Sight Words or Spelling Words Memory Game

With school back in session, here is a way to make learning letters, sight words or spelling words fun!

cut 3x5 cards in half. On each half write the letter or word your child is learning.
mix up the cards and turn them over face down.
Play like memory- during their turn, a  player turns over two cards.
When a player gets a match, they have to use the word in a sentence (or think of a word that starts with that letter if playing with letters)

At the end of the game, have the child read what words (or letters) they matched up, and read the words/letters you matched up. Then have them count how many matches they got and how many you got, and figure out how many more matches the winner had.


Pack your cards in your Packed 4 Fun backpack to take with you to brother's soccer practice, mom's appointment, or the restaurant!

Mailing Tube Ball Fun

Save a mailing tube you get in the mail, or pick one up from a packaging supply store.

 Decorate it with stickers, by painting it, or wrapping it in the fun new duct tape. (To paint it, put a broom pole through the tube. Rest to each end on a saw horse or tables. Painting on a turning element itself is a unique experience). 




Fill the packaging tube with lightweight balls like wiffle balls

When playing with the ball tube:

you can say 1... 2... 3.. Rolling Rainbow! as they all pour out and then sing the Rainbow Song -Red, orange yellow green blue purple, Red orange yellow green blue purple, makes the rainbow bright!

When it is time to pick up the balls, sing (to the tune of "Here we go round the mulberry bush")
"Lets put all the balls away, the balls away, the balls away, lets put all the balls away so we can do it again"
or last line can be "lets put all the balls away - we'll play again another day"
It's a great clean up song... gives Barney a little competition.

Makes a great gift to mail :)

Paper Bag Blocks

Easy fun is often the best fun!

Materials Needed:
Paper Grocery Bags
Newspaper
Masking Tape

Fill the Paper Bags full of scrunched up newspaper until the bags are about 3/4 full, then fold over the bag forming it into a block shape and tape it closed.

Have children stack the blocks and knock them down!

Build Gross Motor Skills and get out some energy!  Especially perfect for rainy/snowy days.

You can also make smaller blocks out of smaller paper bags, and color the blocks (or even paint them if you really want to go wild!)

Marshmallow Math

Marshmallows do not just have to be for roasting this summer. Try some yummy fun and learning with marshmallows and toothpicks.
Children over 3 can start out by making triangles and squares and counting the sides and points (basic geometry).














Older children can create 3 dimensional cubes and other more complex shapes.

Let imaginations explore creating different structures.

caution: marshmallows are considered a choking hazard for children under 4. Use with adult supervision.

Balloon Tennis

An easy to create, easy to play, indoor or outdoor sport! Maybe not exactly a sport, but definitely a fun activity for parties, camp, rainy days, summer boredom, or just your average Wednesday.

Use masking tape to tape a paint stir stick to the back of a sturdy paper plate (which you may decorate first with crayons/markers if you'd like). Use this as your racquet to hit balloons.

*caution- latex balloons are a serious choking hazard. Use only with direct adult supervision.

Milk Jug Ball Toss

Save your empty gallon milk containers! Rinse them out well, and then cut off the bottom.

Using lightweight balls like Wiffle balls, use the jugs to catch and throw the ball.

Ball and Spoon Races

This is like the classic egg relay race but not messy (or wasteful)!
Using a practice golf balls and a serving spoon from the kitchen, set up an area where children can carry their ball to a designated bucket, balancing the ball on the spoon.
This activity is great for a variety of ages, from young children to adults.
Teams and be formed to make it an actual race, or in your own backyard, try for your best time using a timer.
It's an easy activity to set up that can keep children busier longer than you might think.
It's also a good workout for the adults :)