Category: Holiday

The Best Precious Moments Gift Guide 2020

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date October 18, 2020
2 Comments on The Best Precious Moments Gift Guide 2020

classic Christmas gifts everyone will love

Nothing says classic like Precious Moments, and it’s the perfect gift to give someone you love. Anyone in your life will love these cute décor pieces. The best part is, there are so many to choose from that you’re sure to find something personal and meaningful.

From ornaments and snow globes to figurines and advent calendars, Precious Moments has everything. There are figurines related to professions (Hello, medical professionals!), lifestyles, holidays, and special events. With many styles, colors, and types, you have plenty of options.

So, as you start planning your Christmas shopping this year, consider some of these Precious Moments Figurines. You’ll be glad you did and your gift will be a hit on Christmas morning.

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

Precious Moments Gifts 2020

1. All I Want For Christmas Figurine

Precious Moments All I Want For Christmas Figurine

Visiting Santa and telling him what you want is a tradition for most children. This figurine is nostalgic for adults and can help bring Christmas spirit. For children, it’ll be a reminder of the excitement involved in seeing Santa.

2. Tree-mendous Fun

This figurine has colors and lights, making it stand out among the other decorations. With tree decorating and carol singing involved, it is sure to inspire happy memories. The button cell batteries are included.

3. Meet Me Under The Mistletoe Limited Edition Figurine

Precious Moments Meet Me Under The Mistletoe Limited Edition Figurine

This mistletoe figurine will bring back memories of Christmas’s past spent with someone special. You could get this figurine for them as a reminder of you that they’ll always cherish.

This figurine is limited edition and Precious Moments is only selling 3,000 of them, so don’t wait if you love this one.

4. My Favorite People Call Me Grandma

Precious Moments My Favorite People Call Me Grandma

Grandmothers tend to love cute figurines like this, and this one will make her even happier. A reminder of how much her grandchildren love and appreciate her will never be forgotten. Plus, we all know that the saying is true, grandchildren truly are their grandma’s favorite people.

5. Quote Pitcher

Refresh Your Spirit Refuel Your Soul Precious Moments Pitcher

While Precious Moments is best known for their figurines, they also have items for your kitchen. This pitcher is so cute and can fit many different kitchen styles.

It is made of glazed ceramic, is 8.5″ high, and can hold 49 oz. of liquid. You aren’t limited to using it for serving liquids, however. It can be used as a decorative vase, instead.

6. Each New Moment Milestone Photo Frame

Precious Moments Each New Moment Milestone Photo Frame

Parents love to document each milestone, especially the firsts. This New Moment Milestone frame does just that, plus it allows the parent to display it in a beautiful way.

Each spot holds a 3″ x 3″ photo. There is a place for first smile, first bath, first teeth, first steps, and first solid food.

7. May Angels Embrace You Photo Frame

Precious Moments May Angels Embrace You Photo Frame

This photo frame holds a 4″ x 4″ photo and is for those who have lost a loved one. They can place a photo inside, and the wings wrap around. It is a reminder that their loved one is always with them and always surrounding them with love.

8. Be Caring, Kind, And Live Joyfully Bear Keepsake Bank

Precious Moments Be Caring, Kind, And Live Joyfully Bear Keepsake Bank

This bank is made of ceramic and is around 5″ tall. It comes with an endangered animal story card so the child can learn about the animal, too. It opens on the bottom to get the money back out, and is the perfect, classic gift for any child.

9. Your Story Has Just Begun Bookends

Precious Moments Your Story Has Just Begun Bookends

If these bookends existed when I was decorating nurseries for my babies, they would have definitely been in there. I am in love with them because the animals are the saying are both adorable.

10. You’re My Honey Exclusive Limited Edition

Precious Moments You’re My Honey Exclusive Limited Edition

If you’ve ever been camping together, this is the perfect gift to give to someone special. It will bring back great memories of time spent around the campfire. This Precious Moments figurine is an Exclusive, so you won’t find it in stores.

11. Fairy Tails Do Come True Exclusive Figurine

Precious Moments Fairy Tails Do Come True Exclusive Figurine

This mermaid figurine is perfect for a little girl’s bedroom. As a little girl pulls on a glittery mermaid tail (or blanket), it inspires imagination. Precious Moments has this same figurine with different hair colors, too, so you’re not limited to the blonde version.

12. You’re My Hero Figurine

Precious Moments You’re My Hero Figurine

Health care workers are definitely heroes. They always have been, but even more so amidst the Corona Virus pandemic. Show your appreciation with this figurine. There are more options available on the Precious Moments website if you want one that looks different than this one.

