Managing Mischief Night Like a Pro

Did you know that October 30th is Mischief Night? We did and while we do our best to be good, I can’t say the same about my kid’s aunt and uncle.

It has now been two years running and they have taken it upon themselves to be the self-proclaimed King and Queen of Mischief Night. Armed with rolls and rolls or toilet paper, silly string, and window markers, this band of mischiefs ran all around the area causing mayhem leaving a path of T.P. behind them all along the way.

Surprisingly, I am totally okay with it. I think it is all in good fun, and the memories these kids are making are priceless. My son didn’t even want to participate because ya know Santa is always watching and there are some toys he is really wanting to get for Christmas. We made sure he knew before he left that there would be no worries from Santa and that he will probably think it’s hilarious to prank our family.

The clean up wasn’t as fun. I spent the next morning, bundled up and filled up FIVE grocery bags of toilet paper. Maybe next time my wife shouldn’t bash their T.P.ing skills, because maybe we would have gotten off a little lighter than what we did. Either way, the kids had an amazing time with their aunt and uncle making some awesome memories.

@dadstl

Cleaning up the 🧻 from the mischief makers last night! #mischiefnight #halloween #halloween2021 #toiletpaper #tp music by missouri mobile productions

♬ original sound – dadSTL

Clean up has been completed and the Halloween candy has been handed out. The ghosts and goblins of the spooky month of October have gone back home and will do their spooky thing until October rolls around in 22. I am so thankful for wonderful family that enjoys doing silly stuff with the kids, because anything else would just be rather boring.

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Fun Activities To Do With Your Kids

There are many ways to have fun with your kids and enjoy each other’s company. However, in the moment it can sometimes be difficult to think of what to do or how to spend your time.

The following list will provide you with ideas you can turn to when you’re looking for fun activities to do with your kids. Mix it up so you’re always keeping the days interesting and entertaining. Remember that it’s not only about what you’re doing but that you’re fully engaged and present when you’re having fun with your kids.

Go Sightseeing or on A Road Trip

One fun activity to do with your kids is to go sightseeing or on a road trip together. Hop in the car and check out new landscapes and landmarks. Before you head out, you’ll want to ensure your vehicle is in good working condition and reliable. One idea is to look over your tires and check out wheels and tyres packages that are available if they need to be replaced. The right tires will not only keep you safe on the road but can enhance the look and style of your vehicle as well. Be sure to bring your camera with you because there will likely be many opportunities to capture these special moments and sights with your children.

Head to the Zoo

Another fun way to spend the day with your kids is to take them to the zoo and go learn about and visit the various animals that are there. They’ll love seeing the different animals and it’ll be good exercise for you all to walk around the park and area. Be sure to bring along some extra spending money for food and snacks that you can enjoy together when you’re ready to take a break. Also, wear plenty of sunscreen to stay protected from the harsh sun rays if the weather is nice. Your kids will have a great time and will always remember the fun they had at the zoo.

Arts & Crafts

You can also consider pulling out the arts and crafts at home when you’re bored and looking for something to do. It may help to keep a box of items you can pull out whenever you’re feeling creative and want to dive into some projects. It’s a great way to spend a rainy day and a chance to just relax and enjoy seeing what your kids make and all the artistic talents they have. Join in with them to create your own masterpiece or be there to help guide them when they have questions. Ask your kids about what types of arts and crafts activities they learn and do at school so they can show you at home.

Play Games & Watch Movies

You may want to pop in some good movies when you want to relax with your kids. See what mood they’re in and have a good laugh together if you want to watch a funny option. Before or after the movie you can also pull out the board games and play a few of your favorite selections to pass the time. You might have so much fun that you’ll want to schedule a regular movie and game night each week. Make your favorite snacks, put on your comfortable clothes, and turn on the fire for an enjoyable night in with your kids.

