The days are warmer, the birds are chirping, and spring is finally here. And while we love seeing all the blooms, bugs, and muddy puddles popping up all over the place, we’re not quite sure we want to invite all those natural elements into our house (especially that rainy day mud). But not to worry, these spring sensory activities for babies and toddlers focus on all the outdoor elements they love without messing up the place.
If you’ve got flowers, you’ve got everything you need for a spring sensory activity. Get a bin, and fill it with water, flowers, leaves, and whatever else you think will be engaging, give your baby or toddler a spoon and a cup and watch them get to work. Of course, if you’ve got a mouthy babe, be sure to watch them at all times.
2. Muddy Truck Sensory Bin
If you're not up for playing in actual mud, make your own! This spring sensory bin from Mama. Papa. Bubba is safe for kids to sneak a taste of and smells delicious. Why? Because it's made with cocoa powder! Littles can move the trucks around so they make muddy tracks, as well feeling the texture of the mud with their fingers. You can even add small scoopers and measuring cups for new ways to experience the mud. You may want to lay down a towel or plastic tablecloth underneath to help contain the mess.
Pop by any preschool classroom and you’re likely to find kids and parents equally enamored with water beads. Something about their squishy texture just screams “Play with me!” However, because they aren’t edible, sharing them with young children means getting creative. Meri Cherry has the great idea to fill resealable bags with these beads, seal ‘em up with duct tape, and let your little one squish, mush, and roll to their heart’s content (under your supervision, of course).
Nature lovers will be entranced by this eye-catching sensory bag from Hands On As We Grow. Head out to your backyard or local park to gather pretty leaves and flowers, and then craft the suncatcher with your child for a perfect spring sensory activity.
From our friends at Fun at Home with Kids comes this edible (safe for babies and toddlers) spring sensory activity that uses basil seeds instead of the more common water beads. These seeds absorb water, resulting in a squishy, jelly-like consistency, and can be dyed any color you like. From there, your little one can scoop, pour, fill, empty, press, swirl, and more—all without you worrying about a choking hazard. To bring spring alive in this bin, be sure to add fun touches like plastic farm animals, tractor toys, and even fabric flowers to the mix.
If you have plastic Easter eggs, put them to good use with this fun idea from Little Bins for Little Hands Inside each egg, place a balloon filled with items of different textures, such as rice, baking soda, or flour.
We love this cheery sensory bin idea from In the Playroom incorporates straw and little chicks. The littles can practice their counting, hide the chicks in the straw, and feel the different textures.
Little ones who don't mind getting their hands dirty will love searching for insects and bugs in this dirt-filled sensory bin from Learn, Play Imagine. Be sure to use larger plastic bugs (that aren't choking hazards) for your baby.
Does your little one put everything in their mouth? Katie of Happily Ever Mom shows you how to turn regular bread into a rainbow-colored activity for your little one to crunch, smash, and have fun manipulating. Because it's edible, you don't have to worry about baby taking a nibble.
This easy spring sensory activity is best for toddlers since you’ll need dried black beans to create the “soil.” Throw in a few fake plants and flowers and let your kiddo dig to their heart’s content.
These adorable Thanksgiving craft ideas are the perfect way to keep little hands busy
Wondering how to keep the kids at the table this year? These super-simple ideas are great activities, and they don’t take a lot of pre-planning to get done. So forget about those generic-looking store-bought turkeys in Pilgrim hats, and check out our favorite Thanksgiving crafts that’ll keep the kids occupied. If you need even more ways to keep the kids busy, check out these Thanksgiving games and activities!
Add sparkle to the table with this easy Thanksgiving craft. Grab a few gourds or small-sized pumpkins, and let the kiddos paint them with glue. To make this Thanksgiving craft idea even better, let the glue drip down the sides of the gourds/pumpkins. Sprinkle sparkles on top, shake off the excess, and let the tabletop displays dry before adding them as cool centerpieces. The best part is that you can completely customize this for any table. Choose glitter colors that match your place settings to create a cohesive look.
Sure, a basket of random gourds makes for a rustically chic centerpiece. But stacking pumpkins on top of various forms of squash isn't always the most creative way for your kiddo to spend Thanksgiving day. Instead, make your own with this pumpkin craft from Fireflies and Mud Pies!
Sometimes sitting at the dinner table and patiently waiting for the grown-ups to finish just isn't fun for your tot. Scratch that, it's never fun for your tot. Well, this turkey-shaped fluffy slime idea from Little Bins for Little Hands solves the "Mommmmmmy, I'm sooooo bored" problem. Package this recipe into a cute little see-through cup to create cute holiday decor. As the kids finish eating, they can take the slime out and play with it—giving you time to eat your meal!
