“Thank you for my new toy.”

“Thank you for reading to me.”

“Little Brother, thanks for the balloon. Thanks for getting my favorite color.”

When I hear my boys say these things, unprompted by me, I feel…well…thankful. I am grateful that they are starting to appreciate what they have and what others do for them and to recognize that expressing their gratitude to others is kind and important. I’m grateful that something we’re doing must be paying off.

So, just how do parents raise grateful children? I’m not an expert on gratitude, but I am sure that appreciation is not taught with a single, mind-changing lesson. Rather, the lessons are in the every day. And it isn’t just about teaching appreciation for things. Appreciating experiences and other people are important too. Here are…

11 ways to raise a grateful child

1. Tell him thank you.

Much like “give respect to be respected,” children learn to appreciate by being appreciated. Thank your child for clearing the table, for playing nicely with his little sister, for waiting patiently while you finish a phone call. Thank him for just being a downright awesome kid. Show him how it feels to be appreciated and have his effort recognized, what gratitude sounds like, and how easily it can be a part of daily life.

2. Let him hear you thank others.

Our children learn so much by watching us. We can tell our kids to be grateful, but showing them what that means is so much more powerful. Point out the kind thing a neighbor or even a stranger did, and express how much you appreciate it. Tell your spouse thank you for making dinner, for helping with baths, for being a great parent. Let your kids hear you express appreciation for these things that are so easy to take for granted.

3. Don’t give her everything she wants.

Is it cliche to say that kids who have everything will appreciate nothing? When my oldest was a preschooler, I worried about him having a serious case of the gimmes. Maybe it was just his age, but I have to think that my tendency to bring home little gifts “just because” and indulge his every wish when we went shopping was part of the problem. We made a conscious effort to scale back – a lot – and I noticed a big improvement in his appreciation for the things we did give him.

4. Give her the things she needs, and provide her with opportunities to earn the things she wants.

Earning can take many forms, like a reward for accomplishing a certain goal or an allowance for chores. Even if you don’t want to tie an allowance to chores, the simple expectation that kids use their own money buy “extras” helps them to understand that many experiences and things require someone’s hard work. (When my boys ask for something at the store, I often ask if they are willing to spend their own money. If the answer is no, my response is usually that if it isn’t something they want badly enough to spend their own money on, they shouldn’t expect me to spend my money on it.)

5. Keep rewards reasonable.

It doesn’t take much to make kids happy, but when they constantly receive big rewards we are setting them up to think big is a way of life. A 50 cent allowance for a kindergartner is enough. When kids are potty training, stickers or M&Ms do the trick. They don’t need a new toy every time they poop or $10 a week. Save the big stuff – video games, a trip to the amusement park – for special occasions or celebrating really big accomplishments, so that it holds its value.

6. Call her out when she is unappreciative.

This doesn’t mean lecture the poor kid about how ungrateful she is, of course, but gently let her know, “Hey, you’re really taking this for granted and it’s not okay.” We’ve run into this at dinner time a lot. If the boys moan and groan about what we’ve served for dinner, our response is something along the lines of, “I think what you mean to say is ‘Thank you, Daddy, for taking the time to cook us dinner tonight.'” This usually stops them in their tracks. It lets them know they can appreciate the work that goes into making dinner, whether or not they like what’s on their plates!

7. Give back.

There are so many ways to give back to our community and to those in need. Rather than doing this solo, involve the kids and talk about what you are doing. Together, select a toy for Toys for Tots. Volunteer to help your local food bank with gleaning. Make care packages for the local homeless shelter. Encourage your child to put a small part of her allowance in the Salvation Army kettles in December. Participate in a walk-for-a-cause.

8.  Help your child see the need around her.

Need can come in so many forms. No matter your family’s situation, you can likely find examples in your community of people in greater need. Talk about why the Toys for Tots boxes are placed around town at the holidays. Point out the food bank when you drive by and talk about why it exists. As you tuck your child in at night, talk about how some children are not so lucky to have warm beds and a fridge full of food. If those things are a struggle for your family, help your child appreciate being healthy and loved. Those things seem so basic, but they are worth appreciating!

9.  Teach your child about developing countries.

Not in a “Woe are the poor people in those other countries” kind of way, but in a more specific way. Talk about how some countries do not have clean drinking water or medicines available. Find examples in the news or books to share with your kids. Sponsor a child through Food for the Hungry and have your child exchange letters with her, and talk about why your sponsorship is important. Help your child to recognize that there is a world beyond her own.

