Your children don’t have to be bored during your Super Bowl party. These three games can make sure they have fun so you can enjoy the Super Bowl without the constant chorus of “I’m BORED” going on in the background.
Pin the football – Instead of pin the tail on the donkey, each child has a football. They try to ‘pin the football through the uprights or get it in the receivers hands.
Team hats – Have some construction paper or foam, non-toxic glue and a few other art supplies so they can a hat supporting their favorite team.
Festive pom poms -Make your own pom-poms using whichever team’s colors you are cheering for by gluing streamers or tissue paper to a large popsicle stick which you can buy at a craft store.
What fun Super Bowl crafts or activities do you have for kids?
We all readthe book when we were pregnant to answer our questions – Is what I am going through this trimester normal? How big is my baby at 20 weeks? What do I do for round ligament pain? Can I breastfed? These and 101 other questions we had, we knew could be answered by What To Expect When You’re Expecting. And now this best-selling “pregnancy answer” book is being made into a movie.
We admit that we laughed during the movie trailer because there were aspects we could relate to. Tell us what you think. Would you go to see the movie?
Sometimes it’s hard to entertain your children when they (& you!) have cabin fever. One very creative mom sent us the perfect activity for indoor fun with your kids - Hop Aboard Your Personalized Choo Choo Train!
What you need:
2 Empty Boxes. One will have to be big enough to “fit” your toddler.
Paper Plates
Non-Toxic Marker
Empty Paper Towel Tube
Paper Cup
Heavy Duty Tape
What to do:
Cut a hole in the large box, big enough to fit your child.
Tape the smaller box to the back of the larger box to make it look like a train.
Put the paper cup on the paper towel roll to form a smoke stack.
Cut out a circle for the bottom of the “smoke stack”.
Tape the “smoke stack” to the top front of train.
Draw spokes on paper plates to form wheels.
Tape wheels onto sides of train.
Have your child decorate the side of the train with a marker or crayon.
Let your little one have fun being the conductor of her train!
We recommend creating a whole train experience. You can read books about trains, color train pages and take a ride on your local train. You can talk about how people take trains to see family and friends, to go to work or how trains transport goods. In simple ways you can teach your child about transportation while having fun!
Thank you to the Clark family for sharing their toddler train experience with us!
When we think of going on a walk with our children, we usually think of nice Summer days or the crisp days of Autumn. Winter, however, can provide a unique experience for bonding with nature and your kids. We recently went on a winter walk with our kids at a small gem in the heart of Chicago – North Park Village Nature Center. This amazing nature center includes a 46 acre nature preserve and an educational facility. If we could find this piece of heaven in the midst of busy Chicago, we are sure everyone can find somewhere in their city for their nature walk.
What you need:
Notebook and Pen
Camera
Warm clothes
A curious mind
What to do:
Bundle up for your walk. We highly suggest layers.
For moms with babies, we love using a baby carrier. It keeps them close and snuggly warm and it is easier for you to engage with baby as you point things out on your walk.
Take photos of your walk. Capture special spots that your children liked.
Take the time to explain to them what is going on. For example the trees and grass at the nature center were brown. We talked about how nature is “sleeping” (yes, we did work in the importance of nap time for everyone – even the trees!) and during this sleep time, the trees are still very much alive and preparing to bloom. We found the deer hiding in the trees and talked about their brown “coats” helping them to blend in with the trees and grass.
Print out your photos and put them in a notebook. Have your child write a little memory of the picture. i.e. – I liked the deer or I learned that even though the pond is frozen, there are still fish living under the ice.
Go on the same nature walk for every season. Take pictures in those same spots and teach your children how nature changes for every season.
Homemade gifts during the holiday season are the perfect way for a child to show parents, grandparents, and even siblings, how important they are! These fun holiday crafts are kid-friendly and super easy!
Photo Frame Ornament: Glue 8 Popsicle sticks together (2 per side) to make a photo frame. Adhere a yarn loop to the top of the frame and decorate as desired (we used macaroni noodles and glitter)! Once the frame is fully decorated, glue down the photo
Calendars: Many craft stores sell blank calendars that can be filled with fun family photos and memories. For a more personalized touch, write in birthdays and anniversaries!
Coupon Books: Creating a coupon book is a fun gift for both the child and recipient!
Decorate a Mug: Most craft stores also sell mug decorating kits for kids. Now grandma will think of her grandson or granddaughter every morning when she drinks her coffee!
Butterfly Magnet: Glue a small sized photo of the child’s face onto a clothespin. Using leftover paper (or even wallpaper), cut out wings and glue onto the clothespin. Finally, adhere a magnet to the back of the clothespin to finish this cute butterfly!
Once your child has made their gifts for the whole family, they can even wrap them in handmade wrapping paper. Simply take a roll of plan white or brown paper and have them finger paint, or stamp a fun holiday pattern.
Turn your home into a winter wonderland with this easy holiday craft. Your kids will love creating festive holiday designs for the windows (and any glass surface!) that can be used for years to come!
What You Will Need:
Non-Toxic Fabric or Puffy Paint
Large Plastic Bags (Be sure to supervise children to avoid suffocation)
What to Do:
1. Using the fabric or puffy paint, draw your holiday designs and creations onto a large plastic bag. Draw the details first, such as the snowman’s nose, buttons and eyes and then shade in the area around it to ensure that the snowman will be visible from both sides of the window.
2. Let the paint dry overnight.
3. Once the paint has completely dried, carefully remove the designs from the plastic bag and start decorating your windows!
We all just celebrated Thanksgiving and have full bellies, but we can always find more room for Thanksgiving leftovers! A few ideas for recreating Thanksgiving dishes…
Turkey Chili – substitute turkey for ground meat
Turkey Pizza with Muenster Cheese. Yum!
Cranberry Meatballs – orange juice & cranberries make a great meatball sauce
Sweet Potato Fries – little healthier version of french fries
Mashed Potato Patties – make them crispy and your family will love them!
What ideas do you have for Thanksgiving leftovers?
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.
Veteran’s day is a time to remember, be grateful and work for a peaceful future, but how do we explain this to our children? We found a few websites that have helpful activities.
Another way to celebrate Veteran’s day is to visit a Veteran in your family or at a nursing home, etc. Your child can ask questions and get to know your own local hero who has given him/herself in service.
How will you be celebrating Veteran’s Day with your children?
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?
