Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Happy happy birthday to the one and only Dr. Seuss! This American writer and cartoonist would be 111 years old today! SO...we thought we would pay tribute to this lovely, looney, tooney legend with a craft from one of his famous stories, Bartholomew and the Oobleck. 

As a child, this was one of my favorite rainy day activities and would keep me entertained for hours. :) This super simple oobleck slime recipe will guarantee a goopy good time (with barely any ingredients!) 

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 1½ cups of cornstarch
• 1+ cup of water
• green food coloring
• glass mixing bowl
• mixing spoon
• newspaper or other covering for a work surface

Then just slowly mix together the water and cornstarch and add the food coloring to achieve the desired slime green! For the complete instructions, click HERE 

Have your child experiment with the different forms the goop will take, it's like magic! 

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** When finished, do not pour the oobleck down the drain as it will clog. Dispose in the trash** 

"I'm Thankful For..." Craft!

While perusing the Internet today I found this awesome trend of "I'm Thankful For..." garland and creative decorations! This fun and meaningful addition to your Thanksgiving decor can be recreated in any way and reflects the real meaning of Thanksgiving! It is a fun project to complete with your children and the results are just as special and heartfelt. 

Take a look at a few of these examples that I found thanks to a few other sources:

mycakies.com 

thesweetestoccasion.com 

themotherhuddle.com 

Will Santa Bring A Smartphone This Year?

It's that time of year again! Children of all ages, around the world are perfecting and finalizing the most important decisions of the year: their Holiday wish list! They have been taunted all year with "he sees you when you're sleeping" and whether they are asking Santa or their parents for these ever-so-coveted items, there may be one or two controversial things on the list. Based on what I've heard, one of the most asked-for gifts in the younger generations is the ever-polluting smartphone. Parents have to make a huge decision whether or not to grant this wish for their child...but how?? 

I found this wonderful article on Huffington Post that is worth the read if you are considering purchasing your child's first smartphone this holiday season. This article lays out 5 rules to be implemented for the arrival of the newest member of the family...

Read it HERE: The Gift That Keeps on Distracting: 5 Rules for Your Kid's New Smartphone 

Tie Dye Technique With SHARPIES?!

We can't WAIT to try this one out :)

Super simple craft that would make a great gift too. Check out the full post HERE. 

Here is what you need to create this fun craft:

• a plastic vinegar jug
• Sharpie Fine-Tip Permanent Markers
• rubbing alcohol
• spray varnish
• medicine dropper or pipette
• ribbon, twine or cording
• button
• scissors, hole punch 

Cut out your bookmark:

To remove the label from the vinegar jug, I filled the jug with very hot water, and let it sit for 10 minutes.  The heat from the water softens the glue, and the label peels off easily.

To make our bookmarks, I traced one of my own bookmarks on the plastic with a pencil, and used a pair of sharp scissors to cut it out. I repeated the process, getting 4 bookmarks out of one vinegar jug.

Color your bookmark:

Next, we colored our bookmarks.  Using a variety of bright colors, cover your entire bookmark with your Sharpies.  There’s no right or wrong way to do this.  Just fill in the whole bookmark.

The Sharpie and rubbing alcohol tie-dye technique:

Fill a dropper/pipette with rubbing alcohol and drip small drops on to your bookmark.  You can tap your dropper against your bookmark – that will deposit tiny amounts  on to the plastic, or you can just drip the alcohol randomly over your art.

Then let it sit.  Do not move the bookmark, or tip it, or all of your colors will run together.  Just watch it, and you’ll see the colors start to blend and fuse together.  It’s so magical and beautiful.

You can experiment with the amount of alcohol you use.  If you’re not happy with the way things are going, you can swipe the bookmark clean and start again.  A paper towel is good for this.

Setting the color:

To prevent your Sharpie art from rubbing off, you need to give it a shot of spray varnish.  Do not brush on a liquid varnish as it will likely dissolve your art.

Lightly spray your bookmark with the varnish.  If you use too much, it will activate the Sharpie ink like the alcohol did, and your colors will start to bleed again.

