<![CDATA[Savvy Auntie: Recent Activities]]> http://savvyauntie.com/ SavvyAuntie.com - the first community for cool aunts, great aunts, godmothers and all women who love kids Copyright 2008 SavvyAuntie.com <![CDATA[MMOexp Lineage 2M: Breaking the Abyssal Knight’s Curse]]> Fri, 15 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT <![CDATA[MMOexp Dune: Awakening – Secrets of the Crysknife of Shai-Hulud]]> Tue, 12 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT <![CDATA[MMOexp Monopoly Go: High Stakes, High Rolls – Winning with the Dice Multiplier]]> Wed, 06 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT <![CDATA[MMOexp Lineage 2M: Abyssal Knight’s Bane – Mastering the Shadowbrand]]> Sun, 03 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT <![CDATA[MMOexp Monopoly Go: High Stakes, High Rolls – Winning with the Dice Multiplier]]> Tue, 29 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT <![CDATA[MMOexp Lineage 2M: The Shadowbrand – Forged in Darkness]]> Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT <![CDATA[RSgoldfast How to Start Yama's Contracts in Old School RuneScape]]> Tue, 22 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT <![CDATA[MMOexp Lineage 2M: Shadowbrand Unleashed]]> Wed, 16 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT <![CDATA[RSOrder How to Access Yama's Contracts in OSRS]]> Sun, 13 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT <![CDATA[MMOexp Dune: Awakening – How to Earn and Use the Crysknife of Shai-Hulud]]> Tue, 08 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT <![CDATA[Drawing time]]> Sat, 01 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT <![CDATA[5 Easter Games!]]> Celebrate an egg-citing Easter with your nieces and nephews by having them participate in some of these fun games that will keep them learning while they move!

1. Egg-Hunting for Numbers

As in a traditional egg hunt, your nieces and nephews will be looking for the eggs that you hide around your house and yard. The twist is that the eggs will have simple mathematical equations painted on them (e.g., 2+2=?) that the kids will have to solve in order to win a prize at the end. You can decide whether the reward, such as a cash prize, goes to the one with the most eggs collected or the most equations solved. To simplify this game, nieces and nephews are allowed to hunt for as many eggs as they can find before attempting to solve the math problems.

2. E is for Egg Toss

Set up about five wicker baskets at one end of your lawn; place each a little further from the one before. Then designate a spot from which the kids will toss their plastic eggs. When the first player goes to toss an egg, he or she will yell out a letter of the alphabet and provide a word that starts with that letter (e.g., B is for Bunny). The next player will continue with the next letter in the alphabet. Should anyone miss a basket, the next player will have to redo the letter and come up with a new word. Points are awarded for how far players can toss the eggs and how creative they can be in the words they provide.

3. Egg Scramble

This game works well with teams if you’re planning on having a bunch of kids over for your Easter celebration. First, write out some simple words on construction paper and cut out the letters. Then place the pieces into plastic eggs. Place the plastic eggs into a large basket, and put it in the middle of your lawn or living room. Your nieces and nephews will have 1-2 minutes (or 5 minutes if you have enough eggs) to run and unscramble as many words as possible. Each team may only retrieve one egg at a time, so the kids will have to work together to figure out their words quickly!

4. Barnyard Animals Guessing Game

Each niece or nephew gets a flashcard with a kind of barnyard animal written on the front. Tape the flashcards onto each kid’s forehead without letting him or her see which animal is written on the card. Other kids must act out the animal written on the flashcards so that the players can guess which animals are on their foreheads.

5. Bunny Hop Relay

In this race, nieces and nephews will be handing off carrots as batons to their teammates. Set up a basket of carrots for each team at the start of the race, and place an empty basket for the kids to fill at the other end. The first team to bunny-hop the most carrots to the end of the yard wins. While running, team members must yell out the number of carrots they have successfully carried over to the other side. To make the game even more interesting, Aunties can provide the kids with bunny-eared headbands!


