There are many ways to make Thansgiving fun and special and there are many Thanksgiving craft ideas for kids you can work with on with your child. If you are a parent, teacher, Sunday School teacher, or work around children in any other type of profession, you will be interested to discover that there are a large number of crafts available for all holidays – especially Thanksgiving! You can discover ideas for toddlers, school age children, and even teenagers if you find the right resources. In this helpful and informative guide, you will be introduced to many Thanksgiving craft ideas for kids that both you, and the child or children that you work with will find very entertaining.

Tree of Thanks

One of the most favored Thanksgiving craft ideas of today is creating the ever-popular “Tree of Thanks”. This is a tree that is actually composed of foam. This craft project typically comes in the form of a kit that includes several different colored “fall” leaves, and a tree base. This makes a great craft for children as young as preschool age. All you have to do is provide some markers that the children can use to write down certain things that they are thankful for, or what they considered to be “blessings” in their lives. In most cases, this kit comes with many additional pieces so that more than one project can be completed. This means that there are plenty of pieces for small classes, or groups!

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by Jennifer Shakeel

I don’t believe that there is a parent in the world that doesn’t look at their child or children and hope that they are going to be good parents and hope that our children will have a better or easier life then we had where they are able to achieve more then we have. As moms and dad we know that life is not easy and that we are constantly faced with disappointments and limitations that can seem impossible to overcome. What we need to teach our children is to have hope. “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible,” as said by Christopher Reeve.

I believe that hope is something we are all born with and it is life and the people that surround us on a daily basis either nurture or destroy. As parents it is one of our responsibilities to teach our children how to keep that hope and us it to help them achieve whatever it is they want. Along with that though goes teaching our children determination and hoe to overcome obstacles and adversity.

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Creating a memorable Halloween bash for children can be rather difficult. It is challenging due to the fact that there are a lot of Halloween party ideas out there, but very few that are considered to be “unique”. You have your standard Halloween party, with bobbing for apples and spooky music. Then, you have your average “haunted house”, or “haunted hayride”, “Spook walk” and more. The issue is not a lack of ideas for Halloween; it is a lack of “unique” ideas for this festive holiday. Here, I will provide some “not so common” ideas on how you can go about creating a memorable Halloween bash for children.

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This can be a very controversial topic for parents. However, taken in moderation, and monitored properly, children can benefit and even learn from online games. There are many different online games for kids. For several years, parents have frowned upon the games that are available to their children. However, after many conclusive studies on gaming and children, researchers have established that online gaming may be beneficial (http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/07/study-online-ga.html). The benefits range from developing social skills in the virtual environment, increasing the ability of the child to successfully maneuver around and operate a computer, increasing emotional intellect, and assisting in the academic endeavors of the child. Here, you will learn about online games for kids who are productive, and educational.

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When it comes to stress relief, many of us think about the things that bother us as adults: bills, transportation, work issues, family life and more.  But stress is not just for adults, and many children, even younger ones, suffer from problems with stress, too.  By teaching your children healthy ways to cope with stress at a young age, you can help them develop healthy habits that will help them become happier adults.

Stress in Kids?

Many children become stressed due to a troubled home life.  Problems like divorce, a long-distance move, serious illness, abuse and more all cause significant amounts of stress in a child’s life.  But there are less traumatic events, like peer pressure and teasing, that can also cause a child to feel stressed out.

Unlike the past, families are not as connected as they once were, and children may lack the support systems needed to help them cope.  It is up to parents to teach their children about stress and a healthy way to handle it.  There are several activities that you can try with kids as young as three.

Another common reason for stress in kids is taking on too many activities. My childhood seems a lot simplier than my sons. Todays kids have a lot going on in comparison. School, karate, soccer, swimming amongst other things. Its good to keep kids busy and involved, but at the same time they need their downtime too to recharge, or else they may feel overwhelmed and the result can be behaviorial issues.

Here are a few tips to help your kids de-stress.

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by Jennifer Shakeel

This is an issue that I feel most parents struggle with, trying to motivate their kids to “Be all they can be.” As parents we want them to get good grades, be the best athlete around. It’s only natural to want the best for our kids and want the best out of them. For some children there is a natural desire to want to be the best. Some kids want to be Valedictorians, others want to be the best athlete on whatever team they are on. Then there are those kids that will only do as much as they need to do just to get by. There are also children that have no desire to do much of anything.

Taking a look at my two children, we have one who wants to be the best at everything he does and we have our daughter… who… well, let’s just say that she is perfectly content to do next to nothing. She wasn’t always this way, when she was younger she had drive, she played soccer and did awesome in school. Now she doesn’t work to be really good at anything. She runs track and cross country, but she is happy to finish a race and then gets mad when the coach doesn’t pick her for competitions. She is a straight A student who can get B’s with next to no effort, so that is what she does next to nothing.

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Moving can be stressful on anyone. This is especially true for a family with kids. Whether you are picking up and moving across town or moving across the country, it can be a very stressful situation. However, there are a variety of different things you can do to the make the move less stressful on you and your family.

When moving, it is important that you realize how traumatic it can be on your kids. Your current home may be the only home they have ever known. To suddenly move to a strange house can be very hard. Chances are, they have developed a routine and are very comfortable with their current surroundings. Therefore, it is important you realize how hard it will be for them to become accustomed to a new home and new friends.

