Easter is about a month away, so it's time to roll out the ideas. We're kicking things off with Alli and her super cute bunny donut idea, perfect for Easter. We'll probably make ours Saturday morning since we do family brunch on Easter Sunday. Here's how to make yours... Who says you can't play with your food? Especially your kids' food. Our home activity theme for this month is Easter, so I was determined to surprise Isaiah with a bunny breakfast at some point. And I just loved how … [Read more...]
Project Organize Your ENTIRE Life: Cheerful DIY Storage Jars
If you're a regular here, you know we're all about getting kids involved in contributing around the house early. Sometimes that means setting up regular family and money jobs, and sometimes it just means taking a little time for a bright and cheerful DIY organization project. Here's Kristen with the details... Things look better when they are organized. And I think we function better when things look better. Case in point: The Junk Drawer. We all have one and if you've ever … [Read more...]
11 Ingenious Ways to Keep Kids Active When Stuck Inside
We're having a major snow day today- no school, around 8 inches of fresh snowfall... and no power! Which means that after an epic 4-hour neighborhood backyard playdate, I have happy kids, sopping wet snow clothes with no dryer at my disposal, and still about 8 hours of day left to fill. Today is the PERFECT day for this post. Thank you Kristin... We were all waiting for the rain and snow last year when El Nino was expected to hit. My husband even bought a generator in preparation. We … [Read more...]
Making Snowmen… Inside!
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...]