It's only a few weeks until the last day of school for us and I know summer vacation has already started for many of you! To help you prepare for a wonderful summer filled with lots of relaxing, playing, connecting, and - yes - even learning, I've asked my good friend Mariah of Playful Learning to stop by and share her tips.To say Mariah is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to education, is an understatement.She has 20 years of experience working in the field of education and a Master … [Read more...]
How to Set Up Natural Play Spaces in Your Back Yard
Recently, one of my neighbors sent out a group text asking if anyone had logs from cut-down trees for a friend who had some cool plans for her backyard. It immediately reminded me of the Natural Play Spaces series we did a few years ago and I sent it to her.Looking over it, I remembered how wonderful it was and wanted to share it with you guys with the 3-day weekend, and unofficial start of the summer, here. I hope it inspires you to look at your backyard in a whole new way this … [Read more...]
5 Steps to Creating an Outdoor Exploration Station Your Kids Will Love!
Now that summer break is just around the corner (or maybe even here for some of you!), It's time to start thinking about how to keep our kids active and engaged without resorting to video games and television.At the top of my list is (rather predictably) outside, unstructured play.Here's Julee with one of my all-time favorite set-ups for doing just that... Our yard was one of the top reasons we chose our new house. We have lots of space, a large deck and trees to keep us sheltered from … [Read more...]
Mother’s Day DIY Mug (You can call me Queen Bee)
Mother's Day is the perfect time to try a DIY project and I guarantee you're going to adore this one. I want to make one for every mom I know! Here's Alli with the details... I am loving the "make your own mug" trend for two reasons:1. There's nothing better than a handmade gift.2. It's so amazingly EASY!I mean, really. The possibilities are endless. I picked up one mug at the dollar store for this project, and I found myself wishing I'd grabbed a dozen.I decided to go with a … [Read more...]
Earth Day Activity: Upcycled Juice Box Seed Starters
Looking for a quick and easy Earth Day project to do with the kids? Our contributor Janssen teamed up with our newest sponsor, Juicy Juice, for the perfect Earth Day kid craft- upcycled juice box seed starters!It's spring break this week around here and I can't wait to make a whole batch with the kids this week. I also love Janssen's idea of making them now and using them as gifts for Teacher Appreciation Day later.spring break activity and teacher appreciation gift- who doesn't love a … [Read more...]
Play Dough Mats for Your Easter Baskets (Free Printables)
Easter! Do you have your baskets ready yet?!If not, no worries, get your 30 day free trial for Amazon Prime's 2-Day Shipping and use our recipe for getting your baskets put together STAT:Check out this roundup of our resident children's librarians' all-time favorite Easter books and pick up your favorite Add one or two picks from our list of Easter toys that promote creativity Roll up and insert our free Easter play dough mats (see below) Fill a few plastic eggs with our super … [Read more...]
10 Brilliant Indoor Play Ideas Using a Beach Ball
I was reading one of my favorite MPMK posts the other day, How to Maintain Your Zen When the Kids Have Lost Their Ever-Loving Minds, and I was reminded of how much we used to play with beach balls in the house when the kids were younger.It was such a simple way to keep the kids active and happy when we were stuck indoors - plus it was super inexpensive and easy to set up (two of my favorite qualities in a kids' activity).Back in the day, this one was right up there with our Life-Sized … [Read more...]
Last-Minute Thanksgiving Craft: DIY Pilgrim Hats
Happy Turkey Day! Today Janssen is here with a classic Thanksgiving craft that takes me back to my own days spent at the kids table. This one is simple, inexpensive, and can be used both for craft time and dramatic play afterward.P.S. Speaking of Thanksgiving, did you hear what we're doing to make Black Friday and all your holiday shopping way easier this year? NEW THIS YEAR: Check out our Alerts Page for Sales on All of the Toys from our Famous Gift Guides – Updated … [Read more...]
25 Simple Play Ideas for Fall
I've written a lot about the importance of family traditions, big and small. But one thing I sometimes forget is how many mini traditions we've built around the changing of each season.It's often not until the leaves start turning colors and there's a chill in the air that I remember how much the kids love it when I have a hot pot of apple cider simmering on the stove, or reading In November together under a big soft blanket.Today our contributor Alli is here sharing some of her favorite … [Read more...]