1. Children’s Bible.

Based on the popular book series by the same name, the Children’s Bible app contains comic books and movies about Bible stories. Beautifully illustrated and lots of fun, these comics give you a great way to share the Bible with your youngest children and serve as a starting point for Biblical conversation with your older kids. It’s also a great way to keep the little ones entertained while waiting in line, at a waiting room, or during a car ride.

2. Ned’s Bible Trivia.

A fun, interactive trivia game that allows players to decide the fate of the titular Ned character while reviewing Bible trivia. Older children and adults alike will enjoy the challenge of answering over 1,000 Bible questions, and the whole family can get involved with the game.

3. Bible Teaches.

A Bible-inspired puzzle game. This app combines Bible stories and cognitive puzzles into a single fun, interactive game for children and adults of all ages. Designed by a Christian pediatrician and mother, this game is meant to provide mental stimulation while also serving as a teaching tool.

4. GloBible.

An interactive Bible that includes high resolution images, HD video, 3D virtual tours, and articles. This multimedia approach to Bible study appeals to older children, teenagers, and adults, and provides a great opportunity to open up Bible discussion between families. It was even voted Bible of the Year in 2010.

5. Granny’s Bible Dojo.

A fast-paced game that challenges players to remember the order of all the books in the Bible. The game has a karate-inspired feel, with players breaking boards as they correspond to the books in order. Granny’s Dojo will be sure to keep players of all ages and skill levels on their toes.

Whether you load these apps onto your child’s first cell phone or buy them for yourself as a way to keep the little ones educated and entertained, these Christian smartphone apps provide a 21st century way to learn and celebrate your faith.

Author Stephanie Sanders is a communications consultant and writes for a UK mobile phones site, offering all the latest phones and plans.

Within my family we have a small unit of three:  my dad, younger sister and myself. We have mini traditions for various activities that some may not even consider traditions. But, by definition, any continuing pattern, method or something handed down qualifies, and we had something for everything.

Disneyland Traditions

There was a traditional order to getting our every day Saturdays started. We would wake, eat, dress and be off to Disneyland that was only 15 minutes away from our house. Once we entered Disneyland, the tradition would continue as we raced each other down Main Street, one person running in front of the other and so on. Next we would eat chunks of beef on sticks called Bengal Beef: lemonade for me and soda for them. The tradition would then end by enjoying the first ride at Indiana Jones, bouncing around and enjoying the ride was always the way we started our day. From there it was fair game.

We always ended our day of Disneyland with a large, hand-tossed, half cheese, half pepperoni pizza from Pizza Hut. Our entertainment was Hercules and Xena, each an hour long. Then it was time to end the day. We did this every Saturday for more than three years before I entered high school in 1999.

Workshop Tradition

My father had writers block for almost a decade, so I thought of a plan to get him out of it. I told my dad that once a week we would meet to discuss our stories. He had his fantasy works, and I had my sci-fi. We each would take turns to talk about our stories until we were done while adding feedback as we went. There is only one rule to Workshop. Each of us had to talk about something new. Whether a name, a place, a thought or just a semi-formed sentence. Just one new thing.

Three years and one month later, the tradition is still carried on. My father has completed the book he started over 12 years ago and is working on his second.

Other Small Traditions

There is a traditional egg race to the bottom of the deep end of the pool in Palm Springs, where all of our Easters are held.

Sister Day—where we do what sisters do best together: enjoy each other’s company—is the Monday after Easter.

New friends or other members inducted into the family are given a cow cup with a cow that is hidden in the middle of the cup by the drink. Depending on their reaction to see eyes eventually looking up at them will also determine their sense of humor.

I believe that these small traditions made our family what it was. We enjoyed looking forward to Disney and egg diving and all other events that would come up as the years passed. Traditions are more fun than routine as they become a definition of a family unit. Sure there can be big traditions, but the small ones are the unique ones and bring a family together.

About the Author:
Enjoying her family’s company as often as possible, Miscelleana Rhinehart has been writing for more than four years. Working currently with Audi dealers and others, Ms. Rhinehart offers her social media services.

These days kids would just love to stay indoors with their play stations and computer games. Who wants to go out and get their hands dirty? You also feel this has also somewhat distanced you from spending quality time with your kids. Have you ever considered taking them fishing? You love the outdoors, you love fishing, why not give it a try? We have to agree that no matter what, kids will be kids; they would love to get dirty in the outdoor, given an opportunity. If you can show them a good time, you are raising a fishing buddy for life!

