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Fun Family Activities and Games For Easter – Part II

Easter is a huge holiday. The warmer Spring weather, the devout significance, the family get-togethers, and the traditions of the holiday are loved by children and adults alike. Kids like the Easter Bunny and the traditional Easter Egg Hunt, with the likelihood of receiving cool prizes. But with a long weekend and the kids out of school, you may need more actions to keep the small ones busy and entertained. This article has some suggestions for other recreational actions and games to keep kids pleased this Easter Sunday.

Easter Piñata

You can find piñatas in any size, shape, or color combination. They are available for any occasion, and that includes Easter! Your local party supply store is sure to have bunny, egg, or chick shaped piñatas available. You can even make your own piñata in any shape that you would like. Just fill the piñata with Easter candy, such as jelly beans, candy eggs, chocolate bunnies or whatever else you feel is appropriate for your kids. If you are worried about your children overeating or having too much sugar in their diet, try putting some tiny Easter stuffed animals, like plush ducks, plush chicks, or small stuffed bunnies.

The key to an Easter piñata is how you set it up. It wants to be at a safe height to avoid the risk of injury from diminishing candy! Plush toys won’t hurt anyone if they fall from a piñata, but you don’t want to take any risks where children are concerned. Make sure to attach it carefully to something stable so that the piñata itself doesn’t thump down and hurt someone. If you play it safe, the Easter piñata should be lots of fun for everyone.

Pin the Baby Chick on the Egg

Everyone is familiar with the classic game of “pin the tail on the donkey.” This traditional party game can be adapted to many different situations. For an Easter endeavor, try a game of pin the chick on the egg. You won’t need a lot of supplies, just some cardboard and markers or other decorative supplies, and a few plush chicks. Start out by drawing a nice, huge egg on a sturdy cut of cardboard. You can make it fancier by painting the egg or decorating it with tissue paper. Next you have to hang the egg picture. You could tape some string on the back of the cardboard, or use hooks for hanging picture frames. Excellent places to hang the picture of the egg include the back of a door, a basement wall, or a recreation room. Just choose the right location in your household for kids to play. Everlastingly, get a few small, plush chicks and place double-stick tape on their bottoms or beaks. You can double over regular tape or even add Velcro from a local crafts store if you feel like putting it on the egg as well. Now you’re ready for the game!

The rules and goals are the same as the traditional pin the tail on the donkey game. To start, tie a blindfold on the first contestant and spin them around a few times. A cut of cloth, scarf, or a clean dishtowel will work as a blindfold. Now they have to find the egg and pin the chick on top of it. If done accurately, the chick will look like it is hatching out of the egg! The other kids can yell out directions and encouragement as the contestant tries to find the egg. You can use the chicks as prizes, or have a stuffed bunny as the top prize. This game is simple to set up and clean up, and it should keep children (and adults watching) entertained for much of the afternoon.

These two fun and simple Easter actions are sure to please the children in your household this Easter holiday. The adults will have fun watching and there won’t be a lot of stuff to clean up later. Hopefully, everyone will have fun making fond memories. Be sure to have a camera handy! Pleased Easter!

Ready to start before a live audience? Get all the fun plush chicks, stuffed bunnies and all the plush stuffed toysmentioned in the article at KCPlush.com. Also, for more Easter games thoughts read Part I of this article.

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Duck Family – Learn More About Waterfowl


Did you know that most ducks shed their body feathers double each year? Wing feathers are shed only once a year and wing colors are always the same. Stay www.romwell.com for more info…

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Wisconsin Dells Is A Fun Family Vacation Destination

Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin is a fun destination for a family trip, and with a small research and advance plotting the trip doesn’t have to make your wallet weep out in pain.

Wisconsin Dells (and the area is really two towns: Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton) has been a well loved summer trip destination for public who live in the Midwest since the late 1800′s. In recent years, several indoor water parks have been built making Wisconsin Dells a well loved year around trip destination, not only for public who live in the Midwest but for public from around the world.

What first drew tourists to the Wisconsin Dells area? It was the scenery. The Wisconsin River meanders through the Wisconsin Dells area and has gorgeous sandstone rock formations. A trip to Wisconsin Dells wouldn’t be complete without a boat tour of those rock formations.

