All posts by Kirsetin

Visit Great Falls Park with Kids

travel

We wanted to get some fresh air and exercise, to let the kids run wild for a bit after being cooped up in the car for too many hours.


With Great Falls Park (in Virginia) we hit the jackpot. Not only is it inexpensive ($5 per carload or $20 for an annual pass), it’s beautiful,

and it’s full of history.
Along our hike, we learned that George Washington founded the Patowmack Company in 1785 to construct a canal along the Potomac River that would connect the east to the west via a waterway, complete with locks to bypass the Great Falls. It took 17 years to complete the project and George Washington died in 1799, two years before the project was finished.  The history of the park is very interesting–there’s a little something for everyone.
If you  head to Overlook 3, you’ll find the High Water Pole, which marks the height water has reached during different years in history, and it’s amazing to see how high its been, even recently.

There are also lots of places to explore, a critical component of fun for growing boys…

Apparently, the park is also a fun place to take trick pictures. I suppose that’s learning with a camera, right?

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food, Midwest Parents
photo credit:  Stepheye

This week is flying by, isn’t it?  It’s a bit of a blurry haze.

Baby, it’s also cold outside.  My kids love to roll around in that freezing snow, and I love to watch while I feel the warmth from the cozy fire and the hot cocoa in my mug.

When the boys come in, they want some hot cocoa, too.  If you visit me over at Midwest Parents today, you’ll see my recipes for  how to make homemade hot chocolate and the best sugar cookies ever.  And I’m warning you:  I do mean best ever!

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Helping Kids Learn Math

academics, activities for kids
I’m a firm believer that not all learning involves memorizing 4 x 2 and reciting the state capitols.  For the record, I’m also a firm believer in flash cards and knowing that Helena goes with Montana, I just don’t think that’s the only way kids learn.
My middle son, for example, was a multiplication whiz at the ripe old age of 4, not because he’d ever seen a flash card, but because we played Monopoly Jr ad nauseum.  That little boy loved nothing more than to play that game over and over again.  Play money or not, he learned very quickly how to tally up his winnings, which came in handy a few years later when he had to memorize his multiplication facts.
Monopoly doesn’t have a monopoly on learning, though.  There are all sorts of games that foster kids’ thinking skills, and I’m happy to report that as your kids get older, they won’t be b-o-r-e-d games for you anymore…you can enjoy them, too!  If you’re looking for a few to add to your family’s repertoire, here are some of our favorites:
Mastermind (also Mastermind for kids)
Life (not the new one with the credit card–unless that’s the skill you’re working on!)
Clue (also Clue Jr)
A few other games my kids like:  Battleship, chess, checkers, chinese checkers, scrabble, and the new Harry Potter Lego game, which I have to admit I like playing, too.
What about you?  Have you found games your family enjoys, that just happen to help your kids learn something, too? 
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