Updated: April 17, 2019
Originally published: March 26, 2013 by A. Noelle
]]> Wed, 17 Apr 2019 10:20:00 GMT <![CDATA[Make it Count!]]> Who knew a jar of coins could be so much fun?! Gather your nieces and nephews for day filled with coin counting, sorting, jingling, ca-chinging and shopping.

First, get that jar of coins that's been sitting there gathering dust and change for years. Empty it out and help your nieces and nephews sort the coins. Then, have them count how much money it adds up to. You'd be surprised how quickly the change adds up!

Kids will learn math and value of each coin while they get excited about how much money is adding up!

Depending on the age of the child, use the coins to play math games. For example, say: If I need $1.38 to buy some apples, help me sort coins to add up to $1.38. "Then, reverse the problem. Tell the children they are the cashier and the apples are $1.38. Pay them $1.80 in coins and have them give you back the correct change. Finally, tell them that each apple is $0.23 and ask how much they think it will cost to buy six apples. Then have them add up the exact change. If you are playing with more than one niece or nephew, make it a race to the finish!

And the reward for all their fun work? They get to decide how to spend some (or all!) of the coins! Take the coins to a coin machine or bank where they have change machines. The kids will love dumping all the coins into the machine and hearing it sort them, like a mini-Las Vegas casino!

Once you have converted your change into dollars, split the money between your nieces and nephews. Depending on how much money you ended up with, you can take them to a dollar store or a larger retailer and let them choose a gift each with their share. This experience will teach them about the value of money.

Or, suggest they use their coin "earnings" to take Auntie out for lunch or ice cream for a change! (Get it? Change!)  They will have to stay within budget so it will be another opportunity for a math lesson.

Finally, set aside a percentage of the funds to give to charity. If the children have a fundraiser at school, consider that option as it may add an additional sense of pride for the children.

Bonus Idea

As a craft project, have the kids decorate their own coin jars! Use mason jars or clear plastic containers and let them paint them with clever designs. Now, they can start collecting their own change. This will help teach them about the value and reward of savings at a young age.

This is what we call making a niece and nephew experience count!
]]> Wed, 29 Aug 2018 10:13:00 GMT <![CDATA[Inspire Art]]> August 2, 2017

Whether you're an artist, and art aficionado, or just an art hobbyist, you know there is art inspiration everywhere around us. Sharing our passion for art can leave a big impression on our nieces and nephews; we never know what will inspire them to be who they are meant to be and maybe your little "art-venture" will be the thing!

Here are six ways to help inspire a passion for art in the children you love:
 
Muse Through a Museum
We're starting with the obvious: a visit to an art museum. Many cities have several to choose from, so showing nieces and nephews a few to choose from online, and picking out the exhibits they are most interested in is a good idea before you start. A good choice many be an interactive museum like Artechouse in Washington D.C. And check out this excellent article by mykidsadventure.com for tips on how to make the most of your trip to a gallery or museum.

Crafty Auntie Time
Before you decide on a specific craft, take your nieces and nephews to a craft store where the options are as limitless as their imagination. Craft stores offer the opportunity to try something completely new and out of their comfort zones. And hey, it's art. They really can't go wrong! Some craft stores offer classes and other interactive crafty programs.

Take a Snapshot
Go on a walk with the kids direct them take pictures of what they want. Capture nature, architecture and people interacting. Get different angles and don’t be afraid to get a little dirty for the perfect shot! Add their photos to a special online album - or better yet, print them out and make a mosaic framed story of your day together.

Art in Architecture
With their beautiful skyscrapers, cities are perfect for discovering unique and peculiar buildings. Architecture can show a new perspective of art in a mathematical and structural light. Check out this helpful article in Allure (yes, Allure!) for ways to truly appreciate the architecture of buildings around you when you're all together.

Get Educated
Some art studios offer the option of a class for adults and children, like at the Children’s Museum of the Arts in New York City. This studio offers a family class on Saturday, so you can work hard and play hard.  If you can’t find a class in your area, or you're stuck inside, try YouTube tutorials. From sketching cartoons to oil painting flowers there’s definitely a video that will spark your nieces' and nephews' interests.

