Rainy Day Activities

     You have the perfect Saturday planned with your kids - a trip to the park, sandwiches on a picnic blanket, and time enjoying the beautiful spring weather. But you forgot one thing: spring doesn't come without rain.

     Nothing can put a damper on a day’s plan more than an unexpected rainfall. In a time where we are more and more dependent on technology, it is good to have activities to do with kids that don't involve putting in a video game or turning on Netflix. Here are a couple websites with some easy ideas that can break up that long day in house for both you and your children.

     Babble.com has a list of 18 Rainy Day Activities to Keep Your Kids Busy, compiled by Gabrielle Blair. There are a lot of great ideas on this list for kids of all ages. One idea that I found especially interesting was #13 Making Homemade Bouncy Balls. There's a simple recipe for making super-bouncy balls from scratch!

     Anna Fader, writing for MommyPoppins.com, gives us a list of 50 indoor activities for a rainy day. There are a lot of ideas on this list! If you didn't find something to do from the first list, Mommy Poppins is sure to have something for you. These were two of my favorites:

•  #13 Write letters (on actual paper with actual pens and pencils) to out-of-town relatives or friends.
• #39 Make your own granola bars (recipe included!).

     Hopefully those lists give you enough inspiration to not just survive the next rainy day, but have a lot of fun with your family! You could just binge-watch a few Disney movies on Netflix, but wouldn't you rather create lasting memories with your kids? Let us know if you have any special rainy day traditions, and help us learn from you!

Web Catch of the Week: Fall Favorites

     Fall is a season deeply rooted in traditions. It goes beyond putting on a costume and exploring different neighborhoods for the best candy stashes. At first I thought the obsession with apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and the #PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte) was strictly for us in the Midwest. Turns out the trend has spread to areas like Houston, TX where my friend took her daughter to a pumpkin patch in 90 degree weather last week!

     Now that the weather is beginning to reflect the season, why not pass on some of your favorite fall traditions to your family? You can build some lasting memories with your kids by taking just a few minutes to do something out of your ordinary routine. Here are a few ideas to help get you started.

Here's one of our campers showing off her pumpkin jar from our Fall Frenzy craft.

     At our Fall Frenzy program, we transformed some old baby food jars with a little bit of paint to make tiny pumpkins and apples. You can easily make these at home using any kind of jar. They're perfect to fill with candy or other goodies to give as a gift. Check out step-by-step instructions for this fall craft by visiting The 36th Avenue blog.

     If you're still in search of some autumn activities and crafts for your family, Katie Femia put together a great list of fall activities perfect for kids and adults in her guest post on the blog Premeditated Leftovers. She also includes a few helpful links to recipes, crafts, and other family activities. Check out "30 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy Fall." 

     What fall traditions does your family have? Are there any foods, places, or activities that you like to enjoy during the fall? Share your fall favorites in the comments, and help us all make lasting memories with our families.