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Get Flowers for your number one performer.

Summer is perfect time for kids to have fun. Kids makeover is one of fun summer activities for kids.  Kids love to be different sometimes and kids makeover play is certainly fun and encourages creativity and imagination. Kids makeover play together with some role play can boost communication skill, confidence and self-esteem.

Body Art Painting

Every child loves to draw, to color and to paint. Decorating part of  their body with art painting could be exciting. Stickers are easy to use but where is the fun. Kids can experiment body art painting with semi permanent henna tattoos, no pain but fun. Egyptians and Indians have practiced body art painting by using paste from henna plant. The henna tattoos will last around 2 weeks. You can buy ready made henna paste these days. The body art painting can apply on the forehead, arms, feet or even tummy.  Let older kids experience how to paint her friend’s body. The simple pattern of henna tattoos for kis are simple curves, leaves and flowers. They can practice with tooth paste first because the henna paste has the same texture as tooth paste.

Hairstyle Makeover

Bored with the ponytail? How about hair braiding? Make use gift wrapping ribbons, hairclips or even  real flowers to decorate kids’ braiding hair.

Dress Up Play

Kids like to play dress up as a Princess or her idol. Let them mix and match clothes, scarf and use other craft stuffs such as beads, crepe paper or shiny decorative paper. They can dress up other kids or their siblings.

photo credit: GiddeanX

Mask Making

Create your own mask by painting and decorating the mask. Put on the mask and they are ready to play.

photo credit: A. Strakey

photo credit: jakesmome

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Get Flowers for your number one performer.

What fun activies that you can do together as a family in summer?  Don’t stay indoor, explore activities outdoor and here is the list of fun summer activities for families that I suggest.

1. Visit The Market

I know that this is your ritual as a mom or dad, shop at the market. Let’s make it different one day. Go to the market together as a family. Let the kids experience the sight, sound and smell. I guess kids will observe and learn the activities in the market. They may suggest you to buy vegetables and fruits of their choice.  Flowers market is certainly a good alternative.

2. Visit Water Park or Beach

You can have lots of fun at the water park or by the beach. How about doing some light exercises together by the beach or in shallow water. Kids will certainly enjoy them. Don’t forget to bring the beach ball and some sand or water play toys.

3. Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunt is fun activities for the families. You can do it at the backyard or in the park. Parents can specify the mission such as: find nature items that you can use it later for crafts.

4. Heritage Trails

Do you know the history of your city where you live? Why not search the book in the library to find out the history of your city and visit the historic places in your city while educating the kids. You can do for another city if you like. Kids will learn and appreciate the history of the city.

5. Train Ride

Train offers bigger space for families to move around and you can enjoy the scenery from the window of the train. Let’s park you car at the train station, free yourself from driving and enjoy the train ride as a family.

6. Rainforest/Jungle Trail

Kids can learn and watch closely the habitats and plants in the rainforest. Kids will now see the reality of what they study in science and geography.

7. Camping

Doing activities outdoor in camping such as cooking and sleeping certainly gives different experience from what we do in the house.

8. Cycling

Rent bicycles and cycle together as a family. You can bring the picnic basket along.

9. Visit The Farm

You can visit the berry farm and experience yourself in U pick the berries. Alternatively, you can visit animals farm and let the kids learn about mother and baby animals. Visit ostrich farm is a good idea. Kids can see how big the ostrich egg is and they may ride the ostrich.

10. Picnic

How about having your breakfast or lunch outdoor? Bring your light meals  in the basket and head it to the park.

Pick up your choice from the 10 list of fun summer activities for families and plan yours!  Doing activities together will bring a family tie closer and the summer is perfect time to do outdoor activities.

Get Flowers for your number one performer.

Summer is the best time you and your family indulge in fun outdoor activities.  Parents, please watch your kids while you have fun.  Prevention is not the option.  If you have no ideas what is the safety checklist,  let’s take a look at the summer safety checklist from Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation who requested to spread this checklist prevention.

Get Flowers for your number one performer.

Summer Holiday is coming and you need to plan holiday activities for your kids.  How about crafting? Crafting is not only fun but it brings lots of benefits in kids development such as fine motor skill and creativity.  Parents, you will get benefits as well if you spend quality family time for crafting together with your kids. Let’s take a look at some benefits of crafting for kids and parents.

1. Crafting builds creativity.

Developing minds need a creative outlet, and crafting provides the opportunity for kids to use their imaginations. It helps them learn to solve problems, and it could lay the groundwork for a lifetime of interest in art. For parents, getting creative can help reduce stress and promote using the brain in ways that we do not have a reason to use it every day.

2.  Crafting teaches kids to follow directions.

This seems like a very basic skill, but we all know adults who can’t seem to follow directions. When kids craft, they learn the consequences of not following directions when their projects do not turn out as expected. This instills in them the importance of doing things the right way the first time.

3.  For young kids, crafting is fabulous for learning basic skills. Almost any type of craft promotes hand-eye coordination. Kids can also learn to use scissors, measure and do lots of other things they will eventually do in everyday life.

4.  Parents and children have a chance for conversation. In our busy lives, it seems that we know less about our kids than previous generations of parents did. Passive activities such as watching TV do little to encourage conversation. But when you’re crafting together, conversation comes naturally. You can seize the opportunity to discuss such things as your child’s interests, his concerns, and how he’s doing in school.

