Got a paper plate? If so, you can easily make this fun instrument
Give your kids a crash course in music appreciation, and fill an afternoon with creative fun by helping them make a DIY tambourine. Scroll down to find out what you’ll need (a few supplies and lots of imagination!) to make this paper plate tambourine, and your baby Beethovens will be hosting their own jam sessions in no time. Feeling crafty? Check out these other homemade instruments that actually work.
What You’ll Need to Make a DIY Tambourine
1. Stiff paper plates (we used Chinet lunch plates)
2. Curling ribbon— any color
3. Silver jingle bells
4. Marker pens
5. Stickers
6. Scissors
7. Fishing line
8. Hot glue gun (parental supervision required)
9. Hole punch
Design the Paper Plate Tambourine
Let your kids design their own tambourine using markers and stickers. Each plate will be a side of the instrument.
Assemble the DIY Tambourine
Step One
Measure and punch along the edge of the two paper plates. One spot at a time, use a pen to line up the location of the holes on each side of the tambourine.
Step Two
Using the fishing line, thread two jingle bells through each hole. Continue until every punched hole has two bells strung tightly.
Step Three
Curl strips of ribbon with the scissors and then using just a dab of hot glue, insert and secure the strips to the bottom of the tambourine.
Play the Tambourine
They’ll love the impromptu jam session that occurs right after the project is complete!
Want to let your little artist express themself but worried about the mess they’ll make in the house? Take it outside! From squirt guns painting to balloon paint bombs, unleash your little Picassos with these fun outdoor painting projects (and don’t forget the baby-safe paint!).
Drip a little paint into small party balloons, then blow them up, tack them onto a canvas, and give your little artists some darts. They'll love seeing the paint splatter when they hit their mark. Find out more from Northern California Mama Agnes Hsu at hello, Wonderful. Note: You'll need darts and thumbtacks for this project, so we recommend adult supervision.
Turn your pint-sized painters into pendulums with this clever art project that lets kids swing and paint at the same time. Get the simple instructions (and a video to show your kids what they can do) at Homegrown Friends.
Jackson Pollock-inspired art may be the perfect paint project for kids. Why? Because all little Pollocks need to do is drip, pour, and splatter globs of baby-safe paint onto a giant canvas floor. Sound fun? Find out more from kindergarten teacher/mom Dana Gorman's Playfully Learning blog.
Kids will love this colorful excuse to use water guns ("But it's art, Mom!"). Just fill up a few squirt guns with paint (and water) and let your little ones aim. Get the scoop from Melissa Lennig at Fireflies and Mudpies.
Give those little hands a break and let your kids step, slide, and dance their way to painted masterpieces. Young artists will love getting their feet messy and seeing their footprints in action. Head over to Homegrown Friends to get the simple step-by-step instructions.
Bubbles! What kid doesn't love them? With this simple project from Christie Burnette of Childhood 101, your little soap artists can use bubble solution (mixed with a little food coloring) to create magical bursts of color.
Let your kids smack a hammer or mallet down on cotton rounds to splatter the "hidden" paint beneath. Young painters will love trying to guess what color will splat with each swing. Get the step-by-step from blogger Michelle at Crafty Morning.
They’re going to get paint all over them; might as well get to it, stat! Just fill up a few dozen water balloons with paint, lay down a canvas (or drop cloth), and let your kids stomp, squish, and jump away. Get all the details at Craftulate.
Drip a little paint into hollowed-out eggs and let your kids smash away with this fun project from Growing a Jeweled Rose. Note: To avoid making a stinky art project, be sure to rinse the eggs out before you pour in the paint!
Kids will love becoming a human roller stamp with this whole-body activity courtesy of The Chaos and the Clutter. Just dip your crazy kiddos' bubble-wrapped bodies in paint and let them slam against or roll around on their canvas of choice. Will they make a masterpiece? Who cares! Note:If you'd like to keep your human bubble wrapping on a smaller scale, try this bubble wrap stomp painting project from Mess for Less.
As a dad who works in tech, I always believed that technology was a vital developmental, discovery and connection tool for my kids. What I didn’t realize was just how quickly they’d need to learn to use it, and how fast they’d become fluent. Remote learning during the pandemic accelerated my kids’ use of technology. I recently watched my 7-year-old successfully deliver a presentation over video chat to his teacher and classmates—something I couldn’t have imagined prior to this pandemic.
Over the last year, kids have had to become experts at navigating online environments for learning, collaboration and communicating. Whether it’s giving a presentation to their class, devising video game strategies over video chat or writing a book together across different time zones, how our kids use technology will continue to evolve.
