Banana Bites!

Here's a picture of the Banana Bites I was talking about in the last post:

We made a batch this morning to bring to an afternoon play date! Should be a hit with the kiddies AND the moms!

Inspiration: Cooking with kids!

My kids often pick cooking or baking as one of their activities. This sometimes ties into the meal they chose and sometime it's just a fun thing to do.  Here what we did last Friday:

My oldest son got this kids cookbook for Christmas. It has great recipes geared towards small children helping in the kitchen.  My oldest child, Maddox, chose to make Banana Bites and my middle child, Carter picked Baked Apples.  In the excitement of making everything, I didn't get pictures of the Banana Bites, only the Baked Apples. I'll post pics of the Banana Bites next time we make them.

Before

After

Carter got so excited when they were done, I didn't think to take a picture until after he had eaten one already! For smaller kids, cut them up and serve with vanilla yogurt! Or if you make them for dessert, serving them with ice cream or Dulce de Leche is awesome. A hit with kids and adults!

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Planning with Purpose

I mentioned in the last post about involving the kids in the planning process. I believe that this is a huge part of what makes Fun Friday such a success in our family.  Here are a few reasons why:


1. It gives your kids the opportunity to have a day where they are in control. If your house is anything like my house, you're in a constant struggle with your kids all week: Your will vs. their will.  This gives them back a little power. They pick what they eat, do and play.  This also is a very useful tool at our daily dinner table. "That's fine if you don't like what's for dinner tonight. You get to chose what we are having on Friday! Until then, you get what is served."


2. It gives you the opportunity to sit back and watch the choices that your kids make.  It's very interesting to see their little minds work. At first my kids were picking all sorts of crazy meals that weren't things I would normally serve for lunch. For example: oatmeal with green beans on the side or cereal with carrot sticks.  Now they have come to realize that those foods really don't taste good together, so they're not as crazy now! The only rule that we do have is that they cannot have candy for meals, but setting limits like that is up to you!


3. If you have more than one child, it gives your kids an chance to work together! Sometimes they get to pick things individually, but sometimes that just isn't feasible. Giving them a chance to pick things together teaches them about compromise and sharing.


4. Everyone loves the anticipation of knowing a little fun is coming their way!  When kids are planning, they are getting excited at every step. Also, kids get stressed too. Knowing some fun is waiting for them at the end of the week can help make it through those harder days.


So join the Fun Friday Revolution and get your kids involved in planning your next Fun Friday!  


Become a Fun Friday Revolution follower because you aren't going to want to miss out on our coming post filled with inspiration and ideas to make the most of your next Fun Friday!

Kids spell love T-I-M-E

Fun Friday began as an idea passed on to me by a friend a few years ago. The idea was simple; set aside one day a week to spend some quality time with the kids. Give yourself permission to let go of the housework for one day and just focus on them.  Every Friday, I let the kids pick the food, the activities and relax the rules around the house a bit - just for the day.  I never imagined how this simple idea would change our lives. We all started to look forward to Friday. Fun Friday made every weekend seem like a long weekend.  I learned things about my kids that I had never noticed before.  You definitely learn fun things about your child when you visit their make believe world for the day. 


"Awesome", you say, "but now what?" Here are a few tips for getting started:


#1. Make a plan! 
Plan which Friday will be your first Fun Friday and announce it to the kids ahead of time (Warning: chose wisely as once you do, your kids will do nothing but ask you, "Is it Friday yet?!") Explain what it is. Get them involved - that part is crucial and I'll explain more later about why it's so important to involve them in the planning.


#2. Be Prepared!
Do whatever shopping is required ahead of time. Fun Friday does not have to be expensive. You've got to eat anyway, so letting the kids pick the food shouldn't cost you anything extra on your grocery bill.  If you planned a craft, the dollar store has a great selection of supplies.


#3. Execute!
Let the fun begin. Wake up on Friday knowing that you are going to make some awesome memories with your kids that day!


Be fun. Be creative. Stuck for ideas? Stay tuned as I'll be posting some great ideas you can use for your next Fun Friday!