Rad Family Activities Archives - Small Things Are Big Things

November 30, 2015 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Hiking with Irvine Ranch Conservancy {& The Discovery Cube}

I really love living in California. From top to bottom, the whole state is filled with beauty. But I’m always a little surprised when I discover some of the most beautiful places are right here in Orange County!

This happened on our last visit to the Discovery Cube when we went on the Helicopter Tour. In this exhibit, you soar over Orange County in a virtual helicopter and fly from the mountains to the sea, over the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. The whole tour, I was thinking how I wanted to visit and hike the featured locations. And what do you know, there is a whole page on Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks’ site which shows the “flight path” and dates when you can visit the locations!

We went on a hike in Round Canyon which is an OC Parks proper and part of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks – on the flight path, it’s between Orchard Hills and Limestone Canyon. It’s a state and national natural landmark!

We chose a sunset family friendly hike. I can’t even begin to tell you how many amazing programs the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks offer for the community. There is literally something everyday! You can see the full schedule on Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks’ Let’s Go Outside site. (Click here.)

You can search by date or area and each activity has all the information you need to plan your day. I recommend clicking the “Family Friendly” box in the search as well. And always check the minimum age for the hike (sometimes it’s 12 y/o and it would stink to get there with your 7 y/o and have to leave). The example below is for a Wilderness Access Day on December 5th. I’ve pointed out the important bits for the family thing.

This hike was completely led by Irvine Ranch Conservancy volunteer naturalists.

Volunteers people!!

And they were amazing!
We started our Round Canyon hike with a little safety lesson and our guide handed out a fun scavenger hunt so the kids could look for plants and animals along the way.
(Print your own here!)

We found 36 stink bugs…

And there was so much beauty…

Especially watching the sunset and walking in the twilight. It felt like we were miles away from a city.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many amazing programs the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks offer for the community. Check their full schedule here. I think a great New Year’s resolution would be to take a hike every month! Small Things make the biggest difference in our families.

My kids still talk about all the fun they had on this hike. Taking time out of our busy schedules isn’t always easy, but it’s so worth it!
(Blurry photo… don’t care.)

Don’t forget to print out the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks’ Scavenger hunt for your next hike!

November 19, 2015 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Discovery Cube’s Pumpkin Launch – Science is a Blast!

Who Knew Science Could be Such a Blast!
Discovery Cube’s Pumpkin Launch
Guest post by Sharron Jackson

Perfect temperatures, music pumping, and giant pumpkins falling from the clear, blue sky. Now THAT’S what my family calls a perfect fall day! This was the scene today at Cal State Fullerton where the Discovery Cube’s Annual Pumpkin Launch took place.

Arriving early with our camping chairs and lunch cooler, we weren’t sure what to expect. We just moved to So Cal this summer, and this was our first time attending what has become quite the popular (and FREE!) family event. We set our chairs up along the ropes to reserve a front-row view for the main event—the Pumpkin Launch—and set out to discover what the Discovery Cube and its partners had cooked up.

The grassy field before us was a STEM wonderland! So much to blast and catapult, slide down and build! From building their own craft-stick catapults and launching mini-marshmallows to creating reaction rockets and watching their film can caps burst high into the air, my kids had a blast (literally)!

We returned to our camp chairs just in time to watch a live science stage show as we ate lunch. My kids watched wide-eyed as a gentleman from the Discovery Cube treated the audience to all kinds of liquid nitrogen hijinks (the “don’t try this at home” type of fun).

At last the main event began, and like the rest of the day, it did not disappoint. 15 teams participated, from college engineering clubs to a middle school tech team and a local family. Each had built trebuchets and used them to catapult pumpkins towards various targets spread out in a large field. There is nothing like watching an orange gourd soar through the air and crash to the ground, smashing dramatically. Several teams successfully hit targets, and each time the crowd went wild, including my little family! Too fun!

The Pumpkin Launch fun has only just begun for our homeschooling family. We brought home the craft-stick trebuchets the kids made today and plan on using them to test which objects catapult the farthest and how mass impacts the flight distance (think jelly beans, craft pom-poms, marshmallows, Lego pieces, etc.). If you didn’t make it to the Pumpkin Launch this year, check out the Nov. 4 post “How to Make a Catapult with Craft Sticks – Homeschool Science!” to make catapults using items you probably already have laying around.

