Spirit Week: A Mom's Guide to at Home Fun

Being the wife of a graduate student means, among other things, that sometimes I am a single parent. To stay strong and sane while Daddy is at a conference (or even when we home bodies are just getting too bored with the usual routine,) we reinvented theme days. Kind of like when schools have crazy fun theme weeks to promote school spirit or have a bit of fun before a holiday break. I did this for the first time almost a year ago and for a whole week. At the end of the week my too-excited-to-sleep daughter asked at bedtime, "What is tomorrow's day?" I had to explain that we wouldn't always have theme days but that these were special holidays we made up, so they had to be planned and scheduled in advance.

Since then the Toddler Princess and I have enjoyed dreaming up all kinds of fun themes. The planning process begins with the selection of a vague-yet-specific theme and a quick look at Pinterest for birthday parties with that sort of theme. It has to be fairly inexpensive, DIY sort of stuff. The general template includes 1) a brief devotional, 2) food and/or drink ideas, 3) possible activities and decorations, as well as 4) book and 5) movie suggestions.

Now, going all out with a theme is fun. But we've also enjoyed successful theme days with minimal planning and effort. Yes, some theme days are specifically inspired by movies or TV shows; some are more generic. Also, most of my ideas are geared for family fun with children ages 3 to maybe 6. Everything presented below is made to be adaptable and inspire you to be that creative mom or dad or babysitter or whatever.

Princess Day (any and all of them)

You can be as specific as you like but this day's theme was easier for us to not choose a specific princess. We define princess to be “a young woman of noble birthright who lives up to the goodness inherent in her and brings out the goodness in others. This goodness is what makes her beautiful.”

Movie suggestions: Faerie Tale Theatre videos by youtuber Oz Bey, A Little Princess, Cinderella (live action)...we'll be watching Beauty and the Beast in French

Morning devotional: What does it mean to be a prince or princess? To be kind and have the courage to be good no matter what. To care for others more than yourself. Read the story of Esther.

Food/snacks: make muffins, slice fruit, and cut sandwiches into dainty triangles for a tea party

Decorations (optional): pennant banners, things from the lives of your favorite princess stories like an enchanted rose

Activities: dress up and dress fittings, build a castle fort, coloring a dragon or making your own fairy tale book, story time, throwing a ball aka dance party

Book suggestions: Rapunzel's Revenge, a graphic novel by Shannon and Dean Hale; The Princess in Black, also by Shannon Hale; Arabian Nights; The Little Prince (for older children)

Ballerina Day

Recently I asked Victoria “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Her most consistent answers have been a mommy and a ballerina. So of course we have to have Ballerina Day! And did you know you can watch an entire ballet on youtube? (Or just your favorite parts if your toddler hasn't been trained to sit through a concert of that length. No time like the present to learn and in the comfort of your own home too!)

Morning devotional: "When thou art merry praise the Lord with song and dance..." D&C somewhere; maybe something from Psalms
Movie suggestions: The Nutcracker on youtube; Sleeping Beauty on youtube; BYU's Swan Lake on youtube (the facial expressions and sincerity of the Prince and Odette are so moving)

Food/snacks: Healthy snacks

Decorations (optional): ballerina silhouettes with snowflakes for tutus

Activities: dance party, watch /do and ballet conditioning work out videos, put on your very own ballet show, dress up, go to the store and try on dance outfits and shoes

Book suggestions: Mia Dances Back to School and other Mia books, Katy Duck books (another easy-to-read series from the library),

Camping Day

Movie suggestions (optional):

Morning devotional: Sing the hymn “How Great Thou Art” or LDS children's song “My Heavenly Father Loves Me.”

Food/snacks: Eat tin foil dinners or roasted hot dogs with mud pie (chocolate cream pie) and/or s'mores for dessert. "Catch of the day" swedish fish, gummy bears, twigs aka pirouette cookie sticks

Decorations (optional): Set up a small tent inside.

Activities: Set up the tent inside. Play card games in the tent like my family did when I was a little girl. Go for a long walk or hike. Go star gazing. Make a map of your house to show certain camping sites aka rooms and be the forest ranger in charge.

Book suggestions: Lady Bug Girl Goes Camping, Going on a Bear Hunt, Fancy Nancy: Poison Ivy Expert

Alladin Day: Dinner-and-a-Movie Party

Sometimes a theme day the way we usually do them—planning far in advance and going all out—is too much work. Maybe Mom has some appointments in the morning or the kids aren't home from school yet? When Mom is running out of ideas or even just running out of steam, we sometimes have these abbreviated theme nights for some low key fun as a family.