What is your family thankful for? Instead of waiting until dinner to ponder this question, start early in the day (heck, start the day before). Give each family member a leaf to write what they're thankful for. You can either have the kiddos craft paper leaves from fall-colored card stock or go with the real deal. Get extra crafty and ask the kids to paint their leaves before adding what they're thankful for in marker. Gather a few sticks, and push them into a foam base or secure them in a tall vase. Before the meal starts, collect the thankful leaves. Punch holes in the top and thread the yarn through them. During the holiday meal, each family member/guest can read what they're thankful for and hang the leaves on the "tree."
You'll get to recycle and reuse paper towel cardboard tubes with this Thanksgiving craft idea. Cut them into pieces, and let the kids get to work painting them into cute little napkin rings. Want other ideas? Mini Monets and Mommies has plenty of other ways to transform cardboard into Thanksgiving table décor.
Yeah, kids are all about popsicles. Even in November. So put those sticks to use for this adorable table-top craft from The Nerd’s Wife. This recycle-and-reuse art activity is just as Earth-friendly as it is adorable!
The kids can create crafty placemats that show exactly what they’re thankful for. Mama Papa Bubba’s printable design provides plenty of opportunities for thinking about the holiday while getting creative and coloring.
The kids need something to do at the Thanksgiving table. Of course, other than eating the fab feast that you’ve spent the day preparing. Cut shapes out of felt (you’ll need circles and ovals), add a few googly eyes, and let the kids go to town, pressing together the felt turkey table toppers. They can puzzle together this project at the table or make them beforehand as place cards.
Gobble Gobble Tablecloth
Nikki Walsh
Your grandma’s hand-sewn lace tablecloth is gorgeous. Just not with gravy and cranberry sauce on it. Pull double duty protecting the table and entertaining the kids with this turkey-time tablecloth. Spread out butcher paper, draw a few gobble gobblers, and let the kids get crafty with their crayons during dinner.
Who says pumpkins are just for Halloween? Turkey up your mini pumpkins with this idea from Toddler Approved. Table perk: they're perfect placeholders for the kiddos!
What is your child thankful for? Learning about gratitude is kind of the name of the game on Thanksgiving Day. And your child thought the holiday was all about turkey and stuffing. Things are about to change with this crafty laminated placemat from Momtastic. It’s much more than simple holiday décor—it’s a thoughtful activity that will help the kids think about why they should give thanks today!
You need a Thanksgiving table idea. So you pile on the gourds to add that decorative touch. But wait. Why not let the kids get creative and dress up those plain ol’ gourds? Design Improvised can show you how to turn gourds into adorable little turkeys.
Calling all LEGO lovers! Add this fun preschool Thanksgiving table idea to your art repertoire. We guarantee you already have all the supplies you need around the house. The simple steps are perfect for younger ages, plus you get a sweet keepsake of their tiny hands through the years. For the how-to details, visit Little Bins for Little Hands.
I saw you. Lunchables? Really? I heard your kid whining for popsicles. I saw you reach into the freezer and ask which type. As you left the store with your too-big kid sitting in the cart, asking a million questions, I saw you close your eyes and take a deep breath before saying, “Just… because. That’s just how it is.” You didn’t even give her a real answer.
I saw you. I see you. I am you.
There is a pervasive assumption that mothers should be “on” at all times. It seeped into the collective unconscious and became fodder for the shaming and judging in the dreaded “mommy wars.”
As the imperfect beings that we mothers are, when we make a mistake, we should definitely keep it to ourselves. And if we do decide to share it with the world, it had better come served with a heaping side of remorse and personal growth.
Here’s my moment of what passes for personal growth: I’m fine with that. I have decided my goal is not to be less lazy, it’s to be lazy better. I am multi-tasking my laziness into excellent childhood experiences.
Truth be told, many of the most awesome memories my daughter has are probably a direct result of me being a little lazy. The other night she planned a party in my honor. For no reason, other than the fact that she happens to think I’m sort of the best. The extravaganza ended with her giving me a pedicure in the hallway. I lay back on the floor, put my hands behind my head, and enjoyed this great bonding experience. Really, I was just very, very tired.
The time she played in the mud at the edge of the lake—covering herself hair-to-toe and pretending to be a sea monster? It’s true that I am generally pretty easygoing in regard to that sort of play, but I knew I would regret it when it was time to hose her off. Still, I decided to let future me deal with the mess.
My toddler decided to turn the dog’s water dish over, so I put a towel down and handed him some cups, spoons, and a newly full bowl of water. I’m sure he’s learning valuable skills. I just wanted to cook dinner.