However, reality dictates that no matter how creative our kids are, how forward-thinking they may be when it comes to technology use, they need a solid foundation in digital literacy and online communications skills in order to successfully navigate the digital world. Kids need a space to learn, to make mistakes, and hone their skills with parental guidance, just like they need swimming lessons before they can get in the pool on their own.
Here are three tips for parents who are looking to help their kids navigate the digital world.
1. Choose the Right “Digital Playground” for Your Kids
When deciding where your child will begin their online journey, consider apps and experiences that help balance child independence with appropriate supervision. According to a Dubit study, 74% of parents of 6-12 year olds are concerned about their children interacting with strangers or people they don’t know online. At the same time, parents want to give their kids a way to have fun and connect with their friends and family without needing to hover over their every move. This is actually one of the key reasons we built Messenger Kids—to give kids a space made just for them with parent supervision. For instance, parents can see images and videos their kids send and receive in the app, giving them an opportunity to talk with their kids about how they felt when they saw a certain photo, or why a certain video might have hurt someone’s feelings.
2. Don’t Just “Set and Forget” Rules & Controls
As kids grow, their interests and needs change and it’s important for parents—and technology—to be flexible. Parents are in the best position to know what’s appropriate for their child, from the type of content they view, to who they can connect with online or how much time they can spend in a particular app. But an experience that may be ideal for a 7-year-old will look very different from what’s best for a teenager (I experience this every day with my two kids!). Remember to treat rules and parameters as an active conversation rather than something that’s set and forgotten to help continuously balance giving kids independence while still providing parental supervision and guidance.
3. Prioritize Quality of Screen Time
Something I’ve learned with my own kids during this pandemic is that prioritizing quality of screen time is just as important as managing the quantity of time they can spend on their devices. Prioritizing experiences that help kids actively engage with meaningful content or other people requires teamwork to succeed. For instance, find time to watch your child’s favorite TV shows together, or have your child teach you how to play a new game. Ask questions about what they enjoy, how the plot is progressing, and what decisions they’d make if they were the main character. This is a great way to celebrate and respect your kids for discovering and learning new things online.
The future of technology is one where it will be even more ubiquitous than it is already. Making sure our kids are ready for their next presentation or play date in the virtual world is going to intertwine with the “real world” like it never has before, and preparing our kids in a safer environment for that future should be a top priority for us all.
Erik Weitzman is the Director of Product Management for Messenger Kids, a messaging app designed for kids to have fun connecting with friends and family while giving parents the visibility and controls to help manage their online experience. He's a dad to two boys and an amateur pretzel baker.
Social media is like riding a bike—just make sure you give your child a helmet, knee pads, training wheels, and a whole lot of instruction.
I’ve researched the dangers of social media, including conducting a study on recruitment into sex trafficking through social media. Yes, social media can be very dangerous—particularly with little supervision. So, most are surprised when I allow my children, at age 10 and 11 to use social media instead of waiting for the more accepted age of 13. Before getting all judgy, hear me out.
When the magic age of 13 hits, there is a lot that is going on with your child. Developmentally this is the age when children seek independence, crave having their own space, rely on friendships over family, value privacy and may even dabble in rebellious behaviors. This happens whether we want it or not—they are hardwired for this—it is part of their natural development.
If social media is introduced during this time, parents may have a hard time monitoring, exploring together and many children will attempt to push boundaries. In contrast, my 10 and 11-year-old still find me tolerable, and even (dare I say), cool on some days. They still feel close to the family, eagerly share about their school days, and have a healthy fear of the world. I know that in a couple of short years, that could all change and I may miss my opportunity to lay down some critical groundwork in their ability to safely navigate social media.
So, to their surprise and excitement, we embarked on the ride of social media together—equipped with training wheels, knee pads, a helmet, and strict instructions on where and when to ride the bike. We started off slow, I instructed them along the way, I was there to caution them, I let them have some independence, we processed any mistakes they made, they were aware of the dangers and trusted me to guide them. We also have a lot of fun—I have my own Tik Tok account, we watch together, I try to dance, they are embarrassed by my comments, I learn about their friends, and I have valuable insight into their life. They also know the stakes—any purposeful wrong move and the bike goes in storage.
I know that by the time they are 13, when I ever so slowly let my hand off the back of the bike seat, they are equipped with the knowledge to steer independently. While I will always make them wear the helmets of parental control, time limits, and privacy settings, I will take off the training wheels and knee pads and trust that the practice we have had will keep them safe.
So, if you get a disapproving glance or are questioned “Your kids are on Tik Tok?” just say “Sure, it’s just like riding a bike.”
