Showing posts with label Fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fun. Show all posts

Friday, August 22, 2014

Guest Blog Post on Some Fun Road Trips

I am in denial that summer is over. There is still some fun weekends and Labor day weekend to squeeze in some fun adventures. If you want to plan something fun for your family, then today's guest blog post is perfect. Whitney has some fun places to visit all within a 6 hour drive of Salt Lake City.
3 Fun Summer Road Trips You Most Likely Haven’t Enjoyed Yet
Author: Whitney Hollingshead
Utah is home to some pretty incredible natural and manmade attractions. If Utah is also home to your family, you don’t have to venture far to find adventure. This year, however, you may want to consider venturing out into some of the nearby states to explore some unchartered territory. Here are three great family friendly destinations that may be new to your family. All three locations are within a six hour car drive from Salt Lake City.

Destination: Bruneau Dunes State Park, Idaho
Hours from Salt Lake City: 5
What to Do:
Sandboard on the Dunes - bring along your snowsled or rent a sandboard from the visitor’s center at the park. You can also hike on and around the dunes and play in the sand. Keep in mind that the sand will most likely be hot on a hot summer day so plan accordingly. Everyone will be covered in sand afterward, so have a plan to deal with the sand.
Star Gaze at the Observatory - special events at the public observatory in the park offer some great star gazing opportunities. Check out the park events schedule and check the weather forecast.
Camp in the State Park - plan to stay the night and pitch your tent. Your family can enjoy fishing, swimming, hiking, and bird watching. Bring along some kites and make the most of the Idaho wind!
Road Trip Tip: The drive through northern Utah and southern Idaho has little to hold the attention of children. Pack some extra car games, activities, fun music, and even audio books to keep the whole family relaxed and entertained.

Destination: Glenwood Springs, Colorado
Hours from Salt Lake City: 6
What to Visit:
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park - ride up the mountain on the gondola tram. Get your heart racing on one of the thrill rides like the Cliffhanger roller coaster. Take in a 4D movie experience with moving seats and challenge the family to a game of laser tag. You should also check out the cave tours included in some of the ticket packages.
Hanging Lake - take the short, steep, hike beginning in Glenwood Canyon. Hanging Lake was formed by glaciers suspended at the edge of the canyon. This lake boasts stunning waterfalls, a lake full of trout, and crystal clear water.
Glenwood Hot Springs Pool - visit the world’s largest hot springs pool. You can swim in the warm mineral water pool the length of a football field. The kids can enjoy the kiddie pool and two waterslides.
Road Trip Tip: Pack a separate bag to stay in the car at all times. Keep an extra simple change of clothes for each family member, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, and a first aid kit. This will help you be ready for the unexpected while you are out having fun. You should also consider stocking up on simple snacks to eat in the car. Doing so will save you time and money when you need to stop for gasoline.

Destination: Thermopolis, Wyoming
Hours from Salt Lake City: 6
What to Visit:
Wyoming Dinosaur Center - visit the dinosaur museum showcasing over 30 mounted dinosaurs, hundreds of displays and dioramas, and a modern preparation laboratory. You can also tour nearby dig sites and see actual excavation of real dinosaur bones from the ground. Special programs are also offered that allow you and your kids to participate in real fossil digs! These special programs do require signing up in advance.
Star Plunge Pool Complex - Thermopolis is home to the Hot Springs State Park. These hot springs are used to heat the local swimming pools. Take the plunge into one of the indoor or outdoor pools. Test out your tricks on the diving board or head down one of the three fast-paced water slides. The adults can relax in an adults-only sauna and there is also a separate kiddie pool.
Legend Rock Petroglyph Site - Hike to one of the most impressive petroglyph areas in the world. In order to visit the site, you must first obtain a key form the Thermopolis-Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce in Thermopolis.
Road Trip Tip: Make sure your car is in great condition for your trip. Take care of any needed tune ups or repairs. You may want to consider having your tires checked and rotated before you head out as well. If you have been planning to buy a new car for your family, buying one before your big trip might be the perfect time to make the purchase. Be sure to check out online specials from local dealers to see if you can find what you are looking for and stay on budget.
Summer is the perfect time for exploring. Plenty of time is still available to enjoy a short trip to one of these fun destinations. So clear your calendar, pack the car, and take your family on a summer trip they’ll remember forever.

Monday, May 19, 2014

Tum-E Yummies & Color Vibe 5k Giveaway


I am so excited for the race this weekend, I can't wait. I also can't wait to announce the winner for the race this weekend. I loved some of the ideas you shared for how you would color your world for the race. Using random.org the winner is...

