This little boredom buster is quick and easy to set up using just a flashlight from the dollar store! It’s perfect for older kids who love to take things apart and put them back together, which meant Emily really had LOTS of fun with it!! Take apart an ordinary household flashlight. To help keep all […]
10 Cheap Boredom Busters for Kids
September 1, 2011 by
Looking for a few easy ways to keep the kids from getting too bored? Here are some of our favorite boredom busters that are quick, easy, cheap, and fun!! 1. Beading with cut up straws — easy, frugal, and a great way to build up important fine-motor skills. 2. Make photo puppets and put […]
Posing with Plexiglass
August 29, 2011 by
For a fun time, frame a sheet of plexiglass with duct tape to take care of any sharp edges. Go outside, and draw on the plexiglass with dry erase markers to make “enhancements” to your environment!! In a very short time we had beautiful flowers growing out of the lawn, backyard trees full of red […]
10 Rainy Day Activities for Kids
August 28, 2011 by
Rainy days in the forecast? Looking for a few fun ways to keep the kids entertained indoors without breaking the bank?? Here are a few of our favorite ways to spend a rainy day… 1. Suminagashi Painting — Emily can spend hours doing this, and I love that each print is unique! 2. Find […]
Hammer Time!
August 25, 2011 by
Here is yet another FUN use for pool noodles — especially if you happen to have a few golf tees on-hand!! We reused the same ones from the awesome marble run and croquet lawn game. I used masking tape to attach the pool noodles to some small cutting boards, and invited the girls to bring some […]
Kickin’ it Croquet Style
August 20, 2011 by
Kids need to burn off some of that extra energy? Have some old pool noodles on-hand?? Then it’s time to make up your own kick croquet lawn game!! Cut pool noodles in half down the middle (we reused the ones from our awesome marble run), and each pool noodle is enough to make up two […]
Boredom Buster — Marble Run
August 15, 2011 by
Rainy weather keeping you indoors?? For a fun time, grab a ladder, a few cheap pool noodles, masking tape, and some marbles. Cut pool noodles in half down the middle, then invite the kiddos to build a marble run to see how many times they can make the marble go around the ladder!! (Shorter kids […]
Les Petits Chefs
August 10, 2011 by
Zee week… it has been… how do you say? Difficult, no?? Need a break from zee cooking, but still vant a vonderful home-cooked meal?? Call zee petits chefs!! Zee expert petits sous chefs vill amaze you vis zer vonderful culinary skills. Zey are specially trained to vip up zee meal zee whole family vill love. Zey use […]
Around the Web — Homemade Frozen Treats
August 6, 2011 by
Frozen homemade treats are fun to make, plus a super-tasty way to cool off during the last few weeks of Summer! You can save lots of money by making your own ice pops, most recipes only call for a few ingredients (making them easy for kids to actively participate in the making process), and they […]
Favorite Cook Books for Kids
August 3, 2011 by
Does your kid love to cook and help out in the kitchen?? Emily sure does, and she’s been known to create her own recipes, carry cookbooks around the house with her, and check out several kid cookbooks from the library! Here are her top 5 favorite “must own” cookbooks designed for kids. 5. Magic Kitchen […]
Budget-Friendly Staycation Ideas
July 30, 2011 by
Has your family ever tried a staycation? They can be a great budget-friendly alternative to pricey vacations, and usually require a lot less planning. YAY for spontaneous adventures and quality family time!! Here are a few ways to make a family staycation even more special. Note: For those in the Southern Hemisphere, some ideas for […]
Nature Drawing – Seasonal Trees
July 26, 2011 by
When I was in second grade, I had a lovely teacher (Thank you, Mrs. Barnhart!!) who would take a few minutes every season to let us go outside and draw the same tree throughout the year. This proved to be a simple, but very effective lesson in art, weather, and science. At the end of […]
How to Make Sponge Bombs
July 23, 2011 by
Here is a quick and easy tutorial to show how to make sponge bombs! Sponge Bombs are a great alternative to water balloons. There are no messy balloon bits to clean up, and the sponge bombs can be used again and again. These sponge bombs are great for active playtime fun all Summer long! How […]
10 Cheap Ways to Beat the Heat
July 20, 2011 by
Like much of the US, we are stuck in a “heat dome” which means it’s time to find creative ways to keep cool! Some tips to keep in mind — Avoid being outside during the hottest part of the day, stay in shaded areas, drink plenty of water, and be sure to offer kids lots […]
Pajama Breakfast Picnic
July 19, 2011 by
When the girls woke up this morning, I surprised them with a pajama breakfast picnic — it was a great way to enjoy some time together outdoors early in the morning before the day went on to get really hot outside! We didn’t even bother to brush our hair, get cleaned up, or even change […]
Calorie-Free S’Mores for Pretend Play
July 17, 2011 by
Want all the fun of making s’mores, but without the sugar-high afterwards?? These pretend play s’mores are SO easy to make, and they are calorie-free so the kiddos can make (and pretend to eat) as many s’mores as they could possibly want!! First, make up your pretend campfire — arrange stones in a circle and […]
Pretend Play on a Dime — Weather Station
July 15, 2011 by
Emily and I visited WFMZ’s News studio for a fun segment on getting the most out of your time with the kids this Summer, and Emily was a big help with showing all the fun crafts and activities! Afterwards meteorologist Mark Shanaberger invited Emily to help with the weather segment too!! (You can view the clip […]