10.  Incorporate daily gratitudes into your family’s routine.

Whether it is part of your dinnertime routine, bedtime, or some sort of gratitude journal, encourage your child to find things to be thankful for every day. Help him to notice the little things that we so often take for granted.

11.  Write thank you notes.

Good ol’ fashioned thank you notes. They are more than a polite formality. They can also help children to realize that the fact a person gave them a gift or came to their party or did something especially nice for them is worth being recognized and acknowledged.

What do you do, to encourage gratitude and appreciation in your children? Please scroll on down to the commend share your stories!

Check out these posts from Musing Momma:

• Spilled Frappucinos: Letting Kids Experience Disappointment
• Three Magic Words that Encourage Respect

CONTINUE READING IN THE FAMILY ROOM

READ THESE FROM BONBON BREAK:

• How to Raise Independent Kids
• Food Banks: Help Beyond the Holidays
• What “I’m Sorry” Teaches

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There are lots of ways to help children to learn and recognize word families, namely through rhyming games. One of my favorite games, and a favorite among both my students and my own kids, has been one that I made quickly and easily using a product that you can find just about anywhere this time of year.

The Easter Egg Word Family Game

Start by collecting some plastic Easter eggs. I used a dozen so I could keep them contained within a recycled egg carton.

On the taller side of each egg, write a word family “chunk.”

On the shorter side, write all the beginning sounds (a consonant or consonant blend, such as st or pl) that, together with the word family chunk, make words.

To play, attach the halves, lining up a beginning sound and ending chunk. Read the word with your child, emphasizing the two sounds that come together to form a single word, as in: “/m/ /op/…/mop/”

Then, twist the two halves so that a new beginning sound lines up with the ending chunk and read the new word: “/st/ /op/…/stop/”

This game is perfect for my preschooler. He knows his letter sounds and is just beginning to recognize chunks within words. This game is challenging without being frustrating for him. For my older son, who is a reader, this game is a bit too easy, so he came up with what he calls “The Challenge Round.” He mixes up two non-matching eggs and reads the resulting nonsense words, like “spump” and “thock.” Apparently it’s really funny if you’re a kindergartner.

To get you started, listed below are the 37 most common word family chunks. Pick your favorite dozen, and make your own Easter Egg Word Family Game!

–ab (cab, lab, blab, crab, flab, grab, scab, slab, stab)
–ack (back, pack, quack, rack, black, crack, shack, snack, stack, track)
–ag (bag, rag, tag, brag, flag)
–ail (fail, mail, jail, nail, pail, rail, sail, tail, snail, trail)
–ain (main, pain, rain, brain, chain, drain, grain, plain, Spain, sprain, stain, train)
–ake (bake, cake, fake, lake, make, quake, rake, take, wake, brake, flake, shake, snake)
–am (ham, Sam, clam, slam, swam)
–an (can, fan, man, pan, ran, tan, van, bran, plan, than)
–ank (bank, sank, yank, blank, crank, drank, thank)
–ap (cap, lap, map, nap, rap, tap, clap, flap, scrap, slap, snap, strap, trap, wrap)
–at (bat, cat, fat, hat, mat, rat, sat, brat, chat, flat, spat, that)
–ay (day, may, pay, say, clay, play, pray, spray, stay, tray)
–eed (feed, need, seed, weed, bleed, freed, greed, speed)
–ell (bell, fell, sell, tell, well, yell, shell, smell, spell, swell)
–est (best, guest, nest, pest, rest, test, vest, west, chest, crest)
–ew (dew, few, knew, new, blew, chew)
–ick (kick, lick, pick, quick, sick, brick, chick, click, stick, thick, trick)
–ight (knight, light, might, night, right, sight, tight, bright, flight, fright, slight)
–ill (fill, hill, pill, will, chill, drill, grill, skill, spill, thrill)
–in (bin, fin, pin, sin, win, chin, grin, shin, skin, spin, thin, twin)
–ine (fine, line, mine, nine, pine, vine, wine, shine, spine, whine)
–ing (king, ring, sing, wing, bring, cling, spring, sting, string, swing, thing)
–ink (link, pink, sink, wink, blink, drink, shrink, stink, think)
–ip (dip, hip, lip, rip, sip, tip, chip, clip, drip, flip, grip, ship, skip, strip, trip, whip)
–ob (knob, mob, rob, blob, slob, snob)
–ock (knock, lock, dock, rock, sock, block, clock, frock, shock, stock)
–op (cop, hop, mop, pop, top, chop, crop, drop, flop, plop, shop, stop)
–ore (bore, more, sore, tore, wore, chore, score, shore, snore, store)
–ot (got, dot, hot, knot, lot, not, plot, shot, spot)
–out (grout, scout, shout, spout, sprout)
–ow (cow, how, now, brow, chow, plow)
–uck (buck, duck, luck, cluck, stuck, truck)
–um (gum, hum, drum, plum, slum)
–unk (junk, chunk, drunk, shrunk, stunk, trunk)
–y (by, my, cry, dry, fly, fry, shy, sky, spy, try, why)

