BREAKING NEWS :

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?

In the spirit of keeping learning fun and finding family fun!

Free Learning Games, Ideas and Printable Resources:

http://funschool.kaboose.com/

http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=30&e=gameslanding&mcat=game_infant,game_toddler,game_preschool&site=us

http://preschoolprojects.net/sample.php (Sign up for their free newsletter and view a free preschool product sample)

http://familyfun.go.com/printables/

http://www.freeprintable.net

http://www.starfall.com

http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/

Online Reference Tools:

Online Medical, Financial, Languages, and other types of Dictionaries.  Fun Feature: “Hangman” game on the homepage:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

Lots of ads, but the dictionary, crossword and translator tools are there:

http://www.reference.com/

Online Encyclopedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Search National Geographic (also features games, videos, and activities)

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

http://kidshealth.org/ (Features a Parents, Kids and Teens Site)

Learning into (Fun) Action Resources:

Free Online fieldtrips through Yellowstone Park (includes lesson plans & more):

http://www.windowsintowonderland.org/

Find Fieldtrip Locations and Opportunities in Your Community.  Locate, Book and Review available fieldtrips:

http://www.fieldtripfactory.com/

More Resources and Educational References for Parents:

List of Organizations and Websites Geared to Parent Education and Learning Inspiration:

http://www.preknow.org/families/athome/learnathome.cfm

We’re returning from vacation… and I’m realizing that I’ll land smack dab into the last week of September….

So, here’s a reminder for all of us, to look over those September to-do’s and deadlines! 

Here are a few things to look forward to (and enjoy) in October:

October: Children’s Magazine Month:  Share titles you may remember such as “Highlights”, “Spider” and “Sesame Street” as you explore childsmagmonth.org.  Many titles can be found at your local library.  For great deals on magazine subscriptions, check out Amazon.com’s frequent specials or bestdealmagazines.com.

October is “National Dental Hygiene Month”:  Get a head start on all of those upcoming “Goodie-Holidays”, and ensure that your kids (and yourself) are practicing good dental hygiene.  Find and print a cute chart to keep track of your kids brushing at spaceshipdentist.com/media/games/getupandbrush3.jpg.  Colgate.com also has some neat tools to help teach your kids the importance of brushing their teeth.

“Fire Prevention Week” is October 4-10.  Is your family ready in the event of a fire at your home?  It’s more than replacing the batteries in your smoke detector.  As your kids age, they’re more able to be ready and somewhat more likely to be curious about fire.  Create a fire escape plan, provide collapsible fire ladders for second-story bedrooms, and find teachable moments to discuss fire safety.  Firesafety.gov has escape plan procedures, free puzzles and coloring pages, and other tools to help you.

Fall leaves mean color and traditions aplenty.  Cherish the moments with your camera and scrapbook.  Take it all in, with your family.  Enjoy a tour of a pumpkin patch, leaf-strewn park, and heat up some cider. 

Remember though, that fall means holidays…and as the month goes on, we’ll be closer to family gatherings, gifts, and special moments we’ll want to be prepared for.  Get some friends together now to share holiday traditions – and take this time to try some new ones.  Block out time in your calendar to begin creating a memorable, home-made Christmas. 

Make your holiday season merrier (and more affordable) when you put this month’s “coffee-money” away for future gift and holiday purchases.  If your family does gift exchanges or sharing of home-made delights, make those plans known now, so that everyone can enjoy the gift-giving preparations.

Share your Fall Ideas with us!

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.