Category: Games
Nov 21 – No School Fun Day!
On Friday Nov 21 we celebrated National Children’s Day with a No School Fun Day. In the morning we had grades k-2 play active games, build tape roads and make play dough. In the afternoon grades 3-6 played active games with the parachute, played kick ball and soccer, made healthy snacks and built wire hanger wreathes. It was a great day with more than 40 students participating!
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Summer Camp Fun!!
The kids have been having a great time at summer camp this year. We have been travelling to the museum, the library, the pool and sometimes just staying at the school for games, crafts and science. Here are some of the pictures from our amazing summer.
Fun with Flubber!
Glycerin bubbles! So pretty!
Making smores using science
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Girls Circle Wind Up!
We had some serious fun last week at the Girls Circle wind-up party thanks to OneChurch.ca and their awesome inflatable boxing ring!!!
This was an interesting activity as I challenged the girls with some conflict resolution role-playing and before they could go and “fight it out” with their partner they had to resolve the role-play conflict using respect, empathy and fairness. Yay!
Boxing was more fun. 😉
Thanks again OneChurch.ca!!!
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R-tworx: Explosives!
The above ideas were used from one of our favourite creative parenting sites: Growing a Jeweled Rose.
You can find these recipes: Here.
You can find the recipe for elephant toothpaste: Here
Have Fun!!
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For our Winter Themed after school program the Pre-K – Gr 1 classes took part in snowball relays, snowman decorating game and snow dough.
To take part in these activities read below:
Snowball Relay:
You will need:
- Spoons
- Styrofoam Balls
- A large space
- items to mark the start and finish (such as hula-hoops)
- items to weave in an out of (such as pylons)
How to play:
- Have kids pick up a Styrofoam ball and place it on the spoon
- They must then walk with the ball on the spoon through the pylons to their teammate
- They will then transfer the ball to their teammate who must return to the start with the ball.
- Try with different sized “snowballs!”
Decorate a Snowman Game:
You will need:
- Toilet Paper
- Scarf, Hat, Buttons, Nose (we cut ours out of construction paper)
How to Play:
- Pick a “Snowman”.
- Have the other children wrap the child up in toilet paper.
- Dress the snowman.
Snow Dough:
What you will need:
- 1 Cup Cornstarch
- 1 Cup Hair Conditioner
How to make:
- Mix the ingredients together in a bowl and play! Keep in an air tight container
- Add glitter or food coloring to make it more fun!
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Volcanos!!!
Last week at the Carlyle Public Library the Grade 2-3’s made some fantastic erupting volcanos! To start each student was given a small glass bottle and some clay. (Since we had a class of 33 we used a variety of clay to make different looking volcanos: Crayola Model Magic, Crayola Air Dry Clay and No-Name brand Modelling Clay.)
The Crayola Model Magic is such a great product to work with. I really love it because it is as workable as clay but it is very lightweight and can be painted or coloured on with markers as soon as you are done modeling it. It will dry overnight in open air or you can keep it in an air tight container and play with it as many times as you like.
Just look at the great volcanos the Gr 2-3’s came up with using their creative minds!
Now for the fun part: The Eruptions!!!
The first eruption I tought the kids about was a very simple soap bubble and water recipe. (Everyone knows this from blowing milk bubbles at restaraunts and having parents yell “STOP THAT!”
Recipe:
Water (Fill your volcano container half full)
Food Colour (Just a few drops)
Squeeze of dish soap (Play with the amounts to see what happens)
The next volcano eruptions we tried were a little more reactive. The old stand-by: Baking soda and vinegar. Of course I tried to go into the chemistry behind this reaction, but honestly, everyone was too excited to take in much science. 🙂 (Thank goodness for hand-outs!)
For those of you wondering: Vinegar is an acid and baking soda is a base, when the two are mixed they create a wonderful reaction that releases carbon dioxide (The same stuff that makes pop fizzy).
