Birds

This week and possibly into next week, the boys and I are doing things related to birds.  Wild Birds Unlimited next to the Publix on SR13 has something my kids are enjoying.

The first day you go in and have your kids tell them they are interested in making a bird feeder.  Wild Birds Unlimited will give them a coloring sheet.   The kids go home and color it.

Another day you go back to the store with your completed coloring page.  The store will give your kids 1 to 2 pounds of free bird seed along with a packet of information on birds, how to make bird feeders, etc.

Bag of free bird seed and packet

Inside the packet

It is pretty neat and FREE!  Enjoy doing things in the summer that are free for sure as our daily activities can quickly add up.

The boys and I are also going to go to the library and get some books about birds.  That's probably as far as we'll take it unless the boys are just loving this.  There is a sheet in the packet from Wild Birds Unlimited where the kids are supposed to track all the birds they see in their backyard.  I think they have to list 20 or 25 that they see.  They can bring that paper back to the store and receive a free plastic bird feeder.  I doubt we'll do this part...but it is an option.  (My mom is the bird expert...maybe she'll do it with Brewer in her yard...hint, hint.)

I had no idea the store offered this.  I love finding little "programs" like this for my kids.  What other neat things have you found for your kids this summer??  Please share...

Summer Bingo

I found an idea that I consider brilliant and was happy to borrow the idea --> SUMMER BINGO!  Maddox isn't quite old enough for this (without me supervising...and I need nothing else to supervise), so only Brewer is doing summer bingo.

The sounds of "I'm bored" have started in our home now that school has been out for 3+ weeks.  My kids are not used to having large blocks of time without something planned to do...probably a fault of mine.  So when I heard of summer bingo, I thought it would be a great thing to implement in our home.  I created Brewer's bingo cards as I wanted to incorporate friendship between he and Maddox, physical activity, household responsibility, educational activities, and fun things.

Each Sunday Brewer is given a new bingo card.  Throughout the week, a sticker is placed on each square that has been completed.  He has to let us know PRIOR to doing the activity.  When he is finished, he places the sticker on the square.  Once five stickers have made a row either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, Brewer receives a ticket.  Tickets can be redeemed for "prizes".  We have a few rules in place with the bingo game as well.

Our rules look something like this:
1. You must brush your teeth and eat breakfast before playing Bingo.  (Note: Brewer is our child who won't eat breakfast.  This has helped with the breakfast eating as well.)
2. You must tell Mom or Dad what Bingo square you are doing.
3. etc, etc, etc,

Rewards look something like this:
2 tickets = an extra book at bedtime
3 tickets = stay up late to watch an extra TV show
5 tickets = $5.00
etc, etc, etc

Here are two examples of Bingo cards:

Brewer has some direction on the days (or hours) when we are not attending a play date, summer camp, at the movies, at the pool, etc. -- I remind him of his Bingo game.  Here's Brewer reading with his TAG books.

What do you do to keep your kids entertained at home in the summer???  I'd love to hear!