Sometimes, with little ones, outdoor play happens spontaneously. After all, everything sparks awe and wonder as they scan the world with brand-new eyes. However, as moms, we know it can be helpful to approach the day with a plan. Add these 10 outdoor activities for toddlers to your play list this season! 

1. Pour out the fun.

Gather cups, containers, and funnels of different sizes. Fill a cooler or kiddie pool with water and let your toddler scoop, dump, and splash away. Squirt in some dishwashing liquid and watch the excitement bubble up. Need more water games? We got you.

2. Have POP-ular play on a windy day.

Who says kites get to have all the fun when the wind blows? Chase bubbles on a windy day instead. Bubbles offer more than a boost to the fun factor, too. Each time your toddler pops a bubble, she’s learning about cause and effect. If she does this, then that will happen. Plus, she gets lots of practice moving her body as she reaches, jumps, and runs to catch those bubbles blowing around. (By the way, these movement activities for kids work great on a windy day, too.)

3. Plan for a dino-mite good time.

Place small plastic dinosaurs in a tray filled with water. Place the tray in the freezer until frozen. With your help, let your child excavate the dinosaurs. Experiment with different options. Add salt to the ice. Pour on a little warm (not too hot!) water. Chisel the ice with a spoon. 

4. Get ’em workin’ at the [pint-sized] car wash.

Line up 10 toy cars and give your child a rag, water, and dish soap. And, hey, why not add your car or a tricycle to the mix? Or how about giving those action figures a little scrub-a-dub, too? 

5. Squirt paint for your little squirt.

Fill up squirt bottles with different colored paints. In the grass, put down a tarp or plastic tablecloth. Then, put a large piece of paper, flattened cardboard box, or poster board on it, and invite your child to use those squeeze bottles to create art. 

6. Set the stage for a fairy tale.

Build a tiny fairy house together. Gather sticks, mud, flowers, rocks, moss, leaves, pinecones—basically anything you and your toddler can find outside can be used to build a tiny outdoor fairy house. (Pixie dust optional.) Need a little inspiration? This Boston mom and her two kids offer some great ideas.

7. Have a muddy good time.

Splish-splash, your little one will be taking a bath…later. Outdoor activities for toddlers often involve a little messy mayhem. After a summer downpour, take advantage of the post-rain mud and grab the buckets and shovels for some mudpies, mud castles, or whatever else your child creates. Or, why wait for the rain? Make your own mud puddles.

8. Box in the creativity.

Save up those cardboard boxes from all those online orders. Get washable paint, sponges, and paint brushes and invite your toddler to create a playhouse or fort out of the boxes and paint. Be prepared for your child to bring his creation inside or at least in the garage to play with the next day! 

9. Hunt and gather by the numbers.

Ask your child to pick a number between 1 and 10. Then, go on the hunt for that number of a specific object in your back yard or park. For example, find five pinecones, five rocks, five green leaves, and five sticks. 

10. Watch ‘em wiggle. See ’em jiggle.

If you’re looking for outdoor activities for toddlers to do on a playdate, this one needs to be on your list! Grab that kiddie pool, large plastic storage bin, or water table. Make ahead three to four boxes of Jello in different colors. Dump the wiggly creations in the pool (the Jello, not the toddlers), along with spoons, whisks, measuring cups, and maybe even a toy or two. Then, let the squishy fun begin by adding the other wiggly creations (the toddlers!) to the mix.

How do you balance safety and exploration when engaging in outdoor activities for toddlers?

The post 10 Irresistible Outdoor Activities Your Toddler Will Love appeared first on iMOM.

Then, the tables turn, and I take my family somewhere and make the same rookie mistakes. Our expectations are too high, our itinerary too full, and I get home from vacation saying “I need a vacation.” So how can moms actually enjoy trips with kids? Try these 5 tips for how to plan a family vacation you’ll enjoy, too.

1. Choose a spot that works with your kids’ ages and interests, not against them.

We took a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains when my sons were 10 and 9. We hiked trails, rode horses… You know, mountainy things. Had we taken that trip three years earlier, I would’ve been a nervous wreck, constantly worried that someone would get hurt. It’s hard to be patient and wait for the right ages to try new adventures with your kids, but it’s worth it.

