Getting Mad In The Car Might Not Be So Bad After All

     You're in the car with your family. You've been driving for who know how long. The mile markers whiz by like tall blades of grass as you stare blankly through the windshield. Your mind. is. blank. **BRAKE LIGHTS** **Stomp on brake pedal** **Swerve to avoid car** Where did they come from?! Didn't they see me?! How could they cut me off like that?! Where did they learn to drive?! 

     The kids are a little flustered, but everyone's all right. The mood calms down again. But your patience is about to be tested even more. Softly from the back seat, you hear the dreaded question.

"Are we there yet?"

     Normally, you might get frustrated at this, but it would be better if you got mad. No, I'm not talking about yelling at your kids, I'm talking about Mad Libs.

 

Mad Lib Stories

     You remember Mad Libs, right? You fill in the blanks and a totally random, hilarious story is written out of thin air. Here's one that I did just now:

Come get your Slimy discounts on all of your favorite brand name Piglets. Our Handsome and Parasailing sales associates are there to Lift you 68,909 hours a day. Here you will find Plump prices on the Hamsters you need.

 

How Do I Tell a Mad Lib Story?

     Erik Wolgemuth knows how hard it is to entertain our kids. He suggests that we tell “mad lib” stories as a way to keep their attention and involve them in the storytelling process. This technique of storytelling takes some of the pressure off of the storyteller (a.k.a. Mom & Dad) and gives the kids the chance to interact and insert funny words. It can also help to strengthen their vocabulary and grammar skills. Mad Lib storytelling is an easy, laid back family activity that will have everyone laughing on those long car rides. Check out his post titled, The [noun] that Dad Told was [adjective]: Mad Lib Storytelling on dadcraft.com. 

 

What If I'm Not a Good Storyteller?

     If you struggle with thinking of creative storylines, don’t worry! There’s an app for that! You can download the free “Mad Libs” app on the App Store or Google Play. I love this app. All you need to do is fill in the blanks with the nouns, adjectives, or adverbs, and Mad Libs spits out a hilarious story that (usually) doesn’t make any sense. Kids of all ages can participate in thinking of crazy words to add to the story. Mad Lib stories might just become your new favorite road trip game!

     Next time you're in the car with your family, try getting Mad instead of getting angry!

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!