Recipe: Baking Soda and Vinegar Eruption
1-2 TBLSP of Baking soda into your volcano
Food Colour (As little or as much as you like)
1/4-1/2 Cup vinegar
When the vinegar is added to the baking soda you will get a very fizzy reaction!!! Kind of like this:
But nothing can beat my new favourite: Elephant Toothpaste. Why is it called elephant toothpaste… well, you’ll have to let me know if you find out… all I know is that the reaction is bigger, lasts longer and is exceptionally fun to play in when it stops. Make sure an adult helps with the hydrogen peroxide!!
Recipe for Elephant Toothpaste
A clean 16 ounce plastic soda bottle
- 1/2 cup 20-volume hydrogen peroxide liquid (20-volume is a 6% solution, ask an adult to get this from a beauty supply store or hair salon) *NOTE we used regular 10-volume pharmacy brand at it still creates a great foam
- 1 Tablespoon (one packet) of dry yeast
- 3 Tablespoons of warm water
- Liquid dish washing soap
- Food coloring
- Small cup
- Safety goggles
NOTE: As you can see from the picture, foam will overflow from the bottle, so be sure to do this experiment on a washable surface, or place the bottle on a tray.
1. Hydrogen peroxide can irritate skin and eyes, so put on those safety goggles and ask an adult to carefully pour the hydrogen peroxide into the bottle.
2. Add 8 drops of your favorite food coloring into the bottle.
3. Add about 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap into the bottle and swish the bottle around a bit to mix it.
4. In a separate small cup, combine the warm water and the yeast together and mix for about 30 seconds.
5. Now the adventure starts! Pour the yeast water mixture into the bottle (a funnel helps here) and watch the foaminess begin!
Foam is awesome! The foam you made is special because each tiny foam bubble is filled with oxygen. The yeast acted as a catalyst (a helper) to remove the oxygen from the hydrogen peroxide. Since it did this very fast, it created lots and lots of bubbles. Did you notice the bottle got warm. Your experiment created a reaction called an Exothermic Reaction – that means it not only created foam, it created heat! The foam produced is just water, soap, and oxygen so you can clean it up with a sponge and pour any extra liquid left in the bottle down the drain.
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Cornerstone Games: Water Games
Water games are great for any gathering, especially when it is a hot summer day!
Cold Potato
You will need:
- filled water balloons
Follow the basic rules of hot potato, except you use water balloons. Have the children sit in a circle. The child who is holding the water balloon will gently toss the water balloon to a child sitting across the circle. If the water balloon breaks, the child that was catching the water balloon is out. Warn the children that if they the water balloon is not tossed nicely to the next child, the child that tosses the balloon will be out. You can play this game until you run out of water balloons or there is only one child left in the game.
Water Brigade
You will need:
- sponges
- 4 matching buckets (2 for each team)
- various size containers (2 of each size, 1 for each team)
Have the children break into teams and stand in two lines. Each team is given the same number and type of containers. Place two large buckets of water an equal distance from each team. Place a smaller bucket in front of each line of children. Give the children directions to race and fill one container of their choice with water and race back to fill their smaller bucket with water. The first child will head to the back of the line and the next child will go. The process will be repeated until the first team fills their bucket.
Bucket Line
You will need:
- 4 buckets, one filled with water
- A supply of paper or plastic cups
This is a great game for hot days on camp. Teams stand in lines. They have a bucket full of water at the front of the line and an empty bucket at the rear. The object of the game is to transfer the water from the front bucket to the rear bucket. To do this the team members must pass the cups of water over their heads to the person behind. Empty cups must be passed back to the front in the same fashion. To play the game fairly you could weigh the buckets at the start and finish to see how much water has been lost.
Drip Drip Drop
You will need:
-
a bucket of water
-
1 sponge
The child that is “it” is given a sponge full of water. The child walks around the circle dripping water on each child. Squeeze the sponge over the head of the child that you want to race. Follow the same rules as Duck Duck Goose.