Have something Arabian like hummus and chips, apple slices like Aladdin & Jasmine stole from the market, marinated chicken kabobs, Schnuck's orange vineagrette couscous, & falafel. Genie juice to drink (water and a pitcher of labeled lemonade.)

Snack during the movie: Rajah's tail (cheetoes or dipped pretzel rods)

Book suggestions: Arabian Nights, Alladin, anything with a genie in it even!

Other theme days we've done include Trains Day, Pirate Day, Under and Over the Sea Day, Back to the Future Day, and Star Wars Day. 

Theme days we've planned but haven't tried yet: Big Hero 6 Day, My Little Ponies Day, Fairy/Tinkerbelle Day, Jungle Day, Dinosaur Day and Spa Day.

What themes would you like to try? Want to know more about a specific theme day or want help planning (it's becoming a bit more than a hobby for me)? Let me know!

Toddler Talk, Round #6

MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS (photos)
1) Squirt guns: Victoria has discovered squirt guns at the pool. Greg and his physicist friend Karl tried to build super squirt guns and exploded a few holes in one of the fun noodles similar to an SPS activity using paper cars and compressed air...only less dramatic
2) Biking: Greg's bike got an owie when it collided with a car. He's okay (more banged up from running and therefore slipping at the pool Saturday and than getting hit by a car ironically.) He's too sick to bike this week anyway seeing as I gave him my viral throat infection or whatever it was.
3) Gardening: Check out this month's album for so great photos and be prepared for Toria's cuteness. I'm still getting used to her love of fresh peas, though I cannot say I blame her. They make a delightful breakfast snack. Our raspberries are finally getting harvested and they sure are tasty, though Toria doesn't like their texture and claims that they're sour even if they are ripe.
4) Potty training: For the last 4 days we were doing great. Then we had three small accidents after dinner because we didn't force the issue. We're trying to repeat the streak again and again, each time getting longer. She's working her way towards earning a dinner at Steak and Shake.
5) Research: While Greg mentors an undergrad and works for two professors I have been enjoying window shopping for various things and researching our options for this upcoming cross-country family road trip. Soon Victoria will join the ranks of researcher in this household as see researches the alphabet more in depth and begins the journey of learning to read.

SUNDAY, June 1st Someone's been watching a lot of "Dave and The Giant Pickle"
V: Can I have something to eat? I'm famished.
G: Sure, what do you want?
V: Fried chicken.

MONDAY, June 2nd I had to share in honor of Opa and his love for "The Three Amigos"
While making pancakes for dinner...
M: Stir, stir like the wind.
V: The wind doesn't stir! Laughing That's so silly.

In explaining Victoria's imaginary friends and her sudden love for making up stories.
Greg: You mean like her playing "with Mom and Dory?"
Dani: That's real.
Greg: Um, Dory?
Dani: Just because her friends are "imaginary" doesn't mean they aren't real!
Yeah, I just said that to a physicist.

TUESDAY, June 3 Getting ready for the pool and scheduling scripture study for later.
M: I'm painting your face [with sun screen.] Did you know Indians paint their faces? [Sometimes] Lamanites painted their faces with blood I think.
V: Why?
M: To be scary...One even promised to drink blood!
V: Drink blood?!
M: Do we drink blood?
V: No!
M: Did you know that spiders drink blood?
V: What? That's so silly! It's not even a drink.

SATURDAY, June 6th Victoria likes it when Greg pushes her over so she falls across our bed.
V: Dad, it's not good to push people.
G: Oh? I thought you liked being pushed.
V: smiling Oh, I do.

FRIDAY, June 13th Victoria shares her thoughts on sharing and personal space
"No Phoebe...You're wrong, I'm right!"

SATURDAY, June 14th
M: Am I a mean mommy or a nice mommy?
V: Sometimes you're a mean, when I don't get poop in the potty.
M: Oh. Yeah, I'm sorry. Am I nice sometimes?
V: Yeah.

SUNDAY, June 15th
M: Did you know that Nana means grandma?
V: No!
M: It's does! And it's the name of a dog. In Peter Pan, with Tinkerbelle.
V: Tinkerbelle peed her pants?!
I couldn't say, "No, Peter Pan," without laughing aloud.

Victoria trying to read a thank you card from Aunt Becca and Uncle Spencer: So what you do Danielle is say, "Help me Toria. I'm feeling mad!"

SUNDAY, June 22nd Victoria loves the Stand Taller virtue series that Greg and I grew up with.
G: Could we read a book with church stories in it?
V: Um, we could read my service books. Those are Sunday books! Going to the bottom of the stairs Could you please help me carry them downstairs? I don't think I can do it. I don't have enough arms.