Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts

Jul 2, 2013

Looking for Fun Summer Activities? Kar-Ben has a Few Ideas!

If you're stuck on ideas for what to do with the beautiful weather and extra time that summer offers, take some inspiration from the characters in these books!

Tikkun Olam Ted
 

Ted spends his days working to make the world a better, kinder place by doing good deeds. Taking a lesson from Ted means participating in summer activities that are both fun and helpful!

1. Spend some quality time with your pets, or volunteer at an animal shelter. Animals appreciate the attention and the chance to get outside, and make great friends for a summer afternoon. Taking care of animals also helps children practice responsibility.

2. Use recycled materials to create unique new art projects. Keep some of those useful scraps out of the trash and use them for art projects instead of buying brand-new materials. Reusing what we can is as valuable to the environment as recycling.

3. Work in the garden - if you don't have one, help out a neighbor or volunteer at a community garden. Gardening is a great productive way to spend time outside, and watching the plants they care for grow is a great way for children to see the results of their hard work.

Thank You, Trees!


Children and adults celebrate Tu B'Shevat in this book, but you don't have to wait until January to try some of the activities they enjoy!

4. Go on a picnic. It can be as simple as taking lunch out into the backyard, or you and your child can plan an outing, complete with baskets and blankets.

5. Have an outdoors sing-a-long or dance with your friends. Children may be familiar with the same songs from school or family, and outside is a perfect place to be loud, dance out some extra energy, and celebrate.

No Baths at Camp


"There are no baths at camp!" says Max when his mother starts filling the tub. But as he recounts his week's activities, he realizes that there were many fun ways he got clean at summer camp. Whether it's at camp or at home, Max and his friends have some great ideas about how to enjoy their summer!

6. Stage an outdoor play. It can be a play, or try finding a reader's theater script for one of your favorite books! Reading a script will also help your child practice their literacy skills during summer break.

7. Build a fire and make s'mores. A campfire is also a fun time to tell stories and spend time relaxing after a long summer day.

8. Have a water balloon fight. Want to cool off, but can't make it to the pool? Have a water balloon fight instead!

9. Go for a nature hike. Find a park nearby - even the neighborhood park you go to all the time can provide interesting new things to observe, if you look hard enough. Try out a state park for even more adventure.

To learn more or to purchase Tikkun Olam Ted, Thank You, Trees! or No Baths at Camp, visit the Kar-Ben website!

Mar 20, 2013

Kar-Ben's Top 3 Ways to Liven Up Your Seder


#3 Add some drama...literally with Let My People Go!


The Passover story is enlivened in this creative rendition of the Ten Plagues. Everyone can take part as Moses implores Pharoah to "Let My People Go!" This light-hearted rhyming tale can be read alone or with a cast of characters as a "Reader's Theater." The different speaking parts are color coded and the chorus invites some raucous yelling--perfect for adding energy to your seder!
Have a peek inside the book before you buy! Buy print copies or eBook now.

#2 Do the Mambo--The Afikomen Mambo
Popular children's songster and author of Boker Tov!, Rabbi Joe Black returns with a catchy rhyme to enliven the afikomen hunt at your seder. This title includes lively pictures and a sing-along CD. Start a new family tradition!

#3 Invite Some New Friends
Sammy Spider makes Passover more special!
The charming plush Sammy toy makes a perfect Afikomen gift, as does Sammy Spider's Passover Fun Book!

Dec 28, 2011

Kids Home from School? Need Entertainment? Look in a Book

With kids home from school, the onus is sometimes on adults to keep them entertained. Books can provide multiple ways to keep kids entertained:
  • head to the library
  • take a favorite and turn it into a play
  • make paper bag puppets inspired by a book
  • sort and arrange books, selecting some to donate
  • set up the video camera or web cam and have older kids record their readings
  • transform an old board book into a chalkboard slate
  • create a scavenger hunt based on a favorite book
  • create your own books, in a simple (crayons and paper) or elaborate (computer and copy shop) way!
How do books keep you entertained?