After today, I have a feeling the Discovery Cube’s Annual Pumpkin Launch is going to become an annual tradition for our family!

{A big THANK YOU to Sharron for doing this guest post for the Discovery Cube’s Pumpkin Launch! This is a tradition we have been trying to do in our family for the last three years, but it always feels like something comes up. (This year we were serving at a deaf school in Mexico… and that was pretty epic. I’ll be sharing about that here soon!) If you want to read more from Sharron here is her blog: Such as These. ~KN}

The next event at The Discovery Science Cube is the Science of Gingerbread! Which I have been to before! It runs from November 27th thru January 3rd.

This exhibit is all about science at work in the kitchen. The Cube has hands-on activities that will bring your family together. AND you’ll get to see their award winning Gingerbread Competition entries displayed through out the Cube! That is so much fun!

What to expect at the Science of Gingerbread: Santa (hello, awesome!!), decorate and eat, holiday cookies (hello, sugar!!), build and race your own candy car (hello, activities!!), then you can go home with worn out kids (hello, naps!!!).

I can’t wait. Meet me there!

~KN

November 4, 2015 by: Kara Noel Lawson

How to Make a Catapult with Craft Sticks – Homeschool Science!

In honor of the Discovery Cube’s Annual Pumpkin Launch, we made mini catapults with craft sticks, and now I want to teach you how to make a catapult! They are super easy to make, and you probably have all the supplies around your house already…

We also used this as our science lesson. (More about that at the mid-way thought this post)
I taught the kids about force, mass, leverage. And about horizontal and vertical distances.

How to make a catapult…

Stack 7 craft sticks and wrap a rubber band tightly around each end into a bundle. (Science Note: You can experiment with different sized stacks!)

2. Take 2 more craft sticks and wrap a rubber band on one of the ends.

3. Insert the 7-stick-bundle between the 2-stick-stack and stretch a rubber band criss cross to connect the two pieces. (Science Note: The closer the bundle is to the wrapped edge, the more LEVERAGE the catapult will have)

4. Use 2-4 rubber bands to attach the plastic spoon to the end. (Science Note: Experiment with how far up or down on the craft stick you place the spoon.)

Happy pajama catapult launching!

We had launch competitions for distance and height. You can also try launching things of different weight.

Science stuff:

If you want to make this part of a science lesson then here are some things to talk about.

Weight verses Mass
1. Mass is a measurement of the amount of matter something contains
2. Weight is the measurement of the pull of gravity on an object.
3. Weight is measured on a scale.
4. An object’s mass doesn’t change it’s location changes. Weight can change with location.

To illustrate weight with the catapults we launched things of different weights and took note of their different distances.

Horizontal Distance and Vertical Height

1. Horizontal – parallel to the horizon. “side-to-side” (Great to talk about the horizon here too!)
2. Vertical – right angle to the horizon; top is directly above the bottom. “up-and-down”

To illustrate with the catapults, use painters tape to mark the horizontal distance different objects travel. Use painters tape on the wall to mark the vertical height different objects travel. Measure the distances and compare the differences.

Force and Leverage

1. Force – strength or energy as an attribute of physical action or movement.
2. Leverage – the exertion of force by means of a lever or an object used in the manner of a lever.

Illustrate leverage by experimenting with different placement of the stack between the 2 sticks and force by the pressure you put on the spoon while launching.

Then go to the Discovery Cube’s Annual Pumpkin Launch on Saturday to show you kids the real thing! Giant trebuchets for dayz!
You will have the best time ever.
Because events like these make forever-memories with your family.

Saturday, November 7th from 10am-2pm.
At Cal State Fullerton: 800 N State College Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92831
There will be food trucks but you can bring a pack lunch.
Pack picnic blankets or lawn chairs to watch in comfort!

Schedule of Events

10am-1pm
Hands-on Activities and Food Trucks
• Archimedes Floating Lab • Catapult Shoot-Out • Reaction Rockets • Marshmallow Mayhem
• Medieval Battle Camp • Da Vinci’s Flight School • CSUF School of Engineering

10:15-Noon
Test Firing of Devices

12:00pm – 12:30pm
Stage Show

12:30pm
Competition Begins

1:30pm
Awards Ceremony

August 31, 2015 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Forest Home Family Camp {why & free printable camping banner}

“The days are long. The years are short.”

