games with your kids periodically. The cool part isi that since you are using their school content for the basis, they may actually have an advantage over you... a powerful, exciting moment for any child!  [See blog entry Feb 21, 2011: School Bell: Board Game Review]

Image credits: canberracyclingclub.org.au, writingasjoe.blogspot.com

School Bell: Pesky Multiplication Facts

Do you have a child still struggling to learn those blasted multiplication tables before the end of the year?  Maybe your child is just  beginning to learn the tables. Maybe they are stuck on one or two of the sets, like the 7s or the 6s. Here is a tip that is not a cure, but IS a good way to sneak in some extra practice AND some extra togetherness in a fun, enjoyable way.

For beginners or to make it easier start with just the facts tables for 1-3. Go to a local craft store and buy two small wooden cubes [about 25¢ each]. Number each of the six sides with 1, 2, or 3, making a pair of 1-3 dice. 

Pick out your child's favorite board game.  Pick one with a long trail [like Parcheesi, Sorry, etc.]. Announce that this time when you roll the dice you won't move the total of the two dice, but the product of the two dice. 

So what would have been a move of 6 spaces can change into a move of 8 [2x4], 9 [3x3] or only 5 [5x1]. At first it may slow down the turns a bit while the child figures the math, they will move around the board faster too.  For real beginners you can make the move in sets [2x4 means moving 4 twice] to discover the total move [in that case 8], or allow a multiplication table or calculator. If you have only a bit of time, choose any trail game, disregard all other rules, and just see who is first to get one playing piece all the way around the board and back to the start. 

For intermediates use facts tables for 1-6. Use a pair of regular 1-6 dot dice and multiply the two numbers of each roll. Skip all the other rules and sidetracks and just make it a race once or twice around the board.  The range of random dice rolls that cam mean moving anywhere from 1 space [1x1] to 36 [6x6] will keep it moving and exciting. And, when a roll that might have been 12 [6+6] becomes a whopping 36 [6x6] it is always anyone's game to "win." 

To make it harder use one 1-6 die and one of your 1-3 dice so that the game will review the facts tables from 1-9. 

If you have a real math whiz, you can even challenge them to use both 1-6 dice and roll them twice for each turn [one for the first number and one for the second] so that they learn the mental math for 1-12 multiplication! For the not-so-whiz maybe you allow a calculator for the 11s and 12s. 


If you are targeting a specific table [like the 7s or 9s or whatever the child is stuck on] focus on just that table. Roll the dice only once and multiply that by the number you are practicing.

Remember, these are not magic cures, but they usually offer more practice, and happier shared time than flashcard drills.  


Image credits:  softpedia.com, gifted.uconn.edu, unit5.org, craftparts.com, edupics.com

School Bell: Board Game Review

Mid-terms are probably over, but with report cards out this just might be a time when you discover the need to reinforce some skills or find new ways to study for tests.  This one is a favorite at my house.

1. Get out your favorite board game. Any game that the players follow a trail from start to finish will work well. 

2. Have your child [or each of them] give you a list of information that needs to be learned or reviewed.  [Spelling, math facts, definitions, people, dates, anything that can be reviewed in question and answer form!]

3. Play the board game with one small change.  When the player rolls the dice, or spins the spinner or whatever....they must answer a question correctly in order to make the move.  IF they are incorrect they stay where they are on the game.  

Try it! One of the coolest things is that it lets you review with more than one child at a time.  Each child just has their own questions [facts etc.] to answer. They can play with you as the questioner or [if they get along] can ask each other questions.

Image credits:  mstownbarrie.blogspot.com, gordtep.com

School Bell: Learning for Sale --Cheap! [part 2]

For part two I offer a bunch of ways to use probably the cheapest gift.-- Playing Cards! You can get them for under $1 at discount stores, but for a fun gift, choose a themed set to match your child's interests... Disney, cartoons, TV, or their favorite sports team!!   A simple pack of playing cards and a few minutes of instruction can become a great tool for practicing math facts and have fun doing it.  No need to spend money on commercial flash cards. Bury the practice in a game and change the game up as the kids grow. Here are a bunch:

1- Play "War" with a twist--
Decide whether to use addition or subtraction [or for older kids multiplication] before you begin. As the two players put their cards down, instead of the high card winning, the first player to correctly call out the math total wins the cards.  Both speed and accuracy improve the more often they play. First player with all the cards wins the game.  [Up the stakes for older kids by playing with more than two people making the addition harder.]
Note: If doing subtraction subtract smaller number from larger unless you are trying to make it tougher with older kids.