And sometimes you have to accept that a destination might not be right for your family at all. Your husband’s dream to visit all the MLB stadiums might not jibe with your non-athletic crew. Remember, you two have plenty of time without the kids once they’re out from under your wings. Make these trips as kid-friendly as possible.

2. Try not to exhaust yourself before vacation starts.

I’m already bummed when vacation ends. Returning to a messy house just makes it worse. I’ve learned to pick up and clean bit by bit the week before instead of staying up until 2 a.m. scrubbing toilets.

Make a plan so you can avoid starting your vacation from a place of depletion. Two weeks out, start a list and do one thing every day. Or pack a week early. Set realistic expectations for what you can get done at work. And if the beds don’t have a fresh set of sheets, trust that you’ll still sleep well when you get home.

3. Pack as light as possible.

The less you have to carry, the easier it will be to travel. Fewer bags will also make it less likely you and your husband will bicker through gritted teeth as you play Tetris with your luggage in the trunk.

Lighten your load by asking, “Are we really going to need this?” as you pack everyone’s bags. And let the kids pack two stuffed animals, not seven. “Mr. Frog and Beary can come on the next vacation. This time, they get to hold down the fort!”

(Moms of the pre-potty trained, ignore this tip. You need the entire baby section from Target. Just bring it all, and thank your pack mule husband for carrying everything.)

4. Schedule rest.

Of all the tips for how to plan a family vacation, this one might be the most tempting to ignore. After all, when you spend a pretty penny to travel somewhere, the last thing you want to do is hit pause on the fun and go back to the hotel to nap or take a breather. But it’s better to have four days with a rested, happy family than seven with an overtired, bickering one.

5. Go with the flow.

I’m a planner, and I’ve used Excel spreadsheets for more vacations than I like to admit. But once I’m in vacay-mode, one of my favorite things to say is, “Let’s see where the day takes us.” That gives you permission to let go of control, shifting everyone’s focus from what’s happening next to what’s happening now.

If you stumble upon a park and the kids are getting along while playing “pirates” on the jungle gym, don’t rush off to the next thing. Be present where you are, and you might suddenly realize you’re on vacation after all!

Still not convinced you can find rest on a family vacation? Listen in on this episode of the iMOM Podcast for more ideas for how to enjoy a low-stress vacation.

I love discovering helpful tips for how to plan a family vacation that everyone enjoys. What’s your favorite?

The post A Trip With Kids CAN Feel Like a Vacation! 5 Tips for Loving Trips appeared first on iMOM.

Thankfully, we’ve all gotten better at this family travel thing. And our now-teenagers look forward to the games (mostly), even on 14-hour road trips. When you’re on the road again, plan on playing these 15 car games for kids to keep everyone entertained. 

5 Car Games for Kids Under 5

1. Puppetpoolza Party – Anything can be turned into a puppet. Using what you have on hand (See what I did there?), hold a silly conversation with your child. The first time I played this game, I used my child’s Lambie. Lambie talked with a heavy Southern accent and called everyone Pancake and Waffle. She asked my daughter all sorts of silly questions, messed up the song lyrics, and tried her hand at yodeling. That puppet calmed our toddler and made the trip fun for us all.  

2. I Spy – Yep. It’s a classic game for a reason. And while it’s not a new game for you, it is for your child.

3. Hello, Yellow – See how many yellow trucks your child can spot. Give out a small prize when he finds 10. And, yes, snacks count as prizes! Then, move on to another color and another prize, like coloring pages, stickers, or a familiar stuffed animal who “snuck into the car.”

4. Cars of Many Colors – See how many different colored cars you can spot together. Red, white, black, blue, yes! Purple? Maybe. Hot pink? Almost as rare as a Hawaiian license plate.

5. And the Letter Is? – List three words starting with the same letter. Really enunciate the words. Ask your child to guess the letter. For example, you say: Book, Bear, Banana. 

5 Games for Elementary

6. Name That Tune – Create a playlist. Include songs your kids love and your go-to songs. Shuffle the playlist and take turns naming the song. Increase the difficulty by requiring title and artist.

7. The Trifecta of Road Trip Games Printables – License plate game printable, check. Road Trip Bingo, check check. I Spy Alphabet Version, triple check!

