Do you remember how all the flowers seemed so beautiful when you were a kid — even the dandelions? That is the concept behind today’s Slacker Saturday activity. Today we made dandelion bouquets. Emily got to spend lots of time outside, and we have the added benefit of enjoying a dandelion-free lawn! Send the kids out […]
Jar Matching
April 14, 2009 by
It still amazes me how much of our inspiration comes from our recycling bin. For Emily, this is like an endless supply of free craft materials! For this matching activity, you will need jars of various sizes with different sized lids. We used jars from apple sauce, salsa, yeast, baby food, and artichoke hearts. Wash […]
Slacker Saturday — Pouring Practice
April 11, 2009 by
Just before Emily went off to bed tonight, I set up a quick and easy pouring activity for her. This sort of transfer activity is very Montessori-inspired, and it was good practice for her. Start with a small pitcher and a medium sized bowl. Fill the pitcher with dried beans and have your child practice […]
Secret Paintings
April 7, 2009 by
I showed Emily how to make crayon resist drawings, and she had a lot of fun with this activity. We did these at night, and it seemed like a fabulous way to end the day. Quiet, relaxing, and fun. To make your own, you will need a white crayon or oil pastel, white paper, and […]
$5 Friday — Rainy Day Fun
April 3, 2009 by
This is what we woke up to this morning… When it is raining and you don’t know what to do with the kids, a wise person once told me “Never underestimate the power of the indoor fort”. I could not agree more. It is part hide-out, part reading nook, and part playhouse all rolled into […]
Graphing with Skittles
April 1, 2009 by
Nothing helps motivate kids to learn more than CANDY! Last week, I purchased a large bag of Skittles at Big Lots for just $2. Today, we did some graphing with them, and Emily counted them as we went along. We charted the ages of family and friends. Purple for Clara (not quite 1), Orange for […]
$5 Friday — Make Your Own Sidewalk Chalk Paint
March 27, 2009 by
Special thanks to Amanda at Kiddio.org for inspiring this week’s $5 Friday activity — make your own sidewalk chalk paint! This is very inexpensive and easy to do. We had tons of fun with this and created a detailed space scene on the asphalt of our driveway. Lots of planets, stars, rockets, and comets! The […]
What color was your day?
March 25, 2009 by
Do you ever enjoy a “date night” with one of your kids? You know, for some quality one-on-one time away from the rest of the family? Last night it was Emily’s one-on-one time with me and I took her to the toy store, the candy store (I let her choose five pieces of candy), and […]
Free Printable Garden Journal Pages
March 24, 2009 by
We have been hard at work on our garden journal. I love working on this with Emily because it is very frugal, it helps connect us with nature, and it keeps her interest for long periods of time. We were successful at tricking the forsythia into blooming a bit early by bringing some branches indoors, […]
$5 Friday — (Semi)Homemade Thin Mints and More!
March 20, 2009 by
For today’s $5 Friday, we made semi-homemade thin mints and took a trip to the local public library. These cookies are so easy to make and taste just like the Girl Scout version — perfect for when they are not selling cookies and your stash has run out! To make your own semi-homemade thin mint […]
Starting a Garden Journal
March 19, 2009 by
We have been noticing some signs of Spring around here, and I thought it would be fun to start keeping a garden journal with Emily. Our been sprouts are starting to turn green… This morning she planted some tomato seeds in an empty egg carton. Kids love to plant seeds, don’t they? We brought some forsythia branches […]
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
March 17, 2009 by
Wishing everyone a Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Our day was filled with lots of green, and some of the first signs of Spring. We wore plenty of green… …and even ate green Jell-O. Awww… sisterly love! Spring is almost here! We enjoyed some frugal fun at the playground. This was Clara’s first real trip there! […]
New Series — Slacker Saturday!
March 14, 2009 by
Do you want to do crafts and activities with your children, but just do not have the time or energy to do so? Want to try an activity that is quick, easy, and budget-friendly? If so, Slacker Saturday is for you! I am starting a new series every Saturday here on Frugal Family Fun Blog […]
New Series — $5 Friday!
March 13, 2009 by
I am very excited about a new series I am starting on Frugal Family Fun Blog called $5 Friday! The idea is simple — each Friday I will be posting about frugal family activities that can be done for $5 or less for a family of four. That’s right, entertainment for the family for just […]
Fun with Chalk
March 12, 2009 by
There was nothing Emily wanted to do more today than to draw with sidewalk chalk in the driveway, but it was simply too cold this afternoon. However, she was almost just as happy drawing with chalk indoors. She practiced writing her name in very large letters and teeny tiny letters… We worked on an awesome […]
Frugal Fun with Stilts
March 6, 2009 by
I was trying to come up with ideas to reuse some empty baby formula canisters, and with the help of the power drill, Mark and I made these adorable stilts for Emily. These are great for practicing balance. The small canisters were the perfect size for her. Emily wobbled a bit the first couple of […]
Bird Feeders…. From Recyclables!
March 5, 2009 by
Yesterday, Newswatch 16 was here to film for a segment called “Power to Save”, which will air later this evening. While they were here, we made bird feeders from recyclables. It occured to me that with the help of a simple power drill, you could turn just about any recyclable into a bird feeder. We […]
Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
March 2, 2009 by
Some of my readers requested crafts that use up empty oatmeal canisters, so I thought this was a great way to incorporate them into a craft and a Dr. Seuss theme day. To make your own Cat-in-the-Hat hat, you will need an empty oatmeal canister, a paper plate, and some paints (we used Crayola Washable […]
