Cardboard Fun!

Kids love cardboard boxes.  Next time you are about to throw one away, think about something fun you can make out of it.  Here are a few ideas on cardboard fun!

For Thanks Giving, we wanted to have a unique playdate that had a different theme than making a turkey or leaves.  We invited our friends to come sail the Mayflower at our house.  As a craft activity, we had them make binoculars so they can spot Plymouth rock.  This construction took 7 rolls of duck tape, 7 large boxes and 21 hours.  A bit over the top but an amazing playdate!

For class, we built the kids a castle out of cardboard.  This only took an hour.   The kids played with the castle for an hour.  

After the kids were done playing, we had them paint the castle with real paint rollers.  The painting activity was the most successful of all paint projects yet.  The kids really took to the real paint rollers.  We used the smaller version so their little hands could easily work the roller.  My Liam still talks about his castle! 

Always opt for peek through holes!  The kids love them!

During another class, we set up several boxes and gave the kids flashlights.  They had a blast with this "It's dark in here" activity.

During story time today, we created this box and put a bear face on it.  As we read the story of the brown bear, the kids took the story cards and fed it the bear when prompted.  This is a great way to make story time more interactive!

To make learning letters fun and new, we created these mail boxes.  Each box had it's own letter.  You can use numbers and shapes too.  We gave the kids several envelopes with the various letters on them. The kids were asked to deliver the mail to the correct mail box.

Kids love sand related activities.  Here we changed it up by having them feed the frog oatmeal.  This keeps them busy for a while.  The room always goes quiet when we bring out the frog box.  It's a great way to wind them down!

The bigger, the better!  Here's a bus we created for the first week of class.  

Another great vehicle play day.  Set up an obstacle course with a bunch of ride on toys, make a box with huge red, yellow and green stick ons and direct traffic.  Kids have a blast while learning about street safety!

For the little ones, you can attach shower rings to plastic hooks on the box.  It's a great fine motor builder!  We found the plastic hooks and rings at walmart for just $1

With the same box, we converted it to a block drop using milk cartons.  Another fun activity to keep your toddler busy.

There's so many more things you can do with a card board box.  Just let your imagination take charge and save those boxes!

Marching Band Playdate

We love throwing theme playdates.  Our Marching Band playdate was such a hit with the kids that I have to share it.  We hosted it in the summer when real parades were happening.  The kids really enjoy dramatic play, music and making crafts.  As a craft we had them make their own drums and maracas  After the craft, our little performers paraded around the house playing their instruments with some fun band music in the background.  For the parade route we taped contact paper to the floor (sticky side up) so that their feet made music too!  For the education component, we cut the contact paper into shapes.  When the music stopped, the kids had to call out the shape they landed on.  

For the drums, we used salt containers.  They were only 33 cents each and small enough for the kids to handle.  We saved the salt to make playdough for other playdates.  Prior to the craft, I cut out several strips of scrapbooking  paper for the kids to choose from.  Then we cut out 2 thinner strips for the borders (see orange in pic).  It was a simple tape/glue craft.   We put out a bowl of stickers for the kids too.  Make sure to cut off the bottom of the container. The drum beat sounds louder when the bottom is hollow.

For the drum sticks, just use some spoons in the house.  The ones we made in the picture didn't work out so well.  The simpler, the better.

You can also make some fun Maracas.  Prior to the playdate fill the salt container with beans and seal the lid shut.  

Here's my monkey just after the playdate.  He's  still ready for more marching.

It's very easy to prepare and very festive.  As a sweet parting gift, the kids get to take their new creations home to show dad.

Children's wall of art.. a great theme for your child's next outdoor birthday party

If you're looking to throw a fun outdoor birthday bash for your munchkin, this outdoor painting activity is sure to be a hit.  Kids love to create.  The messier the creation the better the creative!  Make sure to tell parents that the kids will need a second set of clothes to change into.  

Here's a photo of an art wall made with white sheets.  If you don't have poles to attach the sheets, you can use two easels.  Just place one on each end of the sheet.  For best results, get some stakes at a hardware store and line up two or three sheets to make a long wall of art. For younger kids, make sure that the sheets are lower.   If possible, try to set the art wall up so that the kids can go around it and paint the other side.

I placed a few paint bins on the fence so its a one stop area and more organized.  The kids can play with fun paint props like spay bottles, squirt bottles large rolling brushes and fun paint on decals.

The activities are endless.  Here are a few ideas for making the art wall fun!  Throughout the birthday party, leave it open so that each child can paint what ever they want on the art wall.  Play a game of musical art.   The kids run around the wall until the music stops and start painting where they stopped. Start music again to let them land at another spot on the wall.   Get some water guns and fill them up with paint.  Fill up some water balloons with paint.   Pick up a bunch of monster trucks (or any car with really big wheels) and have the children race the painted wheels across the sheet.  By the end of the birthday party, your child will have a fun keepsake of all his/her talented friends. And you will have just thrown the best birthday bash around!

