Ah, the joys of parenthood playing games, teaching life lessons and…breaking up fights. It is truly amazing to me the things that kids will fight about. Who’s toys who’s, he touched me, and my personal favorite who seen the horse in the pasture first. Really!! Of course anyone with kids of their own knows all to well the ridiculousness that can ensue when two siblings decide to go at it. And honestly I had given up the idea that there was a way to keep these fights from happening. That is until recently during one of their battle royals when I had a brain storm that actually worked. Let me explain what happened.

Every night before bed our kids pick out a story book that they want us to read to them. Then with books in hand my oldest would go to his mom and our youngest to me and we would read them their stories and this is the way it was for months and months. That is until a few weeks ago when both boys decided that they wanted mommy to read their story. My kids stood next to their mom fighting about who was going to go first. This was insanity at its best and I couldn’t help but laugh or I would have probably cried. Anyways, as they stood there crying and arguing I instantly flashed back to my baseball days when we would flip a coin to see who got to bat first and I thought to myself hey what have I got to lose. So I got the boys to stop yelling long enough to tell them to come into the kitchen which is where I keep my pocket change. As we walked away from my wife who was sitting in recliner in the living room she flashed me this look of what in the world are you doing I think she thought I finally snapped.

When we got in the kitchen I went to my change and got one of the old quarters one that had George Washington’s head and an eagle. I thought they would like the eagle being that they are really into birds right now. As I stood there showing them the quarter and explaining what it was and what we were going to do with it they completely forgot all about the fighting. They didn’t even fight over who got which side. One son picked the head the other the eagle which I explained was known as tails. I placed the quarter on my thumb and finger and flipped it as high as I could trying to make the whole process as cool as I could. When the coin landed and I flipped it over onto my back of my other hand they couldn’t wait to see who had won. Now I can’t remember now who won but I do remember extremely well how awesome they thought the coin flip was and how they just walked back into the living room the winner getting on mommies lap and the other sitting on the floor next to her waiting his turn. It was AWESOME!! Of course since my wife had stayed in the living room the whole time enjoying the quit she had no idea what I had done and she was floored by the way they were acting when they came back in the room. After finishing the books, rocking the boys and putting them to bed she immediately came out and asked me what I did. When I told her it was a coin toss she could believe it saying “You’ve got to be kidding me, that’s it?”

So after that night both my wife and I continued to use the coin toss to help with the fighting. On several occasions the boys even asked us to do it. Now I’m not going to lie and say that this ended all the fighting because it didn’t. After the new wore off it kind seemed to lose it’s power. Sometimes we’ll go through the process and one of the two boy’s wont care that he lost and continue to fight and other times they don’t want to do it at all. But it does still work enough times to at least try.

After seeing the positive results from the simple coin toss trick I started trying to think of other similar tactics to use and what follows are all the ones I could come up with.

• Coin Flip
• Paper Rock Scissors
• Draw Straws
• Pick a # from 1-10
• Names in a hat
• Cutting Cards
• Toss Dice

Now I haven’t tried all of these but eventually I will. Most that I have tried seem to work at least at first. And besides helping with end the fighting I also like the fact that I can teach my boys something new that is very basic to you and me but that they absolutely love. And isn’t that what having kids is all about, having fun when you can and making the best of the not so good times.

I hope you can use these little tricks on your kids and have good results. They take very little time and can be quite fun and educational. And if you have any tricks and fight resolvers yourself please leave a comment below and tell us all about them. Every little bit helps. Thank you for stopping by and if you enjoyed what you have just read please share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or any of the other social networks it would be much appreciated.

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When I was a kid one of my most favorite places in the whole world was our backyard. Now my parents didn’t have much money back then so we never had a big fancy swing set but we did have a lot of “old fashioned” homemade stuff like a tire swing, a tree house made of old barn wood and even a big sandbox filled with sand from the creek at my Grandparents farm. All of which didn’t cost my parents much more than a little time. As an adult looking back at that backyard and all the stuff my brother and I played on for hours on end it doesn’t seem like much but at the time it was all we could ever want and more. Now fast forward about twenty five years to the present day. I now have my own backyard and two young sons that love playing there. Now I am by no stretch of the imagination a wealthy man but luckily I am a little better off than my parents were when I was my kid’s age. So when it can time to transform our backyard into a personal playground for our kids I could afford to buy some stuff but being the tightwad I am I didn’t get too crazy. Besides there is nothing wrong with some of those good old fashioned playground activities.

My wife and I are pretty much homebodies and would usually rather stay home than go out. So we spend lots of time in our backyard all year round. Because of this we are always on the look out for new ideas to incorporate into our yard especially things that can be enjoyed by the whole family. If you are looking for a few good backyard ideas yourself you’re in luck, below you will find a list of some of our favorites.

