With our family, church, and school commitments; and with our ever-growing to-do lists, the focused time we are able to spend with our children is so important. It is true that much more is "caught" by our children than is taught. In order for them to catch our values, they need to be able to observe us living our values.
Whether you are a grandparent, relative, Mom, or Dad, there are precious teachable moments that happen in our children's lives. Each month, we look at several projects you can do with children of all ages. These projects usually take less than an hour to complete, use minimal supplies, and are a way to share some teachable moments.
Since this month's cover story could cause kids to ask questions, remember, sometimes the best time to talk with our kids is when we are engaged in making crafts, cooking, or doing fun activities with them.
Ok, it is more than 100 degrees in Tucson. The kids are tired of being inside and want to go outside and play. Here are some fun water games that will keep the mess outside, the kids cool, and build memories. Just be careful to get them safely inside before the monsoons hit!
Water Relay Races:
Fill
the Bucket
For this game, each team will need a bucket of water, an empty bucket, and
a paper cup. The first child fills the cup with water from the full bucket
and runs with it to the empty bucket to pour their water
into it. Both children (or teams) continue until they empty the original bucket
of water and fill
the second bucket. The child or team with the most water in the bucket wins.
For even more fun, cut a small hole in each cup and get the kids to place it
on their heads while they run to fill the bucket.
The
Spoon Game
You can modify the above relay using serving spoons to carry water from the
first bucket to the second bucket and see how much water actually makes it
into the bucket.
The
Water Balloon Toss
Have each team line up with half behind a line and the other half 4 feet away.
Each team tosses a water balloon to their teammate. If he or she catches it
without breaking the balloon, each team member takes a step back and throws
it back. The game continues until only one team has an intact balloon. Guaranteed
to get the kids wet!
Tug
of War
Have the kids to hang on to each end of a rope. Place the middle of the rope
over a running sprinkler. Each side tries to pull each other back and forth
into the water.
Swimming
City pools offer a family summer swim pass including two adults and two children
for approximately $37. This is for unlimited admissions to any city pool(s).
Additional children are $1 for the summer.
For more information, visit: http://www.tucsonaz.gov/parksandrec/aquatics.html
For more Teachable MOMents craft ideas, visit our past Issues!
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