Last week, I shared a video with tips for making summer reading fun for your kids, and this week we’ll explore the topic even further. Recently, Amy from Teach Mama and the community managers from the We Teach forum got together and hosted a Google+ hangout all about summer reading. But don’t worry if you […]
2013 Unplugged Summer Pact
June 9, 2013 by
I’m so excited to share that I have just signed the Unplugged Summer Pact, sponsored by our friends at Michael’s®. What I love about this pact is that instead of going completely screen-free, the pact calls for 2 hours of dedicated screen-free time every day this Summer, and 2 hours a day is definitely do-able! […]
101 Free (or Low Cost) Things to Do with Kids this Summer
May 22, 2013 by
Not sure what to do with the kids this Summer? Are you putting together a Summer bucket list? Need some fun activity ideas to do with the kids that are free or low cost? Here’s a list of over 100 FREE or cheap activity ideas to help inspire you to make the most of your […]
20 Favorite Must-Do Activities for Summer
May 10, 2013 by
Are you looking forward to Summer? Need some inexpensive activities for the kids to do to help celebrate the season?? Here are 20 of our family’s favorite Summer activities that have become special traditions — without breaking the bank. 1. Kick Ball Croquet — Repurpose some old pool noodles to make your own kickball croquet […]
11 Recycled Crafts for Kids
April 22, 2013 by
Happy Earth Day!! To celebrate, we’ll be planting seeds in the garden, helping to clean up a local playground, and of course crafting with our invention kit made up of recycled materials. Need some eco-friendly craft ideas to help you get started? Here are 11 inspiring crafts to make from recycled materials and other common […]
Our Favorite Summer Moments
September 3, 2012 by
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
August 26, 2012 by
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 […]
10 Fun-Filled Play Ideas for the Beach
July 26, 2012 by
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??
July 21, 2012 by
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
July 18, 2012 by
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
July 13, 2012 by
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 […]
Sponge Bomb Yo-Yos
July 10, 2012 by
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 […]
Outdoor Nature Discovery Lab
July 5, 2012 by
During a recent trip to the dollar store, Emily asked if we could spend an afternoon creating a “nature discovery lab”. I thought that was a great idea, and as it turns out, we were able to use a few inexpensive items from the dollar store to make our nature discovery lab even more educational […]
Fun with Frozen Yogurt Containers
July 2, 2012 by
Does your family eat a lot of frozen yogurt? Do you have several empty containers? Looking for fun things to do with them?? Here are our 3 favorite projects using empty frozen yogurt containers. Also?? We LOVE the new Stonyfield frozen Oikos! Have you tried it? It is Ahhhhh-mazing! Highly recommend the superfruits flavor…. and […]
BIG Play in Small Spaces
June 24, 2012 by
Recently I posted a list of What to Do with the Kids this Summer with 10 simple ideas. A lovely reader (Hi, Judith!) commented to say that she lives in the city and is looking for play ideas that don’t require a lot of space. So I reached out to some of the most creative […]
Building Fairy Houses
June 18, 2012 by
Just as I was about to tackle the pile of dirty dishes in the sink, the girls asked if they could do some crafting. Well! They didn’t have to twist my arm!! Those dishes can wait. Instead, I put together a super-quick, CUTE, tiny, fairy house building kit for them. It’s made with some leftover […]
Tips to Avoid the Summer Slide — Plus Giveaway!
June 14, 2012 by
Are you looking for easy tips to keep your kids engaged with learning this Summer? Recently, I had the opportunity to ask the lovely Soleil Moon Frye (Mommy Ambassador for Target) to share her best tips for avoiding the “Summer Slide” — when students are most at risk for losing reading skills. Not only did […]
Easy Botanical Prints
June 10, 2012 by
The girls and I made some pretty botanical prints with the help of the Sun, some water, and a Sunprint Kit similar to this one. They were so proud of how nicely their prints turned out! We used natural items we collected from our yard — sticks, flower petals, and leaves. A few things I […]
