You know how we love a good messy sensory art project here at MPMK.So far we've tackled DIY finger paint, Jell-O Play Dough, DIY body Paint, and even Dr. Seuss' Oobleck. So what's next? Why, indoor snowmen of course!Kaley's here today sharing with us... I always think of sledding and building snowmen as the quintessential wintertime activities. Unfortunately, we don't live anywhere near snow. I didn't want to rob my little one of all that winter fun, so I had to get a little … [Read more...]
Quiet Time Activities Perfect for Getting Kids to Calm Down for Bed
Image Credit: © Suzette Pauwels (text added) | 01.09.11 | CC by 2.0 Today I have something uber useful for you guys - a bedtime post from Jillian of A Mom with a Lesson Plan (a great site you really should check out if you're not already familiar).I've posted Jillian's game-changing, quiet-time-before-bedtime idea on MPMK's facebook wall a few times and have always gotten a huge response.Today she's here to expand on the idea and share her favorite pre-bedtime quiet activities broken … [Read more...]
Do You Have a Halloween Ritual?
Our family is big on traditions. We've got them for major events like birthdays and Christmas, as well as small things like Saturday mornings and bedtime.Recently, I’ve been thinking about all the Halloween activities and projects we’ve tried (or wanted to try) since the kids were born. This year, I’m looking to officially elevate a few of them to “tradition” status.As I was compiling ideas, it occurred to me you too might be interested in starting a family Halloween tradition. So I’ve … [Read more...]
Audiobooks for Calming Hyper Preschoolers (and Where to Find Them)
We've got yet another resource for you to use with our free B.O.R.E.D. printable today.Our children's librarian, Janssen, has rounded up the best audiobooks for calming active (aka hyper) kids. And it's just the thing for keeping the preschool set occupied for the rest of the summer and in the fall if, like in our house, they're missing older siblings who have ventured off to school.Read on for Janssen's picture book, easy reader and early chapter book recommendations! I've long been a … [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 summer being here. I hope it inspires you to look at your backyard in a whole new way this summer! I've written before about how much I value … [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...]