Planning a pool party for a sweet 16? A beach themed pool party is a lot of fun! It can be difficult to plan a birthday party theme for teens and tweens. Even if you don't have a "real" pool you can have a pool party for a sweet 16 birthday party. Just get an inflatable pool (or two) and add lots of fun decorations and beach themed food. We love planning parties with The Oriental Trading; they are our go to spot for summer fun. They have the most fun decorations at the best prices. So, have the best pool party ever for teens or tweens with these pool party activities, food, and fun decorating ideas with a pink and green flamingo theme. Enjoy!
How to Make This Summer One of the Best for Your Family
The reality of life is that unless you have access to mass funds, you have to work for a living. This means that when you have a family, you’ve got to become a master at balancing work and life. For several families, this means making the most of summer vacations as this is when the kids get the most time off school. As a parent, you may wonder how you can ensure that your children feel your presence and enjoy being at home full-time during summer vacation. Here, you’ll find some tips on how you can make this summer one of the best yet for your family.
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Tips to Have the Best Summer Vacation
Be Present
The first summer vacation tip for making this summer memorable for your family is to be fully present. This is hard to do in a digital age where people are constantly glued to their phones, tablets, and any other device they can find. Parenting meditation, which is when you focus on hearing, seeing, and understanding your kids can help you stay in each moment with your family and drown out the background noise.
It also helps when you put your gadgets away while spending time with your kids. Remember, it’s all about them for that moment, so if possible, let everything else wait until later.
Have Allocated Quality Time
The next vacation tip is to focus on quality over quantity. It has often been said that it’s less about how much time you spend with your kids and more about the quality of the time that you spend. So ensure you allocate time that will be spent with your family and try to stick with it.
To spend more quality time with the kids, make the most of your everyday routine. This means inviting them to cook with you, making cleaning up fun and taking walks instead of the car. Also, making a conscious effort to eat at least one meal a day together could make a world of difference too.
Go on Vacation
If you can afford it, why not take your family on vacation this summer? Going on an adventure to a new place is one way to create unforgettable memories. Believe it or not, an affordable destination that everyone in your family may enjoy is Indonesia. It’s home to the famous Bali, and there are more than enough activities for you to do there as a family. They also have family-friendly villas in Seminyak that you should consider when you’re looking for accommodations.
Plan Activities
Instead of guessing your way through each day, why not plan your activities instead? Think about one or two fun things you can do with the kids every week so that you all have something to look forward to. It could be as simple as having a small family BBQ or planning a family and friends game’s night.
This is also your chance to explore your city and go to museums, festivals or anything else you may find interesting. Think about creating something tangible with your kids, whether it’s a family tree, scrapbook, or painting. This will give you memory to look back and smile about once it’s time to head back to school.
COLOR THEORY COLOR SCHEME CUT PAPER LETTERS ART PROJECT
If you watch the popular NETFLIX series, Cobra Kai, you've probably noticed the t-shirts worn by the Anthony LaRusso character, played by Griffin Santopietro. In the series, Anthony is the son of Daniel and Amanda LaRusso, and the younger brother of Samantha LaRusso. He often wears cool printed tees, below the word LEGEND is printed in two tone letters across his shirt. The colorful block print letters inspired this letter color scheme art project perfect for a quick lesson on color theory.
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The video below is an awesome companion video to use when teaching the history of graffiti art.
LEGEND Color Theory Letter Project
This letter color scheme project can be be simple or more complicated and adapted for all grade levels. For a simple project for elementary students, simply cut and paste the letters onto a 6" x 12" white, gray, or black poster board using contrasting colors from the basic color wheel. For our homeschool friends that means: Red/Green, Blue/Orange, and Purple/Yellow. Remind your students to eyeball the letters and center the word on the page before the final glue down.
For high school students in a basic art class, remind the students that contrasting colors are simply colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. This will give more color options. For more advanced classes, have art students design their letters based on a color scheme: monochromatic, complementary, double complementary, split complementary, triadic, tetradic, analagous, intermediate primary, secondary, or tertiary. We used cut, brightly colored paper in anticipation of a color paper unit on Matisse, but you can also use acrylic paints.
What are the Color Schemes?
Monochromatic - One color. A monochromatic color scheme ranges between lighter (tints) and darker (shades) versions of the base color or hue.
Primary - The basic colors. Red, Yellow, and Blue. With crayons, pencils, and paint, these colors can be combined to create the secondary colors. (Don't let Google and Digital Art confuse you.)
