ML Interest Tag: rubber-ducky

20+ Last-Minute Halloween Costumes You Can Totally Pull Off

by Oz Spies

Get your supply of white sheets ready, because you’re going to need them for a few of these last-minute Halloween costumes

Feeling frightened that it’s almost trick-or-treating time, and you don’t have your kid’s costume ready yet? Check out these easy last-minute Halloween costumes for kids. Many of them can be made with things you have stashed in your closets and dress-up bin, and take less time to make than it takes to eat a supersized candy apple.

Ghost Costume

This has to be the easiest costume of all time. Buy a new white sheet, cut out the spots for the eyes and mouth, and you’re done!

Gold Medal Last-Minute Halloween Costume

Your kiddo can be an Olympian in less time than it takes to sing the national anthem. Pull out a tracksuit, or a leotard if you’ve got a gymnast at home, then dig out a medal from a fun run or a 5k. Have her throw her arms in the air and give a cheer for this easy DIY Halloween costume!

DIY Strawberry

Strawberry last minute halloween costume
Pretty Life Girls

Five supplies are all you need to make this sweet strawberry from Pretty Life Girls. After a quick trip to the craft store, you can whip up this no-sew costume that is adorable, but more importantly is comfortable for kids and adults, too!

Jane Fonda

Primary

Legwarmers, a pair of leggings, and a onesie are all you need to get your heart rate pumping with this DIY aerobics instructor costume. Bigger kids can swap a swimsuit for a onesie. We love that the key ingredients for this costume can be worn again. If you're itching to do a little crafting, check out Primary's DIY felt boombox to take this costume from low-impact fun to step aerobics queen.

Related: 17 Incredibly Clever Cardboard Box Costumes

Baby Shark

Hellow Wonderful

Cardboard, gray and white paint, and sharp scissors are all you need to make this easy DIY Halloween costume. Bonus: a fierce shark costume comes with a soundtrack that all the trick-or-treaters will be singing, "do do do." Find out how you can make one of your own over at Hello Wonderful. Check out more of our favorite cardboard box costumes here.

 

Last-Minute Mummy Costume

This version might look complicated, but the very easy DIY option requires a white sheet, coffee, white underthings, and not much else! Check out a stress-free tutorial here.

Ballet Dancer

Iiona Virgin via Unsplash

Dig into your kiddo's dance bag, and you'll find the key ingredients for a ballerina costume. Add a fancy updo and voila: you have a future New York City Ballet dancer costume. If you don't have a tutu, check out this easy, no-sew DIY tutu tutorial.

Bubble Gum

Jeff Mindell via Studio DIY

Chew on this cute DIY costume! Gather up balloons, felt, and silver ribbon: that's about all you need to create your own bubblegum costume. While this version features a pink dress, we think a pink t-shirt would work just as well for a kids' Halloween costume. Find the step-by-step instructions at Studio DIY.

Related: Family Halloween Costumes That Are a Freakin’ Delight

Basic Monster

Amber Gutebier

Dig out an old pair of pants and your trusty black Sharpie for this easy DIY Halloween costume. With a snip of scissors and a light coat of green makeup, you'll soon have Frankenstein's monster lurching out your front door. Get the tutorial here.

 

Bath Time

Cheerful and Co Via Primary

Clear and white balloons pop all over a set of white PJs for this easy DIY Halloween costume—it's bubble bath time on the go! Primary has all the instructions so you can make your own, and then take that rubber ducky for a spin around the block.

Emoji

Hello Wonderful

Pick your kiddo's favorite emoji and whip up this cute Halloween costume that's easy to customize. You'll be running after your smiley face trick-or-treating in no time. Hello, Wonderful shows you how you can make your own with not much more than cardboard and paint.

 

Trolls

Doranda Woestman via Watch Out for the Woestmans

Pull out a brightly colored skirt or a tutu and a light t-shirt or leotard, and your little ones will soon be trolls. The awesome hair-dos look impressive—but they're easy to pull off when you follow blogger Doranda's DIY tip. Troll or treat!

Related: Halloween Costumes for Girls Who Aren’t into Princesses

Paper Doll

Slapdash Mom

With not much more than a big piece of poster board, you can create a perfect paper doll costume. We love that this easy DIY Halloween costume costs way less than a pumpkin spice latte while still being extra eye-catching. Follow the step-by-step directions at Slapdash Mom.

