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...]
Free Printable: Easter Memory Game
When I rolled out the Easter toy I made for S's basket, I also mentioned I had a few more projects up my sleeve. So today I'm sharing a memory game I made for C's basket. To make these patterned bunnies, I used Photoshop and a few of the awesome (and free!) patterns over at Sprik Space. If you haven't been there yet, be sure to stop by and check out the whole series. There are 13 different patterns in 25 colorways, which is enough for all kinds of cool projects. To make your own set … [Read more...]
Having Fun with Science and Nature
Trying out simple experiments at home is a great way to introduce science to young children and I've got a classic nature-based experiment to share with you today. Wondering where that pic above is leading? You're gonna have to head over to momtastic to find out. And speaking of nature, have you picked up your e-copy of Action Pack, volume 2 Seeds and Beads over at Whip Up yet? The folks over there were kind enough to send me a copy and let me tell you, it … [Read more...]
A Simple Handmade Toy For Baby’s Easter Basket
What would you get if you combined Made by Joel's latest super simple toy and Craft Jr.'s free Easter printables? Click through to find out. It's the perfect handmade toy for baby's first Easter Basket! I'm putting an MPMK twist on S and C's Easter baskets this year and this is your sneak peek at what's to come. For this project (which I also refer to as the "Which Came First?" toy), I simply printed out Craft Jr.'s Easter chick and egg graphics in a small, medium … [Read more...]
Mini-Tutorial: Super Simple Baby Blanket
I've been meaning to share a mini-tutorial on these easy-peasy baby blankets for a while now. But then things got a little crazy and I thought I missed my window - cotton flannel blankets don't exactly scream spring time. But now it seems that someone forgot to tell Mother Nature about Spring (it's down-right nippy in Seattle today). Maybe I didn't miss my window after all? Plus, even spring and summer babies love to be swaddled and these can easily be made with a lighter … [Read more...]
Paper Crane Tutorial to Help Your Children & Those in Japan
As I watched the disastrous events in Japan continue to unfold last week, I became grateful that my children are still young enough to carry on blissfully unaware of the tragedies occurring there. But I know someday soon that will not be the case. So I've been doing some research on how to help kids cope with these types of events. Here are four concrete steps parents can take to help: Talk to them about what they're seeing and hearing. Not sure where to start? See Not Just Cute … [Read more...]
Imaginative Play “On the Fly”
I'm posting over at momtastic today on how to seize the moment for spontaneous fun. Be sure to check it out for all the details on the above photo. And when you're done over there, come on back for more creative indoor play activities to add to your arsenal. The lego ski resort and the colander sculpture are a dead tie for my favorite, you've gotta see them! Just like the popular toddler sewing basket from Childhood 101, this Colander Sculpture at Tinker Lab promotes fine motor skills … [Read more...]
DIY Paint Chip Easter Garland
I'm a bit of a hoarder when it comes to paint chips (see exhibit A below). They all look so lovely in the hardware store that I have a hard time sticking to my intended color scheme. As a result, I have quite a collection. Lately I've been eyeing my stack and formulating a few simple projects in my head. The first of which I present to you today - a DIY Easter egg garland. This was super easy and turned out even better than I'd hoped. I love how the white line … [Read more...]
Five Fun Ways to Play with Marshmallows
Over at momtastic, I'm all about toothpicks and marshmallows for impromptu structure building and color mixing fun (see above for the "finished" product). Head over for all the details, then click through here for lots more inspiring marshmallow activities. photo via Say Yes to Hoboken Typically when thinking of building with marshmallows and toothpicks, structures like this one at Say Yes to Hoboken come to mind (although the rainbow toothpicks are a fresh addition). If … [Read more...]