8. Spot It – Pick five random things, such as a horse, a school bus, a church with a steeple, a construction sign, and a child asleep in a car. When someone in your car spots an item, she says, “Spot it!” and then picks a new thing for the list.

9. Minute to Win It (Car Version) – How many football teams, colors, Disney movies, instruments, pizza toppings can your child name in a minute? Add to the fun by asking your child to say how many he can name before attempting it.

10. Fortunately, Unfortunately – Make up a story together. Each person takes turns adding one sentence to the story. The first sentence starts with “Fortunately.” The next sentence begins with “Unfortunately.” Then back to “Fortunately.” For example: “Fortunately, we left the house early enough to miss most of the traffic. Unfortunately, we left the bathtub water running. Fortunately, our neighbor has a key to the house. Unfortunately, his dog ate it. Fortunately, you hid a spare key.” Unfortunately, this is one of those car games for kids you need to play yourself to find out what happens next.

5 Car Games for Tweens and Teens

11. Cows on My Side – This game works best with four people in the car. Split the car into two teams, the left side team and the right side team. Teams get a point if they see cows on their side of the road. Teams receive two points if they spot a cow doing something other than grazing. And a team earns three points for seeing an unusual farm animal on their side (llamas, yaks, etc). But, if a team spots a cemetery on their opponent’s side and says, “graveyard,” the opposing team loses all their points. The side with the most points at the end of the trip wins the game.

12. Hey, Mr. DJ – This one isn’t really a car game, but letting your tween or teen take over the music is an easy way to get to know your child a little better. Ask her about her favorite song of the moment. Why does she like that artist? How does she find new music?

13. Mental Dominoes – Start the game by saying a word. The next person picks a word somehow connected to the first one. Whoever goes next picks a word related to the previous word. For example, you say DOG. The next person says BONE. Then someone says DINOSAUR.

14. Team Trivia – Load up your phone with popular trivia apps like this one and this one, and let the fun and games begin. Split into teams or not. The only real rule is no Googling! And, hey, let the winner pick where you stop for lunch.

15. Movie Mania – Start by naming an actor. The next person needs to name a movie the actor starred in. The next person names another actor in that movie. Then, the next person recalls a different movie starring the new actor. If someone gets stumped, she’s out. Play continues until only the winner is left.

What are your favorite car games for kids?

The post 15 Family Car Games to Beat the Boredom Bug appeared first on iMOM.

The other kicker is that a lot of the things that happen in May are important—graduations, end-of-the-year awards, wrap-up meetings—so it’s hard to say no. But you can get to May 31st with your peace and sanity. Here are 5 ways to do it.  

1. Name your priorities.

If everything feels important, consider the imagery of rocks in a jar: Your most important things are big rocks, and everything else is a tiny pebble. If you put the big rocks in the jar first, the tiny pebbles can fill in the extra space that’s left. But if you put the tiny pebbles in first, there’s no way the big rocks will fit.

Some of the stress of Maycember comes from thinking everything is a big rock and trying to force it all into your jar. That’s when we end up double-booking ourselves and rushing from one obligation to the next, giving neither our attention. Give space to what’s most important, and let the rest fill in where it might fit.

2. Shift what you can to a slower month.

My women’s group at church is made up of ladies of all ages. We were planning an event, and one woman who has kids in their 30s suggested late May for the date. “It’s a slow month. Just Memorial Day.” One of the other moms of younger kids like mine shouted, “No! May is crazy!” 

If some of the things that are stacking up in your life in Maycember aren’t directly tied to May, consider moving them. I know one couple who celebrates their “quarter-anniversary” in August. It’s not the same as celebrating the actual date in May, but it allows them to focus on each other instead of just squeezing in a date amidst the rest of the chaos of the month.  

3. Decide and move on.

I waited until the last minute to RSVP to a friend’s wedding one May because I didn’t want to accept that I couldn’t make it. I spent a month trying to figure out how to make it work with my kids’ schedules, and that just piled stress on top of the guilt I was feeling.

In Maycember, don’t let lingering decisions take more mental space than they need. Decide and move on. Are you RSVP’ing yes or no? What gift card are you getting for teacher gifts? Your daughter’s wearing her white dress for graduation? Great. Don’t look back. 

