In much of the world, December is a time of lights. December holidays are times for candles and sparkle—not surprising during a month that, for the northern hemisphere, is the darkest time of the year. So, for December, our family fun is all about light. 1. Make a light table from a plastic box. It … Continue reading
Lucky me. I just had the chance to spend the weekend with a houseful of energetic and imaginative young people. Since I’ve known them all since birth, it has been an amazing journey to watch them grow from toddlers who one day decided it would be fun to pretend to be soup, to children creating … Continue reading
In the United States, November is associated with Thanksgiving, a time to reflect on the bounties of our lives. That seemed an appropriate topic for this month’s family fun—with some harvest ideas thrown in for good measure. Did you know there is a company called Thanks.com? Really. It is dedicated to helping businesses make gestures … Continue reading
Don’t you hate it when you find out about something wonderful and it just ended? That’s what happened to me with Caine’s Arcade Part 2. You saw the original Caine’s Arcade video, right? Caine was a 9-year-old boy who built a cardboard arcade that became an Internet sensation. If you haven’t seen it, stop now … Continue reading
Fall in Michigan can be beautiful. I will admit Ann Arbor can’t hold a candle to the Susquehanna Valley, where I used to see colors blaze on the mountains along the river, but still, the colors are lovely. And so for October, our family fun activities are all about leaves. 1. We eat a lot … Continue reading
September is here, summer is slipping away, and most of the students in the U. S. are beginning the new school year. As promised, I am beginning a first-of-the-month post of creative activities focused on families–after all, we can’t have all our fun in the summer! Many of the activities will be appropriate for school … Continue reading
Can it really be time for back-to-school? Teaching all summer has confused my inner calendar! Still, one of the great benefits of the academic calendar is that it gives us two “New Years” each year, two opportunities to resolve to do things just a little better this time. For those of you whose September resolutions … Continue reading
It seems impossible that we are in the waning days of summer, but so it is. So, this will be the last weekly “Family Fun” collection for now, as I go back to a focus on creativity in school settings. But Family Fun, has been way too much fun—really—to give up entirely, so for the … Continue reading
Whether you are looking for a rainy-or-too-hot summer day activity, or a beginning of school project, book spine poetry may be just the thing. Book spine poetry is not difficult to construct, but with it you can create poems ranging from the silly to the profound. The concept is simple. Take a book with a … Continue reading
What is summer without popsicles and other icy treats? This week’s family fun activities center around popsicles and ice cubes—just the thing for hot August days. 1. There are lots of ways to paint with ice. You can buy Popsicles and different flavored Kool-aid powder. Sprinkle the powder on paper and then use the popsicles … Continue reading
creativiteach 