Great Activities at home to do with your kids! #1

I have 3, " cost little -nothing" ideas (cool ideas) for you moms and dads out there! When your kids are bored and driving you nuts, do something fun with them at home, that may not cost a thing ( depending on what you have in your cupboards).

1. The scientific potion- Kids love to do new things that are not the same old ho-hum activities. So, make a bubbling potion that " overflows" and smells funky. Not to worry though, it is clean. Directions: Either outdoors, in the garage, or in the basement, take any glass container, and fill the bottom with baking soda ( I prefer Davis). Next, pour some vinegar into the container (you want to fill at least 1/2 of the container with the solution. Then watch out, here it comes! *TIPS*- Add some dye, and some "capsule creatures" (the little capsules with sponge animals in them, you can a dozen for a buck and the Dollar Tree). Also, you can do this in an empty soda bottle and quickly put a balloon on the top. The balloon will get full and probably fly off.

2. The Erupting Volcano- This is just a variation of the first one.Directions: (Again, outdoors) Take a tall cottage container and cut a round hole in the bottom. Then take a Cool Whip or butter/margarine container, turn it upside down, and tape them together, so they look like a mountain top. Then, paper machete them (use water,flour, and strips of newspaper),.. and let them dry. Then paint it black. Once it drys, glue it to a piece of cheap or garbage type plywood and paint that black and green, whatever you wish. OK, now that you have your volcano, pour the baking soda into the hole ( that is now the top of your volcano), add some orange dye, some charcoal or burnt wood (or paint some pack peanuts black), and then, that's right, add the vinegar! This will bubble and run all over the place, and spew out the charcoal. This will look just like a real volcano and kids love it. *TIPS*- If you want to add the whole Hawaiian experience, then you can do this in August when Hawaii became a state, and.... GO OVERBOARD. LOL. Make a Hawaiian pizza, play Hawaiian music, wear a grass skirt, and decorate the house. Is this a lot of work? Yes.That's why you have the kids help you with each step of this. Make it fun!

3. Bird Feeders- Super Easy- Take some pine cones and tie some yarn to the top, leaving some hanging about 6-10 inches long.Then smear some peanut butter into all of the crevasses. Next, once they are covered in peanut butter, roll them in bird seed, and hang the in the trees. You can do this no matter where you live or take them camping with you.Your kids will enjoy making them and watching birds come to feed. *Tips*- If you do not have ant bird seed, then use crushed crackers, bread crumbs, or anything EXCEPT rice. Don't use anything dehydrated, because they will swell in the birds stomach. That's not good!

Enjoy!