Category Archives: Family Fun

Getting Ready for Halloween – Children’s Party

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22259324_S Planning and hosting a children’s Halloween party – either in tandem with or instead of trick-or-treating – can be fun for everyone. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Match scary to size. If the party features a younger bunch – under eight – keep the spooky to a minimum. Older ones look forward to being scared.

Take a look at the two very different Halloween tables below. One is for the littlest bunch, with non-threatening pumpkins and unrealistic gummy worms. The main goal at these parties is to maximize the fun and minimize the crying. Activities such as decorating their own fake pumpkins with plenty of glitter glue, a trick-or-treat adventure inside the house by having them go to every door – including closets if possible – and picking up different candies and prizes given by adults or older children, and pinning the broom on the witch are good ways to make the party special.

15012950_SNow let’s consider the older ones – ten years old through pre-teen. These children are hoping to be scared silly. This is the time to pull out the jars of peeled grapes as eyeballs, oily spaghetti as people innards, and any other combinations you and your kids can discover. Ghost stories are always a hit, and go wild with your Halloween table. Blood soup with more realistic gummy worms combined with a real-looking non-alcoholic Bloody Mary provides snacks that can make them shiver.

22629576_SOnce they hit the teen years, it’s pretty hard to scare them. You might want to organize a trip to one of the local haunted houses and leave the frights to the professionals. Hand out several digital cameras, or encourage photos with their camera phones. Then round them up and bring them back for some hearty late-night munchies and a chance to laugh and compare notes on the experience and the photos.

Whatever the age, be sure to include a nice variety of Halloween candy – you’re never too young or too old to enjoy the tricks and treats of Halloween.

Getting Ready for Halloween – Adult Party

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15253063_SWould you like to be the perfect hosts for a Halloween party this year? Here are a few tips to help ensure that everyone has a spooky fun time.

Costume ideas: Consider asking for a specific theme for costumes. Often people will be particularly imaginative if you give them a defined starting point. For example, you could ask people to come as television or film characters. Or how about suggesting that everyone remember their childhood dreams and come as what they once wanted to be when they grew up?

Décor & lighting: Be creative with your Halloween theme. Candles set the stage, but consider glow sticks and battery-operated LED lights to tuck a glow where it is least expected. Store-bought spider webbing can add an edge to your buffet and lamps. It’s better to make a strong statement in one area such as the entryway or the buffet table than to scatter decorations over the entire house, although you might want to make the bathroom a bit spooky – how about one of those motion-activated skeletons ready to startle anyone who walks in?

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Food: Although you want to have some substantive choices, stick with a Halloween or at least an Autumn theme. A butternut squash soup provides a warm taste of the season, or how about pumpkin bread? Be sure to add a few seasonal touches such as the spider web design in sour cream in the photo to the right, Visit the food network’s website or google Halloween food for a host of Halloween-themed appetizers and desserts.

And finally, even though this party is for adults, be sure to include some bite-sized Halloween candy. After all, we are all still kids at heart.

Getting Ready for Halloween – Food

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22691265_SAs with every holiday – foods add personality and spice to Halloween. Apples are a treat made for fall, but you can turn them into holiday specials by coating them in caramel and then adding Halloween sprinkles instead of – or in addition to – nuts. Place on a bed of candy corn and pumpkins and you have captured the spirit of the season.

15322265_STo get in the Halloween mood while staying away from sweets, how about this open-face mummy snack? Cover the bread with either strips of roasted pepper or a marinara sauce and then position strips of mozzarella cheese to look like mummy wrappings. Two olive slices add eyes to finish the effect. Toast until the treat is warm and the cheese starts to melt. Your little goblin will love this!

Halloween cookies can be fun for the whole family. Cookie cutters are available in a variety of scary shapes and regular sugar cookie or gingerbread cookie dough will make cut-outs easy. You can even buy cookie dough mixes to make it simpler.