The best thing to do is start early, start young. It is better if you can get them on a boat, or on a pier. You need to be extra cautious about their safety though. You should also keep it simple. Head out with a few simple hook, bobber and a night crawler. If you are taking your kid fishing, you should let them do all the fishing. It is better if you don’t plan to fish. This way you can pay attention to them and show them how to go about it. You can show the kids few basic fishing knots, show them how to hook the worms, how to handle the rod and the reels.

Choose a place where there are plenty of fish to catch. Refer to the fishing guides to know more about the nearby lakes and streams where you can catch a lot of fish. Waiting thirty minutes for a bite on the line can be pretty tiring and irritating for kids. You don’t want the kids to wait to wait that long.

Kids need encouragement. For every fish they catch, you should forget to cheer them and motivate them. Show them that you are equally excited along with them when one of them has hooked a fish. If they happen to do something wrong, explain the correct process to them. It is not a good idea to be short tempered.

Keep the fishing trip about them. It is their outing, if they want to throw around pebbles, splash some water around, play with the worms, let them. At least they are having a good time outdoor- that was the main intention behind this trip. You might want to give them a few fishing tips as well.

Fishing all day in the water under the bright hot sun may not be an idea of a good outing according to them. It is better if you can keep the fishing trips short so as to not to be a reason for any discomfort. You don’t want them to think that daddy has taken them o an outing that made them fall sick. Let them get familiarized to the surroundings and then you can lengthen the trips.

Teaching the kids a little bit about conservation on fishing trip is a great idea. When they catch a fish, hold it and show them the gills, fins, eyes and tell them why it is like that. Teaching them to catch and release is important and interesting at the same time. Tell them that releasing the fish back in the water makes sure that there would be more and more fish for the future. Bringing home only the fish they can eat and releasing the rest is an excellent practice to introduce. Make it an experience that they will never forget and they learn to enjoy the bounty and beauty of nature at its best.

So, you need an annual vacation and you want to spend it with your family. However, a wonderful trip may often turn out to be an expensive endeavor. Is it possible to organize a memorable family trip on a budget? What does it take to keep everyone happy without spending a fortune? Planning is of key importance when you have to limit your travel expenditure.

If you do sufficient research, you will be capable of visiting some rather expensive destinations without leaving a whole lot of money there. Here are 5 tips to help you plan a fun family trip on a limited budget.

1. Go Camping.

One of the most inexpensive ways to have family fun involves camping. You will enjoy nature, you will get the time to bond with the ones you love and you will relax. The camping trip is a certain success.

The equipment you need involves tents, sleeping bags and food. Your own car will be the best transportation method. Choose a favorite spot, pack your bags, buy the food and head there.

To make the camping trip more exciting, you can visit a destination that you have never before tried. Make sure that some intriguing landmarks are located nearby. Combining camping with sight seeing will turn the vacation into an even more memorable experience.

2. Select Inexpensive Accommodation Options.

Accommodation is often the most expensive part of a trip. Choosing a relatively cheap option will let you allocate more funds to activities and dining. Forget about hotels, you have many other accommodation spots to choose among.

Hostels are one of the most convenient accommodation opportunities. Before booking, find reviews about the hostels. Most tourists will leave their recommendations online. Find the places that feature modest charges and good conditions.

Renting an apartment may also be less expensive than staying in a hotel. This is especially true for European destinations, if you plan to travel abroad.

3. CouchSurfing is another fun and intriguing option.

Surfing the Internet is probably the best way to get acquainted with a new city or a new country before you ever leave home.

4. Make Your Own Food.

You can save a bit of money by making your own food or buying inexpensive meals. Allocate some funds to a night or two out. Getting to try local cuisine is an essential part of learning something about a new culture.

You can then select inexpensive dining options for the remainder of your vacation. Making your own food is just one option that you have. Inexpensive and fast food spots will also let you save some of your funds.

5. Plan Sightseeing in Advance.

Sightseeing needs to be planned in advance, as well. Once you decide about the destination, you should begin reading about its landmarks. Many websites will provide information about museum and other attraction fees. These will also feature discount options and joint tickets that will help you spend less. Sightseeing tours are usually one cheap way to find out more about a city.

You may even discover alternatives to popular tourist spots that are more intriguing and more exciting. Finding your own way to explore a city will always be a great and fun part of your family vacation.

A low budget trip can be very fun. You can organize a tremendous experience for your family without spending a fortune on it.

Jamie Highland writes about family and parenting topics for My Baby Shower Favors, a site that offers party favors sorted by baby shower themes and other baby shower games.

