Digital Clock Fun
Working with your kids on learning their numbers? Try using a digital clock. The Boy loves to watch the clock in our room in the morning and see what number comes next. He isn’t telling time yet, but he can usually tell us what numbers he sees on the clock.
Now if only we can tell him to stay quiet until the first number is a 8! Or even a 7!
Another Free Outing
Petco. The place where pets go. Also, the place where frugal parents take their kids to see some animals. There are two Petcos within 20 minutes of our home, both near shopping areas that we frequent at least every other week. A visit to the pet store is:
1. Free!
2. Cool on a hot summer’s day.
3. Educational - learning the names of various fish, lizards, turtles, etc.
4. Free!
Apple Art
We are doing another theme week and this time it is Apples. Here is a fun apple art project.
1. Cut an apple in half around the middle so that the seeds form a star on each half.
2. Use a pumpkin carving knife or paring knife to carefully cut around the ’star’ in the middle of the apple half and take out that chunk.
3. You should be left with a ’stamp’ that will make a circle with a star in the middle.
4. Pour washable, non-toxic paint onto a tray (I use clean meat trays).
5. Dip the apple half into the paint and press firmly and gently onto paper. Voila!
Another Old Calendar Use
Here’s another way to recycle those old calendars:
Use them as a positive rewards sticker chart for your kids. We are currently using one as we embark on potty-training with The Boy. It is hanging on the wall in the bathroom and he gets to put on a sticker every time he uses the potty. It works so well because the squares are already in place. It is hanging right down at his eye level and he likes looking at the new picture each month.
Paper Crafts Website
I’ve been printing coloring pages for The Boy recently. I print them back to back or on recycled paper. He goes through coloring pages like there is no tomorrow.
DLTK’s Crafts for Kids has all kinds of coloring pages and paper craft ideas.
The best part is that they are free!
Riding the Bus
If you live in a town large enough for bus service, you may want to look into riding the bus around as an inexpensive form of entertainment. We took The Boy on our local town bus route and had a grand old time. We were the only ones on the bus for the entire trip. He is young enough still to be a free ride and the adult fare was less than $2.
We have a country bus service that we plan to try one of these days. That will be a much longer ride, but will still cost less than $2. Plan ahead and bring a diaper bag with a diaper change if needed, water and snacks. Check the schedule online, then confirm your route with the driver when you get on the bus.
Happy riding!
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