Our Favorite Summer Moments

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Like every Summer, we started off the season by making a “bucket list”, but some things just could not have been planned. Here are some of our favorite Summer moments! 1. Making a Bucket List — It was so nice to have a list of things to do with the kids before the end of [...]

One Last Trip to the Beach

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We’re back from a lovely beach vacation with the family to Ocracoke, NC. It was a lazy week spent soaking up every last precious moment of Summer with trips to the beach, a few spontaneous photo shoots, and lots of resting!! How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterwards.” – Spanish Proverb [...]

DIY School Supplies: Modern Notebooks

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It’s almost time for back-to-school, and the kids have been hard at work making many of their own school supplies for the upcoming year! This was one of Emily’s favorite projects because (just like her mother) she seems to have inherited a love of decorative tape. Oh, how I LOVE beautiful tape!!  Did you know [...]

DIY School Supplies: Apple Printed Lunch Bags

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Doing art on lunch bags is a festive way to dress up an ordinary bagged lunch, and it’s also a great way to keep the kids busy! I love how something so simple can let the kids have an active role in preparing their own school supplies while proudly showing their teachers & friends some [...]

DIY Pretend Spy Kit!

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Wondering what to do with the kids? Wish you could go on an exciting adventure? Do you yearn to be a secret agent?? Then this activity is for you! The best part is that most of the components for this Pretend Spy Kit can be found at your local dollar store or you may already [...]

10 Virtually Instant Ways to Improve Play

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Are you stuck in a playtime rut? Looking for some ways to foster creativity and imagination through play? Are you short on time?? If so, here are ten of our favorite ways to improve play time with your kids instantly and without spending money! 1. Go outside! — Playing indoors is always fun, but taking [...]

DIY Cardboard Construction Play Set

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Do your kids love to play with large cardboard boxes? Do you wish you had more room to store them? Want to create a play set that allows them to build and rebuild imaginative play structures?? Then this project is for you! To make your own cardboard construction play set, you will need a large [...]

Make Your Own Sponge Blocks

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Do you have quiet time at your house? Looking for a little activity to keep the kids entertained, but also quiet?? This little activity for the kids is so simple, but my girls enjoyed playing with these sponge blocks for a good part of the day! Added bonus — very quiet! While we were making [...]

Pretend Play — Invisible Taxi

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Wondering what to do with the kids?? Recently, my kids built an invisible taxi, and spent a very long time happily “driving” each other all around an intensely busy pretend city. I thought you may like to build an invisible taxi of your own to inspire plenty of imaginative playtime fun too! To make your [...]

How to Build a Simple Shadow Puppet Theater

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I completely underestimated how much the girls would enjoy playing with shadow puppets. Whenever something so simple makes them so happy, I can’t help but smile!! And this was SUPER simple. Added bonus — the perfect entertainment for whenever a power outage occurs. Our little shadow puppet theater was made from an empty cardboard box [...]

10 Fun-Filled Play Ideas for the Beach

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Planning a trip to the beach this Summer? Looking for a few play ideas to have in mind for once the kids get bored of playing in the waves? ((Does that ever happen??)) Well, if it does, here are a few of our favorite play ideas for the beach… or sandbox! 1. Play Sand Bakery [...]

Connect with Your Kids: Camping …or Camp-In??

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Do your kids crave a camping adventure? Whether you’re planning a trip to the great outdoors, or pitching camp in your own backyard, Joyce from Childhood Beckons and I got together to share some simple camping activities to keep the kids entertained! Tasty Camping Treats Banana Boats — Whip up a tasty campfire treat! Make [...]

Summer Fun with Kids — Making Mega Bubbles

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Making mega bubbles is fun for the whole family! We did this little activity many times last Summer (inspired by a now-retired blog), and watching the girls’ reactions always makes me smile. Bubble solution is made with 6 cups distilled water, 2 cups Joy dishwashing detergent, and 3/4 cup light corn syrup. Stir the solution gently and [...]

Hot Air Balloon Window Display

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It’s time for a new window display! (If you’re new to our blog, you can see our previous window displays here, here, here, here, and here.) This time we painted up coffee filters with watercolor paint! I love how these painted coffee filters each have a unique look. The filters hold up very well to [...]

10 Little Things That Make Me Happy

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Know what makes me smile?? Celebrating the little things in life, cultivating gratitude, and experiencing the joy of simple pleasures. Here are 10 little things that make me really happy! 1. The view from our garden plot at sunset. The tomatoes are almost ready.   2. Chatting about ideas for creative play with the lovely [...]

Sponge Bomb Yo-Yos

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There was renewed interest in the sponge bombs when we made them into yo-yos! This time I held the sponge bombs together with ouchless hair elastics instead, and they worked very well indeed. A piece of elastic attached made them instant yo-yos!! (As with anything else, be sure to supervise the kiddos while playing.) When [...]

Sunday Snapshot — Lego Building Fun

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This Lego set was an awesome gift from Emily’s Uncle Glenn. It took Emily almost TWO FULL DAYS, but she built it!       And she built it all by herself. This is the LEGO Creator Log Cabin 5766 – which is totally awesome. There are instructions for 3 different building projects, and Emily had [...]

Water Beads and Glow Sticks

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I had some clear water beads chilling in the fridge, and since we’re in the midst of a heat wave this Summer, I thought now might be a good time to let the kiddos play with them. Note — Water beads are designed for use in floral arrangements, and not as toys. They are non-toxic [...]