My boys are at the age where we have to designate a “postal” helper for the day and take turns.  They both LOVE to get the mail and bring it in the house, mainly because they love to see if anything has their name on it!  So this summer, I’ve found a way to get mail to my kids!

First of all, find a state or country with your child that you might be interested in.  Perhaps the grandparents live there, or maybe you are planning a vacation in the future to a certain area.  Or, if you have school-aged children, maybe it is a region or a country that will be discussed in school this upcoming year.  Then, write a letter (my son writes ours) to the state’s chamber of commerce or the country’s embassy.  If it is a popular tourist destination, write them directly.  Many of these addresses can be found online or at your local library.  When children write to places such as these, expressing an interest in the area, the offices are usually more than happy to oblige and send packets of information. 

This is a great way to get your child interested in other countries or involved in the planning process of a trip.  The information that is received is usually great for school projects and reports, too!

Are we having fun yet?  Get ready for some easy and entertaining ideas for this week!

MONDAY:  Cool off today with a milkshake, courtesy of your own kitchen!  Here are our favorite recipes for milkshakes around here…choose your favorite, or revise it to make your own fave!  CHOCOLATE SHAKE:  Place 1 cup of chocolate ice cream, 1/2 cup milk, and a squirt of chocolate syrup in a blender.  Blend for about a minute or until smooth.  Drink!  (This is enough for one shake.)  STRAWBERRY SHAKE:  Place 2 cups of strawberry ice cream, 1 cup of milk and a 10 oz package of frozen strawberries in the blender and blend for about 2 minutes.  Enjoy!  (This is enough for two good-sized shakes.)  Try making your own combinations: vanilla ice cream and bananas, chocolate ice cream and caramel topping…what is your favorite flavor?

TUESDAY:  Let’s make our own postcards today!  You can use unlined (or lined, depending on your child’s preference) index cards - 4 x 6 variety - to create your own.  Let your child draw a picture on one side, then address the other side and slip on a postcard stamp.  Or, run by your local post office and purchase postage-paid cards to write and/or decorate!  Send them off to family and friends.  What relative doesn’t enjoy a handmade letter from a child? 

WEDNESDAY:  What child doesn’t love to make a bit of cash?  So, let’s set up a lemonade stand!  Have the kids make signs, set up a table outside and call the neighbors.  We actually enjoy serving a variety of drinks, from grape Kool-Aid to some iced tea for adults.  Don’t worry about profit; the biggest gain is the amount of fun the kids will have setting it up!  Or, take the proceeds and donate them to a worthy cause, such as the Red Cross, Meals on Wheels or Alex’s Lemonade Stand.  And, don’t forget to stop by your local library today!

THURSDAY:  This recipe may seem a bit involved but it is TOTALLY worth it.  After all, think of all the cool stuff you can do with SLIME!  Take 1 tablespoon of BORAX (found in your laundry detergent aisle) and dissolve it in a cup of water.  Then, in another container, combine 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of white glue.  Now, add 1/2 cup of of the borax mixture to the glue mixture in a Ziploc baggie.  Add food coloring if you want a specific color, and knead the bag until it is completely mixed.  Tada!  You have slime!  Take care to keep it off of furniture and carpet, and, like many products, slime doesn’t last forever.  It will eventually morph into MOLD, so be sure and throw it out after a few days.

FRIDAY:  Time for a playdate!  Whether you host one or go to one, connect with a friend today, even if only for a short while.  The kids will enjoy the interaction with their pals, and make sure get some “adult talk” for yourself.  Everyone will be happier in the end!

That’s it for this week!

I’m one of those messy moms.  I buy playdough every couple of weeks (that is, when I’m not making it myself).  I let my kids draw with markers that aren’t washable from time to time, and we even create art with pudding and other foods.  Making a mess is part of exploring the creative side of yourself.  So, fingerpainting is definitely a “must do” at our house!  However, I don’t always have fingerpaints on hand, so I came across this great recipe for making some at home.  The best part is, it is completely washable.  So, make up a batch, set the kids out on the porch with some paper and fingerpaints, then hose them down when they’re done!

