Tag Archives: parenting

Children in the Kitchen

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by Pat Lamb (author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available at Amazon online, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com.

Train up a child…

Children in the Kitchen

         It is a good idea to get children in the kitchen as early as possible to begin teaching them some basics of food handling.  After all, we all have to eat to survive and someone has to prepare the food, so everyone—both girls and boys—need to learn to prepare food.

         Children can help with small tasks at a very early age.  They can help set the table for meals, stir things like salads, and even wash some pans.  Even if some of the work has to be done over, they are beginning to learn.

         One of the first things to teach young children about cooking is cleanliness.  They need to be taught to always wash hands before handling food.  A good way to help them be thorough with washing their hands is to have them sing the Happy Birthday Song while rubbing hands with soap and water.  When they have scrubbed for the duration of the song, they hopefully have clean hands.  Small children usually have dirt under the fingernails and they need to be taught to use a brush or other instrument to remove the dirt.  In addition, they need to be taught not to touch the hair, nose, face, or anything that might have germs while working with food.

         Here is an easy recipe that even small children can do.  The nice thing about it is that they can use it like play dough to be creative in making animals, etc. and then enjoy eating it.  It is a nutritious food that is especially good for children who are not allergic to peanuts or are not obese.  

Edible Play Dough (Cookies)

1 cup powdered milk

1 cup peanut butter

½ cup honey

(A non-breakable bowl would be best to use to mix the ingredients.)

Combine dry powdered milk, peanut butter, and honey in bowl.  Mix with hands until smooth.  

Make animals, people, or funny shapes.  Eat the results.

(Be sure the surface area is clean when making the shapes.  To make fur on animals, roll in coconut.  Raisins can be used for eyes.)

         Even though many parents buy toy kitchen equipment for children to play with, I always preferred to let my children work in a real kitchen.  I never saw the wisdom of spending all that money on toy cabinets, dishes, pans, etc. when the real thing was available for the children.  Children love to have grown-ups spend time with them.  What better way to spend time with the children than in the kitchen making something useful?

Teaching Children to do their Share of Work

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available at Amazon on line, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

Teaching Children to do their Share of Work

         There is dignity in hard work.  There is an inner joy that can be obtained no other way than simply straining to do a job well and then knowing the satisfaction of having done just that.  The work ethic is missing in many places in our country.  We desperately need to teach our children not only the pleasure found in doing hard work, but the responsibility that each of us has to contribute to the betterment of the situations in which we find ourselves. How to accomplish this task is a real challenge, but it can be done.

         We must start when children are very young– even as early as toddler age– teaching the value of hard work. When a toddler picks up a toy and puts it away, that toddler needs to be praised.  As mommy and daddy help the young child pick up all toys and put them away, the parents can talk about how nice it is to have a clean room and how good it feels to see how pretty everything looks when toys are put away in the right places.  Even a young toddler notices how hard mommy and daddy work and at this age, they want to help.  Little children like to help hold the vacuum cleaner with parents and even try to sweep the floor.  Parents need to capitalize on this interest and let children help as much as possible.

         As children leave the toddler stage, chores need to be assigned and children need to be made to understand that they have a role to play in keeping the household running smoothly.  At all ages, children need to have responsibilities and be held to those responsibilities.  To yell at children and force them to do things beyond their ability will simply make them hate to work.  Keeping chores assigned commensurate with their ability and expressing satisfaction at jobs well done, will go a long way toward helping them experience pleasure in work.  

         Too much praise for normal expectations of a child is not good.  There are some things in life we need to do whether we receive praise or not.  Too much praise may cause a child to think that they don’t have to do something unless they receive a reward.  Also, in my opinion money should not be given to do regular chores.  Children have a responsibility to do their part without pay.  It is good to give an allowance simply to teach a child to plan and make purchases wisely for needs and wants, but not for doing things that they should do as their responsibility in the home.

