Children of all ages, including adults, can find affordable ways to cure the “I’m bored’s” without busting their budgets.  These activities will inspire fond memories and learning.  Visit them as a starting point to many new adventures.

 Learning Can Be Fun:

 DoverPublications.com – Sign up for their weekly FREE Sampler, which includes puzzles, art, reading and activities for all ages.  Print out your choice, every week!

HighlightKids.com – All the fun of the childhood favorite, available to you (for free) online!

Familycorner.com – An online community, your source for family fun, craft projects, and more.

Nps.gov/archive/yell/kidstuff/scavhunt/index.htm:  Kids of all ages can find an online tours, an alphabet book and scavenger hunt through Yellowstone Park.

Windowsintowonderland.org:  Take an e-field trip through Yellowstone.  Includes “Ask an Expert” and spectacular photos featured as you meet animals who call Yellowstone home.  

Preschoolprojects.net: Daily (free) preschool projects, preschool topics of information and more daily delivered to your e-mail.  There is also an offer for a free sample of their preschool projects.

Nationalgeographic.com invites you to online “Congo Trek” adventure and other fascinating experiences. 

Creative Times:

Familyfun.go.com: Fun stuff for kids and fun family ideas.  This is free online content from Family Fun Magazine, and more.  Includes recipes, coloring pages, puzzles, crafts… all designed to keep your family having fun.   

Kaboose.com: Kids crafts, online games, and information for parents. Offers free Kids Crafts & Activities e-newsletter.

Crayola.com:  Join Crayola’s free Creativity Central community for 1,000+ coloring pages, craft ideas, online games, and an e-card creator.

Share your favorite learning places, online….  Where are you finding your creative, learning adventures?

Lunch Box Inspiration: Send Your Love to School with Them:

Send your kids to school with little surprises awaiting them in their lunchbox.  Thoughtful notes can communicate your love and strengthen bonds between parent and child.  Your child will feel special; the extra attention and praise will be priceless to them. 

When creating lunchbox notes consider your child’s age and peer environment.  Young children will be delighted with cute words and pictures.  Older children will be thankful when you keep pet names and sweet words out of the notes.  Include a joke they can share with their lunch mates.  Children who do not take a lunch to school can be pleasantly surprised with notes of encouragement in their backpacks. 

Making fun and loving notes can be as simple as paper notes of stick figures, words large or small, or stickers.  Use copies of photos, jokes, drawings, colored paper, comics, and whatever else your heart leads you to create.  Notes on everyday napkins with or without drawings are a great idea as well.  If you’re out of ideas, Hallmark sells a line of .99 cents cards meant for children.  Tip: To avoid a rush to make your notes amidst the morning routine, make enough cards for the entire week ahead of time.

Choose words which communicate your love.  “You’re special to me”, “We’re proud of you”, “Thanks for all of your hard work”, etc.  Younger children can be aided in their quest to learn reading when you use the same words, on different backgrounds.  In your notes, compliment your kids and/or give them something to look forward to when they get home.

There are a number of books with tear-out notes or, online, you can find printable notes, decorated with their favorite cartoon characters (or other décor).  Here are a few sources:

http://www.nickjr.com/printables/dora-lunchbox-love-notes.jhtml

http://www.nickjr.com/printables/oswald-lunchbox-note.jhtml

http://printables.familyeducation.com/

Here are some jokes to inspire your sense of humor:

Question: What do you call the smelliest fairy? Answer: Stinkerbell.

Question: What did the computer do at lunch time? Answer: Had a byte!

Question: What do you call a bee that is always complaining? Answer: A grumble bee!

Knock Knock

Whose There

Candy

Candy, who?

Candy cow jumped over de moon!

However you create your lunchbox notes, you will be making memories and affirming your kids in these valuable years of their life.  And, you just might inspire hundreds of laughs throughout the lunchroom with your new lunchtime jokes.