White, orange and black frostings provide everything you need to make a bevy of Halloween cookies. If you want, look for special Halloween decorations such as sugar bones and pumpkins. You can even get small candy bloodshot eyes!

22534191_SFor cut-outs such as the Jack-o-lantern in the photo, place the pumpkin shape on a piece of parchment paper before making the cuts. Afterwards, the cookie can be moved still on the paper to a baking sheet, to avoid the distortion of trying to lift it with a spatula.

Have fun and experiment, with no fear. The failures will taste just as good as the successes. Make your Halloween even more exciting with a few food items that may start a new tradition with your family.

Getting Ready for Halloween – Crafts

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21467637_SPumpkin carving provides great Halloween memories for children and parents alike. Today’s pumpkin carving tools – available in most grocery and dollar stores – make the process even easier and more fun.

Here are a few pumpkin-carving tips when working with children.

Stay age-appropriate. For very little ones, have them draw the face on the pumpkin for an adult to carve. Or you may not even carve the pumpkin at all – instead use a set of colored sharpies to let children draw jack-o-lantern faces. This is particularly fun for them with the little desk-sized pumpkins.

Share the fun. If possible, let every child have his or her own pumpkin. If that gets too expensive, have one child decide on the eyes, another the nose or mouth, etc. so that everyone has a part in the final product.

Stay safe. Keep sharp knives away from children. Instead of lighting a candle for inside the pumpkin, pick up an LED votive candle for flameless light.

10996366_SThe photo on the right shows another fun craft for Halloween. Cut heavy paper into strips – with decorative scissors if you have them although plain strips will also work. Create a pumpkin shape and staple or glue in place. Top with green paper leaves and some curly ribbon.

Black construction paper can be cut into bat and cat shapes for walls and windows. Bend the bats so they look like they might fly away before tacking to a wall or door.

16209145_SOne other simple craft approach – using leaves – is easy to create but can provide intriguing and dramatic results as you can see in the photo to the left. Cut out scary faces with scissors when leaves are fresh and then let dry in a book to keep them flat. You can tape the final results to your windows to make your home look extra spooky and interesting this Halloween.

Halloween is a great time to get the family together to make decorations for your home during the season. Explore Pinterest and the Internet for other fun ideas for crafts that will help you make Halloween extra special.

Bridging Generations: Connecting with Each Other

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14579820_SMany people, particularly baby boomers, find themselves taking care of parents and children at the same time. When everyone shares a home, it can be difficult to get everyone to communicate and feel connected.

Even if grandchildren and grandparents get along well for visits, once everyone is living together 24/7 the situation may change. As the person in the middle, it may be up to you to build a bridge between the generations. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Plan family dinners: With crazy schedules this may be difficult, but start with one dinner together a week and build from there. Fix something that everyone enjoys and make it feel special with fresh flowers or candles. Don’t rely on chance for discussion topics. Make a plan for questions that would be fun for people of all ages. For example: what was your favorite birthday and why? If you have trouble coming up with ideas, pick up a packet or a book of fun questions or dinner table topics.

Play games: A challenging game of Monopoly or Clue can bridge generations. Or you may have your children teach grandpa to bowl on the Wii. By sharing fun experiences barriers will break down and everyone will be more comfortable. Shared fun memories are a great way to make friends.

Tell stories: These might be prompted by family heirlooms or just memories of past events that were exciting, funny or important. Remember to draw out stories from every generation. Grandparents may enjoy hearing about last year’s school play and your kids might like to know what it was like to live in a world without computers and the Internet.

Just a bit of effort can help every generation connect with every other, turning a house full of different people into a true family that enjoys being together.

Decorate your Entryway for Fall

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19586378_SDo you find that less is more when decorating your front entryway for the fall holidays? If you’re satisfied with one pumpkin – uncarved –sitting on your front stoop then this blog is not for you.

If, on the other hand, you enjoy making the most of the autumn season both inside and outside your home, consider some of these fun options.