Backyard Ideas for Kids and Parents Alike

•  Swing Set – One of the main ingredients for a great backyard is a swing set. They come in all shapes and sizes and can cost as little as $150, so most people no matter their financial situation can afford one. Some people go all out when buying a swing set and to be honest it can be very easy to do just look at some of the sets at these popular swing set builders www.rainbowplay.com and www.cedarworks.com. Being the heart of our backyard it took us quite a bit of searching before we found a set that fit our wants and our wallets. For a short time we even considered building our own set from scratch to save money but after some rough pricing decided it wasn’t worth it. What we ended up with was a middle of the road set that ended up costing us about $1,500 and we still had to build it. Part of what made our set cost so much was that we wanted an enclosed slide so that we didn’t have to worry about anyone falling from the top of the slide. What was nice about the set we bought was that with a little thought it could be modified. For example it came with monkey bars but we decided that we would not attach that part until both of our boys where big enough to play on them. In the end we are super happy with our set and most importantly the kids love it. When it comes time for you to buy your own set I suggest look at everything you can find online like the two sites mentioned above then go to your local home improvement store like Lowes, Home Depot or Menards and checkout the displays. We took our kids with us to see what accessories seemed to attract them the most.

• Club House/Tree House – Having a clubhouse in your backyard is a close runner up to a swing set. A good club house is the perfect place for your kids to play and use their imaginations. The ideas that can come from such a place are endless. And the best part is it can be used through all stages of childhood. Like swing sets clubhouses also come in many forms. They can easily be designed and built by an everyday DIY’er or can be bought as a kit. The options are truly endless and who says that a clubhouse has to be permanent. For example last fall we decided to buy some straw bales to use as decoration around the house. When we went to pickup the straw we decided to buy about ten extra bales which cost about $35. We used the extra bales to build a straw house out of for the kids. They absolutely loved it! That is all they wanted to do for days was play in their new clubhouse. After a few weeks when they straw started looking rough and the kids had lost interest we simply spread some of the straw in the garden and sowed some grass with the rest. In the end it was well worth the $35 dollars. Lord knows I’ve spent more on dumber things. So as you can see all it takes is a little imagination on your part to find the perfect clubhouse.

• Sandbox – Here is another place that imaginations can run wild and so can the kids. If you decide a sandbox is a suitable addition to your backyard paradise there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First and foremost is how you are going to keep the neighborhood cats out of the sand. If you have never had a sandbox or didn’t play in one much as a kid you might not know that to cats a sandbox is just a huge litter box. So your best bet is to buy or build a sandbox with a lid. There are many different types of sandboxes sold some plastic and some wood. At first glance the plastic ones might seem nice but kids can quickly out grow these because they are typically very small. So wood is probably going to be better for the long haul. Or if prefer to build your own acquire some landscape timbers or old railroad ties. Then build a nice large sandbox maybe 8’x8’ and maybe 18” deep. You can then either buy one of the tarp like covers that are commercially available, build a removable wooden top or attach some type of fencing to the outside of the box. All of which should work very good.

• Trampoline – Now not everyone likes the idea of a trampoline because they can be very dangerous but man are they fun. And it is a sure fire way to get your kids outside and active. If you are on the fence about owning a trampoline it is worth mentioning that there is a new installation method that is becoming very popular, the ground level trampoline. You literally dig a whole and bury the trampoline which makes for a very clean look. It also reduces the risk of you trampoline from blowing away or being damaged by the wind which is a very common occurrence with above ground trampolines even when they are anchored correctly. For more information on in ground installation and trampoline safety you can visit Trampoline safety.com.

• Swings (Tire Swings, Rope Swings) – The way I feel about it is every home with a backyard and kids should have a swing. There is just something about swinging that makes it awesome. And the cost can be little to nothing. If you have a big tree in your yard then all you really need to buy is some rope or a chain. You can find old tires just about any where. Chances are you know someone that would love for you to just take there old tires just to get it out of their way.

• Outdoor Chalkboard – This is something we can across on line and thought it was a good idea. Most kids love using sidewalk chalk but not every home has a paved driveway or sidewalk or at least in a location you would want the kids playing. So what you can do is buy a sheet of plywood (treated or painted) and some of that chalkboard paint and make a giant chalkboard like they have in schools. Then you can attach it to just about anything like a privacy fence, chain link fence or the side of a playhouse. You could even build a place to mount it, using two 4×4 posts. And if you can find a place in the shade that’s even better for those hot summer days outside.

• Fire Pit – This one might have caught you off guard being that it is a list for kid ideas but as long as caution and common sense are used it can it will be loved by all. I mean what kid or adult for that matter doesn’t like s’morse? Plus an evening with the family sitting next the fire is much better time spent than sitting in the house watching TV. Fire pits are easy to make if you have the room or can be bought online or at most home improvement stores. And if you don’t have access to firewood it can be bought at most gas stations or you can check the classifieds.

