Modern Parents Messy Kids

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DIY Duct Tape Halloween Door Mat

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A little while back, I was contact by the fine folks at Scotch® Color & Pattern Duct Tape and asked to take part in a Halloween challenge of sorts.  Basically, they provided the supplies and I got to get creative. I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with the end result. You should try it - it's definitely a conversation starter and is sure to impress the kiddos as well as your friends.  It's also a great way to teach the kids about upcyclying and only requires a few supplies. … [Read more...]

Back-to-School DIY: Washi Tape Book Covers

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For many of us, the first day of school was this week.  How did you fare?  Today I'm excited to share a seriously cool (if somewhat time consuming) book cover project I have up at eHow's Mom Channel. Believe it or not, anyone can achieve this look with one simple tip.  Check it out here. Also this week, I've been over at Sulia chatting about, what else, more back-to-school: Best back-to-school tradition ever! Back-to-school DIY: tassels Back to School Resolution: I Won’t Overschedule … [Read more...]

Playtime Tool Box: Silly Straws

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Happy Friday guys!  This week I've got a quick and easy playtime activity over on eHow's Mom Channel that I'm super excited about.  It's one of those genius activities that's inexpensive, requires no set-up, and will engage the kids for tons of time. Plus, this one's a two-fer, so once the littles tire of the first idea, you can just move onto the next. Check out all the details on bendy straw fun here. Also this week, I've been chatting all about back-to-school over on Sulia.  Here are a … [Read more...]

Travel Tip: Magnet Magic

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Now that we've just barely finished unpacking all the boxes (inside at least - the garage is a different story), guess what - we're packing some bags and hitting the road to visit our family lake house in Montana.  Naturally, a 7 hour road trip calls for breaking out the big guns and this idea from Kaley is one of my favorites.  Hope you can use it too! With summer in full swing, we have been doing a lot of traveling (get more of our tips here).  Planes, cars, even buses.  And no matter … [Read more...]

Play Theme Cheat Sheet: Space

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Even though it's not quite August yet, we just couldn't wait any longer to post our latest Play Theme Cheat Sheet.  We just know you're going to love it!... I am so excited about this month's playtime cheat sheet, just because of the theme alone....SPACE! I don't know why, but I was somewhat overly fascinated with space as a child (nerd alert). I simply couldn't get enough of it. I even asked for a toy planetarium for Christmas one year, which I've now passed down to my son. P.S. It still … [Read more...]

Outdoor Creativity: DIY Squirtable Sidewalk Chalk

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Between the Kid's Rule Nutrition program and our sinfully delicious Banana Boats, we've been covering the full health spectrum of foods this week.  So how about one last food-related post? Although this one does include a recipe, it's not actually for cooking - but for getting outside and playing. In fact, this one's helping to put the "messy kids" in Modern Parents Messy Kids. We tried this DIY squirtable sidewalk chalk last week and it instantly shot to the top of our list of go-to outdoor … [Read more...]

Best Camp Fire Dessert Ever: Banana Boats

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Did you guys know the majority of people's childhood memories involve being outside?  It's true! (Go ahead and think of some of your own favorite memories to prove it to yourself - it's ok, I'll wait.)  So why am I bringing up this fun factoid?  To drive home the point that now is the best season to be making memories with the kiddos. Today I'm sharing one of my very favorite things about being outside during the summer as a kid - making banana boats over a camp fire.  Ever tried 'em?  They're … [Read more...]

Kid Craft: Paper Sun Catchers

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Hi friends, how are you all doing?  To be honest, I'm feeling drained.  We started the week with my daughter's birthday and ended it by saying goodbye to our extremely loving and loyal family dog. The emotional ups and downs have taken it out of me and I find I don't have much to say today. So how about a joyful little kid craft instead?  These paper sun catchers have been a HUGE hit with S and C and their bright colors can't help but bring a smile to my face.  I'm over at eHow mom sharing the … [Read more...]

Play Theme Cheat Sheet #4: Exploring Our World

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We're past due for this month's play theme cheat sheet.  Ready for another stellar list of ways to play all month long?  I chose learning about the world around us for July for two reasons: It seemed like a great educational theme to cover while school's out and so many families are hitting the road for vacation. We've been watching Discovery Channel's new series, North America, with C and have all been learning a ton.  (Sidenote: I love this program for teaching kids about the continent … [Read more...]