A woman told me that years ago as we were waiting in line at Costco. I was doing my best to keep my 4 little ones entertained, and I’m sure I looked frazzled… perhaps there was even the smell of a ripe diaper in the air.

When I go out with my brood we can be quite the spectacle and we hear lots of phrases like:

“You have your hands full!” Yes, I do, but my heart is full too.

“Are they all yours.” Yep… we’re fertile.

“You know how that happens, right?” Yep, and we like doing that thing… a lot. (wink)

“Are you done yet?” None of your business!!!

But most of all… and usually from a kind face with greying hair… we hear, “Enjoy this time. It goes so fast!”

Does it?
(I would think.)
Because I was up 4 times last night to nurse my sick newborn, and then had to get up at 6am to feed the older three and now I’m on my 3rd drop-off of the day and if I don’t get naps for the two littles before afternoon pick-ups, our evening family plans will be shot and it’s only 11am!

Now, my oldest is almost 9-years-old. He’s a man-child and I can barely recognize him next to pictures of his pudgy baby face.

My heart aches, I want time to stand still, and for my sweet kids to be just the way they are today, forever.

But do I really?

Nope. I love the people they are becoming. Strong, independent, funny, inquisitive, unique, and so much more.

I don’t want time to stand still. But I do want to savor every small moment we spend together.
Even the difficult ones.
Even the ones that stretch me as a human being.
I want to watch them grow into the plans God has laid for them since the beginning of time.

Just two weeks ago, it felt like time stood still.
We spent 6 days at Forest Home Family Camp.
It was magical.
We created small moments, my family will remember forever.

(Seriously though, Tess in that picture!?!?!!!)

I had been to Forest Home as a student and I remember it being rad (it was the 80s), but I never knew there was a Family Camp. I say “camp,” loosely. There should really be the word “resort” in there somewhere.

I mean, look at this pool? Is that what you think of when you hear the word camp??
P.S.
There is a huge splash pad just out of view on the left. And it’s sectioned off from the pool.
Read: You can read your vacation books and not worry about your child drowning.

I’m going to share our experience in separate posts from each family member’s perspective because the experience was so different for each of us!
Sneak peek…

But for more information now you can find Forest Home on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

To get your camping vibes flowing here is a free printable of a camping banner.. just because.
Click on the images below or here to download for free!

Use a hole punch on the top ends, lace twine through and hang. Easy peasy. Maybe we’ll do a camping theme back to school feast this year! (See 2011 and 2012… I never blogged 2013 or 2014… I must fix that!)

October 13, 2014 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Hiking Holy Jim Falls with the Family

It’s been awhile since I just posted a good ole’ fashioned lifestyle post.
I think Instagram ate my blog.
This makes me sad.
I will fix that.

One of my most favorite memories of the summer was hiking Holy Jim Falls in the Cleveland National Forest, out in Trabuco Canyon. The hike is doable with kids. We had all 4 of ours (ages 8, 6, 4 & 2) and the boys wore their flip flops with no trouble.

We got out to the trail early, before it was too hot.
It is quite a drive to the trailhead. It’s a rough road and you have to go slow! In fact, one of our friends says their car has never been the same since they drove that road. It took us about half an hour in our minivan to get to the parking lot.

Brad brought his camel back filled with water and a few snacks. It wasn’t easy, and there was quite a bit of complaining every so often on the way to the falls. But all in all the kids had a wonderful time!

On the way up we stopped often in the shade for quick rests and water. We stopped about three quarters from the top for a snack and we should have stopped to eat sooner… and we should have brought more snacks. They were so so so much better after eating!

The scenery on the hike is fantastic! You won’t feel like you are in Orange County.
Doesn’t being in nature just make you crave more time in nature.
Doesn’t it make you want to buy poperty and just live off the land?
Oh, that’s just me?
Ha!

The children named this the “wave of sticks!” I love to see the world through their eyes!
What a privilege it is to be a parent!
Don’t ya think?

We let the kids explore quite a bit off the trail. As much as I wanted to power through the hike and get a workout, I wanted more for them to love this adventure.

There are 4 trail stops on the way and we all had fun learning about the actual man, Jim, the trail is named after. He kept bees in the canyon and I think I want to too!
(I’m only getting more eccentric folks when it comes to ecology type things. Get ready as I start to share more soon!)