When anxiety grabs hold of my brain, I tend to turn into the “no” monster, squasher of all things fun because they might make a mess and oh my god please don’t pull out the paints right now. When I can let go and surrender to the laziness of “I’ll deal with this later,” it leads to some of those childhood experiences I know they will remember fondly for the rest of their lives.
Tomorrow me thinks I’m awful.
My kids never have to know that the kitchen concoctions and ensuing mess happened because I was just hungry and didn’t want to get up. Who hasn’t played the game of “who can be quiet the longest” or “let’s pretend I’m sick and you’re my doctor. I’ll just lie here while you fix me up.”
Look, there is always room for improvement. If you think there is not, then you are probably twice as wrong. Sometimes I am burned out, and my lazy comes out in ways that are less constructive. The “because I said so” ways. The rest of the time laziness and creativity meld together like the blue playdough and the red playdough that I was too tired to keep separate.
Someday, after I am long gone, I imagine my son saying, “Remember that time Mom let us draw on the house with chalk?” His sister will smile and add, “Remember all the glitter?”
So, maybe I am lazy sometimes. And maybe that’s okay.
Rhiannon Giles is an overwhelmed mother who only occasionally considers giving her children to the circus. She has a sarcasm problem and writes regularly at rhiyaya.com. To keep up with new posts and see some of her favorites, join her on Facebook and Twitter.
Minimal cost + minimal mess = maximum fun with these summer sensory bins and play ideas
Babies and toddlers learn through hands-on experience. Whether they’re digging in the mud or scooping up water, they’re learning all about the world around them. Sensory experiences allow kids to work on budding fine motor skills, strengthen hand-eye coordination, and explore their imagination! Summer is a perfect time to give toddlers sensory play fun.
Set up an outdoor sensory spot using a baking sheet or a plastic tub and let your little one dig in. Here you’ll find 12 awesome summer sensory activities from mess-free options to extra-affordable ways to keep your little one engaged.
1. Frozen in Ice
Ice is very nice in the summer. Sensory play with ice cubes lets your little one cool off as the weather heats up. Your kiddo can explore the chilly textures of brightly colored ice cubes as they melt in the warm sun. Prep for this sensory fun the night before by adding a few drops of food coloring into water in an ice cube tray. To add a little something extra, freeze small plastic toys in ice. Dump the ice on a baking sheet or in a plastic tub and let your little one explore. Find lots more ideas for twists on ice cube sensory play at Teaching Littles. Feeling the changing texture, working hard to pick up slippery ice cubes, and noticing the bright colors engage several different senses. Plus, because the weather is warm, you don’t have to worry about little fingers getting too chilly. It’s an easy prep, easy clean summer sensory activity.
2. Make a Splash: No Water Needed
A plastic baby pool is a summer classic, but you don’t have to fill it with just water. Add a few scoops of plain dry oats or cornmeal. Both are perfect for scooping up and dumping out, which is the stuff of toddler dreams. Plus, they’re edible so you don’t have to worry if a few pieces end up in your little one’s mouth. Add anything you’d throw in a sandbox, from plastic shovels to pint-size dump trucks. By pouring it all in the baby pool, you keep the mess, and the kid, contained.
3. Shaving Cream + Food Coloring
Finger painting gets an upgrade when you add a drop of food coloring to shaving cream. Note: If your little one puts everything in his/her mouth, skip this activity until he/she has outgrown it. Take out a baking sheet or tray, fill it with shaving cream, and drop in a few different colors. As kids put their hands in the shaving cream and explore, the colors will swirl and mix together. Fill up a tub with water to rinse off your baby afterward!
4. Paint the Rainbow
Rainbows are a summertime staple. You can make your own sensory, edible, rainbow-bright activity at home! Simply take plain yogurt, plop it on a baking sheet by the spoonful, and use food coloring to make each spoonful a different color. When you have the whole spectrum of colors, let your little one explore the gloopy, baby-safe finger paint. If you’d like to up your finger-painting game, make paints out of Skittles! Check out the step-by-step instructions on the Teach Preschool blog.
Lubomirkin via Unsplash
5. Plain Old Water
The easiest summer sensory activity for babies and toddlers? Water! Fill a plastic tub with water and add colanders, plastic cups, measuring cups, or spoons. If pouring and scooping water has gotten old, add plastic animals, cars, or things that float (think big wooden craft sticks, sponges, or rubber duckies). You can even drip in a little food coloring if you’re feeling extra fancy. Whether it’s a small bowl of water or a full baby pool, water is a surefire summer sensory play hit.
6. Shredded Paper
Empty out your paper shredder in a bin and hide a few items inside the tangle of paper, like plastic toys or blocks. It makes a perfect medium for a tiny treasure hunt. For additional textures, add torn-up tissue paper or soft, squishy balls. Give it a summery spin with plastic animals you’ve visited at the zoo.
