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940S
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POTTERSTYLE

S A T U R D A Y S

Family Activity Ideas

H A RL E Y A . RO T B A R T, MD

POTTER STYLE / PUBLISHERS

NEW YORK

part

Journaling Your
Familys Saturdays

after more than three decades as a pediatrician, thats my specialty.

And then its your turn! Use the inviting pages of the journal to reflect
on, and record for posterity, your familys special weekend adventures.
940 Saturdays will become a treasured keepsake for you and your
kids. Imagine someday looking back through your entries together
and rediscovering the exact Saturday your child found the inspiration
to become the firefighter, ballet dancer, or architect she grew into!
I hope that the activity ideas in these pages might lead to that
inspiration.

Why count?

The M O M E N T
Youre in the delivery room, holding your newborn baby. Youve
brushed the wispy hair from the soft spot on her head, marveled at
the miracle in your arms, shed tears of relief and joy. There will never
be another moment just like this.
On seeing a newborn, my grandmother would rhetorically ask,
in her gentle European accent, From this we have to make a real
person? Daunting, isnt it? But thrilling, too! Every moment of
childhood brings new growth, development, and discovery. And,
as a parent, you have the best seat in the house to watch your baby
become the real person shes meant to be.
Parenting young kids is at once exhausting and exhilarating. Its
also finite. There are 940 Saturdays between those magical moments
in the delivery room and the momentous day your once little bundle
leaves for college. LEAVES FOR COLLEGE! Now is the time to cherish
each moment of your kids childhoods, and 940 Saturdays is designed
to help you do just that.
940 Saturdays is part menu, part memory book. Within these
pages, youll find an abundance of fun, creative, and meaningful
weekend activities for you and your kids, more than enough to fill
every one of your 940 Saturdays. Ive carefully tailored the activities to
your kids ages and to the stages of their growth and development
2

It may seem a bit obsessive-compulsive to count the Saturdays of

your kids childhoods. But this isnt an idle calendar exercise. Keeping
track fosters consciousness about how you spend those Saturdays.
Knowing its Saturday 244 this week inevitably also makes you
think about Saturdays 243 and 245did you make the most of last
Saturday or did you defer time with your kids to this week? Is 244 one
of those impossible Saturdays when family plans have to be put on
hold? If so, how does your schedule look for next week?

Why journal?
940 Saturdays is a powerful tool for savoring the precious moments
of your kids childhoods. Chronicling the activities extends the day;
as youre writing, youre recalling. Maybe youve already put the kids
to bed and are settling in with a cup of tea (or something stronger!)
to reflect. Or maybe youre journaling while winding down with your
kids at bedtime, asking them for their favorite part of this Saturday,
allowing those moments to linger a little longer for all of you. And
when you reread your previous Saturdays, you relive them, too.
On fun family outings, my wifes grandmother was legendary for
telling her kids, Just remember, youre having a happy childhood.
940 Saturdays will become a permanent family history, a legacy of
your parenthood days and a reminder to your kids someday of how
3

part

Journaling Your
Familys Saturdays

after more than three decades as a pediatrician, thats my specialty.

And then its your turn! Use the inviting pages of the journal to reflect
on, and record for posterity, your familys special weekend adventures.
940 Saturdays will become a treasured keepsake for you and your
kids. Imagine someday looking back through your entries together
and rediscovering the exact Saturday your child found the inspiration
to become the firefighter, ballet dancer, or architect she grew into!
I hope that the activity ideas in these pages might lead to that
inspiration.

Why count?