One of the first things you need to do is be honest with your child. Let them know as soon as possible that you are planning to move. This will give them time to prepare for the big move. If at all possible, involve them in the process as much as possible. Allow them to go along on the house hunt and give their opinion.

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It is the parent’s responsibility to help teach and prepare our children for what lies ahead in their lives, to show them what the values of Green Living, and learning about the earth are really all about. These Green Living Tips are targeted more to the parents than to the children, simply because the child will be at such a young age. Whatever a parent does with their kids will be as much fun for the parent as for the child.

When a parent starts teaching their children while they are young, it sets in their mind and most of the time, the things you teach them will always be with them. If you live in a rural area, and you have a garden spot, give your child a small space for them to grow something of their own. For instance, Don’t just plant vegetables, make it fun for the youngsters, let them plant things that they would like, even if it is something like gourds, or watermelons. A parent would take the time to make sort of a game with their young ones, buying some seeds, showing the child how to plant them and then taking their child outside often to check the progress of the plants. Once the plant blooms, if it is a flower, the child will get to see and smell the work that they have put into this project. If the plant was a food source, the child will get to taste the fruit of their hard work. There is not only gardening in the spring, but there are fall veggies that can be planted. You can even sit down with your children and let them help pick out the flowers and vegetables for next years garden.

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More4kids likes to recognize both individuals and organizations that make a positive impact in the lives of families. "First Things First” is such an organization that has made a positive impact in the lives of many families and in the community in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area. They focus on assisting families with various areas of interest. This nonprofit organization works with numerous resources in the Hamilton County area, such as businesses, special groups, and individuals to bring together a wide selection of resources for the families in the area. The leaders of the community established that the county would be strengthened by first strengthening the families of that community. This marked the beginning of “First Things First”.  We will review what this organization does, what they stand for, and why this organization deserves credit for the hard work they do helping families and couples.

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Earth Day and kids go hand in hand. This is a special day set aside to bring awareness to conservation efforts and help educate people on how to be more earth friendly.  Parents can use April 22nd to teach their kids how to respect the earth and what they can do to make a difference.

One thing that most people do anyway is to recycle.  If you don’t, contact your trash service and request recycling pick up.  Most trash companies will do this for free, but you may need to use their special recycling bin.  Kids can learn to recycle in several different ways.  First, teach them how to identify whether an item is able to be recycled or not.  The easiest way to check this is to look for the recycling symbol on the item.  Things like plastic bottles and newspapers are almost always recyclable.

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by Pam Smith 

Building a relationship with step kids may not always be an easy task. This can be especially true if you are dealing with older kids. Many step kids live with the notion that their parents will one day get back together. After all, they were once in love, why can’t they be again. Therefore, in their minds they only have enough room in their hearts for one mom and one dad. However, there are a variety of different steps you can take, in order to make your transition into step parenting a smoother, more enjoyable one.

One of the first steps to keep in mind is that you are not there to replace their biological parent. It is important that you understand your role as their step parent and share that with your step kids. In most instances, a step kid will be more receptive if they understand you are not trying to replace their mom or dad. Therefore, start your relationship off as merely their friend.

When you first begin your role as a step parent, it is important that you start slowly. Don’t jump into the situation head first. Instead, gradually work to build a relationship. The more time you take getting to know your step kids, the better your relationship will be. If you are the lucky step parent of younger children, come down to their level. Spend time playing games with them or going to the local park. Older kids may enjoy a shopping trip to the mall or a long bike ride.

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Parenting is much more than just teaching your kids right and wrong, good or bad, or health and fitness. It is also about “respect”. I’m not talking about your kids or teens necessarily  
respecting you, it is about you having respect for them, particularly for their privacy. By respecting your children, they will be more open and respect you.

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Local Activities For Kids 

Not every family can travel during spring break. And how many of us have truely explored our own local community. We live in Chattanooga, TN, and were amazed of all the local activities we could get involved in when we moved into the area. In Chattanooga we have great parks, a sea Aquarium, a small zoo, camping, and great views, especially from Lookout Mountain.

Like us, many parents may not be able to get the week off of work, or there just might not be enough money in the budget for a trip. But that doesn’t mean that your family can’t have some spring break fun. There are plenty of things that you can do locally as a family. These include:

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The Easter Bunny has made his residence at the mall and the chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies and jelly beans can be found everywhere you go to shop. It’s Eastertime- a time when every kid looks forward to getting a great big basket full of goodies and toys.

It’s hard, especially in these busy, errand full days, to help make Jesus the focus of your family celebration. It takes a bit of ingenuity and time to make sure that your kids understand that Jesus is the center of this celebration and that his sacrificial death is the reason for the season that includes a giant bunny who brings eggs and goodies.
But how do we refocus?

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Responsibility is an important life skill that each child should be properly equipped with. Responsibility adds color to a child’s world. As a parent, it is imperative that you take the endeavor of teaching your how to be responsible very seriously. This is one of the most important tasks that you will ever experience. Here, you will learn some effective tips for teaching small kids responsibility. If you are looking to increase your child’s awareness of themselves and their place in the world, as well as help them set the course for success throughout their lifetime, this guide is for you!

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