Momay's Blog

by: Alice Seba

Independence Day is a fun summer holiday, full of festivals, fireworks, and other activities. It is also a tribute to the beginnings of our country. Fourth of July crafts are an entertaining way for kids to commemorate the anniversary of our independence. Here are some ideas.

Windsocks are a fun and attractive outdoor decoration. They are also easy to make. All you need is an oatmeal box, some white and blue construction paper, red and white streamers, scissors, and glue. Cut the end out of the oatmeal box and cover it with blue construction paper, and cut out stars from the white construction paper to glue on. Then cut some red and white streamers to the same length, and glue them to one end. Tie some string to the other end for hanging.

Girls can make themselves some patriotic hair accessories for the occasion. Just buy some plain barrettes, red, white, or blue yarn, and patriotic beads or buttons from the craft store. Wrap yarn tightly around the barrette, and glue each end to the back. Then attach some beads or buttons, or make a bow out of some more yarn for a simple but pretty hair bow.

Fireworks are a favorite on the Fourth of July. You can make a unique fireworks picture with some crayons and white paper. First, use lots of different colors to make a pattern all over the paper. Color darkly. Then get a black crayon, and color over the whole piece of paper darkly. Use a paper clip to scratch off a fireworks design, and you will have a colorful picture of fireworks in the night sky.

Fourth of July parades are great, but think of the fun the kids could have by having their own parade! They can decorate their bikes with red, white, and blue crepe paper and tape. Then they will need some patriotic costumes. If they have some holiday-appropriate clothes that’s great, but if not they can easily paint some stars and stripes on an old t-shirt with fabric paint. Make your own flags and signs with paper and markers. Gather up some toy or makeshift musical instruments, stick horses, and a few flags, and you can have an awesome parade right in your own backyard.

The Fourth of July is a great time for summer crafts. These are only a few of the many items that kids could make for the occasion. Once you get them started, they will likely think of many more creative ideas on their own. Make sure you have the basics such as construction paper, scissors, glue, art supplies, and some craft sticks on hand, and you’ll be surprised what they will come up with.

About The Author

Alice Seba

http://www.HolidayIdeasForMoms.com is your source for less-stress and more fun all year-round. Claim your free subscription and find more Fourth of July ideas for the whole family.

by: Jill Schoenberg

Daily journal writing can be an excellent tool of self-expression and self-discovery for preteens and teens (actually for kids of all ages!). Journal writing helps them to process the myriad of thoughts, feelings, and emotions they experience and becomes an invaluable tool for understanding their many life experiences. It is also an excellent form of creative self-expression.

But, when faced with a journal full of blank lines or with the task of remembering to write each and every day, some youngsters are simply overwhelmed and unmotivated. To help encourage the healthy habit of daily journal writing by your child, check out the following journal writing tips written especially for kids.

Top Ten Journal Writing Tips

1. Silence your inner critic -- It's your journal and your words and if you took the time to write them down then they are valuable, NO MATTER WHAT!

2. Break the rules -- You can break all the rules (grammar and spelling need not matter) or follow them if you prefer. It's your choice! Either way, there is no such thing as right or wrong in journal writing.

3. Go with the flow to express yourself -- Take time to tune in to how you feel. Do you feel like writing a lot or simply feel like writing one word. When you go with the flow your journal writing comes easily and feels good.

4. Pick a special spot to journal -- Choose a place where you feel safe, happy, and secure and where you feel inspired to lose yourself in your journal writing.

5. Go wild with embellishments -- Use stickers, colored pens, magazine pictures, drawings or photos to jazz up your journal. Being creative with your journal will make your writing experience more colorful, exciting, and fun.

6. Keep it simple -- If your journal writing begins to feel like a task you must accomplish, scale back or take a break. Journal writing is much more enjoyable when it feels spontaneous.

7. Discover your writing style -- All the journal writing tips in the world can only guide you, and in the end you must choose your style based on what works best for you. Ask yourself if you like to use only words (no pictures or stickers) or if you prefer to combine writing and drawing. Maybe poetry dominates your journal or maybe your preference is to break all the rules and simply free write.

8. Create a theme journal -- You can create a dream journal, a wish journal or a journal of family, friends and best moments in life. Be creative in choosing themes and if you run out of ideas you can always research new journal writing ideas on the internet.

9. Rule your Kingdom -- Nothing else matters on the pages of your journal but you. Celebrate, vent, accentuate, complain... it's up to you. Just always, always, be kind to yourself as cruelty hurts and makes you sad.

10. Keep it fun and fulfilling -- If it's not fun and fulfilling, chances are you'll quit writing. So keep it fun by giving yourself permission to try new ways of journal writing and keep it fulfilling by focusing on a wide range of topics (not just sad or bad ones, but happy and exhilarating ones as well).

Daily journal writing is a wonderful tool of expression for preteens and teens but they must feel invested in their writing. The best way to get them -- and to keep them -- invested is to encourage the free expression of their uniqueness and creativity. Let the writer choose the journal writing style that best suits their personality and personal tastes.

Happy journal writing!

About The Author

Jill Schoenberg is the author of the innovative journaling books Journal Buddies. Visit http://JournalBuddies.com for more details about Jill and her incredible journals.

by: James Liu

Martial Arts are becoming more popular as the years go on and they do provide us with the skills that we need in order to protect ourselves form others. However, when it comes to kids and Martial Arts, some parents are wary of whether or not a Martial Arts school is for them. How do you know if your child will like the school and just how do you know it will teach them all of the right things?

Martial Arts and What They Teach Our Kids

There is a misconception that Martial Arts schools teach our children to fight. Obviously all Martial Arts consist of some kind of physical activity, but it is purely taught so that our kids can protect themselves against harm.

In a world packed full of danger it is always a good idea to get our children to be able to look after themselves. At the end of the day there is only so much a parent can teach their child but once they get out into the open world, they are literally on their own. That means that they need to be able to protect themselves and Martial Arts schools do help them to do that.

Now, there are obviously going to be some kids who just want to cause trouble. However, generally Martial Arts are only learned by those who are serious about the practice. All Martial Arts require some form of focus and kids who are just out to cause trouble and fight all the time will not be able to stick with Martial Arts for long.

Martial Arts schools never teach children to fight. If anything they teach the opposite, as using the skills that you have learned through Martial Arts to just simply fight, is opposed.

So just what are Martial Arts schools teaching our children then? Well, they teach them to look after themselves, to stay focused, to have a higher self confidence and overall to keep calm. There is definitely nothing sinister going on and Martial Arts classes are extremely safe to leave your children in. You just have to make sure that you find a good school and that you do not get sucked in by the many fake Martial Arts schools out there.

Overall Martial Arts schools are good for our kids and they do not teach anything dodgy. If you do have a child enrolled in a Martial Arts school and you are not particularly happy with the attitude they are developing, then you should really consider swapping schools. It is all a matter of doing your research and finding one to suit you and your child. You should eventually find one and you can rest safe in the knowledge that your child is bettering themselves and learning to become more protected against the world.

About The Author

James Liu

For more information, please go to our site: http://www.ocjj.com

 

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