ACTIVITY SUPPLIES:

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As girls enter the tween and teen years, this widening gulf can seem particularly great between mothers and daughters. How can we stay connected to our girls as they navigate the often tricky path of adolescence?

Here are five ways to keep your tween and teen daughters close on those days you feel you are growing apart:

#1: Connect without words. During adolescence, words often drive us further apart, can sometimes be misconstrued or can just add to the “noise” in all our lives. Give her a hug or a pat on the shoulder to tell her you care without saying anything. Touch can send her a powerful set of messages: I’m here. I see you. I love you.

#2: Write her a love note. We all need encouragement, our girls included. Put a loving note in her backpack, her lunchbox, in her toothbrush holder, in her underwear drawer, on her pillow or in another location you know she will see it. With all our busy schedules, we can miss each other in those hectic hours after school. When she is feeling empty, as many girls do during this tumultuous stage in their lives, kind words can fill her up and encourage her to come to you for support when she needs it.

#3: Listen more. Look her in the eyes and ask her, “What’s on your mind?” and give her your undivided attention as she answers. Try to avoid thinking about what you are going to say next or what advice you might give her. Many times she doesn’t need an opinion, a solution, a judgment but rather just to be heard. As she has the chance to reflect (which doesn’t happen often for any of us), she gets to know herself better and grows more confident. If asking about her day doesn’t go over well, try asking her, “What’s wrong with adults?” and see what she has to say. You might learn a lot!

#4: Spend time with her. Surprise her with something she would like, whether it’s taking her out to lunch during the school day or telling her it’s time to go to tutoring but taking her to get ice cream instead. If something spontaneous isn’t in the cards, ask her to come up with something fun to do together and try to make it a regular “date”. Keep your digital distractions at bay when you are together by putting your phone on silent and away so you can enjoy each other’s company.

#5: Lighten up. One of the reasons our girls seem so stressed is that everything seems high-stakes, whether it’s making the volleyball team, getting a part in the school play or acing the physics test. Help her be more lighthearted by bringing more play and fun into your family life. Laugh at her jokes. Use your sense of humor. Make fun of yourself. Be willing to look silly or ridiculous. Show her that not everything is a big deal. Being a kid (and an adult) is supposed to be fun!

Even from a distance, it’s awe-inspiring to see our girls discover the unique and special people they are becoming, right in front of our eyes.

READ THIS NEXT:

• 3 Tips to Get Kids to Stop Waking the Whole Family
• The Mommy Mirror
• Not a Pinterest Mom, Just a Recovering Crafter

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This post was written by Barb Steinberg exclusively for BonBon Break Media, LLC

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Your goal is to make your child sleep. You devise a strategy in your mind and get him to bed. However, whatever you try never seems to work. You scream, you pin him to the bed, you call in the army…but in vain. Nothing seems to work! Your child’s boundless energy and refusal to sleep compromises your daily mission.

The fact that we all need sleep is understood. Children need it the most as adequate sleep is essential for their growth and development. Toddlers are said to require about 12-14 hours of sleep every night. By pre-school, they need about 11-13 hours. Once they are older, children will need about 10-11 hours of sleep. However, these days, children have a lot of sleep disorders due to various aspects like illness, improper intake of food as well as psychological factors.

So how do we get our children to sleep without having to put in so much effort? Here are some of our favorite tips:

10 Sleep-Inducing Activities for Easier Bedtimes

1. Playing Soft Music: This is a short-term solution, yet used widely by most mothers. Playing soft music in the background can help him drift into sleep effortlessly. The calming music will help induce dreams and make your child fall asleep. Lullabies are also fine, because the child may best respond to your voice. However, a music box or a CD of your kids’ favorite tunes will work equally well. The only thing to remember is not to make this a daily routine where your child will only sleep if he has music!!