4. Remember, Maycember is a season.

There will come a time in your life when you’ll have no award banquets, games, or plays to attend. There won’t be any exams to help your kids cram for or graduation parties to juggle. This season is temporary, so instead of wishing you could skip over the chaos of May, embrace it. 

Ignore the mess you have to leave in the sink, eat fast food in your car on the way to the next event, and notice the twinkle in your daughter’s eye as she shows off the ribbons she got for making an A in art and science. These days are hard, but they’re fleeting.  

5. Acknowledge your complicated feelings.

“Why are you crying, Mom?” Those words are probably spoken more in May than any other month. Year after year, we cheer and snap photos and congratulate our kids on another year in the books, but on the inside, we’re thinking, “How is it possible that my baby is this old?”

When we’re busiest, we tend to shove down feelings that distract us. But it’s healthy to acknowledge that happy and sad emotions both deserve space in our hearts. Endings are tough, but getting to experience new beginnings with our children is a gift to cherish, too. 

What makes Maycember craziest for you? 

The post Welcome to Maycember! 5 Keys to Surviving This Crazy Month appeared first on iMOM.

So, of course, he introduced our daughters to modern-day treasure hunting while on a daddy-daughters outing. I didn’t even know about geocaching until they came home with a glow-in-the-dark bouncy ball and a small plastic puppy. But from then on, our kids wanted to search for treasures every weekend. If you’re looking for a family-friendly outdoor adventure, here are the basics of geocaching with kids to get you started.

Geocaching Basics for Families

Our girls found their first geocache in the parking lot of our local ice skating rink. That’s just one of more than 3 million geocaches to be found worldwide. Here’s how geocaching works. Start by getting a geocaching app on your smartphone. The app lists and describes the caches—or hidden containers—near your current location. 

The goal is to work together to follow the coordinates and clues in the description to find a specific container. Containers can vary in size, and most include a logbook to sign. The larger caches typically contain small items to trade. So, bring along something like a toy car, foreign coin, or even a trinket from a fast food joint so your child can pick a prize and leave one behind!

And, hey, if you find yourselves traveling along an interstate and need a new family road trip activity to try, many rest stops include geocaches.

Geocaching With Young Kids

We started geocaching with our girls when they were both under 5. My husband looked for locations on the app that were labeled “kid-friendly” in the description. Those geocaches tend to be easy to navigate and often include spots such as playgrounds, paved walking trails, and libraries. You’ll be surprised how many geocaches may be hiding where you already take your kids.

With young kids, pick the largest geocaches to find. Those containers can be easier to spot than the small ones and also tend to include the best trades. Those little treasures can be the best part for a child and can also prove to be a motivator to keep looking! So, remember to bring something to swap.

And while you’re out and about, looking for a geocache together is a natural time to introduce your young child to basic navigation terms and concepts: north, south, east, west, left, right, up, down.  

Geocaching With Elementary-Age Kids

As with young kids, look for geocaches labeled “kid-friendly.” However, you can also hunt for a cache that may involve a little longer walk or hike. Kids in elementary school are at a good age to look for geocaches that also include an educational component. Some caches provide information about local history, wildlife, or geography. We live near an area once known for gold mining. We learned more about it by following the clues of several geocaches. And, as an added unexpected bonus, one find included small nuggets of fool’s gold, which our kids excitedly traded up to receive.

Make the most of your treasure hunting in nature. Discuss the importance of being aware of your surroundings. Point out plants to avoid (hello, poison ivy!), where snakes like to curl up, or even butterfly cocoons out in the wild! Reinforce safety rules and guidelines, such as staying on marked trails, avoiding dangerous areas, and respecting nature. You can even add in a “cache in, trash out” twist by cleaning up litter in the areas you explore together.

For older kids, boost their confidence by letting them hold the phone and lead the hunt. That also gives them practice in using navigation skills. 