Stick Figure

All for the Boys

This clever stick figure costume from All for the Boys is sure to get lots of laughs. We love that it's easy, affordable, and eye-catching. 

Star

Brit Co

Make your star a constellation this Halloween. Brit + Co's adorable, sparkly costume relies on a gold ribbon and glittery duds that your kiddo probably already has in her closet. They recommend using craft foam for the head-topping star—but cardboard plus gold paint will also work in a pinch.

Baby Doll

Hart Sew

This adorable wind-up doll is guaranteed to be one of the sweetest DIY costumes you'll find. Plus it's easy and cheap to make it yourself. Find how you can turn your toddler into a doll at Hart + Sew.

Related: 20 Halloween Costumes for Twins (Older Siblings & Parents, Too!)

Cat

last minute cat halloween costume
Paging Supermom

In less time than it takes to do the Monster Mash, you can make an adorable black cat costume. Paging Supermom calls it her Super Easy Kitty Cat Costume—and we couldn't agree more. It's a sweet option for preschoolers who change their minds about their costumes at the last minute. See our other favorite cat costumes here. 

Morton Salt Girl

last minute Morton Salt girl Halloween costume
Brit Co

We love this Morton Salt Girl costume because it's cute, clever, and takes almost no time to pull together. An extra bonus—since it relies on regular clothes, there's nothing that'll make sensitive kids uncomfortable while they're on the hunt for candy. But remember, as Brit + Co will tell you, the container of salt is a key accessory.

Jellyfish

A Casarella

This unusual animal costume is simple to make and packs a big punch. Dig out an umbrella and ribbon, then swim over to A Casarella to learn how to make your own easy jellyfish costume. We love her clever tip that'll give this daytime costume a spooky nighttime glow.

Cowboy (or Girl)

Dust off that denim, wrangle up a pair of boots and top it all off with a plaid shirt and a ten-gallon hat. You’ll have everything you need to be a cowgirl or boy costume—minus the horse, of course. If you’ve got a pool noodle left over from summer fun, you can turn it into a horse ready to ride off into the sunset. Yee Haw!

Pirate

Pirate Treasure Hunt
iStock

Shiver me timbers! It's easy to pull together a last-minute pirate costume. Grab a striped shirt and wrap a bandit around your kiddo's head. Pull out a pair of old pants and cut off the hem, using some shark teeth-style zigzags If you'd like a little extra flair, add eyeliner, a pile of necklaces, and make your tiny Blackbeard a cardboard cutlass. Don't forget to check our guide on how to talk like a sailor!

Athlete

RODNAE Productions via Pexels

Calling all sports fans! Dig out your kid's fave jersey—whether it's football, hockey, or basketball—and in no time you'll have a sporty Halloween costume. You can add an accessory like a helmet or a hockey puck, a swipe of festive face paint, and then get out the door. Candy's waiting!

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8 Reasons to Visit the Great Wolf Lodge This Summer

by Amber Guetebier

The Great Wolf Lodge has plenty to offer all ages and stages, from an epic water park to the MagiQuest adventures, story times and more. But if you’re looking for one more reason why you have to visit this hotel-waterpark near you? This summer they’re debuting the first-ever Summer Camp-In for adventures through Labor Day. Read on to find out what else is in store for your family this summer.

1. The Summer Camp-In

Lobby s'mores, anyone? Summer Camp-In, Great Wolf Lodge's summer themed decor and activities are brand new this year. Think summer-camp themed crafts like decorating pins and badges or making friendship bracelets, evening s'mores in the lobby, Bingo or trivia for families each night and super cute activities like the Rubber Ducky 500: Kids select and decorate a rubber ducky early in the day, register it in the water park and then watch to see which ducky wins the race down one of the water slides. (Plus, kiddos get to keep their ducky for a souvenir.) There are organized pool games and parties, and you can even get a summer-camp seasonal rooms. 

2. The Waterpark

Great Wolf Lodge

Whether it's too hot or too cold, the Great Wolf Lodge's  indoor waterpark that is 84 degrees year round. Relax in Crooked Creek, a winding lazy river or let the tots splash around the multi-level Fort Mackenzie which recently got upgraded to included smaller-kiddo sized water slides and is surrounded by well-placed tables and lounge chairs for the parents. You can also test your balance on the Wolf Rider Wipeout and coax the whole family to take the River Canyon Run, a tube ride with an interactive Splash Cinema.

