DIY: I Spy Game

You know those hidden searches in the Highlights magazine? They are my fave. My girls & I love the "I Spy" books, too. I decided to put together my own I Spy game for my kiddos, who will be starting Christmas break in a couple of weeks. Not only is it a fun way to pass the time, but I'm hoping it might even spur them to make their own I Spy games.
I-Spy-Palooza, here we come!

The fun thing about making your own I Spy game is that you can customize it to your child. I did a purple one for Pazely because that's her favorite color. (Plus, the monochromatic theme makes finding things a bit more tricky!)

I spy...

• 3 hearts

• 8 eyes

• The letter “W” ( 3 of them)

• a cupcake

• 4 colored pencils

• a squirrel sticker

• 11 buttons

• 3 bottles of glitter

• a purple crayon

• 3 Sharpies

• 3 spools of thread


Make the I Spy game right on your dining table & let the kids have a go at spying the items on your list. Or, take a photo & create a digital album of I Spy games the kids can play at the computer. Another option is to print actual photos of your I Spy game.

Here are some tips for making your own I Spy game:
• Gather items from around your house.
• If you wish, lay down a paper background, something that goes along with your theme.

• Though it might look like everything was thrown together, every item has been carefully & strategically placed. Take your time to display the objects you've chosen.

If taking photos of your I Spy game:
• Find an area by a nice window with indirect sunlight for taking a photo.

• Not only did I have a nice window to my right, but I grabbed a nice bright lamp to shine on the left of my photo, eliminating as many shadows as possible.

• Jazz up the colors, etc. in a photo editing program & save the photos on your computer.

(Ok, so this one is a wee bit more difficult.)

I spy...

· 2 roses

· 2 bows

· 2 necklaces

· 5 bottles of fingernail polish

· A frog

· A paper airplane

· 5 thumbtacks

· 2 monsters with googly eyes

· A library book

· A window

· 2 owls

· Mini Mt. Dew

· 2 sets of teeth

♥

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Thrifty Games Galore

Whenever I shop at thrift stores, I am always drawn to the games, puzzles, crafty bits, fabric, lamps, linens & old books. Oh yeah, & forks. I usually don't look at much else. Yesterday I totally scored at the thrift store. If I ever purchase games or puzzles, they're usually taped up & sealed shut. So, I never know what I'm bringing home. For an inexpensive price, I don't mind. If lots of parts are missing, I figure I can always use the leftovers for something creative & crafty-like. It's always a win-win ya know? It's never a waste.



I LOVE this "Original" Memory game from the 80's. My girls & I played it right away. All 72 cards were there! YAY! My favorite cards are the owlies, the yellow birdie & the strawberry.



Another 80's find was this Bugs Bunny & Taz puzzle. Yep. All 100+ pieces accounted for.





This next game HAS to be one of the most odd pieces I've ever scored. It's an adult drinking game from the 60's!! (It's for sale in the shop!) ((UPDATE: SOLD!)) Players travel around the gameboard taking drinks as instructed. The object of the game is to recite & collect 10 'Pink Elephant' cards. What's on those 'Pink Elephant' cards? Why, tongue twisters of course! Try saying "I stood on the steps of Burgesses Fish Sauce Shop, mimicking him hiccuping & welcoming him in." Or: "A cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup." If you mess up, you gotta take a drink & try again. The little game pieces are tiny whistles--that really work!

I think all our favorite games & puzzles are the good & old ones that we've collected along our thrifting travels. So, what things get your attention while browsing thrifty goodies?

Party at the O.K. Corral!!

My oldest daughter is about to turn 6. I'm in the midst of planning her party. I stumbled across an older camera I had packed away (while cleaning my art studio this weekend), & it had some pictures on it of when she turned 4! (YIKES! That totally gives you a hint about how well my photos are organized.)

She had a cowgirl/horse party & it was one of the most fun parties I've ever planned for my girls! Being in September, I have the option of having her party outdoors. So, we invited guests to a park by the river & it was perfect! The wee western guests were greeted with their very own stick horses (the party girl got one that made horsey noises!), cowgirl hats (purchased at dollar stores & thrift stores), & bandannas (made from fabric I purchased at Walmart).

The table was set up with different colored checkered tablecloths. I purchased some red cowgirl boots at the thrift store & filled them with red & white carnations. Put the flowers in a heavy glass or vase first, & then place the glass/vase inside the boots. There was also a thermos full of hot chocolate, a crock pot full of little hotdogs & other yummy foods & drinks!

We had extra cowboy hats for guests to wear & bales of hay set around (blankets laid on top) for guests to rest their bums. Even great-grandma got into the action!! (That's my youngest with her cockeyed cowgirl hat!)

For games, we had a horse pinata. (I bought it. This party took a lot of planning so I did buy a lot of stuff instead of making them. I even bought the invitations, which makes me cringe. HAHA!)

My favorite part of the party were the next two games. First, I took a bale of hay & spread it around. (The hay was sitting on top of a tarp for easy cleanup after the party.) Inside the hay I hid all sorts of tiny little prizes & treats with a horse theme. On cue, the kids scurried to scoop up the goodies inside their hats.

Then, everyone was given some "silly string" for a Silly String Shoot-out! It was a fun mess & all the adults got involved too! Silly string was purchased at the dollar store, so I was able to get quite a few bottles.

I made the horse cake, following some instructions given at the Family Fun website. I used a chocolate chip frosting for some fun texture. Of course there were horse plates & horse cups. Also, not pictured, were all the plastic utensils wrapped in their own napkins & tied with a piece of natural twine.

The kids went home with all their collected goodies from the hay hunt game, their hats, their stick horses, bandannas AND a real pony horse shoe with their name engraved on it. The engraving was simply done with metal letters that were hammered onto each horseshoe. (Unfortunately I don't have pics of the personalized shoes.)

Because there were just a few children invited, I was able to do a lot more for the kids. My favorite part of any party are the favors & prizes, so I go "all out" there.


The birthday cowgirl had a blast! She even got to ride off into the sunset on her very first bike!

Check out this fun website with western slang.