Family Picnic

Today The Mom's Group enjoyed our first family event of the 2009-2010 year! We had a family picnic at Forest Preserve Park. It was drizzling when we arrived, but as soon as everyone got there, the clouds parted & the sun started to shine! The kids had a great time playing on the playground equiptment & the adults enjoyed wonderful fellowship! Thank you to all those families that participated & for those of you that couldn't join us... we hope to see you next time!

Part of The Fulton Family

The O'Linc Family
The Pyatt Family

Part of The German Family

The Evans Family

The Wiltgen Family

Part of The Harper Family

The Vangilder Family

The merry-go-round ride was a huge hit!

Part of The Buehnerkemper Family

What To Do With Your Kids in the Car on Long Road Trips or Just Running Errands Around Town

You all were amazing at the meeting today! Thanks for your ideas! Remember to use this blog for anything- great ideas, annoucements, etc. Make it your favorites. We'll all get a lesson our our forum website too!



All the fun ideas below can be created for SUPER cheap. Even if you won't go to second hand stores or garage sales for your family, they are THE BEST place for small toys, craft supplies, and extras that your kids will love and never know or care where they came from!



1. Kathy Fair's Driving Wheel for Peace. A handmade cirlce that gives her kids a visual que on how much time they have left in the car together. Each hour ( or half hour or whatever), the kids physically remove part of the wheel so they can see how much time they have left.



2. http://www.momsminivan.com/ 101 car travel games including Battleship



3. "I unpacked my grandma's truck and I took out an..." Finish the sentence with something from each letter of the alphabet.



4. Clear Shoebox for each kid to give messy snacks, toys, and other surprises in



5. ABC game...Arthur from the Amazon loves Avacados. Burt from Bigtown likes burgers...



6. Magna Doodles- hours of endless fun! Challenge your kids "Everyone draw a tree and show me! Now a fish, etc"



7. I spy inside the car and outside the car



8. DVD players!!!!! Personal ones so no one has to fight over movies or car ones for everyone



9. Nintendo DS



10. Old School Hand Held Games like Solitair, Connect FOur, etc- the kids still like the super cool stuff from when we were young too.



11. Cookie Sheets with magnets



12. Books



13. Usborne 100 things to do cards http://www.amazon.co.uk/Things-Journey-Usborne-Activity-Cards/dp/1409501000



14. Make up new word to common songs- use kids names



15. Dum Dum Suckers to keep little mouths busy!



16. Before a really long road trip, get a special treat bag with lots of goodies. Have the bag be your car bag. Every hour or certain amount of time, get out new things for everyone- toys, books, CD's, DVDs, coloring books, activity pads, crayons, markers, etc.



17. Wrap up small second hand toys that are new or even their own beloved toys from home in bright wrapping paper. Surprise them by giving them a "gift" throughout the roadtrip. Little ones will find the unwrapping just as much fun as the treat inside.



18. Don't just give the books to your kids to read, read to them. The passenger seat is a great place to hold the book out so all little eyes can see.



19. Dress up in the car. As an activity bring a bag with items such as mismatched socks, hats, scarves, glasses, etc. Hand them out and have everyone do something silly ( scarved wrapped around leg, socks on hands, etc.)



20. Play G rated "Would you Rather" to have some fun open conversations. "Would you rather eat a bottle of ketchup or mustard" "Would you rather skin your knee on the playground or get a really bad papercut"



21. Tell a story together. have everyone add to it...Once there was a girl names Sue and she was 12 feet tall....then have the next person in the car add to it. This game is even fun for toddlers.



22. Negotiate personal times- for the kids and parents " I'm going to read books and tell stories with your for 10 more minutes and then you need to find something to do on your own for awhile" Don't entertain the kids all the time. They too need to learn to sit still, be quiet, and play independently.



23. Stretch out Snacks. DOn't give them all their snack at once, keep giving them parts of it througout a period of time. Crackers now, apple in 10 minutes, then a cookie 10 minutes after that.



24. Don't Rest at the Rest Stops! Move. Actually spend 10 minutes there instead of just bathroom breaks and back in the car. The kids need the physical activity. it might wear them out and then they might nap or it gets their blood flowing,the bad moods gone, and gives them enough energy to get through a few more hours in the car. Get those kids running and jumping and moving. tell them to run around the pavilion three times or race to the garbage can and back. Create printed scavenger hunts ahead of time for the rest stop ( find one piece of trash, three green leaves, a bottle top, a tourist information pamphlet, etc)



25. Turn on music TOGETHER! CD's, radio- it doesn't matter. Whether you sing along or just sit and listen it gets the mind moving and your kids appreciating music!



26. Books on tape or CD. The library has TONS of these. Don't think your kids won't listen. Try. They need to practice their audiological skills just as much as visual skills. Get a great book on tape. Teach them to listen. It takes adults awhile to adjust and concentrate. Talk about it first. You may have to rewind and replay the first chapter again to be sure they actually heard it!



Great ideas everyone! I feel empowered to try some new things! Add to our comments section with anything else you think of!

First Friday on the Square

First Friday is tomorrow!!! If it weren't for the newest addition on the square, Village Wardrobe, I never would have known what the First Friday events were.

