Lego Fun Friday!

On the 1st & 3rd Friday of the month Frugal Fun for Boys is hosting Lego Fun Fridays.  This is an opportunity for your kids to share their lego creations and to see the lego creations of other kids!

This week Connor made a Mini-Swimming Pool Complex:

 This is the entrance.

 This is the inside of the complex complete with pool, fountain & slide.

FREE Summer Fun!

Today is Cow Appreciation Day so of course we had to dress-up like cows to get FREE food! 

Can you believe that Connor ate a whole Chicken Deluxe Sandwich??

After lunch, we went to Starbucks which was conveniently located 2 buildings over from Chick-Fil-A to get FREE Starbucks Refreshers.

The Refreshers were so good that we stopped at another Starbucks we passed on the way home to get 2 more!!

Did you dress like a cow today or stop at Starbucks for a FREE Refresher? 

Invisible Ink Activity

Making invisible ink is a fun & easy summer activity for kids.  You can write secret messages for them to decode or vice-versa!


You will need:

• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 Tablespoons Water
• Cotton Swab
• Blank White Paper
• Grape Juice
• Small Paintbrush (like a watercolor paintbrush)

First, mix together the water & baking soda in a small bowl or cup.  Dip the cotton swab in the solution and write your message on a blank white piece of paper.  Let the paper dry for 3-4 hours or overnight.

To decode the secret message, pour a small amount of grape juice in a small bowl or cup and use a small paint brush to paint over the secret message.  Your message will appear!  The message will become clearer once the grape juice dries.

The message I wrote in invisible ink for Connor was our scripture memory verse for this week:

Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed- Titus 3:1

Bears on the Beach Pudding Cups

This is a fun & easy recipe that kids love to make (and eat)! Bears on the Beach are a fun summer activity or fun for a party.

Bears on the Beach Pudding Cups

• Vanilla Pudding Mix
• Milk
• Vanilla Wafers
• Teddy Grahams (or Gummy Bears)
• Swedish Fish (or Gummy Fish)
• Blue Sprinkles or Blue Sugar
• Cocktail Umbrellas

Mix pudding according to package directions & spoon pudding into cups. Crush vanilla wafers and sprinkle a spoonful on one side in each cup to look like sand. Sprinkle blue sprinkles or sugar on the other side of the cup to look like water.  Add bears & umbrella to the sand and  fish to the water. Enjoy!

This post is linked to:

• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
• Tuesdays at the Table
• Tasty Tuesday

Summer Bible Study

During the school year we always have a regular Bible Study but sometimes in the summer Bible Study is not the priority it should be.  This summer we are making it a priority to have Bible Study 5 days a week.  The book that we have been using is How to Study Your Bible for Kids by Kay Arthur & Janna Arndt.  This book uses the inductive method of Bible study which is very intense but also a lot of fun! 

Connor loves that he gets to be a detective and go through scripture line by line.  Everyday he begs me to do Bible Study and he loves to share with others all of the exciting things that he has learned. 

I have already purchased 3 more inductive Bible Studies to use this Fall:

• Wrong Way Jonah!
• Boy, Have I Got Problems
• Digging Up the Past 

Summer Reading Fun!

Homer Price by Robert McCloskey is a hilarious book that takes place in the small town of Centerburg.  What child (or adult) wouldn't love a book that has a pet skunk and a donut making machine!  This book is a great family read aloud for all ages.

Summer Reading Fun!

Mountain Born by Elizabeth Yates is another one of our favorite books.  This is a wonderful story of a boy learning to be a shepherd and his beloved pet lamb.  The book was a little difficult to get into in the beginning but after several chapters we were hooked.  This is an emotional book (think Old Yeller, Charlotte's Web, etc.) so keep a box of tissues close by!

Summer Reading Fun!

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater is a must read for children of all ages!  This book is a wonderful story and is nothing like the movie with Jim Carrey.  In fact, the movie was released several weeks after we finished the book and we decided not to see the movie based on the Plugged In movie review.

Summer Reading Fun!

Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry is definitely one of our all time favorite books!  The story is based on the actual incidents in the life of a Grand Canyon burro.  I first read this book as a child and last winter Connor & I read it together.  We usually read 2 chapters a night when we read a book together but Connor would beg for more so we would stay-up late each night to read more chapters. 

Other great books by Marguerite Henry:

White Stallion of Lipizza

Justin Morgan Had a Horse

Misty of Chincoteague

Summer Reading Fun!

In April, we went to Chicago to visit family.  Connor is a big fan of Frank Lloyd Wright and wanted to see some of the homes he designed in Chicago.  We visited the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio in Oak Park, Il and we also went to the Robie House in Hyde Park.  It was in one of the gift shops that I found the book The Wright 3 by Blue Balliet.  This book takes place in Hyde Park, Il and is a fictional mystery story about Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House.  I think Connor really enjoyed the book because we had visited the Robie House but if you are not able to visit the house then researching online or at the library before reading the book would be fun and helpful.  I have also included some pictures from our visit below.

Just a note:  This book is definitely for older children.  It also has a very strange beginning but if you keep reading it will all make sense. 

(This is a picture of the front door.  Frank Lloyd Wright liked to hide the front doors to the homes that he designed.  We had to walk around the house several times before we found this door and it wasn't until we did some research on the Robie House that we discovered this was actually the front door.  There is a great map in the book Frank Lloyd Wright for Kids (page 84) that shows how to find the front door on the Robie House.)

Summer Reading Fun!

Summer is a great time to encourage kids to read so each day this week I will be sharing some of our favorite books that we have read.

Last summer, we read Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder & Connor absolutely loved it!  The Little House books have the reputation of being "girly" books but this is not the case escpecially with Farmer Boy which is the book we just finished.  These books are perfect for boys and girls of all ages.  I have also enjoyed reading & discussing them with Connor.  This week we will start reading Little House on the Prairie.

DIY Water/Sand Table Tutorial

If you are looking for a Water/Sand Table for your kids this summer and don't want to pay the outrageous price ($60-$200) for a new one then check out this DIY tutorial at Moms by Heart.

Sponge Ball Water Fights

 

I wish I had found this post on Sponge Ball Water Fights sooner!  Over the weekend, we tried to have a neighborhood water war with water balloons.   After spending 30 minutes filling water balloons my fingers hurt & were water logged so I was a little upset when it took the kids 10 seconds to pop all the water balloons and then start asking for more!  I finally gave-up on the water balloons and we got out the water guns & hose.  The sponge balls are a great alternative to water balloons & you can reuse them so it is even frugal!

Homemade Sidewalk Paint

If you are looking for a fun, easy & cheap activity for kids then check out this recipe for making Homemade Sidewalk Paint.  You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry!

FREE Summer of Fun July 2011 Calendar

Go here to download a FREE Summer of Fun July 2011 calendar from Amanda Bennett.

FREE Rainforest Adventures Exhibit at Crown Center 5/28-9/5

The Rainforest Adventure exhibit will be at Crown Center until 9/5/11.  It is a FREE exhibit and includes more than 40 interactive components, computer games & even a 9-foot Kapok tree!  The exhibit is located on the Level 1 Showplace and is open during regular shopping hours.


From the Crown Center Website:

A multisensory expedition that introduces children to tropical rainforests around the world. The exhibit features 40 interactive components, including computer games, a 9-foot kapok tree, gorilla blind and a station to color your own unique insects. Children role-play as research assistants as they explore and learn about the rainforest and its ecological wonders. On loan from Stepping Stones Museum for Children of Norwalk, Ct.

FREE Family Activities & Crafts at Bass Pro Shop

Bass Pro Shops will have FREE Family activities & crafts from 6/4/11-7/10/11 on Tuesday & Thursday from 2-6pm and Saturdays and Sundays 12-4pm.

Kids Bowl FREE this Summer!

Go here for more information and to sign-up for the Kids Bowl FREE Summer Fun Bowling Pass (includes 2 FREE games per day).  You also have the option of adding a Family Pass for $24.95 (includes 2 games per day for up to 4 adults all summer).    Thanks The Sassy Saver!