Printable Summer Activity Cards

Summer is here, and it’s time to embrace the sun-soaked days, endless adventures, and quality family time. If you’re searching for a convenient way to plan your summer activities, look no further! We are thrilled to introduce our Printable Summer Activity Cards. This set is designed to make this season an unforgettable one for the […]

Quick Craft for Kids — Toy Boats

Need a super quick craft to keep the kids busy? Here is a really simple toy boat the kids can make themselves, then race in a local creek, lake, or even in your own bathtub! My kids love making their own toys, so this activity was a big hit with them, plus it uses mostly […]

Passport to Imagination

Early last week, I took the kids to visit Michael’s craft store for their Passport to Imagination program. It was a big hit!! Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from now until August 2nd 10am-noon, Michael’s is hosting 2 kid-friendly craft projects inspired by countries around the world for just $2 per child per visit. It’s […]

Let’s Build a Fairy Garden Table!

This fairy garden table is a never-ending project for the kids this Summer! I love that this space provides: 1. plenty of inspiration for imaginative playtime fun, 2. learning opportunities about various plants, and 3. fresh herbs for our Summer recipes! Oh, and it is absolutely adorable!! We started with a simple elevated garden bed […]

2013 Unplugged Summer Pact

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

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 […]

Our Favorite Summer Moments

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 […]

DIY Pretend Spy Kit!

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 […]

DIY Cardboard Construction Play Set

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

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 […]

10 Fun-Filled Play Ideas for the Beach

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??

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

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

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

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

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 […]

Easy 4th of July Windsock Craft

I’m guest posting for my friends at Melissa & Doug with an easy craft for kids as part of Week 5 of Camp Sunny Patch. You can see how we made patriotic windsocks to either display proudly in your home, or if your kids are like mine, run around with them like crazy monkeys! And […]

Fun with Frozen Yogurt Containers

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 […]