Geocaching With Tweens and Teens

It’s time to up your game! Geocaching with kids reaches a whole new level when you go with tweens and teens. Put their technology prowess to use (and encourage their growing independence and decision-making) by putting them in charge of using the app to find a cache, take photos of the experience, and log finds online. Challenge them to look for caches that involve “trackables” (items that move from cache to cache) and puzzle caches (finds that involve solving a puzzle to determine final coordinates). Or lead them to look for caches that involve hiking, climbing, or exploring off-the-beaten-path locations.

Also, geocaching can be a fun way to get to know your child’s friends better. Invite them to come along on a night caching adventure. Some caches are specifically designed to be found at night. Plus, your teen is a night owl now anyway! Or challenge your teens to create and place their own geocache.

What’s your favorite geocaching with kids tip?

The post Modern-Day Treasure Hunting: Geocaching With Kids appeared first on iMOM.

Kids love it when their parents get creative. Sometimes, a mom’s creativity comes from a need to cut back on spending, but the kids don’t need to know that. When you’re trying to get the kids out of the house but you’re working on a budget, try one of these 10 affordable family bonding activities.

1. Backyard Campout

Take the camping gear you may already have (or borrow some) and set it up in your back yard. Pitch a tent, roll out the sleeping bags, and roast hot dogs or marshmallows. For the full camping experience, don’t forget to tell stories or sing songs around the campfire with your kids.

2. Playground Championship

Get a list of every playground in town. Create criteria for kids to rate parks based on what they like best: the size of the equipment, necessary pieces, unique features, and the like. As you tour every park, have your kids rank them and keep a running leaderboard. Once you’ve tried them all, crown the best park with as much fanfare as possible.

3. A Cheap or Free Swim

Many pools have slow times when they lower their prices to try and get people in the water. Some will offer free swimming while others may have a one- or two-dollar swim weekly or monthly. Use Google to find out when and where to take advantage of a pool’s off hours. As a bonus, you may discover a new favorite family pool.

4. Backyard Waterpark

When you can’t get out to the local pool, find ways to turn your back yard into a waterpark. If you’ve got a backyard playset, add a sprinkler and an inflatable pool to make a waterslide. Create a slip-n-slide with a roll of poly sheeting, water, and dish soap. Want more water games? Here are 5 your kids will love.

5. Laser Maze

Take a roll of masking tape and some crepe paper or yarn to create a laser maze in one of your hallways. Kids have to try to climb through the maze without touching the “laser beams”—the strings of crepe paper or yarn—that zigzag across the hallway. For added effect, dim the lights and play the Mission Impossible theme as they navigate the maze.

6. Next-Level Fort Building

Whether it’s the leftover boxes from appliances, couch cushions, or an intricate setup of ropes and blankets, there’s no limit of ways you can build a fort with your kids. Level this activity up by giving your kids a set amount of time to build and decorate their own fort, and then have the whole family camp in them that night in the living room.

7. Yard Sales

Give everyone a few dollars and spend an afternoon going from yard sale to yard sale. See who can make their money go the furthest and who can bring home the most exciting or most valuable gift. Try this in a thrift store if it’s not yard sale season.

8. House Swap

Find another family who lives in another neighborhood or town and swap houses for the weekend. Spend the time acquainting yourself with everything you can in the other community: exploring parks, hiking trails, notable landmarks, and even the local church community.

9. U-Pick to the Table

Look up a u-pick farm in your area, and take your kids for an afternoon picking. Armed with the fruits (or vegetables) of your labor and a recipe, make a meal with your kids using the produce they’ve picked. You could also use this experience as inspiration to get your kids involved in your own garden in the future.

10. Volunteer

Family bonding activities connect you even more when you give back. There are always opportunities to serve others in places like food banks, soup kitchens, and nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Volunteering somewhere as a family will bring you closer together while making a difference in the lives of those in need.

What are some other family bonding activities you can do on a budget?

The post 10 Family Bonding Activities on a Budget appeared first on iMOM.

Whether your goal is to move more or simply to sit less, we have some ideas to get your family moving. Check out our list of 11 activities for active families, and see how many you can cross off this month.

1. Walk to lunch (or brunch) and walk home.

If it’s possible, why not walk? Our town center is about a mile away, and everyone’s famished by the time we get to our destination. It’s a great opportunity to catch up on a week’s worth of happenings in your kids’ lives.