Ingredients
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 T sugar
1 cup water (cold)
Food coloring of your choice - to make it truly stain-free and washable, use liquid watercolors to tint the paint, or try different flavors of Jell-o.

Directions:
Put the cornstarch, salt, sugar, and water into a pot. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.  Be sure to stir constantly. The mixture will start thin, but it will eventually become thicker. When it is finally thick, take the pot off of the stove and let the mixture cool off. Once it is cool, divide it into small containers (small jars or leftover yogurt containers work well) and add a few drops of food coloring to each. Stir in the coloring and voila! It’s time to paint.

In the wake of Hurricane Dolly here in Texas (and the storms/heat/all other yucky outside weather stuff going on), I thought I’d share a great activity to try indoors this summer.  This is a great project for pretty much any age; if a child can hold a marker and scribble or color on a paper, then they are ready for this one.  All you need are markers, a timer, and a sheet of blank paper for each participant.

Set the timer for one minute, and each person begins to draw a picture on his or her own paper.  It can be anything, from a scribble, to shapes, to letters, to lines, to something more complex.  When the timer goes off after one minute, pass the drawings around to different people (if it is just you and a child, simply trade.  In our family, we pass to the right when three or more are playing).

Set the timer again for one minute, but this time, each person is now adding to the other person’s artwork!  Continue in this manner until the art is completed.  It is amazing to see what everyone can create together by adding a little to each piece.

Find great supplies for this activity, such as drawing pads and crayons, and other art projects at WonderBrains.com.

The dog days of summer are definitely here!  While the term, “dog days of summer”, actually stems from the position of the Dog Star, Sirius, during this time of year.  Sirius rises and falls with the sun right now, and the Ancient Egyptians thought that this action is what made this time of year so much hotter.  Whatever the reason, cooling off is on tap for this week!

MONDAY:  Nutritious and delicious, I’ve got a great smoothie recipe to share today!  My boys LOVE these smoothies.  If I could make them every day for them, it wouldn’t be enough!  They’re not overly sweet, and they’re full of calcium and vitamins (and, most importantly, they’re COLD!).  These are great for any age and so easy to make!  In a blender, combine a cup of milk (I use skim but any type milk will do), 1/2 cup of yogurt (we use either blueberry or strawberry lowfat yogurt…again, it is your choice as to flavor!), 1 ripe banana (cut into chunks) and four ice cubes.  Blend for about a minute or until smooth.  Pour into your favorite cup and enjoy!

TUESDAY:  It is really too hot to do much of anything outside in Texas these days, so we’re going to create Big Art today - inside!  I am using some old wrapping paper I have (it is actually my leftover Christmas paper from about three years ago) and cutting off long pieces of it.  Then, I’m letting my boys have at it!  Anything goes - markers, crayons, watercolor, construction paper collage - whatever you feel comfortable letting your kids use.  Spread out on the kitchen floor or another solid surface and create Big Art!  The large motions you make with your arms and hands when drawing are great for motor skill development at any level.  Or, to challenge older kids, have them create Big Art using only their FEET!  Have them grasp a marker/paintbrush/crayon in between their toes and create.  You’re sure to get some interesting results!

WEDNESDAY:  Think your kid’s got talent?  Let it shine!  Today is Talent Show Day at our house.  And, ANY talent goes!  I have one that is a total singer, so we’re breaking out his favorite songs on the CD player and sporting our favorite microphone - Mom’s whisk!  My other son is more of the comedian and instrumentalist…I see several entries from both of them.  Invite the neighborhood or just a friend or two - the more the merrier!  I’m going to be the video queen because, what good is showing off your talent if you can’t go back and watch yourself later?  And, don’t forget to check in at your local library today! 