 

2. Building Trust: A reason many children do not go to sleep is the fear that their parents aren’t going to be around. While trying to put him to bed, slowly say that you’re going to run an errand like wash dishes or feed the dog, etc. Promise him that you would be right back. Remember to keep that promise so that he knows that he can trust you. Then, repeat the same after a few moments. Leave for a longer duration this time. Do this for the next few days and make sure that the period you leave becomes even longer. Gradually, in one of those waiting sessions your child will fall asleep without you there.

 

3. Read stories: The good old-fashioned book reading technique works wonders with toddlers. Just make sure you have the right book, and you keep the toddler interested to listen to your story. Make sure your child is tucked in and comfortable before reading the story. Slowly as you read on, your child’s concentration levels begin to lessen and sleep starts to take over. Make sure your child doesn’t use any gadgets, watch TV or use a computer before sleeping as these can affect his chances of gaining a sound sleep.

 

4. Drink Warm Milk: The traditional strategy of drinking a glass of warm milk before bed can help your child fall asleep. Milk products are rich in the amino acid L-tryptophan, which induces sleep by increasing the levels of serotonin and melatonin in the brain. The effect is also psychological for your child as your toddler might just get reminded of memories when he was an infant and was fed and held in your comfortable arms. The warmth of the milk can also make the child sleepy. Just make sure that your child brushes his teeth to avoid cavities from forming.

 

5. Provide a comfy room: Every child’s room should be a comfortable space to be in. It should bring happiness and relaxation each time your child goes in. Set your child’s room temperature at a comfortable, soothing level. For a good night’s sleep, make sure the room is dark enough for your child to fall asleep. Check if the clothes and blankets do not restrict movement while lying down. Keeping a table lamp handy would be ideal in case he is afraid to sleep in complete darkness. Give advance notice about the child’s approaching bedtime, which can keep his mind ready for a rest.

 

6. Brain Muscle relaxation: This helps for older children who have a tough time trying to sleep. Ask them to apply a brain relaxation technique. From the toes to the head, ask your child to tighten and then relax every muscle group from the bottom up. Make them repeat out loud after you, “let your toes relax, and then your ankles and now your calves.” Make them do these relaxation exercises all the way up to your scalp.

 

7. Play Five Things: Ask your child to play the game ‘five things’ with you. This simple game just needs your child to name five things they can see, five things they can hear, five things they can feel and you can continue on and on. You could also use a book or any other material to make the game more interesting. Before you know it, your child will be so tired, that his eyes will shut midway through the game!

 

8. Reduce After School Activity: One of the chief reasons for your child not able to sleep properly could be his/her participation in too many after-school activities. They would be overburdened with work, pushing back dinner, study time and eventually bed time. It is important only to make your child do what he/she can handle. Plan play-time with more stress-free sports like running and jumping. Keep this time scheduled for a fixed duration and ensure that your child doesn’t drain out all his/her energy by exerting too much. This way, when the time for bed arrives, your child will feel sleepy automatically.

 

9. Set up a Reward System: Kids love to be appreciated by their parents. A good way to make sure they sleep on time is to set up a reward system, where you can gift your child a sticker or a star for each night she goes to bed on time. As she collects a particular number of stars or stickers, you can get her a bigger prize. This will motivate and provide incentive for the child to keep the sleep schedule at all times.

 

10. Give them protection tools: Children sometimes feel afraid of “the monster under the bed” or the spooky shadows on the wall. Provide him with tools that help him feel safe in bed. A flashlight, a stuffed animal like a teddy bear, an “anti-monster spray”, etc. are some examples of tools you could arm him with. He will feel more protected this way and won’t feel worried. Assure them that you are just a call away, and the table lamp is close by just in case he needs it.

 

Getting your child to sleep can be quite worrisome for some parents. With patience and the careful following of the above techniques, you are sure to get your child slipping into a healthy sleep routine in quick time!

Editor’s Pick for Sleep Training Books:
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Several times this spring and summer, when the weather kept everyone inside, it became very clear to me that I had two choices:

Let my kids watch a mind-numbing amount of television until bedtime.

OR

Get creative.

Now, I’m not hating on screen time. I’ve plunked my kids in front of an episode of Team UmiZoomi more than once to get dinner cooked. Just being honest. Besides, they really do learn stuff like sign language, Spanish, music, nursery rhymes, patterns, shapes, and even how to turn the dumpiest house in the neighborhood into the home of your dreams!

