Tray of Items – Fill a tray with 10-15 miscellaneous items that the children would be familiar with {toys, utensils, food items, etc.}
There are then two ways to play this game – for older children I would recommend leaving the tray out in plain view during another activity {dinner, school activity, etc.} At a certain point give each child a piece of paper and ask them to number it 1-10 {or however many items are on the tray}. Then remove the tray and announce that the tray has been laying out for them to have noticed and ask them to list all the items they saw on the tray without being able to see the tray anymore. Let them work on this activity for as long as their attention is engaged and then show them the tray. Use discretion to give sneak peaks to the tray while they are working on remembering the items. Point out that just because something is right in front of you it doesn’t mean you notice it. Likewise, the habit of paying attention to other people’s needs takes a concentrated effort.
For younger children pull the tray out while they are sitting down. Put the tray in the middle of them and tell them they have a couple of minutes to look at the items and pay attention to as much of what is on the tray as possible. Take the tray away and discreetly remove a couple of items from the tray. Bring the tray back and ask them to notice which items are missing. After a few rounds of them noticing which items are missing keep the entire tray hidden and ask them to list all of the items that were on the tray. Talk to them about how it takes effort and work to really notice and pay attention to things and that when we’re trying to pay attention to others needs we need to work at it too.
Super Spies – I like this simple game a lot! I have used it with my Sunday School class {grade 4 & 5} and with my own boys {almost 4 & 5 yrs}. I tell the children they are going to play Super Spies and they need to notice as many needs as possible. For every need that they notice they get 1 point. For every need they notice and they stop to help they get 2 points.
Older kids were given a Super Spy notebook to keep track of their list.
Secret Buddy Day – This game has only been played with my two boys, but was a lot of fun! In the morning I secretly told each boy that they were each others secret buddy – they needed to pay attention to each other’s needs and help each other out without the other one knowing what they other was doing!! Obviously it would work much better with more children!
Guess Who? Board Game - An old board game that requires you to pay attention to the details of a person as you narrow down who your opponents character is. Develops the habit of paying attention to details.
Funny Dinner Night – {or breakfast, or lunch!} Set the table for your meal but leave out necessary items – forget to give one child a cup, another their fork. Leave necessary condiments in the fridge, serving spoons in the drawer – whatever items your child will notice aren’t at the table both for themselves and others eating needs. The goal is for them to notice the needs of those at the table and to fetch those items from the kitchen to meet the needs of the rest of the family.
Never underestimate the abundance of fun a simple sheet can provide in creative play for kids!
Pineapple Pico de Gallo
This is one of my favorite summer time recipes and it is delicious as a side with dinner or served with chicken in tortilla wraps. I am sure there are many other ways to serve this Pico de Gallo, but those are the two ways we most enjoy it.
Pineapple Pico de Gallo Recipe:
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
.5 cup chopped mango
2 T minced fresh cilantro
1 T lime juice
1 T finely chopped red onion
1/4 t salt
Combine ingredients in bowl. Best if it is given at least an hour to chill in the fridge before serving.
I usually triple or quadruple the recipe so we can enjoy over several days.
Last year a quick run into our local thrift store had me leaving with one of the greatest treasures I have ever scored, dozens of brand new, large, white picture frames for just under $2.50 each. They all had the original price tags on them, from a local photo store, and had been selling for $40-$60 each.
Those frames were the inspiration for our gallery wall, which is in our dining room. I love the unity of white frames. The smaller white frames have been picked up at various places over the years.
The pictures will change, but I thought I would show you what we have on our gallery wall right now. To give you an idea of scale the large square frames are 14×14 with 12×12 prints in them.
{Starting on the top left:}picture of Judah and Wesley when they were little, a tea towel with the year 1985 on it*, another of Judah and Wes, Wesley and 3 Nigerian friends
{bottom left} Wesley, Judah and me, Paul and the boys, Judah
*My mum started collecting calendar tea towels from the year I was born until the year I got married. She gave them to me when we got married. Since we were both born in 1985 I thought it would be fun to frame this one. I keep thinking about doing a cross stitch heart around our birthdays.
{top left} Judah’s finger painting, World map, picture of dandelion weeds, Judah’s picture of Pharoh and the Superhero – his first ‘real’ picture
{bottom left} oval framed picture of women preparing a meal in Nigeria, Wesley’s finger painting, picture of Judah and Wes
Picture of “In This House We...”, Judah’s knees, skeletal print found on a free printing site {I can’t remember where!! Anyone recognize it?}, old military prints {that were cards Paul sent me before we were married} with the center print being a rose on Paul’s military boots.
A frame was recently removed from beside the skeleton picture and hasn’t yet been replaced, but shall be soon.
I hesitated sharing this for so long because I thought it wasn’t right. It wasn’t quirky enough. It was too quirky. It looked too uniform. It looked too messy. But then I realized this is us. It is our heart, our loves, on our wall. Each of the 19 images has a special reason to be up there on the wall and it just makes me so happy to look at it every day!