Plus, as of June 28, 2019 day passes are now on sale to visit the waterpark even if you aren't staying overnight! 

http://gph.is/2FHyH7F

video: Amber Guetebier

Good to know: Safety is a priority, and there are plenty of Coast Guard certified water jackets on hand, including ones fit for toddlers. Some of the rides, like the Totem Towers and the Wolf Rider Wipeout have height requirements but do not fear: even your smallest kiddos will not feel left out.

Dial It In: Claim a lounger by Fort Mackenzie and order yourself up some fancy house drinks from the Watering Hole. You don’t even need your wallet: just scan your wristband and the cocktails get charged right to your room.

3. The Rooms

Great Wolf Lodge

Whether you've got a big clan or it's just you plus one, there are rooms for your family at the Great Wolf Lodge. Upgrade any room during the summer with the Summer Camp-In package. You'll get a pup-tent, decorations and even a campfire-shaped light. 

The most popular room is the Deluxe Bunk Bed Suite, which has built-in bunks and a queen bed, as well as a pull-out couch. The rooms are spacious enough to chill in after a busy day and all rooms at the Great Wolf Lodge include mini-fridges and microwaves. Other great options include rooms with multiple queen-sized beds, rooms with double bunks in a separate space (Queen Cabin Suite with themed KidCabin) and even big family suites like the Grizzly Family Suite which sleeps 12 and the Northwoods Suite which sleeps 12 and includes a fireplace.

Good to know: Unless you spring for a room with separate bunks (KidCabin) you and the family will all be in the same room. This isn't a bad thing, since this is a family vaycay, but if you're hoping for some downtime/privacy after the kids sack out and you've got light sleepers, you should upgrade.

4. The Great Wolf Adventure Park

Preston Mack. Great Wolf Lodge

If the Water Park is the crown jewel, we think the Adventure Park is the hidden gem. With plenty of different level arcade games, a climbing wall, a ropes course and a mining experience you'll find hours of fun right there. Plus, there's Ten-Paw Bowling (ten pin bowling! you never see these anymore!) that even the littles can master. Grab some pizza and salad at Hungry Like a Wolf on the second level and then hit the lanes.

5. MagiQuest

Great Wolf Lodge

No visit to the Great Wolf Lodge is complete without an introduction to MagiQuest—the interactive game that is like a scavenger hunt meets video game. But don't be fooled—there's very little screen time and kids and their parents will get lots of exercise. Wander the lodge communing with Pixies and battling dragons. Start your Quest at the MagiQuest shop where you procure a wand and declare your Quest name. Throughout the second and first floors, you'll find the wands react with features, stations (called "portals") and more. Light up crystals, make paintings talk and more as you solve each level. And if you find yourself heading to a different Great Wolf Lodge location, bring your wand! It will work for the adventure at any location.

Bonus: See what your wand does to the bear in the lobby.

6. Build-a-Bear Onsite

Great Wolf Lodge

For a souvenir worth snuggling, stop by the main gift shop's Build-a-Bear station where kiddos can build bears or a Great Wolf Lodge character (like a wolf) and then outfit them with Great Wolf Lodge-appropriate attire. character outfits. 

7. Food & Drink

Great Wolf Lodge

There are seven different food and drink spots on site, including a Dunkin Donuts, Hungry Like a Wolf pizza place, Camp Fire which offers a breakfast buffet as well as lunch and dinner, Buckets Incredible Cravings (right inside the water park) and a Ben & Jerry's. 

Insider tip for coffee drinkers: There's no beloved Caribou on site so your main coffee house is Dunkin Donuts. You have been warned.

8. The Staff

Andie Huber

Every time we've visited, we've noted the wonderful treatment toward guests by the staff. From the enthusiastic customer service at the MagiQuest Marketplace to the managers on site who can make the Northwoods Friend Adventure show appear "like magic" in spite of the schedule, every employee you and your kids interact with will make your family feel like they are honored guests. Knowing your kids are not going to be ignored or chastised goes a long way toward making any parent feel good about taking their family somewhere. Kudos to the staff at this Great Wolf Lodge location.

