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.
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!
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!
While you’re at it, parents, go ahead and treat yourself this Valentine’s Day with some pampering and self care.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There is nothing more special than a homemade Christmas tree ornament, especially when the ornaments are made by kids. A few years ago, my dad said that he wanted Christmas tree ornaments made by all of his grandkids, so these are the ones the kids made for him! The DIY snowman handprint ornament was a hit because not only did Papa love his handmade gifts, the kids also loved making them!
For the jar lids, I used lids of spaghetti and Alfredo sauce jars and painted them red with acrylic paint. I had to do several coats of red paint to cover up the words on the lids completely because I didn’t want to see anything through the paint.
Once the lids were completely covered and dried, I used white paint on the kids’ hands to make the snowmen. I painted their fingers (3 fingers for Sylas and Peyton, 4 fingers for Josie and Liam) to create the snowmen. I also painted the top of their palm to make a snowy hill underneath the snowmen.
Peyton’s hands were too big for this (he was 10-years-old), so I had him do the top half of his fingers and use a paintbrush to create the snowy hill. Once the white paint dried completely, I added the scarves with green paint, hats, eyes, buttons, and mouths with a black sharpie and the noses with orange paint. Peyton did his own, but I did this part for the babies.
Once everything is dried and ready to go, you will spray one coat of clear spray paint over the front and back of the ornament. This ensures that the paint doesn’t flake off.
Finally, you will use a hot glue gun to glue the string or ribbon in a loop at the top of the ornament. Make sure you put the glue on the back so that it is hidden from sight.
Final Thoughts On DIY Snowman Handprint Ornaments
I love the finished product SO MUCH that I wanted to keep them for myself. My dad loved them, and the kids really enjoyed making them and giving them as a gift.
I’d love to see the Christmas crafts you’ve done or are planning to do with your kiddos this season!! Please share them in the comments. 🙂
*This post was originally written for my old blog, and was dated September 28, 2017. It was one of my favorite posts and we have done this exact craft or one very similar each year since. Foil printed fall art for kids quickly became a favorite in our house. If you like this one, come back in December for a foil printed winter craft!*
Chris took the little boys with him to Peyton’s football practice tonight, so Josie and I had a little one on one time. I literally never get alone time with JoJo so the minute the guys were out the door, Josie and I got started on our mommy-daughter time.
We painted first, which she was pretty excited about. She isn’t a HUGE fan of painting, but she is a huge fan of making a mess and gets excited when she sees me get it all out. The goal of our artwork tonight was to create fall artwork using foil as our “brush”.
Fall Art For Kids – a Simple Fall Craft
I gave Josie a small sheet of foil and told her to crumple it up. It was a fun sensory part of our craft and she loved it. I let her crumple mine up, too.
I quickly painted the tree trunk before I let her begin painting. She’s a bit too little to paint her own trunk and I wanted her to sort of understand where to put her painted “leaves”.
Once the trunk was painted, I showed her how to create the leaves and let her go to town. She loved it and had so much fun with this one.
When we were done painting, we baked some cookies. I used my go-to cookie recipe that I’ve been using for years (click here to try it yourself!). Josie really likes dumping the ingredients in the bowl and eating the chocolate chips when mama’s not looking.
The guys were excited that we surprised them with cookies, and Josie & I had a blast bonding. It was such a good night.
I’d love to see some of your guys’ fall art creations! Share them in the comments so we can try them, too!
**I originally wrote this Fall Handprint Crafts post for my old blog, which I do not post to anymore. I decided to move it over here when I realized it was still being shared.**
Years ago, I worked as an infant/toddler teacher. I taught one-year-old toddlers, which was so much fun. Between my classroom of Wonderful One’s and my own babies at home, I did lots of simple crafts that could be used as keepsakes for years to come.
