Kindergarten & Up

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Today

  • Secret Message

    Art weekend! Using a white crayon, draw an animal or write a secret message on a sturdy piece of paper. Paint over your design using watercolors and watch it suddenly appear.

  • Library Trip

    What's going on at the library this weekend? Libraries often have fun, kid friendly activities. Check out a book about animals while you're there.

  • Snow Animals

    Go outside and build a snow animal sculpture together. What kinds of animals are easy to sculpt?

  • Home Inspector

    What do you need to do to make a home safe for the animals and people who live there? Play home inspector with your child. check to make sure appliances are safely plugged in (or unplugged), windows are shut properly, and light bulbs are working.

  • Imagination Only

    Challenge your family to unplug from screens this weekend. Practice using your imagination by seeing how many games you can invent with just an empty cardboard box.

  • What Is It?

    Play the "guessing game"—have your child wear a blindfold, and then pick different household objects for them to try to identify. Ask them questions ("Is it soft?" "Is it round?") as they hold the object. Blindfold yourself and have your child choose an object for you to identify!

  • I Love You Because

    Make a card for someone you love and tell them what you admire about them. Decorate it with ribbons, stickers, glue—whatever you have lying around!

  • Beautiful Science Project

    Do oil and water mix? Choose a small empty bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid and fill it 1/3 with water. Add a few drops of blue food coloring. Shake. Fill the rest of the bottle with oil. Shake again. Tip the bottle upside down and watch the beautiful results.

  • Dinner Helper

    Show your child how to help set the dinner table. Counting plates or utensils, folding napkins, and wiping the table are great jobs for children!

  • Winter Games

    Try a new winter sport! It's cold out, but you can still have fun snowshoeing, sledding, ice fishing, or inventing your own game!

  • Nutritious Choices

    At the grocery store, talk to your child about making healthy choices. Let them choose between two nutritious products (fruits, vegetables, cheese, etc.) that are both good choices. Praise your child for making a healthy choice.

  • RX for Fun

    Talk to your child about how doctors write prescriptions to help us know what to take to be healthy. Now, work together to write a prescription for how to have a great weekend!

  • Neighborhood Watch

    Go for a walk in your neighborhood and count the number of houses or cars on the block. See if any look the same or if they are each different.

  • Recycled Craft Time

    Save up recycled materials like egg cartons, paper towel tubs, and milk jugs for a week. Now build a structure using those materials.

  • Local Building Tour

    Take a drive around town. Can you find the largest building? The tallest? The longest? The shortest? What other features of buildings in your town can you identify?

  • Famous Buildings

    Find pictures of famous buildings online. Talk about the features of each famous building. Which is your favorite and why?

  • DIY Playdough

    Make your own playdough. Mix 1 C flour and 1/4 C salt. Add 1/2 C water and food coloring. Knead until doughy. Build a structure using playdough and popsicle sticks.

  • Crazy Dress-Up Party

    Play dress-up by exploring the very back of the closet. Who can assemble the most ridiculous outfit using some of your family's out-of-style clothes and accessories?

  • Meet a Police Officer

    Take your child to visit your local police station or sheriff's department and talk to an officer about their job.

  • Movie Talk

    Going to the movies is a great weekend family activity. Talk afterward about your favorite characters and what choices they made that were good or bad.

  • Follow the Leader

    Play a variation of "Follow the Leader" where the leader makes silly faces, makes up a fun dance, or says something that everyone else has to repeat. Take turns being the leader.

  • Donating Clothes

    With your child, sort through their clothes, see what they've outgrown, and donate the items to charity. Talk to your child about the importance of charity.

  • Leaf Rubbing

    Find a few unique leaves in your yard or a local park. Help your child create a leaf rubbing by pressing a white sheet of paper over a leaf and rubbing it with the side of a crayon.

  • Take a Hike

    Take a hike this weekend. Discuss with your child what you need to pack for a hike, like sunscreen, water, proper shoes, and a hat.

  • Teddy Bear Picnic

    Encourage your child to arrange a picnic for their teddy bears. How many bears do you have? How many plates and cups do you need?

  • Camping Trip

    Camping can be a memorable family activity. If you can't get away this weekend, set up a tent in your yard or make one out of blankets in your living room.

