Showing posts with label Kids Activities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kids Activities. Show all posts

Tuesday

KidQ App Connects Kids and Parents on the Smartphone #KidQapp

Smartphones are found in almost every family today. Parents have one or two and more and more kids are getting them daily! Even if the kids do not have one they are on their parent's phone. Everyone in our family has a smartphone. How about your family? 

 Scholastic Parent & Child believes that one of the best ways to connect with your child is through conversation. Thanks to Scholastic Parent & Child for sponsoring this post. I've received compensation to honestly share my own opinion. Today I'm sharing with you about the KidQ app for your iPhone or Android phone. This app connections kids and parents together through curious conversations. 

 Hop on over to Scholastic to download the KidQ app. It took us 1 minute to find the app, download and begin playing. Once the app is on your phone you can begin the fun. KidQ will ask a question. Then everyone gives what they think the answer is. If it seems like a question no one has a clue about you can click SKIP Q. Once everyone has an answer, click ANSWER. A full explanation will be given and read it out loud. This is the time where you can see if anyone was right. 


Depending on the age of the child, some of the questions might be a little difficult. Do not skip a question automatically just because you think that they won't know the answer. If them a chance to show what they know. They WILL surprise you over and over again with their answers. 

Once you've gone through the real answers and discuss or laugh at your answers click on the NEW Q to go for another question. Play the game as long as you like. It might be beneficial to set a timer or you might be playing it ALL.NIGHT.LONG. 


KidQ app really is a fun conversation starter and can be used in the car, at home, at parties, etc. It is amazing how much the kids know and how good everyone is at making up an answer that they think might be correct. What a great way to have fun, to laugh and to learn together. While you are at Scholastic, check out all their other apps, too! They provide so many ways for kids and parents to connect in our busy daily life. Have fun! 

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Friday

Top Hoppin' Easter Bunny Crafts and Projects {Holiday Fun}

I'm such a seasonal nut. I love all the fun colors, foods, decorations that are associated with all of our American and Christian Holidays. This weekend is all about Easter.  How about you? Do you celebrate all the fun holidays? You can go through my National Food HoliDays post for more fun ideas. Here are some of my favorite Easter Bunny ideas. Enjoy!

crafts for Easter bunny

I'd love for you to share your ideas in the comments below!! Thanks and Hoppy Easter! 


Bunny Candy
Easter Candy Project
Easter Bunny Candy Bouquet (my project featured on the Bowdabra Blog)

Easter Candy Recipes

Easter Bunny Egg Pops


Easter Bunny in a Jar Food Craft & Gift Idea



Easter Bunny Bow Ears Craft for Kids

egg cups

Easter Bunny Egg Cups - Cute and easy project!

-Cut out white and pink ears and pink nose with felt.
-Cut a pipe cleaner in half or in thirds.
-Hot glue or tacky glue ears together and glue to back of small plastic dixie cup. Then do eyes. Fold pipe cleaners in half and glue on cup. Finally glue on nose.

Use this to add in an Easter egg for the kids. You can have their name on the egg. This would be cute for party favors or instead of place cards at the dinner table. You could even add candy into the cup. Use any size cup. I got this fun idea from the daycare where I work!



Rainbow Bread - Last but not least... let the kids brighten up bread with a little bit of fun colors! I got this project from my friend's daycare. 

To Do:
1-With paint brushes, let the kids paint on a mixture of whole milk and food coloring. The mixture is 1/3 cup whole milk and desired amount of food coloring. 

Don't let them go too crazy with the mixture or the bread will turn to mush.

2-Bake the bread on parchment paper in a preheated 375 degree oven for 5 minutes. You can use the paper to write their names on.
3-  Then let them eat the rainbow!
So fun and perfect for so many occasions! Thanks for sharing, Jane! 


More fun Easter ideas





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Thursday

Disney's FROZEN Free Christmas Activity Sheets {Christmas Goodies}

I can't wait for the movie FROZEN to come out on Thanksgiving this year. We will be with our three little nieces which always means movie time! My girls are all teens and they love to watch Disney movies with the nieces. I have quite a few free printables to share with you over the next few weeks for this movie. Print them off for your kids and their friends! They are free!!! Keep checking in for my 30 Days of Christmas Goodies, too!

Here they are. Just click them and print them off.




More Christmas Goodies

christmas recipes

30 Days of Christmas Goodies




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Tuesday

Turkey Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

When my girls were little we would make turkey hands for Thanksgiving. On their traced hands we would write things that they were thankful for. Now my girls are 14-19 and I those are some of my cherished memories of Thanksgiving.
thanksgiving activities for kids
Today I'm featuring guest crafter, Allison M. She is a sweet young teacher who I love and respect. Here is what Allison has to say about this craft project for her class.