13. Joy To The Whole Wide World Annual Santa Figurine

Precious Moments Joy To The Whole Wide World Annual Santa Figurine

This might be my favorite figurine of all time because I love that Santa’s bag has a globe popping out. It’s a reminder of how many places Santa has to stop on Christmas Eve.

The figurine is cute for any home, but especially for a home with children in it. It’ll make them more excited and ready for the big day.

Which Precious Moments Figurine Was Your Favorite?

Tell me which one of these figurines you liked best! Even better, check out the Precious Moments website to browse other options and tell me your favorites.

Tags Christmas, Gift Guide, gifts

Gifts Holiday Kindergarten Age Learning Parenting Toys and Games

12 of The Best Board Games for Kids: Meaningful Gift Ideas

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date August 2, 2020
36 Comments on 12 of The Best Board Games for Kids: Meaningful Gift Ideas

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I don’t know about you, but I start my Christmas shopping in August. With five kids, it’s essential to begin early and to make sure all my gift plans are in place. My kids love games, so I have been researching the best games for kids.

While I know some of the games they would enjoy, there are so many games out there that I have never heard of. I like to buy games for kids that help develop their skills, and all of the games in this post are ones that do just that.

This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.

Best Games for Kids

1. Race to the Treasure

I love this game because instead of playing against one another, the kids work together to beat an ogre to a treasure. While playing Race to the Treasure, kids will learn strategy, math concepts, making decisions as a team, and cooperation.

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2. 5 Second Rule Jr.

This is a family-friendly version of the 5 Second Rule adult game. When playing 5 Second Rule Jr., kids will read a card and give an answer within 5 seconds. Since it involves quick thinking, funny answers are bound to happen.

With good laughs and light-hearted fun, this game is perfect for family bonding time. If the child can’t quite read yet, playing on teams is fun, too.

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3. Pie Face Showdown

Pie Face is such a fun game, even if it is a little messy. The original game involved players passing the whipped cream covered hand around the table and turning the crank, hoping to not get hit in the face with whipped cream.

Pie Face Showdown is an upgraded version of the original. This one requires two players to both have their faces in front of a whipped cream covered hand. The players have to push their buttons faster to make the whipped cream hit their opponent.

4. Guess Who?

Guess Who is a classic, and it’s one of my favorites. Each player has a card with a person on it, and their opponent has to figure out which character the other one has. The first to figure out their opponent’s character wins the game.

The way you eliminate characters is by asking descriptive questions. These questions can be “Is your person wearing a hat?”, “Does your person have a mustache?”, or anything else that can help eliminate characters and lead you to your opponent’s character.

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5. Buggaloop

This game features a Hexbug that crawls underneath the “backyard” (the game board). It can climb vertically, horizontally, turn corners, and go through loops and tubes. You have to try and get your game piece all the way across the board before the Hexbug appears and takes you out.

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6. Uno

This simple classic card game is perfect for kids because it teaches so many things at once. Color and number matching, taking turns, and paying attention are all skills they can develop while playing.

I play this game often with my 3 and 4-year-old, as well. The only change I make is that we can see each other’s cards so that I can help as needed.

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7. Rush Hour Jr.

To play this game, kids will shift vehicles out of the way to clear a path to the exit. There are 40 levels, allowing for endless fun and brain stimulation. Rush Hour Jr. can help improve logical and spatial reasoning, planning skills, and problem-solving.

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8. Operation

Another classic, the game of Operation has stood the test of time. Kids love this game, no matter which era they were born in.

It helps develop fine motor skills as kids use tweezers to remove ailments from the patient’s body. If the child misses and hits the side of the opening, the game buzzes, and the patient’s nose lights up. The player who can remove the most ailments wins.

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9. Ravensburger Labyrinth

I am so excited to get this game for my son for Christmas. The game changes each time you play it because the tiles move. This ensure that the child won’t get bored with it, since it’s pretty much a different game each time.

They will move their piece around the board, working their way to a treasure. On each turn, the child will also have the chance to change the path of the maze. It’s the perfect game to teach strategy.

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10. No Stress Chess

This game offers a chance to teach kids how to play chess with little frustration on their part. It comes with a deck of cards that teach the rules of the game and strategies that should be used.

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11. Skillmatics Educational Game: Brain Games

This is a game that is fun for the whole family, as the age range is from 6-99 years. It teaches thinking and reasoning, plus logic and problem-solving skills. As the game is played, the boards can be wiped off and done again.

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12. SpringFlower Sight Word Game

My son isn’t a huge fan of working on his sight words the traditional way. I’m always looking for new activities to help him learn them. When I found this game, I was so excited. I only wish I had come across it sooner!