Wreaths: Start with a grapevine frame and weave in some silk leaf sprays from a hobby store. Or you could make life easy and grab a fall-leaf garland and wrap it around your grapevine. Voila, you have a gorgeous wreath, generally for less than$20. If you want, pick up a few yards of wide fall ribbon and add a bow. The wreath in the photo has the added fun of a few pumpkins and a pinecone or two.

5823969_SPumpkins: Yes of course you want one on your porch. You might as well go home if you don’t have at least one. But how about going for broke? The photo below shows three jack-o-lanterns hogging the stairway daring you to ignore their grinning faces.  A couple of gourds add an additional spark of fall gaudiness.

3750054_SMums: Your local warehouse store has huge mum plants ready to pop into bloom in every fall color. Notice how nice the orange and white mums look at this entrance. They send a message that the adults in this home like autumn too.

Finally, you can go all out and display all of these at the same time. Consider adding a scarecrow such as the one in this final photo, or find the autumn figure of your choice. Maybe you’d rather have a few bats or an owl or two. Florists, discount stores and hobby stores have a rich selection of choices to appeal to any taste.

Let your visitors know you’re up for autumn before they even walk in the door. Make your opinions of the joys of fall loud and clear for the neighbors to hear!

Helping the Teacher Teach your Child – Grammar

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10611940_SFor most students, grammar in school is tedious and confusing. But good grammar has a significant impact on your child’s potential for success in the future. Bad grammar is like cursing: you don’t notice it when it’s not there, but it’s painfully obvious when it is.

While you don’t want to have to diagram a sentence with your child, you have an invaluable chance to make sure your child speaks properly. Don’t expect teachers to manage this on their own. You can make a big difference. If your child is having some problems in this area, here are some ideas to encourage good grammar.

Correct grammar mistakes immediately and without judgment. Bad grammar is a combination of ignorance and habit. Over time, your reminders will sink in, but it’s important to make your tone reminding rather than critical. It’s hard for a child, or anyone, to face corrective feedback, so keep your tone light. Also, don’t correct in front of friends or anyone other than immediate family. The goal is learning, not humiliation.

After a while, ask for the correct grammar, don’t give it. At first, it’s your job to provide the correct response, but over time your child will know the answer, so have them say it out loud. It will strengthen the lesson.

Explain why correct grammar is so important. Even the best ideas can get lost if the speaker distracts with bad grammar. It also damages credibility and is seen as evidence of lack of intelligence. It can also hold people back from opportunities they deserve. In school, good grammar can make the difference between good grades and mediocre ones.

Keep a grammar handbook handy. Strunk & White’s Elements of Style is a short classic that has virtually everything you need to check for proper grammar. It is available for less than $5.00 at any bookstore. Or you may want to browse the grammar books and help your child choose one that is appealing or understandable. You can also access grammar information online.

Written and spoken words can have power, or can compromise a person’s goals. Good grammar is more than a set of seemingly arbitrary rules; it provides a basic step in building strong communication skills.

Helping the Teacher Teach your Child – Homework

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14980249_SIt can be a challenge as a parent to decide how much to help your child with homework assignments. Ignoring homework and expecting your child to be responsible on his or her own often demands more responsibility than a small child can handle. However, it’s easy to end up doing too much for a child, limiting their ability to develop skills and personal focus.

The best place to start when deciding your role with your child’s homework is with the teacher. Every educator has a different perspective on homework and parent involvement. Speak directly with the teacher about his or her expectations and goals. This allows you to support the teacher’s efforts and your child’s learning. Here are a few general suggestions:

Set a schedule for homework: After a short break and snack, homework should happen if possible before dinner or early in the evening. Delay – a common tactic – just makes the process harder as bedtime grows closer. It’s also a good lesson to focus on work before play. Have them complete homework from hardest – while they’re fresh – to easiest.

Do your homework too: If you read, balance your bank account or pay bills while your children work on their homework, it helps them to see that even grownups have responsibilities. It’s also hard for a child to do homework when parents or siblings are having fun. Use homework time as an opportunity for the whole family to complete projects.