         I know a personnel manager of a company who told me that he loved to recruit from College of the Ozarks because those kids had a work ethic that was better than students at other places where he recruited. In the past, this part of the country has been known for its work ethic.  If our children are to not only succeed, but perhaps even survive in the future, they are going to have to know how to work.  It is a good idea to talk to children before they go back to school this fall and tell them how important it is for them to work hard at their school work and learn all they can to prepare themselves for their future.

         Ideally, a child will learn to “pitch in” and help any time help is needed anywhere when s/he is able.  To let children go for years just having fun with no responsibilities, and then when they are grown expect them to suddenly change and be responsible, simply doesn’t make sense.  Children must be required to work and be responsible in order to learn responsibility.  It isn’t automatic!

Where’s the Beef??

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble online, and www.patlambchristianauthor.com.

Train up a child…

Where’s the Beef??

         Many of us are familiar with the commercial that was so popular a few years ago where a little old lady demanded to know “Where’s the beef?” She was referring to hamburgers in the commercial.  I am reminded of this commercial many times when I view some of the children’s programs and books that are available now.  I keep wondering, “Where’s the meat?”  It seems that much of what is being done with children now tends to be more entertaining than contain real value for children.  That is not to say that children should not be entertained and have fun while learning.  Of course, most children like fun, but the real objective should be the teaching of values and information with the fun part as a by-product or side issue.  There are times in life when we have to do things that are not fun and children need to learn that principle.

         Our present-day society provides so much entertainment for children that often we feel that we must compete in order to keep the attention of a child. This leads to shallowness when dealing with serious topics. It is difficult to hold attention of children very long, so we find ourselves dancing, shouting, or doing whatever it takes to keep their attention.  Some of this is fine, but there are times when a child needs to simply learn to sit still and listen.  We sometimes tend to glide over some things simply to get through the lesson.  

         There was a time, when I taught kindergarten, that parents brought children to me and said, “You have my permission to spank him!”  Can you see that happening now?  Teachers walk a thin line trying to get children to learn without upsetting them.  Children are aware of the fact that teachers are not allowed to spank and many take advantage of this fact.  In many cases, if students thought they could be spanked, the spanking would not be necessary.  As teachers walk this thin line, they know they cannot demand children perform past a certain point or the child and the parents will get upset.  This forces the teacher to let the child get by with things that prevent the depth of learning they need.  

         In church situations, teachers and leaders have to deal with the fact that a child may not return to church if made to behave appropriately.  Many parents do not require their children to attend church and leave it up to the child to decide.  This fact forces church workers to have to be very careful not to upset a child by providing discipline for proper behavior. At the same time, we have to remember that the whole purpose of getting a child to church is to teach that child ways of behavior pleasing to Jesus. When we fail to do that, we are actually teaching a child by default that it is alright to misbehave.

Children now have colorful books that talk or even smell when you scratch them.  Some books have fold-outs with hidden things beneath.  Much of this is great.  It would be even better if values for living were incorporated in the text, but often they are flat when it comes to a story plot. Since teachers and leaders of children are so restricted, we really need to choose the materials carefully that contain “meat” for children. Those working with children need to choose movies, games, and activities that do not only fill up time, but actually teach what children need to know. They also need to require behavior acceptable to Christ, but it must be required in a loving way.

Let’s remember that children have real problems and they need real solutions to those problems.

Teaching Children to Respect “Old Glory”

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com)

Train up a child…

Teaching Children to Respect “Old Glory”

         My husband and I have been surprised on many occasions to note that many children do not know how to say the pledge of allegiance correctly.  I have noted children who do not know which hand to use.  Many young men do not know to remove their caps when the pledge is said.  I dare say that many probably do not know what the words “pledge” and “allegiance” truly mean.  Also, many children do not know what our national anthem is.  There are many adults, as well as children, who think “America, the Beautiful” is the national anthem. Children need to be taught these things.  It might help develop their respect for our flag if they knew the story of how our national anthem, the “Star Spangled Banner”, was written.