There are two vital choices of tours; either boat tour or a “duck” tour which also includes some sightseeing on the land. If you have small children, they’ll delight in the “duck” tour the most.

If you take a boat tour, you’ll have a couple of options. You’ll be able to take an “upper Dells” tour, a “decrease Dells” tour, or both. The upper Dells boat tour lasts about 2 hours and the decrease Dells boat tour lasts about 1 hour. The upper Dells tour includes a few coast stops to look at some outstanding landmarks.

The “duck” tour is a combination land and water tour. It’s a really fun way to see some of the gorgeous scenery on the land and water. And the tour is a huge hit with kids of all ages! My family takes a trip to Wisconsin Dells nearly every year and we go on the Duck tour very nearly every trip because we find it so much fun. The “duck” vehicles used for the tours are amphibious vehicles used in WWII that have been revamped. The tour starts out on dry land. During the tour you’ll be taken down streets of Wisconsin Dells; through lovely wooded areas where wildlife is often seen (we usually see white-tail deer) and then it’s on to the really fun part of the trip.

The duck driver drives into the water with a huge splash – well; usually with a huge splash. The driver will question the customers if they want to go into the water slow or quick because quick gets some of the public wet. On every tour I’ve been on the quick trip into the water has won the vote and it is fun! After the twists and turns of the wooded trails (some of them steep and narrow, but always safe) the water part of the trip is a nice change of pace. After life in the water for a while and seeing some of the breathtaking sandstone rock formations, your driver takes you back onto dry land and your fun tour is complete. During the entire tour your driver entertains you with a amusing and informative narrative.

Even though our family likes going on the Duck tour when we go to Wisconsin Dells, if they have a choice of only one endeavor to do, going to a water park wins hands down. There are over 20 water parks in Wisconsin Dells. There are outdoor water parks; indoor water parks; and combination indoor/outdoor water parks. So no matter what time of the year you want to splash in the water and have fun you can do it in Wisconsin Dells.

Our family usually takes a summer trip to Wisconsin Dells. And with mid-summer temperatures in the 90′s, and even occasionally in the 100′s, splashing in the water is very refreshing. Our family’s favorite outdoor water park is Noah’s Ark. It’s currently the largest outdoor water park in Wisconsin Dells. You can easily spend an entire day there and not get bored. I have a few tips for you though if you do go to Noah’s Ark (or any of the water parks in Wisconsin Dells) to help keep your costs down and to make the trip as enjoyable as possible.

1) If at all possible, don’t buy your admission tickets at the front gate the day you want to go to the park. You’ll pay full price and there are lots of ways to find discounted tickets. If you live in the Midwest check with your local Parks and Recreation Department to see if they have discounted tickets available. Also check with your place of employment to see if they offer discounted tickets. An Internet search may also give you sources for discounted tickets. Another option is to go into downtown Wisconsin Dells or Lake Delton before you go to Noah’s Ark and stop at one of the ticket booths there. You can very nearly always buy discounted tickets there, especially if you are plotting to do more than one endeavor while you are in Wisconsin Dells. For example if you are plotting to go to a water park, take a duck tour, go to a water show, and go to one of the amusement parks to ride on the roller coasters and go-karts you can get some pretty excellent discounts by export all your tickets at the same time.

2) Take waterproof sunscreen. You’re going to be in and out of the water all day so make sure you have waterproof sunscreen in order to avoid having to constantly reapply your sunscreen throughout the day.

3) Take towels. It may seem like a silly item to list but it’s surprising how many public forget to take a towel. You can buy beach towels inside the water parks but they are expensive.

3) Consider renting a locker in the park. There are locker rentals available in the park for a nominal fee. I always rent a locker and place dry clothes for my family in the locker along with the things I don’t want to carry around all day, such as my sunscreen. At the end of the day we retrieve those dry clothes and change into

4) Take plastic bags for your wet swimsuits and towels.

5) Take a small waterproof container for extra money. Get one that attaches to your wrist or hangs around your neck. If you don’t have one or don’t know where to buy one, you can buy one inexpensively at one of the stores inside the water park.