Julietta Watson via Unsplash
7. Jello Playdough
Safe-to-eat homemade playdough (I Heart Naptime has a good recipe) offers squishy sensory play in every season. To give playdough a summertime twist, mix in Jello powder. It makes the playdough smell fruity and delicious; plus, the bright jewel tones are eye-catching. Growing a Jeweled Rose has a step-by-step recipe. Consider adding summery plastic cookie cutters like these flowers and a toddler-size rolling pin.
8. Scent Sensation
Incorporating scent adds an exciting dimension to summer sensory activities. Get old spice bottles or plastic bottles with holes in the lids and fill them with summery scents, like torn-up mint leaves, rose petals, or sliced lemons. In addition to looking at the beautiful colors of the items inside the jars, your little one can sniff out some favorite smells. With smelly goodies safely locked in containers, you can include items that aren’t edible but have a unique and interesting scent.
Hello Wonderful
9. Mud Pies
Mud pies are a summer classic for a reason: It’s fun to mix up cool mud, squish it between chubby fingers, and get good and dirty. These mud dinosaur eggs from Hello Wonderful add a new twist to muddy sensory play. Either hide small plastic dinosaurs in mud eggs for your child to unearth, or get your little one involved in hiding the dinos. Find all the how-tos at Hello Wonderful.
10. Sand Dough
Bring the beach to your backyard with sand-filled sensory play. Whether you have a classic sandbox ready for digging and castle-building or a small tub full of sand, summer sensory play isn’t complete without it. We also love this sand dough recipe from Picklebums. It combines the best elements of squishy playdough with gritty sand for a unique take on sensory play.
11. Summery Sensory Bottles
Looking for a completely mess-free sensory option? These nature sensory bottles mesmerize little ones. Little Lifelong Learners suggests starting with a nature walk, during which you can gather interesting flowers, feathers, grass, or leaves. Fill plastic bottles with the items, and let your little one shake them, study them, and spin them around. Get tips on how to make your own at Little Lifelong Learners.
12. Ziploc Bag Sensory Fun
Mermaids unite! A sensory party in a bag, full of glittery blue mermaid things, will go over swimmingly with minimal mess. We love this sensory play-in-a-bag idea from The Chaos and The Clutter, because it can be pulled out whenever your little one needs an extra dose of fun. Like the sensory bottles, it keeps everything locked away so kids have all the joy of squishy textures without the mess. Gather up a Ziplock bag, glitter, and other ingredients and you can make your own sea-inspired sensory bag.
Need some craft ideas that aren’t your usual? Raid the recycle bin, bust out any toilet paper rolls lying around, and get crafting! From Star Wars characters to bird feeders and even flying fish, the possibilities are endless when you’ve got a stash of toilet paper rolls on hand!
If you had one of those flip puzzle books that allowed you to create animals with different tops, middles, and bottoms, then you’ll appreciate this adorable idea.
Swipe through the images in this post to see the spray-painted final products of this toilet paper roll craft! This is one you could make as detailed or as simple as you’d like. You could also hand-paint it for some extra fun.
This adorable toilet paper roll craft will have kids creating their own snake out of multiple toilet paper rolls. After your kiddo is done and the paint is dry, it's playtime! Get the tutorial from The Clumsy Crafter.
What a cute idea for a birthday party favor! Kids can make their own crowns and wear them throughout the whole event. Get the tutorial over at Creative Jewish Mom.
Whether you're on an outdoor adventure or peeking at birdies from your window, these adorable Bird Finder Binoculars from Art Bar are perfect for exploring. All you need are some empty toilet paper rolls, string, and colorful masking tape to make your own.
The gang's all here! This cast of Star Wars characters from Hello, Wonderful is perfect for your young Jedis. Great for an entire afternoon, these mini crafts use up that collection of TP rolls you've been collecting.
Everyone's day can use a little more color, especially in the form of whimsical and cheery flying carp from Squirrelly Minds! With basic supplies like tissue paper and double-sided tape, your littles will be running around with a few flying fish in no time.
If you have a stack of old TP rolls lying around, why not turn them into a useful sign like this one? Color the tubes, do some specific cutting and you have a truly unique way to say "Happy birthday!" Get all the details over Super Make It.
You don't need special powers to make these awesome wristlets with your little hero. After painting the tubes, let your kids decorate them with stars, flowers, lightning bolts, or anything that they think gives them special powers. Find out how to make the slits for little arms just right over at Reading Confetti.
Practice dexterity and scissor cutting by whipping up one of these googly-eyed reptiles. Start by painting a toilet paper roll and letting it dry. Next, have your little one use safety scissors to snip a spiral shape into the roll. Decorate the bouncy creature with stripes or dots and a pair of inquisitive eyes. The gals over at Eighteen 25 have the low-down on how to get this toilet paper roll craft just right.