2. Take away the competition-- 
Don't make it a race for the right answer.  Take turns with who gets to do the math.  If the answer is correct, you give the cards to your opponent.  If you are wrong you have to keep your cards, putting them at the bottom of your pile.

3- Level the playing field between siblings--
Have the older child do tougher computation while the younger does simpler. [Ex:  Older does multiplication, younger does addition or younger subtracts smaller from larger, while the older does the reverse].

4. Math Sets--  [Endless variations!]
Play it with a pre-agreed "set" goal.  Agree on whether or not suits or colors will matter. [The easier the better for younger children.] Deal out five cards to each person. [Refill from draw pile as you empty.] Put down sets of two, three or four.  Examples of pre-agreed sets: even numbers in order, odd numbers in order, cards that add up to 15 or 13 or 10 or 21 or whatever you agreed before the game started.  You can even make it multiplication by requiring that in order to put the set of 2 or 3 cards down you have to be able to state the math result [ex: 3, 5 multiplied total 15]. If you are write the set stays down, if not, it goes back in your hand.

So get out the deck of cards, agree on the game and have some fun with your kids... Never has practicing math facts been so much fun!

Image credits:  commons.wikimedia.org, academic.kellogg.edu

Detective Challenge

Quick Strategy--

Sometimes sitting together sharing a tv show is the closest to pleasant together time with an adolescent. But getting your adolescent or teen to do more than just sit with you can often be a challenge. This is one idea for making the television time more interactive. First think of something they want [like a specific privilege] or something they don't want [like a regular chore of theirs]. Then turn the next mystery show you watch with your teens into a game. Make it a challenge ...Who can guess the ending first and right?  Each viewer writes down their guess [and the time] as soon as they think they know the answer. As the show progresses they can change the answer as more info is given, but they must change the time too. Make it fun with a silly or fun prize for the winner. [Ex: getting to sleep in the next Saturday morning, the loser makes the winner's bed for a week, the winner gets to skip a regular chore that week, gets to stay up an extra hour one night, etc.]

Benefits:

1-Turns sedentary tv into an interactive family activity.

2-Teaches observation, listening, and attention to detail.

3- Gives the kids a chance to beat the parents [they love that!].

4- Builds deductive reasoning skills. 

 

Multiplication Practice

Quickie Strategy--

Having trouble helping your kids learn those blasted multiplication tables?  Work them into a game.  Pick a game with a long trail [like Parcheesi, Sorry, etc.]. Announce that this time when you roll the dice you won't move the total of the two dice, but the product of the two dice. 

So what would have been a move of 6 can turn into a move of 5 [1x5], 8 [2x4], or even 9 [3x3]. A roll that might have been 12 [6+6] becomes a whopping 36 [6x6]. becomes While it will slow down the turns a bit while the child figures the math, they will move around the board faster too.  For beginners you can allow a multiplication table, or calculator, or making the move in sets [2x4 means moving 4 twice to discover the total move is 8]. If you have only a bit of time, choose any trail game and just see who is first to get one playing piece all the way around the board and back to the start. 

Skip all the other rules and sidetracks and just make it a race once or twice around the board.  The range of random dice rolls that cam mean moving anywhere from 1 space [1x1] to 36 [6x6] will keep it moving and exciting and anyone's game.  It's not a cure, but it is a way to sneak in some extra practice in a fun, enjoyable way.

Fights or Fun with Game Pieces

      So, when was the last time your kids fought over who got to be the thimble in Monopoly, or the blue playing pieces in Sorry, and on and on?  You get out a game for a few minutes of family bonding and before you even can start it seems they are at each other's throats. Sound familiar?  Try this.... take the caps off old medicine vials. Take some extra school pictures or old snapshots of your kids.  Cut the face of each child in a circle matched to the size of the cap. Glue the picture to the cap.  Voila... personal playing pieces! 

         For games like Monopoly you will only need one picture playing piece for each child.  For games like Parcheesi, Sorry etc. you will need a set of playing pieces for each child. Use matching pictures or a mix of pictures of each child. No problem remembering who is what color or what symbol.  No fighting over colored playing pieces.  Kids love moving "themselves" around the game board.  Plus, for kids with attachment or self-esteem issues, personalizing is a real plus.  For an extra kick make some for frequent playmates of your children. My kiddos' friends are always excited when they discover I have made a playing person just for them out of an old snapshot.  Try it!  Let me know how it works for you.