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Tons
of Fun In April!
If April
showers bring you down,
these holidays will lift you up!
By Deborah Shelton,
the author of The
Five Minute Parent:
Fun & Fast Activities for You and Your Little Ones
Get out your
calendar and a nice bold pen and make note of these
fun activities
to do with your kids! Each one is a
memory
in the making!
Dog
Appreciation Month
* Take Spot for a LONG walk. Don't hurry him. Let him smell
every tree and fire hydrant along the way.
* Take your special friend to a dog park so he can play with
his friends. If you don't live near a dog park, invite
another friend over who has a dog, for a play date.
* Show real appreciation by making sure your dog is healthy.
Check to see if his vaccinations are current, get his nails
clipped, and don't forget a good soapy bath.
National
Garden Month
* Make your yard a haven for butterflies. Plant both food
plants for caterpillars (snapdragon, violets, milkweed,
daisies, parsley, dill, Queen Anne's Lace, aster, clover)
and nectar-producing plants for butterflies (azalea, phlox,
Japanese honeysuckle, ironweed, lilac, zinnia, goldenrod).
* Celebrate nature's natural beauty by planting wildflower
seeds. Scatter them everywhere for Springtime color.
National
Humor Month
* Rent your favorite funny movies and have a movie madness
marathon with your family.
* Have a tongue twister contest! With all the laughs,
everyone wins! Here are a couple to try: Old oily Otto
operates on old oily autos. Silly Sally sings songs sweetly.
Twinkies
Day (April 6)
* Have a family Twinkie-eating contest! (AFTER dinner, of
course!)
* Place packages of Twinkies in the freezer for an hour or
two for a cool and tasty treat.
National
Library Week (April
6-12)
* If you don't already have one, now is the perfect time to
get a library card! The library is the best place to find
the latest books and movies for families.
* Start a new family tradition: Visit your local library
once a week to check out books, videos and to take part in
story time.
Leonardo
Da Vinci's Birthday
(April 15)
* Did you know that Da Vinci invented scissors? That's not
the only invention on his resume-do a little research and
you'll be surprised.
* Visit your local library to find books of Da Vinci's
paintings. Try your hand at recreating one of his
masterpieces.
National
Coin Week (April 20-26)
* Play a game of Coin Overflow. Fill a small, clear drinking
glass to the brim with water. Take a guess of how many coins
will make the water spill out. Drop coins in, one at a time,
until the water begins to spill. How close was your guess?
* Start your own coin collection. Collect foreign or
domestic coins; antique or still in circulation.
National
TV Turn Off Week (April
21-27)
* Turn off the television and find more creative ways to
spend time with your family.
* Shop at garage sales to find board games for cheap and fun
family entertainment.
* Get out of the house and go for a walk, ride a bike or go
fly a kite.
National
Jelly Bean Day (April
22)
* Have a Jelly Bean guessing contest. Fill a jar with jelly
beans (be sure to count the beans as they are added, and
write down the number). Invite friends and family to take
turns guessing. The person who guesses correctly or closest
to the correct number wins the whole jar!
* Make a jelly bean necklace by stringing jelly beans
together with a needle and thread.
* Visit the Jelly Belly website at www.jellybelly.com.
William
Shakespeare's Birthday (April
23, 1564)
* Celebrate the birth of the bard by penning your own
sonnet. It can be as silly or as romantic as you want it to
be.
* Check your local newspaper and see if your town offers
free "Shakespeare in the Park" performances or
festivals.
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About the Author:
Deborah Shelton is the author of The Five Minute Parent:
Fun & Fast Activities for You and Your Little Ones.
Visit
The Five Minute Parent for fun rainy-day activities,
family
links, and a free email newsletter filled with craft
ideas,
guest articles, contests and so much more!
http://www.fiveminuteparent.com
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