The Practical Guide to Weekend Parenting

Creative, Affordable, and Fun Weekend Activities
Whether you’re divorced, separated, or just working long hours, it’s getting harder and harder to spend one-on-one time with your children. Instead of turning on the television and walking away, there’s now an easy way to strengthen your parent-child ties, take charge and teach, and have fun with your kids– all at the same time.

Written by a divorced father of three, The Practical Guide to Weekend Parenting offers a no-nonsense approach to parenting and gives sensible advice from a parent who has walked in your shoes. Its collection of 101 projects is designed to help you actively raise, nurture, and guide your children. Each adventure is packed with suggestions to help you interact with your children:
• Lists of conversation-starters to promote bonding
• An aside to the parents with practical advice from the trenches
• Activities included for every interest
• Includes a variety of easy-to-search chapters
• Fun facts to share with the kids, and more

Filled with author anecdotes and including activities all ages can enjoy, The Practical Guide to Weekend Parenting will make sure you make the most of every moment with your kids.Table of Contents:

Introduction to Weekend Parenting

Chapter 1:At Home
• Mural Painting 
• Board Games 
• Card Games 
• Letter Writing
• Marble Games 
• Draw Pictures 
• Carve Soap 
• Shape Clay

Chapter 2:In the Yard
• Plant a Garden 
• Roast Marshmallows 
• Fort Building 
• Catch Lightning Bugs
• Construct Mechanical Gardens 
• Search for Four-Leaf Clovers

Chapter 3:At the Park
• Kites 
• Paper Airplanes 
• Puddle Splashing 
• Picnics
• Playgrounds

Chapter 4:Overnight Activities
• Movie Night 
• Build Weekend Storage Boxes  
• Weekend Journals

Chapter 5:Road Trip
• Car Games  
• Round Robin Stories  
• U.S. Patent Awards  
• Tongue Twisters  
• Discuss a Topic

Chapter 6:Local Fun
• Miniature Golf  
• Bowling  
• Hiking  
• Sports
• Libraries  
• Swimming
• Shopping 
• Showtime  
• Movie Theater
• Flea Markets  
• Yard Sales 
• Roller Skating

Chapter 7:Long Distance Adventures
• Museums 
• State Park 
• Festival, Carnival, or Circus  
• Gemstone Hunting
• Boat Racing

Chapter 8:Holiday Fun
• New Year’s Day 
• Valentine’s Day  
• Easter  
• Memorial Day
• Fourth of July  
• Labor Day  
• Halloween  
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas  
• Birthday

Chapter 9:Learning Things to Do (While Growing Up)
• Sewing 
• Shaving 
• Tool Use 
• Card Designing 
• Magazine Subscriptions
• List Making

Chapter 10:Winter Activities
• Snowmen  
• Skiing 
• Sledding 
• Sculpting Snow 
• Snow Trekking 
• Snow Play

Chapter 11:Parenting from the Car Trunk
• Frisbee  
• Golf Club 
• Notebooks and Color Pencils/Markers 
• Football 
• Cards 
• Books 
• Lacrosse Sticks

Chapter 12:Quick–The Kids Are Here!
• Cooking Meals 
• Puzzles 
• Video Games 
• Cartoons
• Carve Out New Space 
• Home Repairs 
• Bake Cookies 
• Design Your Own T-Shirt 
• Charades 
• Weather Investigation 
• Finger Painting 
• Mobiles and Dreamcatchers

Chapter 13:Advance Planning Required
• Movie Making 
• Rockets 
• Book Making 
• Collage 
• Acting 
• Scrapbook 
• Photo Album 
• Gold-Star Bulletin Board 
• Home/Apartment Redecorating
• Volunteering 
• Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts 
• Musical Instruments 
• Bridges 
• Ant Farms

Afterword

Index of ActivitiesDivorced with three children in 1993, Doug Hewitt soon discovered how tough parenting could really be, and wondered how he could raise his toddlers to become responsible adults. The notes based on his weekends with his kids eventually became The Practical Guide to Weekend Parenting. An engineer by day and a writer by night, Doug spends most of his time with his children in their hometown of Mayodan, North Carolina, and is a frequent speaker on parenting.