Keep it quiet: No television or loud music, even if your teen says he or she can study better with it. Find some soft instrumentals, recordings of nature noises or mellow classical pieces to provide a relaxing background if you like.

Provide guidance, not answers: The goal of homework is practice on what was taught in class or to give the opportunity to apply learning to new problems. Ask questions and go through the textbook and instructions with your child. This is more time-consuming, but you’re helping your child learn to think, as well as teaching that you won’t supply answers, just support.

Homework can be challenging but it can also be rewarding. Encouraging your child or children can help them discover the pleasure of solving problems on their own and finding answers without help, skills that will serve them well as they grow.

Gifts Teachers Love to Get

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21460063_SThe old traditional teacher present of an apple has changed to bath salts, cute sayings on mugs and t-shirts and various handmade gifts suggested on Pinterest that may or may not be welcome. The following suggestions are as easy, or easier, than the gifts mentioned above, but these offerings will be truly appreciated.

School supplies: Teachers spend thousands of dollars a year on their own school supplies. From paper to books and prizes, budget-strapped schools lag behind what’s needed, and many good teachers make up the difference out of their own pockets. The easiest and nicest approach to this is to pick up a gift certificate to an office supply store or local teacher supply store.

If you want something more personalized, how about adding a set of education-geared stamps or stickers? Primary teachers in particular know the power of recognition, and a new selection of some of the inventive options that have replaced gold stars would be a fun gift for a teacher to receive.

An experience: Many teachers are on tight budgets, so how about providing gift certificates to a movie or a chance to dine out at a nice restaurant? Warehouse stores sell an inviting assortment of choices. You might ask your child if the teacher has mentioned an interest in movies or something else such as golf or the theater. Be sure whatever you buy is open-ended enough to fit with any schedule. If you make a choice at a warehouse store, some of them are generous with returns if you choose something the teacher is not interested in attending.

Your help: Field trips, in-class events, fund-raisers and other activities often benefit from parent volunteers. Offer to help with a project and be sure to tell the teacher your involvement is because of their hard work and commitment to the classroom.

Recognition: Everyone likes a pat on the back, and teachers are certainly no exception. Repeat any complimentary words your child has said about the teacher to the teacher and his or her principal. A nice letter to the teacher – copied to the principal – talking about the teacher’s exceptional performance will be appreciated much more than anything you can buy. And remember that you can nominate a teacher for the Fulton Homes Teacher of the Week Award.

Oh – you can also include an apple.

Helping the Teacher Teach your Child – Part 1

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6720897_SIf you want your children to do well in school, your job starts well before Kindergarten. Reading aloud gives your children a head start – engaging them in learning from a very young age. Some educators recommend starting to read aloud when your child is as young as two weeks old.

Another critical part of this is the reading aloud process itself. As your child gets older, read so that both of you are looking at the book, and follow the words with your finger. Many children will start learning to read unconsciously this way. Also spend some time engaging your child about each book. Look at the pictures and stretch the story by asking questions. Start with the basic: “Where is the dog,” type of question and gradually evolve the sophistication until you’re talking about how various characters feel and why they act the way they do.

Also, don’t stop reading aloud when your child is school-age and reading on his or her own. You can provide windows into more challenging books and open their eyes to a new way of thinking. Finally, make sure your children see you reading for pleasure. Talk about what you’re reading and what you’re discovering. There’s no better way to encourage them to become involved in learning.

Don’t limit the reading to books either. Read everything from road signs to magazines and newspapers aloud. When you find an interesting story or a funny remark, share it with your children. As they get older, ask them to read labels in the grocery store and talk about flavor and nutrition. Point out the marketing messages and ask them if the ads or promotional materials are really believable.

By doing this, you’re doing more than helping them to read better and do better in school, you’re giving them a blueprint for living an aware and focused life with many interests and independent thoughts.