Come out tomorrow night at 7:30 for a live concert with the family and kid friendly singing group, THE LADY BUGS. At dusk, Monticello Main Street will show BOLT! Make it a family night. Bring your lawnchairs, buy some DQ, and shop the local merchants. Take advantage of what Monticello has to offer!

katie
http://fultonfamilynews.blogspot.com

Things to do with your Family this fall

Welcome to the Moms Group Blog! THis blog is for anyone to share anything they want- post family pics, great ideas, inspiring stories, or just vent your frustrations.

Each meeting, we will have a highlighted topic to brainstorm ideas for. We'll discuss 5 of them together in the meeting and the rest will be posted here. PLEASE feel free to post comments and add more-Again, this is for all of us to share ideas and knowledge.

Don't just read the list, try them! The worst that happens is that it didn't work the way it did for others. Just go for it. This fall is the perfect time to try new things, meet new people, and have fun!

1. Wolf's Orchard...go for apple tasting, apple picking and lots and lots of cheap and fun entertainment!
2. Take a Hike- anywhere...Allerton, Lodge Park, your backyard, anywhere
3. Take your hike to the next level....bring a bag to collect items you see on your path. Challenge your children of any age with a scavenger hunt as you hike. Look for things together like leaves, bugs, sticks, flowers, colored birds, etc. Empty your bag when you get home and DO something with the things you find. Give the kids glue and let them create a nature collage. Put the items in a bowl and create a centerpiece designed by nature ( and your kids), compare and contrast the items, etc.
4. Camping...Kickapoo, Turkey Run, Lodge, or a tent in your backyard. Make this the fall you try it together, even if you don't stay overnight! It's a new project for everyone.
5. Allerton Park. Find it, explore it, love it! Monticello is so lucky to have such an incredible resource available to us. Use it. Bring a picnic and hike, get some disposable cameras and let your kids take pictures of all the beauty. Bring a frisbee, a ball and glove, or toys and run wild in the open meadow.
6. See the Stars. Don't just look- LOOK!!!!! Make it an event! Lay out blankets in your backyard, play music, read a book about starts first, google some info. Drive out on a country road to look at the stars instead of staying in town. Discuss how the sky look different and why!
7. Bonfires and Smore's! Nothing better than a bonfire in your backyard on a cool night- oh wait! Only thing better would be smores on that bonfire! If you don't have a fire pit, consider buying or building one- it's SUPER easy! Some dug out dirt and some stones or bricks around the outside and you are done! Smores in the oven are great too...eat them on the porch though instead of in front of the TV.
8. Rake the million of leaves in the yard and surprise your kids by being the first to jump in. Don't stop there, do it over and over and over. You'll kids will never forget it and you may find you actually had fun. It's worth raking the leaves again for just a few minutes of pure glee!
9. Pick pumpkins. Don't just pick out the pumpkins at County market- make it an event. Whether you go to a Pumpkin farm ( Curtis Orchard, Negangard, Arthur's Pumpkin Patch, etc) and pick from the vine or you just go somewhere and pick them out, make it special. Let your kids pick their pumpkin, no matter how big or small. Wash the pumpkins together with wet rags, find the perfect place outside or inside for each pumpkin.
10. DOn't just let those pretty pumpkins sit there- do something with them. Carve them together, get markers or paint and stickers and let your kids loose. No matter what they create and how hidious it is, display it with pride as it was made with love.
11. Use the pumpkins, all of them. Don't throw them away. Teach your kids about the importance of Reducing, Reusing, Recycling AND using all the gifts of the Earth from God. Compost the yucky pumpkins after their prime. Cook something with pumpkins ( pumpkin cake, breads, soup, etc) Google recipes that are easy for kids to help with and the possibilities are endless
12. Take in the Homecoming weekend events. The parade Friday afternoon to tailgating and the game. Show some Sage spirit and be proud of the town we've all decided to live in.
13. Take pictures each year in the kid's Halloween costumes. Not just on Halloween night but before. Get them all dressed up and let them play. Take tons of pics while they are hard at "work". Consider professional ones. Family and friends like to see the standard Sears or JC Penny studio pics when they look their best in the cute clothes but wouldn't you just love to open up an envelope from a relative or friend and find a picture of the cutest little Tigger or perhaps a princess or a scarecrow. Those pictures will never be forgotten! Portrait Innovations at the mall is the greatest place on Earth. Get 1 10*13, 2 8*10's. 4 5*7's, 4 3*5's and 32 wallets of ONE pose for only 10 bucks!!!
14. Have your kids HELP YOU as your winterize your home and get ready for the colder season. They could help clean and stow away their sand toys and rider toys all over the yard. When raking, send those little ones under the bushes to hunt for leaves. Make it fun and have a special reward afterwards ( warm apple cider, making bread together, a favorite family movie, etc) but help them understand that everyone in the family is needed to help keep the home happy and healthy!
15. When switching out summer clothes to fall in the drawers and closets, make the transfer and event. Warning, it will be silly, messy, and out of control at times. Do a fashion show with the new clothes you put out or the old ones you are getting rid of. See how many items any one child can wear at a time. Outgrown clothes or too big clothes are the funniest ones. Take pictures and share them with your friends.

WOW!!!! Lots of great ideas ladies! Come back and visit and let us know if you try any of these items and how it goes! Happy Fall!