Tag: Arts and Crafts

Keeping Your Kids Busy During The Holidays

Lacing Up The Old Skates

With Christmas less than two weeks away, the countdown has truly begun. In fact, most parents and children are now running around faster than their electric meters in anticipation of the arrival of Old Kris Kringle. As a result, many mothers, fathers, and other guardians are currently in the process of trying to figure out how to alleviate some of their children’s excess excitement before they go out to get the gifts that their children are so excited about. Fortunately, if you are running around trying to find a way to keep your kids busy or, at the very least, find a way to keep them from tearing your house apart, there are a couple of holiday events this weekend that are sure to help.

First, if your children really love to see all of the holiday decorations and/or you prefer holiday decorations when their attached to someone else’s electric meter, the Somerville Illuminations Tour may be the way to go. This tour, which begins at Somerville City Hall, will allow you and your family to see all of the decorated houses in East or West Somerville (depending on the tour your choose) from the comfort of a trolley car. Best of all, you will not only be able to see all of the lights without driving around aimlessly, but will also be able to enjoy coffee, cookies, hot chocolate, kid’s crafts, and music while you wait for the trolley to arrive. For more information on the tour, which runs from 4:30 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. on Saturday (December 14, 2013), please visit the Somerville Arts Council website.

Secondly, if you’re looking for something to do later in the weekend or you had a traumatic experience with holiday decorating at some point (perhaps you never found the one bulb that burned out), the Charles Hotel in Cambridge may have the event for you. This is because the Charles Hotel is officially opening their ice rink on Sunday and, in honor of the occasion, the Hotel is hosting an Ice Rink Opening Party from 12:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. This party will allow you and your family to skate for free, drink hot chocolate, watch professional skaters demonstrate their skill on the ice, and keep your kids busy with arts and crafts if skating really isn’t their thing. For more information on the Ice Rink Opening Party at the Charles Hotel, please visit the Ice Rink Opening Party’s Yelp Page.

Photo credit: Minnesota Historical Society / Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Friday Fun: Black Friday

Your local mall may not have zombies today, but isn't it just as scary?
Zombies or bargain shoppers?  You be the judge.

If you’ve ever worked in retail, you probably already know that there’s only one Friday more frightening to the average retail worker than Friday the 13th and that Friday is, of course, today. The Friday after Thanksgiving, which is also known as Black Friday because it is the day that most businesses make enough money to start recording their transactions in the black ink that indicates a profit instead of the red ink that indicates a loss each year, is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. In fact, most stores open early (some even on Thanksgiving itself), offer sales and discounts the like of which are not seen during the rest of the year, and pray that their cashiers and supervisors will be able to maintain some semblance of order in spite of the stampedes of people that are engaged in their annual struggle to get the last item on the shelf. However, if you are one of the fine, upstanding individuals that would really rather avoid the chaos that is typically associated with “Black Friday” than throw yourself into it, you’ll be happy to know that there are other things that you can do with your family today.

First, if you’re looking for a way for your kids to get some of the gifts that they want to give to other people this year without actually stepping foot into a mall, the Boston Children’s Museum may have exactly what you need. This is because the Boston Children’s Museum is hosting UnShopping Day from 11:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. today. This event will allow children and their families to make their own holiday gifts, wrapping paper, and more, so you don’t even need to walk into a store. For more information on the Boston Children’s Museum’s UnShopping Day, please visit the Boston Children’s Museum website.

Secondly, if you’re looking for a way to keep your entire family entertained, immediate family and visiting relatives included, you may want to check out one of Zoo New England’s zoos. This is because Citizen’s Bank is sponsoring a Half Price Admission Day from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. today at the Franklin Park Zoo and the Stone Zoo. As a result, you and your entire family can see all of the magnificent animals (and possibly compare each of your relatives to the animals they most resemble) for half as much as you would normally pay. For more information, please visit the Zoo New England website.

Photo credit: Jayel Aheram / Foter.com / CC BY

Friday Fun: Easter Weekend

It’s Easter Weekend – a time for the devout amongst us to reflect on ourselves and a time for the children and the not-so-devout amongst us to hunt for Easter eggs, scarf down candy, and hug people in giant bunny suits. Unfortunately, baskets, egg hunts, and bunny suits don’t put themselves together on their own, and you may be running around like the chicks that are often associated with the holiday trying to put together some Easter-related fun at the last minute. In fact, if you’re one of the parents who forgot about Easter entirely, since it’s a little on the early side this year, you may be desperately seeking a way to keep your kids entertained without straining your bank account. Fortunately, if you’re looking for an inexpensive way to entertain your kids this weekend, you’ve come to the right place as here is a list of some of the Easter activities that your kids may enjoy.

First, if you’re looking for an Easter egg hunt, but you just don’t have the time to set one up yourself, you may want to check out your local mall. A lot of malls have special events this weekend, including Easter egg hunts, opportunities to meet and get a photo with the Easter bunny, Easter crafts, free stuff, and a whole lot more. For more information on these events, check out the website for your local mall or take a trip to your local mall’s activity board (they’re usually located right outside the entrance to the mall or right as you walk inside the mall.) If you don’t live near a mall or there are no malls with special events in your area this weekend, you may want to try one of the larger farms in your area. Some local farms will actually have Easter egg hunts and other spring-related activities this weekend as well.

Secondly, if your kids are into art, you may want to check out some of your local museums. A lot of museums have special exhibits and/or special events this weekend, including Easter-related artwork, kids arts and crafts, and other similar events to keep your kids busy and, hopefully happy, this weekend. In fact, if you can’t find a museum with any special exhibits or events, you may want to look in your local newspaper or use your favorite search engine to see if there is an Easter arts and crafts fair in your area. There are a number of large Easter-themed arts and crafts shows this weekend, and many of these shows will not only allow you to buy handcrafted Easter items, but will also allow your kids to make them.

Third, if you’re not really concerned with the cost of the outing and your kids are big fans of food, you may want to consider an Easter brunch. Many hotels, local cruises, restaurants, and other similar venues offer an Easter breakfast with more food than you could possibly ever eat, arts and crafts, music, a visit from the Easter bunny, and/or any of a variety of other similar activities to keep your kids entertained. However, you should be prepared to leave your wallet at the door because these events tend to be on the pricey side.

Finally, if you really can’t afford to go anywhere or you’re just looking for something to keep your kids entertained while they’re sitting at their grandmother’s house, you may want to consider bringing along your tablet computer or your laptop. There are a number of sites with Easter-themed activities and games to keep your kids entertained for as long as you need, including:

Primary Games – Easter Games

Girls Go Games – Easter Games for Girls

Kaboose Easter Activities

And

DLTK Easter Activities for Children