Thanksgiving Preschool Activities
"This is my November Family Project for my preschool class. Each month I put together some supplies and direction for a project and send it home with the kids."

What a great idea, Allison!

Let's Give Thanks Turkey

Project supplies
Construction paper or cardstock
Jiggle eyes
Scissors
Glue Stick
Pen

Directions
Trace kids hand on tan or brown construction paper. Cut out.
Cut out a red gobble and two little humps for the feet.
Cut out 5 feather shapes for each finger in red, orange, yellow or brown paper.
Ask the kids what they are thankful for and write on the feathers.
Write... What I'm Thankful for on front of hand.
Glue to each finger. 
Glue on gobble, feet and eyes.
Turn over project and add date and name to the project.
Do this for the entire family!
turkey thanksgiving activities for kids

More Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

Craft Stick Turkey - Formula Mom
Maple Leaf Turkey Craft - Almost Unschoolers
Clothes Pin Turkey Craft - Giggles Galore
Thanksgiving Printables Galore! - Kids Can Have Fun




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Wednesday

{Halloween Activity} Sweet Math Candy Counting Activity Sheet

One of my most favorite memories as a kid is getting home after trick or treating on Halloween night and sorting my candy! Did you do this? Do your kid do this? It is amazing at all the ways the candy can be sorted. Thanks to the Kiddy Academy Family for provide the below free activity printable to give to the kiddos this Halloween so that they can sort and count their candy. What a fun Halloween Activity to incorporate math into this fun, festive day!

Click to print the sweet Math Candy Counting Activity sheet here.

More Halloween Activities for fun parties!

Scarecrow craft, recipe and costume fun!


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Friday

Pumpkin Pie Slime Kid Activities for Halloween

Kids love having hands on fun no matter the time of the year. Each season brings on new opportunities to explore and learn together. Right now is prime time to do kid activities for halloween which brings me to this fun fun fun pumpkin pie slime project posted today on the Science Center of Southern Illinois Facebook page. My daughters are too old to go there to play but they can go there to volunteer! This activity is fun for all ages and even my teens love it.
kid activities
Photo credit and project belongs to Growing a Jeweled Rose

When I saw this project today posted on the Science center page I was thrilled to share it and give them credit. I wanted to give them a link so that anyone living in the Southern Illinois area could pop over and visit the newly updated center. On the photo I saw a faint watermark for Growing a Jeweled Rose. I know that blog and have been there many times. So I went to the blog and yes, it is their photo and project. For the sake of giving true link and credit for this project that is what I'm doing today on my blog. I also left the direct link on the Science center page for people to go to this blog and get the full project.

I think as bloggers we have the responsibility to take care of each other and if we see that someone is using a photo or something from their blog without a link that we provide it. I do wish that businesses and blog readers would show respect to blogs and provide that link automatically when sharing photos and complete recipes on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. 

If you are a reader of mine, please always give full credit for the blogger who put together the project or recipe. If you don't it is most always a copyright violation. What are your thoughts on this?

On to the Pumpkin Pie Slime Kid Activities and recipe. I decided not to share the exact recipe from the Facebook page which belongs to Growing a Jeweled Rose because I want you to visit her blog, get her recipe which goes with the above photo. My kids have made this slime countless times over the years and it is just a combination of these 3 equal ingredients mixed together:
  • Elmer's Glue
  • Liquid Starch
  • Water
To get the scoop on how to make this pumpkin pie slime visit Growing a Jeweled Rose. You won't regret it because her blog is all about kid activities and you will find more Halloween and Fall kid activities to keep you busy until next year! 
kid activities for fall
The kids can make these fun halloween treat jars to put their slime in. Just make sure you keep the paper off the neck so you can put a lid on the jar. 

Photo belongs to The Southern Illinoisan and if you click their link you can go find 30 + things to do in Southern Illinois for October! 

More Kid Activities for Halloween and Recipes







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Saturday

Make Every Day a BIG DAY with Frosted Mini Wheats #PCBigDay

Sometimes our family gets in a rut. We do the same things over and over, just go about doing every day life that we forget to stop and really look at what everyone has going on. Does your family do this? Every day is not full of new and exciting adventures over at our home but I have found that every day is a big day in the life of a teenager. There is always something going on from breakfast to supper all the way to bedtime! This is a sponsored post and my own tasty opinions are expressed here.

No matter what we have going on, I have always encouraged my girls to start each day as a new day. If everything didn't go as planned yesterday, today is a new day. Treat today as a BIG DAY and make the most of it. The best way to do this new start of the day is to eat breakfast. I'm a huge believer that a breakfast can get you focused from the beginning of the day. One of our family favorite breakfast foods is a yummy bowl of Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats with milk. We love the crunchy, slightly sweet Frosted Mini Wheats! These little mini wheats pack a powerful punch of fiber and whole grains. What a great way to kick off the day with a full tummy!