The M O M E N T
Youre in the delivery room, holding your newborn baby. Youve
brushed the wispy hair from the soft spot on her head, marveled at
the miracle in your arms, shed tears of relief and joy. There will never
be another moment just like this.
On seeing a newborn, my grandmother would rhetorically ask,
in her gentle European accent, From this we have to make a real
person? Daunting, isnt it? But thrilling, too! Every moment of
childhood brings new growth, development, and discovery. And,
as a parent, you have the best seat in the house to watch your baby
become the real person shes meant to be.
Parenting young kids is at once exhausting and exhilarating. Its
also finite. There are 940 Saturdays between those magical moments
in the delivery room and the momentous day your once little bundle
leaves for college. LEAVES FOR COLLEGE! Now is the time to cherish
each moment of your kids childhoods, and 940 Saturdays is designed
to help you do just that.
940 Saturdays is part menu, part memory book. Within these
pages, youll find an abundance of fun, creative, and meaningful
weekend activities for you and your kids, more than enough to fill
every one of your 940 Saturdays. Ive carefully tailored the activities to
your kids ages and to the stages of their growth and development
2

It may seem a bit obsessive-compulsive to count the Saturdays of

your kids childhoods. But this isnt an idle calendar exercise. Keeping
track fosters consciousness about how you spend those Saturdays.
Knowing its Saturday 244 this week inevitably also makes you
think about Saturdays 243 and 245did you make the most of last
Saturday or did you defer time with your kids to this week? Is 244 one
of those impossible Saturdays when family plans have to be put on
hold? If so, how does your schedule look for next week?

Why journal?
940 Saturdays is a powerful tool for savoring the precious moments
of your kids childhoods. Chronicling the activities extends the day;
as youre writing, youre recalling. Maybe youve already put the kids
to bed and are settling in with a cup of tea (or something stronger!)
to reflect. Or maybe youre journaling while winding down with your
kids at bedtime, asking them for their favorite part of this Saturday,
allowing those moments to linger a little longer for all of you. And
when you reread your previous Saturdays, you relive them, too.
On fun family outings, my wifes grandmother was legendary for
telling her kids, Just remember, youre having a happy childhood.
940 Saturdays will become a permanent family history, a legacy of
your parenthood days and a reminder to your kids someday of how
3

happy their childhoods were. Your entries can be elaborate essays

or evocative poetry, but a simple list of activities done with your
kids will also suffice. Or you may prefer a photo entry or a sketch.
940Saturdays is also a place to preserve your kids firstsfirst bike
ride, first swim in the ocean, first time on skates, first time driving(!).

part

Activities for
Your Saturdays:

Why Saturday?
Of course, if there are 940 Saturdays between birth and college,
there are also 940 Mondays and Wednesdays. When kids are very
young, their Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday schedules are
indistinguishableits a pretty simple existence for the first year or
two of childhood. But as they get older, the choreography of kids
lives gets much more complicated, especially Monday to Friday. Your
adult responsibilities pose an even bigger barrier to quality time
your kids few available weekday hours may not coincide with yours.
By Saturday, things slow down a bit for most families, and there
is an element of control that is lacking during the week. But dont
Sundays have the same advantages of flexibility and control as
Saturdays? Yes! Counting Sundays is as commendable as counting
Saturdays; and all the concepts and suggestions in this book apply
equally well to Sundays. However . . . there is one compelling reason
for counting Saturdays rather than Sundays: Sunday is Saturdays
backup plan, and if you are lucky enough to have both days available
for your kids, all the better.

Metamorphosis
Over the course of 940 Saturdays, you will witness your childs
stunning metamorphosis from newborn to young adult. Each of the
activity categories in Part 2 of 940 Saturdays is organized by age
groups to help you find the best fits for your kids.
Turn to the back of the journal for a unique guide to your
childs developmental milestones and a better appreciation for the
extraordinary evolving masterpiece called childhood.
4

A to Z
Welcome to the menu section of 940 Saturdays. On the following pages
youll find weekend fun for the whole family, listed by category and keyed
to the age of your kids. A few important caveats before you dig in:

Saturdays are whole family days, ideally spent all

together. But with more than one child, it can be challenging

Be flexible and be creative. The activity suggestions on the

to find activities to fit everyones abilities and interests at

the same time, so teach your kids their turn will come if this
particular Saturday seems more geared toward a sibling. And
dont be a prisoner to the whole family mantra, either. On
some Saturdays one-on-one time may be appropriate, just you
and one of your kids; and on other Saturdays it may be fun (or
necessary!) to include your kids friends.

pages that follow are not meant to be a step-by-step instruction

manual, but rather triggers for your imagination. When our kids
were little, we scanned the newspaper each Friday evening
to find kid-friendly activities for the weekendstreet fairs,
community theater, sporting events, or the rodeo. Thats the
intent of Part 2seeds of ideas to nurture into meaningful
Saturdays. Take advantage of 940 Saturdays for your regular
Friday-night reading and your regular Saturday-night journaling.
5

3
4

Plan some Saturdays further in advance. There will be some

Saturdays when you want to catch an attraction or event that may
require prior scheduling or a longer commute. Many of the activity
categories in Part 2 have a short, separate Plan it section with
field trip ideas, lots of which are appropriate and fun for all ages
(e.g., visiting a wildlife preserve); others will be up to your good
parental intuition (e.g., visiting an antique show with your toddler).

S AT U R DAY ACT I V I T I E S
Age and Stage Key
The icons next to each age grouping provide an age
and stage guide for the activities that follow. As
noted above, this classification is far from absolute.
This is the icon key:

Fill in the details online. When you read an idea that sounds
fun and well matched to your kids, go online to fill in the details
how to build a box kite, where to find the nearest petting zoo,
when the local high schools annual musical will be held. When
you see an activity you dont understand from the name alone
(e.g., outdoor music wall, mud painting, oobleck), simply
search the term online and youll find detailed directions, often
including a how-to video. (Ive made sure each term I use leads
to plenty of instructional links.) Adding for kids to any search
helps prioritize the results (e.g., mud painting for kids).

02

Birth2 Years

25

25 Years

Kids interests and abilities overlap the age groupings

in Part 2. Saturday adventures Ive suggested for your 5- to

5 II

5 11 Years

Supervise your kids. 940 Saturdays is about parent-

III4

1114 Years

I4I8

14 18 Years

SATURDAYS #

SATURDAYS #

SATURDAYS #

1104

105 260

261 572

11-year-old, for example, dont instantly obsolesce when she

turns 12, and she may be ready for some of them at age 3 or 4.

child together time, and all of the activities presume adult

supervision. But many can be done by your kids without youon
their own, with siblings, or with friends. When youre not there,
you must make sure your kids are safeplaying with safe toys,
always supervised in and around water, wearing helmets and
other protective gear when appropriate, using sunscreen, etc.
Never assume your kids have adult judgment, regardless of their
age and stage of development. They dont.

SATURDAYS #

SATURDAYS #

573 728

729 940

So, here we go. Happy 940 Saturdays!

Acting

2 5 5II III4 I4I8 Theme parks

family fun centers water parks
arcades

In character, kids will say things

they would never say as themselves,
so listen carefully for insights into
their developing minds.

5II

2 5

02 Puppet story time (finger, sock,

and lunch-bag puppets) Monkey
See, Monkey Do play animal
charades (hop like a kangaroo)
2 5

Animals and Pets

Nonhuman friends can help teach
important life lessons to kids.
02 Teach animal sounds play
with animal toys feed ducks at
local pond

5II

Build a puppet stage

perform puppet, stuffed animal
shows play charades create
an outdoor theater (a sheet on a
string between two trees) create
an indoor theater (an adjustable
shower rod and curtain across a
doorway) perform family skits
design costumes and makeup
videotape performances for replay
on family movie nights (or at his
wedding on Saturday 1,404, if you
really want to embarrass him!)