It’s that time again! The orange glow of jack-o-lanterns is appearing on front porches everywhere. Since you are reading this article you are probably not a veteran pumpkin carver. On the other hand you may be looking for some new, easier ways to do what has been difficult in past seasons. Either way, to carve a really nice jack-o-lantern, it is crucial to have the right tools and the right directions.

First, these are the basic tools you need.

• A sharp, thin, flexible, and serrated knife to make a hole in the pumpkin to clean out the pulp and seeds. A keyhole saw is ideal.
• Box cutter or X-acto knife for carving the features.
• Large spoon for scooping out the pulp.

There are some additional tools that, while not required, may make the process easier and cause your pumpkin to turn out better.

• Plaster scraper
• Toothpicks
• Linoleum cutter
• Long nail, center punch, or small knitting needle

Okay, now let’s look at the pumpkin carving process itself.

1. Select your pumpkin.

In the selection step keep this in mind: Pumpkins do not have to be perfectly round. Funky shapes can make for fun designs. Let the shape of the pumpkin suggest different designs.

2. Cut a hole in the pumpkin so you can clean out the pulp and seeds.

But what kind of hole and where?

• If you plan to use an electric light, cut a hole in the back or bottom. Depending on the wattage and heat radiated by the selected bulb you may not need to cut a hole in the top.
• If you plan on using a candle do cut off the top. Cut the top hole with a serrated knife, slanting the knife slightly inward so the bottom of the “plug” will be narrower than the top so it won’t fall into the pumpkin.

3. Scoop out pulp and seeds.

Start scooping with a big spoon. You might want to save the seeds for roasting and eating if you like. If the scraping of the flesh gets tiresome use the plaster scraper if you have one. Scrape until the walls are of a uniform thickness but be sure not to make them so thin that you compromise the strength of the walls.

4. Choose a design.

As mentioned in step 1, differently-shaped pumpkins can suggest their own designs. You can draw free-hand, choose a template, or just start carving. If you’re using a template, transfer the design to the pumpkin by poking small holes with a nail or knitting needle along the edges of the design.

5. Carve the design with an X-acto knife or linoleum cutter.

A linoleum cutter is very good for details or partial carving, where you don’t go all the way through the pumpkin wall. Use a toothpick to stick broken pieces back into place.

6.   If you can’t get the candle to stay lit, cut more vents or holes.

In addition to pumpkin carving, you might have fun painting pumpkins. This is a safe fun activity for the kids that involves no sharp tools or cutting and can be learned by anyone at any age. Take a look at Easy Pumpkin Painting!

1. Get them dancing.

Whether you’ve got just one preschooler or a whole bunch this one is fun. You can take some scarves, ribbons, or just pieces of cloth to make a fun dance. If you have a group they can weave in and out and around each other – kids as well as any adults present – and enjoy dancing around the room.

Choose music you know your kids love. Play different songs, moving from slow to fast, encouraging everyone to dance differently according to the tempo. Dancing like this is a fun exercise AND it’s educational!

2. Make musical instruments.

You can make instruments from common household objects. Here are just a few ideas:

Make drums from round containers with plastic lids. Coffee cans, oatmeal and cocoa containers can be used. To make it more fun, decorate them to look more like drums.

Put some dried beans inside a cardboard tube like the ones inside a roll of paper towels. Seal the ends with wax paper and secure the ends with rubber bands. You’ve created a great rhythm instrument that can be shaken while dancing. Put dried beans into empty bottles and cap them.

Make guitars by stretching rubber bands around various hollow containers and boxes. You can use tissue boxes or food containers.

Fill a few drinking glasses with varying amounts of water. These will make different musical notes when they’re tapped.

3. Go bowling.

Set up some plastic bottles as pins at the one side of the room or end of a hallway. Then roll a soft ball toward them to knock them over.

4. Build a house.

No elaborate construction needed here! Make a playhouse by just throwing a blanket over a table or some chairs. You can furnish your house with children’s furniture and occupy it in no time! Just use a flashlight for interior lighting.

5. Explore a junk drawer.

Your preschoolers will love to have permission to explore that “junk drawer” of yours. See if your they can identify all the objects and sort them by shapes and colors.

6. Go fishing.

Take some card stock or construction paper and cut out fish shapes. Then, fasten a paper clip onto the mouth of each fish. Tie a kitchen magnet onto the end of a string and attach the other end of the string to a stick or rod. The object of the game is to see how many fish each one can catch with the magnet.

It takes only a little preparation and a few ideas to keep your preschoolers – and yourself – occupied on a rainy day. And don’t be surprised if you have more fun than they do!