Handprint crafts are always my favorite because, let’s face it, what parent doesn’t want to see their tiny toddler’s handprint when that tiny toddler grows to become a not-so-tiny child, teen, adult, etc.? I know that my little’s won’t be little for long, and I want every memory possible of how little they once were.
Without further ado, here are a few of my favorite simple handprint crafts for fall.
Simple Fall Handprint Crafts
1. Frankenstein handprint craft
For this cute little Frankenstein, you’ll just paint 4 of the child’s fingers black (do not pain the thumb), and the rest of the hand (not the thumb) green. Then, place their hands flat on the paper. Once the paint is dry, use a sharpie or other black marker to draw the face and the lines.
2. Handprint pumpkin with fingerprint stem
For this fall handprint craft, you will paint your little one’s hand orange and place it flat on a white piece of paper. Then, paint their pointer finger green and place that flat on the same sheet of white paper. While you wait for the paint to dry, cut an orange pumpkin shape and a green stem shape out of construction paper.
Once the paint is dry, you’ll cut around the handprint and around the fingerprint. Have your little one help you glue the handprint to the pumpkin shape and the fingerprint stem to the green paper, and then glue the stem to the pumpkin.
3. Handprint leaves
I love, love, love this one!! You’ll paint the child’s hand 3 separate times, once for a yellow handprint, one for red, and once for orange. You’ll put all 3 handprints on the same page, wait for them to dry, and then draw “stems” through the handprint leaves.
This one was so much fun and the kids really loved it. You’ll paint your child’s hand black (excluding the thumb) and put it flat on the paper but sideways. Then, you’ll do the same with the other hand, overlapping the palms of the hand. Once the paint is dry, add a white smile and googly eyes. You can even add a spider web to the craft, too.
Side Notes on Fall HandPrint Crafts
*If you don’t know what kind of paint to use, here is the link to what I use!
*Always remember to write the child’s name and the date somewhere on the craft (this could be on the back).
***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***
Final Thoughts on Simple Fall Handprint Crafts
You could really turn any Halloween or fall-themed idea into a fall handprint craft of some kind. You just have to be creative and use your imagination (or Pinterest, of course).
What do you think? Which ones are your favorite? Leave a comment and let me know!
Fall is one of my favorite seasons… probably my most favorite if I’m being honest with myself. While I love all things summer, fall has a sweet place in my heart. It’s the first sign that the holidays are coming, there are so many fun things to do in the fall, and you’re not as likely to sweat your butt off doing outdoor activities. This fall bucket list will ensure you complete all of the wonderful fall activities you desire.
Cute clothes, warm drinks, family time, pretty leaves, football, getting cozy watching movies, pumpkin everything, apple everything else…. I could go on and on. I made a list of all the things I want to do this fall, and I decided to share my fall bucket list and printable with you!
This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.
25 Things to do This Fall: Fall Bucket List
1. Apple picking
Find a local apple orchard and make a day trip out of it! Bring home all the apples you need to make apple pie, apple crisp, apple strudel, apple bars, apple sauce… be prepared to share with your friends and family!
2. Pumpkin patch
This is another day trip you can do with your entire family. Not only can you pick out your own pumpkins, some pumpkin patches offer tractor rides and corn mazes.
3. Corn maze
There is nothing that says fall quite like a corn maze. I let my kids take turns picking which way to go, and it doesn’t always turn out well. It sure is fun, though, no matter how long it takes!
4. Tractor ride
Our favorite pumpkin patch offers a tractor ride that takes you to the corn maze. Convenient, right?!
5. Jump in leaves
This is one of the most simple and easiest fall activities you can do. You’ll feel like a kid again.
6. Fall photo shoot
Get your kids cute one day (or make yourself cute… no one said it has to be a kid photo shoot), and take pictures in the leaves. Get beautifully colored trees in the background, put some pumpkins in there… get creative! Fall offers all the free backdrops.
7. Haunted house
It’s not Halloween time without a haunted house. You can’t skip out on this one.