2 5 5II Teach names for baby

animals (calf, gosling) and groups
of animals (herd of cows, gaggle
of geese) animal storybooks and
play sets give your dog a bath
take online safaris (e.g., National
Geographic pictures and videos)
dress up pets and stuffed animals
for a Westminster pet show

III4 I4I8 Hold a neighborhood pet

bath to raise money for an animal
shelter or rescue organization ride
a horse

III4 I4I8 Produce an online video

take acting classes try out

for community theater host a
neighborhood stand-up comedy
night play charades-themed board
games

Plan It: Petting zoo zoo dairy

farm ranch stock show animal
shelter wildlife preserve state or
national park horse or dog show

Plan It: Attend puppet show

theater (high-school, college, community, professional performances)
tour a TV station or movie lot

Arts and Crafts

Show pride in your kids creations:
display them around the house and
office; make a digital or hard-copy
portfolio; frame their best work,
or use it as an embroidery motif or
note card design.

Amusement Parks
Bring a picnic and make a day of it.
02

III4 I4I8 Laser tag

2 5 Kiddieland

S C U L P T U R E Mud pies clay bowls

sand castles plaster of paris
piatas homemade play dough
characters

02 Crayon line scribbles for your

refrigerator door paint sidewalks,
fences, brick walls, driveway with
brushes and a pail of water

5II III4 I4I8 Digital art and

graphic design homemade
greeting cards handmade puppets
nature prints rock painting
sand painting charcoal drawings
decoupage jewelry design
a family flag, coat of arms, crest,
emblem easel painting advanced
sculpture (clay, glass, ceramics)
origami T-shirt art (tie-dye,
markers, glitter) play Pictionary
decorate picture frames, bulletin
board frames, cell phone holders,
old sneakers, shoelaces candle
making homemade felt board and
stick-ons digital (e.g., Pinterest)
or hard-copy scrapbooks hold a
family arts and crafts show

5II

Sidewalk chalk art

multicolor crayon drawings
make recycled crayons tracing
stenciling brush painting
finger painting make a pizza box
easel bead stringing snowflake
and paper doll cutting make a
snowflake globe papier-mch
cut-out collages food art and
jewelry gingerbread house
nature jewelry (necklaces, crowns,
bracelets from flowers, dandelions,
grasses, leaves) nature collage
dried leaf and flower art, potpourri
egg carton caterpillars handdrawn refrigerator magnets
butcher-paper murals dioramas
paper-plate masks yarn art
(strings of colored yarn on adhesive
backing) hanging mobiles wind
chimes candles trivets party
favors pet jewelry wreaths
milk-carton characters artificial
flowers quilts batiks wind
chimes place mats sun catchers
homemade toys and games

Plan It: Art museum sculpture

garden art fair crafts fair
galleries artists studios (fine
arts, glass-blowing, woodworking,
sculpture, weaving)

Aviation
02 2 5 Fly toy airplanes (plastic,
balsa wood, Styrofoam)

P R I N T M A K I N G Use small trays of

washable paints and old newspapers
or a roll of butcher paper. Try these
as stamps: rocks pinecones
wood blocks toys sponges
old keys uncooked potatoes and
other vegetables underside of egg
carton Bubble Wrap

5II III4 I4I8 Paper airplane

contest build a balsa wood
glider make a paper helicopter
radio-controlled airplanes and
helicopters launch toy rockets
balloon string rocket build
model airplanes and rockets build

Acting

2 5 5II III4 I4I8 Theme parks

family fun centers water parks
arcades

In character, kids will say things

they would never say as themselves,
so listen carefully for insights into
their developing minds.

5II

2 5

02 Puppet story time (finger, sock,

and lunch-bag puppets) Monkey
See, Monkey Do play animal
charades (hop like a kangaroo)
2 5

Animals and Pets

Nonhuman friends can help teach
important life lessons to kids.
02 Teach animal sounds play
with animal toys feed ducks at
local pond

5II

Build a puppet stage

perform puppet, stuffed animal
shows play charades create
an outdoor theater (a sheet on a
string between two trees) create
an indoor theater (an adjustable
shower rod and curtain across a
doorway) perform family skits
design costumes and makeup
videotape performances for replay
on family movie nights (or at his
wedding on Saturday 1,404, if you
really want to embarrass him!)

