The Fun of Wind Chimes

I love wind chimes. My kids love them too. There is nothing like the sound of wind chimes tinkling on your front porch to make your home seem like a real home. 

The best place to hang wind chimes indoors is where you think there will be a bit of a breeze. This is the best way to enjoy them, as wind chimes that just hang there and never have the opportunity to jangle are half as much fun as though that do. If there is not any bit of breeze or air where you intend to hang these chimes then you can be sure to hang them just low enough so that people can touch them with their fingers every now and then to make them tinkle. 

I love to hold my babies up to the wind chimes so they can play with them with their fingers. Hanging them outside a baby's window can also help them fall asleep as it gives the infant something to focus on them. 

Although it is nice to hang the wind chimes in a way that makes them accessible to people (so they can brush their fingers across them and make them ring) it is also important not to hang them too low. You don't want the tops of people's heads hitting the wind chimes or obstructing their view in any way. A unique place to hang wind chimes is from the bottom of a light fixture or chandelier. This can add a new and musical dimension to your décor. 

Hanging wind chimes in the kitchen is a good idea especially if you get the cast iron kind that consists of many bells. This way you can also use them as a ringer for letting people know that dinner is ready. No matter what size or what material the wind chimes are made of you need to hang them in a way so that they have room to move. This means not hanging them in a corner or too close to a wall.

Wind chimes look very nice hanging from ceiling rafters and in front of windows. If you are planning to hang the wind chimes outside then one of the nicest places to hang them is from an eave or a beam on the front porch. They also look nice hanging in a tree as long as you don't mind scaring away squirrels or birds.

If your kids are old enough you can make nice wind chimes out of old bottles, shells or even paper origami. It is a good crafts project that teaches them about sound as well as balance. 

Where you hang your wind chimes might also depend on how valuable they are. It is probably not a good idea to hang and expensive set of wind chimes made of jade, crystal and copper outside where it can be stolen.

You can get them at the Wind Chimes Store

Parenting Tips
, , , , ,

The Indoor Camping Party

Throwing an indoor sleep over camping party for kids featuring fun campfire foods such as Cheez Whiz soup, s'mores and Dough Boys as well as interactive group games, campfire sing-a-longs and constellation watching is a great idea. A sleepover camping party for kids makes an ideal birthday party, or it can just be a way to introduce younger children to the concept. You can of course just throw this type of party out doors but all you really need is a room that is.  big enough to support enough pup tents to accommodate the number of children invited. 

If you have a fireplace you can roast hotdogs, foil wrapped fries and s'mores over the flames. With a little planning and some simple ground rules, your children’s sleepovers will be a real hit. 

First, you’ll want to come up with a plan for the evening. Have your child think of a list of sleepover mates to invite. A good rule is that your child can only invite the number of kids that corresponds with their age. For example, if your child is 5, they may invite 5 guests. The recipes below are for a children's party of 8 or more, as that is how many hot dog buns come in a package! 

Next, you’ll want to make an enticing indoor campout invitation. One clever idea is to buy a rubber stamp in a shape that corresponds with camping theme and stamp on the front of plain cardstock. Enclosing a little laser flashlight or plastic flashlight on a keychain is a nice pre-party gift.  Fill in the time, place, date, and make it clear what items each child will need to bring. Asking them to each brings their own flashlight and pajamas are a good idea. The cheapest thing is to borrow the tents you need from the neighbors or ask the child's parents to bring one in advance. 

Also on the invitation you will want to give the parent's some idea of the menu. This can help them identify foods their children might be allergic to.  Ideas for food include Bubble Tea, Cheez Whiz soup, Chili Cheese Fries and Banana Boats. Hamburgers, hot dogs and beans can make great main courses. I

t is probably not a good idea to play music at this type of party as it might disturb the neighbors. However, if you play guitar you can always engage the children in a sing along.  A good game instead is to have each child make up a ghost story as they sit inside their pup tents. If they are not too young you can also encourage them to read from a book of ghost stories. Of course this entire party can be held out doors in the summer. The thing with outdoor parties is that you need strict supervision of the children by adults especially if you have a swimming pool in your back yard. However it is really nice to also cook those hamburgers and hot dogs over a real fire if it is warm enough.

Parenting Tips
, , , , , , , , , ,