Mama Jen of Mama Papa Bubba wows again! This toilet paper roll craft is the ultimate win-win. While the bambino brushes up on shapes and colors, you get to upcycle all of those saved rolls. On a rainy day, use the shapes to make cards or just let your kiddo go stamp crazy on the poster board.
Confetti Poppers
Gabby Cullen
Speaking of parties... turn your kid's next one into the shindig of the year with these confetti poppers crafted out of a tied balloon wrapped and taped over a toilet tissue roll. Pour confetti into the open end, gently pull the end of the balloon... and POP! Check out our tutorial here.
Keep an eye on your feathered friends by whipping up this easy feeder. All you have to do is spread the shortening onto a toilet paper roll and then roll the tube into bird seeds. The seeds will stick to the roll, and you can hang it up porch-side or stick it on a branch. Fireflies and Mud Pies has the details for this awesome toilet paper roll craft.
When you need to keep it simple, a mini village made from toilet paper rolls will do the trick. Pull out the markers, ribbon, paper, and whatever else the kids want to use, and get crafting!
Here’s what all those bubbles and foam really mean
As schools start to let out for the summer, parents everywhere are starting to mentally prepare themselves for occupying their kids at home. Get started early with this fun demo video for the beaker volcano science project from The Dad’s Book of Awesome Science Experiments.
The science behind, “But, why?”
Don’t get caught off guard by your kids’ science questions! You and your family can learn about chemistry with this amazing beaker volcano science project! Best of all, this experiment can be tossed together with just vinegar, baking soda, red dye, a baker, toilet paper, and string. This is a science experiment that also expertly mimics what happens under the earth’s crust to create volcanic eruptions.
Volcano Time!
If you grew up watching endless Brady Bunch reruns you’re probably familiar with Peter Brady’s volcano—a mud-spewing, steep-sided science project that sent showers of muck and sludge all over Peter’s sister, Marsha, and her snooty friends. It was the coolest thing ever.
There’s a good chance that this one episode alone launched our love affair with kitchen-sink volcano projects—an experiment so simple that you and your lab partner can most likely do it right now with stuff you already have in the kitchen. All you really need is vinegar, baking soda, and a bottle to mix them in, but it is much cooler to use good ol’ fashioned backyard dirt to construct a volcano model around the bottle first and then conduct the experiment. Either way you do it, this is a science experiment with serious thrills. But it also expertly mimics what happens under the earth’s crust to create volcanic eruptions.
Here’s Why the Volcano Science Project Works
When the solid baking soda (sodium bicarbonate—a base) mixes with the liquid vinegar (acetic acid—a weak acid), a chemical reaction occurs and forms a gas (carbon dioxide). All those bubbles and foam? They’re evidence of gas, and as the gas expands, it looks for an escape route for all that built-up pressure. So the foam and bubbles rise until they flood out of your bottle’s opening. Pretty much the same exact thing is happening under the earth right now. The earth’s crust is made up of many sections of super thick shell—65-plus miles thick!—called tectonic plates that are always moving, very slowly, over the much, much hotter inner earth. Most of the world’s volcanoes are found where two or more of these tectonic plates meet one another. Sometimes those plates shift and sometimes they collide, forming escape routes in the earth’s crust for molten rocks and gas, called magma. Much like the carbon dioxide in your baking soda–vinegar experiment seeks the quickest escape route to relieve pressure, the gases in the underground magma do the same thing before erupting out of a volcano.
Not all eruptions are alike, however. Sometimes the gases in the magma are easily released from the earth’s crust and the result is a slow, oozing spread of superhot lava. But sometimes the gases stay trapped beneath cooled magma and rock building up pressure until they erupt in violent explosions that can send ash and boulders flying up to 20 miles high. In fact, airplane pilots keep track of volcano activity around the earth, just to be sure they don’t fly into clouds of dangerous ash.
Here’s What You Need for a Volcano Science Experiment
Baking soda
Vinegar
A bottle (a good vase with a wide bottom and slender top also works well, but use whatever you can find)
Red food dye String Toilet paper
Here’s What You Do
1. First add the vinegar to your bottle and dye it red with food coloring. Then, rip out a few sheets of toilet paper and make a pouch for the baking soda. Use your string to tie the pouch and then insert the pouch into your bottle, using the bottle cap to hold the other end of the string so that the pouch dangles above your “lava.” (See Fig. 1.)
2. If you’re feeling super science-y/crafty, let your lab partner shape a volcano model out of backyard mud and dirt around the bottle. Note: you don’t have to do this, but go big or go home, right?