Get Inspired by Nature
Get to the park, lake, field,or another scenic area and set up easels to paint the picture in front of you. Or, use nature itself as your art tools. Nature painting can be a lot of fun, especially as the autumn leaves begin to fall. Here's a great how-to by Real Housemoms

Photo: bunyarit
]]> Wed, 02 Aug 2017 14:38:00 GMT <![CDATA[Ghoulish Games!]]>

Halloween is more than just costumes and candy! It's time for play, too! Here are three fun and developmental games we found on three superb blogs. We're introducing the games to you, here!


Life Size Pumpkin Memory Game





This Halloween, offer your niece or nephew a game experience to remember - literally! We found the easy-to-create Life Size Pumpkin Memory game on PleasantestThing.com. All you need are orange paper plates, black and brown construction paper, scissors and tape.

The number of matching pumpkin faces you make can differ according to your niece's or nephew’s age and how challenging you want the game to be. This game gives your nieces and nephews a fun seasonal activity while also strengthening their memory and cognitive skills.

Get the full directions at PleasantestThing.com






Ghost Bottle Bowling

For this ghoulish game from NoTimeForFlashcards, you will need three or more empty, plastic water bottles, sticky black foam, scissors, a package of cotton balls and a kickball (preferably Halloween-themed). Your nieces and nephews can fill the water bottles with cotton balls. And , depending on their age and ability, allow them to cut out eyes from the sticky foam and place them on the water bottles. Then, have them step back, wind up, and play ball!

This game is particularly great because it allows children to exercise their motor skills both when building the ghost bottles and aiming to knock them down.

Get the full directions at  NoTimeForFlashcards


Monster Dice




Your nieces and nephews will be sure to love this DIY game from MommasFunWorld.blogspot.com Your local hardware store or craft store should have the two wooden blocks needed to create the dice - and the orange paint you'll need as well. Have your niece or nephew paint the blocks, let them dry, then write Halloween-themed instructions on each side of the die. For example, MommasFunWorld recommends one side say “pumpkin kick,” another, “scarecrow skip,” and so on.

This particular game encourages your niece or nephew to be physically active as well as practice their reading skills and writing skills!

Get the full directions at MommasFunWorld.blogspot.com


Photo: CHOReograPH
Published: October 19, 2016
]]> Wed, 19 Oct 2016 12:47:00 GMT <![CDATA[Healthier Halloween!]]>
This Halloween, give your nieces and nephews a spooky snack that is fun to make, eat, and most importantly, a healthier choice that all that candy!

Spiders in a Blanket



Pigs in a blanket are already a party favorite! And these cuties have a Halloween twist!

This eight-legged snack from AppleGate, a natural and organic meats company, requires few ingredients and has only a few steps, so kids can get right to decorating - and eating them - pretty quickly! Click here or on the image to get the full recipe.


Silly Apples Bites





We found these little ghoulish guys on ForkAndBeans.com and they will have your niece or nephew so distracted by their appearance, they wont even realize they’re eating something so healthy!

Did you go apple picking with (or without) your nieces and nephews? Great! This recipe calls for green apples (although red apples will probably work just as well!), sunflower seeds, sunflower butter, strawberries, white icing and chocolate chips.

The directions inside the link are easy enough for a big kid to do, and younger kids will have fun placing on the strawberry tongues.


Halloween Deviled Eggs







The possibilities are endless with #31 of 64 non-candy Halloween treats we found at Listotic.com. Simply gather and boil any number of eggs and let you and your nieces' and nephews' creativity flow!

Sprinkle some cayenne pepper and top the egg with a piece of chopped scallion to make a pumpkin, slice a few black olives to turn the eggs into creepy crawlers, or top them off with some guacamole and half of a green olive to create a spooky yet delicious eyeball. And finally - let them make their own creations. Who knew eggs be so artistic?