The kids will use the fly swatters to smack the appropriate sight word when it is called out. It’ll help them recognize the word more quickly, and it’ll be fun, helping to commit it to memory.

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Final Thoughts on 12 of The Best Games for Kids

With as much as my kids love games, I always want to choose the ones that they will love. The best games for kids are the ones that offer a learning opportunity or help develop skills.

What are some of the games your kids love? Do you have any games for kids that you want to buy as a Christmas gift this year? Leave me a comment and let me know! I’d love to hear about it.

Posts Related to the Best Games for Kids

Tags big kid, big kid activities, Birthday, Christmas, Family Activities, fine motor, funny, Gift Guide, gifts, Holiday, kindergarten, learning, little kid, numbers, Parenting, Preschool, sight words, toddler activities

Big Kid Big kid fun Craft crafts Free Activities Holiday How To Toddler and Preschool Age Fun

Leprechaun Finders – Toilet Paper Roll Binoculars

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date March 16, 2020

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These Leprechaun Finders were a life-saver for me today as my kids desperately needed something to do. The school’s are shut down in our state because of the Corona Virus (Covid-19), and many public places have shut down as well. This includes our local indoor play places, restaurants, movie theatres and more. Unfortunately, all of this means the kids are already getting bored.

I want to keep them learning, creating, and engaging during this social-distancing time, so finding new activities to do each day is important. Along with practicing sight words for Sylas, letter recognition (capital and lowercase) for Josie, and name recognition for Liam, time for creativity has been essential.

With St. Patrick’s Day here, I thought it would be the perfect time to create Leprechaun Finders! They were easy, so much fun (they doubled as fine motor play!), and they kept the kids busy for quite some time.

How to Make Leprechaun Finders

Materials:

2 toilet paper rolls
green construction paper (green paint should work, too!)
pom poms
pipe cleaners
sequins
glue
scissors
tape

This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.

Directions

1. Cut the construction paper to fit perfectly around each toiler paper roll, then glue the paper in place. If you choose paint instead of paper, you would paint the tube green here instead.

2. Have the child decorate each of the green tubes with sequins, pipe cleaners, or sequins. You could also just have them decorate with markers or crayons. It can be as simple as you want it!

3. Hold the decorated rolls side by side and place a piece of tape starting on the inside of one roll and finishing on the inside of the other roll. Do this on both the front and the back of the toiler paper roll binoculars (or Leprechaun finders).

4. Now, you can add a piece of string to this so that the kids can wear it around their necks, but I didn’t do this for ours.

Where to Use Your Leprechaun Finders

We started out using them inside of the house, looking out windows. I think by the time they were done inside, they had spent at least 5 minutes looking out every window in the house.

When they didn’t find them outside of the windows, we took them out to the backyard. Then, eventually, we went on a walk around the neighborhood looking for Leprechauns.

Final Thought on Leprechaun Finder – Toilet Paper Roll Binoculars

This St Patty’s Day craft was so easy and so much fun. The kids loved it, and the prep and clean-up were easy for me. I’m a huge fan of toilet paper roll binoculars, and I foresee us doing more of these for future holidays.

Now, I have less than 24 hours to figure out how to trick the kids into thinking they found a Leprechaun using their Leprechaun finders! Any ideas? Let me know in the comments.

Tags big kid activities, big kids, craft, easy craft, Holiday, little kid, toilet paper roll craft

Family Activities Holiday How To Parenting

March Momma-razzi Box: A Review

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date March 15, 2020
5 Comments on March Momma-razzi Box: A Review

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If you’re anything like me, you love having cute, themed photos of your kids, but you hate paying the price for a photoshoot with a professional for each holiday. This is where the Momma-razzi box comes into play.

Because I don’t want to have to pay for seasonal and holiday photos each and every time, I always try to take my own cute holiday photos of my kids, and they always seem to be lacking. I realized it’s because I don’t have enough props!

Professionals always have the best props, right?! Luckily, I learned about something called a Momma-razzi Box. This box is full of cute props and other items to make these candid photoshoots something to remember and treasure forever!

*Disclaimer: I received the March Momma-razzi Box for free in exchange for this review. The opinions in this blog post are 100% my own, and I stand behind everything I have written.*

Inside the Box

I received the “mini-box”, and I was pleasantly surprised by all of the stuff inside! It was a cute added touch that the balloons were placed inside classy gold envelopes, too. Let’s start at the beginning, however, and not just with the cute envelopes.

I opened the box and the first thing I found was an envelope with directions for using the items in the box, and a list of everything I’d find inside.

