With the first day of school right around the corner, these ideas are a great way to end your summer with a bang...and keep your kids occupied because I'm sure every mom out there has heard her fair share of "I'm boredddd!" this summer :)
Here are a few of my favorite, colorful kids crafts and fun recipes!
Edible Food Painting
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Make your own rock candy
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Paper Plate Hats
Jello Cookies...these are just beautiful and look fun to eat!!!
Homemade Play Doh- fun to make AND play with :)
As ready for school as you may be, try to enjoy these last few days or weeks with your little ones before you send them off into the big world of school!
Take a few minutes to talk to them about the new school year coming up. Ask them what they are excited about and remind them of all the things they should remember. Like, being nice to everyone, even if they're different, sharing and including everyone, and being respectful to their teacher, the people AND things around them.
These are things I am trying to teach Caleb already in preparation of his upcoming school years! Caleb is not perfect by any means, but we have run into our fair share of bullies and just down right "mean for no reason" kids. We've also been around kids who are completely reliant on their moms and expect 100% attention all the time. I take these moments to teach Caleb about why other children's behavior is not ok...just about every bad situation can be turned into a learning experience (and I doubt Caleb has never been the "bad" example for other mom's to teach their kids about!).
I love that Caleb is an independent little guy. He is smart and he learns so much because I don't cater to his every little whine. I always let him try something that he thinks he isn't capable of before I help him. Lots of times, he figures it out himself! I've definitely learned that the more I cater to Caleb's cries for attention, the more he thinks he can get attention by whining! Sometimes, ignoring him is the best answer, and sometimes he really does need a few minutes of my time. The tricky part is getting a happy balance down pat! This is all just part of growing up and parenting though.
I think at this young age, parents have a huge responsibility to instill good character in their children. These are the few years that we have before they start looking to other people for answers! Take advantage of every moment of this time...the world needs more good kids who grow up and become the leaders of our country. It's never too early to start!