Sustainable & Creative Living
One of my son’s favorite snacks is a cake pop from Starbucks. Surprise, surprise right- so is every other kid’s in America. I made these adorable DIY Fake Cake Pops for my son to bring to school and add them to his VPK class Starbucks store. [Read more…]
DIY sensory bins and motor development games are some of my favorite ways to help my son explore his 5 senses. They’re great for helping him develop the skills he needs to learn how to use his hands and fingers. I have a closet full of Dollar Tree bins that I’ve turned into fun and interactive sensory bins. This Spider Search- Fine Motor Development Game is a festive way to enjoy the [Read more…]
If you or your little one loves Mo Willems’ classic children’s book Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, why not bring the beloved character to life with a fun and easy DIY Pigeon Costume? This homemade pigeon costume is perfect for book character days, Halloween, or just for some imaginative play!
Now that it’s officially Fall and Halloween is just around the corner, my house is already gearing up for costumes, candy, and cold weather! Crafts are one of my favorite things to do around the holidays and this Paper Plate Halloween Cat is the perfect little craft to get your little ones in the Halloween spirit. It’s easy to assemble and if you’re a crafty household, you [Read more…]
It’s that time of the year…time for another DIY handprint card! One of my favorite parts of the holidays is making handprint cards. This year, my son is finally at the age where he can make them almost completely by himself. My son’s favorite book series is Duck & Goose, we read at least one or two (out of 15 or so in the series) a night. So, when I asked if he wanted to make this Easter Chick Handprint Card for some family members, he was delighted. Below, you can find [Read more…]
Learning to recognize sequences and patterns is an important part of beginning math skills. Even the simplest form of patterning can help a child learn and develop the skills they will need to master math concepts like times tables and addition. There are many ways to help your preschooler develop these skills without spending a lot of money. One of mine and my son’s favorite ways to practice learning sequences and patterns is with [Read more…]
I was inspired to do this DIY Rock & Gem Mining Activity by a recent mini-golf outing with my family. It’s a fun activity that can be put together fairly cheap and done over and over again. The hands-on experience of discovering buried treasures like gemstones, rocks, shells, fossils, and shark teeth is a great beginner science activity for preschoolers and Kindergarteners to learn about [Read more…]
Bubbles are one of my son’s favorite outdoor activities. Not only does he love to blow them but he also loves to run around and chase them. I don’t know what it is about bubbles that kids go crazy for but I don’t care because I know when I take them out it’s at least a good 30 minutes of fun and running around. My favorite time to play with bubbles is right before nap time—the running around gets him [Read more…]
This DIY Hot Wheels Christmas Tree is perfect for boys and girls who love cars! In this post, you’ll find links and a full tutorial on how to turn Hot Wheels cars into the cutest Christmas tree ornaments.
If you’ve read some of my older posts, you know my son is obsessed with cars. I imagine most little boys his age are so, with Christmas right around the corner, I decided to make my little guy this DIY Hot Wheels Christmas Tree.
If you’re feeling adventurous, this is a fun project to do with your kids plus when it’s complete they’ll be so excited to see their handy work!
With Thanksgiving just about a week away, I’ve been doing some fun turkey crafts with my 3-year-old. One of my favorites is this Thanksgiving Turkey Magnet. Making this with J brought back some fond memories from when I was a kid. I don’t remember much from my early childhood but I do remember doing holiday crafts with my mom every year. I think that’s one of the reasons I make such a point to [Read more…]
When I asked my 3-year-old son what he wanted to dress up as this Halloween, he said with confidence, “A racing car driver!” So I thought, ok this should be easy. I’ll just get a costume at Target or on Amazon and we’re set. Jumpsuit—check. Helmet—check. I thought I was done but to my surprise when my little firecracker tried on his new racing car driver costume, his next question was, “Where’s my car?” I LOL’d because he was right—how could I forget the car! So, I scoured the internet for boxcar costume ideas and found this DIY Race Car Box Halloween Costume. [Read more…]
When I first started teaching my son how to recognize different shapes, I would draw them on a piece of paper, point, and tell him what each shape was. Before too long he would get bored and move on to a toy with wheels or sound and leave me in the dust. It didn’t take me long to realize I was going about my teaching style all wrong. He needed something to touch and feel in his hands to be more interested in learning his shapes. So I turned my original boring shape activity into a reusable, hands-on, and very easy-to-make Shape Recognition Activity with colorful felt shapes that can be stuck on and peeled off over and over. [Read more…]
I first learned about sensory development when my son turned about 14 months old. This was right around the time when he started walking and getting into everything he wasn’t supposed to. His curiosity to touch, feel, and taste everything in sight prompted me to do a little research on this particular stage of his development. This is when I noticed the phrase “sensory play” became a common idea among mom bloggers, educators, and psychology blogs. It’s a phrase I think I’ve always heard but never really bothered to understand.