Never doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light.
{Supermoon from last Saturday night}
I tried this recipe out because I didn’t think it would work – but it’s incredible! And topped with Cracker Barrel’s new Mediterranean Herb cheese it is quite spectacular. It is very simple to make.
Three Ingredient Pizza Dough Recipe
2 eggs
1 8oz package cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare your cooking dish* by spraying lightly with oil.
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. It will look runny. Pour into prepared dish and bake for 30 minutes.
Once the pizza crust has cooked top with your favorite pizza toppings and put back in the oven at 425 F until cheese is bubbling, about 10 minutes.
I just used pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni.
*The original recipe, seen here, suggests a 9×13 dish to cook the pizza dough in. When I made it the first time I was skeptical about it stretching far enough in that size dish and opted to use an 8×8 dish instead. It created a much thicker crust. When I made it the second time I prepared it in a 9×13 dish, and while it worked, we all preferred the thicker crust.
{Picture above is the “thicker” crust, as you can see, it’s not exceptionally thick at all!}
For another gluten free pizza dough recipe check out our cauliflower crust pizza – more labor intensive, but also yummy!
A collection of our favorite chapter books for boys, which shall be added to as we read new treasures. All books have been enjoyed as read aloud books.
{Newer titles will be added to the top of the list}
Favorite Chapter Books for Boys
The Secret World of Og by Pierre Burton is an exceptionally imaginative book about 5 children who discover the secret world of Og under their playhouse – a world of little green people that live in a land of creative play. This book is delightful and funny and I couldn’t help but read several chapters at each sitting, resulting in the book being completed in about 5 days.
The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron is a wonderful piece of retro science fiction that draws you into the incredible imagination of the author. An adorable book that brings out rich characters and a hope in science and technology from a time past.
The Queen’s Smuggler: William Tyndale - by Dave and Neta Jackson. An easy to read biography on the life of William Tyndale. Part of the Trailblazers series, which does take a few liberties by adding in fictitious child characters to help tell the story and make it a bit more child friendly.
The Little Lame Prince and His Traveling Cloak - unabridged by Miss Mulock is a fantasy story about a little lame prince who had his kingdom stolen from him. Richly written with descriptions that draw you into the wonder of the little prince seeing the world for the first time once he escapes from his imprisoning tower. Well worth the read.
The Space Ship Under the Apple Tree by Louis Slobodkin is very imaginative, although a bit awkward to read aloud, about a Martian from Martinea that befriends a human boy in his quest to collect information about humans.
Peter Pan - unabridged by J.M. Barrie was a bit challenging to read through as a read aloud! But once we started it Judah insisted we finish it, and so we persevered through it. It has some fabulous sentence structure and detailed descriptions.
David Livingstone: Africa’s Trailblazer - by Janet and Geoff Benge is part of the Christian Heroes: Then & Now series. Well written and engaging.
Winnie the Pooh - by A.A. Milne is adorable and funny and delightful. I am so glad we read this! A worthwhile, charming read.
THE LITTLE PRINCE. Translated from the French by Katherine Woods - We have read this twice now to them. Charming and full of wit.
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink - An excellent story about a little girl in the 1860′s and her grand adventures in Wisconsin.
Andy Buckram’s Tin Men by Carol Ryrie Brink - An imaginative, fun book about a boy who creates Tin Robots that come to life and help him and a friend survive when they are stranded on an island.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl - Fun and imaginative, with rich characters and natural consequences for behavior.
Edited while being read out loud for some words we’d rather not introduce at this time.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White - Classic story of Charlotte, the spider, and Wilbur, the much loved pig.
Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling C Holling - The adventures of a little hand carved boat traveling through the Great Lakes.
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Spear - The story of a boy, left alone in a cabin while his father goes to bring the rest of the family to their new home, and his fight for survival and his budding friendship with the local Indians.
A little bit behind getting my list of books up, but here are the best of the books I enjoyed in March and April. January and February’s book list can be seen here.
Teaching Your Children Values - by Linda and Richard Eyre is a non religious parenting book on teaching values to your children. The book takes 12 different virtues and encourages parents to spend a month developing each virtue. Each virtue comes with personal stories and ideas for teaching it in your own family.
The Mission Minded Family: Releasing Your Family to God’s Destiny - by Ann Dunagan is an excellent book that explores various aspects of a mission minded family. From finances, short term mission trips, prayer and biographies there is a lot of great information packed into this challenging and though provoking book.
The Write Start; A Guide to Nurturing Writing at Every Stage, from Scribbling to Forming Letters and Writing Stories by Jennifer Hallissy gives practical advice for teaching your children how to write well at any age. I enjoyed the book so much {library copy} that I purchased my own for future reference.