Walking is a great opportunity to catch up on a week’s worth of happenings in your kids’ lives.

2. Bike to church.

Empower your kids by showing them the bike route to church. It makes going to church an adventure and teaches kids they can get places using their own strength and muscle.

3. Use a paddle on the water.

If you’re in gator country, this may be more of an adventure than you’d like. But for others, paddling about and using your arms to move is an experience that everyone should try. But don’t expect to go fast. It’s tough, especially the first time, whether you’re canoeing, kayaking, or paddleboarding.

4. Spruce up the yard.

My kids have long griped about yardwork, but last fall, one of them said, “Hey, our yard looks pretty good.” Because we’d worked on it that summer as a family—trimming, weeding, cutting—we all felt some satisfaction with this revelation. The vitamin D and exercise were an added bonus.

5. Play basement games.

We keep our ping pong table in our basement. But I know a family who stores a table in the garage and rolls it out in good weather. Even if you assemble a net on the kitchen table and tap a ping pong ball back and forth, that counts in the category of what I call “basement games.” Other contenders are foosball, air hockey, and anything else too big to keep in a bedroom.

6. Walk to the nearest Little Library.

I love having a destination when I walk. And fortunately, we have several little book stands within a mile of our house. It’s fun to see what’s inside for the taking. Of course, I also like encouraging my kids to drop off books when we’re done. What goes around comes around.

7. Play backyard games.

Some libraries loan games like bocci ball, cornhole, and horseshoes. My favorite backyard game was badminton—until the net got caught in the wheels of the lawnmower. (Don’t ask.) Now my favorite is frisbee. Our dog can even play.

8. Make the driveway a place to play.

A couple summers ago, we jumped on the pickleball craze and bought a net for the driveway, along with paddles and balls. It’s a fun game, especially when the grandparents visit. What’s your family’s preference for the driveway—shooting hoops? Rollerblading?

9. Do a dog field trip.

We like taking our pooch different places to sniff and explore. And she always comes home ready for a nap. Now if only my kids would follow suit.

10. Play laser tag.

Before you say no, hear me out. I played laser tag at my daughter’s birthday party, and though I didn’t get a ton of steps in (to my surprise), I did do a lot of bending and crouching. In other words, I fired up my leg muscles, but hardly broke a sweat. Plus, it was SO MUCH FUN.

11. Explore a neighboring town on foot.

When you walk, you notice so much more. We recently visited a town about a half hour away and spotted interesting wall art along some narrow streets that we never would’ve seen by car. Seeing this little town up close made our world feel a little bigger. What town could you visit with your family?

Active families aren’t necessarily running marathons on the weekends but simply doing fun activities that get everyone moving. What does your family like to do?

The post 11 Activities for Active Families appeared first on iMOM.

Studies show how beneficial outdoor play is for kids socially, mentally, and physically. (Did you know it can help prevent nearsightedness?) But when I tell my kids to go outside and play, I get whines of “But what do we do?” and “For how long?” And, if I’m being honest, between schedules, screens, and concerns for their safety, I think I’m partially to blame for their outdoor play deficit. So, how do we encourage independent play outside? Here are 7 things that will help move kids beyond the walls of our homes and into the fresh air.

1. Make your yard kid-friendly.

This takes some work, but it’s worth it. Tidy up the yard so you can have peace of mind when your kids are getting in some independent play. Recycle the rusty swing set, check for wasp nests, and make sure someone picks up after the dog (ew!). You’ll send the kids outside knowing the only potential danger is a sunburn. 

2. Make outside toys accessible and clean.

In a parenting misstep, we organized the garage and put the kids’ bikes in a spot neither of them could reach. They didn’t ride for three months. Out of sight, out of mind! Your kids are more likely to go outside and play if their glove and ball, hula hoop, sidewalk chalk, or scooter are visible and not buried under boxes or tools. And that plastic play set? Give it a good hose off now and then. 

3. Use an “I wonder” prompt.

My sons went from not wanting to go outside at all to playing around our oak tree for over an hour simply because I said, “I wonder if there’s anything living in that tree’s knot.” The words “I wonder” are hard for kids’ brains to resist, so try using them to prompt independent play outdoors. “I wonder how big that ant pile has gotten.” “I wonder how big you can blow bubbles with that wand.” “I wonder if you can jump and reach the top of the fence post.”

