FAMILY FUN ACTIVITY BOOK
Filled with coloring pages, activities, puzzles, and resources the whole family can enjoy.
PROTECTIVE FACTORS THE OHIO CHILDREN’S TRUST FUND
(OCTF) HAS ONE GOAL:
To prevent child abuse and neglect through investing in strong communities, healthy families and safe children.
Since its creation in 1984, OCTF has served as Ohio’s sole public funding source dedicated exclusively to the primary and secondary prevention of child abuse and child neglect.
Our funded programs and services focus on parents, caregivers, and professionals who serve families. When the adults that surround children have access to the supports and resources they need, then children get the nurturing environments they deserve.
To learn more about the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund visit:
Protective factors are qualities that individuals, families, and communities have that promote the health and well-being of children and families. When families possess protective factors, they are able to successfully navigate difficult situations.
KNOWLEDGE OF PARENTING AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Understanding child development and parenting strategies that support physical, cognitive language, social andemotional development.
SOCIAL CONNECTIONS
Having positive relationships that offer emotional, informational, instrumental and spiritual support.
CONCRETE SUPPORTS IN TIMES OF NEED
Having access to tangible goods and services to help address family’s needs and minimize stress.
PARENTAL RESILIENCE
Managing stress and functioning well even when you are faced with challenges, trouble or trauma.
*Adapted from the Center for the Study of Social Policy
NURTURING & ATTACHMENT
The emotional tie along with a pattern of positive interactions between the parent and child that develops over time.
CHILDREN’S SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE
Having family and child interactions that help children develop the ability to communicate clearly, recognize and regulate emotions and establish relationships.
WORD FIND
Can you find and circle all 12 words?
Can
Can you match the colors below with the numbers in the picture?
TIME TO COOK
Make a quick snack or an easy meal together with these recipes the whole family can enjoy!
SNACKS
ANTS ON A LOG
Ingredients
• 5 stalks celery
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup raisins
Instructions
1. Cut the celery stalks in half.
2. Spread peanut butter on celery.
3. Top with raisins.
YOGURT PARFAITS
Ingredients
• 2 cups vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup granola
• Berries (strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries)
Instructions
1. Put a spoonful of yogurt in a cup or bowl.
2. Add in 1/2 cup granola, and 4 berries.
3. Repeat the layers – yogurt, granola, berries.
MEALS
TACO IN A BAG (OR BOWL)
Ingredients
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 4 (2.5 ounce) packages corn chips
• 2 cups shredded lettuce
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 chopped fresh tomato
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• /2 cup salsa
Instructions
1. Cook and stir ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and crumbly, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain excess oil. Mix in water and taco seasoning.
2. Crush corn chips in the bag or bowl, then top with taco meat, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, and salsa!
RESTAURANT MACARONI AND CHEESE
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups macaroni
• 6 ounces Velveeta
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Salt
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the water.
2. Return drained pasta to the pot. Mix in Velveeta, Cheddar cheese, and heavy cream. Stir until cheeses melt. Sprinkle with salt.
DESSERTS
MICROWAVE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
Ingredients
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large microwave-safe mug; stir in milk, canola oil, water, and vanilla extract.
2. Cook in the microwave until cake is done in the middle, about 1 minute 45 seconds.
MARSHMALLOW TREATS
Ingredients
• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 5 cups crispy rice cereal
Instructions
1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat.
2. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in crispy rice cereal until well coated.
4. Press mixture evenly and firmly into a buttered 9x13inch pan using a buttered spatula or waxed paper.
5. When cooled, cut into 2-inch squares.
THE BENEFITS OF PARENT EDUCATION
“Parenting classes? I don’t need those.” Is a common thought of many parents. You might feel like taking a parenting class carries a societal stigma that suggests your knowledge or experience are lacking in some way. That stigma is wrong!
“Sometimes parents feel like you have to be a parent in crisis” to be able to utilize a parenting class, said Susan McDonald of Knox Parent Support Initiative “That’s not the case at all.”
Parenting classes provide real benefits in any situation. They give you a new way of viewing your role and strategies to manage parenting challenges more confidently. By helping caregivers, parenting classes also build up communities across Ohio by cultivating strong families and social support systems.
At the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund, we know that all families are different, so we fund a variety of parent education programs and services to ensure every family can get the support and resources they need. By taking a parenting class, you can grow your skills, connect to community resources, and enrich your parenting experience.
Manage Challenging Situations
From dinner-time meltdowns to grocery store tantrums, every parent has been faced with a challenging situation. Parent Education can help you manage these situations more effectively by teaching you to identify patterns that can lead to a tantrum or other disruptive behavior. It also offers specific strategies such as developing routine schedules, understanding ageappropriate expectations, and implementing positive discipline techniques that can reduce parental stress and foster a better parent child connection.
