Search Results for: fall

Whole Wheat Mini Apple Pies

    Whole wheat, mini apple pies   Preheat oven to 400* Basic whole wheat pie crust (Great recipe here) 3 apples (we used our leftovers from the Apple Taste Test) 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1 Tbs cinnamon 1 tea ground cloves 3 Tbs cold butter 1/2 cup water   Cut […]

Apple Themed Mini Unit

 I love fall, especially since it means fresh, crisp apples! Every year we visit our local orchard to pick apples and I wanted to do a quick apple themed day beforehand to get the kids excited about picking apples. Planning a week long unit can be daunting but creating a mini unit is simple and […]

Autumn Tree Sculptures from a Paper Bag

Fall Craft for Kids Need a boredom buster for the kids to celebrate Fall using materials you probably already have on-hand? These Autumn tree sculptures can be made from a paper bag and coffee filter leaves, and they are a great way to introduce kids to the concept of form and balance in sculpture art! […]

Moms Fighting Hunger — and kids too!

Yesterday, our pals at Moms Fight Hunger kicked off a month long initiative to raise awareness and inspire others through action. We’re pretty proud of what they’re doing and wanted to share a few simple ways you and your family can make a BIG difference this year: Go Orange It might seem silly that something […]

Apple Book and Kids Craft

One of my very favorite fall themed books is Apples by Gail Gibbons.  It is jam packed full of apple information and filled with appealing illustrations.  There are many different apple themed crafts you can do after reading like this cute apple suncatcher. These tissue paper suncatchers are so simple that even toddlers can make […]

10 Apple Crafts and Activities for Preschoolers

We are getting ready for Fall, and that means plenty of crafts, recipes, and activities with one of my favorite fruits — Apples!! Every Fall our family looks forward to picking our own apples from the orchard. Once we return back home, we bake, cook, or craft with them! Whether you pick your own apples […]

Water Fun with a Marble Run

Using water as a learning tool in the summertime serves a dual purpose; kids learn and stay cool! Below is a list of three things that kids can learn about water through water fun with a marble run. 1. Water drips in drops. Due to surface tension, when water is slowly dripping off the marble […]

A Day in NYC with Celine’s Dolls — Part 2

Continuing on with our fun-filled adventure in Williamsburg, Brooklyn NY with the lovely Celine from Celine’s Dolls (to read part 1, click here) and her husband Fabien, we went to the Renegade Craft Fair!! This is held in Brooklyn just two times a year — once in Winter, and again in Summer, and in other […]

Fossil Hunting at the Creek

Summer is hot and the water in the creek is cold! We had fun cooling our toes while hunting for fossils! The rocks in the creek we visited were predominantly shale and limestone. Mixed into the bunch were some incredible fossils! I explained to the boys that fossils were impressions of the remains of creatures […]

Kid Poll: Make A Difference Right Now

We asked some of our favorite little people what they thought they could do to make a difference today. The responses were heart-warming: “If I see someone hurt, I ask what happened and if they’re OK.” Will, age 7, from Not Just Cute “Having a lemonade stand to raise money for people with cancer.” Emily, age 9, […]

5 Tips for a Great Sandbox All Summer Long

One of my kids’ favorite summer activities is to play in the sandbox. Even my nine-year-old can spend long periods of time playing in the sand. In fact, recently, when I added some new sand to the box, my 4 yr old exclaimed, “It’s just what I always wanted!”. I love how something so simple […]

5 Ways to Learn with Chalk

Truth? I have never intentionally planned a “learning activity” for my children using chalk (bad blogger mom Melissa!). To me, chalk is simply an inexpensive medium used to create driveway art or something to occupy the boys’ hands and minds while I page a magazine and chat with an old friend on the phone. However, […]

How to Buy Organic on a Budget

When making food for our family, we want the best possible ingredients that we can get.  Sometimes, eating a healthy, organic diet while also staying within a budget can be a real challenge.  Here are some practical tips that have helped me master those grocery aisles for the healthiest foods I can feed my family […]

Exploring Nature with Books

 The best part about summer for me is getting outside with my children!  I love watching their eyes light up when they pop a wild berry into their mouths or find a snail along a forest trail.  We spend hours and hours outside each day, sometimes doing more formal learning such as species identification and […]

Planting a Three Sisters Garden

Short on space but still want a garden?  Try planting a Three Sisters Garden with your kids this year!  With a few modifications this Native American technique can even be adapted to grow in a pot and you can enjoy all the benefits of these plants that help each other grow in even the smallest […]

Developing Handwriting Skills to Boost Reading Skills

One of the ways to boost your child’s reading skills is by teaching him to write his letters!  Handwriting skills and reading skills are very closely interlinked.  While reading seems like primarily a mental activity, developing handwriting skills can help kids hurdle many of the ‘normal’ reading pitfalls before they even begin to learn their […]

Gardening with Kids — Make Your Own Seed Tape

Making your own seed tape is a great way to ensure ideal spacing between seedlings, and it’s a fun project for the kids to do. My garden carrots are my kid’s favorite each and every year. Since they are so prized, I have set myself to learning the new tricks of making my own seed […]

Inspiration All Around!

It’s been so much fun getting to know everyone and reading your stories on how & where your children are inspired to create. I’ve noticed a common trend in all of our children being inspired by the simplest of things, and nature in particular. It really is quite fascinating. We had a lively discussion on […]