4. Snacks!

When my sister and I played outside, we’d eat those ice pops in plastic tubes. We’d snip off the top and suck down the purple or orange sugar water, leaving behind pale ice. What special treat could be your kids’ outdoor snack? You don’t have to give it to them every day, but try surprising them next time they’re playing, and they’ll taste the sweetness of outdoor play.  

5. Get to know neighborhood kids.

Research published in the National Library of Medicine found that outdoor play with other children is good for kids’ executive function, cooperation, social connectedness, and communication skills. Not sure if there are kiddos on your block? Start by simply getting outside. Take a lap or shoot hoops in the driveway; if kids are around, they’ll come out of the woodwork.

6. Limit screen time.

My son lost Sunday screen privileges because he didn’t turn in a math assignment. He grumbled the morning his sentence was to be carried out, but at the end of the day, he said, “Mom, I think it was a good thing that I couldn’t be on my tablet. We had a great day.” Little effort is required to be entertained via a screen, and an object at rest stays at rest. So try removing technology for one day of the weekend, and you might find your kids are eager to spend more time outside.

7. Get yourself outside.

Moms are like magnets for young kids. If I head outside with a folding chair and a book, my kids will be right behind me, and I bet the same is true for you. Grab your gardening gloves, and let the kids play in the sprinkler while you pull weeds (or after everyone pulls weeds). Getting yourself outside draws the rest of the family out and gives you a healthy dose of vitamin D, which can help stabilize your mood, boost immunity, and support bone health. 

Try making independent play outdoors part of your kids’ daily routine: Eat a snack, do homework, and head outside. If you’re nervous about letting them play independently, start small and set firm boundaries, like one trip around the subdivision with you on the other end of a walkie-talkie. They’ll love the freedom and take new adventures every day.

What was your favorite thing to play outdoors when you were a kid?

The post 7 Ways to Encourage Independent Outdoor Play appeared first on iMOM.

The lunchbox note is a powerful thing. You have your kids’ undivided attention for the six seconds it takes them to read what you’ve written. So what’s a mom to say? I think there are 9 types of lunchbox notes that match different parenting styles. Which one sounds like the one you’d write?

1. The “Here’s My Chance to Remind You” Note

If you find yourself writing “Don’t forget to bring home your jacket!” on a lunchbox note, you’re the mom who faces the challenge of managing her little people head-on. You also know the occasional reminder works wonders. Never lose hope. Today might finally be the day he remembers his jacket, his lunchbox, and his notebook…

2. The Apology Note

“Can we put this morning’s fight behind us?” If you’ve ever included an apology or waved a white flag via a lunchbox note, give yourself a hug. You’re setting a great example for your kids that no grudge is worth holding when you love someone.

3. The “Make ‘Em Laugh” Note

“What’s brown and sticky?” The mom who slides jokes or riddles into her kids’ lunches knows that a good chuckle might be all they need to make it ’til the bell rings. Never give up on making your kids smile. Our kids need to see our silly sides. It’s a stick, by the way.

4. The Frazzled Note

“Ask your teacher for another copy of the permission slip! And tell her I’m sorry!” This mom might have to use a lunchbox note written on a napkin to get the job done, but she gets it done! This category also includes the mom who’s sent a grocery list with her kid and took the lunchbox note to the store.

5. The Plans Note

“4 p.m. practice, 6 p.m. dinner (burgers). Want to go for a walk at 7?” If you’ve ever put a schedule in a lunchbox note, you probably love a solid plan. Your parenting style is predictable and reliable, and that makes your kids feel safe.

6. The “Focus on Food” Note

“Eat your apple first!” The mom who uses a lunchbox note to talk to her kids about lunch is practical. She reminds her kids to focus on what’s in front of them and not worry about what’s to come. Carpe diem, kids! And carpe your apple because Mom’s tired of spending money on food that’s not getting eaten.

7. The Encouragement Note

“You’ve got this, kiddo! Show that math test who’s boss!” This is one of my favorite types of lunchbox notes. If you could include a little pom pom in your child’s lunchbox you probably would. Kids need to know someone believes in them, so keep cheering.