Hello! I am a mom to three children, ages 11,12, and 20 and happily married to an awesome guy! Professionally, I am a psychologist and Life Coach, and founder of Brave Embrace, a practice focusing on female empowerment. We are a sports-oriented family and enjoy learning, growing, and laughing through every opportunity!
While FOMO may seem like it’s a thing of the past, FOAMO is definitely something you’ll want in your family’s future.
You don’t need to rent special equipment or pay a company to provide entertainment for a fun-filled day. Whether your kiddos need a break from cyber schooling, have a special birthday in the near-future, or just want to get outside and play, Little Tikes has a soapy solution. FOAMO may sound like the latest social media acronym, but it’s actually the name of Little Tikes’ new at-home foam machine.
All you need to do is add water and like magic—you’ll have mounds of cloud-like foam in your yard. When the foam party is done, just pack FOAMO up and store it for your next day of family fun.
Little Tikes FOAMO is made for children ages two and up (with plenty of adult supervision of course) and retails for $179.99. FOAMO comes with a foam machine, foam machine mount, storage container, and .75 gallons of concentrated FOAMO solution. After it’s mixed with water, the solution should last for a full hour to two-hour party. If you want to extend the foamy fun or throw another bubbly bash, you can pick up a refill.
Find Little Tikes FOAMO online and in stores at Amazon, Target and Walmart next week!
Kids and teens have more access to the internet than ever before. Mobile devices have kids logging on without parental supervision. The internet experts at USDish.com, an authorized retailer of Dish Network, compiled the best online safety tips for parents and guardians.
According to the Pew Research Center’s 2018 report on Teens, Social Media & Technology, 95% of American teens ages 13 through 17 have a smartphone or have access to one. With so many social media platforms to choose from including Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and TikTok it’s no surprise that about 90% of those surveyed say that they are online for a large part of the day.
Add in worries about the risks of sharing on the internet and cyberbullying, teens have a lot on their plates when they venture online. By starting the conversation early you can empower your child with the tools they need to protect themselves online.
Share what you learn through this guide with your teen and teach them how to consume online entertainment safely and responsibly.
Yabba Dabba Doo! PEBBLES cereal wants to inspire kids’ imaginations and teach them something new over the next 30 days. Starting Wed., Apr. 15, PEBBLES cereal will post a daily video on Facebook, Instagram and the PEBBLES cereal website.
The videos will feature artists and creators whose work has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including artists, dancers, chefs, crafters, magicians and more. In addition to sparking kids’ creativity, the series aims to give parents a short break and support the creative community by hiring them to share their talents. In exchange for their talents, PEBBLES cereal is paying each creator $1,500, which is roughly the monthly U.S. median housing cost.
“PEBBLES cereal has a long history of inspiring kids and kids at heart to create and do,” said Amy Brothers, Brand Manager for PEBBLES. “We felt that at this time, it was important for us to show up to inspire kids and support the creative community.”
Each video will feature a unique activity that kids can do with minimal supervision, and will require only items readily available in most homes. The videos will start with the creator introducing themselves and telling the kids about their talent before they teach kids how to do something new. Parents are invited to join in on the fun too!
The videos will be released daily at 6 a.m. ET, so kids and parents can view the lessons together over breakfast.
“The creative community needs our support now more than ever,” said Brothers. “We are excited to partner with a creative group of people to share their talents through the ‘Daily YABBA DABBA DOO’ video series.”
Sittercity has been a valuable resource for parents looking to find nannies and babysitters for nearly 20 years. You post your job, review profiles for applicants and pick a caregiver who fits your family. It’s that simple. With many parents temporarily working from home and juggling homeschooling, Sittercity has scaled their business model to lend a hand virtually. Find out how this service that simplified childcare is getting creative with supporting Chicago families.
photo: Sittercity
Sittercity Goes Virtual
It might sound a wee bit like something straight out of The Jetsons, but Eizabeth Harz, mom of 2 and CEO of Sittercity, has introduced a virtual arm to childcare. You won’t have The Jetson’s Rosie flitting about, cleaning spills and making meals, but you will have a professional to engage your kids digitally for a short period of time so you can work, or take a breather, in peace. You can utilize Sittercity’s pool of stellar resources to assist with schoolwork or engage your child in an interactive game online.
Is it Safe?
Even though this person won’t physically be in your home, Sittercity recommends you still go through the same vetting process you would for any other babysitting experience. They encourage you to never leave your child unattended, the sitter is not able to physically supervise or control your child via video, and to review with the sitter any planned activities to determine what’s appropriate for your child.
