Umizoomi Spring Color by Number

I don't know why, but my son loves to do color by number. Some day I am sure we will have to get him a paint by number!!! But for now, these Umizoomi Spring Color by Number pages will have to hold him. I hope you children enjoy them half as much as are Fun Tester will..

Springing forward this weekend

Yes folks, that time of year is upon us, when for some out dated reason, we parents loose another hour of sleep. (Like we don't loose enough as it!!) Actually, Daylight Saving Time made its debut in the United States in 1918 in an effort to save power. Since it was lighter outside later into the night, less electricity was used. What ever the reason..... I want my hour back!!!

So what can a parent do to help their children stay on scheduale?

1. Start moving bedtime up immediately. Move it up 10-15 minutes every  night until Sunday. For example, if you normally start your bedtime routine at 7pm, move it up to 6:50pm.
2. Keep your bedtime routine consistent.
3. If your child is old enough to tell time, explain the time change.

While these tips may not fix the confussion in a small childs mind as to why it is 9 and not 8, it will help you keep you routine in the long run. And if your a working parent, getting out the door on time is very important.

Get ready for spring visitors

Spring will be here soon, so it is time to get ready for those spring visitors! Here is a wonderful craft that combines teaching your children about nature and recycling. These bird feeders would make a great afternoon project!

It is nesting time, make a craft

Well spring has sprung and the birds are back! Now is a great time to talk to your little ones about birds and nests. We just took a bike ride to look for signs of spring and saw some old nests. We decided to make a "donation" to the birds so they could build new nests. It was simple and recycled too!

First we got the mesh bag that our popsicles come in. You could use onion bags or any other kind of mesh bag. Next we collected up straw. We cut ribbon, yarn, and pipe cleaners.  Last, and I know this might sound weird, but we got hair, from our brushes and the pet brushes.

Cutting up yarn



Stuffing the bag



Once the items were cut and placed in the bag, it was time to hang it so the birds could stop buy and shop for nesting materials. David insisted on hanging it himself, so up the tree he went. I must say, he was proud that he got to help the birds and I think the little bag of bits adds a splash of color to our yard!

A sappy adventure continues..........

So we decided that this year, we were going to try and make some maple syrup. Okay, now I know what your thinking, are they nuts, LOL, umm maybe! I figured I would share our little adventure with you, not necessarily encouraging you to go tap a tree, but to realize you can have fun doing just about anything! Maybe a family garden this summer or putting together a fish aquarium. You can learn and have fun as a family doing just about anything.

So here is the start of our adventure.....

Soft but firm pipe cut to make taps, pop bottles and milk jugs hung with coat hanger wire to collect, and a 5 gallon bucket to dump it all in. That is all it took to get started! In 1 day we got over 2 gallons of sap!

We combined our sap with a friend's and boiled it down. Did you know it takes 40 gallons of sap for 1 gallon of syrup!



And here is the first of our finished syrup! It is so yummy. Our french toast was amazing! The trees are flowing and to date we have collected around 30 gallons of sap!

A Sappy Adventure

So we decided that this year, we were going to try and make some maple syrup. Okay, now I know what your thinking, are they nuts, LOL, umm maybe! I figured I would share our little adventure with you, not necessarily encouraging you to go tap a tree, but to realize you can have fun doing just about anything! Maybe a family garden this summer or putting together a fish aquarium. You can learn and have fun as a family doing just about anything.

So here is the start of our adventure.....

Soft but firm pipe cut to make taps, pop bottles and milk jugs hung with coat hanger wire to collect, and a 5 gallon bucket to dump it all in. That is all it took to get started! In 1 day we got over 2 gallons of sap! And this morning before 8am we had another gallon!!!! Once we get enough to start bowling, I will update you again. Enjoy these photos and I hope they inspire your family to take on a family project.

Groundhog good enough to eat!

I love the NWF website for wonderful kids stuff. I found this last year .... it is a Groundhog you can eat! I do plan to modify it to fit what we have on hand but I am sure it will turn out just as yummy and cute. Here are also some fun facts about groundhogs you may or may not know!