Filed under Family Fun

Family Fun: Clouds!

Family Fun: Clouds!

This week’s family fun is a guest post from my friend Kaylynn, all about family activities with clouds . Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green? Do you fish in a stream, or lazily dream on the banks as the clouds go by? Is that what you do? … Continue reading

Family Fun: Pioneer Day

Family Fun: Pioneer Day

If you live far from the Salt Lake Valley, your first response to this post’s title may have been, “Pioneer what?” While students across the United States study westward expansion in school, only in Utah (as far as I know) do pioneers get their own holiday, July 24. Pioneer Day commemorates the day the Mormon … Continue reading

Ice Cream for Dinner and Other Delights

Ice Cream for Dinner and Other Delights

One of my favorite childhood memories is ice cream for dinner. Nothing else, just ice cream for dinner. One sweltering night during the un-air conditioned summer, my mother declared it was too hot to cook and we’d just have ice cream. I don’t know what got into my nutritionally-minded mother, but the ice cream dinner … Continue reading

Family Fun: Dress Up, and More!

Family Fun: Dress Up, and More!

Being married to an actor, I’ve had a lot of experience with costumes. Dressing up to transform into someone else is an experience that doesn’t fade much with time. So for this week, here are creative ways to explore “dress up,” good for children of all ages. Really. Let’s start with good old-fashioned dress up. … Continue reading

It’s virtual! It’s free! It’s Maker Camp!

It’s virtual! It’s free! It’s Maker Camp!

When I was a kid, camp entailed tents, backpacks, burnt marshmallows, mosquitoes. Today, it’s not necessarily so. Enter free virtual summer camp for teens–with rockets, animation, and (last year) electric origami! Maker Camp, a collaboration between Maker Media (publisher of Maker magazine) and Google, takes camp in a whole new direction. Instead of swimming and … Continue reading

Family Fun: Gardening

Family Fun: Gardening

Now that summer is in full bloom in the U.S. and most children are out of school for a while, it is time to return to weekly “Family Fun” postings. For July and August I’ll post family- friendly activities on Mondays, with more varied posts later in the week. Of course these will include lesson … Continue reading

Family Fun for June: Museums!

Family Fun for June: Museums!

I love museums. I stand in awe of human creativity at the Detroit Institute of Arts, and of the innovations at the Henry Ford Museum. I delight in watching children’s explorations at our local Hands On Museum. And, of course, when I have the chance to travel, I find more museums to love—whether my traveling … Continue reading

Family Fun for May: Let’s MAY-KE Something

Family Fun for May: Let’s MAY-KE Something

This month’s family fun ideas are dedicated to all things maker. A maker, of course, is anyone who makes something, and they are on the rise. From maker spaces, where collaborators young and old share equipment and expertise, to Hacker Scouts dedicated to solving problems through making, there are lots of opportunities for creative building … Continue reading

Family Fun for April: Let’s Get Silly

Family Fun for April: Let’s Get Silly

April Fool! It doesn’t get much sillier than April Fool’s Day. But in a time of year where, at least in the center of the U.S., winter is refusing to quit, we can really use some silly family fun. And creativity, of course. Here are some places to start. Try some silly April tricks, even … Continue reading