• Small Kids Garden – Now here is one that can not only be a fun educational activity but it might even get your kids to eat their veggies. If this sounds like something you would be interested in it shouldn’t take a lot of space maybe 4’x 4’. Buy some seeds for easy to grow plants like corn, tomatoes and green beans or any other type of veggie your kids happen to like. Using a tiller would be the preferred way to prepare the garden space but if you do not have one and can not barrow one then a shovel and hoe should make do. Let your kids plant the seeds and help then to water and weed their garden as needed. In a few short months the entire family will be enjoying a nice homegrown feast.

So there you go a nice starter list for you to begin your kid friendly backyard paradise. In the future as I find new ideas I will update this post so check back often and until then enjoy your time outdoors with you kids. Here is short video on some other ideas to think about.

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Recently we had been having a reoccurring problem at our house involving my wife and a curling iron that kept being left on. This “problem” inspired me to look for a simple outlet timer that could be easily used to give products like curling irons a way to automatically turn off after a certain amount of time. Now I have used automatic timers in the past for various things like fish tank lights and things of that nature but this was a whole different situation. What I needed was a simple way to shut something off after “X” number of minutes or hours. It took a little searching but what I found was perfect and actually led me to a whole line of great products that can be used all over our house. These items, especially the timer, have been so helpful to us that I thought I should share them.

The Best And Most Simple Outlet Timer You Can Buy

In my online searching for the perfect timer I found the Belkin F7C009 Conserve Socket. It seemed to be exactly what I was looking for so I ordered one to try it out.  It is a small unit that can plug into any standard outlet and unlike many other timers is small enough that it doesn’t block the second plug-in. It has a very easy to set timer with three setting 30 minutes, 3 hours or 6 hours. You simply plug-in the unit then plug your curling iron or what ever it is you want to turn off into the Conserve Socket. On the side of the Conserve Socket there is an easily adjusted switch where you choose one of the three times. Once the desired time has been set and you are ready to use the item you have plugged in, in my wife’s case the curling iron, you push the button on top of the unit which starts the timer. Then when the set time elapses the unit turns off killing all power to what ever is plugged in.

Needless to say I am in love with this product and being the typical tightwad husband that I am I have found many uses for Conserve Socket. I am always looking for ways to make our home more efficient and if you have read very much about energy conservation you have probably heard of electrical vampires. This is a term used for the small amount of power that all electrical items use that are left plugged in even when not in use. This small amount of power might sound insignificant but over time and with dozens of items being plugged in around your house all the time this small amount adds up. This is were the Belkin Conserve Socket shines because it kills all power once it turns off and uses zero energy until the next time you turn it on. Not only that but it can also increase the battery life of items like cell phones, power drills and other items with rechargeable batteries by keeping them from over charging. Most batteries completely charge within a few hours but most people charge things over night meaning that these items are over charging and wasting energy that cost you money. The Conserve Socket fixes all of this. Really the uses are endless for example you can use it on space heaters, curling irons, coffee makers, power tools, electric razors, electric toothbrushes, kitchen appliances, hand held games and on and on.

Now there are a few minor complaints that if changed would make this unit perfect. For one the LED power light which turns on when the unit is on is not very bright. So it can be hard to tell if it is on or not. Also it can only be used on the top plug-in if you want more that one item plugged into an outlet. There are two reasons for this one is that the unit taller on the top and the other is that the on/off button is also on the top. And the last minor complaint, idea for improvement is a better term is to allow for more time settings. Other than that this thing is great!

Other Belkin Conserve Products worth a Look

As I mentioned above finding the Belkin Conserve Socket led me to a whole line of energy “vampire killing” conservation products produced by Belkin International Inc. I have not bought any of their other products yet but a few of the items on my wish list include the Belkin Conserve Power Switch and the Belkin Conserve Smart Energy Saving Power Switch. At first glance the Conserve Power Switch may seem a little pointless but it actually is quite handy. What it does is allow you to cut all power to any device that is plugged into the unit with a simple on/off switch on the side, basically the same as unplugging but without having to unplug anything. Yes, you could just unplug things that are not being used but all those cords can get messy and confusing if you have more than one. The Conserve Power Switch is small enough that two units can be used on the same outlet and is best used on items that are only used occasionally.

The Conserve Smart Energy Saving Power Strip is another great idea. What it does is automatically turn off TV peripherals like DVD players, VCRs and game consoles when you turn off your TV. The way it works it you plug the TV into the green master outlet.  This master outlet detects when the TV is on and when it is off. There are five addition outlets that are for devices that you want to turn off when the TV is off. Plus there are two more outlets that are not controlled for devices that you wish to keep on like DVR’s and satellite/cable boxes. And all of this works with no assistance from you. I think this is a really cool idea.

To See Pricing and Reviews on the Belkin Conserve Products Click this Link.

This quote from a review on Amazon.com sums up my feelings of the Belkin product line perfectly “With many “Conserve” products, Belkin doesn’t necessarily create a brand new concept with their creations, but they excel in design and execution!”

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Being that there are three very popular types of child proof cabinet locks on the market I decided that this article would be helpful to more people if it included installation instructions on all three types. As apposed to just one of the three, even though in my personal opinion there is only one type of lock that should be used. You can see my reasons for feeling this way in this article “What is the Best Child Proof Cabinet Lock?” Anyway, now that pesky personal opinion out of the way lets find out how to install those locks.

