Often times the most effective teaching aids can be the simplest ones. Here are some of our favorites! Added bonus — the kiddos had an active role in making them from very frugal materials!! The cost of workbooks can add up, especially for large families. Here’s an easy tip to reuse workbooks! Encourage early handwriting […]
Marbled Paper Journals
April 25, 2011 by
After our amazing encounter with the peacocks at the zoo, we were inspired to make some art!! Lots of marbled paper was made using this technique with beautiful peacock hues of tropical blue, cobalt blue, and apple green — so much fun!! What I love about this project is that each print is so unique — no […]
Fun Activities for Screen Free Week
April 20, 2011 by
Need a few fun activities to get you through the rest of Screen Free Week?? Here are some of our favorites to get you off the couch and outdoors! Basketballs are soooo over-rated. What you really want to do is play a game of Invisible Basketball — lots of fun!! One of our favorite outdoor […]
Super Easy Last-Minute Easter Card
April 19, 2011 by
Clara and I had lots of fun crafting up a few last-minute goodies for Easter, including this CUTE (and frugal) card using her fingerprints!! I drew a line to mark the soil with a brown marker, then Clara pressed about 1/2 of her index finger on an orange ink pad to make the carrots. She […]
Garden GROW Bunting
April 18, 2011 by
It’s no surprise that we are big fans of gardening, but this year we have a new addition to our usual rented garden plot — our first raised bed in our own backyard!! Mark has been hard at work with all the building, and I was SO excited that I could not WAIT for the […]
Painting with Water
April 14, 2011 by
When I was a kid, I remember walking through the house with a clean, dry paintbrush in hand and in my mind I was totally painting the entire house in bright hues of sky blue, mandarin orange, cotton candy pink, and lime green. On my imaginary bedroom wall, hundreds of “masterpiece” murals were painted!! Fast […]
Tiny Easter Baskets
April 13, 2011 by
Know what’s cuter than Easter baskets?? Teensy Tiny Easter Baskets filled with little chocolate eggs!!! I know, right??? SO cute!!!! To make your own, cut up an empty cardboard egg carton and invite the kiddos over to paint the cups, forming the “basket”! We used washable paint, and it worked quite well. Clara wanted to […]
Mini Crayon Wallet
April 11, 2011 by
These mini wallet purses are super-frugal and lots of fun to make! Added bonus — no sewing is involved!! They are the perfect size for a few crayons, small toys, coins, or other tiny treasures. To make your own, you will need one 5″ x 7″ piece of craft foam, colored duct tape, ribbon, and […]
Zoo Inspired Crafts
April 9, 2011 by
This time of year we love to make several field trips to the local zoo, and get lots of mileage out of our annual family pass! Here are some zoo-inspired crafts to try: If you’re lucky enough to have a fun encounter with a peacock… … here’s an easy peacock craft using color-coding labels! Maybe […]
Quick Craft — Easy Easter Card
April 8, 2011 by
I wish I could take credit for this craft, but it was totally Mark’s idea. Have I mentioned how awesome he is?? Yay for awesome husbands!!! Clara and I had lots of fun making these colorful Easter cards this morning! We used our favorite washable ink pad from Melissa & Doug — vibrant colors with […]
Spring Crafts Galore! — FREE eBook
April 7, 2011 by
Looking for ways to keep the kids happily entertained this season?? Then you will love this FREE eBook filled with Spring crafts & family-friendly activities — a fantastic collection from several bloggers! There are 26 wonderful projects that are sure to become family favorites. A big thank you to Allie from No Time for Flashcards […]
How to Make Your Own Sunshine
April 6, 2011 by
Are you tired of Winter? Do you long for warmer weather?? Do you wish Spring would hurry up and arrive already??? Then it’s time to make your own sunshine! It’s quick and easy to do!! Start by inviting the kids to paint several coffee filters with watercolor paint — the brighter, the better! We love […]
Spring Chick Card
April 4, 2011 by
There is so much Spring crafting going on at this house, and we are anxiously awaiting warmer weather! When Emily saw Clara’s cloud painting, she instantly wanted to do a painting project with the shower poof as well. I don’t blame her — they are such fun painting tools! We used a sheet of green […]
Sunday Snapshot — In the Garden
April 3, 2011 by
We have been hard at work on our rented garden plot, and getting ready for Spring! Lettuce, broccoli (Emily’s favorite veggie), and onion seeds are all in the ground… up next, peas!!! Five Reasons to Start a Garden 1. Organic gardening is good for the planet. 2. Cancel that gym membership — gardening is great […]
Cloud Painting!
March 30, 2011 by
What do you do when your two year old catches you painting with a bath poof from the dollar store?? Let them join in the fun, of course! While I worked on a project of my own (What’s that? You don’t paint with bath poofs?? Try it, it’s fun!!), Clara set off to paint some […]
Toys You Can Make from Recyclables
March 29, 2011 by
It is no secret that we love to craft with recyclables — we consider them to be FREE art supplies! Making your own toys from recyclables is a great way to reinforce the concept of conservation, and introduce the kiddos to early eco-friendly habits. Here are some EASY projects to get you started! If you […]
Colorful Spring Branch Craft
March 28, 2011 by
The girls have been busy crafting up lots of Spring decorations for our home! This Spring branch craft is so bright and cheerful — I cannot wait to put it up on display in our foyer to welcome guests!! I drew some branches on a sheet of paper with a brown marker, then showed Clara […]
Super Easy Weekend Crafts
March 26, 2011 by
We’ve been taking it easy around here lately, so here are some EASY crafts for those laid back weekends. This star garland is easy to make using star-shaped sticky notes! Emily loved playing this easy fishing game — made with pipe cleaner fish! …and if Spring isn’t coming fast enough for you, try making your own tissue paper […]