6) Bring your own lunch. There are several covered picnic areas inside the water park available free of charge for your use although it’s likely some of them will be unavailable on any given day because they will be reserved for groups who are at the park. Even if you don’t want to pack a cooler at home, bring along the empty cooler and pick up your lunch items from a store the day before. Although there is excellent food available inside the water park, it is expensive and will promptly place a huge dent in your pocketbook.

7) Bring water shoes. Sandals are okay too but you want ones that are water friendly which typically means flip-flops and those can easily fall off your feet when you’re on some of the rides. I don’t advise going barefoot. The park is paved and if it’s a sunny day the pavement gets very hot.

8) Go on rides early in the day and late in the day. That’s when the lines are the shortest. The lines are really long in the middle of the day. Have your picnic lunch at that time, do a small browsing in the water park stores, and take a small rest before heading back on the rides.

Going on the ducks or a boat tour and going to a water park aren’t the only actions to do in the Wisconsin Dells area. You could stay busy for weeks (if your pocketbook could handle it) doing all the actions available to you. You could go horseback riding; go-carting; riding on roller coasters; shopping; take in the Tommy Bartlet water show; play miniature golf; play regular golf on one of the golf courses; rent a boat and go fishing (you’ll need to buy a Wisconsin fishing ticket); rent a canoe and go canoeing; delight in a movie at the guide-in movie theater; rent a jet-ski; stay the railway museum; stay the history center; play paintball; or do any of the dozens of other available actions. You could even take a small guide to Baraboo and watch the Al Ringling circus. There are literally hundreds of things to do in the Wisconsin Dells area.

I have one more thing to keep in mind as you are plotting your trip to Wisconsin Dells. August is the busiest month in Wisconsin Dells. How busy? Consider this: Lake Delton and Wisconsin Dells have a combined year-round populace of around 5,000 public. During the weekends in August, the populace in the Lake Delton/Wisconsin Dells area can swell to more than 200,000 public. Lines at the attractions will be the longest in August and the hotels will be booked solid (I don’t mean to scare you though. Our family usually goes in August even though we know it’s going to be busy and we have a fantastic time). Book your hotel early or consider going there at another time during the summer. June isn’t as busy but the weather may not be as warm either which means it could be a small cold if you’re going to be visiting one of the outdoor water parks.

D Ruplinger is a featured novelist for http://www.wisconsindellstoday.com. Stay the web site for more information on Wisconsin Dells attractions.

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Top Family Days Out

Article from: My Family UK

The following thoughts are for kids who are tireless bundles of energy, who always need entertainment. A family day out is a fantastic way to get some fresh air and let the kids run around a bit.

For some brilliant, family-tailored days out, see our top choices below.

1) Adventure

Your little monkeys can swing from tree to tree at a Go Ape! centre (several locations over the UK), provided they are over 10 years ancient. Under 18s must be accompanied by a participating adult, so make sure you’ve brought a head for heights. If wheels are more their thing then Mercedes-Benz World lets children drive real cars around specially calculated tracks. Try go-karting with F1K in Loughborough. More unconventional fun can be had at Orb360 in Brighton, where kids over 1.5m tall thump downhill in giant inflatable bubbles at 30mph. Tinier thrill-seekers can have big fun at Airkix: indoor skydiving for the over-fives.


2) Scenery

For fun with flora hit the Eden Scheme and experience tropical rainforests.Explore a real life Secret Garden at The Lost Gardens of Heligan. Simply go walking in the Lake District’s stunning natural environment. For fantastic fauna, stay the free-range environment Fota Wildlife Park in Co.Cork. Drusillas Park has more actions than you could shake a stick-insect at. Don’t forget London Zoo – the world’s oldest scientific zoo.


3) Bookworms

Explore Winnie-the-Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood at Ashdown jungle in East Sussex where a guide to Pooh-sites can be picked up from the jungle Centre – and don’t forget to bring some pooh-sticks! The World of Beatrix Potter brings Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck and the rest to life. Lovers of Oliver Twist must stay Dickens World, where there is a Victorian street made up of well-known Dickensian places from the books.


