Boo! Hosting a spoo-tacular Halloween Party
It is that time of year! Fall leaves are blanketing the ground, pumpkins can be seen on most porches, stores are stocked with spooky costumes and more candy then any youngster could imagine. That's right; Halloween is just around the corner. This means fall parties at school and costume parties at home. Every little kid dreams of turning their house into the spookiest house on the block and having all their friends over for scary games and a huge junk food fest. If you are feeling brave and want to host the best Halloween party but aren't sure of where to start read on.
The first thing to consider is the age of your children and their friends. The party games and themes are going to be different for older children, scary blood and gore really doesn't have a place at a party for 5 year olds. Then you are going to need to think about how many guests you are going to have your child invite, and for the younger kids you need to think about whether you want their parent(s) to stay with them.
You can buy invitations for your party, or you can get creative on the computer and create your own and then let your child color the invites. Remember this is their party, so letting them color with markers and glitter can be a lot of fun… and for the older kids stopping at WalMart and hitting the Halloween aisles where they can find fake blood, cob webs and other gross items they can even have fun making the invites. I recommend that on the invitation you put a start and end time this will help eliminate any confusion about how long the children are welcome to stay. READ More on Hosting the most Spoo-tacular Halloween Party!
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Halloween Fun
If you have a child that is anything like my son then I am sure you have heard your fair share of corny jokes. If your child is anything like my son, then when you laugh and say you've heard that one before… chances are greater than not that your child is going to try to create their own joke just so you will laugh and they will know that it isn't a joke you have heard before.
I decided that for Halloween, maybe a better treat then candy… would be a few new jokes. I have scoured the internet looking for only the best kid friendly jokes for Halloween. Share them with your kids… or even other parents to make the spookiest of all holidays a little funny for all the pranksters out there.
Joke 1: Why didn't the skeleton dance at the party?
Because he didn't have any body to dance with.
Joke 2: Why did the baker stop making donuts?
He got bored with the whole business.
Joke 3: What room does a ghost not need?
A living room. READ More on Halloween Jokes and Songs for Everyone
From all of us here at More4kids, Happy 4th of July. The Fourth of July celebrates the birth of the United States of America. Founded July 4th 1776, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, America is celebrating its 232nd birthday this year (2008).
It is a time for families and friends not only to come together and have fun, but also a time to honor our Veterans and men and women who are putting their lives in danger every day for us, and those who have made the biggest sacrifice for our freedom with their lives. Try to throw your politics aside, and let us all take a moment to think about, and be grateful to all who wear the American uniform, and to our police and firefighters who protect us day in and out. They all deserve our recognition and thanx, more than we can put in words. And don't forget the spouses and families of those in uniform. It takes very special people to be part of a military family, and our hearts, thanx, and recognition should go out to them too.
No matter whether you travel across the country to celebrate our nation’s birthday, or decide to stay at home in your own backyard, there are many different ways to make this a very special holiday.
All that is needed for a fantastic Fourth are three key ingredients:
1. A Plan
2. Preparation
3. and much, much Enthusiasm.
We’ll provide the plan to get you started!
Ready? Set?
Not lets get the ball on the road and get going!
READ More on Fourth of July Festivities for the Entire Family
Filed under Activities, Family, Holidays by More4kids
by Stephanie Partridge
The moment I heard my daughter's voice on the other side of my bedroom door, I knew something was wrong. She knocked, waking me. I looked at the clock: 12 am. “Mom,” She said, “I need to talk to you.” Her voice was strained, tight. I could tell that she was struggling to keep it together. Something was wrong. I was out of bed in a heartbeat.
“What's up?” I asked as I opened the door. Her face did not reveal much, but I could see she was upset. Her trembling hand matched her trembling voice as she thrust a cell phone at me.
“Look.” She said.
It took me a moment to process what I was seeing, a text from someone to someone asking for nude photos and promising nude photos in return. My first reaction was that she had encountered some pervert somewhere and he was soliciting her. My mind began forming a plan of action. I wanted to throttle the creep, then it hit me. I KNEW this number, the sender of the text message. I also realized that this was not her phone, but her friend's cell. The picture slowly came into focus. My daughter's boyfriend had sent this text to her friend! I felt the small hairs on the back of my neck bristle as the realization hit me. The boy was a player and my daughter was heartbroken.
What had started out as a joke, two teenage girls sending a random message to my daughter's boyfriend had turned into major drama. A joke had turned into a tragedy. He had responded in a way that neither girl expected. At that midnight hour, the boyfriend had realized his blunder and come over to our house, only to be confronted by my son (also my daughter's best friend and strongest ally) who was not too happy that his sister was hurt by this guy.
