Did you know that Sunday (9/9) is National Teddy Bear Day? Are your teddy bears in need of some extra love and affection? Need some inspiring ways to celebrate the day?? Here are 5 Playful Ways to Celebrate National Teddy Bear Day: 1. Plan (and then Host) a Teddy Bear Birthday Party — Clara thought […]
10 Virtually Instant Ways to Improve Play
August 15, 2012 by
Are you stuck in a playtime rut? Looking for some ways to foster creativity and imagination through play? Are you short on time?? If so, here are ten of our favorite ways to improve play time with your kids instantly and without spending money! 1. Go outside! — Playing indoors is always fun, but taking […]
DIY Cardboard Construction Play Set
August 10, 2012 by
Do your kids love to play with large cardboard boxes? Do you wish you had more room to store them? Want to create a play set that allows them to build and rebuild imaginative play structures?? Then this project is for you! To make your own cardboard construction play set, you will need a large […]
Simple Activities for Little Engineers
August 7, 2012 by
Do your kids enjoy learning about how things work? Do they love to solve problems? Did they grow up reading classics such as HTML for Babies?? If so, you may be raising an engineer in-the-making! Here are some of our favorite play ideas and activities to foster the next generation of innovators. Newspaper Play Structures — […]
Sunday Snapshot: Dollar Store Boredom Buster
August 5, 2012 by
We found the cutest cardboard dollhouses at our local dollar store. I added some paper clips to make stands for the dolls, and the girls loved putting these together to make their own little town! The cardboard itself is not very sturdy (it’s about as thick as cereal box cardboard), but it has managed to […]
Pretend Play — Invisible Taxi
August 1, 2012 by
Wondering what to do with the kids?? Recently, my kids built an invisible taxi, and spent a very long time happily “driving” each other all around an intensely busy pretend city. I thought you may like to build an invisible taxi of your own to inspire plenty of imaginative playtime fun too! To make your […]
How to Build a Simple Shadow Puppet Theater
July 28, 2012 by
I completely underestimated how much the girls would enjoy playing with shadow puppets. Whenever something so simple makes them so happy, I can’t help but smile!! And this was SUPER simple. Added bonus — the perfect entertainment for whenever a power outage occurs. Our little shadow puppet theater was made from an empty cardboard box […]
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 […]
Outdoor Tea Party
July 1, 2012 by
The girls enjoyed an outdoor tea party — and had a blast pouring out little cups of water, stirring them up, and saying “cheers” before pretending to sip their tea. So civilized!! They were so happy to bring their little tea set outdoors and with “real water”. For Clara, this was great fine-motor practice! For […]
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 […]
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? […]
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 […]
Rainy Day Fun — Pretend Pizzeria!
May 21, 2012 by
Need an idea for what to do with the kids on a rainy day? This pretend pizzeria kept Clara happily occupied and provided plenty of imaginative play time fun! We had already recycled our cardboard cafe into a cardboard classroom, and now it’s been recycled yet again into a pretend pizzeria. We used a […]
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 […]