         Our national anthem was written by Francis Scott Key.  He was born in 1779 in western Maryland, just a few years after our Declaration of Independence was signed.  His family was very wealthy and owned an estate called “Terra Rubra”.  When he was ten years old, his parents sent him to a grammar school in Annapolis, Maryland, and he graduated at age 17. He then studied to be a lawyer.  He was a deeply religious man and was active in the Episcopal Church.  He was asked to help negotiate the release of a prisoner from the British during the war of 1812.  He was actually on a ship headed back for Maryland with the released prisoner when the British attacked Ft. McHenry.  The ship was stopped until the end of the attack on the fort and from the ship, the attack was observed.  It was from this ship that Francis Scott Key looked to see if our American flag was still standing after the British withdrew the attack.  He was happy to see the flag was still there and he took pen and paper and wrote the poem that became the words to the national anthem.

         The British had bombarded Ft. McHenry for 25 hours and finally decided they could not capture it and withdrew.  The poem written by Francis Scott Key was originally named “The Defense of Ft. McHenry”.  It was handed out as a handbill and the public fell in love with it.  It was renamed “The Star Spangled Banner” and became a song. It wasn’t until 1931 that it became the national anthem.

         After the war, Francis Scott Key continued to live a very religious life.  Because of his religion, he had been against the war of 1812, but he did serve in the war in the Georgetown artillery in 1813 because he loved his country so much.  On January 11, 1843, while visiting his daughter in Baltimore, he died of pleurisy.  There are monuments to him at Ft. McHenry, the Presidio in San Francisco, in Baltimore and Frederick, Maryland.

         If children can be helped to understand the love that Francis Scott Key had for our country and our flag, they will better love and respect them both.  There are many good books in public libraries that can be checked out to give more information about our flag and country.  It is worth the time and effort to use these with children.

Children Need to Learn Personal Responsibility

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com)

Train up a child…

Children Need to Learn Personal Responsibility

         “The government should buy each of us an electronic dictionary.”

         “They’re all a bunch of crooks!”

         “The President should__________.”

         “The only jobs there are are those old crappy jobs.” 

“The government doesn’t give us enough money to live on, 

The above are all true comments heard in GED class when I was teaching.  They clearly indicate a lack of understanding of how our government is supposed to be a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people”.  “We, the people,” not “They, the people” are responsible for what happens in our country.

         Children need to be taught at an early age to accept personal responsibility as citizens for self and others.  Without this teaching, people become like leeches, living off the lives of others.  

         Children need to see their parents go vote.  Children need to hear their parents talk civilly about the candidates and their policies.  Children need to understand that our founding fathers set up a government with checks and balances making the congressmen and congresswomen as responsible as the president for decisions that are made.

         I have found that very few of the students I have taught knew the three branches of the government: executive, legislative, and judicial.  They did not know that the Senate and House of Representatives make up Congress.  They did not know that there are two Senators from each state and that Representatives are elected according to population based on the census every ten years. Further, they did not know the meaning of checks and balances, a system set up by the founders of our country to make sure that no one branch of government has too much power.  Had they known about the system of checks and balances, they would have known that the president cannot be solely blamed for mistakes nor can he solely take credit for successes.  In fact, the president can do very little alone.  Understanding this fact would make more people take greater consideration in the Senators and Representatives they vote for.  

         Children need to be taught that all money coming from Washington, D.C., must first go there, and that taxpayers are the ones who send it there.  They need to be told that they have a responsibility to send money to Washington, D.C. and not just think of what they can get fromWashington, D.C.    In fact, right now other countries are helping fund our government, making us indebted to them.  Also, by the time our tax money goes to Washington and then comes back, it has dwindled a great deal due to the many expenses associated with counting, disbursement, etc.  It would be of more personal value to keep it home in the first place.  

         Unfortunately, many parents act as though they do not understand these facts.  If parents and grandparents do not understand, how can they teach the children?  Perhaps greater thought needs to be given before discussing our government in front of children. WE are the government.  We govern through the people we elect.  We have no right to say they are the government.  We need to write letters, attend meetings held by our voted-in officials, and encourage our elected officials to govern as it was originally intended.

         Let’s make sure our children understand the truth about our country.  If we start teaching our children about our government while they are young, perhaps they will know more when they grow up than one student I had who wrote in a paper about “President Busch”.  