Do it yourself-Felt activities your child will love

This interactive felt activity board is a great addition to any playroom.  Not only is it great as room decor but it also serves a rewarding purpose- educating your child.  Felt activities are a fun  way to learn colors, shapes, numbers, seasons, sizes, sorting and so much more!  This learn through play method offers a fun approach to mommy & me learning.  After you walk your child through the activity, watch them come back on their own to figure it out over and over again!

We are creating Spring related activities for the kids now.  We change the activities out once a week.  Here are a few ideas on how to make learning fun with your child.

Here the kids learn how to build a flower, match the bird color to the color of eggs in the bird nest, size up the frogs, build an egg and build a bunny.

Making a felt activity station:

You can buy a frame or use an old one.   We used some old frames to create these adorable felt activity walls for the kids.  Take out the glass, cut a large piece of felt and glue it to the backboard of the frame.  Now you have a fun activity station ready to go for the kids. 

Activity Close ups:

Build the flower.  We just printed out a fun flower from an image found on the internet, enlarged it and then cut out all the petals .  While the children build their flower, we talk about the colors and count the petals.

Build the bunny.  While the children build the bunny, we talk about the different body parts of the bunny, the colors and the sounds a bunny makes.  We found this image on line and then traced it to construction paper.

with the egg puzzle we just used some fun scrap booking paper.  Here we spoke about colors, eggs and shapes.

Making the activities:

To make your own activities, you will need to buy clear contact paper and velcro.

You can find the contact paper in almost any grocery store.  It's usually near the laundry and kitchen accessory section.  Once you find your images, cut them out and place them on the contact paper.  Make sure the front and back are completely covered.  Then cut the image out of the contact paper.  Now you have a kid durable image.

Next you need to place velcro on the back of the image.  Make sure you  use the rough part of the velcro.  This is how the image will stick to your felt.  It's quickest if you buy the velcro with a sticky back (not the ones you have to sew on).  We like to place a few pieces of velcro so the image stays put for those munchkins.  

Here's what it looks like

The options are endless and the children never get bored with it since the activities are always changing.

Learn through play activities for spring

In a grand effort to give my kids the best foot forward, I have been introducing education fundamentals through play.  After reviewing tons of eduction sites, I came up with a weekly curriculum that is used in pricey preschools and day care facilities .  Now my munchkins can have quality mommy time and a great education without breaking the bank.  It's so rewarding to see the light go on and be there to experience it with them.  The effort and time to create these activities is minimal compared to the compounding rewards!  Give one a try!

Here are three of our favorite activities where the kids learn to sort colors, letters and numbers with spring related items.  

Feather color match up

You'll be so proud when you see your munchkin figure this one out.  It's my top pick of all the activities this week.  Here the kids learn to match the color of the feather to the color painted on the bottom of an egg carton.  It's super easy to create and keeps them entertained for days.  My very busy Liam sat still with this one for an entire hour and still plays with it.

To make you'll need an egg carton, 6 colorful feathers and tempera paint.  Make sure to poke a small hole into the area where the feathers go.  Talk to the kids about the colors while they play.

Egg Number Match-up

Here the kids learn to match the number on the easter egg to the number on the stick.   If your toddler is like my Liam,  he/she knows how to count to 10 but doesn't know what the numbers look like.  This is a great way to learn the actual number.  For older toddlers, you can teach addition & subtraction by adding and taking away eggs.

Materials you'll need to make this activity are easter eggs, egg carton, jumbo craft sticks and white labels. 

Bird Egg Match-up

This is a super cute way to match the letters on the eggs to the letter on the bird.  Another great sight recognition activity.  We mixed all the lettered eggs in a bowl on the table and as the kids took turns picking out one egg, they matched it to the bird.  

Materials you'll need for this activity are a bird print out, easter eggs, easter grass and a bowl.

Cloud Hopping Playdate

This is a very charming set up and the kids will absolutely love it.  The theme
is whimsical, musical and educational.  During the playdate, the kids make their own streamers.  You can use ribbon, felt strips or any other kid safe string.
 It's best to tie the ribbon around a large ring.  You can use plastic shower
curtain rings or large plastic bangle bracelets.  The kids will be waving them
around while hopping from cloud to cloud so you don't want to use stick like
objects for the streamer handle.  We used blue painters tape to form the cloud
shapes on the floor.  We chose painters tape because it doesn't leave any
residue or glue after you remove it.  When the kids arrive, let them make their
streamers as the craft activity and then for the fun, have them jump from cloud
to cloud.  Play some music as they hop.  Stop the music to see who hopped the
most clouds.  Play again to start the hopping.  Make sure the clouds are close
enough so their little legs can reach each cloud in one hop.  During this
palydate, the kids learn fine motor skills while making the streamers, following
instructions with the stop and go and muscle development with the hopping.  The
playdate also has a fun take away-the kids will enjoy taking their newly made
streamers home to show dad!