It’s official — Emily has inherited my love for office supplies! Know what’s cuter than office supplies?? MINI office supplies!! What I love about this project is that Emily (now 8 yrs old) could make the little clipboard and pencil set for her dolls with very little help from me, and she was inspired to […]
Meet Melissa Twitter Party
March 16, 2012 by
Pst! Hey.. did you hear the news?? Our lovely friends from Melissa & Doug are hosting a Twitter Party to chat about play time fun, give away prizes, AND…. guess who will be there…. tweeting with the tweeps…… on Twitter?? Melissa!!!!! Yes, yes…… THE Melissa!!! ***squeal*** I know, right?! Totally awesome. Did you know that Melissa […]
It’s A Circus In Here!
March 6, 2012 by
During a recent trip to the local thrift store, I happened to spot these adorable vintage handmade wooden animals. They were begging to be used for some pretend circus play! I was about to create a little printable circus tent for you to download and print out your own, but the very nice folks over […]
Let’s Build a Town!
February 23, 2012 by
Need to bring some excitement to your set of blocks?? Black masking tape is a fun and easy way for kiddos to build their own roads and towns. Added bonus — very little clean up!! We love the Melissa and Doug Town Blocks Wooden Play Set — it comes with cars, trees, buildings, and road […]
Toy Fair 2012
February 16, 2012 by
I just got back from spending a week with my lovely friends from Melissa & Doug at Toy Fair — Amy from TeachMama and I had so much fun and felt so welcomed by the everyone!! We met some amazing bloggers, did lots of live-tweeting, and got a behind-the-scenes look at some of the newest […]
Carpet Golf!
January 25, 2012 by
Do you wish mini-golf was a year ’round activity?? Want to play in your own living room?? The girls and I had LOTS of fun playing “carpet golf” using some things we already had on-hand — plus it can be reconfigured again and again! We used a bath sheet for the putting green, and I […]
7 Tips for Crafting with Cardboard
January 12, 2012 by
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 […]
2012: A year of Classic, Creative Play (and a Trunki Giveaway!)
January 10, 2012 by
You may have noticed that we are BIG fans of pretend play around here. Some of the reasons why I’m so passionate about pretend play are because it promotes creativity and imagination, helps to develop early problem solving skills, fosters important social skills for kids, and it’s FUN!! Over the years, we’ve found some of […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Giveaway — Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Easel
November 13, 2011 by
As I mentioned earlier, we are getting very close to post number 1,000 for this little bloggy blog!!! After nearly THREE years of blogging, I think this is a milestone worth celebrating, yes? And what better way to celebrate than with a series of fantastic reader appreciation giveaways?? To kick off our blogiversary celebration, my […]