Find all 64 of the Listotic non-candy Halloween recipe ideas, here.



Image: Mr. Alliance
Recipe images by the respective Blogs and Websites (Links inside the images)
Published: October 11, 2016



]]> Tue, 11 Oct 2016 14:01:00 GMT <![CDATA[Scary Cool Crafts!]]>
It’s almost that time again – for us, it means sweaters, pumpkin-spice-everything and costume photo-ops. For our nieces and nephews, it means costumes, ghost-hunting and a night full of candy. It's not wonder why Halloween is a favorite holiday! Why not get crafty this year with nieces and nephews and make it a Halloween to remember!


Cheesecloth Ghosts




For this creepy little craft we spotted on ModernParentsMessyKids.com, you will need cheesecloth, googly eyes, fabric stiffener, a large bowl, balloons, a few cups or bottles to support the balloons, wax paper, tape and scissors.

First, line up your bottles or cups over the wax paper. Secure the balloons to the top of them with tape. Drape your cheesecloth over the balloons and cut whatever length you desire. Remove the cheesecloth and let each piece soak in a bowl of fabric stiffener. Place the cheesecloth back over the balloons and let it dry for at least six hours. Remove the cloth and secure the googly eyes, and behold an adorable little display of ghosts that you and your niece or nephew can be proud of!


Melted Crayon Pumpkins




It doesn’t get any easier than this cool craft from TheSwellDesigner.com, and can even combine two activities into one! Take your niece or nephew out to a pumpkin farm and gather some white pumpkins. After that, you will only need a box of crayons, glue and a hair dryer. After you peel the paper off of the crayons, glue the crayons to the top of the pumpkin around the stem. Pass your little one the hair dryer and let them go to town!


Egg Carton Bats




This is another simple craft, so it's not wonder we discovered it on HappyClipplings.com. All you need is an egg carton, googly eyes, black paint, a paint brush, glue and ribbon.

First, cut out pieces of the egg carton into sets of three, then cut out the bottoms of the two outside cups to resemble bat wings. Paint them black and allow them to dry. Glue on the googly eyes and a ribbon to the top so that they can hang, and voila! You have some cute little visitors hanging from your ceiling or chandelier!

 Photo: altanaka
Published: October 5, 2016
]]> Wed, 05 Oct 2016 15:01:00 GMT <![CDATA[AUNT CAMP 11: Wrap!]]>
You and your nieces and nephews have made some great memories this summer! With Aunt Camp, you’ve done everything from a nature walk to scribbling with chalk. Make a summer scrapbook with the kids this last and final week of Aunt Camp using the artwork they’ve made and pictures you’ve taken together.

1. Take pictures: If you haven’t captured the Aunt Camp moments, snap a shot of the kids holding the projects they have made. They will feel pride for what they have accomplished. Have fun and turn it into a photoshoot. Maybe recreate their face paint from last week….

2. Stock up: Head to your local craft store for the items you need to make your scrapbooks look great. Invest in cardstock with lovely designs, stickers, stamps, and decorative scissors. Plan with your niece or nephew what you want each page to look like ahead of time so you know what you need for each page.

3. Incorporate their art: Either paste some of their best projects in the book or allow them to color on the page. Careful around the photos, though!

4. Layouts: You can keep it simple and special or get wild by collaging and layering. Use magazines, Pinterest or this Scrapbook website dedicated completely to scrapbooking for ideas.
 
5. Write about it: Attach little envelopes to each page so that your niece or nephew can write about each activity. They will be interested to see what they wrote ten years down the line. You can write one too so that nothing is forgotten.

We hope you all had a great summer at Aunt Camp! We know we did!

Updated and republished: August 3, 2016
]]> Wed, 03 Aug 2016 15:37:00 GMT <![CDATA[AUNT CAMP 10: Paint!]]> By: Emily Shwake

Take their artwork to the next level! Painting is fun on its own, and it is always fun to mix up an old favorite.