Wait…that last one is Fixer Upper. That’s my jam.
Moral of the story: Screen time in moderation is fine in my opinion. What I’m talking about is not medicating the looong hours of nail-on-chalkboard boredom that your kids face when the weather doesn’t cooperate by hooking them up to a screen like tiny cyborgs.

So, here is my list of tested and approved activities to get your kids up and moving, and to engage their imagination and creativity (and YOURS). Most of these activities involve everyday objects lying around the house (like couch cushions…or a card table…or you).

11 Screen-Free Rainy Day Activities for Kids

1. Make and mail some homemade cards

Supplies:
Paint
Paint Brushes
Crayons/Markers
Construction Paper
Scissors
Glue

Clear off a table and set up some watercolors and crayons. Grab some scissors, glue, and construction paper (supervise the cutting!) and make a card for the grandparents, friends, or someone else special. Let it dry and send it to them in the mail. Wouldn’t that brighten anyone’s day?

Bonus Tip: If the children are too young to draw a picture, try tracing their handprints with their names and ages below each one, then let them scribble on the cover and add a message inside.

2. Build a car ramp

Supplies:
Card Table
Box or Couch Cushion

Sometimes happiness is my 2-year-old boy racing every car, truck, and train in his possession down a race track for an hour. Place one end of a card table (or some other flat, hard surface like a large lid) on a couch cushion or box. Grab every toy with wheels and send them flying down the ramp (sound effects encouraged).

Bonus Tip: Add a second ramp on the other side of the cushion and hold a drag race.

3. Build a maze

Supplies:
Cushions
Pillows
Chairs
Boxes
Ottomans
Bed sheets/Blankets

Clear a space in the playroom or living room and assemble a maze with your children using furniture and boxes. Create tunnels using bed sheets and blankets. Hide objects and send them on a rescue mission to retrieve them. This activity is a bit more involved, but it also gives your children a chance to use their imagination and construct something fun with their hands.

Bonus Tip: For a circle track, place an ottoman in the middle of the room, leave a large space around it (for running), and then surround it with a wide circle with chairs, boxes and pillows.
Leave some exits otherwise you’re probably going to clean up after some very dizzy kids.

4. Create a “dry” muddle puddle – (My Kids’ Favorite)

Supplies:
Cushions
Pillows
Blankets
Stuffed Animals

Desperation was the mother of this invention. I was babysitting my friends’ boys who were around the same age as my two. My four tiny charges were moping around the house devastated that it was raining and they couldn’t go outside to play. Attitudes were disintegrating.

So we threw every soft item we could find into the middle of the floor and (SAFELY) took turns jumping into our very own indoor “mud puddle.” By the end, all four kids were red-faced and panting with giant grins on their faces.

Bonus Tip: You can change the title of this game as the seasons change – once again engaging
your child’s imagination. In the summer, we call it a splash pad. In the fall, it’s a leaf pile. And in the winter, it’s a snow mound.

5. Dinner prep together

Supplies:
Ingredients
Mixing Bowls
Tiny Taste Testers
Aprons (optional)

Remember how I said I let my kids watch a show while I got dinner ready? That was becoming a normal pattern for us, so I decided to invite the children to help me get dinner ready. It could be as simple as letting them stir or add seasonings or bang a wooden spoon on a bowl while you do the cooking.

My daughter got a little apron for Christmas last year and now little brother wants one, too. It’sone more way to see my kids enjoy time at home doing something together without that habitual pre-dinner Netflix show.

6. Indoor Hopscotch

Supplies:
Large cardboard box
Scissors
Marker

Slice open the biggest box you can find, lay it out, and draw a hopscotch board on the inside. Clear a space in the house and let the bouncing begin. This game helps your children learn their numbers.

Bonus Tip: Get out some crayons and let your children practice tracing the big numbers (or adding their own drawings for fun).

7. Card Games

Supplies:
Deck of Cards
Bowl of Snacks

I mean, do you remember how fun “Spoons” was when you were a kid?

8. Hire some help

Are your children old enough to sort socks, fold towels, make their beds, load the dishwasher, clean up their room or set the table? Hire them to help you. Not only does this help them develop a work ethic, but you can begin the conversation about what to do with money, how to save, how to spend, and how to give.

