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DIY Toys that are Totally Worth the Effort

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Is it just me or are there an inordinate number of cool DIY toy projects floating around lately?  I was planning on doing a Mother's Day gift roundup today but, honestly, you should have already bought a gift by now (I haven't).  And if you don't know what to buy yet, then you're either the kind of person that has a hard time making decisions or the type that has a hard time getting things done on time (right here).  Either way - yet another "you should buy this" round up will probably only … [Read more...]

DIY Veggie Garden Sensory Box

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If you've been here since the beginning, then you'll remember the "diggers and dumpers" sensory box I made for my son as a Christmas present.  It was a big hit and he still enjoys it but I've been feeling like it's time to change it up.  So a few weeks ago I exchanged the pinto beans for black beans (to imitate soil) and put together this vegetable garden sensory box. I found a lot of my supplies at Target. (The gloves, trowel, and watering can were in the dollar section.  The yellow tub was … [Read more...]

Last Minute Teacher Appreciation Ideas

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National Teacher Appreciation Day is tomorrow.  Since putting together my DIY Teacher Survival Kit, I've found a lot more great ideas for treating the teacher in your life.  Some are old and some are new but they'll all make "Teach" smile.   First up are these cookies and milk printables at dandee.  Click through for the rest of the goods. Free and editable printable for flower picks to put in a potted plant via Skip to My Lou. Apple card at Fiskars. Pencil holders with vinyl … [Read more...]

Every Baby Should Have a Treasure Basket – Here’s How to Make One

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photo via The Imagination Tree   Remember the sensory box?  Well, say hello to his little brother, the treasure basket - a super simple sensory box for babies.  The concept is easy - just fill a container with objects of varying texture, weight, shape, etc. and let baby go at it.According to Anna, an early education and art specialist from The Imagination Tree, treasure baskets benefit babies age 6-18 months by: encouraging them to use their senses to discover, explore, … [Read more...]

Stylish and Stimulating Storage for Kids

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I've got a few spots in my house right now that are crying out to be reorganized.  There's the area in the playroom where a changing table now resides (but will soon be vacant) as well as a little real estate in the living room that's just begging for some storage bins. For the former, I would love to do something like this Montessori sensorial, music, and language arts space at montessori home schooling.  The orderly setup of this area makes each item seem so interesting and inviting.   I … [Read more...]

Appreciate Your Favorite Teacher with a DIY Survival Kit

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Tuesday, May 3rd is National Teacher Appreciation Day.  That means you have less than a week to get your act together and find a nice way to show some love to all the hard-working teachers in your life.  No worries though, I've put together an educator's survival guide that's brimming with trinkets every good teacher could use.  And of course I've included a few free printables so you can make one of your very own.  Click through for the goods.   For some reason I get excited by … [Read more...]

DIY Vases for Mother’s Day

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I love fresh flowers but I'm not great about remembering to buy them.  I think a pretty vase made by someone I love would help.   These vases couldn't have been more straight forward to make and I really like their simple homemade vibe.  To start, I saved a few glass jars from things like spaghetti sauce and peaches and stuck them in the dishwasher.   Once washed, it was fairly easy to remove the labels.  I rubbed olive oil over any remaining glue and let them sit for 30 - 40 … [Read more...]

Easter’s Over, Now What?

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I know it's been Easter-central here for about a month now.  I'm just about ready to put it to rest and move on to lots of new and interesting stuff for May, I promise.  But before I do, I've got one more post I know we could all use.  Because aren't we all incessantly tripping over plastic Easter eggs, haphazardly strewn about the house, right about now?   And if you're anything like me, you probably cringe a little at the thought of chucking all that plastic into a landfill somewhere … [Read more...]

A Few Things I Could Use Your Help On…

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I'm working on two new items for the site and I'm rather excited to share them with you.The first I actually finished last night.  It's an Amazon shop filled with my favorite things.  Most of the items are tools for stimulating creative play (would you expect anything less from me) but there's also a few things I think every modern family could use.I had a lot of fun putting this together, it was like shopping without having to spend any money.  My goal is to add more items and categories as our … [Read more...]

DIY Silly Putty Carrot + An Easter Recap

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I promised I would hook you up with a Silly Putty Carrot DIY today.  I try to be a woman of my word, so here it is - just head over to momtastic for all the details. Note: because borax can be toxic if ingested, this recipe is only for bigger kids - to be made with adult supervision.   For younger kids, simply mix up some orange oobleck instead.  Just combine 1 cup of water with 1/2 cup of cornstarch and food coloring. And speaking of Easter, I can't believe how much fun I've had … [Read more...]

Anatomy of a “Creative Play Easter Basket”

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I hinted about this post last week, so here it is - C's "Creative Play Easter Basket".  I had 3 goals for this basket:   No candy allowed Absolutely every part of the basket has to be usable for play Inexpensive to make (and by that I mean CHEAP!) Thanks to a lot of clever bloggers and the dollar section at Target, I was able to meet all three of my goals.  I'm really happy with how it turned out and I think C will be thrilled.  Click through and I'll share all my resources so … [Read more...]