I'm so excited about this Halloween project, it turned out even better than I'd envisioned. It's the quintessential MPMK project - easy enough for kids of all ages to get in on the action and the finished product is a decidedly stylish take on traditional Halloween decor. And did I mention how inexpensive it is? … [Read more...]
Free Printable: Thanksgiving Gratitude Conversation Starters
Gratitude isn't a new concept for us. We've talked before about regularly expressing gratitude toward our kids and putting our gratitude into writing. Do a simple search for gratitude on the blog and you'll see many ideas for crafts and thoughts about giving thanks. The benefits of being a grateful person range from being more optimistic, less materialistic and self-centered, to increasing our self-esteem and actually making us healthier. This is something we should be working on … [Read more...]
Summer Learning: How to Build Reading Skills at Home with Reggio Activities
Reading is perhaps one of the most important skills for a child to learn. During the school year, teachers guide and encourage their students to read, and they open them up to the magical worlds that only reading can lead to. So it's important to continue to flex those skills, and keep kids open to those worlds over the summer too. There are countless traditional ways to promote literacy, from reading groups and worksheets, to e-books and other electronic activities but the summer provides an … [Read more...]
Natural Play Spaces: Children’s Veggie Gardens
You guys! It has been the rainiest season in Seattle in the history of ever (literally) but the sun is out today. And - of course - it's making me want to plant all the things. If you're feeling me, here's a post we did a few summers ago on one of the coolest kinds of gardens out there; the kids' garden. Enjoy and happy planting! Now that the bark has been laid, we've made one more major addition to our backyard natural play space. But don't get too excited - I haven't had a chance … [Read more...]
Make It: Donut Easter Bunny Surprise
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...]
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...]