Triadic - Primary and secondary color schemes are also triadic colors schemes. A triadic color scheme is made up of three colors evenly spaced on the color wheel. These colors form a triangle across the color wheel.
Tertiary - A primary color + a secondary color. Tertiary colors combine primary and secondary colors to create compound colors: blue-green, blue-violet, red-orange, red-violet, yellow-orange, and yellow-green.
Complementary - Two colors that are on opposite sides of the color wheel. The basics are Red/Green, Blue/Orange, and Purple/Yellow. However, you can pull-out a color wheel to find more variations such as, Yellow-Orange/Blue Violet.
Double Complementary or Tetradic - Using two sets of Complementary colors together. For example, red/green paired with yellow/purple. A double complementary color scheme forms a rectangle across the color wheel.
Split Complementary - A split complementary scheme uses three colors. Start with one color, find its complement and then use the two colors on either side of it. If you look at the color wheel above, blue, violet (purple,) and yellow-orange form a split complementary triangle. Yellow-Orange/Blue-Violet being the contrasting colors and blue and violet are the splits. If using Blue-Violet, the split complementary colors are Orange and Yellow. Get it? Got it. Good!
Analogous - Analogous colors are next to each other on the color wheel. Only use three to five colors for this color scheme. Analogous schemes can use warm colors, cool colors, or a combination of both depending on where you start. For art that pops stick to three analogous colors.
Intermediate - The tertiary colors are every other color on the color wheel. Tertiary colors combine primary and secondary colors to create compound colors: blue-green, blue-violet, red-orange, red-violet, yellow-orange, and yellow-green. This is also known as an intermediate color scheme.
Beginners will want to measure to choose letter size and then eyeball the position on the poster board before gluing it down. Divide 12" by the number of letters you choose to use. The answer will provide enough space for your letter and the space between each letter. For example, 12/6 = 2". Allow 1 1/2" for each letter and use the extra space to form a border and proper letter spacing.
More advanced students should use the ruler to lay out a grid on the poster board. Draw separate grid lines for the block letter, space between the letters, and a border around them. Showing the students how to layout and plan for the block letter spacing will prepare them for future work in sign painting, drafting, technical theatre, and architecture.
Draw a horizon line halfway down the middle of the paper at 3". This line serves as the dividing line for the color of the letters. Each letter will be two colors based on one of the color schemes listed above. for younger students, choose contrasting colors. Measure for at least a 1/4" border from the edges of the paper. The width of letters is determined by the number of letters used as mentioned above. If you cut the letters out from a block of paper, with an Xacto knife, you can use the paper as a template to paint letters for a future project.
Using electronics can be great for your kids, it'a a source of both entertainment and education. However, like all good things, they should be used in moderation. Too much screen time can contribute to a whole host of problems, so here are a couple of ideas for alternative activities.
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Books
Books are a brilliant alternative to using screens before bedtime. The blue light from screens can interfere with the sleep hormone melanin, which can hinder sleep and keep your kids awake. Switching to a book not only helps them relax but comes with a long list of other benefits. Staring at screens for extended periods of time can put a lot of strain and stress on your child's eyes, leading to problems such as dry eye, which is uncomfortable and irritating. Making small changes to your child’s routine can help minimize the risk of these issues developing, while still keeping them entertained.
Dress Up Games
Activities that stimulate imagination and creativity are essential for children. The younger they start, the better. Besides the usual arts and crafts projects, activities such as dress-up games are good for kids to exercise their creative mind. Provide your kids with tools and supplies to play dress-up. They can use old clothes and refashion them with various embellishments. Or you can get costumes and pieces online that they can modify according to a theme or design. Of course, they have to have a venue where they can show off their creations. Organize a mini fashion show at home with the entire family or make it a community event and invite their friends to join in on the fun!
Arts and Crafts
Being creative is another great way to entertain and educate your child. There are so many activities to choose from, so you will be able to find something your child loves, regardless of age and ability. Painting and coloring are easy options that don’t require lots of room or equipment, as sets are readily available in many places. This is also a great chance for your child to grow their imagination and just have fun, without feeling as though they have to create a masterpiece! You can find coloring sheets online that can be printed off, as well as instructions on creating items out of things you already have in your home.