Allow your varnish to dry, and spray with a second coat if you like.  You don’t have to be quite as careful with your second coat of varnish because your art has been protected by the first coat.

Once your varnish has dried, punch a hole in the top of your bookmark, thread a ribbon or some cording through, and if you like, embellish with a pretty button.

Creative Crafts With Cardboard Tubes!

We all know they are everywhere! So, why not make a creative use out of them? Parents are always looking to use regular household products to create inexpensive, fun and entertaining projects for their children. Thanks to our good friends over at Happy Hooligans we have found this list of 22 ways to use these otherwise disposable products! 

22 Things to Make with Cardboard Tubes:

Click on the highlighted descriptions to see a full tutorial for each craft or activity.

Fall Decorations with Cardboard Tubes:

Use a cool paint process to make some fall napkin rings.

Make a turkey table topper for your Thanksgiving table.

Round up some fabric scraps and a few crafty odds and ends for some adorable toilet roll owls.

Crafting for Halloween:

The kids will love making a quirky monster mobile out of cardboard rolls.

A spooky crow or owl is a very fitting decoration for Halloween.

Our toilet roll mummies help little ones develop their winding and wrapping skills.

Winter Toilet Roll Crafts:

These cardboard roll snowmen are just the cutest little things, aren’t they?

The hooligans LOVE playing with our toilet roll Nativity set.

Cardboard Roll Christmas Crafts:

Fleece, batting and a cardboard roll makes an adorable Santa Claus.

Make a set of cute reindeer ornaments for your Christmas tree.

This snowman ornament would be great for the tree or as a gift topper.

Spring Crafts:

Summons up some April showers with a colourful rain stick.

These Easter chicks in paper nests are just too sweet.

Peeps!  Everyone loves Easter peeps, right?

And don’t forget about the Easter bunnies!  Check out our paint chip bunting too!

Bracelets and Cuffs:

Make some simple toilet roll cuff bracelets.

Anklets can be made using cardboard rolls and colourful duct tape.

Skill Building Activities:

Make some cool 3-D structures with tubes and a low-temp glue gun.

Toddlers love to drop things through our cardboard Drop Zone.

Arts and Crafts:

Create a unique piece of art for a kid’s room, toy room or classroom.

Turn a long cardboard tube into a torch.

Cardboard Tubes for Play:

In a pinch, a sturdy kitchen roll, makes an excellent bubble wand.

Make a set of simple “stand up” paper dolls.

Well?  What do you think?  Did we inspire you?  Now, it’s your turn to inspire me!  If you have a favourite cardboard roll craft or activity, I’d love to hear about it!

Now, I’ll bet you’re wondering how you can re-use all those Keurig K-cups you have stashed too!  Don’t worry!  We’ve got you covered: 25 Ways to Re-use Your K-cup pods.

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.

Awesome NON-Toy Gifts For Children!

"I want this Barbie", "I want a new Xbox game", "I want that dollhouse", I want, I want, I want...

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to give your children a gift that ISN'T a toy?! Present them with something different, stimulating and creative? I have always been a huge fan of DOING things instead of GIVING things. When you get out of the house and participate in a local activity, event or outing, there are more opportunities to bond and learn than simply throwing your child a toy and saying "have at it!"  

With commercials and advertisements targeting children more than ever, it is hard to escape the "I want" mentality. They are constantly being bombarded with the bigger, better toys and gadgets. What is even more frustrating is when you finally cave in and buy the life-size T-Rex, your child is over it within the week. Why not try taking little Tommy to the Natural History Museum in Balboa Park so he can LEARN about dinosaurs in a fun environment? 

Here is a fun list of 18 non-toy gifts, thanks to Nourishing Minimalism, to consider for the next birthday party you attend, a reward for Tommy's good report card or maybe even just a weekend outing :) Enjoy!! 

