Kiddos off from school for Martin Luther King, Jr Day? Looking for something artsy and fun to do?? Here are some inspiring crafts, activities, and art projects that promote peace and diversity. I love that each one of these peace signs is unique! Instructions can be found here for this very toddler-friendly art project! […]
Giveaway — Press Here by Hervé Tullet
January 7, 2012 by
It’s time for another FUN giveaway — this time from my friends at MonkeyReader.com!! MonkeyReader.com is an online bookstore that specializes in children’s books, many at a discount. The best part?? MonkeyReader.com donates five percent (5%) of their profits to non-profit children’s literacy programs and organizations! One of my girls’ favorite books at the moment […]
Giveaway: Artterro Bookmaking Kit
December 15, 2011 by
It’s time for another fun giveaway — this time from my friends at Artterro, a small mom-owned company that designs and wholesales eco-friendly art kits for kids! Artterro features 12 different art and craft kits to choose from, all of which are made with minimal packaging, and the inserts are printed on 100% post consumer […]
Teaching Kids the Art of Graciousness
November 30, 2011 by
With the holidays being so close, now is a great time to remind kids about the proper way to give and receive gifts. One of the most effective ways to do this, is through pretend play! 1. Without the kids seeing, wrap up a few small items from around the house. Bags and tissue paper […]
Sunday Snapshot — Adventures in Geocaching!
November 20, 2011 by
Wishing you and your family a lovely weekend full of adventure!!
Giveaway — Highlights High Five (One Year Subscription)
November 16, 2011 by
Let’s continue with our series of amazing reader appreciation giveaways, shall we?? This one is from my friends at Highlights High Five, an ad-free magazine designed specifically for children ages 2-6. Each monthly issue features stories, poems, Hidden Pictures®, a fabulous craft**, kid-friendly recipes, and more!! I recently featured the magazine as one of our […]
Blinkybug Invasion!
November 7, 2011 by
Mark made some super-fun “blinkybug” toys for Emily, and the two of them spent some quality time together making and later playing with these all afternoon. After all, making your own toys is a lot cheaper (and WAY more FUN) than buying them!! These little critters have blinking LED lights that turn on when their […]
Nature Crafts and Activities for Kids You Will Want To Do RIGHT Now
October 24, 2011 by
Nature crafts and activities are a great way to enjoy the outdoors with kids, promote sustainability, and encourage little ones to conserve. Added bonus — many times nature provides us with free art materials! Here are some of our favorite simple, beautiful projects from FFFB and around the web that will make you want to […]
Apple Taste-Test Activity!
October 18, 2011 by
Do you have a hard time deciding which kind of apple to buy at the grocery store or farmer’s market?? Then it’s time for an apple taste-test! We put four popular organic varieties to the test, and it was SO much FUN!! First, visit your local farmer’s market or grocery store and choose one or […]
Creepy Crawly Seek and Find… and a PBS Kids Giveaway!
October 17, 2011 by
We made some seek and find bottles, and Clara and I had SO much FUN with this!! She enjoyed the entire process, and afterwards loved the challenge of finding all the creepy critters in the bottle. They are very frugal to make, and are a great way to keep the kiddos occupied in the car […]
Adventures in Bird Watching!
October 11, 2011 by
Recently, I took Clara on an educational (and frugal) field trip to Hawk Mountain, a wildlife sanctuary open to the public year-round. It was a fantastic way to spend a beautiful Autumn afternoon! There is a modest trail fee, which is totally worth it, but Clara was free since she falls into the 3 years […]
Sunday Snapshot — At the Pumpkin Patch
October 9, 2011 by
Wishing you and your family a fun (and frugal) weekend filled with Autumn treasures!!
Cheap Thrills — Feeding Ducks
October 6, 2011 by
For a fun time that won’t break the bank, visit your local fish hatchery to feed the fish and/or ducks. Ours sells bags of fish food for just $1. Not sure how to properly feed the ducks? Princess Clara will show you how — in just 3 easy steps!! Step 1: Sprinkle a bit of […]
Newspaper Play Structures
October 4, 2011 by
Know what I love to do on days when it’s too cold or wet to go outside? Build stuff!! This fun geodesic dome was built using rolled up newspaper to form rods — SO frugal! I basically followed the tutorial here, but made one important adjustment. Rather than using staples at the joints, I punched […]
7 Fun Ideas for Sensory Bins
September 19, 2011 by
Ever since my kiddos were old enough to know not to put things in their mouths, they have LOVED playing with sensory bins. I can’t even tell you how many hours were spent pouring, measuring, sorting — sensory bins can be completely mesmerizing!! New to the idea of sensory bins, or looking for new ideas to […]
Back to School Round Up
September 9, 2011 by
Emily had a terrific first day of 2nd grade, and we are looking forward to a great school year ahead!! In the spirit of back-to-school, I dug deep into our archives and around the web to put together this fun round up: From the Archives: 5 Easy DIY School Supplies Celebrating Education Nation with The 10! […]
Let’s Build a Flashlight!
September 6, 2011 by
This little boredom buster is quick and easy to set up using just a flashlight from the dollar store! It’s perfect for older kids who love to take things apart and put them back together, which meant Emily really had LOTS of fun with it!! Take apart an ordinary household flashlight. To help keep all […]
Hammer Time!
August 25, 2011 by
Here is yet another FUN use for pool noodles — especially if you happen to have a few golf tees on-hand!! We reused the same ones from the awesome marble run and croquet lawn game. I used masking tape to attach the pool noodles to some small cutting boards, and invited the girls to bring some […]