Special shoutout: On our most recent visit we witnessed a young employee (Sophie M.) take swift action when she found a child crying, separated from his family. She quickly consoled him while she called security to come and help locate his parents, and explained to the boy what was happening all along so he wasn't as scared.  As a parent, this is exactly what you would hope for if your kid encountered this situation. Kudos, Great Wolf Lodge!

Best Deal

Preston Mack. Great Wolf Lodge

Rooms start at as little as $99. The best bet for parents with busy kids is the to grab either a Pup Pass, a Paw Pass or an Adventure Park Pass. The most popular is the Paw Pass, which includes a MagiQuest wand, topper and game; one game (for one) at Ten Paw Alley, a pass on the ropes course, and two climbs on the climbing wall. Kids also get a cup of bulk candy and a scoop of Ben & Jerry's, too, along with 20 credits at the Arcade.  

All guests receive a wristband. Grown-up wristbands also act as a room key, a "wallet" so that you can charge directly to your room and allows access to the waterpark. Kids wristbands do not open rooms nor make charges but they can help reunite lost kiddos and parents. If a kiddo finds themselves alone, any Great Wolf Lodge employee can scan the band and help locate the parents or alert security to take them to the front desk where the parents are quickly located. 

Daily shuttles between the property and both MSP and the Mall of America occur every 30 minutes.

Great Wolf Lodge
1700 American Blvd E
Bloomington, MN 55425
Call: 844-561-9653
Online: greatwolflodge.com/minnesota

—Amber Guetebier

You Will Love:

A Parent’s Survival Guide to the Mall of America

10 Resorts with Epic Water Features 

The Best Waterparks in America 

Thanks to Great Wolf Lodge for hosting; while portions of this trip were paid by Great Wolf Lodge, the opinions expressed here are the writer’s own.

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Nature NOW: Bill’s Backyard Opens at the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose

by Kate Loweth

“Go outside and play!” This sentiment is often at odds with our tech-heavy culture, especially in the Bay Area. To encourage kids to put down their devices and engage with the outdoors, the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose recently doubled its exhibit space to add a new outdoor exhibit, Bill’s Backyard: Bridge to Nature, and it’s the tree house and dig pit of our childhood dreams. Every detail was meticulously planned from the living roof on the junior ranger station to the life-sized bronze animals hidden throughout the exhibit. Check out all these amazing features and plan your visit ASAP!

The Forest

As soon as you step outside the purple walls of the Children’s Discovery Museum you will be in awe of all that Bill’s Backyard has to offer. Named after retired Agilent Technologies CEO and museum board member Bill Sullivan, the 27,500 sq. ft. exhibit space provides unlimited opportunities for unstructured play as well as a large outdoor classroom for facilitated activities and nature investigations. A 7,200 gallon rain-harvest system is in place to irrigate the native landscape and teach kids about water conservation at the same time.

A goal of Bill’s Backyard is that it will help to reverse the trends of “nature deficit disorder” that is so prevalent among kids, especially in an urban environment like San Jose. By bringing nature to the kids, the museum hopes that this will create a spark so that children will then seek out other outdoor opportunities when they go home to their communities. The kids of today are the environmental stewards of tomorrow and what better way to create an interest in nature and our planet than through an awesome outdoor play area.

The Trees

Ten exhibit features were designed to get kids to explore and create (and maybe get a little dirty, too!). From the junior ranger station that offers maps, fossils and touchable animal skeletons to the fort building area, kids are only limited by their own creativity.

photo: Kate Loweth

The lookout tower and tunnel provide an area for kids to change their perspective and slide down the concrete slides or roll down the hill. In the tree climber, little explorers can make their way across the rope bridge or hide in the caves in the base of the trees.

photo: Kate Loweth

Explore the drought-tolerant garden and see if you can find where the nature fairies might live. Don’t miss the tree of 40 fruits – an amazing intersection of science and art where 40 different local stone fruit varieties were grafted on to one tree by Artist Sam Van Aken.

Photo: Kate Loweth

The Roots

The Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose is easy to spot from 280 and CA-87 – just look for the purple building with the giant rubber ducky on its roof. There’s a parking lot right across the street from the museum on Woz Way or you can take light rail on the Alum Rock-Santa Teresa line to the Discovery Museum station. Admission to Bill’s Backyard: Bridge to Nature is included with your museum admission.