2 5 5II Teach names for baby

animals (calf, gosling) and groups
of animals (herd of cows, gaggle
of geese) animal storybooks and
play sets give your dog a bath
take online safaris (e.g., National
Geographic pictures and videos)
dress up pets and stuffed animals
for a Westminster pet show

III4 I4I8 Hold a neighborhood pet

bath to raise money for an animal
shelter or rescue organization ride
a horse

III4 I4I8 Produce an online video

take acting classes try out

for community theater host a
neighborhood stand-up comedy
night play charades-themed board
games

Plan It: Petting zoo zoo dairy

farm ranch stock show animal
shelter wildlife preserve state or
national park horse or dog show

Plan It: Attend puppet show

theater (high-school, college, community, professional performances)
tour a TV station or movie lot

Arts and Crafts

Show pride in your kids creations:
display them around the house and
office; make a digital or hard-copy
portfolio; frame their best work,
or use it as an embroidery motif or
note card design.

Amusement Parks
Bring a picnic and make a day of it.
02

III4 I4I8 Laser tag

2 5 Kiddieland

S C U L P T U R E Mud pies clay bowls

sand castles plaster of paris
piatas homemade play dough
characters

02 Crayon line scribbles for your

refrigerator door paint sidewalks,
fences, brick walls, driveway with
brushes and a pail of water

5II III4 I4I8 Digital art and

graphic design homemade
greeting cards handmade puppets
nature prints rock painting
sand painting charcoal drawings
decoupage jewelry design
a family flag, coat of arms, crest,
emblem easel painting advanced
sculpture (clay, glass, ceramics)
origami T-shirt art (tie-dye,
markers, glitter) play Pictionary
decorate picture frames, bulletin
board frames, cell phone holders,
old sneakers, shoelaces candle
making homemade felt board and
stick-ons digital (e.g., Pinterest)
or hard-copy scrapbooks hold a
family arts and crafts show

5II

Sidewalk chalk art

multicolor crayon drawings
make recycled crayons tracing
stenciling brush painting
finger painting make a pizza box
easel bead stringing snowflake
and paper doll cutting make a
snowflake globe papier-mch
cut-out collages food art and
jewelry gingerbread house
nature jewelry (necklaces, crowns,
bracelets from flowers, dandelions,
grasses, leaves) nature collage
dried leaf and flower art, potpourri
egg carton caterpillars handdrawn refrigerator magnets
butcher-paper murals dioramas
paper-plate masks yarn art
(strings of colored yarn on adhesive
backing) hanging mobiles wind
chimes candles trivets party
favors pet jewelry wreaths
milk-carton characters artificial
flowers quilts batiks wind
chimes place mats sun catchers
homemade toys and games

Plan It: Art museum sculpture

garden art fair crafts fair
galleries artists studios (fine
arts, glass-blowing, woodworking,
sculpture, weaving)

Aviation
02 2 5 Fly toy airplanes (plastic,
balsa wood, Styrofoam)

P R I N T M A K I N G Use small trays of

washable paints and old newspapers
or a roll of butcher paper. Try these
as stamps: rocks pinecones
wood blocks toys sponges
old keys uncooked potatoes and
other vegetables underside of egg
carton Bubble Wrap

5II III4 I4I8 Paper airplane

contest build a balsa wood
glider make a paper helicopter
radio-controlled airplanes and
helicopters launch toy rockets
balloon string rocket build
model airplanes and rockets build

a toy hovercraft free online flight

simulators and air-traffic-control
simulators

02 Ride-on toys bike trailers or

child-safe bike seats on your bike

Plan It: Small airport helipad air

yours tricycles short family rides

with pre-bikes or training wheels

2 5 Co-pilot bikes attached to

and space museum Air Force base

air show

5II Two-wheelers kids read trail

maps and help plan longer family
rides combine riding with picnics
and camping bicycle rodeo