Dad’s Dilemma

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com)

Train up a child…

Dad’s Dilemma

         Dad has a dilemma as he attempts to be head of his home.  That dilemma is how to please mom and, at the same time, “bring home the bacon” and train the kids properly.

         I’m afraid that too many of us as mothers may be too critical of dad and his attempts to discipline and teach the children.  Often, we expect dad to see things just exactly as we see them and do just exactly as we would when they make an effort to direct the children.  If God had intended us both to think the same, he would have made us both the same.  Often dad wields a firmer hand than a mother would.  I believe that is the way it should be.  It seems to be the nature of mom to nurture and cuddle.  Too many times we want to jump in and rescue a child when dad knows that firmness is needed.  Dad doesn’t want to disappoint mom.  This puts him in a tough spot.

         One comedian in Branson joked that a woman’s brain has a four lane highway going from the left brain to the right brain and men have a narrow cow path going from one side of the brain to the other.  This makes women more able to multi-task where men are more apt to think of one thing at a time.  Generally, this is true. 

 Of course, there are exceptions to all of the research findings.  Some men can multi-task.  For those men who find multi-tasking difficult, it is really hard to come home from work and immediately switch to the role of being a dad.  I remember reading in the 50’s that the wife should wait until the husband has been home from work 20 minutes before she starts telling him about the day with the kids!  Times have certainly changed as now many women are also working outside the home.  However, a man may still find it more difficult to adjust quickly to a different set of tasks from what he faced at work.  Also, many jobs now require the person to be on call for 24 hours. In this case, it is especially difficult to switch the mind back and forth to concentrate on what the children need.

         Many dads hesitate to discipline the children for fear they are not doing it properly.  They want the children to like them, and may fear that they only see him when he is scolding them for something, and will hold it against him.  The truth is that even though children may resent discipline for a time, in the long run there will be more respect for parents when they show that they care enough to risk not being liked for the sake of a child.  As for not being sure of how to discipline and teach properly, dads need to avail themselves of books and other information available to help them learn. 

Dr. James Dobson has written many wonderful books that give insight into how children think and react.  Dads need to visit the school and meet the teachers and get involved with their children’s activities. Also, dad needs to make sure there is a time each week for the family to have devotions and an opportunity for each family member to express any concerns or ask questions. 

         We can all learn and do better when it comes to bringing up the children.  Mom needs to be more patient with dad and dad needs to make more effort to learn about children and communicate with the family.

A Lesson from a Dad

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com )

Train up a child…

A Lesson from a Dad

       No matter how old we get, when Father’s Day comes, our thoughts naturally turn to our dads and what they mean to us.   My dad taught me a lesson that I would like to share with you.

         We had about 24 cows to milk most of the time on our little farm in Verona, MO.  I liked to tag along with my dad on summer evenings when he went down into the pasture to bring them up for milking.  On one hot summer evening, I was tagging along behind him watching the little puffs of dust come from under my bare feet on the dry, dusty cow path. Suddenly he stopped, squatted down, and pulled a blade of grass.

         My dad sat for a while looking at that blade of grass.  First he looked on the underneath side of it, and then he rolled it over and looked at the top of it.  I could tell that my dad was having deep, serious thoughts.

         “Patsy,” he said, “jest look at this blade of grass.  Look at all the little hairs on it.  Look at all the little lines going here and there on it.”  About that time, an airplane flew overhead.  My dad looked up at the sky and said, “You know, man can make an airplane and fly.  Why, someday, who knows, man may even be able to go to the moon and back, but don’t you ever forget that only God can make a blade of grass!”

         I haven’t forgotten that lesson. Sure enough, man has gone to the moon and back, and man has done much more. Man has even learned to clone animals and humans, but man will never be able to make a blade of grass.  

         Some of the best teaching parents can do comes at opportune moments when least expected.  Impromptu teaching of values can only come if a parent’s heart is right and the desire to teach is there.  Just as we walk every day and never give a thought to the grass we are treading upon, so do we often let day after day go by and never give a thought to the many opportunities for teaching children.