You shouldn’t pay them for every task they ever do, but you’re not spoiling them by instructing them how to earn and use money responsibly at a young age.

Bonus Tip: If your child is young (3-5 years old), pay them for tasks the moment they’re complete to make sure the lesson makes the most impact.

9. Easy Playtime Tent

Supplies:
Table
Bed Sheet
Blanket

Clear off your table and use the chairs to create a walking path leading up to the table. Spread a fleece blanket on the floor under the table. Throw a large bed sheet over the table and chairs to make a roof. Tada. Tent.

10. Recreate the outdoors in your living room

Supplies:
Blankets Pillows Laundry Baskets Household items the color of nature

My 3-year-old invented this game on a lazy, rainy day. She found a small, round, green laundry basket and held it up, asking, “Can we make this into a tree?”
Before long, the entire living floor was transformed. A floral blanket became a meadow. A blue pillow case was a lake. The green basket sat atop a stack of boxes with a brown towel draped over one side as a tree trunk. Pillows became boulders. I’m pretty sure at one point I was playing by myself, so lost was I in the transformation.

11. Change up story time

Creating new fun can be as easy as changing an old routine. Instead of reading a storybook in bed or on the couch, try a few of these fun alternatives:
 Listen to an audio book. The library has a lot of these, from picture books to chapter books. Not only does this give your children a new way to enjoy story time, but it teaches them how to sit still and listen which will help them in countless ways down the road.
 Read where you land. Was today “mud puddle” day and you’re all lying in a heap of pillows and blankets right before bedtime? Great! Grab a book and read there. If it’s
under a table, then read under the table.
 Read by flashlight. Pitch a tent with a few chairs and blankets. Kill the lights and read in the tent.

Hopefully, these 11 ideas gave you some inspiration on your next rainy day with the kids. What will you do with your kids after the TV and iPads are turned off on the next rainy day?

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TEETH SCIENCE FOR KIDS – WHY DO WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR TEETH?

Getting kids to brush their teeth can be a nightmare even with older kids who listen and follow instructions.  Showing them why we need to take care of our teeth is one of the most fun ways to get kids to clean their teeth without any hassle.

Emma from Science Sparks, an educational site which is just bursting with fun, creative science activity ideas for kids, is joining us in the Playroom on BonBon Break with a little experiment about why we need to take care of our teeth that you can do at home with ingredients from the kitchen cupboards.

We obviously don’t want to experiment on our teeth, so we are using eggs to represent them. The shell of an egg has a similar composition to tooth enamel.

Materials

• Eggs
• Glass or similar kind of container for each condition
• Water
• Tea/Coffee
• Fizzy flavoured drink
• Vinegar

Instructions

• Pour the same amount of fizzy drink, vinegar, water and tea or coffee into your containers.

• Add a whole egg in its shell to each.

• Leave for three days, observing what happens.

• Remove the eggs and rinse.

Has anything changed?

Results

We found the eggs in the fizzy drink and tea/coffee stained considerably. You can see the difference here between the egg in Pepsi and the egg in water.

The egg in water is our control. We use this so we can easily see the change in colour of the test condition eggs.

The tea-stained egg is also a very different color to the water egg.

The shell of the vinegar soaked egg completely dissolved. Can you imagine the effect on your teeth of too much vinegar or acidic foods?

Why does this happen?

We can clearly see staining of both the tea and fizzy drink-soaked eggs.

Tea is rich in tannins which are known to stain teeth while cola and fizzy drinks are acidic as well as containing products which are known to stain teeth.

Vinegar is acidic and dissolves the calcium carbonate in the shell. The inside of the egg remains intact because the vinegar doesn’t break down the egg membrane. You can also clearly see that the egg has with no shell is bigger than the egg with a shell; this is because some of the water ( perhaps when we rinsed the egg ) has seeped into it via osmosis.

Extension tasks

Can you carefully bounce the egg with no shell? If the shell didn’t dissolve completely, you could put it back in the vinegar for a bit longer.

Can you think of any other drinks which might stain your teeth?

Try covering half an egg with toothpaste, and placing it in vinegar, does the toothpaste protect the egg shell?

This activity is great for helping children to understand why caring for their teeth is so important.

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 This post was written by Emma Vanstone exclusively for BonBon Break Media, LLC.

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There are several games out there for families to choose from, making your family game nights memorable and fun for all involved. 

How to Choose the Best Games for Your Family

When diving into a family game night routine, you have to find the right games for your family. Keep in mind that every family is different, and you know their likes and dislikes best. There are a few things to consider when choosing a family game night game to play.