Then, as I dug deeper into the box, I found the following items:

a white backdrop/flooring
white balloons
colored, twisty balloons
gold coins
green shamrocks
an air pump for the balloons (definitely appreciated!)

Setting Up The Momma-razzi Box Photo Shoot

This was so easy to set up! I actually used thumb tacks to hold the backdrop up on a wall. Then, I blew up all of the balloons.

The colorful balloons were intended to look like a rainbow once they were all together, so I set them up that way. I taped them together because they wouldn’t stay in place otherwise.

I popped so many balloons trying to do this, and that was the biggest issue I ran into. At one point, I had a full rainbow with all colors, but I kept losing balloons as we went along. You’ll notice that I have no red or blue in my rainbow in my photos! Oops.

Then, I twisted 3 white balloons together and added them to the ends of the rainbow. I also randomly laid out some of the white balloons, the gold coins, and the shamrocks. It was that easy, and the photoshoot was ready.

What My Kids Thought

My kids actually love having their pictures taken. They think it’s even more fun when it feels like a real photoshoot, so this was so exciting for them.

They loved seeing the photos afterward and wanted to keep taking more and more pictures. It was definitely a hit.

Once we were done, my 5 year old had fun making designs out of the props.

Final Thoughts on the March Momma-razzi Box

This box made our holiday photoshoot so easy and so much fun! I’ll definitely be ordering these for many other holidays and photoshoots to come. It would be easy to add additional items to the photoshoot, too, to personalize it even more.

The only issue I had was that the balloons popped SO easily, but that could have been on me LOL. Next time I’ll be much more careful with them. I plan on using the little props in a sensory table now that I’m done with them, especially since the kids are off school for three weeks!

What do you think?! If you want to order a box for yourself, check out Cassandra Barksdale’s CrateJoy website at www.cratejoy.com/subscription-box/life-lit-up/.

Tags Holiday, How to, Parenting

Big Kid Big kid fun Family Activities Holiday Parenting Teenager

13 Random Acts of Kindness to Do With Kids

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date February 15, 2020
21 Comments on 13 Random Acts of Kindness to Do With Kids

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February 17th marks National Random Acts of Kindness Day in 2020. With the date approaching, I want to celebrate the day with my kiddos. I’ve been working on teaching them how to be kind to others, so it’s the perfect opportunity to practice.

Random Acts of Kindness to Do With Your Kids

1. Compliment someone

A simple compliment can make someone’s day. Teach your kids to say nice things about those around them. Whether you compliment someone at the grocery store or you have your kids compliment one another at home, this is a good habit for them to form.

2. Pick up trash outside

There is no better way to do a kindness for others than by taking care of the environment. Walk around the neighborhood or a local park and clean up trash. Have the kids wear gloves or put a plastic bag over their hands so they don’t touch anything yucky.

3. Donate some toys to children in need

Let’s face it, most of our kids have too much. I know mine do. Encourage your child to select a few toys that are in good, working condition and donate them to someone in need.

If they have younger cousins or there are young kids in the neighborhood, you could take the toys there. Otherwise, donating to St. Vincent or somewhere similar is a good option.

4. Help them write a kind note for their teacher

If your child can write on their own, this is a good one for them to do alone. Otherwise, ask your child what they want to say to their teacher and help them write it. This is perfect for teachers of any grade as they could all use a note to let them know they are appreciated.

5. Donate canned goods to a local shelter

Have your kids help you gather canned goods and take them to a local shelter for donation.

6. Do a chore for a sibling or do an extra chore

I know my kids would be so surprised and happy if their sibling did one of their chores. I also know that the happy sibling would likely do the same in return, so it could end up being a never-ending (but awesome) cycle.

If your child doesn’t have siblings, they can do an extra chore to help their parents out.

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7. Thank emergency services personnel

Police officers, firefighters, EMTs and other professionals in the emergency services field sacrifice themselves each day to protect us and our towns. Oftentimes they work long hours with very little sleep, and they also work weekends, holidays, and overnight shifts.

By simply making them a picture or writing a note about how much they are appreciated, you are sure to make their day. You could take it a step further and bake cookies or another treat to deliver with your kids.

8. Leave coins on a ride-on toy at the mall or grocery store

Our local grocery store has a pony for kids to ride on. I’m going to have my kids leave a handful of coins on the pony as an act of kindness so that other kids can ride even if their parents don’t have any change on them.

9. Move a neighbor’s garbage can from the end of the driveway back to their house

If you’re anything like me, your garbage can may sit at the end of your driveway for a couple of days before you pull it back up to the house after garbage pick-up day. Teach your kids to help out the neighbor after trash has been picked up by having them pull the can back to the house. It would be a big help!

