Games

Now that my son is toddling around, I'm looking for activities that keep him busy but don't make our house look like a toy store showroom.

That's when I got the idea to make a play mat I can roll up to store in a closet or under a bed. The vinyl used to make banners is the ideal material for this craft. It's durable, it's easily wiped clean, and you can make a custom design. Win, win and win!

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The end of summer is near, and soon students will be heading back to the classroom. While they may be groaning all the way to the school bus, many parents are breathing a sigh of relief as the long days of “I’m bored” draw to a close. ...read more

Happy July 4^th, Out of Office readers! To pay homage to the red, white and blue, we thought we’d share a round-up of our favorite Independence Day posts, as well as a few on summer activities. Planning a party to showcase your patriotism? We’ve got some great ideas for you:

Father’s Day is fast approaching and that means it’s time to start brainstorming new and exciting ideas to honor the special dads out there. Dads love to grill, but since it’s his day, why not let him hang up the tongs and relax? Instead, pull the kiddos together and start creating a day of backyard fun, complete with customized lawn games and a picnic. Read on for a few tips to get started…

In these money-conscious times I think that “staycation” vacations are becoming more popular. But it can be difficult to keep kids entertained during the long summer months. One thing I found to pass the time is a summertime scavenger hunt. Since my son is developing his reading skills, I used photos I took to accompany the words so that he can play the game and learn to associate the word with its matching photo. I also chose summer themed objects for him to find on our adventure – some that are kept inside the house and others kept outside. 

Guest blogger Katie Nasche is a communications advisor for FedEx Office. Katie is a busy mom of two girls, and in her spare time, she enjoys baking and scrapbooking. Today, Katie shares with us a fun idea for a baby shower game.

…bridal showers that is! With wedding season right around the corner, the invitations are starting to pile in for spring and summer weddings, as well as the accompanying bridal showers and other pre-wedding celebrations.

Remember being a kid and the excitement you’d feel right before your family left for a vacation? It wasn’t just the anticipation of your destination, but the possibility of seeing so many new things from your backseat window along the way. For me, that excitement typically faded about an hour into our trip. By that time I was fidgety, a little car sick and definitely disappointed by the lack of exotic sites (which were, of course, right outside our city limits).

It comes as no shock to parents that children like to put things into their mouths. My son has even gone so far as to eat an entire puzzle at nap time! Since he likes doing puzzles – and some time has passed since the “incident” – I decided to make a homemade puzzle using a piece of his artwork. And because it is his own masterpiece, I think it will be easier for him to recognize how the final puzzle should look.

Here are the steps I followed to create my puzzle:

Winter is raging on with no end in sight. The temperatures have been particularly low lately making bundling up to go outside a chore. As I mentioned in my last post, my son has really been enjoying playing board games.

For Christmas he got numerous games and puzzles from his grandparents and aunties. He especially enjoys playing his SpongeBob SquarePants™ Memory Game. Since he also loves playing with flashcards I decided to combine the two concepts and make a fun and educational memory game with my own personal touches. (By the way, our blogger Katie did a great post on flashcards for her daughter last year. This game is a little different, but the concept is similar.)

This memory or concentration game can be adapted for kids of all ages. You can begin with simple concepts such as shapes, numbers, letters, and colors and advance to more complex ideas involving math, grammar, or other languages. ...read more