5 Household Items Party Games for Birthdays

5 Birthday Party Games for Kids Using Household Items

Kids want to be entertained, especially on their birthdays. Give your kids a fun, memorable birthday celebration with games for birthdays that use household items. These kid party games are easy to do with little prep, and you probably already have the items in your house. No need to plan ahead when you do these household items party games for Birthdays!

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Playing interactive games that get your kids moving at birthday parties is a great way to introduce them to kid activities that are active and engaging. Perhaps the next time they have a playtime choice, they’ll choose one of these games rather than a video game. After scouring the internet for games to play at birthday parties, we found several games for kids that are simple to set up with common household items. As always, we've updated old games with fun new twists! If you don't want to plan the party activities and implement them yourself, Yabadoo Kids Parties are another fun way to make birthday parties fun and memorable.

Keep your kids in the loop. Give them choices and let them help plan their own birthday party by scrolling through this list of kids party games and letting them choose their favorite activity to play with friends and family.

Common Household Items Party Games

• Life Size Board Game

This great game for kids is suitable for kids of all ages. Life Size Board Game is a  fun party game activity that has players jumping forward two spaces, singing a song, turning in circles, telling jokes, reciting  nursery rhymes, jumping up and down periodically, and moving back three spaces.

During game play, the players begin by rolling oversized  dice to see where to move. The first person to reach the finish line is declared winner.  You can simply use white paper or the inside of recycled cereal boxes to create the game board. To make a permanent yard decoration, use stepping stones.

• Clothespin Snatch Game

Every player is given a clothespin. Wrapped candy and trinkets (you can even use coins) are sprinkled on the floor. During this game, players will try to pick up as much candy or trinkets as they can using only their clothespins. Set a timer for one minute and let the fun begin!

• Marshmallow Catch

Marshmallow Catch is super easy to set up. Grab a bag of mini marshmallows a timer, and some plastic party cups. Standing on opposite ends of the room, players try to catch marshmallows that are thrown by other party-goers. After one minute, the team with the most marshmallows in their cup wins.

• Spoon Relay Race Game

The Spoon Relay is an old party favorite, you can make this party game more complicated by adding fun elements like playing while turning in circles, skipping, walking backward, or any fun way that will make the birthday party game more challenging or difficult for the players.

Any small household object will do, but mini marshmallows and cotton balls are the most common items used with plastic or wooden spoons. In the course of this game, players race against each other to be the first team finish. Divide party guests into two or more teams. Each team is given a marshmallows and a spoon.

Lining up single file, the first person on each  team takes a marshmallow and begins passing it down the line using only their spoon.  The first team to get their marshmallow to the end of the line wins.

• Balloon Bust Game

Before the party, fill balloons with candy or small prizes. Rub the balloons on your head to give them static cling and then place them on a wall or table. Play begins with birthday party guests choosing a balloon. Tell the kids to hold the balloons with two hands, careful not to pop it. Then, tell them to sit down in a circle using their balloons as chairs. On the count of three, have everyone tries to pop their balloon chair to discover the prizes. First one to pop a balloon, gets a special grand prize in addition to the trinkets inside.

Have you played these games with different variations? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear about more fun birthday party games and ideas for kids that use household items.

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Party Games for Kids

Non-Toxic Face Paint Recipe for Kid Parties

Marshmallow Activities for Kids

Go Green with 6 Eco Friendly Kid Activities: Fall

6 Going Green Activities for Kids

Whether you call it Fall or Autumn, the cooler weather is a great time to go green and focus on eco friendly kid activities. Going green isn't just about sustainability or recycling, it is also a great way to be eco friendly. When you use items from nature in games and craft projects, you're going green! Take the kids on a nature hike, collect twigs, leaves, and rocks and then start creating win the found materials. We've curated five beautiful and fun eco friendly activities to do with the kids that will make beautiful gifts or home decorations for fall. As always, don't forget to make it an educational experience with a companion lesson. We've included a few for you.

Whenever we do a craft, we like to pair it with a lesson. The eco friendly kid activities listed here are perfect companion craft activities for a lesson on the environment. After your nature hike, teach the kids about sustainability, going green, and even climate change. Adrian Rubin  has great articles that are perfect for high schoolers or college students to read on their own. For middle school or older elementary students, the articles, like this one on climate change and red tide, make good read alouds. Check out NASA for more in depth articles and lesson plans on global climate change.

