Friday, December 30, 2016

2016 New Year's Eve Balloon Countdown for Kids

We are ready for our 4th Annual New Year's Eve Balloon Countdown of Activities. (A link to our previous activities can be found here: http://workingmomwonders.blogspot.com/2015/12/new-years-eve-balloon-countdown-for-kids.html


I have added some minute-to-win-it style games along with some STEM activities this year. 
The last activity before midnight is a 17-clue Scavenger Hunt designed by my husband. 


The activities: 
Mentos/Diet Coke experiment
Make fortune cookies
Make colorful cupcakes 
Make wishing wands
Water Experiment
Glow in the dark jello
Visit my concession stand
Fill out annual question sheet
Confetti eruptions
Photo Booth
Stack it up game (25 pennies stacked with one hand in 1 minute)
Suck it up (move m&m candy from one plate to another)
Stack attack (stack 21 cups in a pyramid in a minute)
Moving it up (move opposite color cup all the way through the stack)
Glow in the dark bouncy balls
Streamer party ball
Make soft pretzels
Scoop it up game (move ping pong balls from one bowl to another)
Make a time capsule
Make fire ice cream
Make glowing exploding bags
Make party slime
Magic milk fireworks
Glow in the dark ring toss
Defy gravity game. (Keep two balloons in air using only 1 hand)
Scavenger Hunt


The clues for the hunt:
It’s New Year’s Eve
And the Hunt Begins.
Start the Search
Where Shoes Have Been

Shoes Can Be Stinky
It’s Sad but True.
Dad’s Cologne Helps
The Smell and the Next Clue.

Too Much Cologne
And You’ll Smell Like Matt.
Get the Next Clue Where He
Takes Relaxing Baths.

This Drain Was All Clogged
So We Fixed it with Borax.
This Journey Continues
With Rachel’s Favorite Fruit Snacks.

Secret Life of Pets
Was Not a Great Movie.
But the Game on Dad’s iPad
Is Really Quite Groovy.

Wind is Blowing
And the Chimes are Ringing.
Another Clue is Located
Where Rachel’s been Singing.

You Found Daddy’s iPad
Where it Made Most Sense.
The Next Clue is Hiding
Where Mom Hides Presents.

This Closest is Perfect
But It’s Not the Only One.
Another Clue Awaits
In the Closet of the Sons.

The Boys Closet’s Messy
As No One Can Argue.
Is Rachel’s Even Worse?
Check it Out, Won’t You?

Think You’re Done With Closets?
You Best Think Again.
There’s Another Closet
Where Our Coats Have Been.

The Search Must Continue
For Our Excited Pair.
Look for a New Clue
Underneath Dad’s Chair.

Chairs are So Comfy
A Great Place for a Seat.
But Behind the Couch--
Now That is Sweet!

The NES Classic
Has Been a Family Hit.
You Might Find Clue
Somewhere Near It.

Video Games Are Great
But we would rather be in the pool.
Move The Search Along
To Where Food Stays Cool.

Cold Food Is Yummy
But Some Like it Hot.
The Oven Has No Clues
The Microwave? Maybe, Maybe Not.

When Food Gets Stuck
In Your Teeth It Is Gross, Methinks.
You Should Go Get A Toothbrush,
Maybe Near the Sink?

The Search Has Ended
The New Year Is Near.
2017 Will Be Great
Because We’re Full Of Cheer!



Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Gingerbread Man Hunt

One of our daily Christmas activities was a gingerbread man hunt. At the end of the hunt, the kids were led to gingerbread cookie dough and supplies to make a gingerbread man book. 

Here are the clues: 
1. Run, run, as fast as you can; you can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man! Follow the clues to catch him! 
2. (was with number 1) I was in the kitchen, but not anymore. I may be caught running by the back door. 
3. Oh you are just seconds too slow. Try finding me where Yoda's light saber will glow. 
4. Oh darn, you are just missing me...Maybe I'm in the Christmas tree! 
5. Nope, not hiding in here. Maybe I'm by the bathroom mirror. 
6. Now I'm running out of steam...I'll be waiting where you store the whipped cream. 

The book cover is made from construction paper and wax paper. The kids decorated their own gingerbread puppet to place in the oven. 


The oven door opens so the gingerbread man can stay stored there until the story is read. 
I stapled paper to the cover and the kids wrote a story for the gingerbread man. 
Page 1: Run, Run, as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man. 
Page 2:The gingerbread man ran over a hill. 
Page 3: The gingerbread man ran up a tree.
Page 4: The gingerbread man ran into a barn
Page 5: The gingerbread man ran by a lake.
Page 6: The gingerbread man on top of a fox's back. The fox said, "Come a little closer, I  can't hear you." Run, Gingerbread Man, run! 
Full book details can be found on: http://fun-a-day.com/book-making-the-gingerbread-man/