10. Return someone else’s cart to the cart corral at the store

When someone is finishing up loading their groceries into their car, run over and offer to put it away for them. It’s the simple things in life that are the most meaningful sometimes.

If you see a stranded cart in a parking lot, that’s a good one to put away, too. It’ll help out the store employee who has to collect all of the carts.

11. Share a favorite toy with a sibling or a friend.

Sharing is caring, right? Encourage your child to share their toys as a way of showing kindness to others.

12. Smile at everyone you see

Challenge your children to smile at everyone they pass today. A smile can make someone’s day and it’ll make you and your child feel good, too.

13. Read a book to someone or to a pet

Being read to is soothing and can reduce stress or anxiety. With this being the case, reading a book to someone is one of the kindest things you can do.

If you can’t think of a person to read to, find a pet who is willing to sit still or cuddle. The shelter is full of animals who would love some attention.

This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.

Final Thoughts on Random Acts of Kindness to Do With Kids

Random acts of kindness are amazing anytime of the year, but with National Random Acts of Kindness Day coming so quickly, it’s a good time to talk about it with your kiddos and spend a day practicing it. By the end of the day, you may find that your kids are coming up with more acts of kindness on their own!

Which random acts of kindness would you add to this list? Tell me in the comments!

Tags big kid, Holiday, little kid, Parenting, Teenager

Free Activities Holiday Printables Toddler and Preschool Age Fun Toddler and Preschool Age Learning

Valentine’s Day Matching Game – Free Printable

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date February 6, 2020

Valentine's Day, Valentines Day, Sight Word Practice, Matching Game, Free Printable

So this Valentine’s Day Matching Game idea first came to me when my son and I were working on his sight words. I remember playing sight words games with our now 12-year-old back when he was in Kindergarten, and the games just seemed to help him get it.

Somehow, it hadn’t crossed my mind to play games to learn sight words with my current kindergartner until now. The best part of this matching game printable that I created, however, is that I can use it for more than just a sight words matching game.

I plan to use it for matching uppercase and lowercase letters, matching numbers, and a few other learning games. The multiple game options also mean it will work for different age groups, depending on which game you decide to play with it.

Free Printable – Valentine’s Day Sight Word Practice Matching Game

Free Printable – Valentine’s Day Matching Game

How I Used Them

So I printed two copies for each kid. On one copy, I wrote the sight words, numbers, or letters (depending on which kid’s I was doing). The second copy was used for cutting.

Before I had the kids cut out the hearts on the second copy, I wrote the matches. Once they cut the hearts out, they were already ready to match them up.

You don’t have to do the second copy this way, however. Instead, you could cut hearts onto pink or red construction paper and then write the matching word, letter, or number onto the heart. I just wanted the kids to cut their own hearts, to be honest. Lazy mom moment.

Another Way to Play – Learn Sight Words Using Technology

I taught my son how to type his sight words into dictionary.com and listen to the word. If you don’t know how to do this, it’s simple! Type the word into the search box and then when the definition comes up, click on the megaphone icon and it’ll say the word out loud.

This allows your child to play the game on their own and still hear the words spoken aloud. It helps with letter recognition, spelling, and reading.

Don’t leave them to do it on their own every time, though. Kids still learn best through personal connection.

Final Thoughts on Valentine’s Day Matching Game

This game was so much fun and my kids learned so much while playing it! Would you use the sight word version of this Valentine’s Day matching game or would you use it for something different like learning letters or numbers? Tell me about it in the comments!

Tags Holiday, kindergarten, learning, Letter Recognition, letters, little kid, numbers, Preschool, sight words, Toddler, toddler activities, Valentine's Day

Adulting Decor Gifts Holiday

Valentine’s Gifts for Him and Her (+ some cute décor)

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date January 26, 2020
15 Comments on Valentine’s Gifts for Him and Her (+ some cute décor)

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Valentine’s Day is coming, which means you likely need ideas for Valentine’s gifts for your partner. We don’t make a huge deal of Valentine’s Day at our house, but I always make sure to get my husband and kids a little something to make them smile.

So far in our relationship, I have always made one homemade Valentine’s gift for my husband, and then one store-bought gift. Each year, though, I struggle in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s trying to think of the perfect gift for him.

This post is based on my research for the perfect Valentine’s gift for him, and since I know some of you need a Valentine’s gift for her, I’ve included some of those ideas, too!

Valentine’s Day Gifts for Him

Whether you are looking for a Valentine’s gift for a dad, husband, brother or any other man, I’ve got you covered!