6 Eco Friendly Kid Activities

• One of our fellow bloggers and favorite crafters, is Maggie, from Red Ted Art. She created a beautiful leaf lantern that is the perfect fall eco friendly kid activity. 

Eco Friendly Leaf Lanterns from Red Ted Art.

After you hike and create your leaf lantern activity, watch this Global Warming Climate Change video from Brainpop. If you're a teacher or homeschool parent, you'll love that you can create your own quiz or find lesson ideas here.

• Colleen from Raising Lifelong Learners, offers up an ideal going green eco friendly kid activity with these evergreen wreath craft. Click over to see how she incorporates STEM/STEAM lessons with activity. You might also like our Autumn Leaf Wreath How to Activity.

Evergreen Wreath Activity from Raising Lifelong Learners.

• Over on the Melissa & Doug blog, we found an eco friendly alphabet kid activity that is perfect for preschoolers. On your nature hike, collect smooth, flat rocks and bring them inside to create alphabet rocks. The next time you go out, place them along the path in alphabetical order to help your little one learn their ABCs. 

Alphabet Rock Walk from Melissa & Doug.

• We have a fun eco friendly mystery bag activity for a nature hike.

Collect items on a nature hike for a mystery bag activity.

• Now that you've collected all those nature items for your mystery bag activity, use some twigs and walnut or hickory nut shells to make your own eco friendly nature tic tac toe game.

Make an eco friendly tic tac toe game from found objects.

• All kids like to pick up twigs. They make great swords, don't they? They also make cool eco friendly crafts, like the Christmas Tree ornaments pictured below. Collect the twigs in the fall and gift the eco friendly ornaments during the holidays.

Eco friendly kid made holiday decorations.from Kids Creative Chaos.

For more eco friendly kid activities and sustainable ideas check out our Pinterest board on Art and Craft Activities for Kids.

Recommended Reading:

Eco Friendly Nature Based Kid Activities

Eco Friendly Kids Products on Amazon (affiliate link)

Fall Play Ideas

Educational Scholarships for Homeschoolers

College Scholarships for Homeschool

How do homeschoolers get a proper undergraduate education? Wondering how to pay for college? As long as the parent/learningcoach/teacher/caregiver/ keeps track of their student's classes and attendance with a transcript, college applications are no different for a homeschooler than for a public school student. In fact, the word on the street is that many universities seek out homeschooled students because of their enrichment activities, volunteerism, and community service. But, how do homeschoolers pay for college? Of course, a job is a great way to start, but students can supplement their college tuition with an educational scholarship. Are there specific educational scholarships for homeschoolers? Sure, homeschoolers can apply for most college scholarships.

Educational Scholarships for Homeschoolers.

Be sure to check the entrance requirements to see if the school requires SAT or ACT scores. Many students score better on the ACT. Perhaps, this is because the ACT allows the use of a calculator for all math questions. The higher the score, the more likely you will win a scholarship. Here's an article that does a great job of explaining the differences between the ACT and the SAT and why one might be better for your homeschooler than the other. The SAT gives diagrams with math formulas, whereas, the ACT expects these formulas to be set to memory. However, this gift of formulas doesn't mean the overall score will be higher on the SAT. Do your research. Despite the cost, it is often a good idea to take the test more than once to improve the score. Sure, it's a hassle, but the second time around, the student knows what to expect, has less nerves, and will likely improve their score. Even a few points can improve chances for an educational scholarship for your homeschooler.

So, the schooling is done. The tests are taken. How do homeschoolers apply for scholarships for their education? Are homeschoolers eligible for scholarships? Of course, when reviewing college scholarship opportunities be aware of the applicant requirements. Also, think about your homeschooler's background, even consider their quirks and hobbies. While most educational scholarships are athletic, academic, or need based. there are many scholarships with completely random requirements. Write an essay about motivation to keep goals for the Dr. Summit Shah scholarship. Skilled in duck calling? Have a strange name? Yes, there's a scholarship for that. Check out these unusual scholarships for college.

