Activities Category
5 Easy Tips for Summer Fun & Safety At the Fair
Summertime is the perfect time to get outside with your kids and go to the fair! Just google county fairs in your area and plan for a day of fun. A few tips for making your time at the fair safe and fun!
- Plan ahead – You will be outside so dress comfortably & sensibly! Don’t forget to wear sunscreen and a hat.
- Be smart – Be sure your child has your phone number, understands stranger danger and knows a designated spot to meet you in case you get separated.
- Riding rides – Respect height & weight requirements for rides. If a ride looks unstable or unsafe, skip it.
- Keep clean – There are lots of cute animals at state fairs. Be sure your child is gentle with the animals and if the animals lick your child wash their hands or apply hand sanitizer.
- Limit Candy – Cotton candy, rock candy and limitless candy choices can be a child’s delight, but be sure to limit candy intake so your time at the fair isn’t cut short by a tummy ache!
Celebrate Oscar the Grouch’s Birthday with Your Kids
Today is Oscar the Grouch’s birthday! While Oscar may not be the happiest character on Sesame Street, he has a lot to teach our children.
- How to recycle.
- How to keep things clean by picking up trash.
- How being grouchy effects other people.
Oscar has his own page on the Sesame Street website, where you can find games, activities and more to help teach your children about recycling, etc.
You can also celebrate his birthday with this refreshing, easy summer pie. We added green grapes & green apple slices to make it extra green for Oscar. You can buy green paper plates and napkins at the Dollar Store to add to your green grouchy birthday party! 
Happy Birthday to Oscar – the loveable Grouch!
Splatter Paint Craft for Children
Bring out your child’s inner Picasso with this easy, fun art craft.
What you need:
- Non-toxic paint
- Construction paper
- Toothbrush or paintbrush
- Newspapers to cover surface
- Paper plates (optional)
- Old clothes or smock
What to do:
- Spread newspaper on sidewalk (if you are doing this outside) or table so you don’t end up with paint everywhere.
- Squeeze non-toxic finger paint on paper plates or newspaper.
- Dip your paintbrush or toothbrush in the paint and flick your wrist towards the construction paper. Paint will splatter on the paper in fun designs. If you don’t mind your kids getting messy, have them flick the paint off the toothbrush with their fingers.
- Be sure to put your child’s name on it & age!
What art crafts do you like to do with your kids?
Memorial Day Craft for Kids
Memorial Day is a wonderful time to teach your kids about those who have given their lives for our freedom. We love this Memorial Day easy craft for kids. We tried it out with our kids and they had lots of fun making these flag place mats.
What you need:
- Red, white, blue construction paper or craft foam
- Non-toxic glue
- Scissors or cutting knife (adult use only)
What to do:
- Cut red & blue foam into vertical strips about 1 inch wide
- Make horizontal slits in white foam or paper about 1 inch apart from each other
- Weave strips of red and blue through the slits on white foam/paper alternating patterns
- Use for your Memorial Day picnic. One of our Kolcraft Kids wrote a message to her Grandpa thanking him for being a Veteran.
Share with us how you celebrate Memorial Day!
Turning A Box Into A Fun Activity For Kids
Play teaches children many things like problem solving, team work, how to use imagination and much more. We love this cheap, easy, fun activity for kids to teach all of the above.
What you need:
- Large cardboard box
- Blindfold
- Space without delicate items or sharp corners
What to do:
- Have child sit in box.
- Blindfold child.
- Push child to different rooms and have him guess what room you are in. You can give clues like – there is something yellow here, we like to talk in this room, etc.
- If you have enough kids, divide into teams. Have one child get into box & the next child push her to a finish line. Then they switch all while racing against the other team. Be sure to stay clear of stairs & sharp corners!
Who knew so much fun could come from a free “toy”. What fun things have your kids done with boxes?
Bringing Your Child’s Books To Life Activity
There are many benefits to reading to your child for developing imagination, speech, reading skills, etc. You can bring your child’s favorite books to a new level by turning them into real life adventures. All it takes is some imagination and fun. Today’s book we are bringing to life is I Am A Bunny by Richard Scarry.
What you need:
- I Am A Bunny Book
- Bunny Ears or make your own by cutting out bunny ears from construction paper and gluing or taping to a headband. You can even wear a yellow shirt & red pants/overalls like Nicholas does.
- Outdoor space
- Camera
- Journal
What to Do:
- Read I Am A Bunny
- Put on your bunny ears & head outside
- Since it is currently Spring, reenact the Spring pages of I Am A Bunny by going to a field to look at the flowers (we don’t encouraging picking them) and talk about the different colors. See if you can find dogwood or daffodils like Nicholas does in the book. Talk about how Springtime brings flowers after the long winter. Try to find butterflies & “chase” them like Nicholas. If you live near a butterfly garden or sanctuary visit it to see the butterflies (or build your own!).
- Take photos of your book adventure and put them in your notebook/journal.
- With each season do the activity Nicholas does & record it. It will take a year to complete your book, but at the end you will have a wonderful memory of your I Am A Bunny living adventure.
What ways do you bring your child’s favorite books to life? If you have a children’s book you want us to bring to life on a Fun Friday, leave us a comment!
Bellying Up To A Mud Bar
We love how Spring brings new life and new opportunities to get outside and have fun. Equipped with an imagination, a child can see a backyard or a park as the door to hours of fun. We love the b Organic site for all sorts of wonderful tips on organic living. We especially love their mud bar. A mud bar is a fun place for kids to explore, learn and use imagination. It doesn’t have to be fancy by any means. A watering can full of water or a hose, a few pans and spatulas & TAH-DAH the mud kitchen is open!
Have you made mud pies with your kids?
Fun Fingerprint Flower Craft for Kids
This fun, easy Spring craft for kids gives you a keepsake of your child’s little fingerprints that you will cherish for years!
What you need:
- Craft foam or construction paper
- Non-toxic finger paints
- Pipe cleaner
- Non-toxic glue
- Scissors for adult use only
- Googly eyes (optional)
What to do:
- Cut foam or construction paper into simple flowers.
- Have your child dip their thumb or other finger in fingerprint.
- Put thumbprint in the petals of the flower and in the middle of the flower.
- Let dry.
- Glue pipe cleaner on back of flower to make a flower stem.
- Add googly eyes if you want.
Enjoy!
Adventures At Your Library Beyond Books
Reading opens up worlds of adventure, exploration, education and fun. Your local library has books beyond belief, but also has so much more for your kids especially on rainy Spring Days! Not only can you check out great books at the library, your kids can join story hour, puppet plays, toddler music time, get free passes to your local museums and city attractions, get help with homework and much more.
If you haven’t been to your local library in awhile, google it online and check out the kids corner or events page and let the adventure begin!