Age Recommendations

The age recommendations for games are important when you are playing with younger children. It is crucial to make sure that you choose a game that can be enjoyed by everyone in your family.

Number of Players

Many games are created with a maximum of four players. If you have a larger family, it is important to make sure that the games you choose accommodate all members.

Time Required

If you have young children or just a limited time to play, you will want to make sure that you choose a game that fits within your allotted time frame for family game night.

Ease of Use

When playing games with your family, you want to make sure that the games you pick can be easily understood and explained. The instructions should be easy to follow and the gameplay easy to learn. It should also be a game that you will be able to play repeatedly.

50 of our Favorite Games for Families 

These games are some of the best games to play on family game night. Not only are there a wide variety of options, from card games to board games, but they are also exciting to play and fun for the entire family. 

These links lead to our Amazon store, so you can make a purchase with ease.

1. Monopoly The Mega Edition
2. Guess Who? 
3. Charades
4. Yahtzee 
5. Pass the Pigs
6. Sorry!
7. Concentration 
8. Pie Face
9. Speak Out 
10. Uno 
11. Battleship 
12. Boggle 
13. One Night Ultimate Werewolf – a family favorite!!
14. Operation 
15. Scrabble 
16. Pictionary 
17. Exploding Kittens 
18. Bears Vs Babies 
19. Codenames – another favorite!
20. Clue 
21. Trouble 
22. Blokus
23. Trivial Pursuit 
24. Mouse Trap
25. Twister
26. Chess 
27. Scattergories 
28. Sequence 
29. Connect 4
30. HeadBanz
31. Spot It
32. Go Fish 
33. 5 Second Rule 
34. Qwirkle 
35. Beat the Parents
36. Mexican Train
37. Life
38. Mancala
39. Backgammon
40. Rat a Tat Cat
41. Taboo
42. Apples to Apples
43. Perfection
44. Unstable Unicorns
45. Bananagrams
46. Pick Your Poison
47. Labyrinth
48. Ticket to Ride
49. Catan – Trade Build Settle
50. Googly Eyes Game

Top 10 Board Games from Amazon

1. Not Parent Approved: A Hilarious Card Game for Kids, Tweens, Families and Mischief Makers
2. Spontuneous – The Song Game – Sing It or Shout It – Talent NOT Required 
3. Watch Ya’ Mouth Family Edition – The Authentic, Hilarious, Mouthguard Party Card Game
4. USAopoly Telestrations Original 8 Player Board Game 
5. PlayMonster 5 Second Rule Game
6. Relative Insanity Party Game about Crazy Relatives – Made and Played by Comedian Jeff Foxworthy
7. Melissa & Doug Suspend Family Game
8. Spikeball Game Set 
9. The Golfing Dead – Only One Survives 
10. Goat Lords — Hilarious and Competitive New Card Game

Playing the best games on family game night will give you a chance to connect, enjoy each other’s company and get a little competitive. These games all have a certain element of fun that your family will crave over and over again, leaving everyone excited for family game night.

Perfect to go with Family Game Night

• 20 Quick and Easy Game Night Recipes
• Game Night Ideas to Shake off the Winter Doldrums
• Our entire collection of printable charades games

The post Best Games for Families first appeared on BonBon Break.

During this time, also known as the winter solstice, the Earth’s axis tilts the furthest away from the sun, giving all locations north of the equator less than 12 hours of daylight.

For years I’ve been fascinated with how ancient cultures followed the movement of the sun throughout the sky. I love tales of feasts and parties to celebrate the end of the dark, cold nights as the days become longer and the nights become shorter.

For my family the winter solstice is a special night, a night where we like to put a modern spin on history and a night where we take a break from traditional Christmas festivities and the chaos of the holiday season. We like to celebrate the longest night of the year with light, warmth and outdoor adventure.

Here are a few fun ways to celebrate the winter solstice if you’re looking for a night of outdoor celebration, instead of a night at home watching reruns of holiday movies.

• Select a Yule Log to be burned on the winter solstice. You can burn it in your fireplace or outdoors. Tradition has it that once the log has been lit it should remain remain burning. Some people decorate their Yule Log and others even save the remains to start the Yule Log fire the following year. We like to burn a special log that we’ve decorated with ribbon and leaves in our outdoor fire pit and celebrate with festive foods and drinks to warm and brighten the cold, dark winter night.