Scholarships for College

Federal Financial Aid is available for those in need. Always, fill out your FAFSA first. Federal aid is available for colleges and technical career schools. After that's done, it's time to think outside the box. Start searching for the perfect scholarships for your child's personality.

Many homeschoolers love to teach themselves music. Got a ukulele player? Yep, there's a scholarship for ukulele.

Want to run a grocery store? Then, you'll want to apply for an Asparagus Scholarship for Grocer Students.

Like to sculpt? Apply for an Ice Sculpting Scholarship.

Chicken keeper? Poultry Scholarship.

On a bowling team? Bowling Scholarship.


You get the idea. The educational scholarship options for homeschoolers and public school students are endless. Do the research early and score as many scholarship opportunities as possible for you secondary education goals. If you're lucky, you'll get more than one scholarship, so apply for as many as possible.

Concerned you aren't preparing your child with the proper homeschool high school education? There are many online homeschool high school options to help you keep track of attendance, transcripts, and the courses necessary for college. Here's a list of our favorites: Time4Learning High School, Acellus, (they also have a less expensive app option for high school) and Connections Academy (free online public school.)

Kentucky Down Under Reviews: Petting Zoo

Things to do in Kentucky: Kentucky Down Under Petting Zoo

Are you planning a trip to southern Indiana or northern Kentucky? You can visit the best petting zoo ever, just a few miles outside of Louisville, Kentucky! Have you read the reviews? Kentucky Down Under is an Australian themed zoo where you're allowed to pet the animals. Not only that, you can walk right into their areas and feed them too!

 This post contains affiliate links.

Kentucky Down Under Reviews: Petting Zoo.

On our trip to Kentucky and Tennessee, we mapped out a route that allowed us to see as many animals of all kinds as possible. We saw Black Bears in the Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We saw Parrots, Cockatoos, and exotic birds in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. And, we saw the outback in all its glory at Kentucky Down Under just outside of Louisville, Kentucky.

Kentucky Down Under is a different kind of zoo. It's a cross between a farm and a petting zoo. Just like other zoos, there are daily animal shows. However, you don't have to wait for a show to get up close and personal with native Australian animals.

Things to do in Kentucky: Kentucky Down Under Petting Zoo.

The kids had a wonderful time feeding Emus. You can even pet Emus, Kangaroos, and giant Tortoises as they lounge around in their "natural" habitat soaking up the sun.

Feed Emus in Kentucky.

Emu eggs, just lying in the middle of the pasture.

Kentucky Down Under has its own cave. No need to spend extra money to see a cave that your children might not enjoy. The first time seeing a cave can be frightening for the kids, no matter their ages. The cave here was discovered in the early 1800's. It is a small cave (in and out quickly) with all the bells and whistles. Meet at the gift shop for the tour.

Mammoth Onyx Cave, Kentucky Down Under.

Caves in Kentucky.

Kookaburra sits on an old gum tree. Yep, he does. You can hear the Kookaburras talking to each other as you walk through the park. We even saw a Peacock on a roof of one of the bird houses.

Animals of all kinds, sheep herding shows, snake shows, you name it! Kentucky Down Under is not a drive by. You can't see anything from the interstate or even the parking lot. Take the plunge, it is well worth it. Keep in mind, you will walk up some steep trails. Don't like to hike? Rent a golf cart for the day. They have plenty of golf cart rentals available for guests. Click here to see pricing info for Kentucky Down Under.

Beautiful Kentucky Down Under Views.

Just a few miles away is the little town of Horse Cave, Kentucky. We visited this little cave and museum years ago. Horse Cave seems run down these days, but don't let that deter you. Eat at Turtlelini's Pizza and Pasta (they have a buffet.) Zipline and explore the unusual cave, and stay in the little family owned Horse Cave Motel. It's not a perfect hotel, but it is clean, the rooms are big, and the family that owns it is very nice. You'll be safe and close to three nearby caves. Happy Spelunking!!

Recommended: 

Cave Study Homeschool Curriculum

Caves and Caverns by Gail Gibbons

Book about Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

Art Activities for Preschoolers

Easy Preschool Art Activities

Preschool art activities don't have to be all finger painting and paper plate crafts. We've collected some art activities for preschoolers that include sensory fun. Read on for easy preschool art activities that are destined to become mini masterpieces.