1. Engraved, personalized wallet

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2. What Do You Meme board game

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3. Carhartt Men’s Hat

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4. YETI Rambler Insulated Mug with Lid

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5. Exceptionally Bad Dad Jokes

6. Pop Up Indoor/Outdoor Golfing Target

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Valentine’s Day Gifts for Her

1. Felt Letter Board

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2. Natural Himalayan Salt with Metal Basket Lamp

3. Electric Stainless Steel S’mores Maker with Compartment Trays and Roasting Forks

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4. Tartan Winter Infinity Scarf with Beanie

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5. Matching Couple Coffee Mugs

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6. Essential Oil Diffuser Bracelet

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Valentine’s Day Decor

Click on the image for more information about these cute Valentine’s Decor items.

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Valentine’s Gifts for Him and Her (+ some cute décor)

Valentine’s Day Gifts are sometimes tricky to decide on. Keeping it fun and simple is the way to go. Which gifts on this list would you consider giving or which ones would you like to receive? Leave a comment to let me know!

Tags adulting, Gift Guide, gifts, Holiday, Valentine's Day

Big Kid Craft crafts Free Activities Holiday Teenager Toddler and Preschool Age Fun

Valentine’s Crafts Based on the Book Hedgehugs

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date January 20, 2020
28 Comments on Valentine’s Crafts Based on the Book Hedgehugs

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When my son brought the book ‘Hedgehugs’ home from school last year, I was so excited. I’d never heard of it before and it quickly became a favorite. While deciding on some Valentine’s Crafts, this book immediately came to mind.

It’s a cute story about a couple of hedgehogs that want to hug but can’t find a comfortable way to do so. By the end of the story, the hedgehogs find a way to hug by wiggling into the end of a torn sock. The sock covers their sharp parts so that they can share their love.

With National Hugging Day on the 21st and Valentine’s Day less than a month away, I figured it was the perfect time to have some fun with this one. If you want to buy this book for your home library, you can get it on Amazon by clicking HERE or by clicking on the photo below.

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This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.

Valentine’s Crafts 1 – Paper Hug

This craft is SO easy and we had everything on hand to make it ahead of time. Even more exciting, our teenager participated in this one!

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Materials

Directions

Cut a large heart onto pink paper.
Using any of the three colors of paper, cut a long, skinny piece and fold it up like an accordion.
Put white paint on one of the child’s hands and have them make a handprint on red paper.
Do the same with the other hand so that you have 2 handprints for each child.
Have the child cut around their handprint and glue one handprint to each arm.
Glue the other end of the arm to the large heart.
Using markers, draw a face on the heart.

Valentine’s Crafts 2 – Hedgehog Hugging a Heart Craft

Materials

White paper
Red or pink paper
Brown paint
White paint
One pom-pom for each hedgehog
Googly eyes or eyes made from paper
Black marker
Scissors
Glue stick

Directions

Draw or print a large oval onto white paper and have your kids paint it brown.
Draw or print a medium-sized oval, a medium sized heart, two small ovals for feet, and two long, skinny ovals for arms. At the end of each long, skinny oval, make it flat instead of rounded. (I know, this isn’t an oval anymore).
Mix brown and white paint to make a light brown or tan color. Then, paint the rest of the shapes with this color.
Then, cut out a couple of hearts onto pink or red paper.
Once all of that is done, assemble the hedgehog by beginning with the large brown oval. Using glue, add the medium-sized tan oval next, more toward the bottom of the large oval leaving about half an inch of space at the bottom.
Then add the tan heart so that the top half of the heart is on the brown oval and the bottom half is on the tan oval.
Next up are the feet, which should be put on the very bottom.
Finally, add one of the red or pink hearts right into the center of the tan oval and put the arms so that the flat side of the arms are on the edge of the oval and the rounded parts are overlapping the red or pink heart.
Add a second red or pink heart overtop of the first one and add the googly eyes to the tan heart.
For the final steps, add a pom-pom to the point of the tan heart to make a nose and add claws to the feet using a black marker.

That’s it!! You’re done and you’ve created a cute hedgehog hugging a heart.

Final Thoughts on Valentines Craft Based on the Book Hedgehugs

Valentine’s Day is such a fun holiday to celebrate with your kids. It’s a good time to teach kids fun ways to celebrate rather than spending money to celebrate.

Which craft are you going to do with your kids? Let me know in the comments!

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While you’re at it, parents, go ahead and treat yourself this Valentine’s Day with some pampering and self care.