How to Install Child Proof Cabinet Locks

Magnetic Child Proof Cabinet Locks

Just for kicks let’s start with the magnetic locks. This style is a little more expensive and will definitely take longer to install than the other two types but you know what they say about getting out what you put in. These locks are great and I can not say enough good things about them.

Child Proof Cabinet Door Latch

As you will see in this video installing the latch type locks is very easy and can be done by anyone that can work a screwdriver.

Child Proof Sliding Cabinet Door Lock

The sliding locks are definitely the simplest child proof locks to install. They require no tools and as long as your cabinets have handles or knobs they should work.  Here is the video if you have any questions on how these locks work.

And there you go how to install each of the three most popular types of  child proof cabinet locks. If you happen to have a different style of lock that was not covered in this article and would like to know how to install it please leave a comment below with the type of lock it is. I will do my best to find a video of how it is installed. Or if you prefer to look yourself a good place to start is on Youtube.com and simply type in what you are wanting to know it the search box at the top of the page. And not to be annoying about the subject but if you have not already purchased your locks I do highly recommend taking a look at the article mentioned in the first paragraph about the best locks. I think you will be surprised by what you see. Thanks for reading and stay safe.

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No matter what the item is people always want to buy the best especially when it comes to the safety of their children. But as true as this might be sometimes choosing the best is easier said than done. For example a few weeks before my oldest son was born I decided it was as good a time as any to buy and install some child proof cabinet locks for our kitchen cabinets. Like most people we keep all kinds of chemical cleaners and other unfriendly products under our kitchen sink. We also keep our larger glass baking dishes in a lower cabinet which might not be as obvious a danger as cleaners but these could turn into a real hazard if one were to be pulled from cabinet and broken.

Child Proof Cabinet Locks: Which Ones Really Work?

I knew from the very beginning that I didn’t want any of the locks that were used on the outside of the cabinets, for one I just didn’t like the way they made the cabinets look. Secondly I felt there where major disadvantages to the two main types available. One type which is attached with a two sided adhesive tape I felt would eventually pull off the cabinets making them completely ineffective as a safety device. And if you ever read any of the reviews this is actually one of the biggest complaints with this type. Plus if I ever decided to remove them there would always be a sticky residue left on the cabinet.

Then there’s the second type of outside lock which fits around the handles on the cabinet doors. All I can say about these is watch this video.

Beside the fact that the lock quickly pulls off if you will notice the child could easily fit his arm into the cabinet with very little effort. Even extremely young kids are very smart and I am sure just about any child given enough chances could easily figure out how to remove something from a cabinet with this style of lock, even when it is working correctly.

So after eliminating the previous two child proof cabinet locks from the list I seriously considered buying the flexible plastic hook design. These are the kind that are installed on the inside of the door or drawer. The way they work is by allowing the door to open just wide enough for you to reach in and push the hook down which unlocks the cabinet. Simple and easy just the way I like it. Plus just about every brand of this design was rated four stars on the reviews at Amazon, so these were obviously very good locks. Ah, but then I saw a video like this one…

Luckily I had not purchased the hook locks yet or I would have returned them. So here I was back to square one.

What is the Best Child Proof Cabinet Lock?

So now you are probably wondering what type of cabinet lock I ended up buying since it seems that so many “child proof locks” are anything but. Well at this point the decision was pretty easy it was going to have to be the magnet type locks. The brand I ended picking is the Tot Loc by Safety 1^st and I can say without a doubt that these are one of if not the best child proof locks on the market. They do not allow the cabinet doors to open in any way shape or form, so there is no way anyone is getting in a cabinet with this lock unless they have the magnetic key or a pry bar. In this next video you can see how they are installed. If you would like to skip the installation and see exactly how good they are you can skip to the 5 minute 51 second mark to see the lock in action.

As you can see the Tot Loc is awesome and is truly a child proof cabinet lock. But if you didn’t watch all of the video you missed a few good features you should know about like that the magnetic key can be stored on the refrigerator up out of reach of little hands. And that it comes with a built in switch that allows you to disable the lock. This comes in very handing for when you are getting in and out of the same cabinet over and over in a short time like when you are cleaning the house. Or it is also great if you are a grandparent or babysitter that doesn’t always have children around but needs locks for when there are. And for those that are afraid that the lock will scratch the cabinet don’t worry. We have had our locks for more than four years and you can’t see any evidence of scratching.

We purchased our lock set online and even ordered an extra magnetic key just in case we ever lost the original.

I have tried to make this article as helpful as possible for those that are looking for the best child proof cabinet locks. With two small children of my own I know first hand how hard it can be to make the few things in this world you do have control over safe for you kids. Thank you for reading and keep those little ones safe.

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Outside activities take advantage of good weather and fresh air and do not have to be expensive.  Get your six to ten year old away from the video and computer games out into the great outdoors!