Besides every day being a BIG DAY and a chance to start fresh, there really are days that are extra special. Just recently my 14 year old had a BIG DAY which she kicked her way into testing and receiving her 2nd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. This was a huge BIG DAY for her and our entire family is super proud of her hard work and dedication to get this far in her training.

How do you tackle each day with your family? Do you think each day can be a BIG DAY? Now that summer is over and we are headed into fall take time to focus on something special each day with your kids.

10 Tips to Make Every Day a Big Day

  • Send a lunch note or sneak a note into your kids backpack to give encouragement for something they have going on that day. 
  • Eat breakfast together as a family. 
  • Get the kids involved in family meal planning and let them pick a meal each week they want to eat. Let them help you in the kitchen to prepare the meal.
  • Have a special plate that someone gets each day. Have it on a rotating schedule so everyone gets a turn to have the special plate.
  • For those kids with phones, text them every day a special message.
  • At dinner asking everyone to share something that they did at school.
  • As a parent, if you have quick errands to run always make sure you take a kids with you. Rotate who goes but use that one on one time to make your kid feel special.
  • Make an effort to do something physical every day with the kids. Good idea would be to go on a 15 minute walk after dinner.
  • Go through the backpack every day. Don't miss anything your kids brought home.
  • Keep a chore chart each week and let the kids help pick their chores. It is important that each kids feel a part of the family and contributes daily.

Need more BIG DAY tips and ideas? Stop on over and check out the BIG DAY tips over at Scholastic.



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12 Kids in the Kitchen Fall Foods and Pinterest Link & Pin Party

I have always loved having my girls in the kitchen with me cooking. Now that my babies are teens they hang out to chit chat and take recipes to make on their own. Do you have your kids in the kitchen with you? If not I hope you give it a try with some of these recipes below. If you do have them in the kitchen, feel free to share some of those recipes below! Here are 12 Kids in the Kitchen Fun Fall Foods from some of my favorite blogs!

 12 Kids in the Kitchen Fall Foods

Apple Smiles - Just 2 Sisters
Bubble Up Pizza - Coupon Closet
Cheesy Pizza Biscuit Rolls - Penny Pincher Jenny
Flufftella Waffle Sandwich - The Happy Housewife
Grand Champion One Bowl Chocolate Cake - Farmer's Wife Rambles
Grilled Cheese Pizza - Coupon Closet
Mummy Faced Pizza - SusieQTpies Cafe
MYOP (Make Your Own Pizza) Night - SusieQTpies Cafe
M & M Crusted Brownies (and more variations) - The Pinning Mama
Pumpkin & Ghost Brownies - SusieQTpies Cafe
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes - Little Island Studios
Waffle Iron Pizza Pockets - A Slob Comes Clean

Today is also our weekly Pinterest party so join in the fun and link up post and pins below. We do not care what you link up- no theme. We love the chance each week to make new Pinterest friends and pin new content onto our boards. Thank you! 

 In the weekly Pinterest Party you can link up anything that you want to get pinned on Pinterest! Join in the fun and link blog post, your top pins or top repins, your Pinterest ID, etc. Anything goes!
HOW TO JOIN THE LINKY Party (all optional)

1) Pin this Party Post to Pinterest- Please! 
2) Link up your most clicked on post, most followed Pinterest board, favorite pinterest pin, etc...anything goes.
3) Add your Pinterest name to the linky.
4) In turn pin a few things on the linky.
5) Please follow my boards on Pinterest- SusieQTpies Cafe and cohost with my blogging friend Little Island Studios. 

Here are a few more Fall ideas


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Wednesday

Last day to 'Round up' and help Boys & Girls Clubs of Amercia #Tools4BTS #sponsored

I'm so excited to be a Boys & Girls Clubs (BGCA) Back-to-School Ambassador. I have always been a huge fan of this organization for all that they do in the communities which they serve and also on their website. Are you familiar with BGCA? I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

 Funding is always needed for community groups like BGCA. Right now jcpenney is making it possible for you to help by their 'jcpenney cares round up campaign' which ends today. Sorry that you aren't finding out about this sooner but today is your last day to head to jcpenny and round up your purchase to the nearest dollar amount. All these round up donations will be given to BGCA. For more information on this, check out BGCA Great Futures. 

 Do you have a BGCA in your community? These are safe places for kids to go to after school and provide numerous resources for kids and families. The clubs are go to spots for homework help, advice for the future, development of art and sport skills and more! I learned on their site that 3 out of 10 kids (that is 30%) will not graduation high school on time. Such a sad statistic. 