1. Marble paint: Forget splatter paint! Leave the oldie but goodie behind with these project that is sure to excite your nieces and nephews. Drop small amounts of nail polish (we hear this works best) into a tray of water. Have them pull the paint in different directions using a toothpick. Finally, Gently place a piece of paper onto the surface. Pull it up to see what they have created! 

2. Face paint: Who says they have to wait for the carnival to come to town? Paint their faces using paint that is safe for the skin. (Don’t forget to ask their parents first!) Check out this site for great ideas or ask them who they want to be for a day. When you’re done (and if you are brave) let the kids paint your face as well.

3. Paint with bubbles: What a cool way to make art! Simply pour bubble mixture into small trays (you can use a palette or even an old ice cube tray) and gently stir in different food colorings into each tray. Have your nieces and nephews blow the colored bubbles onto their canvas and they will have a masterpiece!

4. Foam paint: Foam paint is all the rage these days. Make a 3D masterpiece with your nieces and nephews. Have them paint on a box for more dimensional fun! Don’t forget that this stuff dries flat, so take a picture before it does! You can buy it or make it using this recipe.

5. Picture frame: Help them make a picture your nieces and nephews will cherish forever. Print out some selfies you took with the kids ahead of time to put in the frames. Wooden picture frames go for cheap at craft stores. Incorporate glitter, puffy paint, and scrapbook paper for a mixed media project. Reverse the project and frame their artwork to make them really proud of the work they have done!

Published: July 27, 2016
]]> Wed, 27 Jul 2016 16:57:00 GMT <![CDATA[AUNT CAMP 9: Sand!]]>
The summer is really heating up! Spend the last few summer weekends on the beach with your nieces and nephews. Play in the sand, building huge sand castles or digging enormous holes, and head into the water to wash it off. If the beach is not an option, don’t be deterred. These five activities will help you bring the beach to them!

1. Fine Motor Skill Development: If your niece or nephew is in preschool, you know that this is a crucial time to develop their fine motor skills. Using sand can help them practice these skills in a fun, sensory way. They can knead it like dough, pick small items out of the sand, or use measuring cups to pick it up and dump it out. Have the little ones draw pictures in the sand using their fingers or Q-tips. If they are learning their letters, they can draw out their ABC’s.

2. Archaeology Dig: This is a cool and exciting way to teach kids about science. Fill a large box with sand or even just use the loose dirt outside. Bury fake dinosaur bones or “artifacts.” After explaining to them what an archaeologist does, set them up with the proper tools such as trowels, sifters, paintbrushes, and a notebook to keep records. They will love the feeling of making discoveries and being trusted with such careful work. Watch Jurassic Park to inspire them even further!

3. Kinetic Sand: Savvy Auntie gave this the Coolest Toy Award and for good reason! Kinetic sand is a sculpting material that functions like wet sand. Unlike clay, kinetic sand never dries out so your nieces and nephews can leave out their creations for days. The kids can use cookie cutters, rolling pins, and stamps (to make imprints) to spice up this activity that will keep them having fun for hours. Craft stores and most toy stores sell the sand, but here is a DIY recipe for a cheaper alternative.

4. Sand Art: This activity is timeless and easy to execute. Grab old water bottles or jars and have your niece or nephew pour layers of colored sand into them. They can keep it leveled, shake it around, or poke toothpicks in to pull the sand in different directions. You can purchase colored sand at craft stores or make it yourself.

5. Sand Paper: Get crafty with sand paper! This scratchy stuff has more uses than you might think. Give your nieces and nephews some chalk to draw on it. The grubby material will hold the chalk in place. They can mix materials by incorporating crayons and watercolors into their masterpieces. They can even make their own shirts using sand paper. Tell them to color on a page using crayons. Place the page sandy side down on a blank T-shirt, lay a sheet of wax paper on top of that, and run an iron along the back for about thirty seconds and Voila!

Photo: Emily Shwake
Updated and republished: July 20, 2016
]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2016 18:32:00 GMT