The following activities require a bit of pre-planning, but with small outlays for supplies and a little ingenuity can provide hours of interesting and educational diversion.

• Breakfast in the park:  Pack a picnic breakfast, including easily portable fare such fruit, yoghurt cups, milk in a thermos, a table cloth or blanket and head for the neighborhood park with your young one.  If there isn’t a park nearby, make your own in your backyard!

• Neighborhood art show:  A week or more in advance, enlist neighborhood kids in producing art in person or by issuing fun paper invitations or via email.  Clearly specify the date and time and invite the kids to come early to hang their art.  Hang it where?  If you’ve got a clothesline—it is the perfect means to suspend the colorful artwork in the fresh air and sunshine! If you don’t have a clothesline you can hang one temporarily between porch posts or trees.  Have the parents come a bit later, offer up prizes (homemade or bought from a local party favor store) for the artists—with enough categories for wins that everyone goes home with an award!  You can also sell the art pieces afterward—with the money going to a favorite charity or to fund another group neighborhood activity.

• Stargazing: this is an activity that is best accomplished away from city lights and may involve a bit of a drive into the country, although the brightest constellations can often be seen from suburban neighborhoods.  Let the kids stay up later than usual for best viewing, take a blanket into the back yard away from lights, have a book on astronomy and a flashlight, lie on your backs and try to identify constellations.  Research the stories behind some of them before hand and you’ll dazzle your young ones as well as educate them.
  

• Natural Treasure Hunt:  Arm your children with a large paper bag and a predetermined list of “treasure hunt” objects.  The objects should be easily findable, and should not disrupt or disturb animal and bird nests or harm living organisms.  Leaves, rocks, shed feathers, pine cones, shells can all be on the list—which can be different for each child or all the same.  Place a time limit on the search and of course, carefully control the range of searching for safety.  The first child to get all the items on his list is the winner!  End the activity with a show and tell where each child reveals their finds, where they found it and maybe something about it.

• Urban Bird Watching:  This can be done anywhere but is especially fun for city dwellers that don’t often get to see wildlife.  Secure a window box to the ledge of an outside window or a patio, and fill with potting soil. Plant bird safe and friendly seeds, encourage your child to help and to tend to the shoots that come up.  Once the greens are growing, place a weighted open container within the window box and fill with water (rainwater is best, you’ll have to have means to collect it) for a mini birdbath.  Attract birds with raisins, cranberries and other bits of fruit strewn about the ledge or strung on a string.  Encourage your child to quiet watching so as not to startle and scare off any birds attracted.  Have a bird identifying book on hand so you can look up the species of feathered friends who drop by.  Once identified, have your child research facts about the birds who come to your window box, including range, and migratory patterns.

• Nature or Garden Tour:  This is especially great if you have a large yard or park nearby.  Armed with notebooks, pencils (if at a park) Popsicle sticks and permanent markers (if in your own yard) go on a walk around the outside area and try to identify as many plants and other natural objects as possible. Caution your child not to disturb the nests or dwellings of birds or animals, but encourage their interest in them.  In your own yard, use the Popsicle sticks to write the names of the plants and stick into the ground next to them.  Encourage the child to research each plant.  The next time playmates come over to play, or visitors come to your house, your child can conduct a tour and show off their newly acquired knowledge!

• Plant a Tree: Buy seedling trees from your local nursery—or check out nature conservancy and Arbor Day groups that offer seedlings free.  Have your child research the type of tree to be planted, its care and information about rates of growth, expected size at maturity and so forth. Pick a good spot in the yard that fits the type of seedling to be planted (some young trees need to grown in indirect light, others thrive in full sunshine), and dig a hole bigger than the seedling root ball. Put the seedling into the hole and fill the dirt back in.  Place appropriate “organic tree food” near but not touching the seedling trunk (wood chips, bark, leaves, compost provide mulch) and water frequently in the first few weeks.  Encourage your child to care for the tree and log its progress in growth.
  

• Car wash: This is an especially good activity for children at the older end of this age group, and can teach the value of doing a good and thorough job.  Set up a car wash area in your driveway, and arm the kids with buckets of water, a garden hose, detergent, clothes and drying towels. Invite neighbors —or relatives gathered for another activity, to avail themselves of the car wash service for a nominal fee.  Donate money raised to a favorite charity or towards funding other neighborhood group activities.

With just a little thought and preparation, summertime doldrums can be transformed into fun and educational outdoor activities that foster responsibility, hone observational and research skills and teach the value of nature and a job well done.  And all without breaking the bank!  If you have younger kids you may want to take a look at my list of outside kids activities for five and under.

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I know at my house trying to find new activities to keep the kiddies occupied and learning can seem like a full time job. Sometimes toys just don’t get the job done.  That is why I am always on the lookout for new craft projects or games that my wife and I can do with our little ones. One thing we as parents have learned for sure is if you can get outside everything is better.  So with warm weather comes ample opportunities to introduce our preschoolers to the great outdoors.  If you are in the same boat as we are and have young children I’m sure you would probably appreciate if I shared a few of the games we play at our house. So below you will find a list of some of our favorite activities.  By doing simple little activities mentioned below you can take advantage of your little one’s natural curiosity about the world around him –and encourage a lifelong interest in the natural world with these fun activities.