Cook & Bake

Kids love to be creative and to experiment in the kitchen. They watch you cook all the time and may want to join in on the fun. Therefore, an enjoyable activity you can do with your kids when you have the time is to cook and bake yummy treats. Start easy and challenge yourselves to more complicated recipes as time passes and you improve your skills. It’s an excellent way to get them to help out with planning your dinners and meals. After you’re finished, you can all sit down and have a nice meal as a family. Don’t forget to bake a delicious dessert you can all indulge in after you’re done eating dinner.

Play Outdoors

It’s always favorable to spend time outdoors and get some fresh air. It’s good for your mental health and running around will also benefit your physical health. There are many fun activities you can do as a family outside. For instance, maybe you want to play sports, play on the playground at the local park or go for a walk or hike. If you have a dog, then be sure to get them outside so they can join in on all the fun with you and your kids. Remember to stay hydrated with a lot of water if it’s warm outside.

Read Books

Reading books is another fun activity you can do with your kids and a great way to spend your free time. There are many fun and interesting kid’s books out there that you can read together. Reading books is good for your children because it’s an opportunity for them to learn and practice their reading and comprehension skills. If you’re feeling up for it you may even want to take a quick trip to the library and read some books in the peace and quiet as a family. You may find additional books at the library you want to check out and take home as well.

Conclusion

These fun activities will have you enjoying one another’s company and laughing and having a good time as a family. Keep this list handy so that you can refer to it whenever you have a little extra time to fill or want to keep your kids entertained and preoccupied on the weekends. Let your kids have a say in what you do too so that you’re all engaged and excited about being together and participating in an activity. These are just a few ideas to get you started thinking on the right path. You may want to add to this list as time goes on and you find more fun and exciting ways to spend time with your kids and as a family.

This post is a collaborative effort by St. Louis Dad.

October Surprises!

What a month! It was so jammed packed with fun that it took me an extra nine days just to write this post! Okay, not really, but October was a good month for candy, costumes, and more! Check out my October 2020 wrap-up below.

We kicked off October with #inktober2020. Abby, Alex, and I each did 31 different illustrations through-out the month of October using prompts provided by Inktober. It was a lot of fun sitting with the kids and doing our drawings each night. There were lots of fun and interesting ideas brought to the table by each of us. Check out my Instagram at dadSTL and Abby’s Instagram at AbbyDoodlesArt to see all of our awesome work!

One of the sadder days of October had us spending the day packing up and moving some of my mom’s stuff. My mom was a wonderful person and had so many ideas and projects, unfortunately she teetered on the line of hoarding. So this move was definitely a big project, one that is far from finished, but we made a big dent. There were a lot of memories packed away. We will eventually make our way through all of the boxes, it will just take some time.

In other crazy October news, a marina that I do web design work for caught on fire. That was a very interesting day.

Union Station had their Halloween Experience, so we had to check that out. It was a lot of fun and the kids had an absolute blast. Union Station has some of the coolest events during the various holidays. We are super excited for the new Polar Express setup this year. It looks so fun and unique compared to previous years!

Pumpkin painting, pumpkin patches, and trunk-or-treats filled up a few weekends for us. Halloween is always a great time of year to get together with family and start celebrating the end of the year! I think this year we did three different trunk-or-treats, one at a car dealership, one at a car show, and one at a church! We went to the Eagle Fork pumpkin patch this year as well, and to top it all off the kids even got to go trick-or-treating this year!

The night before Halloween was even a fun one for the kids. Mischief night as it is known to some, Devil’s night as known by others. The kids stayed with their mischievous aunt and uncle and decided to go out and cause mayhem as they toilet papered our house and sped off into the night!

This year the kids decided to dress up as Negan from The Walking Dead and Harley Quinn. I decided to dress up as the great and all powerful sorcerer. It was a lot of fun, I even read some tarot cards and predicted a few futures!

Finally, as Halloween came to a close, so did Daylight Savings and the time decided to fall back. So on the day after Halloween, we decided to smash our pumpkins for what will become a yearly tradition! Using a baseball bat, golf clubs, and a few other creative ideas the kids and I spent a couple hours smashing some pumpkins and then tossing the bits and pieces into our compost.