#4       2ManyBells

"One way I encourage my kids to run is to have a yummy destination point. We live 1/2 from a Great Harvest & smoothie shop. When we up it to 1 mile, we park at the store, run home and back to the shop. It seems to motivate them more.  
I definitely think you should run with goggles for the race!"

Make sure to send me an email ( utahqueenofchaos@gmail.com) within the next 48 hours so I don't have to pick a new winner. I hate doing that! Don't be shy share your pictures with me from the race this weekend or any other Color Vibe race. 

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Guest Post on Family Friendly Projects

With spring break around the corner I was wanting some new, fun and fresh ideas to keep the kids and family entertained. Luckily Mary Kremer is our gust writer today to give us some fun ways to keep our family busy. That's the key right? To not let them get too bored, otherwise it's usually Trouble (that's right, with a capital T ;) Mary   Kremer  loves traveling, writing, and learning. In here spare time, she enjoys bugging her husband with everything that's on her mind just as he's about to sleep.




As a proud aunt, I’ve been trying lately to come up with unique and fun activities I can try with 

my nieces and nephews. I see it as “parent training.” Plus, I love being their favorite. This year, 

I came up with a couple different options that I thought would be really fun to try out (and share 

with all of you). Here are a few potential ideas for you to try out as the weather gets nicer.



Paper Airplane Contest

This one was one of my favorites because, not only was it super easy to plan, but my nieces 

and nephews really loved it. All you need is paper, and a few different models of airplanes to 

try out. I googled some instructions for different paper airplanes so that I could try putting them 

together with the older kids. When we had put them together, we went to a nearby park and had 

a little contest. All you need here is some tape to mark the distance each plane goes. Or, you 

can make several markers and see who can get past the furthest one. 

I also thought it would be fun to make some giant airplanes from poster paper...Oh yeah. You 

better believe they loved that one. If you want to get even more creative, you can let your little 

ones color their airplanes before starting, so each one is personalized. You might also want to 

break up your contests by age, if you have a large age range.


Foam Swords

This one was my husband’s idea (I wasn't surprised), but it was actually quite a favorite of 

the kids. Now, you can go all out when it comes to foam swords, and use PVC pipe to make 

handles and everything, but all we ended up doing what giving everyone a foam noodle and a 

cardboard cutout for a sword. The results were fantastic. If you want to step it up, take everyone 

to a park and divide up into teams. Have everyone pick a fortress and then send them all to war. 

Also, make sure they know not to go for face shots, or you might find out the hard way that kids 

think their faces are indestructible.



Hatch some Chickens

I’ll admit, this one cost a lot more than the other activities, but it was SO FUN! And everyone 

had a blast. What you’ll need to do this project is an incubator and some eggs. You can buy 

larger incubators, or you can do what we did and get a really small one that works for 2-3 

chicken eggs. We found one of those on Ebay for $30, and we bought the chicken eggs for 

about $4 each. 

This activity was also a bit longer than our other ones (say, oh, three weeks, instead of an 

afternoon), but I can’t tell you how much fun it was. Our nieces and nephews called us at least 

every day for an update, and we even decided to send out photo updates by phone and email 

to their parents every day. Taking care of the eggs was pretty basic. I called a local incubating 

company for tips (shout out to Incubator Warehouse for all their help), and was surprised out 

how simple the whole process was. And, as adorable as it was watching those fluffy little chicks 

come out, it was nothing to the faces of those adorable kids.

 I think I’d like to try this activity in conjunction with Easter, as it seems like there are a 

lot of great parallels to draw. Either way, it was a great activity to try at any time of the year, and 

one we’ll definitely repeat.




Thanks Mary for those fun idea's. I have actually wanted chickens my self. Hopefully soon we will finish our fence so I can get some. 

Monday, February 3, 2014

Year of Firsts- Family Game Night




The other day I was watching a show and it hit me, I had never played Hungry Hippos with my kids! With my daughters birthday coming up I thought what a perfect gift for her. Then just a few hours after that thought a friend was cleaning out her house and had some things she was getting rid of. I decided to peek and see if there was anything we needed and there it was- Hungry Hippos. Free game of Hungry Hippos? Yes please! Not only was there that, there was one other classic game my kids have never played... Twister. I was so excited I couldn't even wait till my daughters birthday.  Well we played Hungry Hippos all day, and for Friday night, family night we played Twister.



 
 
The kids loved both the game and being the spinner. It was a fun way to reinforce left and right with our 5 year old. Especially when you get all twisted up like that. In the end it was a winner for my family. Now if I could just get them to fold it up and not have it out all the time.
 

 
What game from your childhood have your kids never played? Try browsing the game section and find something new. New games are a great way to add to your year of firsts. Maybe invite some friends over to enjoy a game night too. Tell them you'll have the food and they can bring something new to play. We love learning new games.
 

Queen of Chaos