Outside Kids Activities for Kids Under 5

• Cloud Watching:  Take your little one out onto the lawn or to a nearby park on a sunny day. Spread a blanket on the ground and lie down on it on your back with your child beside you.  Point out shapes in the clouds and encourage your child to see his own.  Encourage the imagination of your child—urge him to tell stories about the shapes he sees!  Just how did that giraffe get up in the sky?

• Sandcastles:  For this you’ll need a sandbox or a wading pool with a supply of fine grained sand (if you life close to a beach that is even better); water, buckets, containers, a spade and plastic knives and spoons as appropriate.  Wet the sand and encourage your small one to get his hands into it, mixing the water in, then packing the wet sand into buckets and containers to make the structure.  At this age a compacted bucket with a few windows scooped out by you may be the extent of your architectural ambitions, but your little one will enjoy building something out of nothing and playing with the resulting castle. On a side note my kids seem to have more fun destroying the sandcastles I build just as much or more than building them.

• Nest building:  This allows your preschooler to get down and dirty— at least in a manner of speaking. Set up your nest building in an easily hosed down area for quick clean up. Supply dirt, water, sticks and twigs, leaves and grass.  Mix dirt, leaves and grass into mud in a basin or bucket. Then allow your little one to experiment with forming handfuls of the mixture into a nest shape under your supervision. Let him add in the twigs and sticks to provide more stability to the nest.  When you are finished you can allow the nest to dry and keep it or dispose of it in an unused part of your yard or the trash.

• Finger painting:  A time tested and tried activity—and one that lends itself to being done outside in an area that can easily be hosed down afterward for quick clean up.  Provide an artist smock for your youngster—an old adult or older child’s shirt with sleeves rolled up will protect clothing.   Using non toxic paints and lots of water, allow the child to go to town, mixing colors together and diluting with water for interesting effects.  Allow the resulting art to dry and display indoors!

• Hot Potato:  Preschoolers are still gaining mastery over their so called “gross motor skills”—coordinating arms and legs, hands and feet.  The old game of hot potato is a good activity helps with balance as well.  You’ll need a medium sized ball that your little one can easily maneuver about.  Best done with a group of children, it is also a game you and your child can play alone. The child is designated “it”and pushes the ball around with his or her feet—no touching with hands allowed, maneuvering the ball out of either an imaginary circle (or one drawn on pavement in chalk) which is the “oven”.   You or the other children attempt to keep the “potato” in the oven, that is, inside the circle. Once the ball goes beyond the circle, the game is over and can be begun again or another child chose as “it” if playing in a group.

• Making Volcanoes:  You can surprise and delight your small child by bringing a small scale volcano to life.  Discuss with the child what a volcano is –an age appropriate picture book will be a wonderful aid to understanding and prepare the child for the “real life” miniature version.  Gather together baking soda, vinegar, red food coloring and play sand. For the younger crowd, form a volcano with sand or dirt, leaving a hole in the top for the materials, kids in the older end of this age group can be allowed to form the structure themselves.  Depending on the size of your volcano, add ½ cup of vinegar to which red food coloring has been added to the hole in the top of the volcano. Then when the child’s attention is engaged, add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the vinegar.  The resultant “eruption” should surprise and delight your preschooler!

• Rock Hunting: A good activity that combines a nature walk with a chance to improve your young one’s observational and language skills, you’ll need a bag for collecting rocks and a sunny day on which to begin your treasure hunt.  Encourage your child as you walk together to find rocks of various shapes, sizes and textures. Place them in the bag, and once you’ve accumulated a good amount, return to your patio.  Wash the rocks together in a dishpan or shallow dish—wet rocks reveal colors and patterns that might not be otherwise visible.  Sort through the collection with your child, sorting according to size, color and texture.  You can create a display after using compartmented craft storage boxes available at the local craft store, or allow the rocks to dry and “return them to the wild”. This is also a great activity for older kids and can be made even more fun with the addition of a rock tumbler.

• Rubbing art:  Using newsprint or recycled paper and crayons with wrappings removed, encourage your little one to take “rubbings” of various textures and objects encountered during a nature walk.  This can be done with objects such as tree trunks, fence posts or pebbled pavements, or small items can be collected (leaves, grass, larger rocks) and brought home to be placed beneath the paper and rubbed to reveal textural patterns.  The resulting works of art can be displayed in the child’s room or bound together into books with a hole puncher and some string.

With just a little investment of time and supplies, you can open up a world of new discoveries to your toddler though kindergarten age child.  You may be encouraging the next generation of naturalists and geologists with these fun outside kid’s activities!

