How much fun can you have for $2.52?

Time and time again I tell people, it doesn't take a lot of money to have fun. It really doesn't! And to prove my point, I am going to show you what we did this past Saturday and it cost us a just $2.52.!!!

Our first stop for fun was at Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic. I have mentioned this before (like a million times) but I will say it again because this is a great program. The clinics are FREE and run about every two week on Saturdays at 10am. Children get to build great things like this Monster Box the oldest Fun Tester made this week. Children get an apron and for each thing they build, a patch to put on the apron. They also receive a certificate and get to take home their project at NO COST. How can you beat it!?!?

 Our second stop of the day was at Michael's craft store for their Make It, Take It event. This event cost us 52 cents to purchase a pail (which was on sale.) The children cut out designs from duct tape with the help of stencils to create their own trick or treat bucket! How neat is that? The Fun Tester made a face on one side and a bat on the other. These events are either free or with a purchase which always seems to be a low cost item.

Our final stop of the day was at an event called Spooky Science Saturday. It was being held jointly at the Children's Garden and the Kingman Museum. They had all sorts of education (science) activities set up. The Fun Tester had a wonderful time learning about surface tension, making animal tracks, learning about the technology that led to modern films and much more! It was all hands on and he had a wonderful time. The cost of this event was free but they were asking for a $1 donation per person. $2 for all that fun and learning was a steal. Not to mention, the next day in the paper was the Fun Tester's photo!!! Now there is a memory he will have forever.

See, having fun does NOT have to cost a lot. And finding events doesn't have to be impossible either. Check out our Cruise Directing 101 to learn how to find events. Now get out there and find some fun!!

Halloween craft recap

Here is just a quick recap of the cute and wasy Halloween crafts we have shared with you, so you don't miss out on any of the fun!



• Spider pumpkin candle holder
• Paper Pumpkin
• Candy Corn
• Mummy Jar
• Paper tube owls

 

 

Pet photo contest

 

 

I had an email forwarded to me from one of our Fun Friends (my mommy) to let me know about this fun contest from PetSafe! The email reads

 

"Send us a photo of your pet in their Halloween costume, and you could win a Trick or Treat prize pack featuring Busy Buddy® toys and Lickety Stik® treats.

 

Include your name, your pet's name, your address and telephone number in the body of the email submission. Contest rules apply. By submitting an entry, you accept the Official Rules."

 

So what are you waiting for? Get a photo and enter!! Even pets love Halloween and winning!

 

 

Camping and Halloween

We here at MAD Family Fun love, LOVE, love Halloween! For us it is not just one night of dressing up and getting candy. In fact we don’t just decorate our house, we take Halloween with us camping! Every year at a nearby state park they have a “harvest” aka Halloween weekend and we wouldn’t miss it for the world. People decorate their campsites. Some people do amazing displays. Sadly this year it rained most of the weekend. We decorated in the down pour anyway!

 We even did up our picnic table under our awning with a few of the crafts we have featured here on MAD Family Fun, like our Mummy Jars. The flowers with the skull added a touch of color to the rather gray weather. And of course we needed a steady stream of sugar from the candy cauldron to keep us running.

 

Sure we COULD have been moody and gloomy like the weather. We could have had a miserable time, but my belief is that things are only as fun as you make them. We decided to make our trip as fun as we could, so through the drizzle (and at times the downpour) we laughed and had a good time. We carved pumpkins we had brought with us, joined in the activities and when it was time for trick or treating, the rain finally stopped!!!

So why am I sharing all this with you? Well first to show you that you can have fun anywhere, you just have to have the right mindset. Secondly, checkout you local state parks for fun events, like this one! And last, to inspire you to go out and have fun! For us, rain or shine, our Halloween camping trip has become a tradition and year after year has and will provide wonderful memories for our children.

 

 

 

 

Toilet paper tube owls

Whooo wants to make a craft? Whooo has toilet paper tubes? Well then lets get started with these adorable toilet paper tube owls!

What you will need:

Toilet paper tube
2 muffin liners
White paper
Orange paper
Tape
Glue
Marker

First you need to get your muffin liners cut for later use. Start by folding the first liner in half, and then in half again so it looks like the triangle shape in the photos on the right. Now cute off the tip of the triangle and cut along the creased areas so that you end up with four pieces like in the photo


One the second liner, simply fold in half. Cut off the top portion to make a flat edge. Next cut along the creased are to form the wings.

To make the owl, start by pushing the two sides of the tube inward and tape to create the owl's ears. To make the owl's tummy area, glue and layer the four cut pieces from the first step as show in the photo on the left. Take your wings and glue them on the back of the tube. Now cut out eyes and a beak from your construction paper and attach above the tummy area. Use the marker to create the eyes and you have a beautiful toilet paper tube owl! These little guys are a wonderful nature craft or a great decoration for Halloween.

