Calorie-Free S’Mores for Pretend Play

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 […]

Water Balloon Yo-Yos

I made some water balloon yo-yos for the kids, an idea I spotted here — what a fun and active way to beat the heat!! To make your own, you will need a package of water balloons (I see these at the dollar store all the time during the Summer months), and some elastic string […]

Potion Lab!

Early this morning, before it got too hot outside to play, the girls and I put on some play clothes and set up a little “potion lab” in the backyard for some messy pretend play FUN!! They seriously loved this!!! We reused the same clear plastic bottles from our driveway painting and filled them with […]

Our Summer Bucket List

I thought it would be fun to share our Summer Bucket List today — which seems to grow longer by the minute, as I keep adding things to the list! Many of these activities are either very low cost or free (yay!!), and the kiddos are really looking forward to crossing things off of the […]

Firefly Night Light

  When Emily was getting ready for bed, she asked for a new night light. (Clara has been “borrowing” Emily’s night light for some time now.) Some battery-powered LED holiday lights in a recycled plastic jar made for a fun (and frugal) “firefly” lantern! Shhhhh…. Sweet dreams, little one!!

SURPRISE! Let’s Go on a Day Trip!

Last night, while the girls were sleeping in their beds, Mark and I stayed up late packing up the car for a total SURPRISE day trip to nearby Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. (Mark had taken the day off from work, and the weather forecast looked beautiful!!) It. Was. Awesome!!! We enjoyed the sandy beach, waves, […]

Red, White, and Blue

Looking for some fun, easy, last-minute crafts to celebrate the 4th of July?? Here are some of our favorite crafts using red, white, and blue from around the web!! (Thanks, Yelena!) Lifesaver Firecrackers via u-createcrafts.com   Red, White, and Blue Paper Decorations via theslightlyobsessivebride.blogspot.com   Firework Cookies via redcouchrecipes.blogspot.com   4th of July Montessori Learning Activities via countingcoconuts.blogspot.com   […]

Giveaway — Melissa & Doug Sand Toys Prize Pack!!

I wish you could have seen the joy on the girls’ faces when they opened a large box from our friends at Melissa & Doug FILLED with sand toys for us to review & giveaway — pure happiness!!!! I mean, what child wouldn’t absolutely LOVE to get a box filled with these lovely sand toys […]

Garden Things That Make Me Smile

We’ve been working hard on our garden plot this Summer, and it has been well-worth it! Here are some things from the garden that make me smile!! My little helper doing her share of weeding — and offering to do it on her own! Roma tomatoes waiting for just the right moment to ripen — […]

Cheap Thrills — Driveway Painting

For a fun time, gather up some empty dish soap bottles. Make up a batch of sidewalk chalk paint with 4 Tbsp. cornstarch, 4 Tbsp. water & 5-10 drops food coloring. Pour into a bottle and fill the rest with water. Repeat for each color. Put on play clothes or bathing suits, and invite some […]

Around the Web — Water Play

Please give a warm welcome to our newest contributor here at Frugal Family Fun Blog, my good friend (and mom of 3) Yelena will be helping with our boards on Pinterest and I will be posting a few of the photos and links here! About once a week, we’ll have little “assignments” for Yelena to find […]

Hot Air Balloon Ride

The girls enjoyed a wonderfully scenic hot air balloon ride this afternoon!!   They flew SO high that when they looked down, all the people looked JUST like ants!!   There were fierce winds to navigate….Oh, the thrill! The excitement!!   Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!   Somehow Mark’s ride wasn’t quite as eventful….  😉 …. but it was […]

Summer Fun — Let’s Build a Road!

As a kid, I remember using my dad’s electrical tape to make elaborate playscapes for my younger brother in my parents’ basement. There was a small-scale basketball court, a soccer field, and plenty of race tracks that were made over & over again — good times!! This afternoon, Clara and I built our own roads […]

Sunday Snapshot — Growing Garden

Much of the weekend was spent taking care of our lovely garden. This makes me SO HAPPY!!! There is plenty of fresh lettuce to share with friends & neighbors! Yummm!! Also?? I’m starting to get excited about the potatoes — BIG plans for those! Wishing you and your family a lovely weekend!!

Wordless Wednesday — Sprinklers!!

They say that money can’t buy you happiness, but for $4.99 it will buy you a sprinkler at Target — and that’s almost the same thing. Lots of good (clean) FUN!!

Inspired Picnic Spaces from Around the Web

We’ve been on a bit of a picnic kick lately, and I wanted to share some inspiring picnic ideas from around the web. So grab your favorite picnic blanket, pack up some tasty food, and enjoy some time outdoors!! Better Homes and Gardens has a great article featuring ideas for budget-friendly outdoor spaces. I love […]

Top 10 Posts of 2010 — #5

We’re continuing with our countdown of the top 10 posts of 2010! This next post had people from all over the world making FUN (and very inexpensive) bubble wands. Sadly, the blog that inspired this activity has since been taken down, but the photos here should give you an idea of how these are made. […]

Painting…with Feet!

This afternoon was spent in the backyard where I set out a large piece of cardboard, some washable paints, and let the girls have LOTS of fun painting with their feet!! I put down the paint on the cardboard, and the girls spread it out all over with their feet! We started with the lightest […]