Did you know that just by playing with blocks children are building pathways in their brains that will help them to be successful readers, be able to understand math and science and become connected to people and things in their environment? It's true.

On Wednesday, your kids can participate in the educational fun as the Mid-Columbia Libraries host a block party at the Kennewick library located on Union Street. This special event is open to two groups: zero to 5 and kids ages 6 to 12. The block party runs from 9 am to 5 pm to work around your busy day and kids' nap schedules.

Bring the children to the meeting room and be prepared to ask questions while you play with them: What will happen if we put a round block on top of the tower? Can you find another that's as heavy as this one? How many more will you need? I wonder if we have enough blocks to build a road all the way to the wall?

Mark your calendar-be there or be square!

It's a rainy, homemade play doh kind of day.

Homemade Play Doh:

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

1 tsp. cream of tartar

2 tbls. oil

2 cups of water

food coloring of choice

Combine ingredients in a saucepan and mix over medium heat. Stir constantly - it takes a bit - until the dough leaves the side of the pan. Let it cool completely and then knead it out to get rid of the bubbles. Store it in plastic bags. Use cookie cutters and rolling pins and have fun!

It never fails. You succumb to buying a trendy toy and before the paint starts to fade your child's interest already has.  The item ends up being shuffled through the toy box that is periodically opened giving the doll or truck the brief sense of purpose it once had. Children, like goldfish, have short attention spans, even when it comes to things that are shiny and new. Instead of tossing out old toys you can use this situation to create a unique play date with a purpose. Have your kids pick items they're ready to let go of and meet up with other moms for an exchange of toys.

Kids can draw numbers to see who gets to select the first toy or they can pick a grab bag that describes the item briefly, such as 'Car for 5+'. Even if your child isn't ready to give up any of their belongings before the play date, seeing other children receive new and interesting toys might assuage them to let go. Set a return date with the group or decide whether the grab bags will stay with their new families indefinitely. It's a fun way to have a party where everyone invited gets a present while keeping your wallet from thinning out.

One of our favorite family activities is geocaching. My husband and I started geocaching long before we had kids - the modern-day treasure hunt was a perfect excuse to get out and discover new trails and parks in our own backyard that we didn't know existed.

Now that we have kids, they absolutely love searching for and finding geocaches, and barely notice the exercise they are getting in the process.

What is geocaching?

Someone hides a geocache somewhere (typically on a trail or in the woods) and using a GPS notes the coordinates of the geocache location. That person then logs the geocache coordinates and info on www.geocaching.com for others to look up and find. A geocache is something like an ammo box or a waterproof container. The owner can put whatever he/she wants in it, but we typically find a log to sign and random trinkets. You can take something from the box as long as you replace it with something of equal or greater value. Watch this video and visit www.geocaching.com for more info.

If you are looking for a new, fun family activity, definitely give it a try!

Here is my daughter Mia navigating with the gps on my husband's phone:

And the kids finding and pulling out the geocache.

Inspired by Baja Fresh's pineapple salsa, we made these Pineapple & Bean enchiladas tonight - they were delicious! We even heard "it's better than pizza!" The kids loved it, which is very rare for a new recipe.

If you're one of the 100 million people or so who plan to watch the Super Bowl tomorrow, chances are you'll have to have a game plan. For youngsters who don't understand the game a Super Bowl party can lose its appeal fast.

With a good offense (fun activities) and strong defense (working together to keep an eye on them), you and your spouse can enjoy watching the Steelers and Packers and may even get to eat some great party food.  Here are a few ideas that might help ward off the whining:

Get your kids excited about the game with Team Face Painting. Have your kids pick different teams to root for and get to decorating! Have them dress in team colors and add a logo or stripes on their cheeks with some face paint or makeup. Keep them updated throughout the game on how their team is doing. Some competitive siblings might even watch the game hoping to win bragging rights.

Play Guess the Chip. Chances are there will be plenty to snack on. Blindfold each child and have them taste four or five chips or snacks and see who can guess the most correctly. This would be a great pre-game activity and your kids can continue the game following the kickoff with a new variety of snacks.

Bring an Arsenal of Activities. If you're traveling to someone else's home, bring toys, books and board games that will keep your kids entertained. Find out if other guests have new board games your tweens or teens haven't played and ask if they would be willing to bring them to the party.

And finally, map out a strategy with your spouse to keep the younger children from getting stir crazy. Trade off commercials or quarters with your significant other to check in with the kids to make sure they're having fun and staying out of trouble.

Have a family huddle before the party and make sure everyone knows the house rules. With a little planning it could become an event the entire family looks forward to!