Spooky Science Saturday Oct 27th

Photo by Kingman Museum

Looking for some free spooky fun? Why not try the Kingman Museum's Spooky Science Saturday on October 27th. This free event has lots of fun and learning and runs from 11am-4pm. Not only is the museum open with speciel events but so too is the children's garden at the Leila Arboretum. We have been to this event a few times and always enjoy ourselves. Don't miss out on this free family fun Mid-Michigan!!

Mummy Jars

One thing I have noticed, at least at my house, is we have jars. Lots of jars! Canning jars, baby food jars, even large pickle jars we have hung onto. So what to do with them all? Make a craft of course!

And what could be cuter then these "Mummy Jars!" They are easy to make and add a splash of fun to any Halloween setting. So let's get ready to make a few (or more!)

This craft is so simple even very little children can make one. We had wide gauze, so I cut our strips in half. It also gave a more "tattered" look, I think. As with any craft, there is no wrong or right so use what you want.

First make a dot of craft glue on your jar and attach gauze. Next simply wrap your jar up! Put craft glue at the beginning and end of each strip of gauze. Use as much or as little gauze as you want. It is all personal preference.

When you have your jar "mummified" the way you want it, simply glue on two wiggle eyes and you are done. This craft couldn't be simpler or cuter! For an added touch drop a tea light candle (or one of those fake battery operated candles) in your jar to give it a warm glow!

These Mummy Jars are so simple to make, that it would be a great gift idea for a party or to take to elderly neighbors to brighten their day! So what are you waiting for? Get crafting!



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Paper pumpkin craft

Have I mentioned how much I love Halloween? Cause I do! And I love to make decorations for Halloween. This is a simple craft we did using construction paper and pipe cleaners. Not only are they easy to make but they look good hanging around the house!

All you need to make one of these paper pumpkins is a single sheet of orange construction paper cut into equal strips and two green pipe cleaners. No glue, no tape, nothing. So let's get started.....

First you need to punch holes in both ends of the paper strips. You can use a hole punch or heck, even a pencil tip if you don't have a hole punch. Next put a pipe cleaner through the holes at one end and bend it to "hold" the strips in place.



Next make a bend near the other end of the pipe cleaner and feed it through the top holes. So it looks like the photo on the right. Now this is where you have to play with your pipe cleaner, in order to get the bunched up look on your pumpkin. I found once I had the top hole set with bends I could go back and pull the pipe cleaner through the bottom holes and wind it up to get the perfect "puff" to my pumpkin. It is all about being flexible and trial and error. Just have fun with it! No two pumpkins will look the same and that is a great thing!


The second pipe cleaner is for your pumpkin vine. Simple bend the pipe cleaner around a pencil or your finger to get the coil and then bend your coil around your stem. That's it! Your ready to hang them around you house for a little Harvest or Halloween fun. So what are you waiting for....go make some!



 

Spider pumpkin candle holder

Looking for some Halloween decorations that will not break the bank? Well then I have a great decoration craft idea for you! This cute spider pumpkin candle holder!!! It is so easy to make and since I had everything but the mini pumpkin on hand, my total out of pocket cost was 35 cents!

Materials
Mini Pumpkin
Orange pipe cleaners
Wiggle eyes
Glue
Tea candle

Simply "carve" out the pumpkin like you would a large one.  Take four orange pipe cleaners and cut them in half to make the eight legs. Twist four pipe cleaners together to make 2 bunches of legs. Next glue on the wiggle eyes. I put the candle in so it was snug and then placed the legs wedged between the candle and the pumpkin and wallah, the cutest darn tea candle holder ever!

I love how cute they are and the fact you can make so many and not go broke. They really do add a festive feeling to any room. This is a wonderful craft we will do year after year. How about you? Feel like making a spider pumpkin infestation in your house?

A corny craft for Halloween

Candy Corn, love it or hate it is a Halloween staple and has been since the 1880's! George Renninger of the Wunderlee Candy Company invented candy corn which is made of sugar, corn syrup, wax, artificial coloring and binders. Doesn't that sound yummy!
 

 

Well here is a funny candy corn craft with no sugar or wax and it is oh so cute you will want to gobble them up. We started by layering yellow, orange, and white construction paper. We cut out the basic corn kernel shape. Next we cut the pieces off the orange and white so that they could be layered and glued. Next my oldest added wiggly eyes and a smile to make a happy candy corn friend.

My son enjoyed making these so much we have quite a few of these cute little guys around. He used different color combinations, eye sizes and materials for the mouth. Why not make a smiling army of candy corn to place around your home. You could take this craft a step further and attach them to twine to make a nice fun fall banner too!