Major drama in our house that night. READ More on Parenting Teens: Breakups and Broken Hearts
Filed under Holidays, Parenting, Parenting Tips, Teenagers by More4kids
Lets make sure we tell our moms and the mothers of our children how special they are to us. If you are a dad, it is our job to lead by example and show them how important Mother's Day is. Start from the very moment she wakes up to the the good night kiss. This year for example, I had my 6 year old help make breakfest and serve my wife in bed. The look on her face was amazing! And I have more surprises to come as the day goes on.READ More on The Importance of Mother's Day
Filed under Holidays, Mothers Day by More4kids
Grandmas love surprises, and there is nothing more special than a homemade gift that comes from the heart, even if they don’t have a use for the gift. They know just how to fawn over present given in love. Here are a few ideas Mom and Grandchildren can work on together to make Mothers Day extra special:
- Potpourri pies are popular in gift stores. Here’s how your little one can create a similar experience. Create this pie with a disposable pie shell. Make a bottom pie crust out of flour/salt dough. Add a potpourri that smells like your grandmother’s favorite scent, and then create a lattice pattern out of the dough. Cover the potpourri and allow the dough to harden overnight. To enjoy the potpourri, “bake” the pie in a warm oven.
READ More on Mothers Day for Grandmas - Gifts She Will Love
Filed under Activities, Holidays, Mothers Day by More4kids
Being a dad who is not a very good cook, I wanted to find something fun and nice I can do for the kids. This is what I found:
Just for Mom Fruit Salad - here is a recipe that Dad and kids can easily make for Mom and have fun doing it together.
Ingredients:
1 can prepared lemon pie filling
12 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 - 15 oz. can tropical fruit salad, drained
1 - 15 oz. can pineapple tidbits, drained
2 - 11 oz. cans mandarin oranges, drained
2 cups fresh strawberries
Instructions:
Mix lemon pie filling and whipped topping together in a large bowl. Add fruit to mixture and chill in refrigerator from 4 hours to overnight. When ready to serve, top with fresh strawberries or fruit of your choice and whipped topping. Servings: 8
Filed under Cooking, Holidays, Mothers Day by Kevin
Remember dads, Mothers day is just a few weeks away, and if you have young toddlers they will need your help in making Moms day extra special. On Mother's Day its the thought that counts and actions can express love much more than expensive gifts. For younger kids its a great lesson to teach kids that money and expensive gifts don't buy love, and that love comes from the heart or buying something that has meaning and feeling behind it. Unless your kids have been saving their allowance religiously, they may not be able to afford to buy an expensive gift for Mother’s Day. However, here are some ideas for inexpensive Mother’s Day gifts.
READ More on Inexpensive Mothers Day Gift Ideas
Filed under Activities, Holidays, Mothers Day, News by More4kids
by Jennifer Shakeel
If there is one day of the year as parents we should stop and take a moment or two to appreciate the little gems in life, it is Valentine’s Day. By gems, I mean those precious little people you helped to bring into the world. Yes, your children, our children. We have holidays that are meant to celebrate everything else except our children. Being that Valentine’s Day is suppose to be a day of celebrating love, I suggest that you spend it celebrating the greatest love in the world, that between a parent and their child.
In our house, Valentine’s Day is less about my husband and I and more about our three children. We have a special dinner together, either at home by candlelight or we go out all dressed up. While we don’t necessarily sit there at dinner and tell our children how wonderful they are, or how much we love them… we do spend the evening completely focused on them. There will be moments when my husband and I look at each other and whisper about how we cannot believe how much they have grown. We are amazed at the people they have become and how lucky we are that they are our children.
READ More on Valentine's Day Parenting Reflections
While many people seem to think of Valentine's Day as a holiday that is for lovers, it's a great day for kids as well. If you happen to have kids in your home, then you should be sharing the love and fun with them as well. You may want to throw a party of just have a quiet celebration for your kids. However, you'll definitely want to make sure you have a great gift on hand. While they probably won't want chocolates or roses for Valentine's Day, there are many great gift ideas that you can consider that your kids are sure to love for this holiday of love.
A New Movie
If you are looking for a great gift idea for a kid on Valentine's Day, a good movie for kids may be just the thing. Whether you rent the DVD for a family night together, go out to the theater, or even buy them the DVD, this is a great gift. Not only are you giving them the gift of getting to watch a great family friendly movie, but you'll be giving them quality time with you as well. So, this definitely makes a great gift choice for Valentine's Day, no matter what age they may be.
One of the Wii Games
Another great idea for your kids' Valentine's Day gift is to give them one of the Wii games that are out there. These games are exciting for the whole family. You can find the games, such as Tennis, Golf, or even Bowling, that get everyone up off that couch and actively involved in the game. It's a great way to keep kids active while they are playing a video game. In fact, these games are so fun that more than likely the whole family is going to have a blast playing together.
READ More on Valentines Day Gift Ideas for Kids