And there you have it! St. Louis Dad’s October! I am sure there is more, but I am getting old and tired, and it’s about time for my nap.

Mad Science Virtual STL Summer Camps!!!

It’s that time of year again, when schools are out and summer starts peeking it’s head out from behind the Arch. With school ending this year in a dramatic fashion all across the region, I have started to see exciting new opportunities pop up for kids to still have fun and participate in fun and engaging programs from the safety of their living rooms.

This summer your children can participate in some very exciting virtual summer camps provided by Mad Science STL!

During the month of June Mad Science STL is offering 4 different virtual summer camps. The camps run 3 hours each day for 5 days. A total of 1-1.5 hours is spent on an active Zoom call, but that time is not consecutive.

The time on zoom call will be spent watching experiments, learning about different science concepts, listening to instructions, and discussing what your children think and what they’ve learned.

The time off the zoom call is spent doing the activities and experiments. The majority of materials are provided by Mad Science, parents can choose to either pick up materials from our office or have them delivered/mailed for $7.50! A bargain if you ask me!!!

Other materials parents will need to provide are fairly commonplace materials such as a cup, a book, or a piece of paper. While campers are working on their activities, the Mad Scientist will be available to chat and provide clarification as needed.

Mad Science STL is offering 4 different Virtual Camps for the Month of June. Space Alien Traveler, Rocketry, and Secret Agent Lab are open to rising K-5th graders. Our 4th camp is Mad Inventors and is open to rising 2nd-5th grades.

For most campers, they should be able to participate independently, but for Rocketry, Kindergarteners and 1st graders will need help from a parent or older sibling. 

A little more about the different camps…

Space Alien Travelers June 1st-5th: Take on the role of a space alien visiting earth for the first time. Find out about how earth’s sports work. Explore the animals and nature on earth. Learn how humans communicate with secret messages. Discover how earthlings can protect their planet. Finally, it’s time to take off into space to return home as we explore space!

In this camp, campers will explore nature, physics, space, and secret messages. All of the experiments and activities will relate back to the campers being Aliens, exploring the mysteries of Earth.

A young mad scientist waiting to see what happens!

Rocketry Camp: June 8th-12th Your child’s in for an action-packed week focused entirely on rockets and the physics of rocket flight! After learning the model rocket safety code, campers will build different types of rockets and watch exciting rocket launches. We recommend this camp for children entering 2nd – 5th grade; however, children entering kindergarten and 1st grade will enjoy it as well with a little more help from a grownup at home. Note: If you wish to for your child to launch their own rockets (with adult supervision), you will need to purchase a launch kit from an online source or hobby shop. All fueled launches during camp will be virtual.

Campers will learn about different parts of rockets. They’ll also learn about NASA and how launched rockets are recovered. (K-1 campers will need help from a parent or older sibling)

Secret Agent Lab June 15th-19th: Ever dream of becoming a secret agent? We’ll start with the basics: Campers will get their very own spy glasses! Step into the shoes of a detective as you uncover the science involved in evidence gathering and analysis! Figure out the science of forensics in a hands-on look at crime scenes! Become a super spy and learn clever ways of performing tasks as we take a hands-on investigation of the science that spies use!

Campers will create secret message, find clues, gather evidence, and learn all about spy technology.

Mad Inventors June 22nd-26th: Creative Contraption Warning! This is a camp designed by you–the Inventor! Each day you’ll be given a series of challenges which must be overcome using basic materials, simple machines, tips from the world of famous inventors, and the most important thing of all–your mind. With a little bit of ingenuity, you’ll construct catapults and forts and then lay siege, fabricate a winning design and assemble a working light saber. While Thomas Edison said invention is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration, this camp is 100% fun!

Campers will create duct tape castles to defend, explore hovercrafts, and learn about all different types of flight. This camp is full of creativity!

Be sure to sign up today with Mad Science STL as spaces are filling up quickly! Check out their social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and elsewhere for more info and to see some amazing photos, projects, and interviews!