5 Minutes for Patriotism & Family Fun with Mama Rika

This month's 5 minute series is two-fold. I want to make sure that I am fully appreciative of this great land in which I live and I want to make sure my family knows it too! Also, summer should be a time for family fun. Besides all that, I am feeling stressed and need to make sure to put a few little fun things in my day!

Please feel free to join me in making this month a special one!

So, here you have a dozen ideas on being patriotic this month. All of which can take about 5 minutes.
1. Plan (and then do) something to support our troops. It doesn't take long to send a card. Here's a website that lists a bunch of ideas on how we can support our troops.
2. Write or call a public official on an issue that is of interest to you.
3. Make or buy a patriotic dessert--if it isn't obvious, explain to the family why it is patriotic. (For example, an apple pie could be considered patriotic with an explanation.)
4. Do a patriotic crossword puzzle with your kids. Here's a rather easy one. Here's a constitution one. Here's one on the U.S. Presidents.
5. Write a journal entry starting with "I am proud to be an American because..." Really put some thought into it.
6. Read stories about great Americans. George Washington gets bullet holes in coat. Ben Franklin. Abraham Lincoln's beliefs.
7. Learn the stories behind great American songs. God Bless America (There will be a blog post on The Star Spangled Banner this week.)
8. Decorate your home with your family with simple patriotic crafts. Construction paper stars in red, white & blue. Make Uncle Sam hats for everyone to wear to dinner.
9. Have dinner table discussions on U.S. symbols, freedoms we have that are not found in other countries, famous Patriots, what is going on in the country right now.
10. Locate patriotic scriptures. Try this one. Or this one. Or, look for scriptures that include freedom symbols, like this one. Discuss with family members or a friend.


11. Read about what it meant when our Founding Fathers pledged their lives, fortune & sacred honor.
12. Sing great songs about America. America the Beautiful, My Country 'Tis of Thee, America (round), The Star Spangled Banner, I Believe in America, etc.

And, here you have one dozen things to do with the family that can take just 5 minutes, but will put a smile on your face.
1. Read a story together.
2. Tell silly jokes.
3. Play charades.
4. Color a page in a coloring book together. (Never too old for this!)
5. Put socks on and slip and slide around up and down the hall together.
6. Trifold a paper. One person draw a head, fold and pass to the next person who draws the body and then pass again for the final person to draw the legs. Open it up and you have a silly creature!
7. Sing a couple of songs.
8. Play Boggle (Only takes 3 minutes per game!)
9. Do dot to dots, mazes or a word search.
10. Have a tickle fight.
11. String cheerios for a necklace and give to a little kid.
12. Have a paper airplane throwing contest.

When you have completed your Fun for 5 venture for the day, come back here and leave a comment for a chance to win a prize. To easily get back here, click the picture of the “America map” on the top right sidebar.

FAQ's
Why are you putting this on your blog? I thought of doing each month mostly so that I can make myself do this. By putting it on my blog, I give myself some accountability. Besides that, I thought someone else might want to join me in doing this. :)

What do I do? Aha! Good question! My idea for you is this:
**Decide to join me.

**Do it.
**Report back here and leave a comment (or email me at blog@completelee.com) letting me know “I did it!”
** Repeat the process!
**Yes, you can repeat an idea that you have already done!

What about prizes? If you follow those steps, I will willingly lavish praise upon you as well as enter you in to a drawing to win one of these items: {If you win, you choose the item you want.}

~~My “Storyoni” game (The hilarious imagination game that our family hates to quit playing.)~~My “Out of the Mouths of Babes” book (digital version only)
~~$5.00 worth of digital publications (See what you might want here)

{If you have a prize you would like to donate to the cause, let me know!}

How many times can I be entered in to the drawing? For this series, you can be entered as many times as there are days in the month. My goal is to do one of these things every day. If you really, really, really, really want to win a prize, you can also refer your friends and family members to this contest. If you can get them to leave a comment on my blog stating your name (or blog name) as the person who referred them, you will be entered in again 5 more times!

Why 5 minutes? This is an easy question. I am busy! I don’t have time for more stuff, but 5 minutes out of my day seems do-able.

Any questions? Please ask away!