Grandpa Richard's Kids

Halloween is the best time of the year to scare people and to show off your creativity at the same time. Everybody loves to don on their home-made vampire or witch costumes while they roam around the streets, trick-or-treating. But did you know that you don’t have to try too hard just to get that perfect Halloween look? You can use simple Halloween face paint designs and still look amazing!

You basically don’t have to be a professional painter to do this. As long as you are highly imaginative, then you can certainly paint your way to beautiful Halloween face paint designs. Nevertheless, there are a number of tools that would surely come in handy. You need around 3 to 4 types of brushes, face paints of your choice, and some sponges. The colors will depend on the idea you have in mind. You can go for plain colors, such as black with some lining of silver for that one-of-a-kind evening glow. Or you may settle for something more elaborate, using a wide variety of colors and stick on jewels for a more mystic effect. You can also add some body glitters if you want to sparkle. Even the UV-type face paints are gaining popularity among face painters. Read the rest…

Halloween is probably one of the most anticipated times of the year for children. They love roaming around the neighborhood or attending parties and other special events with elaborate costumes. The boys love superheros and the girls love to transform themselves into princesses, fairies, and pixies. But what they love to do most is to paint their faces. Here are some fabulous and easy-to-do Halloween face painting ideas for your children: Read the rest…

If you are going to celebrate Halloween, then you HAVE to have a pumpkin. If you are going to have a pumpkin, then you HAVE to carve it. However, it can be frustrating to carve one. If you haven’t done very many of them, it’s best to start out with a simple design. The traditional jig-jog smile and triangle eyes and nose are pretty easy for anyone to do.

There are kits that come with patterns, but some of them are a bit labor intensive. There are special pumpkin carving tools, including small saws, that make it much easier and safer, especially for children. It is best to use a sharp knife, as a dull knife is harder to control. Only let older children use knives with supervision. Be sure to always cut away from you so if the knife does slip you are less likely to have an accident. Read the rest…

Another scavenger hunt article from Grandpa Richard. (can you tell that I always liked this activity when I was young? – I still do!)

This next paragraph is a review for my regular readers and you could also read the past articles at (www.grandparichardskids.com/gr-blog/activities/scavenger-hunts/ and www.grandparichardskids.com/gr-blog/activities/more-on-scavenger-hunts/ and www.grandparichardskids.com/gr-blog/activities/hi-tech-scavenger-hunts/.

A scavenger hunt is a fun activity that not only provides a chance for kids to get outside before the weather gets colder, but it can help them think creatively too. There are a few different ways to do a scavenger hunt. Depending on where you live, you can have different kinds of scavenger hunts. If the children are too young to go on their own, you can team them up with older children or adults or even have small teams. Read the rest…

Halloween. What visions come to your head when you see that word. My grand daughter insisted on trying on her costume over a week ago, and the big day was still 5 weeks away! At work I am sure the ladies are starting to plan the parties and contests that we have each year.

What we now know as Halloween has a long and complicated history. It doesn’t come from just one source. It’s a blending of religious rites, superstitions, customs and traditions and has become what we know today as a night of costumes, parties, candy and spooky stories. By combining elements from the Celtic druids from 2000 years ago and the Roman Catholic Church, we have what it is recognized as Halloween. Read the rest…

Fall is a great time to enjoy family activities that you may not have had the opportunity to enjoy during the summer because of the oppressive heat. Now would be a great time to plan a trip to enjoy the great outdoors. Camping, hiking, backpacking, and geocaching are just a few of the activities that would be more enjoyable during the crispness of autumn.

While it’s true that you can go camping during the summer, unless you are able to travel to the mountains where it’s always cooler, it may have been too hot to enjoy the trip. One of the benefits to camping in the fall over the summer is that bugs are less likely to be a problem. You’re also less likely to come across snakes as they will be searching for dens in which to hibernate this winter. Read the rest…

As I write this post there are only 30 days until Halloween. Now, all it takes is a “Boo” and a giggle, and Halloween sky rockets to the top in a list of favourite holidays. The costumes, the spooky fun, the crafts, games, and of course the treats make this holiday perfect for throwing a party. Best of all, with a little imagination your party can be as spooky or tame as you want it to be and everyone will be guaranteed a good time.

Read the rest…

Autumn has officially begun. On some days here in southern Ontario you can already feel the crispness in the air. Cooler weather causes the leaves to change throughout the country. It also encourages people to plan trips to enjoy nature’s beauty. I know that most children enjoy seeing all the colours change, and for younger children, it encourages questions.

Read the rest…

This one is an idea for a scavenger hunt for a group of hi-tech kids.

Needed:

• up to 12 players (assuming the following hardware setup)
• 4 teams of 2 or 3 each
• a internet enabled computer for each team (4 port hubs are cheap and you could get friends to loan you laptops or easy to move desktops)
• list of research questions

Read the rest…

Scavenger hunts are a lot of fun, and there are many variations on the idea. The key to a successful scavenger hunt is to think about who the players will be and make clues and items that will appeal to them. After you decide what type of scavenger hunt you will be having, you need to spend some time coming up with a list of items to collect, or activities to complete.

Here are some fun ideas: Read the rest…