3. When your volcano model is ready, lift the cap and watch the pouch drop into the lava. It will foam up slowly, mimicking the slow buildup of earth’s gases, until the vinegar fully soaks the tissue paper. Then, the fun really begins, as the foam begins to climb the bottle, looking for an escape route. Just stand back, and watch the foam erupt. It’s really that easy!
Want More?
There are many, many ways to perform this experiment, so don’t be afraid to get creative. Try mixing the vinegar and baking soda in a bottle, and then quickly place a balloon over the bottle opening. While this doesn’t create a lava explosion, the gases will inflate the balloon. Pretty cool, right? Or, put baking soda in a small snack-size zip bag and seal it tightly with a bit of air in the bag. Place the baking soda bag in a larger zip bag that is filled with vinegar and seal that bag tightly, with as little air as possible in the big bag. Now use your fist to smash the tiny baking soda bag and stand back. You just made a sandwich bag bomb, using the same chemical reactions as your volcano.
Try these holiday paper crafts to keep your kiddo busy
Are you looking for some holiday paper crafts to carry your crew through the pre-holiday season? These easy ideas will keep the kids active and busy when it’s too cold to play outside, and as a bonus, you can use your little artist’s paper craft to decorate the house or as handmade holiday cards.
Who doesn't love this polar bear? Your kiddo can use their creativity to make such cute cards out of their hand shape. They can even make the polar bear the bard itself (with no dark blue background).
Instead of spending on the real deal on the red and green leaves of a holiday flower only to see it fade away, help your child make a paper version that'll last year after year. Start with red and green cardstock paper, drawing a cloud-like spiral form with a pencil. Cut along the lines, fold the paper, and follow these directions by Mini Monets & Mommies to make pretty poinsettias.
Paper plus paint plus prints equals this fabulously festive bunting from Creative Jewish Mom. Hang this homemade Hanukkah decor during your eight-night celebration or send your child's cute creation to family and friends as a sweet holiday gift.
Homemade gift wrap is sooooooo welcome at this time of the year. Your always-crating kid can make their own paper to cover presents with this easy how-to from Tori Avey.
What better way to use your child's pics than as part of a creative craft? Forget about keeping your child's precious photos on a cloud somewhere. Print them out and follow The Soccer Mom Blog's step-by-step instructions to make this picture-perfect pop-up!
Are you looking for a holiday paper craft that doesn't go overboard on a Christmas theme? These sweet snowmen are easy for kiddos to create and perfect as non-religious holiday cards. Get the full how-to from Fireflies and Mud Pies.
Paper art doesn't always have to start at the craft store. Chances are you have plenty of reusable paper sources at home. Before buying brand-new supplies, take a look around the house. Upcycle cardboard tubes, turning each one into an artsy candle for a make-believe menorah by Mini Monets & Mommies. Add finger paints and tissue paper to make this cute craft complete.
Your child can magically transform a piece of paper into ornament awesomeness. Okay, okay, so technically they aren't 'magically transforming' the piece of paper. Instead, they can follow Mama.Papa.Bubba's instructions and learn how to make these adorable little letters.
Up your kiddo's artsy recycling game with this paper takeout container project. Whether you use washed and dried upcycled containers or new ones (you can buy new foldable takeout boxes at most craft stores), all your child needs is a cardboard tube, some tissue, paper, glue, and glitter paint to create these handmade gift boxes.
Recycle last year's holiday cards, turning them into this year's crafty presents! Follow the directions from Hands On As We Grow and learn how to make these artfully amazing bookmarks. Keep a few of your kiddo's creations for yourself or give them out as holiday gifts.
Grab a sword and shout, “huzzah!” because Bristol Renaissance Faire is back. The full-on homage to Elizabethan England—complete with costumed characters, period music, jousting tournaments, acrobatic and comedy acts, rides, games and food—is an outdoor village set back from the highway near the Illinois/Wisconsin border. It’s open every weekend beginning July 9 through September 5. To make the most of your visit, these are your must-dos.
Knights spar (and tell jokes) on horseback in the dirt arena at the Faire's north end. The jousting tournaments only happen a few times a day and fill up fast. Like, get-there-a-half-hour-early fast. So, check the schedule when you arrive and plan accordingly. If you don't care about grabbing a coveted bleacher seat, you can probably score a spot on the grass a few minutes before the show.
Go ahead — let loose. People not only dress the part of Elizabethan-era royalty, pirates and peasants, but they speak it, too. It's hard to decipher who among you wearing a velvet cloak and talking with an English accent actually works there. And it really doesn't matter, because the whole experience is like walking through a play. If you don't come in costume, you can buy one there. There are shops selling everything from bodices to leather boots to clay devil's horns.
