Kids & games: 18 fun ways to choose who goes first

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When playing games with kids — or directing getting the ball rolling — choosing who gets to go first can sometimes take longer than the actual gameplay.

That no longer need be the case thanks to the following fun methods I've gathered for grandmothers and others.

ways to choose who goes first 

Creative Eeny Meeny
When I was...

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Awww-worthy BEARS entertains and inspires (review and activity freebies)

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I usually save movie reviews for Saturdays, but this one I simply must share with you now as Easter weekend is prime time for enjoying a movie with family. BEARS from Disneynature opens tomorrow, so if you're looking for a film both young and old will enjoy for the holiday (or any day), BEARS just might be the ticket.

Bears movie poster

I had the opportunity to...

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Flicks for kids — plus 'Muppets Most Wanted' printables

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I've been sharing movie reviews on Saturdays for quite some time now — and you won't want to miss tomorrow's! — but those I share on Saturdays are pretty much all adult flicks, no kid fare.

We grandparents enjoy kid fare, too, though... right? For the grandkids, of course.

flicks for kids

With that in mind, here are a few...

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More than just a zoo

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I have a love/hate relationship with zoos. I hate that animals are caged and domesticated to a degree simply so we humans can ooh, aah and ogle the once wild — and sometimes rare — creatures.

That's the hate part of it. The love part is the amazement in the eyes of children when they see the creatures up close, as well as my love for photographing such moments. And I love, too, photographing the animals. It's hard to resist the lure of a good zoo.

boys at aquarium

When Jim and I spent some time with Bubby and Mac a couple weeks ago, we visited one zoo that's far more than a zoo...

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Grandma's all-around good sport

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child on park play structureI have a handful of skills that I enjoy sharing with my grandsons, activities I consider myself good at and that I'm happy to encourage them to become good at, too. For them at this age, that's mostly reading, crafting, cooking, playing games plus a few other rather sedate things.

And then there are the skills this not-so-agile grandma...

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Winter wonderland: The Breckenridge Ice Castle

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Though many folks across the country may be tired of cold and snow, the following is a recap of my recent encounter with cold and snow — ice, actually — as you've likely never seen it.

Breckenridge Ice Castle

On Saturday, Brianna, Andrea, Jim and I took advantage of free tickets I received to review the Ice Castle at Breck, one of only three such icy palaces in the country. (If you're in Colorado, be sure to see the giveaway below...

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