Balloon and Water Gun Race
You will need:
-
1 water gun per child (ideally the same size)
-
1 balloon for each team (have extras in case the balloons pop)
Divide the children into teams with equal numbers. Have each child fill his own water gun. Give the children instructions to shoot their team’s balloon and try to push the balloon to the finish line using their water power. Place the balloons in a line and give the word.
Sitting Sponge Relay
You will need:
-
2 large sponges
-
2 big buckets of water
-
2 small buckets (we used ice-cream pails)
Have the children split into two equal teams. Placed 2 small buckets on the ground and have the children sit in a line behind it, facing the back of the person in front of them. Place a large bucket of water beside the child at the end of the line. Place a large sponge in each large bucket of water. Explain to the children that the sponge full of water will be passed over the heads of the children in front of them until it gets to the front of the line. The child in the front of the line will squeeze the water out of the sponge and into the small bucket sitting in front of them. The person in the front of the line then passes the sponge back to repeat the process again. The team that fills the small bucket first is the winner. This game can be played repeatedly by getting the children to rotate through the line until everyone has had the opportunity to sit at the front and back of the line.
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75 FREE things to do this Summer
- Visit the Library-Read books that inspire ideas and give reason for further hands on study activities. Reserve books through your online service at your local library that have items of interest for your child’s age group, how to make paper airplanes, science experiments, craft projects, etc.
- Attend Library-STORY TIME -In Carlyle 10 AM every Thursday.
- Visit your local park – go early, pack a lunch, bring a drawing tablet, enjoy the outside before it’s too hot.
- Take a field trip or nature hike. Visit nearby Cannington Manor, Kenosee Lake, White Bear Lake or even just a walk in the country. Bring a journal and a camera to document what you find.
- Play in the water – Sure the sprinkler and pool are great – but try painting with water. Wet brushes will change the color of brick, sidewalk, deck and fence but will dry clear. Or visit the Carlyle Leisure complex for Parent and Tot Swim every Tuesday and Wednesday 10-noon!
- Make a rock collection – Searching for interesting rocks might even lead to finding a fossil!
- Build a fort – Use the old standby of blankets and chairs or go and find sticks and branches.
- Take an “Alphabet tour.” With camera in hand, try to take a picture of places that start with letters of the alphabet. (a)Ananda arthouse, (b)bed and breakfast, (c)Carlyle sign, (d) dairy queen.
- Attend Local Museum Children’s events. Every Wednesday Morning in Carlyle all July and August.
10. Make Homemade Popsicles.
- Go on a scavenger hunt.
12. Host a community picnic or block party. Have each neighbour host a game such as: bean bag toss, egg on the spoon etc. Contact Jenn Sedor at CFY for use of the community picnic kit.
13. Go to the beach.
14. Cook with your kids – let them plan it, be apart of the shopping, table setting and dessert! Visit CFY’s resource library for easy cooking projects for your family!
- Teach the kids frisbee golf. Make the course together using traffic cones or other bright objects as your target. Using the same rules as golf see how many throws it takes to get the Frisbee to the target.
16. Go fly a kite.
- Do a sewing project together. Make a picnic or story time blanket, apron, or summer dress.
18. Make sock puppets – put on a puppet shows.
19. Go outside for reading time.
20. Make and blow bubbles.
21. Hide your dinosaurs, mini animals, etc. in the sand pit and have a excavation. (even read a book about palaeontology before hand).
22. Play dress up.
23. Have a tea party.
24. Make an obstacle course out of your back yard and have races.
25. Play jacks.
26. Go fishing.
27. Go on a bike ride.
28. Camp in your back yard.
29. Melt and create with crayons.
30. Plant a garden using seeds from your vegetables/fruits.
31. Tour local historic sites.
32. Make a star gazing map.
33. Teach the kids to knit.
34. Set up a lemonade stand.
35. Set up toy race car races in the driveway. Have them make a trophy to give to the winning car – then next time – the new winning car gets the trophy.
36. Have a LEGO building contest (using x# pieces, only using blue pieces, creating something a certain height, create something that moves, etc.)