 

1. Classes. Music, dance, riding, drawing, classes are a great way to encourage children in their interests and let them know that you pay attention to them and what they enjoy.
2. Memberships. Zoo, science museum, children’s museum, YMCA membership, etc. These are particularly great for family gifts! Many young families want to enjoy day outings, but affording them can be a challenge, so give them the gift of a yearly membership.
3. Subscriptions. Kids enjoy getting things int he mail. Why not encourage their reading by getting them a magazine subscription for something they are interested in!
4. Events. Movie tickets, tickets to a play, concert or sports event are really exciting! Having an event to look forward to makes the rest of life more enjoyable.
5. Activities. Mini golf, bowling, skating rink. These are so much fun! And a big part of the fun is going together. Children love spending time with the adults in their lives, they want to see you enjoying your time as well as enjoying them.
6. Recipe and Ingredients. Kids love cooking with their parents. Baking something special or cooking dinner is an ideal time to spend together and learn life skills. Print out a recipe, purchase all the ingredients and set a date for cooking together.
7. Crafting Date. Our daughter loves making crafts. I do to, I really do enjoy the creative aspect. But I rarely take time out to do it with her. These crafting dates mean the world to our creative little girl. Keep a basket of craft supplies and get out a book for inspiration. We like this book.
8. Arts and Craft supplies. If your craft box is running low, stock up a little on things you need. Add in something fun the kids haven’t used before. A gift of art and craft supplies often brings on the imagination and kids can’t wait to get to work!
9. Coupons. An envelope of coupons that they can “spend” at any time: I’ll do one chore- no questions asked, movie and popcorn night, you pick the movie!, 1:1 game of cards or basketball (whatever the child’s interest is in), sit and read a book with me, Stay up 1/2 hour past bedtime
10. Restaurant Gift Card. Dinner, ice cream, coffee, cupcake- whatever suits their fancy! Give them the freedom of inviting whoever they wish: it may be mom or dad, it may be a grandparent, aunt or even teacher that they would like to spend more time with.
11. Dress Up Clothes. These do need to be limited, but  2 dresses and couple play silks can get hours and hours of play!
12. Books. We get a lot of books from the library, but there are some that I just can’t find there, or it takes us longer to read through. We have read through the entire Little House series, Narnia and are working our way through Shel Silverstein’s books. Be sure to pass the books on when you are done, so they don’t clutter up your home.
13. Clothes. When kids only have a certain amount of clothes, they often enjoy getting clothes. Make it a point to get something that fits their style. That may mean western clothes, super-hero, fancy dresses, etc.
14. Snacks. If your child is a foodie, they will love this! Some homemade granola or cookies made just for them, is a special treat!
15. Outdoor Supplies. If you are an outdoorsy family, giving kids their own fishing tackle or gardening equipment can be a big deal. It’s also something that gets left on the shelf in the garage, so you always know right where to find it.
16. Telling Time. The average child these days doesn’t know how to read analog, or finds it takes too long to think about it, so they search for a digital watch. Getting them a cool watch makes them want to be able to tell time on it. Boys, girls, and even teenagers can be excited about this.
17. Games and Puzzles. Games and puzzles are great activities for when kids have to be indoors. It’s a good practice to have individual quiet times during the day, and having a puzzle to sit and work on by themselves helps brain development and problem solving skills. Games teach a lot too! My kids talk about how they passed geography, just because we played Risk when they were little. Monopoly and PayDay have been popular and help cement math skills. Memory games are great for younger children.
18. Calendar. Many children like to know what is going on, what day it is, how many days until ____. These kids are the ones that want to know what the plan is for the day, in what order things will happen, what time friends are expected over, etc. They struggle with spur-of-the-moment and can be frustrating if you are a spontaneous parent. But celebrate it! These children have many strengths and make our world run smoother. Embrace their inner schedule and get them their own calendar. They can write down their own classes, appointments, play dates, etc. And if they ask you, send them to their calendar so they can get used to being in control of their own schedule. You can even schedule “spontaneous days”, so they know that something different will happen that day. Trust me, it will help them enjoy the spontaneous outings!