Doing art on lunch bags is a festive way to dress up an ordinary bagged lunch, and it’s also a great way to keep the kids busy! I love how something so simple can let the kids have an active role in preparing their own school supplies while proudly showing their teachers & friends some […]
10 Fun-Filled Play Ideas for the Beach
July 26, 2012 by
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??
July 21, 2012 by
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
July 18, 2012 by
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
July 13, 2012 by
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
July 10, 2012 by
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
July 5, 2012 by
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 […]
Fun with Frozen Yogurt Containers
July 2, 2012 by
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 […]
BIG Play in Small Spaces
June 24, 2012 by
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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!!