This post contains affiliate links.

Art activities for preschoolers.

Bubble Painting is a fun, sensory way to introduce your preschooler to art. They can experiment with color mixing, layering, and layout. Scoot on over to Kelly Noel's Living the Dream blog for more details.

Bubble Painting Preschool Art Activity from Living the Dream.

Another fun way for preschoolers to experience sensory art activities is to let them play with food coloring and shaving cream. Skip over to our post on how to paint with shaving cream. 

Coffee Filter Mobiles. All preschool teachers adore coffee filter crafts. Remember the days of the milk carton crafts? Wonder what we'll all switch to when coffee filters become a thing of the past? These coffee filter and cardboard paper towel tube painted mobiles are self-explanatory. We found them posted here but are sure they originated somewhere else. Please leave a comment if you know the original source.

Coffee Filter Mobile Preschool Art Activity.

Art, like sensory play, develops critical thinking skills and hand eye coordination. Click here to learn about how art can aid in brain development.

Handprint and footprint art is a staple in the world of preschool. Introduce your preschoolers to Pointillism with these beautiful fall handprint trees from Arty Crafty Kids.

Handprint Tree Preschool Activity from Arty Crafty Kids.

The Jammy Jigsaw offers up an art activity for preschoolers that serves double duty as a science project. This salt dough bone necklace is the perfect companion art project for a lesson on dinosaurs.

Salt Dough Bone Necklace Art Activity for Preschoolers from The Jammy Jigsaw.

Looking for more art activities for preschoolers? Visit our Pinterest Board, Preschool Scavenger Hunt.

Recommended:

Homeschool and Preschool Companion Book Activities

For activities and games to play with preschoolers check out our Circle Time Handbook on Amazon.

What is Sepsis?

Is it Sepsis? Don't Wait to Find Out.

This is a post prepared under a contract funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and written on behalf of the Mom It Forward Influencer Network for use in CDC’s Get Ahead of Sepsis educational effort. Opinions on this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CDC.

What is Sepsis?

Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection. It is life-threatening, and without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly cause tissue damage, organ failure, and death. Sepsis happens when an infection you already have—in your skin, lungs, urinary tract or somewhere else—triggers a chain reaction throughout your body. This could include small skin infections from a bug bite, a burn, or any injury to the skin.

For yourself, and as a caregiver, it is important to know the signs and symptoms of sepsis. If you or someone you love has a chronic medical condition, such as an autoimmune disease, you need to pay special attention to infections that aren't improving.

Anyone can get an infection, and almost any infection can lead to sepsis. Certain people are at higher risk:

• Adults 65 or older
• People with chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, lung disease, cancer, and kidney disease
• People with weakened immune system
• Children younger than one

We've often shared about our personal struggles with a “bad” diabetic. Bad refers to the fact that he won't go see a doctor. The typical excuse is that he doesn't have time, he doesn't have insurance, or he just doesn't like hospitals. It's frustrating and upsetting to the family. Not just our immediate family with young children, but to his older children, his parents, my parents, and anyone who cares about him.

I knew that diabetics had an increased risk of skin infections in the legs and feet, but I wasn't aware of the signs and symptoms of sepsis.

So, I'm warning and begging all of you who have loved ones, (that's every one of you) please be aware of the signs and symptoms of sepsis. Sepsis is life-threatening and without timely treatment sepsis can rapidly cause tissue damage, organ failure, and death. Time matters.

Know the signs and symptoms of sepsis

Sepsis signs and symptoms can include one or a combination of the following:

• Confusion or disorientation
• Shortness of breath
• High heart rate
• Fever, or shivering, or feeling very cold
• Extreme pain or discomfort
• Clammy or sweaty skin

Knowing the signs and symptoms of sepsis can save lives. Get Ahead of Sepsis encourages patients, their caregivers, and healthcare professionals to know the risks, spot the signs and symptoms, and act fast when they suspect sepsis.

Sepsis is a medical emergency. If you or your loved one suspects sepsis or has an infection that's not getting better or is getting worse, ask your doctor or nurse, "Could this infection be leading to sepsis?"

To learn more about sepsis and how to prevent infections, visit www.cdc.gov/sepsis.

For more information about antibiotic prescribing and use, visit www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use.