  • All About Flags

    Talk about why every country has a different flag. Compare America's flag to other countries' flags. Invite your child to invent their own country and flag.

  • Hank the Cowdog

    Visit your local library and check out a book called Hank the Cowdog.

  • Ride ‘Em, Cowboy!

    Are there any rodeos nearby? Go check it out! Ask your child beforehand to guess what they think they'll see and talk afterward about whether they were right.

  • Grocery Store Exploration

    Spend time with your child in the produce section of the grocery store. Explore the different fruits and vegetables, comment on the colors, and talk about where they are grown. Try bringing home something new to eat.

  • Walk With the Animals

    As you take a walk, pause to observe an animal or an insect. Make up a song with your child about what that animal or insect's life is like.

  • Attend a Concert

    Check your community event calendar and see if there are any free concerts this weekend. If there aren't, have your own concert at home or have your child help make their own playlist of music!

  • Share the Music

    Do you know someone who plays a musical instrument? Invite them over to share their talent. Talk about the instrument they play and let your child explore it.

  • Good Listener

    Go outside and find a spot to sit and listen quietly. Count all of the sounds you hear. Talk about the different sounds and their sources.

  • Hit the Pool

    Celebrate the weekend by swimming at your local pool or reservoir. Don't forget an inflatable ball and some sunscreen! Bring some beach music along!

  • Kiss the Cook

    It's the perfect season for a barbecue. Have your child help you prepare the food and explain how to stay safe while cooking.

  • “I Spy”

    Play "I Spy" this weekend with your child. This is a great game for waiting rooms, restaurants, or at home. Look for different colors, shapes, and sizes.

  • No Ants Invited

    Any excuse for a picnic! Ask your child to be "in charge" of the food and let them pick their favorite healthy foods to take along.

  • Take It Easy

    Take it easy this weekend. Lie down in the grass with your child and find shapes or objects in the clouds. Do you see the same or different things?

  • Explore Your Neighborhood

    Go on a walk in an unfamiliar part of your neighborhood or town. Talk to your child about what you like about this new area and what you like about your own street.

  • “If You’re Happy and You Know It”

    Teach your child the song "If You're Happy and You Know It." Get rowdy clapping your hands, stomping your feet, and turning in circles.

  • Safety Check

    Check your smoke detectors this weekend. Have your child help you check the batteries and replace them if necessary. Discuss what you would do if there were a fire in your home.

  • Leaf Party

    Have your child help tidy the yard this weekend by collecting fallen leaves together. Don't forget to allow some time for playing in the leaves before bagging them!

  • Rawr!

    Dinosaur weekend! Search online, visit a museum or read a library book about dinosaurs. Which is the scariest, weirdest or most impressive?

  • Pick Up Game

    Cleaning involves the whole family. Start a game that whenever your child enters a room, they have to pick up and put away two objects. Invent other "rules" to make chores fun.

  • Museum Field Trip

    Locate a museum in your area that's free or low cost and learn something new this weekend! Draw a picture with your child about your favorite discovery.

  • Express Your Love

    Help your child write a note to a family member saying what you appreciate or admire about them. Deliver the note and enjoy some time together!

  • How Hot?

    Enjoy tea or hot cocoa this weekend. Have your child guess what temperature they think their drink is and then show your child how to check it with a thermometer.

  • Bake Cookies!

    Nothing's better on a cold day than warm cookies! Ask your child to help you measure ingredients and mix them together. Praise them for being a great helper.

  • Hot Lava!

    Play the "Hot Lava" game—lay out blankets, towels and cushions in a course through the house. The floor is "lava" and the only way to make it to the other side is to step on the "safe" blankets.

  • Make a List & Check It Twice

    Before going to the grocery store, ask your child to help you write a list by checking what's in the cupboard or refrigerator. "How many carrots do we have? How many gallons of milk?"

  • “I Love You” Card

    With your child, make an "I Love You" card for a friend or family member. List the different reasons you love that person—"I love you because you make me smile."

  • 2016 Look Back

    Reflect with your child on what memories and accomplishments you made together this year. Look back through the calendar and write down some memories on the following page.