Hours: Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sun., noon-5 p.m. (opens at 11 a.m. on Sunday for members)
Cost: $15/adults and kids, $14/seniors, under 1 are free
Location: Children’s Discovery Museum, 180 Woz Way, San Jose, CA
Online: cdm.org

Have you played in Bill’s Backyard? Let us know your favorite feature below!

— Kate Loweth

Photos courtesy of the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose except where noted.

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Today Is #NationalBubbleBathDay

by amynicosia

Daily
Today Is #NationalBubbleBathDay
Make a splash.
1

If you need to up your bathtime game, may we suggest homemade paints or a glow-in-the dark bath?
2

Dog ate your rubber ducky? Use something you already have around the house.
3
Think outside the tub with easy DIY bubbles.

{ Today’s ideas brought to you by Shampoo Mohawks }

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9 Gender Neutral Baby Shower Themes to Celebrate Your Surprise

by Julie Seguss

Think beyond pink, blue or yellow when planning a baby shower theme. These nine gender-neutral themes still scream baby shower

Twinkle Twinkle Baby Shower

Pizzazzerie

Go for glamorous gold and silver accents with a star-themed party perfect for couples waiting to find out if they're having a boy or a girl. Star garlands, metallic star balloons, gold cupcake wrappers, star cut-out cookies and star-stamped macarons make a studded affair. While art stating "twinkle twinkle little star, do you know how loved you are," is downright sweet.

Bows & Mustaches Baby Shower

Jenny Cuerel Photography via Our Love in October

Sometimes having a surprise is half the fun. Make the fact that your baby-to-be's gender is still an unknown a game for your guests. At this clever shower, everyone was asked to take a mustache or bow based on whether they thought the baby was going to be a boy or girl. And the theme carried on with a bow and mustache garland, blue frosted mustache cookies and pinked frosted, bow-adorned cupcakes.

Storybook Baby Shower

Hazelton Photography via The Little Umbrella

Make this party for the mama-to-be a literary affair, of the juvenile kind. We love how Kio Kreations used building blocks and children's storybook classics create a whimsical decor for this baby shower. And the theme is universal for both boys, girls and genders-to-be-determined.

Vintage Gender Neutral Baby Shower

Eventfully You via Kara's Party Ideas

Haven't confirmed pink or blue yet? Use both hues in your shower theme like this vintage affair created by Eventfully You. With mason jar centerpieces, a painted vintage bike at the entrance and a chevron decorate cake this party is one your guests will remember. We especially love the rhyme shown above.

Ba Ba Baby Shower

Catch My Party

Make sweet, white, sheep the center of your baby shower decor. Follow the ideas found on Catch My Party including a yarn centerpiece, little lamb cookies and gorgeous, rustic, white and brown color scheme.

Sweet As Can Bee Baby Shower

Pizzazzerie

Especially cute for spring and summer babies, this party theme is all about bees and they're sweet honey of course. The decor here plays off bee hives and honeycomb as well as they cute little striped bugs themselves. Plus, the personalized jars and bottles of honey as party favors are absolutely perfect.

Sprinkles Baby Shower

Mad Hearts Photography via Shoes Off Please

Don't know whether to focus on pink or blue - focus on a rainbow of colors instead with sprinkles. Sprinkles everywhere. Sprinkles on everything. Your guests are going to love the array of sprinkle-covered sweets you can create from cake pops and cupcakes to pretzels and Rice Krispie Treats. Find more sprinkle-y details from Lulu's Event Design.

Rubber Ducky Baby Shower

Festiva Party Design via Hostess With the Mostess

Go for gender-neutral yellow in the cutest of ways, by using a theme centered around rubber duckies. Make bathtub displays and bath time favors featuring soaps and salts guests will actually use. Then decorate cupcakes with ducky toppers and other foods and drinks with ducky tags. Rubber ducky is just making more than just bath time fun now!

Yellow & Grey Baby Shower

Grey Grey Designs

While yellow is a classic hue for the "waiting to be surprised" crowd, this party gives it a trendy twist by pairing it with grey. A patterned fabric garland created a beautiful backdrop, while yellow frosted cupcakes on a stand made from hat boxes added interest to the dessert table.

—Julie Seguss

RELATED STORIES:

10 Unique Baby Shower Games Your Friends Will Love

Unique Baby Shower Books

Free Baby Shower Games for Your Next Celebration

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