Free Online Homeschool Curriculum Recommendations

Curriculum Recommendations for Online Homeschooling

Whether you're new to homeschooling or you've been doing it for years, you're probably on the hunt for new, exciting, and engaging curriculum ideas. We get bored with the daily grind and change it up from year to year or even season to season. Here's a list of mostly free online homeschool curriculum recommendations that we've used and enjoyed. We've tried MANY other options, but these are our favorites.

This post contains affiliate links.

Free Online Homeschool Curriculum Recommendations.

Brainpop Jr. is my favorite program for younger elementary and preschool. The videos are fun to watch, and the kids always looked forward to using Brainpop Jr. for Homeschooling. 

Brainpop has a an online homeschool for middle school and high school, but we often found topics we wanted only on Brainpop Jr. The upper grade version is nice for supplementing classroom curriculum. If you use the paid version, you have access to more functions and all lessons.

MobyMax is a great online homeschool app to find out where your kids are in their homeschool learning experience. They can take placement tests in all subjects and then the program finds learning gaps and helps kids focus and build on the areas where they may be struggling. The content isn't as fun and engaging as Brainpop. It is a more definitive tool for classroom use, helping teachers to keep all students on track. MobyMax can be used as a supplement or as full homeschool curriculum up to eighth grade.

Khan Academy is (or should be) a household name for homeschoolers. In the beginning, Khan Academy targeted older students and even offered SAT prep. Now, they also offer more curriculum for elementary school. It keeps track of their lessons and lets you know when students are struggling or when they are ready to move to the next level.

The kids prefer Khan Academy math to any other online homeschool math program, but homeschool mom always liked to supplement with free Brainpop math videos to make sure the kids understood the talking points. Khan Academy can get monotonous for day to day homeschooling. Sal does a great job, but it can get a little boring after awhile. We also supplement our Khan Academy math with Life of Fred textbooks. These books are easy to read and tell a fun story while sneaking in practical math lessons.

Now, there are new instructors and new curriculum on KA. My daughter enjoys studying high school and college level psychology and art history through Khan Academy.

My son does well with virtual homeschool. So, for online high school homeschooling, we are sticking with Connections Academy. In Indiana, it is a free online public school. Connections Academy offers group gatherings and field trips. He gets through the assignments quickly (though, I'm told many homeschoolers struggle to get their lessons done on time) so we supplement with weekly enrichment including museum homeschool programs and educational YouTube videos like John and Hank Green's Crash Course in American History.

Sometimes, when he's struggling on a particular topic, (for high school all text books are online) we find a compatible Life of Fred homeschooling book to fll in any gaps. It's nice to have a good, old book that you can hold in your hand and flip through the pages. He enjoys reading them outside while enjoying his hammock.

Sure, Connections Academy has teachers and attendance to keep, but when it's all done, he'll have official transcripts for college. 

I prefer Connections High School to their Elementary program. The elementary program seemed a little too intense. Especially, when you want the freedom of homeschooling. They're still working out the bugs and it gets better every year, in the past, we had to have weekly check ups with the elementary teachers. For high school, signing in and doing your work suffices. As it should...

In 2017, this homeschool mom broke her leg. That made planning homeschool curriculum and doing enrichment activities difficult. So, my daughter was pretty much on her own. She did great with MobyMax (so I could keep up with her learning) and supplementing with YouTube videos of her choosing. But, homeschool mom felt like maybe she was failing her daughter by not being as involved. So, this fall, we are trying something new! Acellus. I stumbled upon Acellus last year when I was laid up in bed. Many other homeschoolers told me it was expensive, but I was sure I found a free or nearly free version. 

But whenever, I looked it up, I found the paid online homeschool version, which seems to be set up like Connections academy, but with a private school fee. That's not for us! I gave up for a while, and recently tried again. It seems they also have a homeschool app which is found on a separate website, PowerHomeschool. The homeschool app differs from the online homeschool version, because the videos are canned - meaning they are pre-recorded 

That's just what we wanted! We like working at our own pace. These videos are similar to videos my daughter finds on YouTube, but these organized by grade level. We'll choose math, science, language arts, foreign language, and music this year. At the time of this posting, the app is $9.99 per month, basically the same as the paid homeschool version of Brainpop. We're looking forward to starting her in the homeschool middle school program this fall. 

