Create a hands-on clock to help school age kids learning to tell time. Whether your child is home-schooled or learning common core math, a hands-on math manipulative turns worksheet-based lessons into math games. When we can get the learning into our child's hands it can help them think about more complex problems with a much more clear view. This hands-on clock for learning … [Read more...]
Learn Numbers with Don’t Break the Ice
Do you have the game Don't Break the Ice®? We have had it for a while and take it out during the winter months especially for a little fine motor fun. I modified our Don't Break the Ice game to create a simple preschool activity for learning numbers. My preschooler enjoyed this the first few times we played and when we recently pulled it out again I was so amazed at how her … [Read more...]
Save Money On Personalized Gifts for Kids
This post contains affiliate links and contains an honest review of I See Me products that I received in exchange for writing this post. All opinions are my own. You can view more in my disclosure. We spend so much time planning our children's gifts, but how much time do they actually spend playing with them before they are cast aside? Combining DIY gift ideas with meaningful … [Read more...]
Peek-A-Boo Boxes: DIY Personalized Toy for Babies
Finding activities to occupy your infant can be tricky. Not all activities listed as "for baby" are really appropriate for children younger than 1 year old. This DIY personalized toy for babies is perfect for infants who are able to hold onto toys and are beginning to use their fine motor skills to grasp. A good age range for this activity is 4 months and up, but you know your … [Read more...]
Sensory Crawl Infant and Toddler Activity {Huggies Little Movers}
It is always an amazing change when a child who is so dependent on you can start crawling and walking on their own a bit. One-on-one time with our children playing and interacting is really important, but it is also important for a child to learn to explore (in safe ways) on their own. It can take time for a child to let you go, but around the older infant and toddler stage … [Read more...]
Bang the Box DIY Preschool Activity
Do you have a child who likes to bang? Channel that sensory exploration into a learning activity! I recently had the opportunity to share an activity that helps children channel their desire to explore the sensory action of banging into learning. This simple DIY preschool activity is an easy one to customize for older toddlers and school age kids as well. I share … [Read more...]
Best DIY Backyard Playhouse Ideas
{Guest Post by Kaitlin Krull} Make your outdoor space more appealing for your kids by creating an epic playhouse for them (and yourselves, too!). Here are 6 of the most creative and fun playhouse ideas to build in your backyard. If, like parents everywhere, you’re struggling to get your children away from the television on even the most beautiful of days, it’s time to take … [Read more...]
Hanger Scale DIY Toy
Helping children explore the scientific method, creating conversations about weight and numbers, and doing it all inexpensively is a lesson worth teaching. Whether you homeschool or supplement your child's learning at home, this DIY toy scale made out of a hanger is simple and engaging. You can make it in 3 simple steps! Use the hanger scale to compare the weights … [Read more...]
Homemade Play Dough Puzzle
I make homemade play dough with my children every now and then (and it lasts a LONG time in the fridge in between when we are playing with it). They get bored with just playing with the dough, though, so I created a puzzle from dough that we would be throwing out anyway. You could use store bought play dough as well for this. (Note: If you make homemade play dough, … [Read more...]
DIY Dress-Up Vests from Grocery Bags
Dress-up costumes can be pricey, but you can make your own at home! In fact, your preschooler or young elementary child can create their own dress up vests (with your supervision of course) to add their own personal creativity to the dress-up bin or closet. Here are the steps for turning reusable grocery bags into dress-up vests. (If you don't have the reusable bags, … [Read more...]
Homemade Summer Fun with Kids
My children are ‘outdoor kids’, large motor machines. They need to get outside in order to keep their spirits in balance-I need that too. Thankfully summer fun with kids provides a multitude of outdoor time for fun-and learning. Having children in multiple age groups allows me the challenge to adapt activities for different skill levels. Some summer climates limit how … [Read more...]
DIY Magnetic Felt Board for the Fridge
This post contains affiliate links. Please view my disclosure. Dinner time in our house is a bit hectic. I often have the twins pulling at my legs while trying to navigate my way through main dish, sides and filling up milk cups. It can get tricky (and a bit overwhelming) when everyone is so hungry that calm seems to be lost. I needed a way to distract the kids in the kitchen … [Read more...]
Make Your Own Bean Bags
I have been wanting to buy my children bean bags for a while and never got to it. DIY bean bags turned out to fit my budget and they were pretty easy to make. I have a CD of bean bag toss songs that teach following directions that I used with my own preschool classes when I was teaching. It was a great indoor activity in the heat of Summer, rainy days or the cold of … [Read more...]
DIY Car Wash Toy for Kids
For any child who is a car lover, the imagination is limitless about where the cars drive and what they do. My son used to think cars got cold and needed a blanket...in his imagination, of course! He acted out the Cars movie (and Cars 2) while watching. This boy has loved them since he was 13 months old, and they are still not old yet. He is amazing at creating play … [Read more...]
Books on CD Recorded by You
My husband deployed for a year back when my oldest son was 6 months old. It was a job of mine to teach my son about his dad. Without the daily interactions of a parent and an infant, that memory of "dad" would not be established. It is a reality for families whose breadwinner travels a lot. Our solution was to do a few things to keep my husband present in our daily life and one … [Read more...]