They're almost as big as a child's head and no silverware is required (or given). If this isn't photo opp gold, we don't know what is. Oh, and they don't taste half bad, either. Actually, they're excellent.
Infants and toddlers are welcome. . . and they'll feel right at peaceful home in Nobles Glade.
The most serene area of the Faire is this grassy sweep at the far north end. Spread out a blanket and enjoy a bit of tranquility. The Glade borders a picturesque pond and is where the Queen and her court are known to hang when not holding sway over the jousting tournaments.
Your kid's one and only chance to be officially named a Lord or a Lady. Queen Elizabeth herself shows up in Kids' Kingdom for the celebrated Knighting Ceremony, at which she personally dubs all attending children lords and ladies.
Have your kids sit upon one of the thrones at the entrance of the Kids' Kingdom for the ultimate photo-opp experience. Choose from the Pirate Throne will all its shiny plunder, the Fairy Throne, the nasty-wasty Dragon Throne, the Jester Throne for your little joker or the Queen Elizabeth throne for your princess in waiting.
The Faire is set up like a real village — town pubs, merchants and all. In the midst of it, due east of the Ship Swings ride, is the unmarked Fairie Glen. This is where sprites in beautiful costumes and makeup flit through the grass. They don't talk, but engage with kids in truly mesmerizing ways through expression and movement. Get your camera out.
Pirates hang out at Blackfriars Tavern — and they're super-friendly.
This pit stop in the middle of the grounds is manned by a chatty pirate who knows how to work a crowd (i.e.: G-rated jokes when kids are around and bawdy humor when they're not). The stand sells soda, lemonade, water and beer by the bottle or on draft. If you leave any of the workers a tip, they ring a bell and make a scene.
The Sturdy Beggars Mud Show has been a highlight of this fair for many years. If you're looking for raucous (albeit kid-friendly) fun, it's a must-see. Three men do joke-y antics before a crowd and along the way, mud gets slung. You can imagine how it ends, with the actors practically dive-bombing into a mud pit. For more funny stuff, check out MooNie the Magnifi'Cent on the Globe Stage. He's a juggling, clowning fool, and you really must grab a seat near the front to catch all the fun.
Most cars make a beeline for the main lot, where parking close to the entrance is $5. But if you don't mind walking, there is a free parking lot just north of the main lot. Shhh... your secret.
Your kids get to throw tomatoes at someone's face — without getting in trouble
At the far end of the Faire, next to the jousting arena, pull your pitching arm back and fire away. Your job (for a small fee) is to throw tomatoes at a guy peering out from a wooden shed. He'll give you plenty of reasons to take aim, starting with tossing insults your way. Don't worry, parents, they take it easy on kids with fun, innocent humor. No wonder they call this attraction Vegetable Justice!
Okay, nuff said, but we'll give you the scoop. This is an area of the fair designed just for kids. They will explore pirate ships, adventure among the hobbit houses, meet fairy tale characters, hear stories, have pretend picnics, see stage shows galore and play games. Kids will go wild over The Painted Lady, who lets kids add paint to her canvas dress while she weaves stories. What's not to love about all that?
Bristol Renaissance Faire
Located off I-94 at the Illinois/Wisconsin border
Open Sat., Sun. & Labor Day, Jul. 9-Sept. 5
Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily
Admission: $30/adults; $15/ages 5-12; free for ages 4 & under
Online: renfaire.com
Warmer weather means summer is around the corner and summer camps are on our minds! We love the opportunity to unplug and escape the hustle of the school year and what better way than summer camps where kids are encouraged to get dirty? From good ‘ole fashioned outdoor recreation camps to mountain biking and surf camps, our roundup scoured the Bay for camps where kids are expected to get dirty.. and have fun while doing it!
WilderSkills, Redwood City and Saratoga There is nary a screen in sight as kids learn backcountry, primitive survival skills such as how to start a fire with friction, filter water for drinking and even make their own tools out of rocks and sticks. At WilderSkills, kids gain a strong connection to the outdoors while learning hands-on skills and learn to enjoy time spent outdoors. Geared towards kids ages seven to 13, the culmination of the week is the day when campers truly learn to blend into their environment and leave camp completely covered in mud camouflage!
Adventure Camps, San Francisco What kind of camp offers blackberry picking, fort building and crab catching as part of its many offerings? The completely mobile camp of Adventure Camps! For 51 years, Adventure Camps has been driving kids ages four to 12 all over the Bay Area for adventures tailored just to them. All you need to pack is lunch and a change of clothes and the counselors choose the day’s destination and activities based on the interests and ages of the campers—this year’s adventures will focus largely in SF from Presidio to Fort Funston.
photo by Kids Adventure Games
Kids Dojo Mountain Bike Camps For kids who can’t get enough of trail time and pump track, this is the camp for them. Whether your rider is learning the basics of mountain biking or honing in on racing skills, kids will have a blast while improving their two-wheeled skills. With locations in Belmont, Los Gatos, Santa Cruz and Palo Alto, kids ages eight to 14 up and down the Bay can wheel away this summer with Dojo.
