Mormon Channel

Everything Creative: Group Discussion 6

 

Group Discussion 6:  Mothers

Group Discussion 6

 

Mothers—Nancy Hanson talks with four mothers who represent a variety of ages, experiences, and financial resources: Heidi Udall, Britney Wood, Debbie Loock, and Cindy Edwards. They discuss creative parenting ideas such as bike rides, searching for bugs, games, role playing, family prayer, talks during drives, service projects, meals together, family home evenings, holidays, and Sabbath day observance. They also mention Church resources they find helpful.

 

 

In the middle of the group discussion at the Mormon Channel Studio

 

Cindy Edwards sharing some of her thoughts

 

Heidi Udall during the discussion

 

A view from inside the studio during the group discussion

 

Mothers that participated in the group discussion, Debbie Loock, Britney Wood, Heidi Udall, Cindy Edwards and Everything Creative host Nancy Hanson

 

Britney Wood, Heidi Udall, Debbie Loock and Cindy Edwards after the group discussion 

 

Group for discussion about being mothers: Debbie Loock, Heidi Udall, Britney Wood, Nancy Hanson (host) and Cindy Edwards

 

Fun activities to do with your kids

Make sugar cookies and instead of frosting the cookies, dye portions of a can of evaporated milk and let your kids paint the cookies before you put them in the oven.

Put all your broken crayons in muffin tins and bake them at 150 degrees for 15-20 minutes or so (until they melt together solid), to make new crayons.  You don’t have to grease the pan, they should come out once they have cooled.

Put puzzles together.

Go to a park and let them use your camera to take pictures of what they see.  Look at the pictures together afterwards.

Make playdough together, there are edible recipes online.

Use cookie cutters as stencils or to play in playdough.

Go to the post office and let them mail a letter (or a picture they drew) to Grandma and Grandpa.

Read together.

Draw pictures on the sidewalk with sidewalk chalk.

Go to the pet store or zoo and look at the animals.

For younger children, give them a paintbrush and a cup of water and let them "paint" your cement (patio/driveway).

Gather random objects and sort them according to color, size, shape, etc.

Put on a kids CD and let them dance their heart out, or even better, dance your heart out with them.

For younger children, give them a bowl and a whisk and let them "cook" (you can also make a little box of "play kitchen stuff" to keep them entertained and out of the way while you make dinner.)  For older children, give them simple tasks to help you with the recipe you are making.

Play in cornstarch or flour with measuring cups, sifters, etc.

Have a water fight.

For younger children, Let them help you put in the laundry (aka throw in 1 or 2 socks), put away silverware (their own childproof ones), and "clean the kitchen" (give them a clean slightly damp sponge and let them smear it around your kitchen) etc.  Let them do whatever mommy or daddy is doing.

Paint with random objects: marbles, eye droppers, yarn, toothbrush, etc.

Do rubbings with crayons of different textures thing found around the house or outside.

Make brown paper bag puppets.

Play dress-ups.

Put on a skit for other members of the family.

Put some pudding or shaving cream in a cookie sheet and let your kids draw pictures with their fingers.

Listen to quiet music and do simple stretches with your child.

Play with magnets.

Put paint on a leaf and press the leaf onto paper to make a leaf print.  You can do the same thing by cutting different fruit in half and make fruit prints.

Carve or paint pumpkins together.

Go camping or hiking

Make necklaces out of beads, fruit loops, etc.

Talk about different animals and pretend to be each animal.

Go to the local library and check out books or listen to story time.

Go to a local museum.

For a snack, make patterns with different types of fruit on a skewer.

Feed ducks bread at a duck pond.

Plant seeds together in paper cups, take care of them and watch them grow.

Have your children look at different environmental prints: restaurant menus, junk mail, phone books, etc. and explain what they are used for.

Play childhood games together, i.e. tag, jump rope, hopscotch, hide and seek.

Have journal time where you either write down what your child dictates to you or have them practice their writing by writing about their day, depending on their age.

Plan family home evening lessons together.

Establish a sticker chart to track progression in any area, such as completing homework, practicing a musical instrument, etc.

Create a fun “chores” chart with a spin wheel for picking duties.

Go to a sporting event together.

Play catch, kick around a soccer ball, play a game of basketball or any sport you enjoy.

Set up the tent or pull out sleeping bags and go “camping” in your living room.

Fly a kite.

Make treat and take them to the neighbors.

Rake a pile of leaves together and have fun jumping in them.

Read the same book your child is assigned to read in their Literature class and discuss what you have both been reading together.

Have a picnic.

Build a fort out of card boxes or sofa cushions and blankets.

 

  

For more thoughts and music on the subject of motherhood, listen to the podcast from the Mormon Channel program Music with a Message, Episode 5 - Family, Home, Children.

 

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