Know what I love? Cardboard!!!! Because it is supreme! Cardboard is cheap (or free!), readily available, recyclable, and generally easy to work with. Oh! And the possibilities!! Here are some of my favorite tips and tools for working with glorious cardboard. 1. Stuff ‘Em — In the case of the city blocks I made (shown […]
Cardboard City
January 5, 2012 by
Recently, I spotted these cute cardboard city blocks from Pottery Barn Kids. I liked them, but I didn’t $40 like them — not when I had plenty of free cardboard that was begging me to make something fun and amazing with it. (Does your cardboard ever do that to you??) So I made my own […]
Pretend Pretzels Made with Cleaning Cloths
January 2, 2012 by
The kiddos have been enjoying their cardboard cafe immensely!! Since then, there have been some requests for soft pretzels. Well, they didn’t have to twist my arm! I’ve made pretend pretzels from felt before, but this version is SO much easier — no sewing!!! To start, you will need some microfiber cleaning cloths. I found […]
Cardboard Cafe
December 26, 2011 by
Want to go some place good to eat?? Some place that’s not too crowded? With good food, and great service?? I think I know the perfect place! A special thank you to 45Wall Design for inspiring today’s post, and to my amazingly awesome husband who gifted me with several rolls of gummed reinforcement tape as […]
10 Easy Last-Minute Gifts You Can Make for the Kids
December 18, 2011 by
Looking for some quick, easy, inexpensive gift ideas for the kiddos?? Here are some of our favorite DIY gifts to promote hours of imaginative play without breaking the bank! 1. Doorway Puppet Theater — Use tension curtain rods and a few valance curtains to make your own doorway puppet theater. 2. Lil’ Mushroom House — Recycle an […]
Newspaper “Snowman”
December 12, 2011 by
Ever have an uncontrollable urge to build a giant snowman when there’s no snow on the ground?? ….No? Just me then?! Well, I had no trouble talking Emily into my crazy idea — she ran to find her hat & gloves! She and I had such a FUN time dressing up our newspaperman with silly accessories! […]
Giveaway: Makedo Prize Pack!
December 5, 2011 by
We’re continuing with our series of reader appreciation giveaways in celebration of our upcoming 1,000th post here on Frugal Family Fun Blog, and this time I am so excited to host a super-fun giveaway sponsored by my friends at Makedo!! If you and/or your kids love building creative spaces with cardboard ((umm…hello, who doesn’t?!?)), you […]
Teaching Kids the Art of Graciousness
November 30, 2011 by
With the holidays being so close, now is a great time to remind kids about the proper way to give and receive gifts. One of the most effective ways to do this, is through pretend play! 1. Without the kids seeing, wrap up a few small items from around the house. Bags and tissue paper […]
5 Amazing Toys You Can Make from Cardboard
November 27, 2011 by
I love crafting with cardboard because it is cheap, readily available, and SO easy to recycle into amazing things! Here are five inspiring ideas from around the web to make some frugal toys the kiddos are sure to treasure. 1. This cardboard parking garage is sure to bring hours of pretend play fun! See the […]
DIY Holiday — Play Salad
November 23, 2011 by
Emily played a big role in crafting up this fun play salad set! She couldn’t wait to show it to Clara, so now the two of them have been making up salads all afternoon. This was so simple (and very frugal) to make!! Emily cut out arbitrary lettuce shapes of green craft foam for lettuce, […]
SAJ’s Stealthy Book Tour — The Letter F (and giveaway!)
November 21, 2011 by
I’m so excited my friend Brenda Ponnay, a.k.a. Secret Agent Josephine, has a new series of children’s books!! These books are perfect for little ones learning their ABC’s, colors, and numbers — and they have clever details parents and older siblings will definitely appreciate. I love that these books are available in ebook formats for […]
DIY Holiday Gift for Kids — Doll Bath Set
November 14, 2011 by
After the girls were in bed, it was my turn for a bit of holiday-making! I combined a few things I already had on-hand (empty travel sized shampoo bottles and soap leftover from a hotel stay, a sponge) along with a few things from the dollar store or Target — hand towels, a pack of […]
Play Donuts from Dollar Store Socks
November 10, 2011 by
There has been a LOT of holiday-making at our house lately — very exciting!! Now that Emily has one of her surprise gifts ready for Clara, I thought it would be fun to help Clara create a fun surprise gift of her own to give to her big sister. We had lots of fun sneakily crafting […]
Pretend Sweets Made with Sponges!
November 9, 2011 by
Recently, Emily and I made a bunch of pretend play sweets from dollar store sponges for her little sister’s holiday gifts. They were great fun, super frugal, AND very easy to make!! Emily cannot wait to gift these to Clara as part of her Christmas gift, and I love how pretend play food can lead […]
Newspaper Play Structures
October 4, 2011 by
Know what I love to do on days when it’s too cold or wet to go outside? Build stuff!! This fun geodesic dome was built using rolled up newspaper to form rods — SO frugal! I basically followed the tutorial here, but made one important adjustment. Rather than using staples at the joints, I punched […]
7 Fun Ideas for Sensory Bins
September 19, 2011 by
Ever since my kiddos were old enough to know not to put things in their mouths, they have LOVED playing with sensory bins. I can’t even tell you how many hours were spent pouring, measuring, sorting — sensory bins can be completely mesmerizing!! New to the idea of sensory bins, or looking for new ideas to […]