 If your family isn't in need of the local offerings I want to encourage you to pop in at their website and check out the resources that they have online for you to use at home on bullying, fitness, homework help and more. Also, your support in anyway will be greatly appreciated. So if you have time today, go shop at jcpenney and participate in the 'jcpenney cares round up campaign'.

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Orbit for Kids Sugarfree Gum Encourages Healthy Oral Hygiene Habits

My girls practically grew up with a toothbrush in their mouth! They have always loved brushing their teeth. As they got older I learned that gum was available to help keep their teeth clean between brushing. How about you? Do you let your kids chew gum as part of their healthy oral hygiene routine?
I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Orbit for Kids. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

When the girls were little, they always had a little tooth brush and we taught them how to use it. We always sang the song, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars" as they brushed.  As they got older we would let them pick out their own brush, toothpaste, flossers, mouthwash,etc because we wanted them to enjoy caring for their oral hygiene. Occasionally they said that the song pops in their head while brushing but they now rely on their battery powered toothbrushes to let them know when to stop brushing. 

Besides providing these things for them, we also made sure that they went to the dentist twice a year. All of them have been or are in the braces stage which has come with its own challenges of oral hygiene. It was through a dentist appointment years ago that we learned that it was ok to chew certain gums as part of their oral hygiene care. I remember being blown away by this fact. The girls, of course, all loved it and still do today. Even the girls with braces can chew Orbit for Kids gum because it won't stick to their braces. 

Orbit is a sugar free gum that gives protection in between brushing. I love that the gum helps clean out food debris, increases saliva which I have learned reduces plaque acids and strengthens teeth. The gum also freshens their breath which is a plus for teens! Besides all of these benefits, the girls love the taste of Orbit for Kids Original Bubble Gum and Strawberry Banana flavors. 


Besides Orbit for Kids being good for my kids to chew, they love blowing bubbles! Here are a few younger pictures of the girls practicing on their bubble blowing. I love the face of Anna after she made a bubble! This gum is mom approved for healthy oral hygiene habits and for total bubble blowing FUN! 




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Sunday

{Kid Crafts} Monthly Kiwi Crate Themed Craft Projects

About twenty bucks a month for a couple crafts? I was skeptical if it was worth the cost. This is a sponsored review of Kiwi Crate and we were provided product for a review and our own crafty, creative opinions are expressed here. Kiwi Crate is a monthly subscription service of craft projects and other learning activities for kids ages 3-7; each themed monthly crate contains at least two projects. You can also get single crates, mini crates, and party favor crates. Do I have your attention? 

The theme of May's crate was “Feathered Friends.” My boys were excited to start doing “bird stuff!” The instruction booklet has helpful little graphics that tell the “messiness” and “grownup involvement” of each project, and  I found them to be accurate. The illustrations were colorful and cute, and everything, including the supplies, was high quality. The illustrated instructions were easy to follow, and each booklet was peppered with fun facts relating to that specific project. For example, the “my bird costume” instruction booklet explained the purpose of each bird beak shape, like ducks having wide, flat beaks to help them scoop up water plants. 

AJ, my 5-year-old, says the Kiwi Crate was “way too fun” for him. (That's a high compliment!) My 3 year-old son, Ezra, decided that “all of it was awesome.” They enjoyed the process of making the projects and were delighted to play with the finished products. My boys both said that it'd be fun to get a different crate every month. A fold-out preview of the upcoming crates was in the box, and they look super fun. 


So, is Kiwi Crate really worth the subscription cost? It won't fit into every budget, but YES! (I was pleased to see that you can “pause” monthly subscriptions, which would be helpful if you realized that it just wasn't going to fit into your budget next month! Also, you get a break on the price for a monthly subscription if you commit a longer subscription period.) Could I buy a bunch of craft supplies for the same price? Definitely. However, the imaginative presentation, convenience, high quality, and thrill of getting a package in the mail with surprise projects inside definitely has appeal. If it can be worked into our budget, I'll be subscribing to Kiwi Crate or at least getting single crates or mini crates as an occasional special treat!

Thanks, Donna & Co for the fun review of Kiwi Crate. Thanks to Kiwi Crate, you can get your first Crate at 25% off now through 7/7/13 when you use the code QTPIES25. 

Check out Kiwi Crate's Summer Discovery Series for fun outdoor and indoor play all summer long! Watch the fun YouTube Video below for more fun! If you have older kids, check out these summer activities, too.

More kids activities and crafts

Handprints Heart Card Kids Crafts
I Love You Sign Language Kids Craft
DIY Color Your Own Shoes Craft
DIY Lollipops Kids Activities
Penny Science Experiments
Feathered Friends Crafts




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