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 […]
Recycled Artwork
June 23, 2012 by
I’m guest posting for my friends at Melissa & Doug today. Come see how we recycled wooden bead trays to make beautiful and unique works of art! You can create a mini gallery for display in your home. Be sure to add this to your list of things to do with the kids. Added bonus?? […]
*NEW* Craft Video Tutorials!
June 21, 2012 by
Exciting news! Our YouTube channel has partnered with PBS Digital Studios (I adore PBS!!), to bring you a NEW quick & easy kid craft video tutorial EVERY WEEK. Many of the videos are less than a minute long and can be made with materials you probably already have on-hand. I hope this is helpful for busy parents […]
10 Creative Label Crafts for Kids
June 20, 2012 by
Do you have color-coding labels?? Here are some crafts for the kids to enjoy! Added bonus — no mess! Gumball Machine Birds on a Wire Modern Wall Art Ladybug Cuteness Summer Party Invites Birthday Card Pretty Peacock Pictures Sweets for Your Sweetie Christmas Tree Craft Spooky Spider Suncatchers I love the colorful look of […]
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 […]
Happy Father’s Day!
June 17, 2012 by
Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope. – Bill Cosby My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, “You’re tearing up the grass.’” “We’re not raising grass,” Dad would reply. “We’re raising boys.” – Harmon Killebrew Happy is the father whose child […]
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 […]
Father’s Day Gift Kids Can Make — BBQ Sauce
June 12, 2012 by
Looking for an easy Father’s Day gift idea that the kids can make?? The girls and I have been hard at work making and canning batches of homemade BBQ sauce for a gift to Mark this Father’s Day! ((Shhhhhhh… it’s a surprise!)) Mark loves to cook on the grill. I’m pretty sure this is because […]
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 […]
Sunshine Crafts and Activities for Kids
June 7, 2012 by
Here are some of our favorite crafts and activities for kids that celebrate sunshine — no matter what weather you happen to be experiencing at the moment. Besides, sometimes it’s more fun to make your own sunshine! Sunny Indoor Beach — If the weather is not cooperating, why not make your own sunny beach indoors? […]
Ice Cream in a Bag
June 5, 2012 by
Making your own ice cream in a bag is definitely a great activity to include on your list of What To Do With The Kids This Summer!! It’s super quick (takes about 5 minutes) and it’s VERY easy to do! Also? Super FUN!!! And the smiles totally made my day! Then there was the taste […]
More Tips to Make Cleaning Fun
June 2, 2012 by
Clara and I had a lot of cleaning to get done this week, so we filmed a short video with parenting tips to show how we make cleaning fun. You can watch it on our NEW YouTube channel. — 5 Ways to Make Cleaning Fun for Kids Pst! Be sure to click on the “subscribe” button […]
Simple Science for Kids — Make a Rainbow
May 31, 2012 by
Here’s another learning activity to add to the list of Things to Do with the Kids this Summer — Make a rainbow with a hose! This is a simple way to demonstrate that when sunlight shines on water droplets at a certain angle, the water refracts the beams of sunlight to separate them into different […]
Cloud Dough Recipe & Ice Cream Shop
May 29, 2012 by
Have you tried playing with cloud dough yet?? It is totally awesome! We made two big batches of it for a cloud dough ice cream shop — LOTS of pretend play FUN! I’m not exaggerating when I say that the girls played with this stuff for hours, and it was another great use for our […]
Summer Fun with Kids — Water Pistol Target Range
May 28, 2012 by
Here’s another activity to add to the list of things to do with the kids this Summer — Make your own water pistol target range! Emily and Clara had such a GREAT time with this, and it’s super easy to set up. Start by stacking some paper cups into a pyramid shape, as shown below. […]
Kid-Made Patriotic Note Cards
May 25, 2012 by
I’m guest posting for my friends at Melissa & Doug today — come see how Clara and I made Patriotic Note Cards (while sneaking in some learning fun too)! Wishing you and your lovely family a wonderful holiday weekend!!
Rainy Day Fun — Pretend Pizzeria!
May 21, 2012 by
Need an idea for what to do with the kids on a rainy day? This pretend pizzeria kept Clara happily occupied and provided plenty of imaginative play time fun! We had already recycled our cardboard cafe into a cardboard classroom, and now it’s been recycled yet again into a pretend pizzeria. We used a […]
Connect with Your Kids — Ideas for when you’re far away
May 19, 2012 by
For this week’s post in our Connect with Your Kids series, Joyce from Childhood Beckons and I asked some of the most interesting and creative bloggers to share their best tips for helping kids to connect with faraway friends and family! Here is a summary of the responses, along with ten main themes that emerged […]