Outdoors
Exercise and fresh air are incredibly important for your child, so turning off the screens and taking them for a walk can have huge benefits. Spending time in nature will help nurture their curiosity and teach them about the world. Even just being in the backyard can be a lot of fun, and there are plenty of outdoor activities and games that you can play. Sports clubs are great for building teamwork skills while getting exercise, and they allow your child to make friends, let off some steam and learn a new sport. Exercise strengthens muscle and bones and helps prevent weight gain and other issues that can occur in later life.
Cooking
Depending on their age, your child may enjoy helping with the cooking or baking. You can find lots of child friendly recipes online, and they can have the feeling of accomplishment at having created something. There are plenty of baking kits available that are aimed at children and parents, with easy-to-follow instructions and basic ingredients, which are a great introduction to the kitchen. Baking can provide your child with many useful skills, such as reading, collaboration, creativity, and fine motor skills, and is also a lovely opportunity to spend time together. It doesn’t matter if you’re not a great cook yourself, as you can find and adapt recipes to work for you and learn and make mistakes together!
My Favorite things include adorable baby bunny picture and Christmas tree in snow
Not necessarily in any order, (I've been suffering from writer's and crafter's block lately, so if I have to organize them it will turn into the post that wasn't). My favorite things include baby bunnies, a spider, and Christmas Trees. Enjoy!
Christmas tree in snow with colored lights.
1. Snow covered Christmas Lights on Evergreen Trees. I LOVE how the light glows under the snow.
Can you smell the puppy breath?
2. Puppy Breath. 'Nuf said.
Book by Robert Kraus, How Spider Saved Halloween.
3. Halloween! Inspired by my favorite book ever. I LOVE the illustrations. I love the story about bullying. Kraus writes several books in the Spider series. Check my pages above for more info.
Jake's journey in art started here.
4. Inspired Art. My son comes from a line of artists, but art isn't his thing. He is a straight A+ student- except for an A- in art. When my daughter and I paint and craft, he plays computer games. The other day, he sat down and painted this portrait of Santa! He used the entire page. It is truly amazing - "A Kid's Perspective of Santa". His Uncle designed the characters and worked on 'Call of Duty' Black Ops for Activision (among other things). If the Presidency thing falls thru, I think he might just have a back-up plan. I LOVE that it isn't just a picture of Santa in the middle of the paper.
Kitty paws.
5. Kitty Paws. Especially, touching my chin.
Hot Air Balloons.
6. Hot Air Balloons. Here is a local Balloon Voyage anyone can experience.
Bunny ears, I adore this picture! :)
7. Toddlers. I think we are 3 and 5 here. Wow, 4 and 6 is so different. See that Balloon in the background? It's the Energizer Bunny which brings me to...
8. Bunnies. I just LOVE them. I miss my sweet fuzzy, cuddle bunny. Kids, cats, turtle, bird = no time for baby bunnies. Maybe when the kids leave the nest. Wait, I'll be how old? Reminiscing is good too. *This is one of my very first POSTS. If any of these images are yours, please let me know so I can give proper credit. Recommended Reading: Birthday Party Game for Kids
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Attach cheese slices by making an eatable cream cheese paste on your Mayflower Sandwich Ship.
Fruit Snack Passengers = Madagascar Penguins.
You need:
Hot dog buns Cheese Slices (Yellow and White) Pretzel Sticks Cream Cheese Optional: Goldfish Crackers or Character Fruit Snacks To make:
Hollow out the center of 1/2 of bun. Spoon in cream cheese. Cut cheese slices diagonally into triangles. Slide pretzel thru one side of slice to form a sail. Note: This doesn't work well with room temperature cheese, so we used cream cheese as a paste. Stick sail into the cream cheese. Use mini pretzels for steering wheel and life preservers. Insert Goldfish crackers tail end first to represent passengers. Serve with baked chips and pumpkin salsa. Eat.
ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)
Field Trip or Vacation 10 Things to Do in Terre Haute
Planning a trip to Terre Haute, Indiana? Perhaps, you are or have a student attending Indiana State University, Rose Hulman, or Saint Mary of the Woods. Terre Haute is full of secret treasures for your field trip, one tank trip, or vacation to Terre Haute, Indiana. We've compiled a list of 10 trip ideas and things to do while in Terre Haute. Enjoy!
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Here's a list of Trip Ideas Terre Haute
Clabber Girl Baking Company Museum and Bake Shop
This is a great place for a sandwich and a cup of coffee. The museum is free and tours are self-guided. The Hulman Company owned the Clabber Girl Baking Company. You may be familiar with the Hulman name, they own the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. They are also the Hulman name behind Rose Hulman Institute of Technology.