The Book of Nurturing : Nine Natural Laws for Enriching Your Family Life by Linda and Richard Eyre is a prequel to the first book and gives 9 steps parents can follow for nurturing their children and family life.
The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had by Susan Wise Bauer, the same author as The Well Trained Mind, challenges adults to read, and retain what they read, better. There is an excellent reading list in the second half of the book and Paul {who also read this book} and I are challenging ourselves to read through it.
The Seven Laws of Teaching - by John M Gregory {an ebook – not sure if there are any printed ones available}. Was written in 1884 for Sunday School teachers. It has some excellent and practical steps for teachers and home educators today.
Family Game Night fun.
Been searching for a deal on this game for ages. Finally found a brand new box for .25 cents at a yard sale. It was my favorite game from grade 2-5 and am thrilled to have a copy to play with my guys!
Our focus this month will be on noticing the needs of others and how those needs could be met. While there will be some needs that the boys will be able to help meet the idea is more that they exercise the ability to pay attention and see others’ needs.
I discovered a new {to me} book this past month called Teaching Your Children Values by Linda and Richard Eyre and was thrilled to discover it so closely mimics what I am trying to do with the boys. They have 12 values with ideas, games and other encouraging ideas for helping to reinforce it in your family. I gleaned a lot from reading it and some of their ideas have been worked into our plan for this month.
Pay Attention to Others’ Needs
Activities are broken down into simple activities to be done each day.
1. Discuss what it means to pay attention to others needs or to not pay attention to them.
2. Be super spies! Spend the day noticing other peoples needs and at bedtime report the list of needs seen and note any where you were able to help.
3. Make up stories about people in different situations (mailman on a hot day, old lady next door struggling to carry her groceries into the house, etc.) and have the boys come up with ideas on how they could help in such scenarios.
4. Play the “Noticing Game.” At random moments throughout the day ask the boys to close their eyes and tell me things that they would see if their eyes were open. Just a silly, fun way to reinforce the idea of paying attention to your surroundings.
5. Secret Buddy day. In the morning I will discretely tell each boy that they are to pay attention to the other ones needs and help each other out, without the other ever knowing what they are doing.
6. Read James 5:11 and talk about how Jesus showed compassion to people.
7. Make a special effort to pay attention to my own boys and praise their efforts in helping others.
8. Look through images of people {either from magazines or online} and have the boys imagine what those peoples needs are based on the image.
9. Be super spies! Spend the day noticing other peoples needs and at bedtime report the list of needs seen and note any where you were able to help.
10. Memorize/review; “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18
11. Play “Guess Who” box game.
12. “Funny Dinner Night” – I will call everyone to dinner but will have “forgotten” some major items that we need for dinner – ie. Paul’s fork, serving spoons, condiments, water pitcher, etc. The boys need to notice the needs and go get the missing items.
13. Read Lamentations 3:22&23 and come up with more stories of how Jesus showed compassion to people.
14. Make a special effort to pay attention to my own boys and praise their efforts in helping others.
15. Make up stories about people in different situations (mailman on a hot day, old lady next door struggling to carry her groceries into the house, etc.) and have the boys come up with ideas on how they could help in such scenarios.
16. Be super spies! Spend the day noticing other peoples needs and at bedtime report the list of needs seen and note any where you were able to help.
17. Memorize/review; “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18
18. Play the “Noticing Game.” At random moments throughout the day ask the boys to close their eyes and tell me things that they would see if their eyes were open. Just a silly, fun way to reinforce the idea of paying attention to your surroundings.
19. Secret Buddy day. In the morning I will discretely tell each boy that they are to pay attention to the other ones needs and help each other out, without the other ever knowing what they are doing. (Depending on how this goes on the 5th I may assign them both the task of paying attention to Paul’s needs rather than to each other again.)
20. Read the story of The Prodigal Son.
21. Make a special effort to pay attention to my own boys and praise their efforts in helping others.
22. Look through images of people {either from magazines or online} and have the boys imagine what those peoples needs are based on the image.
23. Be super spies! Spend the day noticing other peoples needs and at bedtime report the list of needs seen and note any where you were able to help.
24. Memorize/review; “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18
25. Play “Guess Who” box game.
26. ”Funny Dinner Night” – I will call everyone to dinner but will have “forgotten” some major items that we need for dinner – ie. Paul’s fork, serving spoons, condiments, water pitcher, etc. The boys need to notice the needs and go get the missing items.
27. Read the story of The Good Samaritan.
28. Make a special effort to pay attention to my own boys and praise their efforts in helping others.
29. Make up stories about people in different situations (mailman on a hot day, old lady next door struggling to carry her groceries into the house, etc.) and have the boys come up with ideas on how they could help in such scenarios.
30. Be super spies! Spend the day noticing other peoples needs and at bedtime report the list of needs seen and note any where you were able to help.
Click here for all of the posts on A Year of Intentional Habit Building for Kids.