THURSDAY:  Since we are, indeed, in the Dog Days of Summer, let’s gaze at some constellations this evening!  My boys were thrilled to get to stay up a bit later, and to sit and watch the stars come out, one by one.  Here is a great site for printing out a Star Chart (a map to the sky)…there are loads of other websites out there as well that offer great information for kids about constellations and the night sky.  If your kids are too young to stay up and stargaze, you can create your own constellations.  Using black construction paper, cut circles just a bit larger than the diameter of a flashlight.  Poke holes in the construction paper with a straight pin, then hold the circle up to the lighted end of a flashlight.  Turn out the lights (preferably in a dark room) and do your own stargazing - anytime of day!

FRIDAY:  Let’s cool off those piggies today!  If you have a small kiddie pool, this is great, or you can even use a large pan or bucket, as long as it is bigger than your child’s feet!  Put some water in the pool or other container, then drop in several ice cubes.  Now, it is time to go fish - feet first!  Have your kids use their feet to “catch” the ice cubes and pull them out!  Everyone stays cool, and the challenge is on to see who can catch the most cubes - you or the kids!

That’s it for this week!  If you have fun activities you’ve done with the kids this summer, leave us a comment and let us know!

Besides being an awesome place to find cool and unique products for ever-growing minds, WonderBrains has embraced a learning philosophy unlike most others.  Products at WonderBrains are centered around an educational idea called Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences.  Peter, one of the co-creators of WonderBrains, has a wonderful article on the site that explains in depth what Gardner’s theory is all about.

I recently attended a teacher training session specifically geared to enlightening early childhood teachers in this theory.  While most of us associate intelligence with either verbal, mathematical or logical astuteness, there are other categories to consider.  While many of these are difficult, if not impossible to measure in the “standard” sense, they are valid areas of intelligence.  Read through a few of these, and see if you can identify any of these areas in your child or even yourself.

One of the most prevalent areas of intelligence is the Logical/Reasoning or mathematical area.  Individuals that excel here are good at puzzles, games such as Sudoku, scientific thinking and deductive reasoning.  This is an easily measurable area of intelligence as it usually involves calculations, number theory, logic, classification and critical thinking.

Another area of intelligence is the Linguistic area.  This is your verbal or word-sense area.  These individuals are excellent speakers and writers.  They enjoy telling and creating stories and soak up the written word.  Again, this is an intelligence that is easily measured or tested, which is why it is so dominant on IQ tests and aptitude testing.

Kinesthetic is another area of intelligence that Gardner theorizes.  People who are gifted in this area are typically athletic, though not entirely so.  They are hands-on learners, they excel at role-playing and fine motor skills.  Surgeons are typically highly acute in the Kinesthetic area, and comedians typically excel here as well.

Spatial Aptitude is the ability to make judgements based on visual cues.  These people are graphically drawn to situations, thriving with charts and puzzles.  They typically have excellent eye-hand coordination.  Many artistic people fall into the area of spatial intelligence, especially those who are involved in physical creation of a craft, such as sculpture.

Many individuals can be categorized as being musically intelligent.  These people typically have an acute sense of hearing and are highly aware of rhythm, not just in music but in speaking and words as well.  They can be highly sensitive to noise, too and often look for patterns in any auditory stimulation.

People who are gifted in Interpersonal skills are great communicators.  They thrive on interaction with other people.  They enjoy cooperative efforts, whether in school or the workplace. 

A seventh area of intelligence is Intrapersonal skills.  These individuals are quite introverted, but they have a keen self-awareness.  They are typically masters of manipulation, highly emotional and live with a feeling of perfectionism.

Gardner identified an eighth area of intelligence that isn’t as readily accepted by the general population of followers of his theory.  However, it is becoming more and more common in discussions of his theory as time goes on.  The naturalistic intelligence seems to focus on a nurturing behavior.  These individuals tend to grasp an understanding of nature and the outdoors and a need to care for the environment.

The important thing to remember with Gardner’s Theory is that, with young children, all these areas can be fostered and developed.  Looking for products and tools that promote growth in these areas will only strengthen your child’s learning experiences as they grow up.  In fact, Gardner’s idea is that we all possess these areas of intelligence; it is up to us and our teachers/parents to foster growth in each of these areas.

