This month consider new family traditions with these inspirational ideas:
Go Green. It has been awhile since Earth Day, so make sure your family is still keeping up its earth-friendly habits. America Recycles Day is on Nov. 15. Celebrate by going to www.AmericaRecyclesDay.org and taking the pledge to recycle more. Then follow through on this pledge by ensuring your family is properly recycling all its paper, metal, glass, cardboard, batteries, etc., either through your curbside service or by making trips to nearby recycling bins or centers.
Go Emerald. You probably cannot make it through a lifetime of living in Kansas without telling people where you are from and having one of them crack a Wizard of Oz-related joke. But take the time to embrace this connection by taking your family to the Coterie’s production of The Wiz. Beginning Nov. 12 and running through Jan. 5, 2014, this twist on the classic story may be just the entertainment your family is looking for. Buy tickets at www.TheCoterie.org.
Make Different Pancakes. Just whip up a normal pancake batter and put in pure pumpkin to the mix to add some fall flair to a favorite breakfast food.
Organize Art. Your children are a few months into school so you likely have many completed art projects already lying around your house. Designate one wall where all the artwork should be displayed or file papers into organized drawers. Another good idea is to make one table an art collage by putting all the pieces on the table and placing a clear table cover over them so they are still viewable. If some pieces have been around for a while and you are ready to trash them, take a picture of them before you do. Once you have collected a lot of these pictures, use them to create a photo album so your family can enjoy every art piece the children ever made without keeping all the clutter around.
Tailgate. Yes, Chiefs games are definitely fun, but they may not always be affordable for families. Thanks to the amazing fans around Kansas City, on the days of home games, even Arrowhead’s parking lot can be an exciting place. For $27/car, your family and friends can tailgate by grilling out, tossing the pigskin around and cheering on the Chiefs.
Give Thanks. To help your kids get in the thankful mood this Thanksgiving, have them make this cute pumpkin pie craft.
What You’ll Need: (For one pie)
- 2 paper plates
- Orange construction paper
- Glue
- Scissors
- Writing utensil
- 1 brass fastener
1. Cut a circle from the orange construction paper that is the size of the circle on the paper plates. Glue the orange circle to the center of one of the plates.
2. On the other plate, using a writing utensil, divide the plate into eight “slices.” Write eight things that the child is thankful for, one in each slice.
3. After the orange circle has dried, write, “I am thankful for…” on the left half of it.
4. Put the plate with the orange circle on top of the plate with the items listed on it. Poke a brass fastener through the center of both the plates and secure it.
5. Taking the scissors, cut a single “slice” out of the right side of the upper plate, making sure the cut “slice” is the same size as one of the drawn “slices” on the bottom plate. Now your child can spin the bottom plate to view each thing they are thankful for this year.
Kelsey Neth lives in Liberty with her parents and younger brother. When she is not in school, she works as a babysitter and a nanny.