         The best planned lessons from the most educated of teachers may not be as effective as a lesson given from the heart of a dad.  Sure, mom has plenty of input, but there is something extra special when a dad puts his effort into working with his children.  A dad should think of the home as his piece of the world.  It is his to govern and support.  It is something he owns in partnership with mom.  Mom is his helper as he rules his “little country”. 

         Whether or not a dad wants this responsibility, it is his, and God will hold him accountable for how he conducts himself with this assignment.  In God’s sight, just because a man left a home, his responsibilities have not been erased. Bringing children into the world places the responsibility of rearing them squarely on the dads.  Nothing can take that away. 

         This Father’s Day, let us be grateful and express that gratefulness to our dads.  There are many fine dads who take their responsibilities very seriously and they deserve to be honored.  Oh, that there were more dads who did so! 

Sometimes Dad’s “Got No Respect”

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com)

Train up a child…

Sometimes Dad’s “Got No Respect”!

       It is too bad that sometimes dad does not have the respect he should have in his family.  I’m sure he feels like Rodney Dangerfield at times when he would say, “I got no respect!”  No matter what kind of dad he is, dad deserves a certain amount of respect simply because he is dad.  However, there are many things he can do to make respecting him easier for all with whom he comes in contact.  Following is a list of suggestions:

  • Dad, say what you mean and mean what you say.  When you tell a child to do something and then don’t follow through to see that it is done, the child thinks you will forget it the next time and he/she can get by without obeying.
  • Don’t make promises you may not be able to keep.  Learn to say, “I will try to do ______” instead of “I will do ______”.
  • Show respect to the children and their mom.  You will get respect in return.
  • Be kind and gentle to mom.  The kids are watching how you treat her.  If you mistreat her, they think they can mistreat her also.  They love their mom and will resent anyone hurting her.  They will respect you for being patient with her and treating her nicely.
  • Speak kindly of neighbors and acquaintances.  
  • Honor your debts.  Pay bills quickly and try not to be indebted to others.
  • Discipline the children out of love and concern, not anger.  They know the difference.  When you discipline with anger, it is because you are thinking of how you have been inconvenienced, not what is best for the child.
  • Spend time with the children and take interest in their activities at school and church.
  • Be quick to say “I’m sorry” when you have done wrong. False pride causes us to think we will be disrespected if we admit weakness, but actually the opposite is true.  
  • Be honest in all business dealings.  The kids are watching.
  • “Take the bull by the horns” and be the spiritual head of your household.  Make sure the family goes to church.
  • Remember birthdays.  Do whatever it takes to help you remember even if it means putting notes on the bathroom mirror.
  • Practice what you preach.  “Do as I say and not as I do” doesn’t work.

         How often do we hear, “Kids show no respect anymore”?  One of the reasons some children do not respect parents and other adults is that we do not do the things necessary to earn that respect.  We can each improve in this area.

Dad Reflects God to Children

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book. Available on Barnes & Noble, Amazon, www.patlambchristianauthor.com )

Train up a child…

Dad Reflects God to Children

         Everyone who believes in God has an image in mind of what He is like.  The mental image we have of our Heavenly Father is greatly determined by the image we have of our earthly father.  Children naturally associate the word “father”.  They reason that what one father is like, the other father is probably also like. 

         If children have a father who has left the family and is not meeting his responsibilities, they are likely to decide that God, the Heavenly Father, cannot be trusted.  If they have had trust placed in their dad betrayed, why should they believe that any other father can be trusted?

         Children may have an earthly father who has not left the family physically, but who does not meet his responsibilities in the home.  This situation can have the same or similar effect of the father who has left the home.  They again see an individual who cannot be relied upon.

         If dads have unreasonable expectations of children and are too strict with them, children may develop an image of God as a stern taskmaster who will not love them if they make a mistake.  If they never seem to please their earthly dad, they may reason that they will never measure up to God’s expectations and simply give up without trying. They may fear punishment from God to the extent that they want to avoid Him.

         When dad fails to express verbally his love for his children, they may not believe that God really loves them.  