With our second child, we learned early on that in order for him to be successful, he needed to be in charge, or in charge as much as we could let him.  Letting children make their own decisions gives them ownership of the situation and can help them learn to behave well.

First of all, make sure that children are allowed to make choices.  However, as a parent, you can control the types of choices the child will make.  For instance, it is bathtime and my child IS going to take a bath, but I give him the choice of a bath in his tub or a bath in mine.  His choice, but it is the outcome that I desire (a clean kid!).  Or, we are getting ready to go to the store.  I may give my child a choice of two kinds of shoes to wear.  He is going to wear shoes, but I allow him to choose which ones he wants.

Giving choices is a good way to work with potential misbehaviors.  When my boys are getting overly rough, I give them a choice.  For example, stop throwing the ball in the house or the ball will have to be put away for a while.  My child then has the choice of rolling the ball (an acceptable behavior here) or no ball at all. 

Oftentimes, giving choices is a great way to get children to cooperate, even when it is something they initially do not want to do.  Instead of the battle of bedtime (and actually getting into bed), I give my son a choice of two or three books to read in bed before lights out.  He is getting in bed, but he gets to decide what we will do when we are there.  And, if he chooses all the books?  That’s okay, too…he is in bed, and that is the ultimate goal.

There are times, though, that my child will try to make a choice other than those that are given.  In cases such as this, the best thing to do is to let the child know what the choices are again.  I have been known to sound a bit like a broken record, but eventually my child will make a choice that is one of the options given.

Allowing your child to solve his or her own problems through making good choices is a wonderful way to parent with limits.  It gives freedom with structure, which is vital to providing a sense of security and confidence in children.

We’re halfway through the summer!  The weather here is hot and sunny - not a cloud in the sky.  So, look for quite a few outdoor activities this week.  Join in a few, and be sure to submit suggestions of your own to add!

MONDAY:  Since it has been so hot here, my boys have been inside most of the time.  However, I do manage to get them out of doors for a little while each day.  Today, we’re going to cool off outside!  While my boys love squirt guns, I’m not that keen on them (there’s just something weird about my three year-old holding an Uzi-looking water gun…).  So, I invested in a couple of Dollar Store squirt bottles.  They hold TONS more water than a squirt gun and are just as effective!  Unscrew the nozzle for a more direct spray, or leave the nozzle almost closed for a mist effect!  If I’m lucky, they’ll also water the plants for me…

TUESDAY:  We’re putting a spin on Jell-o today.  My boys are making blue Jell-o today, but we’re going to add whipped topping to it after it sets for about 90 minutes.  The result is an amazing concoction we call “fluff”.  Add as much or as little whipped topping as you desire.  The more, the fluffier!  Use a hand mixer to combine until smooth.  It is the perfect summertime treat.  Not a fan of blue Jell-o?  Any flavor will do!  What a treat!

WEDNESDAY:  We definitely need to get out of the house, so after our stop at the library, we’re taking our bikes to the local park. We love to ride bikes and we love to go to the park so we’re combining them today! And if it is raining today where you are, how about sending some lovin’ through a little Monk-e-Mail today? My boys LOVE sending this to Daddy at work and the grandparents as well!

THURSDAY: Make your own beach activity today without even going to the beach!  Take a piece of heavy paper or cardboard and doodle on it with a bottle of glue…the more squiggly lines and swirls, the better!  Then, flip the creation over in the sandbox (if you don’t have a sandbox, sprinkle sand on top of it).  Viola!  Sand art!  When it dries, it makes a GREAT tactile creation for little ones!

FRIDAY:  Turn off the TV, put the car keys away for an evening, and have a Family Game Night!  Whether it be “Peek a Boo” with a baby, “I Spy” with a toddler, or your kids’ favorite board and card games, make tonight a night of games.  If you are tired of the same old games, pull out a deck of cards and learn a new card game (US Playing Card website has some great children’s card games).  Or combine the pieces from a few board games and create your own unique game. 

That’s it for this week!