Mountain Camp, Woodside Mountain biking, outdoor survival skills, swimming and archery—this good ‘ol fashioned outdoor recreation approach to camp means campers in grades K- 10th are kept busy, active and of course, dirty!
Photo by Surf Camp
Surf Camp, Pacifica Kids six through 18 can learn how to surf, body surf and boogie board while learning ocean safety and awareness through certified lifeguards who are also veteran surfers. These half day camps will teach kids everything they need to know about the ocean and how to enjoy it safely. Surf’s up!
Trackers Earth, El Cerrito and Kensington Kayaking, fishing, blacksmithing and urban homesteading—it’s just another day at camp with Trackers Earth. Campers aged K-12 choose from among these and other unique options and spend a week totally immersed in their chosen theme. Interested in being a pirate for a week? Campers who select the Pirates of the Golden Gate theme learn skills such as navigating with maps, surviving on a desert island after shipwreck and swordplay! Aye, aye captain!
Avid4Adventure Parks, trails, beaches and mountains will all be explored with Avid4Adventure. Campers pre-K through 11th grade will develop their outdoor skills while biking, hiking, rock climbing and stand up paddle boarding in some of the most beautiful local recreation sites around. Creative activities like yoga, music and art help to balance out the more active parts of the day. Campers come away learning teamwork, communication and outdoor skills that will aid them throughout life.
Avid4Adventure has four Bay Area locations: Mill Valley, Menlo Park, Oakland, Orinda and Palo Alto
Youth Science Institute Summer Science Camps, Los Gatos Kids who want to dig deep in the dirt should check out the YSI Summer Science Camps at Vasona Lake County Park. Spend the week learning all about reptiles or aquatic creatures. Explore the world around us as a Nature Sleuth. Or, bring your bike with you for the week as a Bike Explorer. Whatever option you choose, kids will get out in the fresh air, get their hands dirty, learn about nature and have fun while doing it!
Covering your house with Halloween thrills and chills has never been easier. We found 14 homemade (or almost) Halloween decorations that range from super clever (dead & breakfast anyone?) to delightfully simple. Scroll down to get inspired.
Add a Bubbling Cauldron to the Yard or Front Porch
Witches and wizards will appreciate a properly bubbling cauldron on Halloween night. We love this tutorial from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom. Get what you need in the link below!
Lead little ones to your front door with eerie signage. From Harry Potter to zombie warnings and more, there’s no end to the possibilities! We love this version from Birds and Soap.
If you aren't a huge fan of over-the-top Halloween decorations, keep it simple with gourds, pumpkins and straw. It's still got that festive feeling, and you aren't staring down skeletons for a month.
It’s easy to make your porch a spooky cave where bats dwell like this cobweb banner we spotted over at The Crafting Chicks. We love how it’s sweet enough to not scare off tiny trick-or-treaters.
These stackable pumpkins look amazing, add a funky vibe to your front porch, and are surprisingly easy to make—especially when you follow the tutorial we found over at Brit + Co. It’s also a decoration idea that’ll last for years and can be used both inside and out.
These floating ghosts seem more sweet than spooky. The best part? This last-minute decor detail is a cinch to make. Jessi of Practically Functional has the details on a DIY anyone can tackle.
Life can be a tangled web and MyUntangledLife makes one of the best! Drape this amazing spider’s home on your front porch for the holiday and see how many little ghouls and goblins dare enter!
If you’ve got steps up to your front door, this idea from Sixty-Fifth Avenue works perfectly. We love the silhouette mice: they add a spooky touch without being too creepy. Add in a few pumpkins and any Cinderellas out for a stroll will feel right at home. You can find the silhouettes at the local craft store or make your own if you’re feeling crafty. See the entire set up over at Sixty-Fifth Avenue.
We are in awe of the skeletons caught crawling all over this amazing home in Brooklyn. Stephanie of Brooklyn Limestone shares her inspirations and stunning home decorhere. And, even if you don't have a 100-year-old home to decorate, you can still get the look by following this tutorial from Instructables.
These Jack O’ Lanterns are anything but “cookie cutter"! They’ll light a ghoulish path to your door as luminaries, or add a stylish pop to your porch. All you need are stainless steel cookie cutters and a rubber mallet. Nancy at Nancy Creative has the scoop.