 

Count down to Halloween

 

I know, I know, it is only September. It is bad enough the retail stores are already "selling" Halloween (who are we kidding, and Christmas) not MAD too!?!? Oh yes, MAD too! Halloween is our favorite holiday and our oldest is already asking how many more days to Halloween.

 

He started to make a paper chain to count down like we do at Christmas and I told him to hold up, lets try something new. This simply countdown is made up of construction paper, twine, tape and stickers, that's it (all of which we had in our craft box.)

 

He is so excited that each night he gets to snip off another piece. Though I will say he is defently not happy about the number of days left! Ah to be young again.... anticipation makes everything seem so far away.


 

 

 

Does your child get TOO much candy at Halloween?

Is there such a thing as too much Halloween candy? Maybe. But now there is a program that can not only eliminate some of it, but make your kids feel great and benefit our armed forces over seas. It is the Halloween Candy Buy Back Program. Too find a participating dentist near you, click here.

What is the Halloween Candy Buy Back Program?

	Dentists nationwide "buy-back" Halloween candy from children in their communities and then send the candy to U.S. Military deployed in combat through Operation Gratitude or other Military support groups. The troops love the candy--for themselves, but also to give out to the children in the communities they patrol.

Halloween at your local zoo

Halloween is just days away!!! Are you looking for something fun and safe to do? Why not try your local zoo. Ours, Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, MI has the Great Zoo Boo. There is trick or treating, a carnival, rides, and just lots of fun to be had. It has become a tradition with our family.

I know other Michigan zoos have Halloween events like John Ball in Grand Rapids and the Detroit Zoo. Don't live in Michigan? No problem! Check with your local zoo! Don't know what the closest zoo is to you? Then check here!

Bubble Guppies Halloween Party Game

I don't know about your kids but my son went through a Bubble Guppies phase. And for Halloween I found this game for him. You get to create different pictures and can even print them out when your done!

Do you live near a Meijer store?

Why do I ask? Well because this Saturday (Oct 29) they are having their Halloween Carnival Events from 11am-2pm. The event features spooky crafts for kids, frightening face painting, treats, free giveaways and much more. So why not save your grocery shopping till then and take the whole family.

Which Halloween candy is healthier?

Okay this is a loaded question! Candy and healthy are not to words that go together. But for all of us parents out there that WILL raid our child's candy bags, here are some tips if you are trying to watch your waistline.

Round 1: Twix vs. Kit Kat
The Winner: Kit-Kat
Twix bars contain much more sodium. A serving of three Twix bars has three times more sodium compared to an average size serving of Kit-Kat.

Round 2: Tootsie Rolls vs. Candy Corn
This battle, however, has to be declared a tie.
You would have to eat about 26 pieces of candy corn to equal the same amount of calories you would get from eating 4 Tootsie Rolls.

Round 3: Sweettarts vs. Smarties
The Winner: Smarties
Each Smartie roll contains about 25 calories and five grams of sugar. A serving of eight Sweettarts contains about 50 calories and 13 grams of sugar.

Round 4: Bubble Gum vs. Tootsie Pops
The Winner: Bubble Gum
A piece of bubble gum has less than half the calories and sugar (25 calories, 5 grams sugar), on average, than one candy-coated Tootsie Pop (60 calories, 10 grams sugar)

Round 5: Peanut M&M’s vs. Skittles
The Winner: Peanut M&M’s
Even though Skittles have fewer calories than peanut M&M’s, that doesn’t necessarily make them the better choice.  Unlike Skittles, peanut M&M’s are lower on the glycemic index, which means they keep you satisfied longer, and don’t spike your blood sugar as high.

 

Does your child still need a Halloween costume?

What!?!?! Halloween is less then a week away and your child still doesn't have a costume!?!?! Don't worry! Here are some last minute ideas!

Halloween Coloring Pages

The folks over at RaisingOurKids.com have a wonderful selection of printable coloring pages just for Halloween. Click on over and check them out!

You got to get some of these!

What do you need to get? The McDonald's Halloween Treat Pack!! It is a booklet of coupons full of savings. I paid $1.19 for ours and now we have the following coupons to get FREE

3 apple slices
3 small apple juice or white milk jug
3 hamburgers
3 small cones (ice cream!!!!)

I don't know about you but that dollar and change just brought my son tons of yummy fun, It definitely paid for itself a few times over. I have a happy kid and I am a happy momma!

Spooky eats and party treats

Mr Food (the guy in the photo) has a wonderful FREE Recipe Book for Spooky eats and party treats! Check it out. My mouth is watering. The hot carmel apple cider looks yummy!!!!  Maybe with some spiderweb spread on the side......oh the possibilities!