8. Halloween craft
My kids and I love to do crafts. I like to decorate my kitchen with crafts that they’ve made. It might look cluttered, but they love to see their artwork on display, and it really gives a festive feeling to the house.
9. Thanksgiving craft
Think turkeys and thankfulness… you can’t go wrong there. Use Thanksgiving craft time to talk to your kids about the meaning of Thanksgiving and how it originated.
10. Carve a jack-o-lantern
You didn’t go to the pumpkin patch just to look around, did you? Use those pumpkins for something scary!
11. Watch a scary movie
Better yet, make it a marathon with all your favorite snacks. I like to make this a date night for the hubby and I after our kids go to bed.
12. Go for a scenic walk & look at leaves
We love to take quick walks around our neighborhood in the evenings to look at the leaves changing and falling. Sometimes we head downtown and explore, as all of the businesses look so pretty when the leaves start to change in front of them.
13. Make home made soup
Nothing says fall like a bowl of hot soup. Find a new soup recipe, throw it in the crock pot, and have yourself a delicious fall meal.
14. Paint nails a fall color
Fall colors are so much fun and can really set the tone.
15. Watch It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
This is a favorite to do with my kids!! We eat our favorite fall treats and cuddle up to watch together.
16. Bake pumpkin bread
Share some with your neighbors, friends, or family.
17. Make apple pie
Don’t share this. Keep it all to yourself. Just kidding, kind of.
18. Drink cider & eat donuts
You can’t have cider without donuts. Well, I guess you can, but it’s not the same.
19. Chili & football night
I choose a day when my husband’s favorite NFL team (even though the Raider’s suck) is playing for chili and football night. I also make a few yummy finger foods and get a variety of drinks so that everyone enjoys it… even my hubby when his team is losing.
20. Caramel apples
I’m really excited to do this. I’ve never done it with my kids before, and I plan on slicing the apples into wedges, putting them on skewers, dipping them in caramel and offering a couple candy options.
21. Read “October” by Robert Frost
This made the list because of my love for Robert Frost. I read it aloud to my kids, hoping to instill a love for his work in them, too.
22. Have a bon fire
Fall is bon fire season. Not too cold, but cold enough to enjoy sitting next to a hot fire. S’mores anyone?
23. Create a craft using materials from nature
Our favorite thing is to gather leaves from our yard to use for fall wreaths, sensory bottles, and just gluing onto paper.
24. Go for a nature walk
We like to find nearby trails that we can explore. If your kids are joining, do a nature scavenger hunt with them. You can make a list of items and challenge your kids to collect these while walking.
Your list can include small insects, flowers, and even stones. Add an exciting twist to the activity by allowing the kids to examine what they have gathered, and discover what these are made of through an easy-to-use kids microscope.
This activity is a great way to enjoy the outdoors while learning and having fun at the same time. Also, using a kids microscope would guarantee a 100% wow-factor for the whole family.
25. Donate to a food bank
Fall is the time to really show how thankful and appreciative you are of all you have and to give back to those who are less fortunate.
Free Fall Bucket List Printable
Final Thoughts On Fall Bucket List: Things to do This Fall
Printing this fall bucket list and displaying it on my refrigerator has gotten me so excited about fall. Next up, pulling out all of my fall decorations!
What is your favorite thing about fall? Tell me about it in the comments!
Sensory bottles are one of my favorite ways to make a holiday more exciting, and this 4th of July sensory bottle was a hit with my kids. This sensory activity keeps the kids busy as they make the sensory bottle and watch the glitter and small objects swirl together and settle back into the bottom.
Making a sensory bottle is easier than it sounds, and you don’t need many materials. You can also substitute the materials I recommend for something else you have on hand already.
*this post contains affiliate links*
Benefits of Sensory Bottles for Kids
Research shows that sensory activities benefit children in many ways. It promotes their mental health, encouraging emotional regulation, relaxation, and tension relief. Sensory activities stimulate interest, promoting curiosity and encouraging a child to learn and explore.
