2009 Denver Museum Free Days
Each month, museums and attractions around Denver offer completely free days to the public. Thanks to the money raised by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, they have offered these free days for 20 years now! This is a great way to stretch your budget and have fun with your kids. Many of these places allow you to bring a picnic lunch. Here is a link:
2009 Free Days at Denver Museums
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Link to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to check for recalled toys and product safety information.
“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”–Plato, Greek philosopher
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Here are five inexpensive play dough recipes that can provide hours of family fun:
1. Peanut Butter Play Dough
2 cups of peanut butter
2 cups of powdered milk
3 TB honey
Mix together all ingredients. If the dough is too sticky, add more powdered milk, one tablespoon at a time. Don’t worry if the kids eat this one – it is a very nutricious snack!
2. Play Dough – Cooked on the Stove
2 cups of flour
1 cup of salt
2 cups of water
2 TB of oil
2 tsp of cream of tartar
food coloring or 1 package unsweetened drink mix
Optional: cinnamon, peppermint, vanilla or lemon flavoring to make it smell yummy
Stir ingredients over low heat until it has coagulated into a nice doughy ball. Let cool slightly and knead.
3. Oatmeal Play Dough
1 cup of flour
2 cup of oatmeal
1 cup of water
Optional: Add a small amount of cornmeal or coffee grounds for different textures.
Gradually add water to flour and oatmeal in bowl. Knead until mixed. This dough is sticky and messy, but has a unique feel to it. Use it like you would modeling clay.
4. Sticky Bread Dough
4 slices of white bread with crust cut-off
4 TB of white school glue
4-6 drops food coloring
Tear bread into small pieces and place in a bowl. Add white school glue and food coloring. Stir until well blended. Knead the mixture with your hands until it forms a soft dough. Sculpt and allow to dry overnight. Dough will harden as it dries. (Do not eat.)
5. Soap Dough
2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
1 TB liquid soap or 1 oz bottle of bubble solution
6-8 drops food coloring
1/2 cup water
Mix flour, salt, liquid soap or bubble solution, and food coloring together in a small bowl. Slowly add water until a workable dough is formed. If the dough becomes too sticky, add a little more flour. Use like play dough – but do not eat.
(Recipes taken from Play Connection Curriculum.)
“The Legend of the Dream Catcher
As the legend goes, the Dream Catcher was used by the Woodland Indians and was hung close to where they slept. The Indians believed that Dream Catchers would catch all the dreams whether they were good or bad. The bad dreams would get caught up in the webbing and be held there until first morning light when the sun would burn them off. The good dreams were also caught and held in the center of the Dream Catcher. These dreams would filter down into the feathers and be held there, only to return another night to be dreamed again.” (from the PlayConnection curriculum)
How to Make A Dream Catcher with Your Children:
Materials: paper plate, a hole puncher, a few beads, feathers, markers and glitter glue if you have some.
1. Cut out the center of the paper plate and punch 5-6 holes around the edges.
2. Help you child write down their dreams and aspirations around the rim of the Dream Catcher. Make one with them and discuss your dreams together. Sharing dreams and fears with your children is an excellent way to connect with them.
3. Tie the yarn onto the top hole, add a bead, weave into another hole, add a bead and so forth until your Dream Catcher is fully webbed. Odds and ends can be added for decoration and this is a great way to use up left-over craft supplies.
4. Tie another short piece of yarn to the bottom hole so that the ends of the yarn hang down (see picture.) Tie a feather to each end.
5. Hang above your child’s bed (a thumb tack in the wall above the bed works well.) Be sure to read them the Legend of the Dream Catcher.
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Games for the Bus
For those of you that ride the bus, I found a great website that has captured some of best old-time hand clapping rhymes (http://www.gameskidsplay.net). These easy games are great for children because they encourage hand-eye coordination, the rhyming element stimulates pre-reading and reading skills, many ages enjoy them, they are free and you can’t lose the pieces. Here are two we played at group this week:
Say Say My Playmate
Say, Say my playmate
Come out and play with me
and bring your dollies 3
climb up my apple tree
slide down my rain barrel
into my cellar door
and we’ll be jolly friends
forever more – more – more !
Verse 2:
Say, say oh playmate,
I cannot play with you.
My dolly has the flu,
Boohoo, hoohoo, hoo, hoo.Ain’t got no rain barrel,
Ain’t got no cellar door.
But we’ll be jolly friends,
Forever more,more, more,more,more.
Short Legged-Sailor
Directions: When you say “Short legged” you make a short distance between your hands. When you say “Long legged” you make a longer distance between your hands. When you say”Knock-kneed” you touch your elbows together.)
Have you ever, ever, ever in your short legged life seen a short legged sailor with a short legged wife?
No I’ve never, never, never in my short legged life seen a short legged sailor with a short legged wife.
Have you ever, ever, ever in your long legged life seen a long legged sailor with a long legged wife?
No I’ve never, never, never, in my long legged life seen a long legged sailor with a long legged wife.
Have you ever, ever, ever, in your knock-kneed life seen a knock-kneed sailor with a knock-kneed wife?
No I’ve never, never, never in my knock-kneed life seen a knock-kneed sailor with a knock-kneed wife
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Games for a Snowy Day: Create Your Own Word Search
Our children’s coordinator introduced me to these wonderful online tools that allow you to create your very own word search. Each puzzle can be custom designed for your child. You can have them find their name, their friends’ names, books they love, silly nick names you have given them, etc. You could create one especially for a birthday party. You can also add words that describe their positive qualities such as artist, kind, smart, loving, thoughtful, strong, etc.
Here is a link to create a puzzle for early elementary kids: A to Z Teacher Stuff
Here is a link for a little more difficult puzzle: word search maker
Children love these puzzles because they are all about them! Try one today or save one for when the weather is bad and everyone is spending the day inside
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Corn Starch Slop
For one of our recent play connection classes, residents got to play in corn starch slop. Mezmorizing to adults and children, this is a cheap and easy activity to do with children!
Corn Starch Slop 1/2 cup regular corn starcha little bit of watera drop of food coloring – optional Mix cornstarch with water a little bit at a time until it has just turned into a liquid. Add one drop of food coloring if desired. This will make the activity a little messier – but the color is fun. This mixture will feel like liquid sometimes, and sometimes it will feel solid. Careful- playing with this stuff will make time fly by~