37. Make a doll.
38. Hunt for animal tracks. (get a book from the library to help identify them).
39. Have a dress up party.
40. Learn bird calls.
41. Use magazines to make mosaics.
42. Make musical instruments and become a ‘home band’ sensation!
43. Make tye die shirts.
44. Take a picnic to dad/mom/grandma/ etc… give them a nice break from their work day.
45. Make a tent in the living room.
46. Make a bird feeder with pine cones & peanut butter (and bird seed of course).
47. Paint with fruit and veggies (and anything else you will let them paint with – think q-tips, old toothbrush, sponges, leaves…. etc.)
48. Play charades.
49. Have a “BORED” game day – pull out all those dusty games and let each child pick a game – if its nice outside – take them out on your picnic blanket.
50. Walk your neighbours dog.
- Make silhouettes.
52. Check out local VBS offerings – a lot of time you can volunteer while your kids attend.
53. Gather friends and have a “clean” the park day – celebrate your good deed with a picnic and play time.
54. Make Playdough.
55. Play “I Spy” as you walk around your neighbourhood.
56. Go to a farmers market.
57. Check the Summer Times paper for local summer festivals.
58. Make a checker board and your own checkers. Then play for a bit…
59. Make your own board games.
60. Make a Milk Carton Boat – and head to a pond.
61. Have a Christmas in July party and ask all the guests to bring donations for your local food pantry.
62. Gather, paint, make pet rocks.
63. Attend Mobile Playground summer day camps at Carlyle Elementary School July 26th – 30th. Call Jenn Sedor to register your child.
64. Volunteer at a local charity.
65. Have a pajama day, enjoy movies and popcorn (great for a rainy day).
66. Color.
67. Make a Windchime.
68. Write your own poems.
69. Do a toy swap with a friend.
70. “Play” school.
- Travel around the world. Read books about interesting places and explore them using your imagination. Draw landmarks, use recipes to cook interesting local foods. Use the internet or visit your local library.
72. Play tennis, soccer, kickball, football, etc.
73. Make a sandcastle.
74. Enjoy an art lesson.
75. Attend CFY’s Summer programming! Activities are fun and free!! To find our summer calendar visit www.cfyprograms.com or call Jenn Sedor at 453-2666.
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Library Olympics
Library Athletes from L-R top: Tori Jones, Ashley Lenius, Sydney Jones, Mason Webb. bottom: Logan Webb, Elizabeth Lenius, Sydney Flynn and Lily Sedor.
Library Olympics
On Wednesday February 17th several Library Athletes dropped by the United Church to take part in the CFY’s 2010 Library Olympics. Children were welcomed into the event and each made their own Olympic flag to carry during the opening Parade of Athletes.
Everyone had loads of fun competing in egg carrying and balloon relays. Hopscotch was also a featured event. Each athlete went home with a medal and a smile on their faces. We would like to give a big thanks to our volunteers and to the Carlyle United Church for providing the venue.
Saturday Morning HOP Classes
Designed for three to five-year-old children and their parents and caregivers, these classes reflect current professional consensus on ways to support the growth and development of children by using simple and enjoyable play activities. Engaging in this type of play lays a foundation of attitudes, habits, skills, and values that will last a lifetime.
Upcoming Events at Cornerstone Family and Youth
- Every Tuesday 1PM-3PM and Wednesday 9:30-11:30AM, Parent and Tot Centre Open
- March 9,23,30 Baby SEW Cute 7:00 PM at the Quilt Guild Room $5.00 registration plus supplies
- March 13, 20, 27 HOP into March , at the Carlyle Public Library Saturday mornings 10:30-11:30
- March 16, Leah Petersen speaking on Autism at 7:00 PM (Location TBA)
***For more information about our organization or our programs please visit us at our Parent and Tot Centre located at the end of the walkway between Home Hardware and the Civic Centre, Main St. Carlyle or at our office in Falco Place #110, Main St. Carlyle. Call Lauren Hume at 453-2666. www.cfyprograms.wordpress.com ***
cfyprograms.com 