Modern Parents Messy Kids

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Science at Play: Part III

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It's been a busy, busy weekend on the homefront.  Gorgeous weather led to some impromptu yardwork and spring cleaning along with lots of playing in the sun and a family picnic in the backyard. All that means two things: I'm up way too late writing this so I'll be keeping it brief and the nice weather has me thinking about summer.   What do these two things add up to?  My third science at home roundup. (Because it's a relatively quick post and I know from past experience you'll love … [Read more...]

POYEL: Creating an Audio Library for Quiet Time

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I've talked a lot here about my general state of panic ever since C stopped napping regularly.  As you guys know, I do a lot of my blogging when the kids are sleeping.  That means that if C is no longer going to nap in the afternoon, then he needs to be doing something else that's independent of me (and if you've been reading this blog for any amount of time at all then you know that won't be sitting in front of the TV).   My first attempt at tackling this conundrum came in the form of … [Read more...]

A No-Mess Painting Technique

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I'm at momtastic this week sharing my favorite new painting technique.  S and I picked it up at toddler group and it was a big hit.  Don't get me wrong, I'm still all for getting messy but it's nice to have some tamer creative activities to draw from.    When I was plotting this project in my head I envisioned using paper cut into egg shapes to make some pretty Easter decor.  When it actually came down to it, everything was so spur of the moment that I couldn't harness C's excitement long … [Read more...]

Creative Play Easter Basket Idea: Water Bead Eggs

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Aren't these water bead eggs cool?  They were unbelievably easy and inexpensive to pull together and I think the kids are going to get such a kick out of opening them up and playing with the contents on Easter. UPDATE: check out how my kiddos played with these after cracking them open here.     If you're not familiar with water beads, they come in little plastic packets that fit in the palm of your hand.  Each "bead" is a teeny tiny ball which, when soaked in water … [Read more...]

Good Idea: Busy Bag Swap

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Ever since sharing with you guys about parents swapping cliff notes (and your resounding positive response to the idea), I haven't been able to get it out of my mind.  So here's the good news, tomorrow I'll have some bona fide cliff notes for you from a very special guest poster, Whitney of Rookie Moms.  And who knows, it could be just the beginning of a whole new venture here.   Before we get to that, though, I've got something else to share today.  I've been thinking about other great … [Read more...]

Yarn + Sandpaper + a Cereal Box = A Fabulous 3-in-1 Quiet Time Activity

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I've been doing a lot of lamenting about C dropping naps over on the facebook page lately (which, by the way, is new and improved!).  Despite all my whining, the situation remains the same - I can no longer count on having a chunk of my day all to myself.   Honestly, it's not as bad as I feared it would be.  C is very good at independent play and he does still nap occasionally.  I've found the key to surviving the no-nap days is to always be prepared with a stimulating activity or … [Read more...]

Playtime: Green Activites & Art Projects for the Whole Family

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I've got some exciting news to share today.  A few month's ago the folks over at FamilyFun Magazine asked me to design the "Go Green" edition of their Family Fun Badges, to be featured online and in print.  "What's a Family Fun Badge?" you say.  They're kind of like boy scout badges for families.       I really love how the whole concept promotes family time and creativity and was thrilled to have the opportunity to get involved.  Also, I got a pretty great theme to … [Read more...]

One Last St. Patrick’s Day Project

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St. Paddy's Day is just over a week away so here's one more fun project to try with the littles.  It's a really fun one too - green bracelets made, of all things, popsicle sticks.  The kids will love it - see my full tutorial here.   I also do a weekly roundup of family finds for momtastic and this week good stuff abounds (if I do say so myself).  Along with the fabulous frame wallpaper project above, I'm featuring posts on making time with the kids,  raising creative kids, an incredible … [Read more...]

Interactive Leprechaun Trap

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Around this time last year I stumbled on the idea of making a Leprechaun Trap for St. Paddy's Day and mentally filed it away.  So when I started thinking of activities for the upcoming holiday, it was the first thing that popped into my head (which is somewhat of a miracle considering how long it was stowed away in there).  As with many of my projects, I wanted to add an interactive element and this DIY chalk version is what I came up with.   I like it because it allows me and the kids … [Read more...]