5.  Crafting is a great way to wind down. It’s wonderful for kids to be active, but there are times when they need to calm down. If you find your child getting agitated or exhibiting an overabundance of energy near bedtime, try bringing out the craft supplies. Crafting engages kids’ minds, giving them something to focus on and a good reason to sit still for a while.

6.  Create things is boosting confidence. Parents who craft regularly know the feeling of accomplishment when a project is complete. Multiply this feeling by ten, and you have a pretty good idea of how your child feels when he makes something. For kids, crafting can help build positive self-esteem.

7. Working on a project together is a great way to teach your kids teamwork. This will help them develop skills needed to resolve disputes peacefully and effectively. It will also help them discover their strengths and teach them that doing their best will make the entire project turn out better.

8.  Crafting creates treasured family memories. The finished product will serve as a reminder of the fun you had making it together.

Crafting as a family provides opportunities for us to interact with our children. It is also a valuable learning experience for them. Don’t worry if you aren’t the world’s greatest crafter. Simply being willing to try anyway is a lesson to your kids in itself.

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Get Flowers for your number one performer.

Parents often wonder how to make their kids busy during school holidays. Some kids end up spending time at home watching television or playing online games at the computer all day. You have to plan some holiday activities for kids to make them active. Sport for kids are to develop their motor skill by learning and practising sport. Parents need to let them explore all kinds of sporty activities to develop their motor skills. The window of learning motor skill will shut down after the kids reach their age at 10 years old and kids will not learn activities related to motor skill the natural way.  Here are some ideas to make kids engage in sport activities during holiday.

1. Visit outdoor kids playground

Choose the playground which has swings, see-saw, slides and monkey bar perhaps. Kids will exercise climbing, learn how to move a swing with their body, learn to slide and more. They have physical exercise and excitement at the same time.

2. Visit indoor kids playground

Indoor kids playground normally has a limited space and kids enjoy bouncing with all different kinds of accessories.

3. Kite flying

The good idea is to buy a kite making kit. Let the kids make their own kite and take them to the park to learn how to fly a kite.

4. Play  hopscotch

Hopscotch is an easy game to play for 2 players or more. Kids can play hopscotch at the porch or at the back of the home where there is a pavement. You can draw a hopscotch line with a chalk and number each square.

5. Buy sport accessories

You can buy from the simple sport accessories such as a ball, a skipping rope or a hulla hop which kids can learn fast or skate shoes, a skateboard which a child needs some techniques to learn.

6. Buy vehicle toys

Scooter and bicycles are vehicles that kids enjoy most. Learning to ride two wheels bicycle needs some efforts and practices.

7. Enroll your kids for a sport class or teach your kids a new sport.

You can enroll your kids for football, tennis, swimming, badminton or basketball or you can teach them by yourselves. Badminton is an easy sport that everyone can learn.

Kids learn sport easily when they are young. You may ask them or give them a suggestion and let them voice their choice.  Kids will feel the excitement when there are friends to learn, to practice with and to play along.  Encourage them to try different sport for their holiday activities.

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Get Flowers for your number one performer.

Use Eco friendly products, safe for your family and safe for the environment. Visit Eco Friendly Moms Network.

Holidays activities bring fun for the whole family. The purpose of Eco friendly holidays is to relax, to enjoy the nature and to raise the awareness of protecting the earth. Kids will benefit most from Eco friendly holidays as they learn from the nature and later, they become an individual who has environmental awareness.

If you plan for Eco Friendly Holidays, here are some recommendations and holidays activities to make your Eco friendly holidays memorable:

• Limit the use of transportation especially air travel. All modes of transportation which use engine and burn fuels cause carbondioxide emission. Travel by plane cause the most emission of carbondioxide into the atmosphere and this leads to global warming and climate change.
• Practice 3 R: reduce, reuse and recycle during the holidays. Reduce waste or trash during Eco friendly holidays.
• Visit natural places such as National Parks, cave, plantation, conservation areas which include lake, mountain, water falls and crater.
• Do outdoor activities such as cycling, jungle trekking, nature exploration and camping
• Get to know the local tribes and their traditional lifestyle.
• Learn flora and fauna.
• You can choose to stay in a tent, in a caravan or in a modest lodge which has a nature surrounding rather than a hotel.
• Bring water tumblers instead of canned drink.

You can group with other families or relatives for holidays in group. When kids get together they will have more fun. Don’t forget to bring sun block, moisturizer, tea tree oil, insects repellent and also first aid kit for precaution of minor accidents or mishaps during Eco-friendly holidays.

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This Mother’s day treat the mom in your life with flowers.

My girl, Aimee, treated mother’s day as a festival that could last in a week. I thought that she only gave Mother’s day cards to me and my mother in law only. But, she had an initiative to give a mother’s day card to the auntie whom she likes. Aimee is a little kid with a big heart and a big hand writing. Surely, the auntie won’t miss a single word to read.  The auntie who gets a mother’s day card is Xin Yi’s mother. Xin Yi is my elder daughter’s friend and Aimee likes Xin Yi and her mother.