Birds of a Feather Go on a Hike Together – Part scientist, part detective this fun idea provides you and your kids with fresh air and a lot of exercise.

Supplies Needed:

• 1 Notebook (Journal)
• Pencil or pen
• Binoculars

Objective: Find 3 – 5 different kinds of birds in your neighborhood, park, or woods.

Take your kids on a hike in the woods or to your city park. Have them keep their eyes open for different kinds of birds building nests in the trees. Once they spot a bird, have them write down the name of the bird.  If they do not know what kind of bird it is, have them write down a description of the bird, such as its color, size, and any distinctive marking.

After you have recorded 3 – 5 different kinds of birds, go home and look them up on the Internet. Birdsource  (www.birdsource.org) is a good website to learn about different kinds of birds.

Spring is a great time of year to be looking for different kinds of birds in your neighborhood.

This is a fun activity that gives your kids something to do and exercise too!

Here is another Spring Break idea.

Indoor Baseball – Fun activity on a rainy day.

Supplies Needed:

• 2 dry water balls
• 1 small souvenir bat
• Enough space in your home to play without breaking anything

Objective – Hit the dry water ball and score runs!

This is your classic baseball game, but with a twist – playing indoors! First designate which piece of furniture in your room are 1^st base, 2^nd base, 3^rd base, and home plate.

Next remind your kids not to throw the bat or slide into base. (My rule is if they start playing too rough, the game is over!)  The first batter comes to the plate and tries to hit the dry water ball. It is more challenging that it looks. Once he hits the ball, he runs to first base. If you don’t have enough players, then making it to first base is the same as scoring a run.

Using the dry water balls lets your kids play without you having to worry about breaking anything in your home.

 Check out Mommy Day Camp ebook!

Spring Break is a couple weeks away. Unless you are planning to go skiing or to the beach, you are probably like me and are looking for some fun things to do with your kids that won’t cost you a lot of money.

I’d like to share with you five ideas that I’ve done with my kids that they have really enjoyed and that didn’t cost me a lot of money.

Here is the first idea:

1. Pickle – This game of tag is ideal if you have boys or girls who love to play baseball or softball and need to warm up for their Spring ball season.

Supplies Needed:

• 2 baseball gloves
• 1 soft baseball (T-ball is an ideal type of ball)
• 2 bases
• 2 baseball catchers
• Lots of base runners

Objective:  Avoid getting tagged 3 times.

The base runners divide up and each stand on a base. The baseball catchers begin throwing the baseball to one another. When a catcher misses the ball or a wild pitch is thrown, the base runners make a mad dash to the opposite base without getting tagged. Some times when the base runners become daring enough, they will sprint for the base without trying to be tagged.

If a base runner is tagged out 3 times, then he or she becomes one of the catchers and the catcher becomes a base runner.

In the early Spring Pickle is one of our family’s favorite past times! I hope you enjoy playing this game with your kids too!

For other family fun ideas read my Mommy Day Camp ebook.

In Dallas last week we received an unusual winter weather treat – 12.5 inches of snow. Needless to say schools were closed and the kids enjoyed a rare snow day.

The tradition in our family on a snow day is to do the following:

• Build a snowman
• Have a snowball fight
• Use our recycling lid as a sled
• And build an indoor fort

While many of you probably already do the first 3 with your kids on a snow day, have you ever built an indoor fort together?

It is very easy and provides your kids with hours of fun!

 So how do you build an indoor fort?

Well, first you round up all your extra sheets and blankets. Next you move your furniture in your living room so that they can be used as the walls to support the fort. Then you place your sheets and blankets over the top of your furniture creating a canopy or ceiling.  Make sure you lay one sheet as the door or opening into the fort. 

Give each child a flashlight and they will crawl through their fort for hours. 

For snack I always warm up hot chocolate and popcorn on a cold snow day.

So, next time you are faced with a snow day think of creating your own family memories and build a fort together.

I hope you enjoyed this Mommy Day Camp idea. See my ebook for more fun family ideas that won’t cost you a fortune?

Use Your Sense 

This Mommy Day Camp activity is great for doing indoors on a rainy day or after school once homework is done.

WHAT YOU NEED:
- Blindfold
- Bowls
- Household items for each of the tests
- Paper
- Pen or pencil

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Sight test - Place 10 – 15 small items on a tray, such as a spoon, small rubber ball, pencil, tooth brush, and other common items you have at home. Let the kids look at the tray for 1 minute, then ask them to write down as many items as they can remember.

2. Hearing test- Place a blindfold on the first child. Make half a dozen familiar noises, such as a newspaper being crumpled, microwave timer going off, water running.  Count how many the child recognizes correctly.

3. Taste test – A blindfold is used again. This time the child tastes a range of foods such as jam, apple, salt, or sugar, and try to guess what they are.

4. Smelling test – A blindfold is used again – Place household items such as lemonade, coffee, vinegar, or other familiar liquids each in a bowl. See how many a player can guess correctly.

5. Touch test – Again a blindfold is used. Have each play feel various household items, such as a soft favorite blanket, spoon, flour. Count how many they get correctly.

Do you and your family have a favorite activity? If so, I would love to hear what it is! Please post a comment.

To see other family fun items, please check out my ebook titled “Mommy Day Camp 20 Unique Items You Can Do that Won’t Cost You alot of Money.”