Of course, when you take a hike and it gets tough… remember the way back is always easier! I’m so glad we pushed though to the “falls,” because now we can say, we’ve done it!

I know you want to see a picture of the actual falls. But how could I ruin the surprise? You need to discover this with your family on your own.
Spoiler Alert: The “Falls” are just a trickle in the summer. Try to go after the next good rain in So Cal (hahahahahaha).

Things you should know if you go: Holy Jim Falls

From the main road (Live Oak Canyon Rd) you’ll turn onto a dirt road next to Trabuco Creek, then you’ll take the dirt/gravel road about 4.5 miles to the trailhead. Keep an eye on your mileage, because about two miles in there is a rest stop type area with a porta potty and since you are going so darn slow you might think you are at the trailhead already!
Bring more than one snack! We should have done a whole lunch. It would also be fun to bring a short book to read at picnic rock or the falls. What a special memory for the kiddos… reading in the forest!
The way back is much easier than the way up! This is a great time to encourage your kids during a challenging situation. Pushing toward a goal. It would be a lot of fun to claim this verse before the hike, then have a prize at the end. Maybe cookies secretly waiting in the car! “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13b-14

April 30, 2014 by: Kara Noel Lawson

Growing Gestures {HomeFront in April}

We like games around here.
I made up this game for the April issue of HomeFront and it was a HUGE hit. I call it Growing Gestures and we can’t stop laughing every time we play.
What!?? You don’t believe me?!
Try it.

A popular phrase is, “Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words.” Modeling helps us tangibly see the gospel play out in our own lives, and shows others what we believe. During dinner this month play Growing Gestures then get your children talking with the questions below. And remember, even eating dinner together as a family is modeling Jesus’ desire for community in our lives.

How to play: One person does a gesture (any kind of hand/body/head motion easily executed while sitting at the table), the next person does the first gesture and adds one of their own, and the third person does the first two gestures and adds another. Keep going around the table until someone messes up or you are laughing too hard to finish!

Conversation starter: We just played a game where we learned a motion, copied it, and then added our own motion. The things we do in our lives, work in a similar way – we see a behavior, copy it, learn from it and make it our own. Jesus showed us the ultimate example of love, by choosing to die for our sins on the cross. Let’s talk about ways we can be a Christ-like example for others.

Do you think actions speak louder than words when it comes to our faith?
What is Christ-like behavior mean to you?
What are some examples from the Bible about Jesus’ life that can teach us on how to live our lives?
Who do you see modeling Christ-like behavior?
What are some good examples of following Christ you have seen in our family?
What are things you would like to do to show others you believe in Jesus’ Resurrection?

I hope you have as much fun as we did, while playing this game. It is so fun and silly!

March 30, 2014 by: Kara Noel Lawson

How to Build a Backyard Obstacle Course {HomeFront for March}

This month’s HomeFront Magazine features two great articles by me!!
Squeeeeeeee!
(I’ll share the first today, and the second tomorrow.)

Building a backyard obstacle course is a Small Thing! One of those Small Things your kids will remember forever. It will cost you ZERO dollars and keep your littles busy for at least an hour! Check out pages 16-17 of HomeFront’s online magazine here for all the details. This month’s highlighted topic is Course Correction. I designed this backyard obstacle course with an awesome activity.
(But you’ll have to click over and read the whole article to read about it!)
There are some pretty rad ideas you’ve never seen before… because they are from my sweet lil’ head!

One of the main aspects of Course Correction is getting to the root of a problem and empowering our children toward spiritual transformation – identifying the motivation for our sin instead of just identifying the sin. Each activity represents choices we have in our lives. We can stumble blindly as we lean on our own understanding, hoping we make the best decision, or we can trust in the LORD to make our pathways straight. Talk about how frustrating it was to go through the obstacle course without instruction and how rewarding it was when your child knew the course and could do it correctly on their own. In the same way, we want our children to make the best decisions on their own, in accordance with the will of God in their lives.

To get this amazing magazine for FREE in your inbox every month, just go HomeFrontMag.com and enter your email into this little box:

July 27, 2013 by: Kara Noel Lawson

The Front Yard AND a Healthy Giveaway

The back yard is a place of fun. It’s safe and our green grass (which is mostly weeds but looks like grass when it’s mowed short) beckons us everyday for family picnics, baseball games and reading aloud.