4) Sports

Learn to climb indoors at Edinburgh’s International Climbing Centre, the world’s largest, where anyone over 1.4m tall can tackle the Aerial Assault course suspended 100m off the stump. Water-babies can learn to surf with the British Surfing Association at Fistral Beach in Newquay, or get into paddle-sports in Cardiff Bay. Keeping it cool is Manchester’s Chillfactore, where you can ski, snowboard and even stay an Alpine Village, indoors. As for footy, try a stay to the Inhabitant Football Museum in Preston. Alternatively, your own beloved team most likely has a stadium tour of its own so pass on the legacy!


5) Science & Technology

“Exterminate” dull weekends at the Doctor Who Museum, Blackpool. For science of a more Earth-leap kind, Cardiff’s Techniquest is a very hands-on centre for exploring maths, engineering and technology. The Catalyst Science and Discovery Centre in Widnes focuses on the colourful and often combustible world of chemistry and has family workshops during half-term holidays. The Inhabitant Science Museum in London always has loads of informative exhibitions and, on designated Science Nights, kids can even camp overnight among the exhibits!


6) Dinosaurs

Track T-Rex or play dino-themed mini golf at The Huge Dinosaur Adventure in Norfolk. Dorchester’s Dinosaur Museum has life-size reconstructions of all the favourites and in this museum kids are encouraged to touch them! That isn’t the case at The Natural History Museum but for the courageous childish archaeologists they do have a moving, busy, Tyrannosaurus! For informative outdoors fun, go fossil-hunting along the Lyme Regis Jurassic Coast.


7) Space

The Inhabitant Science Museum has a permanent exhibit tracing the tale of the space rocket and all sorts of interstellar info. Spaceport in Seacombe makes kids feel like astronauts with its simulators, planetarium and interactive audio-visual galleries. At the Inhabitant Space Centre in Leicester, your child can even learn how to run a space mission in their Challenger Centre! If your kids are more ‘Skywalker’ than ‘Sky At Night’, then Laser Quest centres offer games of laser-tag in suitably futuristic arenas.


8) Historical

The Imperial War Museum North is about more than just the facts; it’s about public, their lives and tales and loads of interaction – ever wondered what a WWI trench smelled like? From the Navy to pirates, life on the high seas can be explored at the Inhabitant Maritime Museum in Greenwich. In York, the Jorvik Viking Centre presents the sights – and smells! – of Viking life, with reenactments over half-term holidays. Also fantastic at half-term, or any other time, is Warwick Castle, where kids can be knights for the day. Or if your little terrors like things a bit more gory try The London Dungeons for a gruesome history lesson.


9) The Arts

Budding poets can see Wordsworth’s cottage in the Lake District. Childish thespians should tour The Globe. In Spring/Summer the open air cliff-top Minack theatre is a stunning venue to take in a play. For kids in the North-West who want to get stuck into arts projects and workshops, check out the Action Factory Community Arts website for the latest actions. The newly opened British Composition Experience charts the stars, the trends, fads and fashions of the last 60 years of well loved composition so you and the kids can learn about each other’s eras.


10) Machines

Take a spin 35m into the air on the world’s largest rotating boat-lift in Falkirk, a futuristic addition to one of Scotland’s oldest and most scenic canal networks. Go off the veer and get behind it at Diggerland, where kids can drive and operate gray-duty construction vehicles in a diggable environment. From trams, buses and tubes to artwork and posters, the London Transport Museum is a cool place to learn everything about the heritage of London’s transport. Or check out the 57 varieties of aircraft and cockpit sections at Newark Air Museum which has been capturing kids’ imaginations for over 40 years.


Further Information

For further information, and for more fantastic ways to have fun with your family, log on to www.myfamilyuk.com. With a huge pool of articles covering everything from child safety to rainy day actions, you’ll find all the help, guidance and entertainment you need to be a fantastic parent. Go to My Family UK now!

My Family UK is a brand new website that is rotary the online focus back onto families. We’re dedicated to supporting you and your family live the life you choose to the full, with games, tips, offers and articles on all aspects of parenting. If your family means the world to you, check out www.myfamilyuk.com.

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