         If dad is always “goofing off” and everything is fun and games to him, children may not develop a sense of seriousness about what the Heavenly Father expects from them.  Dismissing all actions of children and not holding them accountable for those actions may result in children feeling that God will let them get by with anything

         If dad doesn’t think it is important to study the Bible and go to church, the children will probably think that God is not important enough to spend time on and give attention to in worship.

         If, however, dad is a godly man who truly loves his children in a scriptural way, children will probably grow up realizing the importance of God in their lives and want to serve and worship Him.

What an awesome responsibility to be a dad!  Truly, children not only walk in dad’s footsteps, but they form their lifelong beliefs by dad’s behavior.  If we adults truly examine our image of God, we will probably find that at least part of it is similar to our earthly father.  Fortunately, Bible study can correct much of the negative views of God as we read about God’s true characteristics.  The sad truth is that when children have been raised with wrong attitudes, they may never seek the truth and may never learn the difference in order to form a correct image of God.  

There is no doubt that dad sets the tone of the home.  He is designed to be the head of the home and whether or not he consciously accepts that designation, there are results of his behavior that cannot be avoided.  It is not a matter of do as I say and not as I do in raising children. Good examples produce good outcomes. Bad examples produce unwanted outcomes.  Our children are with us for such a short time in the whole scheme of our lives.  While they are young, we need to be willing to give up personal pleasures and do all we can to obtain the tools we need to raise our children with a realistic image of God.     

Create Memories on Memorial Day

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com)

Train up a Child…

Create Memories on Memorial Day

         When we create positive memories for children, it is like investing in their future.  When they are grown, many of those memories become the basis for decision making in raising their own children. They remember how much it meant to them when their parents did certain things, so they, in turn, do those same things for their children.

         Children love it when parents take time to play with them.  There are many benefits associated with adults actually getting on the level of the children and playing with them.  It is an opportunity for bonding between parents and children.  It is also an opportunity to observe children in an informal setting to see how they act and react to circumstances thrust upon them through games.  It is also a time to just have fun.  The Bible tells us that laughter is a good medicine.  It is good for all of us to simply let go once in a while and enjoy our children and have fun ourselves.  Memorial Day is a good time to do this.  After the necessary actions of remembrances are done, such as visiting the cemetery and talking about the past, why not have a picnic with active games?

         There are many games that are great for an outdoor setting.  Work-up softball is a good game to play even if there are not the nine players available for a team. This can be adapted to any number of people.  If at least nine are present, three people are batters and the others take various positions in a made-up baseball diamond.  Use anything available for bases such as sticks, trees, or whatever can be found. (This develops resourcefulness and teaches children that they don’t always have to spend a lot of money to have fun.)  Things don’t have to be perfect.  In fact, it is more fun when they are not.  Sometimes there may be two right fielders, or no right fielder.  When a person goes to bat and is put out, he or she takes a place in the field and everyone moves up one spot and a new batter is added to the batting pool.  

         Red Rover is a game that some have restricted due to the rowdiness that sometimes develops.  With adults present, it can be kept under control and enjoyed immensely.  Two lines are formed and everyone holds hands.  One line shouts, “Red Rover, Red Rover, Send _________(fill in a name of a person on the opposite line) right over.”  The person named then runs and tries to break through the line of the people who did the calling.  If he or she breaks the line, a person is chosen to go to the line that sent a person over.  If the person is unable to break the line, that person has to remain with the line that called for someone to come over.  The object is to see which line can end up with everyone.

         Many other games such as wood tag or other forms of tag games can be played.  In wood tag, one person is “it” and tries to catch the others.  If they are touching wood, they are safe.  If not, and a person is tagged, that person must be “it”.  

A flour war is another possibility.  In a flour war, two teams are chosen and flour “bombs” are made by tying up flour with string in tissue.  “Bombs” are thrown at players on the other team.  If a player is hit, that player has to go as a prisoner to the team that hit him/her.

         Inevitably in games such as the ones just mentioned, things will happen that everyone will remember.  There will be lots of laughter and wonderful memories will be created.