Our backyard is one of the top reasons we bought this home and it still makes me happy every time I look out the window, or make a trip to the compost bin, or when I’m out pulling weeds – so like umpteen times a day.
It’s familiar and wonderful.

But recently we have been exploring uncharted territory.
The Front Yard.
We live on a kinda-busy street… it’s in the heart of a neighborhood, so that cuts down traffic, but it’s one of the main streets to get around in our neighborhood.
It all started when our oldest son was ready to learn how to ride a two-wheel-bike. We don’t have the space in our safe haven of a backyard. We had to move forward… to the frontlines… I mean yard.
Eeek.

It turns out, this simple switch had changed us from a couch potato family in the evenings to an active family. Now, I have to admit, we already are a pretty outdoorsy family. We do lots of physical things (like our neighborhood sunset hikes, a pic of one below), but our evenings had become more of a routine and less of an adventure.
I hate that.

I know it’s silly but there’s no reason you have to be stuck in a routine… even on school nights. (gasp)
I’m not saying stay up till midnight on a school night, but I am saying, be careful of routines. I feel like too much of a routine speeds up the short time we have on earth by blurring everything and everyday together.
And that’s a shame.
And sad.
And preventable!!!!
The front yard has spiced things up and it wasn’t even that difficult.
Small Things are Big Things, friends!
I’ve pulled out a chapter book to read aloud to the children on the small patch of grass in the front yard. We hang out there, ride bikes/scooters, create chalk drawings, and I flag down and chat with anyone who walks by our little circus. One teenager we saw a second time said, “I remember you guys, your little son was doing hand stands in your driveway the other night.”
Ummm… yep… that was us.
And with our circus, clothing/shoes are usually mismatched, pajamas or optional.
True story.

typical evening at our place

If you are looking for a way to go from a family of couch potatoes to an active family here are some ideas:

Make a list. We did a summer bucket list this year because this is our first real summer. Ya know, before school starts, it’s an endless summer and you don’t have to plan activities around any schedule… except the nap schedule.
Our summer bucket list has been super helpful and it’s filled with simple things.
See…

Sign up for something. Anything… as long as it’s active and involves the whole group in some way. It’s great to have some real accountability while making new habits and you’ll create community while being active.

Buy tickets and make traditions. Communities have events. A lot. Do an internet search and try something new and create new active traditions. We recently went to a baseball game and on a watermelon picking tour at a local farm. With both, I felt like it was a waste of money when I bought the tickets, but afterward it felt like the beginning of something new. And I like that. (Side note: I want to move to a farm so if you know anyone who is giving one away, I’m interested.)

Don’t buy tickets and still make new traditions. Communities have free stuff too. Do an internet search and do something. We go to the flea market every month and to the beach every week. Wait… is that a routine or a tradition? Because a routine is bad and a tradition is good. OK… a routine some action that feels hum-drum and dull and is making your life an insignificant blur. And a tradition is when you really look forward to something you have done many times in the past. Sound legit? Because I just made it up!

Thanks for reading friends!
And if you want to read more about creating an active lifestyle for you and your family check out Sexy Mom’s Running Club. The creator, Becky Reese, a mom of 5, has made it her personal mission to empower moms across the country to feel beautiful no matter what their size. She founded Sexy Mom’s Running Club to help busy women make themselves a priority again. Becky has created a pretty activewear line for women in sizes 10-18. And she has partnered up with Melissa Lanz, the author of The Fresh 20 cookbook for a giveaway here at Small Things.
You can win one item from the Becky Reese line of activewear and a copy of the Fresh 20 cookbook. I’m so excited about this cookbook!! It’s basically and “meal planning service that uses only twenty seasonal ingredients per week to cook five weeknight dinners.” And the photography is just lovely!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

March 19, 2013 by: Kara Noel Lawson

52 Weeks of… {weekly pix of your kids}

My friend Drew B took a picture of one of her littles every day for a year and did this fun thing (now she is in the process of doing the same thing with her other little). I was in love with the idea but taking an Instagram picture of each kiddo everyday stressed me out… not to mention it would clog up my stream. I figured I could do one a week (of each kiddo). Totally doable and actually really fun. I thought I was keeping up really well, but when I went to put the pictures in this post, I only had 7 for each kiddo! I’m hoping to do the poster thing just like Drew.

52 Weeks of Eli…