8. The Artsy Note

For an entire school year, I didn’t send a written note. Instead, I drew stick figure pictures on my kids’ brown snack bags. In hindsight, I think I may have been going through something… Anyway… The mom who chooses drawings over writing leaves her message open to interpretation. She has a go-with-the-flow type of parenting style. She lets her kids express their emotions, and she probably gives warm hugs.

9. The K.I.S.S. Note

If your typical note just says “i love u” or “muah!” you like to Keep It Simple, Sweetie. You have no agenda except love and affection. Or you’re just exhausted and have no words left. The good news is, a mom’s message of love is usually exactly what her kids need to hear.

Then there’s the non-existent note.

Many days, I think, “I should’ve written a note today. It would’ve taken 10 seconds.” Then I feel crummy. If this sounds familiar, and you beat yourself up for not being a “better mom,” stop right there.

You probably hugged your kids, fed them breakfast, checked to see that they were wearing mostly clean clothes, and made sure they got to school on time. You showed more love than you can fit on a piece of paper, so this self-criticism—cut it out. But also, literally cut it out. Our pre-written printable lunchbox notes are free. We have some for tweens and teens, boys, girls, holidays, end of the year, and even husbands!

What’s your typical lunchbox note message, and does it fit your parenting style?

The post Which Lunchbox Note Fits Your Parenting Style? appeared first on iMOM.

One ingredient in a healthy family life that can’t be overlooked is fun. Fun in a home matters because it makes kids want to be there. When your home is fun, your kids will be less likely to look for fun elsewhere in unsafe ways. Some of us hold back on fun because it can feel like chaos and we’re already tired, but a fun house doesn’t have to feel like a carnival funhouse. Here are 5 ways to infuse fun into everyday life and make your house a place your kids want to be.

1. Schedule it.

You might think fun should just happen spontaneously, but scheduling fun is a pro-level parenting move. That’s because putting fun on the calendar makes it part of your family identity. When fun is part of your family identity, you’ll experience more joy together.

So schedule fun, like First Sunday Sundaes (hot fudge sundaes on the first Sunday of the month). Or have “fun triggers” like my friend whose family, after every fresh snowfall, divides into teams and has a mutant snowman-making competition.

2. But embrace spontaneity.

My sons love a night swim, but the one night that will forever be emblazoned on their memories is when we had the music blasting, and I got up from the patio table and strutted right into the pool, clothes and all. I normally don’t even get my hair wet, so my kids nearly lost their minds.

Letting go of our plans or structure for a little while makes the fun surprising and exciting for kids. When an idea for spontaneous fun pops in your mind, instead of saying no, ask “Why not?”

3. Get intentional about laughter.

Laughter is good for your health and a sign of a thriving family, so we need to be intentional about it. After all, there are plenty of things we are intentional about that don’t make kids smile, like homework, chores, and house rules.

Keep our jokes printable in the car for the ride to school, watch a funny show together as a family instead of splitting into separate rooms, or use dinnertime to talk about the funniest thing you saw that day.

4. Keep “treats” on hand.

My older son is a candy lover, so I have a candy jar in the kitchen that he can reach into now and then. If he only gets to eat candy when he’s at a friend’s house, he’ll see home as a place where he doesn’t get to enjoy something that’s fun for him.

It doesn’t have to be food. My younger son loves blankets, and cozying up with a blanket and a Big Nate book is fun for him. So I make sure there are always a few blankets in the living room. A fun house has the things your kids associate with fun and comfort. Having each child’s special treat on hand shows your kids you care about them individually.

5. Ask your kids for ideas.

Who knows fun better than a kid? Asking your kids what they want to do for fun not only takes the pressure off you but it also makes them the “fun commissioners.” One summer, my mom hosted camps that my older son brainstormed. He came up with the weekly themes, which included LEGO Camp, Cooking Camp, and Titanic Camp. To each his own, right?

Letting your kids dictate the fun requires you to let go of some control. It’s worth it when your kids feel like they’ve been heard and you value their opinions. When the end result is fun and feeling appreciated, it’s a win for everyone.

What do you do to make your family a fun family?

The post 5 Ways to Create a Fun House appeared first on iMOM.