The PowerHomemschool website describe the homeschool curriculum like this: "Students proceed through the course in a step-by-step fashion watching a video lesson and then completing assessment problems. Students receive reviews and unit, mid-term, and final exams as they proceed through the course. Learning gaps are assessed and filled as students move through the course concept by concept."

Seems like a fair option to give it a test drive before you jump into their online school curriculum. 

We'll also supplement with Life of Fred fractions and beginning algebra. One thing I've missed the last few years, is doing hands-on science experiments. After previewing the Acellus app's science curriculum, I was excited to try it. With a Google search for online homeschool curriculum, the app is hard to find. They have moved it to a new website with a different name. Find it here: PowerHomeschool

Bottom line, don't break the bank to homeschool. We have SO many books, every year, I'd go out and buy new books. We never got through most of them. Find a free online homeschool curriculum, that works for you and stick with it. Then, supplement with fun enrichment activities and family outings.

We also involve the kids in day to day household concerns. We talk about finances, debt, and even recently including them in every step of the home buying process. That included going to a lender, saving for a down payment, creative ways to find extra money like garage sales, selling off items no longer needed, the highs and lows of Craigslist and eBay, getting a water and septic test at the state level, watching our credit scores, budgeting for groceries, finding ways to cut costs to save for the new house, and even going to a county courthouse to pick up documents needed to close. So many lessons here. At the courthouse, we all had to go through the security, empty our pockets, etc. The next steps, include renovating the new house. 

Family struggles and life lessons are often kept from kids. In my opinion, this tends to give the kids an unrealistic view of what it is like to be a grown up. They can't wait to get out of the house and start their own life, but reality gets in the way of their happiness. Keeping kids life lessons and keeping them in the know, helps them better prepare for the future. Isn't that what homeschooling is all about?

So, what do you think of this list of free online homeschool curriculum recommendations? Do you have something you really love? Tell us about it in the comments or find Kids Creative Chaos on Instagram and chat with us there!

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Need to Get Out of Debt? Make it a Math Lesson!

Homeschool Math: Steps to Get out of Debt 

If you're a busy family trying to make ends meet, you've probably struggled with debt at one time or another. A plan to get out of debt makes a excellent homeschool math lesson for your kids. Don't hide the struggle from them, but don't frighten them with all of the gory details either. If you need to get out of debt, you need a plan. The steps to get out of debt look different for everyone. Everyone has different debt, different income, and a different set of life issues. Talk about a family budget with your kids and then follow the steps below to get out of debt. Everyone working together toward the same goal is the first step on your debt free journey.

Debt to Income Ratio Calculator

You may want to take the steps to get out of debt if you are in the market for a new home. In this case, you'll want to start with a debt to income ratio calculator. Seeing it all laid out before you eyes puts it all in perspective. Where can you save, how can you improve your credit score, and how much money you will need to save. These questions can be overwhelming because the often contradict each other. To buy a new house, you'll want to pay down your debt, but you'll also want to save for a down payment for your home. Which should you do first? How long will it all take? This makes for a relevant and useful homeschool MATH LESSON. Wells Fargo offers instructions on how to figure your debt to income ratio and a free debt to income ratio calculator to check your work. Here's another debt free calculator from CNN.

Credit Score

Start with a credit app like Credit Karma. These aren't completely accurate, but they give you good idea of where you stand in the world of credit scores. You'll also see any negative marks against you. The big credit reporting agencies, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax, allow you to check your scores and dispute anything that you find in error. Sometimes, you might find duplicates or items assigned to you that really belong to someone else. In this case, you'll want to speak to a legal firm that can quickly help you sort it all out. You can do it yourself, but it's much easier to pay for a service to do it for you. Lexington Law is inexpensive and gets the job done quickly and efficiently. You'll want to give yourself at least 3 months of the service (depending on how much work needs done.) They tend to work on one credit reporting agency at a time. It's fun and rewarding to watch your credit score improve. You'll also see weekly dips that will let you know where you need to cut back or do better.