Clabber Girl Baking Company Cafe, Terre Haute, Indiana.
Fun photo op at Clabber Girl Museum.
Coffee Bean car in the cafe.
When you sit in the second dining room, you'll see this car decorated with coffee beans. You can also watch coffee grinders at work. The seating areas are full of memorabilia- like a mini-museum.
Clabber Girl Museum, Saloon.
Smith Labyrinth
The Smith Labyrinth is located in Hawthorn Park. It's a floor plan of an actual labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France. This one is surrounded by a wildflower garden and hiking trails. Jake walked the labyrinth while we sat in a swing and watched.
Be sure to check the time on the sun dial.
Candles Holocaust Museum
Candles Holocaust Museum was founded by Eva Kors, a Holocaust survivor. This is a very small museum tucked away in the heart of Terre Haute. At first glance, it doesn't seem like much but it is full of history! Eva was recently the Grand Marshal of the Indianapolis 500 parade.
Eva Kor's Candles Holocaust Museum in Terre Haute.
During the Holocaust, twins were used in cruel experiments. Eva had a twin sister. The focus of the museum is Eva's experience as an Eugenics Twin. This would make an excellent topic for a homeschool research paper.
Eugenic twins, Eva and Miriam Mozes.
Eva and other holocaust survivors worked with Steven Spielberg to record their story. These stories were filmed at different angles with state of the art technology. This process allows you to talk to a holocaust survivor. You can ask them a question and the computer generated image will answer it as if you were sitting together.
Talk with a Holocaust survivor hologram.
Eva Kors on set, filming her oral history story.
More Field Trip Ideas and Things to do in Terre Haute
Swope Art Museum
See an original Edward Hopper or Grant Wood painting at Swope Art Museum. The museum is also downtown Terre Haute.
500 Museum of Wheels
This car museum is located in an old auto parts store in the heart of downtown Terre Haute. Thirty-five cars and other race memorabilia are on display.
Are you all out of fresh ideas for a Girls' Teen Birthday Party? We searched Pinterest and found some fun ideas that your teen daughter will love. It isn't a party without games, favors, and a fun theme!
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These kids played soccer with our giant volleyball. Grab a net, a truck load of sand, and turn your backyard into a beach volleyball court!
We found this very stylish Volleyball theme party idea at Kara's Party Ideas. I particularly like the chocolate fuel candy bars!
Throw a volleyball theme party for your daughter
like this one from Kara's Party Ideas.
Volleyball! With this party theme, make sure you schedule time to play a game of their favorite sport, but change it up a notch with giant, inflatable volleyballs. If you're really cool, and really want to impress, truck in a load of sand! Change the sport for an athletic teen boy's birthday party theme.
Afterward, chill out with volleyball cupcakes and healthy (or not so healthy snacks). It is a birthday party, you can take a little break!
Beach or Pool Party! I know, it has been done before. Really a pool party? But, you can make it your own! You've got leftover sand from last year's volleyball party, so use it! Bring on the sandals and fruity mocktails. Give the girls colorful beach towels in your daughter's favorite beach party colors. To make it extra spectacular, make sand castle cupcakes like these from Confections of a Sugarholic blog.
Sandcastle cupcake from Confections of a Sugarholic.
Glamping! Oh the fun that the girls can have while camping! S'mores, bonfire, and ghost stories in luxury. Set up a nail painting tent, a food tent, and a movie tent! The girl's can travel from glamorous tent to glamorous tent. Add a fuzzy rug in each tent and gather your beautician to do their hairs and nails, then visit the food tent and place an order. Let Dad in on the act, he can be a fancy concierge/delivery boy (make him wear a tux).
We Heart Parties has this beautiful party food setup with an owl theme. Don't let those hoots scare you when you are sleeping in the tent!
A Night on the Red Carpet! Have the guests wear prom-style party dresses for this Oscar party theme birthday. Roll out a "red carpet" leading to your front door, for party favors the girls can create Oscar sculptures, then practice their thank you speech at a mic stand as their friends present them with a handmade Oscar. Celebrate with a golden slice of birthday cake. For more Oscar Party Ideas visit DesignDazzle.com
Spa! Bring on the sliced cucumbers, body scrubs, nail polish, sleeping masks, and special fruit water. Did you know you can add glow sticks to clear nail polish to make them glow-in-the-dark?
Cardboard Toilet Tubes turned Holiday Hats How many rolls of toilet paper do you go though each month? We've got to recycle that ca...
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