Author: ColleenF
The Crib Mattress 3C’s: the Core, the Cushioning, and the Cover
Get the right crib mattress for your baby by comparing the 3 C’s of a crib mattress: the CORE, the CUSHIONING, and the COVER.
Crib mattress cores can be made from foam or steel coils.
Look for high density foam or a higher number of coils for a firmer foundation.
The cushioning should be firm yet comfortable for babies and durable enough to last through the toddler years.
Look for waterproof covers and binding so that the entire surface wipes clean. Laminate or wet-proof fabric covers won’t soak up leaky messes!
Look for more details at sealybaby.com
Pin the Nose on Elmo- Birthday Party Activity
These easy steps will help you create a homemade pin the nose on Elmo activity. Have fun!
What You’ll Need:
- Orange, red and white paper
- Non-toxic black marker
- Tape
- Scissors, for adult use only
- Small cup (for tracing)
What To Do:
- Using the bottom of the cup, trace two white circles. Cut out and color in two black circles for Elmo’s eyes.
- Using the same cup, trace orange circles and cut out for Elmo’s nose.
- Write the names of each child attending the birthday party on the bottom of each nose.
- Cut out Elmo’s face using the red paper and draw a black mouth. If it’s easier, you can always print out a picture of Elmo’s face too!
- Tape the eyes to Elmo’s face and hang on a wall or door.
- Place a piece of tape on the back of each nose.
Easy Mini Fruit Pizza for Elmo Birthday Party
Because Elmo’s favorite food is pizza, what better way to cap off his birthday celebration than with fun individual fruit pizzas? This dessert is super easy to make and is fun for the kids!
What You’ll Need:
- Fruit
- Sugar Cookies
- 8 oz. Reduced Fat Cream Cheese, Softened
- 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
What To Do:
- To make the icing, mix together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. You can use more or less powdered sugar, depending on how sweet you want the icing. For convenience, store bought icing will work just as well!
- Spread a thin layer of icing onto each individual cookie.
- Slice up the fruit into small, bite sized pieces. We used pineapples, blueberries and strawberries, but any fruit will do!
- Put the fruit into bowls or containers, allowing each child to decorate their very own fruit pizza.
For a healthier version, you can also substitute low-fat or fat-free yogurt for the icing or incorporate small bits of fruit into the icing, such as oranges.
Creating New Years Eve Noise Makers
Celebrating 2011 and the start to 2012 is a wonderful opportunity to spend time as a family. Your family can create homemade noisemakers to ring in the new year.
What You’ll Need:
- White Paper Plates
- Beans
- Crayons and or markers for decorating
- Streamers
- Stapler
Let’s Get Started:
- Children can decorate the back of the paper plate. If you like, you can also use jewels or other decorating materials.
- Fold the paper plate in half
- Add beans to the inside of the plate, however not too full, this will help it make more noise.
- Staple the edges together to enclose all of the beans
- Glue, tape, or staple streamers to the sides
- Shake, shake, shake and ring in 2012!
Pipe Cleaner Penguins: a Clever December Craft
This easy pipe cleaner penguin craft is fun to make and only requires 3 supplies!
What You Will Need:
- Black, orange and white pipe cleaners
- Scissors (for adult use only)
- Wooden pencil
What to Do:
- Wrap a black pipe cleaner around the wooden pencil and remove. This will serve as the body of the penguin.
- Next, cut off a 1.5 inch piece of white pipe cleaner.
- Bend the ends of the white pipe cleaner in about ¼ inch on each end. Place the ends of the white pipe cleaner into the black coiled pipe cleaner.
- Cut an orange pipe cleaner into a 4” piece (the size may vary slightly depending on the thickness of the pencil and how tightly wound your coils are).
- Bend the end of the orange pipe cleaner into a small ‘M’ shape and pinch the sides together to form the feet.
- Bend the orange pipe cleaner upwards and feed through the black coiled body and out at the second coil from the top. Bend the end of the orange coil into a ‘V’ shape to form the penguin’s beak.
- Cut a 2” piece of black pipe cleaner and fold in half.
- Feed this pipe cleaner through the back of the penguin to form the wings.
Decorate Your Thanksgiving Table
While it may seem like we just finished Trick or Treating with our children, Thanksgiving really is next week! We wanted to share with you an easy craft to do with your children and decorate your Thanksgiving Table.
What you’ll need:
- Toilet paper tubes (the amount depends on the amount of guests)
- Construction paper
- Glue
- Scissors
- A black marker
How to make this Thanksgiving Craft
The Pilgrim:
- Cover a toilet paper roll with black construction paper
- Glue a smaller patch with pink construction paper to form a face.
- Trace and cut a collar (as pictured) on white constructions paper. Glue the collar under the pink construction paper.
- Cut a square on black construction paper to form the base of the hat. Cut a strip and glue the ends together to form a circle and the hat.
- Draw the face and buttons on your pilgrim.
- Write the name of a guest on any colored paper and glue it to the hat
The Native American:
- Cover a toilet paper roll with beige (in this case we used orange) construction paper
- Glue a smaller patch with pink construction paper to form a face.
- Cut a strip of black construction and also cut fringe on one side of the strip to create hair. Glue on top of the pink construction paper
- Trace and cut feathers on other colors of construction paper
- Write the name of a guest on one of the feathers and attach it to the top of the roll.
This is one idea we have for a Thanksgiving craft, but we are also interested in seeing your crafts. Enter our Thanksgiving Craft contest for a chance to win $75 for holiday shopping! Enter here.
Family Fun Fall Outdoor Activities
As the leaves begin to slowly change and fall off the trees, it’s the perfect time to get outdoors for these fun fall activities the whole family will enjoy this weekend!
- Apple picking can be fun for the whole family and is a great way to teach kids about the importance of good nutrition. Some orchards and farms even have fun hay rides.
- As the sun goes down and the weather gets cooler, gather family around a warm fire and make yummy s’mores.
- Bundle up and head to your nearest state park for a nature hike. Hiking is a fun way to explore nature and stay active as a family.
- It’s not too late to have a fun family camping adventure in your own backyard before the winter frost hits (Link to camping post).
What fun fall activities are you doing with your family this weekend?
Space Saving, Multi-Use Baby Products
Being based in Chicago, the Kolcraft staff knows all too well the challenges of raising a family in the city. When living quarters are tight and the kids are growing up quickly before our eyes, products that offer space saving solutions and extended usage are not only convenient, they are essential! Check out some of our favorite space saving, multi-use products below:
When space in the nursery or child’s playroom is at a premium, 2-in-1 products that offer extended use are a great option. Kolcraft’s Baby Sit & Step 2-in-1 Activity Center easily converts from a height adjustable activity center to a walk-behind walker.
Cookie Monster’s Birthday
Happy Birthday Cookie Monster! Kolcraft is a big fan, and partner, of Sesame Street. In honor of our friends on Sesame Street we are celebrating Cookie Monster’s birthday.
Fun Facts About Cookie Monster:
- Cookie Monster was in the first episode of Sesame Street
- Chocolate chip cookies are his favorite kind
- His signature song “C is for Cookie” first aired in 1971 and is one of the best known Sesame Street songs
- Starting in 2006, Cookie Monster shared a new philosophy, “Cookies are a sometimes food”
- Cookie Monster has a mother, father, younger sister, and identically designed cousin
Happy Birthday Cookie Monster! Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?