Debt Consolidation

Another option is debt consolidation. This is a great option for people who are overwhelmed by debt collectors calling, sending letters, and generally harassing you for payments. This can make anyone crazy. If you use a service to consolidate your debt, they'll set up a monthly payment and take care of notifying debtors and paying your debts each month. Many people feel overwhelmed at the amount of bills they have to pay and can't keep on top of it all without getting late fees. Rather than paying the debt collectors, some people put their head in the sand and do nothing. This, of course, ruins your credit and your chance for a car or a home in you future. So, if you have difficulty keeping organized letting the professionals deal with your debtors may be the best option for you. You also might want to check into these debt relief services.

Budget

It's better to come up with a long term plan that you can manage than to declare bankruptcy or ignore your obligations. A budget is a great way to stay on top of things. Teaching your kids how you budget the bills is a fun way to teach them about finances. Young adults are often surprised at the cost of utilities and groceries and don't plan for these things when they go to rent or buy a new home. Keep a worksheet of your weekly and monthly expenses on the fridge and let your kids see how that new video games fits into the bigger picture. Get a free printable household budget worksheet pdf.

You can open a child's bank account and connect it to your own. Our bank, sent the kids their own ATM cards for their accounts. I can easily move money from my account to theirs or vice versa if they've earned enough to buy the latest video game. If you aren't comfortable with that, there's nothing like a good old fashioned piggy bank or giant glass bottle to see your pennies adding up while saving for that big item.

So, make it a family affair. There's no better homeschool math lesson than the life lessons based on real life events. The more kids know about the real world, the better they will be able to navigate it as young adults.

Recommended:

More Homeschool Math Lessons

3 Fun Rainbow Cake Recipes for Girl Scouts

How to make a Rainbow Cake for Girl Scouts

Have a Girl Scout? Are you planning a celebration for your Scout Troop? These Rainbow Girl Scout Cakes are made with a box cake mix and American buttercream icing. They are fun to make as a group. They're even more fun to eat! Scroll down to see the easy recipes and learn how to make a Rainbow Cake for a Girl Scout Troop!

This post contains affiliate links.

Girl Scout Logo Cake

This 11x15 Girl Scout cake with American buttercream icing is made with ready made green Wilton fondant and a box of white cake mix. The flowers are made with a number 18 star tip with a white dot of icing in the middle of each. Trace the pattern on a piece of paper and trace it out with edible markers, then cut out with kitchen shears. Easy peasy!

The icing is a homemade whipped buttercream. The Girl Scout cake is an 11x15 Betty Crocker cake mix, but add 3 eggs, 1 stick melted butter, and 1 cup milk instead of following the box directions.

How to Make a Rainbow Cake with Colored Batter

If you want to make your cake batter rainbow colored too, check out this recipe for Rainbow Cake. The Girl Scout Troop will love mixing this one.

• First, mix up cake batter, you can make a white cake from scratch or use your favorite white cake from a box.
• Divide the batter evenly between 6 bowls.
• Add food coloring, stir to combine.
• Pour batter evenly into two 8 inch pans in reverse order. (Darkest colors first.)
• Bake as directed.
• Level the cakes.
• Put icing in between the layers, stack, spread icing on the outside.

A birthday is the perfect excuse to make a rainbow cake, but who needs an excuse? After reading several different tutorials on how to make a rainbow cake and cupcakes, we got started.  First, mix up a box of white cake mix following the package directions, or you can use your favorite homemade cake recipe. Then, involve the Girl Scout Troop. Let them count out the bowls, (you need 1 bowl for each color of the rainbow)  mix in the food coloring. 

Why stop at Rainbow batter and icing, when you can make your cake the shape of a Unicorn? It is easy to make a Rainbow Unicorn Cake too!

How to Make a Rainbow Unicorn Cake Recipe

Use the same cake mix and directions to tweak it as in the Girl Scout Cake above.
This time, use  8" round cake pans.
Fill the pans just over 3/4 way full. (You'll need two cake mixes.)
Wrap the pans with a wet towel strip. (This helps them to rise.)
Ice with the same whipped buttercream as above.
Unicorn horn is an ice cream cone sprayed with Wilton brand gold edible glitter spray.
Ears are pink card stock with a toothpick to hold them in place.
Flowers are made with different size star tips as mentioned above in the logo cake.
For color, use Wilton gel food coloring. Black is Wilton brand gel icing.


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