How Much Do You Pay a Virtual Sitter?
You can post a job and browse sitters for free. Regularly priced subscription plans are $35 for one month, $70 for three months or $140 for 12 months. However, they are currently offering 50% off full premium access for one month.
While the responsibilities are different for a virtual sitting session vs an in-person experience, paying the standard rate, if you’re able, is appreciated. According to Sittercity, the average hourly rate in Chicago, and the nation, is $16.50/hour. If you’re curious to see how Chicago stacks up, you can view their chart that lists average hourly childcare rates in top U.S. cities.
Extra Support for Chicago’s Essential Workers
We’ve been instructed to stay home and socially distance as much as possible, but for many Chicagoans deemed as essential, this is an impossibility. This creates a tricky situation with their kids home from school, still in need of supervision.
Sittercity has partnered with the City of Chicago to launch Chicago Responds, a program that helps the city’s essential workforce by connecting them to volunteers to help care for their families. Frontline workers who sign up will receive three free months of Sittercity Premium. If you’re an essential worker who needs assistance or would like to volunteer to care for their kids, click here.
Summer is here, and parents of young children are asking the question, “What is the right age for swimming lessons?”
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most children under the age of four are not developmentally ready to learn to swim; the age to master the crawl is actually between 5 and 6. That leads to the next question, “What about water safety and aquatic classes?”
While in the past, the Academy was stringent in not recommending swim and aquatic safety programs before four, they have become more relaxed in their guidelines for children between the ages of one and four. It is important to note, though, that these programs are not proven to decrease the risk of drowning and are not a substitute for adult supervision in the water at all times. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children in almost all age groups, so vigilance is critical.
Here are some basic things to remember to ensure safety for your children in or near water:
Always follow touch supervision, which means you are within touching reach of your child at all times in or near water.
Unless you are strictly enforcing touch supervision, do not rely on floaties or tubes to prevent drowning, but use Coast Guard approved safety devices. Children left alone with floaties or non-approved floatation devices can actually get trapped upside down in the water.
If you do enroll your child in aquatic classes, remember that while they may acclimate your child and make them more relaxed in the water, they can also reduce your child’s fear of water which can increase the likelihood that they go in or near water unsupervised. These programs can also make parents over-confident, which may reduce their own vigilance around pools and bodies of water. That said, check out your communities offerings, verify the credentials of their staff, and discover for yourself the benefits of what activities they have to offer.
If you are a pool owner, be sure that the pool is surrounded on four sides (the house should not be one of the sides) by a locked, at least four-foot high fence. For above ground pools, be sure to remove the ladder when the pool is not in use. And use a pool cover, as they add a second layer of protection. Be aware of all access that children have to nearby lakes, ponds, and streams and supervise accordingly.
Having grown up learning to swim in the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, then spending my summer days at the local city swimming pool, I am a water lover. As such, I was quick to share my passion for swimming and water play with my children and grandchildren as I am sure you are too. Have fun. It’s possible for parents and children to enjoy the water, and have a healthy dose of caution at the same time.
I am a parent and grandparent with over four decades of experience in early childhood education. I share my passion, wisdom and experience, with parents and the people who care for and about children at Little Folks Big Questions, where we're out to answer the questions parents face in today's world.
How do parents really feel about playdates? Researchers from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital used data from the National Poll on Children’s Health to find answers.
According to the poll (which included a national sample of parents of kiddos ages four through nine), supervision is the number one concern about playdates. A whopping 75 percent of parents surveyed said they would definitely ask the host who will supervise the children.
Of course, supervision wasn’t the only concern. Fifty-five percent of parents said they’d ask about activities, 46 percent would want to know if the playdate would include older sibs or other adults, 41 percent would inquire about potential injury risks (such as trampolines or pools), 38 percent wanted to know about pets, 34 percent would ask about guns in the home and 24 percent would ask the host about medication storage spots.
The poll also revealed that 22 percent of parents would allow their child to go to a playdate at a home of a family they didn’t know without their own presence. Forty-three percent said that they’d allow their child to go, but would stay with them. Twenty-two percent of parents surveyed said they’d outright decline the playdate.
When it comes to pre-playdate meet-ups, an overwhelming 84 percent of parents were all for it. Along with an in-person meet and greet, parents also admitted they’d do some of their own sleuthing. Forty-five percent would ask friends or neighbors about the playdate hosts, 44 percent would look at social media, 36 percent would check out the neighborhood, 30 percent would search a sex offender registry, 21 percent would look t the web and another 21 percent would talk to school staff.