Backyard and Park Play

02 Crawling tunnels obstacle
course push along/pull along toys

III4 I4I8 Mountain or trail biking

long family rides bicycle obstacle
course spinning class

2 5 Balloon tap (volleyball without

a net) sandbox climbing gym

parade with tricycle and wagon
floats hopscotch Hide and Seek
Follow the Leader cloud watching
and storytelling swing set
outdoor chalkboard (freestanding or
painted on fence) kiddie car wash
outdoor music wall treasure hunt
5II

Plan It: Local bike races, triathlons

indoor bike park charity rides

Birds
02 2 5 Notice birds in the
backyard bird coloring books

III4 Summer Olympics

B U I L D T H E S E Shoe-box
birdhouse milk carton bird
feeder pinecone bird feeder
hummingbird feeder birdbath

two square and four square

jump rope tag (many versions)
Capture the Flag Monkey in the
Middle hula hoops Kick the Can
hang a hammock tree swing
yarn bombing bocce beanbag
toss ladder toss build a zip line
boomerang scavenger hunt
5II

5II III4 I4I8 Build wooden

birdhouses bird watching (with
binoculars) bird calling learn to
identify birds from library books and
online sites (e.g., Cornell Universitys
Ornithology Lab)

III4 I4I8 (see Frisbee, Leaf

Play, Snow Play, Sports, others)

Plan It: Birdhouse at the zoo

aviary bird store bird sanctuary
nature preserve bird rescue center

Biking
Record each Saturdays miles until
you accumulate enough to have
biked across your state or the entire
United States, and then ride back.

Board and Card Games

B U I L D T H E S E Milk carton boat

Styrofoam boat toy sailboat
Popsicle stick raft bark boat
balloon-powered boat cork boat
origami boat life-size cardboard
boat (appliance box)

Watch your kids mature from random

chance games to strategy games
(see age recommendations on box).
The game is only an excuse to share
each others companyat least thats
true for parents. Because by age 6
or 7, kids are in it to win it. When you
get tired of losing to your kids, host a
Saturday game night to share the pain
with friends and neighbors.

5II III4 I4I8 Radio-controlled

boat design a boat powered by
rubber bands, propeller, AlkaSeltzer, or soap build a model
ship take a water safety course
motorboating sailing canoeing
rafting kayaking

02 Shape sorters lotto

matching games

Plan It: Marina college rowing

2 5 Create a homemade board

competition (crew) regatta

maritime museum boat show
shipyard naval base

game with color (or number) trails,

spinner, or dice random chance
board games checkers card
games (Go Fish!, Old Maid, War,
Concentration, and Crazy Eights)
picture bingo

Bowling
02 2 5 Hallway or backyard
bowling with milk cartons,
cardboard tubes, plastic soda
bottles, toy pins ramp bowling
(homemade ramp, pins at bottom)

5II

Simple strategy board games

Battleship bingo mancala
dominoes backgammon Chinese
checkers Twister pick-up sticks

III4 I4I8 Bowling alley

laser bowling lawn bowling
5II

III4 I4I8 Strategy board games

poker, blackjack, gin rummy, bridge

chess trivia and quiz show games

Bugs

Plan It: Local tournaments (chess,

poker, bridge, bingo, trivia,
Monopoly)

Teach kids to be kind to bugs and

you will be teaching them kindness
to animals and people, too.

Boating

02 2 5 Backyard bug hunt

sprinkle sugar near an anthill and
watch them work read picture
books with bug stories play bug
charades (creep like a spider, buzz
like a bee)

02 Toy boats in the bathtub, sink,

wading pool
2 5 5II Paddleboating toy
power boats

10

11

Pur
chas
eacopyof

940S
AT
URDAYS
atoneoft
hes
er
et
ai
l
er
s
:

POTTERSTYLE