Tags books, craft, cute craft, easy craft, handprint craft, Holiday, paper craft, Preschool, Toddler, toddler activities, Valentine's Day

Big Kid Craft Free Activities Holiday How To Printables Toddler and Preschool Age Learning

Martin Luther King Jr Craft, Experiment and Quotes

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date January 12, 2020
26 Comments on Martin Luther King Jr Craft, Experiment and Quotes

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MLK Day is approaching and as I was planning a Martin Luther King Jr craft and activity, I decided to quiz my kids a little to see what they knew about him. My littles really had no idea and their answers were as follows:

5: I saw him at my school once.
Me: Like, a picture of him?
5: No, the real him.
Me: I don’t think that was him, kiddo, Martin Luther King Jr isn’t alive anymore.

4: Umm, I knew when I was a baby but I forgot now.

2: I see those M&M’s mom. Can I have an M&M, please?

With those kinds of answers, our 12 year old was on his own. He was the most knowledgeable, of course, and gave us the run down. In case your kids are still a little too young to already know, here is a run down you can summarize for them.

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Who is Martin Luther King Jr?

Reverend Martin Luther King Jr had a dream of equality and worked hard to make that happen in America. As a husband and father of four, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr wanted his children to live in a world where they wouldn’t be judged by the color of their skin.

To give his kids the life he dreamed for them, MLK lead the civil rights movement by leading peaceful protests, marches and bus boycotts. His most famous march was the March on Washington where he gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in front of 250,000 people.

He went on to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and, after he died, the Congressional Medal of Freedom. Since 1983, we celebrate MLK Day in honor of his birthday. While his birthday was the 15th of January, however, we observe MLK Day on the 3rd Monday in January.

Martin Luther King Jr Book

We started our MLK activities with a book called Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It focuses on the dream idea and kids in the book tell what their dreams are. I think it really helps kids understand that Martin Luther King’s Dream speech wasn’t about dreams when you’re sleeping because my littles struggled with that at first.

Martin Luther King Jr Day book by Robin Hill School — Click for the link

MLK Day Craft

Our craft, like the book, went with the dream idea.

Materials:

Blue cardstock or construction paper
White paper
Glue sticks
Markers
Glitter

Directions

1. Cut the blue paper in half

2. Cut out a cloud from the white paper.

3. Write the dream on the cloud

I wrote Josie and Liam’s for them. Syas insisted on doing his own and who am I to say no, so a translation is on the back. He dreamed that everyone would be nice. Liam was just not participating well and only wanted the M&M’s that we were going to use on the experiment.

4. Glue the cloud to the blue paper, leaving space at the top to write.

5. Write “I have a dream…” at the top of the blue paper, above the cloud.

6. Add glitter.

Martin Luther King Jr Experiment

I’ve seen so many of these experiments that use one brown egg and one white egg, but since my little guy has an egg allergy I needed a different option. We decided to use some Christmas M&M’s we had leftover. You could use any color M&Ms, and I honestly would have preferred using a regular pack with more colors.

In the first box of the printable, the kids laid out their different coored M&Ms and drew what they saw. Then, they took one bite of each M&M and put them in the second box where they drew what they saw on the inside.

Once they were done, we talked about how, like M&Ms, we all look different on the outside but the same on the inside. The kids loved this and really seemed to get it!

Heres the free Martin Luther King Jr printable that I created! Feel free to print it for personal use or to share.

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Final Thoughts On Martin Luther King Jr Day Craft and Activity

I feel like Martin Luther King Jr Day doesn’t get enough attention sometimes, so I want to ensure that my kids know and understand the sacrifices Martin Luther King Jr made and how much courage he had. MLK changed America for the better and left us with an amazing message to pass on to our kids.

What do you and your family do to observe Martin Luther King Jr Day? Tell me about it in the comments.

Tags big kid activities, craft, Family Activities, Holiday, learning, paper craft, Printables, quotes, toddler activities

Holiday How To Parenting

16 Ways to Celebrate New Year’s Eve With Kids

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date December 29, 2019
10 Comments on 16 Ways to Celebrate New Year’s Eve With Kids

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Gone are the days of going out for New Year’s Eve or having a house party with a group of friends. Now, our New Year’s Eve festivities involve our kids and while it is a big change from the past, I wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact, celebrating New Year’s Eve with kids is the best way to bring in the New Year.

I love coming up with new ideas to make the night exciting, and it’s also fun to continue with old traditions. A mix of both together make for the perfect New Year’s Eve with kids.

How to Celebrate New Year’s Eve With Kids

1. Don’t overwhelm them early in the night.

If you throw every activity or event at them right in the beginning of your evening, they’ll quickly become burnt out. Instead, try to spread out all of the fun and introduce new activities one at a time as the night goes on.