• If you live in a cold place make your own Finnish ice candles by placing a small circular container weighed down with rocks instead of a larger circular container. Add water to the outer circle, let the water freeze, remove the containers and stick a candle inside of the ice. The candles will emit a magical glow. Ice candles are traditionally used to remember deceased loved ones and family members during the holidays, but I like to think of them as adding light and warmth to the long night.

• If it’s a clear night take a few minutes to look at the sky. See if you can identify constellations such as Sirius, Orion, Capella, Taurus, and  even the planet Jupiter

• Or better yet, bundle up your children and head to a nearby park, national forest or nature preserve. Explore the dark night on cross-country skis, snowshoes or just with your hiking boots. If you’re feeling bold and on a trail that you’re comfortable with turn off your headlamps and let your eyes adjust to the darkness for a unique and fun experience. If you’re really brave and really want to get away from the holiday madness enjoy the long night by camping in a tent, yurt or cabin.

For me, the holiday season is about creating memories, having fun and spending time together as a family. The winter solstice is the perfect opportunity to create those memories and get outdoors.

Do you have any winter solstice traditions?

PIN IT FOR LATER:

This post was written by Rebeca Walsh exclusively for BonBon Break Media, LLC.

CONTINUE READING IN THE BACKYARD

The post Celebrate the Winter Solstice with a Night Outdoors first appeared on BonBon Break.

My littlest came running in showing the tiny little tooth that came out. It was her first – and my last ‘first tooth’ experience. There is something about these little moments that make you savor them. She was jumping up and down with excitement and the fact that the Tooth Fairy was coming her way. The Tooth Fairy!! I gave her a big hug and sent her off to write THE letter with a little tear in my eye.

That’s when my oldest turned to me and said, “The Tooth Fairy, hmmm.”

“What do you mean?” I asked in a gentle inquisitive tone.

He looked me square in the eyes and said, “Mama, I don’t think she’s real. She isn’t a real fairy, right?” I felt the air leave my lungs in a massive sigh.

I’ve promised myself that I wouldn’t lie on the big things just to keep them going for my sake. Now was that moment. Would I keep it going or would I fess up?

“No, Bub. She’s isn’t real.”

His head hung low and while his chin pointed down, his eyes looked up.

“Is Santa real? What about the Easter Bunny, Leprechauns and the elves – they are all fake. They are all lies,” he said with a whisper and the tears welled along the edge his dark bottom lashes.

“Not lies,” I said. That was all I could muster and I knew I had to think quickly and yet, be truthful and comforting all at once. I remembered this story  I read from a mom in the same situation and I knew where to go.

“Not really lies, just stories to teach you about different lessons when you are young. Santa? He teaches us about the joy of giving. It is so hard to teach a baby or toddler about that joy because they are too young to understand. We teach them how much fun it is to receive a surprise. Once you are old enough, you get to experience the truly special part – giving.”

He looked at me with a quizzical look and I could see his wheels turning.

“Just to get you in the spirit this year, I want you to listen to the stories of those around you. Find someone who really needs something and cannot get it for themselves. You have a budget of $30. When you figure out who and what, we will go get the gift and then you can secretly leave it for them.”

Now his eyes lit up. “Anyone?”

“Yes, anyone!” I cheered.

“Ok. What about my sister? Can I help keep the secret for her until she is ready?”

“Absolutely! You will see how much fun it is to be part of the surprise!”

With that, his energy changed and mine did, too.

These milestones come along – sometimes you get 5 in a day – and we figure out how to navigate them on the fly. There is no right way, just our way and that is the beauty we pass along to our kids. Since that day, he and I have planned for the Easter Bunny, Santa, our Elf on the Shelf and we’ve placed little wrapped packages on friend’s doorsteps, delivering something he just knew they needed or wanted.

I’ve come to realize that celebrating on this side of the bridge is a lot of fun as well. Watching your child appreciate the Spirit of Giving is the greatest gift of all. Yes, Santa is real and his spirit lives in us all.

Happy Holidays!

MORE CHRISTMAS INSPIRATION

Redefining Elf on the Shelf

Sorry Kids, No Christmas Wish Lists This Year {Printable}

Christmas Book Countdown: A Family Tradition Advent Calendar Idea

The post Mama, Is Santa Real? first appeared on BonBon Break.

The post 7 Movies for Little Kids Coming to Theaters This Winter first appeared on BonBon Break.