Summertime can be another challenge if you have preschoolers. If you need some help, take a look at 101 Kid Summer Activities.

1.  Stained Glass.

There are kits available to actually melt plastic beads to represent stained glass. These kits have an empty frame and plenty of small beads that pour into each compartment and then melt in the oven. Your older children can enjoy creating colorful circles and squares of fall scenes for your windows. Imagine hanging by your fully decorated front door. The plastic stained “glass” pictures can easily be made into part of your yearly decorations. You can even start on some small Christmas decorations to use as pretty, unique ornaments as the year progresses.

For the younger children, there are many different kits available that allow the younger artists to paint colors onto their own versions of the plastic stained glass items. If you have a large window, you can create a full display of creations by your children using suction cups or clear fishing line.

2.  Lanyards.

Use woven plastic ties to create custom lanyards for your children. These are projects for older children, and these lanyards are a great way to hang onto important items this fall – you can use them to keep a small flashlight or light stick nearby for trick-or-treating, and you can make special red and green or green and gold lanyards for ornaments and decorations at Christmas.

To make the lanyards, use two long pieces of plastic twine and fold them in half. Weave them together in a square pattern until you’ve reached the desired length. This is a great way to keep kids busy on a long car trip to see family members for special holiday events and they make a nice way to keep visiting cousins and friends engaged while adults visit as well.

3.  Costumes.

Encourage your kids to make their own Halloween costumes this year. Not only will you be saving money, but you’ll be able to exercise a bit of creative control over the costumes as well. Encourage your kids to make something new and unusual – different than the rest of the kids in his class. In fact, you might encourage his friends to be creative as well with a homemade costume contest.

Invite your child’s friends over for a Halloween party or a fall activity that involves costumes. Make the rule that everyone has to come in a creative, homemade costume or even gather a big box of supplies and let the kids make their own costumes for the evening. If you coordinate with the other parents, you’ll be able to throw the sort of party the kids remember forever. Follow your party immediately with some trick-or-treating, and the kids will be able to put their unusual crafts to use right away.

Rebecca Garland is a professional freelance writer working hard to populate the internet with meaningful, interesting content. With advanced degrees in information science and business, Rebecca enjoys a variety of topics ranging from education to family crafts. Learn more about Rebecca on her professional website, www.internetauthor.net.

It might be hard to believe you can have an adventurous time just a few minutes away from your house but in reality there are a few hidden gems in almost every neighborhood. You just have to find them.

Let’s take the state of Ohio for example. At first glance you might think it’s difficult to find a place full of family fun to vacation there. But wait. One of the most beautiful places in Ohio is Hocking Hills where they have Inns, cottages, campgrounds, horseback riding, canoeing, and more. For the kids, there’s scenic air tours, outdoor drama, and miniature golf.

If you want a totally different vacation experience go to the Ohio Amish country. You’ll see what looks like a historic vision come to life. People who live there travel by horse and carriage. There’s even a cheese factory where you can sample all kinds of dairy products. If you’re in the mood for shopping and dining the Ohio Amish Country has that available as well.

Now let’s go to the other side of the United states and take a look at the state of Nevada. There’s always so much to do there. If you live in Nevada and are in need of a family vacation why not take advantage of the many beautiful hotels Las Vegas offers. You don’t even need to take time off work. Just book a hotel room on a Friday and leave on Sunday evening.

Every hotel on the Las Vegas strip has a swimming pool for the family to enjoy. The Circus Circus hotel is a favorite of kids because there’s games to play and prizes to win. Even if you live in Las Vegas a weekend trip still might not be long enough to see everything you intended to see.

For nature lovers who live in the state of North Dakota, the Lewis and Clark State Park on Lake Sakakawea allows visitors to go on a trail where wildlife such as fish, deer, and porcupine can be seen. If you like the snow, take the family skiing or go snowmobiling at Fort Ransom State Park.

North Dakota is considered a sacred and spiritual place for some of the Native Americans that live there because of its untouched plains. Just looking at the scenery and wildflowers at some of the state parks can put just about all worries to rest.

These are just a few examples of fun that each of these states offer. We’ve mentioned only three states here. If you don’t live in one of these states but are looking for some family fun and adventure be sure your state has a beautiful landmark just around the corner. Something as simple as booking a hotel in a nearby beautiful city that also has an amusement park or zoo not far away could light the spark for the beginning of a great vacation.

About the Author
B. Davis is a loving mother who enjoys traveling and health topics. She’s a writer and website owner dealing with benefits of coconut oil, Candida albicans, and baby thrush treatment.