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A birthday or other party outside in the summer months can be the perfect opportunity to allow your kids to indulge in some boisterous or messy fun that would be a nightmare to consider indoors, and almost any summertime outdoor activity can be adapted into a fun party game.

The best outside party games are those that are keyed to a child’s age group.  Little ones will be confused and intimidated by the very same things that may delight older kids, and bigger kids are easily bored by “baby stuff”.  If you’ve got a range of ages to entertain, try to offer up a little something for everyone—toddler games for the 4 and unders, and slightly more advanced games for the five and ups.

Outside Party Games for Toddlers Through Age Four

 Little ones in this age group are still very actively engaged in exploring their worlds and learning to utilize all their senses.  To entertain the younger set at a party, consider some of these games:

• Bubbles: using either store bought bubbles and wands, or crafting your own home made versions, toddlers will be entranced by the pretty, delicate structures that emerge with a wisp of breath or a swipe through the air.  A group of toddlers with various sizes of wands will produce enough spectacular bubbles to keep the wee ones fascinated for hours
• Rope games: encourage balance and ingenuity by laying a length of rope on the lawn and encouraging your toddler to walk along it; or figure out ways to cross it (jump, step over, walk around, pick up and duck under)
• Walking games:  Challenge your toddler to copy your movements as you alternatively march, slide, skip, or hop.
• Puddle Jumping:  Normally jumping and splashing around in puddles is actively discouraged—–so how better to entertain toddlers than to allow them to engage in this forbidden activity? Under controlled circumstances, of course! Use uneven parts of your lawn or grassless area, water thoroughly then allow the little ones to jump around and play to their hearts content. On a hot summer day, if they get dirty doing it, you can cool them off and clean them up using the garden hose set to gentle spray!

• Ice blocks—turn the toddlers loose on ice from several trays—and keep the fun contained by setting them up inside an empty wading pool.  Liven up the fun by freezing water in a milk carton, coloring the water before hand.  Or slip small toys (non swallowing hazard only!) into pans of water before you freeze them and letting the little ones figure out how to get them out!

Outside Party Games for Kids Five and Up

 Kids in this age group will benefit from outdoor games that are more organized –and this is the perfect age to introduce the concept of team play to your youngsters.  Try the following games for the slightly older crowd:

• Relay Race – if you have a big yard or a park nearby, this one promotes physical activity with team cooperation. Set up a course and position teams of runners with members every few yards. Not only must the winning team run fastest, they must also successfully transfer the baton without dropping it.
• Red Rover—the famous “call over” came consists of two opposing teams linking hands, forming team chains. A member of the opposite team is “called over” and must try to break through the opposing team chain. If he/she does, they return to their own team—if the attempt fails, the loser must join the opposition.
• Capture the Flag Tag—outfit your group of children, each with a brightly colored bit of fabric, a scarf or other piece of cloth which are slipped into back pockets or waistbands. Then let the mob loose the objective of the game being to capture as many “flags” from other players without losing one’s own.
• Traffic Light:   Appoint one child to be the “traffic light” with the rest of the group at the opposite end of the yard.  The Traffic light faces the group or turns their back; when facing the group “Red Light” is shouted and all players must freeze in place; when the traffic light turns their back, “Green Light” is called out. The object of the game is for the children in the group to get as close as possible to the traffic light child to tag them—anyone moving after “Red Light” is called, is sent back to the beginning of the course. The winner who tags the light becomes the next traffic light.
• Blind Man’s Bluff: A very time honored old game and still a good group activity.  This is a type of tag game where the “it” person must wear a blindfold.  The object of the game is to for the blindfolded player to tag other members of the group.

It may take a little doing to get the kids—especially the slightly older crowd, away from the computer, video games or TV and out into the fresh air—but The great outdoors presents a vast array of ways to entertain kids—especially during the warm summer months when older kids are off from school and easily bored. The benefits of getting your children outside into fresh air and sunshine cannot be underestimated, and even the most fun game can be turned into a learning experience.

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To me one of the most annoying things in the whole world is a running toilet. I personally rank it right up there with a barking dog at night and fingernails on a chalkboard. Ok, so maybe it’s not that bad but it’s definitely up there. Not only is it annoying but it is also a complete waste of perfectly good water as well as a waste of money. Luckily fixing a running toilet is one of the easiest home repair projects you can do, mainly because there just isn’t that much to the inner workings of a toilet. If you know nothing about how a toilet works you may feel a little intimidated at first glance but in the following paragraphs you will learn about the two main reasons a toilet leaks and how to fix them. There are no special tools needed, actually the only tool you might need is a pair of scissors, and no skills required. And the best part of this project is it takes less time to finish than an average trip to the bathroom.

What Causes a Running Toilet?

As mentioned above there are two main reasons a toilet runs. The first reason is that the tank is over filling. This is a very easy fix. You simply need to lower the ball/float on the toilet fill valve. By doing this you lower the water level and keep the water from spilling over the overflow tube. Now before you go adjusting on things you will want to make sure this is actually the reason for the leak. To tell if this is your problem remove the lid from the toilet tank and see where the water level is stopping. If it is under the overflow then chances are the toilet is running because of reason number two, the toilet flapper in no longer good. Keep reading to learn how to replace it.

