FALL FUN

Can you believe that fall is already upon us? It seems that every year it is here before we know it. Fall is such a beautiful time of the year, spent by enjoying football games carving pumpkins, and sipping cider with your loved ones by your side, and of course not yet having to stress about the hustle and bustle of the holidays that are approaching (Yikes!).

One of the most fun things about fall is the family activities and crafts. Although there is a never-ending list of possibilities for fall fun, here are a few that are worth setting aside the time to do.

1. Pumpkin Patch

Of course! What would fall be without a visit to the pumpkin patch? If you’re looking for a great time with the kids, this is the place to go. If you’re local to San Diego, the Bates Nut Farm is outstanding. Located in the Valley Center, this pumpkin patch is a way above average and worth the drive. The weekends are full of fun activities, but of course, more crowded. This place has it all, from tractor rides, to food trucks, and farm animals for the kids. Squeezing in a visit to the pumpkin patch is a must!

2. Ghost Tour

If your kids are past the pumpkin-picking stage and looking for a little more spooky Halloween tradition, a ghost tour is perfect! Located in Old Town, San Diego, this tour is filled with history of the area twisted with chilling details.

2754 2754 Calhoun St San Diego, CA 92110 (at Wallace St Old Town)

3. Apple Picking

Put on your favorite boots, grab the kids, and hop on the road! Typically, apple picking in Southern California is usually limited to the grocery store, but plucking a beautiful and juicy apple off of a tree brings a certain satisfaction that the grocery store shelves simply cannot supply. This is must-do of fall activities! A highly recommended place to go is the Volcan Valley Apple Farm located in Julian, California. It is definitely worth the drive!

1284 Julian Orchards Dr. Julian, CA 92036

4. Football Games!

Whether it be the Chargers or San Diego State, spending a fall night cheering on your favorite team is sure to be packed with fun. Friday night-lights with the family will be something that you won’t want to miss! Be sure to grab tickets online.

~Sarah Luckham,
Social Media Specialist, Seaside Staffing Company 2015

Clever Halloween Costume Ideas For The Not-So-Crafty...

Do you have a difficult time coloring inside the lines let alone making your child a homemade Halloween costume that can compete with Tommy's $300 light up, laser beam shooting, Transformers costume complete with sound effects? WE UNDERSTAND! Sure, you can go to Party City and sort through the Mt. Everest sized pile of picked through costumes and pray that there is something left over that your little one will semi accept as their costume. However, the day will most likely end in tears and you will walk out with 3 "options" and $150 of non-returnable merchandise. 

SO I have found a few websites that give step-by-step instructions for making one-of-a-kind costumes for practically no money! And they are easier than they look!

Take a look with your child(ren) and see if anything grabs their attention. They can even help make it! Below are some images to get those creative juices flowing thanks to Parenting and Cafe Mom! Happy costuming! 

For the complete list click HERE or HERE 

10 Fun Fall Activities for Kids to Do in the Backyard

Fall is right around the corner!! The weather will cool down, leaves will change and good 'ole Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back at Starbucks! Here are some great ideas for outdoor Fall activities from our friends over at Happy Hooligans...Check it out! 

Each of the activities described contains a clickable link that will take you to the detailed blog post.

 

Rake up a leaf maze or leaf labyrinth!

Pick up some decorative corn cobs for sensory play! This fine-motor activity keeps the hooligans busy for days on end!

Set up a fall sensory bin using found items and thrift-shop materials.

Fall play on a mirror!  An display of autumn dollar store items is doubly interesting to explore when set up on a mirrored surface.

Collect a big bucket of chestnuts.  Kids LOVE shelling them, and then using them for sensory play.

A corn and chestnut run will keep little ones entertained for hours!

Make a leaf slide!

Set up an invitation to play with sensory materials on a mirror under a canopy of leaves or the clear, blue sky.

Explore a variety of harvest items.  The hooligans love dissecting sunflowers!

A nature table laden with gourds, candles, pinecones, bark and other natural element provides loads of discovery and learning.

Falling Into Fall!

Well...summer has come and gone, school is back in session, temperatures are cooling down (well, sort of), and fall in approaching! Here are some great fall-time crafts for your kiddos to try out to get in the spirit! 

Here at Seaside, we are HUGE on arts and crafts. We love getting creative and discovering out of the box ways to make something simple into something unique!

Thanks to Happy Hooligans (LOVE her blog!) we found 5 easy to make, tree crafts for your preschoolers or school aged kids :) Take a look.

Wallpaper sample, buttons and tissue paper! 

Food-dyed popcorn and twigs add a sensory element to this tree!

Tissue paper and twigs

Sandpaper, sponge and finger printing tree!

Paint swatch "leaves" and bark! 

Back To School, Back To School...

...to prove to mom I'm not a fool! 

Say "bye-bye" to summer! Fall is just around the corner. Can you believe it?! However, the transition from summer to fall can be quite challenging for the kiddos headed to school. We thought it would be helpful to put together a little list of tips and tricks to make the ease into a school schedule a little, LITTLE easier :) 

1) A couple weeks before school starts, try and get the kids on a school-sleep schedule. This means earlier to bed, earlier to rise! Hopefully, by the time those dark 6:30 mornings roll around, they will be prepped and ready enough and won't fall asleep face-first in their cereal. 

2) Meal routine! Make sure the kids (especially the little ones) are generally accustomed to eating throughout the day. I always remember being STARVING when I came home from school because I wasn't used to eating a snack in the middle of the day. SO, we suggest establishing a snack-schedule so when snack time rolls around, they are ready to devour those Goldfish and string cheese (and carrots of course). 

3) Activities calendar! This is crucial for a family with multiple children. Make sure all of their after-school activities and meetings are schedules and written down in a planner/family calendar. This leads to not only organization and timelines but an easier transition for chauffeur..I mean, Mommy!

4) Back to school supply shopping! Still to this day, one of my favorite places in the world is Office Depot. Pathetic? Well, it is probably because my mom and I used to make a day out of getting me organized for school. In a way, it got me excited to go back! Even just thinking about showing off my new sparkle pencils and obnoxiously large pink binder was enough to get me through at least the first week of school relatively painlessly. Make it fun! Print out the list of grade-appropriate supplies required by their teachers and let the kids go crazy! Hey, you can even let them get the JUMBO pack of highlighters, because everyone knows you need 23 shades of neon markers!

And always remember to make the transition from summer to school FUN! If you have a new Middle Schooler, take them to explore the school when they get their classes, help decorate their locker etc. If you have a new Kinder, decorate their backpack together or pick out an AWESOME first day of school outfit. You want your child to look forward to the school year, so get creative and prepare ahead of time :) Good luck!!!