Gain Confidence in Your Parenting
Participating in a parent education program can give you new strategies for parenting success, or it can be a welcome refresher course, reminding you of effective tips you had forgotten. Those strategies can be relevant during both positive times and challenging ones. “We definitely started with one specific kind of issue, but we’ve just grown with it, and it’s been so helpful,” said Halle K., a parent who took a Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) parenting class.
Become Part of a Community of Parents
Taking a class with group sessions can put you in touch with other parents and caregivers that make you part of a welcoming community. If you choose, you can also take part online, allowing you to reduce travel time and maintain your privacy or social distance. You can also engage different people with different experiences that could be beneficial to your parenting journey. “There were husbands and wives, there were grandparents, there were teachers,” said Angey W., a Triple P parenting class participant who lives in Mt. Vernon. “The facilitators actually talked to us about their own parenting experiences so they actually felt like peers rather than people who were telling you how to be better parents.”
Parent education doesn’t have to be negative or scary. It can be a chance for you can gain parenting strategies and make social connections. You can manage challenging situations with confidence, while nurturing growth and resilience for the children in your care.
Find out more about parent education programs and services funded by the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund, visit: https://octf.ohio. gov/whatwedo
The Eight Regional Prevention Councils
To ensure families have access to programs and services that are addressing local needs, in 2015, eight regional child abuse and child neglect prevention councils were created in Ohio. Since their creation, the regional prevention councils, consisting of individuals from each county in the region, assess the needs in the region and determine the programs and services that would have the greatest impact on families.Council meetings, held quarterly, take place at a location within the region and are open to the public. Parent and caregivers are encouraged to engage with their regional council to offer insight on resources that are currently being offered or that could be impactful.
To learn more about the regional councils visit: https://octf.ohio.gov/regions
FUN ACTIVITIES FOR THE FAMILY
We all have memories from our childhood, like taking a trip to visit relatives or going to the park with our parents and siblings. But did you know that the things we experience as children, both positive and negative, can affect us as adults?
Recent research has shown that the more Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) a child has while growing up, the happier and healthier they are as an adult. A study in 2019 found that adults who reported more PCEs showed 72% lower levels of adult depression and/or poor mental health and were 3.5 times more likely to get the social and emotional support they need as an adult (Bethell, et al).
There are many easy ways for parents to help their children have PCEs. But any adultteachers, coaches, mentors, or friends - can play a part in positively influencing the children in their community. To learn more about Positive Childhood Experiences visit: https://octf.ohio.gov/creatingpces
Below are some simple activities to add to your PCE list.
ON A ROLL
THE STORY SACK
This is a fun way to keep story time fun and exciting. Have children help you fill a sack or bag with small toys or paper with short words or phrases. The first story teller pulls and item from the sack and begins their story based on what was selected. If older children or other adults are there the sack can be passed to the next person who will pull out a new item to continue to guide the story weaving in the new item.
The more story tellers you have the funnier the story gets.
Broccoli Bread Chicken Milk
Grapes Potato Rice Beans Cheese Orange Corn
This dice game requires only one die and has one goal: Make it to 100 points!
On your turn, roll the die and tally as many points as the die shows, if you don’t roll a 1, you can continue to roll and accumulate points or voluntarily end your turn. As soon as you roll a 1, your turn is over, and you lose all points scored on that turn! This high-risk, high-reward game will add excitement to any family gathering!
USE YOU HEAD
This physical activity only requires an inflated balloon and space.
Bounce the balloon using your head without it falling on the ground. You can either count the bounces or set a timer to see who wins. This is a great game to play outside at with family and friends.
Watermelon Onion Pasta Peanut Butter Canned Goods
GROCERY STORE BINGO
Parents and caregivers can also use everyday tasks, like preparing a meal, to create PCE’s with the children in their care. Cooking dinner or backing cookies with your child can help with picky eaters and offer older children additional practice with measurements and fractions. The food fun can start with shopping, grocery store bingo is a great way to keep kids busy during while shopping and helping them learn about the food groups.
Take Bingo card and crayon to store and have children circle the items that you put in the cart. You can make customized cards on notebook paper to include foods your family commonly buys.
As part of our strategic plan, the OCTF Board established a priority to, “meaningfully support families in their homes and communities.” This priority directs OCTF to work with our state and local partners to strengthen the array of available prevention services. To help us reach families in their homes and communities, we’ve developed this prevention workbook, which contains information and resources to help parents and caregivers access services as well as family fun activities to promote family communication, cooperation, and togetherness.
For additional parent and caregiver resources and information visit: https://octf.ohio.gov/parentresources
