After School Activities

We battle on what to do after school (when their is no homework).  Of course their is T.V., but who wont's their child of any age watching T.V. all day.  Or their is the computer, video games etc.  But I have recently found some fun and interesting things for

kids of all ages.  I mean ALL ages.  My 10 year old and 19 month old son do this together.  I give them old newspapers and magazines to cut up for my 10 year old and tear out of for my 19 month old.  and give them tape, glue, and double sided tape, and each of them get a poster board to decorate their own way.  Depending on the weather we go on a (hike) to find leaves, branches, bugs, etc. to add to their poster boards.  They have all week to finish them and on Saturday (family day) we have a presention For the family.  We do this once a month.  The second week of the month We take our camera's and go to the park, through the neighborhood, and to family and friends house and take bunches of pictures.  This takes the whole week.  Once they are developed for the next week, we get more poster boards and we glue,tape etc. the pictures on to make a collage for them to hang up in their room.  They usually take them down the next month when the make new ones.  The Third week we use the video camera and make little videos every day and to make a movie.  I stay up late on Friday night and put all the little videos together and on family day we all sit together and watch their movie.  They love to watch each other on t.v. espacially my baby.  On the fourth week we take some of the pictures from the previous months poster board with some string and wire coat hangers and we make mobils for them to hang in their rooms.  They have a great time and it is really fun for the whole family.  And it really helps us to spend lots of time together as a family.  I got most of the ideas I use out of parents mag.  I love the mag. and it really has some good ideas for family time... hope you and your familys can have as much great fun together.