The German Steiff Company launched the first batch of stuffed toys. They got the idea from upholstery used to make seat cushions. Initially the toys were made from scrap material and had a rough surface. Later, in 1903, Mr. Richard Steiff started using plush fabric to make the toys soft and cuddly.

The same year the “teddy bear” was introduced by Morris Michtom. The teddy bear was inspired from a picture made of President Theodore Roosevelt, nicknamed Teddy, which described his bear hunting experience.  The teddy bear became the first toy bear that felt gentle and with its innocent looks not only attracted children but also older people.

Adults do not admit their love for a stuffed toy easily but from history we know that they do indeed love them. Many famous people have come forward and accepted the fact that they love their stuffed toys. A famous British poet, Sir John Betjeman, held his teddy bear in his arms as he died and his poetry often consisted of songs of his teddy bear. Many political figures such as Queen Elizabeth and Earl Mountbatten confessed their love of their childhood teddy bears.

In 1993, the beanie babies brand was introduced in the market. This brand contained stuffed animal toys with a huge selection of beanie babies which became an instant hit with the kids and went on for several years. They were introduced at a very low price to promote sales and the name. The production of some beanie babies was stopped and were made collectors item.

In 2005, Ganz created stuffed animals with the name Webkinz. Every stuffed toy by Ganz comes with a special code which allows access to a virtual version of the toy for online play at the Webkinz website.

Next come the Pillow pets. They are a line of folding stuffed toys. These toys can be converted to pillows and back to the stuffed toy using the attached straps or buckles.

The cute cuddly stuffed toys that we know vary in material and design. The design ranges from cartoon characters, animals, creatures to humans. The materials are either cotton or wool, covered with a soft and smooth cloth with a fur-like feeling. In the early years these toys were made by very few manufacturers and there were very few designs. This meant that price was high. But today more and more toy manufacturing companies have introduced themselves in the market, giving more variety at affordable prices.

About the Author
Mike Hawks is a father of two lovely kids and is a fan of toys since his childhood days. Today,  he has contributed numerous articles on Toys Paradise and Educational Toys.

But we know that studying the Bible is not a favorite activity among young people. For whatever reason, and it is probably the fault of the church as a whole, young Christians don’t get excited about studying the Bible. Using indirect learning methods, you can make studying the Bible more inviting to middle school and high school students.

Indirect learning refers to any method of instruction that teaches a lesson during another activity. Teachers have used indirect learning for years to teach difficult or boring concepts to students who may otherwise not learn them at all.

Board games can be an effective tool for use in Bible study. Here are some ideas on how to incorporate board games into your Bible education.

1. Modify Existing Games.

Some commercial board games can be modified to become Bible teaching tools. A perfect example is the popular game Outburst. In Outburst, two teams compete to come up with lists of words in different categories. Each team has sixty seconds to guess ten people, places, or things written on different cards. The first team to sixty points wins.

You can make your own Outburst cards. Using categories like The Ten Commandments, Animals in the Bible, and Parables of Jesus, you can turn the standard Outburst game into a Bible study icebreaker or lesson.

Other games that can be easily modified to incorporate Bible study lessons: Pictionary, Jeopardy! home edition, and Buyword.

2. Look for Bible-oriented Games.

A few popular board games have come out with editions aimed at a Christian audience. These are perfect for Bible study. The above game, Outburst, even prints an official Bible edition.

Many great games for Bible study are available free online–one example is HolyBibleTrivia.org, an interactive trivia game available for skill levels from easy to difficult. Players can choose questions from the Old or New Testament.

Popular party game Apples to Apples (a true board game phenomenon) recently released the Bible Edition, which teaches Bible lessons while players make unique comparisons between people, places, things, and events from the Bible.

3. Read the Big Book of Bible Games.

This book contains more than 200 ideas for games based on the Bible. Though these games are aimed at kids aged 6-12, many of them can be adapted and updated to be played with older students or even adults who want to learn about the Bible.

Published by Gospel Light Publications, the Big Book of Bible Games can lead you to create your own unique Bible study game, or just get your Bible study group to let off some steam before the serious study begins.

Studying the Bible is good for people from all walks of life. Based on the New York Times report about the impact of Bible study on student’s GPAs, learning about the Bible just makes a person smarter. Try any of the above ideas for ways to teach Bible lessons indirectly, or just to add some fun to your Bible study group.

Will Roby is a student of the Bible, a Scrabble fanatic, and a writer for Scrabble Pages. Check out this blog post about Toys R Us coupons to learn how to save money on your next board game purchase.