For a few weeks now I have been tweeting, yes tweeting, tips on how to entertain a boy or a child. Each tweet is posted every morning at 8:30 PST. You can find us on Twitter under @theboysstore

Providing a daily tip seemed to be a fairly easy task when the idea first came up. I pulled out my laptop and started writing a long list of tips. Coming up with a number of projects, activities and ideas for a daily tip was the easy part.

The next challenge was reducing each one to a 140 characters. What seemed like a unusually large number of tips just required too many characters to fit and ended up by the wayside. Now I could have stopped there and just given up the whole idea. Instead I took a deep breath and dove into the challenge which has now become a game to try and keep these coming for as long as possible.

I met my first goal and made it through the first week. Twitter does come with one big draw back; the flurry of activity makes it almost impossible to find a tweet that was posted just a few days back. Here is a compilation of my first fifteen tweeter tips (140 characters or less):

1. Build a totem pole out of paper roll or empty spools. Decorate with feathers, paper beaks, brass paper fasteners as claws, googly eyes
2. Use stacked potato slices to make a chart to show altitude changes such as lines on topographical maps. Simple geography lesson
3. Bend a wire hanger into a circle. Use cheesecloth, mosquito netting to make a net. Catch butterflies, moths. Examine them. Release

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It is raining outside and you are at the end of your rope. Your boys have a whole set of complaints ranging from: “I’m bored” to “he hit me”.

This is the perfect time to keep them occupied with a craft project. Here are some general suggestions and tips for a successful craft day.

1. Always begin by first reading the entire instructions.
2. Make sure you have all the necessary materials on hand.
3. Rubber cement and white glue are some of the best all around adhesives.
4. Use glasses, plates to trace circles if you don’t have a compass.
5. Score heavy paper that needs to be folded by running a blunt knife along a ruler.
6. Use books as paper weights you can protect the book by first laying a clean sheet of paper on the item to be pressed.
7. Keep craft days in mind and collect potential craft supplies in a box.
8. Shop thrift store for useful items such as beads, construction paper, wall paper remnants, ribbons, magazines, colorful plates (for mosaics) and more.
9. Don’t be afraid to improvise, you might be pleasantly surprised with your results.
10. Most importantly have FUN.

As a family we have set aside a few week-ends every winter to get together and make crafts. We have created personalized Christmas decorations for friends and family. Made unique race cars and hosted a race at the end of the day. I am always pleased with the creativity, innovative ideas each “Family Craft Day”.

As the day winds down we draw names to assign each person to a clean-up task. This system makes easy work of getting the “craft” table cleared up and leaves me with a much less daunting cleaning task. Continue reading »

Backpacking with your boys is a rare opportunity to really get to know them. When you are away from cell phones, computers and TVs, you get that opportunity for one-in-one time, while your kid’s get lo learn a thing or two about nature and personal responsibility.

What to bring? – the first rule of backpacking is “keep it simple” and the second rule is “keep it light”. Start with a backpack and a tent, followed by a sleeping bag and a lightweight pad for each of you. Bring a backpacking stove and a water filter. Add a bowl, cup and spoon for each person. Don’t forget a small first aide kit.

When it comes to clothes, there is a third rule “kids get dirty, but it doesn’t matter”. Here are is a list of the essentials:

• A pair of shorts, and a pair warm pants -or better yet, a convertible pair of hiking pants
• A short-sleeved shirt
• A fleece shirt
• A rain jacket
• A bandana – it will serve multiple uses
• Hiking boots or other comfortable shoes
• Sandals or crocs for around camp
• Two pairs of socks

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