2. If you want them to make it until midnight, plan a fun activity for each hour.

This goes along with not overwhelming them, and it gives them something to look forward to each hour. Simply decide what time you want the fun to start, and create an activity for each hour.

In the past, we have used bags and written a time on them (5:00, 6:00, …. midnight) and put an activity inside of each bag. If the activity wouldn’t fit in the bag, we would just write the activity on a slip of paper and put it inside of the bag.

Each hour, on the hour, the kids get to open one and we spend the next hour doing that activity. If it doesn’t last the full hour, we just find somethin else to do until it’s time to open the next bag.

3. Offer simple, child-friendly food, snacks and drinks.

While it is fine (and encouraged!) to have adult treats to indulge in, it is even more important to have child-friendly foods for New Year’s Eve. Pigs in a blanket, milkshakes, s’mores dippers, homemade pizza, punch or sparkling soda, and whatever other treats your kids will be excited for are all great ideas!

4. If you are having champagne or wine at midnight, offer sparkling soda or punch to kids.

The kids will want to celebrate, too! If they see you toasting the New Year’s with your husband or friends, they’ll want in on it. A few years ago my sister just put orange juice in a plastic champagne flute and the kids were so excited!

5. Do a countdown.

Even if you send your kids to bed early on New Year’s Eve, you can still have a countdown with them! There are YouTube videos that do an early countdown to “midnight” as well as a Netflix show that does it.

If you keep them up until the real event, turn on the Times Square countdown or another countdown that you can find, or just have your own countdown complete with shouting, screaming, and celebrating.

6. Watch fireworks.

If there isn’t a fireworks event that you can see from your home, you could always go to an event in your city that has them, or you could buy a few small fireworks to set off yourself. Sparklers are an easy firework option, too!

If none of those options will work for you, you can find a firework show on the internet that you can watch with them.

7. Have a photoshoot.

Use a tablecloth or some wrapping paper as a backdrop, add streamers and balloons, and a New Year’s banner. If you’re feeling extra celebratory, you can get photo props to go along with it.

8. Get dressed up.

Use this night as an opportunity to get our your fanciest clothes and dress up. Just think, it’s going to be the 20’s, after all, so make sure you look your best.

9. Have a dance party.

Create a playlist of your family’s favorite songs and have a dance party in your living room. You could even have a dance contest and give out prizes such as candy or party favors.

10. Set New Year’s resolutions.

Talk to your kids about setting goals and resolutions and what it means to do so. Then, have everyone in the family set one or two resolutions for themselves. Help them to make sure that the goals they are setting are realistic. You could even set a resolution for the entire family to accomplish together.

11. Build a fort.

Kids always love to build a fort, so why not make it part of your New Year’s Eve with kids celebration? You could eat snacks, watch movies, play games, or even watch the countdown inside of the fort.

12. Play board games.

Pull out a favorite board game or two, or grab one that they got for Christmas and haven’t gotten to play yet. Spend some time playing games, bonding, and laughing during your New Year’s Eve with kids celebration.

13. Do a New Year’s craft.

There are SO many options for this New Year’s activity! One of my favorites is New Year’s firework craft with card board tubes. Another idea is to have them put 4 handprints on a piece of paper (with paint), then when the handprints dry paint or write a 2 on one hand, a 0 on the next, a 2 on the third, and a 0 on the fourth hand.

14. Prepare in advance a ‘Year in Review’ photo slideshow to watch on NYE.

Spend some time in the days before New Year’s Eve going through photos from the past year. Choose your favorites and put them together in a slideshow to watch with your kids on New Year’s Eve.

15. Play dodgeball with marshmallows.

How often do you let your kids throw food in the house? Never? Me either. But, this is New Year’s Eve and we have to make it fun for them! You can make your own rules or use traditional dodge ball rules.

16. Choose a New Year’s printable to fill out.

A quick Pinterest search will bring up tons of New Year’s printables. There are some that review the year, allowing your kids to list out all of their favorites from the year past, and there are also printables that allow your kids to start looking ahead at the New Year and deciding what they want their 2020 to look like.

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Final Thoughts on How to Celebrate New Year’s Eve With Kids

New Year’s Eve with kids can be just as fun (if not more fun) than the crazy New Year’s Eve of times past. With a simple mix of activities, crafts, and yummy treats, you’ll give your kids a New Year’s Eve they’ll always remember.

What are your New Year’s Eve plans? Tell me about them in the comments!

Tags Family Activities, Holiday, How to, Parenting