The December Issue: Winter Wonderland
In The Winter Wonderland Issue
Fun DC Area Winter Outings
Make Your Own Gingerbread Playdough
More Winter Craft Ideas
Giving Back During the Holiday Season
Top 10 Snow Day Activities
Winter Book Reviews
Holiday Gift Ideas

Fun Winter Outings in the DC Area!!

There are tons of winter and holiday activities in the DC metro area this time of year!  Our top selection: Ice skating at the Sculpture Garden Ice Rink (7th and Constitution in NW Washington, DC).

ice skating
 
 

Check out Our Kids

special holiday listings for a comprehensive list of winter events including tree/ menorah lighting in the DC area!
Make Your Own Gingerbread Scented Playdough!
 
gingerbread man
 
Click Here for Ingredients and Directions!

Joke of the Month

Q: What do you get when you cross a snowman & a shark?

A: Frost bite!
 
Other Winter Craft Ideas from
snow meter
Make your own snow meter!!
Giving Back During the Holiday Season: 
 
The holiday season is a great time to give back to the community. Here are some things we are doing to get involved:
 
Andy's Parties is teaming up with The Children's Inn at the National Institutes of Health for their annunal toy drive. We will be hosting a holiday party for kids currently living at the Inn.
 
Drop off new, unwrapped toys at Andy's Parties' Gaithersburg or Great Falls locations!
 
 
 
Look for our upcoming newsletters:
January - Sports
February - Superheroes
March - Animals
April - Music
May- Space
 
Please email us at blog@andysparties.com with any suggestions for these or other newsletters.
 
 
Greetings!  
 
Welcome to the December issue of Great Kids News, our monthly newsletter filled with ideas for your great kids!  This month, we're focusing on winter activities.
 
As always, we welcome other ideas and suggestions...please post your feedback to blog@andysparties.com.
 
Kind regards,
Andy, Paula, Lisa and Lauren
Top 10 Best Things To Do On a Snowy Day 
 
At GKN we know that kids look forward to snow days. We also know that keeping the kids busy can sometime be a challenge for parents. Here are some of our favorite snow day activities:
 
1. Watch a great winter movie! We love the animated film,The Snowman (1982). Buy it here.
 
2. Make S'more (in the fireplace or microwave)! Click here for instructions.
 
3. Play a board game. We love Candyland and Monoploly, but pick your favorite.
 
4. Bake/ Decorate holiday cookies or a gingerbread house. Click here for recipes.
 
5. Play in the snow!! Build a snowman, sled down a hill, make a snow angel.
 
6. Build a fort. Grab pillows, blankets, and any other supplies you have laying around the house. Ideas
 
7. Have a dance party. Put on some holiday music (or High School Musical 2) and "bust a move" in the living room.
 
8. Get crafty. Make your own holiday or New Years cards for friends and family.
 
9.  Read a good book! (See our book reviews below)
 
10. Put your imagination to work. Put on a play! Create characters, costumes, a set, and a script.
 

snowflake

 
Holiday Cards For Our Troops!
 
When you're making out your holiday card list this year, why not send a card or two to the recovering troops at Walter Reed?
 
Here is the address:
American Red Cross- Heaton Pavilion 3rd Floor Rm 3E05
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20307-5000
 
Click Here for more ways to get involved with American Red Cross during the holidays and throughout the year.
 
redcross
 
 
 

Winter Book Reviews

Here are a few books we like to read in our PJ's on a cold day:

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton: Katy is a snowplow that can overcome almost any obstacle thrown her way. When a blizzard hits her town, she jumps to action and saves the day. This book includes maps so your little one can track all of the places Katy has been.

snowman

 
Snowball Fight
 by Jimmy Fallon and Adam Stower: School is cancelled! It's a snow day! All of the kids in town prepare for the ultimate snowball fight. This is a great choice for a new reader. The illustrations are fun too!
 

snow ball fight book

Here are some other winter books we like from Amazon.com:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gift Ideas For Kids Of All Ages!! snowman
 
Here at GKN we know that holiday (or birthday) shopping can be difficult. We have compiled a list of our favorite gifts for this holiday season.
 
 
Infants - Fisher Price Rainforest 123 Gym.This is a gift that the baby on your list will use all year. It is adjustable and completely washable!
 
Toddlers (1-3 years) - Crayola Beginnings: Creativity Set. This toy will allow the smallest artist on your list to explore their creative side without ruining the carpet and furniture. All of the paint is washable and can even be revived with water if left out too long.
 
Preschoolers (3-5 years) - Fisher Price Smart Cycle. This toy has it all! It's fun, educational and keeps kids moving! The toy bike plugs right into the TV. The child then rides his way through the games. This one is a bit pricier than the other selections, but it was too cool not to mention.
 
Grade School (6-9 years) - We couldn't pick just one. With the popularity of High School Musical, Hannah Montana, and American Idol in recent years, the coolest gifts for this group are related to music. A few of our favorites are High School Musical Twister Moves (the classic twister game with a High School Musical spin), Fisher Price Plug and Play Guitar (less expensive than a real guitar, but a great start for the musician on your list), and the American Idol Singing Star karaoke machine (for the little singer who must have a microphone wherever they go).
 
Tweens (10-12 years) - Radica UB Funkeys. These funny looking animals connect to your computer through a USB connection. Each one is part of an interactive virtual world filled with games. Kids can use their unique "Funkey Hubs" to interact with their friends online. The best gifts for this group are electronics. Anything that will send a text message, connect to the internet, or play music/movies/video games are almost guarenteed to go over well.
 
 

We found these gift ideas atwww.gifts.com/ideas/children. Check them out for more great gift ideas!