How to Replace a Toilet Flapper

Here are 10 easy steps to fixing a running toilet by replacing the toilet flapper. And just as a side note the reason a flapper goes bad is after time it begins to warp. The warping doesn’t allow the flapper to seal properly which lets the water seep through.

Required Items: Scissors and new toilet flapper.

(New flappers can be purchased at any home improvement store like Lowe’s or Home Depot or at most Walmart stores. I recommend buying a brand name flapper like a Korky or Bulls Eye. I do Not recommend buying a generic off brand because they never seem to last very long if they work at all.)

Step 1: Turn off the water to the toilet.

Step 2: Remove the lid from the toilet tank.

Step 3: Flush the toilet to drain all the water from the tank.

Step 4: Unhook the chain from the flush handle lever.

Step 5: Unhook the old flapper from the overflow tube. Depending on the type of flapper you have this will done in one of two ways. One way will have a ring that is attached to the flapper. This ring slips over the overflow tube. To remove the flapper you will need to unclip the fill hose from the top of the overflow then slide the flapper up until it comes off.

The other way which is shown in the pictures is a flapper that is attached by two arms at the bottom of the overflow tube. The flapper has two small loops that fit over these arms. Simply slide the loops over the arms to remove the flapper. You will notice when you buy your new flapper that most of them are made to be used with either type of setup. If you have the two arm setup you just cut off the overflow loop at the designated spots. There will be directions on how to do this in the box it comes in.

Step 6: Adjust chain on new flapper to match the length of the chain on the old flapper.

Step 7: Install new flapper by reversing the directions on step 5.

Step 8: Hook flapper chain to the flush handle lever.

Step 9: Turn the water back on.

Step 10: Put the lid back on the tank.

Now flush the toilet and the leak should have stopped. Congratulations you now know how to stop your toilet from running!

Now if you have water leaking from under the toilet or from the tank these are completely different problems which will be addressed in future articles here at EverydayHome.org.

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First time parents have many difficult decisions almost from day one. And most of the time you have no idea if you have made the right choices until it is too late. That is why I have written this article on convertible cribs or what some call baby 4 in 1 cribs. My goal with this article is help those that are about to buy a crib decide if a convertible crib is right for them.

What is a Convertible Crib?

Being the father of two young boys I clearly remember all the time spent getting the babies rooms ready for the big arrival fresh paint, new carpet, curtains, pictures, toys, and of course the biggie…new furniture. Most of the remodeling and decor was a no brainer but my wife and I talked at length about whether or not we wanted to spend the money on a convertible crib. For those that don’t know convertible cribs are designed to “grow” with your child. They are first set up as a crib which has a height adjusting mattress. This allows the mattress to be lowered as the child grows. For example when the bed is used for a new born the baby is not going to be standing or climbing so the mattress is set high. This lets you lift out the baby without having to bend over the rail. Then as the baby grows you lower the mattress, typically there are a total of three positions. The lowest position is considered the toddler bed and is high enough to keep most, keyword being most, young toddlers from climbing out of the bed. Then once you feel it’s time you can remove the front rail of the bed and replace it with another rail that comes with the crib when purchased. This new rail converts the toddler bed/crib into a day bed. Many people seem to skip this step of the conversion but others love this feature. Then there’s the big day when your child get his or her own big bed which in most cases is a full size bed. This part works by using the front and back of the crib as the head and foot board connected by standard bed rails or the rails that come with the crib when purchased.

Pros and Cons of Cribs That Convert to Beds

In the end my wife and I felt that the convertible crib just made more since and was the right choice for us even though the cost with the whole bedroom suit was close to $2,000. We crossed our fingers and hoped that the bed was everything we thought it would be.

Fast forward four years, two kids and two convertible cribs later and I am happy to say that we are very pleased with our decision. Here are a few of the things we like the most; the sturdy build of the crib. It could easily support the weight of an adult. Also when the mattress was in the highest position it was easy to use the crib as a changing station. And the money we saved over the long haul by not having to buy new beds for every stage of childhood.

Some of the negative aspects include, the up front cost, the fact that you have to store many of the parts for future use. The fact that you will still need to buy a mattress once you convert the crib to a full bed and maybe even mattress rails. One other thing that we failed to do with both the cribs we have bought was to buy a crib rail protector. So now the foot boards on both our beds have bite marks were the boys have chewed on them. This drives my wife crazy but I think it’s cute and gives their beds some character.

So there you go my honest opinion on whether cribs that convert to beds are worth the money. I do have one tip for those that plan to buy a convertible crib and that is to buy the best one you can afford. Like most things in life you get what you pay for and this is no different. The more expensive models just seem to be sturdier when set up as a standard bed.

I hope this information has been helpful and feel free to leave any questions you might have below and I will do my best to answer them.

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