Sensory bottles help build sensory skills by stimulating the senses. The differing colors, objects, sounds, and materials help. Additionally, when the child touches the bottle to turn, twist, shake, or squeeze, it furthers the sensory experience.
Sensory bottles stimulate fine and gross motor coordination. They also help a child focus as their eyes follow the movements. It encourages them to be present and set aside distractions.
How to Make a 4th of July Sensory Bottle
Materials:
A clear bottle (recyclable water bottle, tea bottle, or a glass jar – I used an empty vinegar bottle)
Water (from the tap is fine)
Glitter glue (I used the silver from this one, I probably should have used 2 of them)
Fill the bottle 3/4 of the way up with water. You will fill it more after you add the rest of the materials.
Add 1- 2 bottles of glitter glue, depending on the look you are going for. I used 1, but I wish I would have used 2. My bottle is larger than a regular water bottle, however, because I used a vinegar bottle.
Cut 4th of July beaded necklaces into small pieces and put them into the bottle of water and glitter, or use 4th of July confetti instead of the necklace pieces.
Fill the bottle the rest of the way with water.
Replace the lid, and hot glue it shut.
Final Thoughts on 4th of July Sensory Bottle
Sensory bottles are easy, fun, and so much fun. This 4th of July sensory bottle was a great way to kick start our July 4th celebrations. What fun activities do you have planned for Independence Day?
For more sensory fun, click here. Or, you can read other 4th of July ideas in a separate post by clicking here.
Spring is FINALLY here and while the temperatures in Michigan still keep slipping into the high 30’s, I think we will soon get some relief. Since next week is supposed to be significantly warmer, I knew I had to move quickly and take the list of things to do this spring out of my notebook and turn it into an actual printable.
I swear, in Michigan, we get 6 months of winter temperatures, 2 WEEKS of spring temperatures, and then the summer temperatures come in full force. It’s a little insane if you think about it.
We have already knocked out a few of the suggestions on the list, but I had only been keeping track in my notebook before creating the free printable. My kids were super excited to check things off the list when I printed it to hang up, though, so I’m glad I let them take over with the tracking!
Anyhow, without further ado, here is the list of 30 things to do this spring:
Things to Do This Spring
1. Go on a nature scavenger hunt.
Sylas (4) LOVES scavenger hunts. Any type of activity where he has a to search, hunt, or follow a map is right up his ally. Since spring brings on a whole new range of textures, sights, and smells, I thought a nature scavenger would be best. This gives the littles a chance to explore the fresh earth and all that it has to offer.
A quick Pinterest post led me to the perfect nature scavenger hunt. I planned on creating one myself, but since this one was so perfect, I didn’t bother.
Spring is pretty breezy, which means it’s the perfect time to fly a kite. Find a spot that’s slightly higher than just a flat area of land, and the flight will soar so high.
We are lucky and have a park just minutes away from our house with a huge hill. My kids go to the top of the hill to fly their kites and from down below, it is pretty magical. When they do it, the kites rarely hit the ground, either, which is pretty awesome.
3. Play tag at the park.
It’s true that you can play tag at home without ever leaving the house, but it just isn’t as fun. By going to the park to play tag instead of doing it the usual way, you are allowing your children to play one of their favorite games in a totally new environment, and how cool will that be for them?!
4. Jump in puddles.
Make use of all the rain that spring brings with it, and have some fun jumping in those puddles. This is the perfect time to pull out the rainboots but, if you don’t have any or don’t feel like looking, just go barefoot!
5. Plant or tend a garden.
Believe it or not, kids LOVE to learn about the land we live on. This is the perfect way to allow them to learn, have fun, and do something productive. I have many flower gardens throughout our yard and half of them were planted by my kids over the last few years. It’s so much fun for the kids to see their hard work pay off when the plants grow into something beautiful.
You can plant flowers or vegetables. Kids tend to try new foods if they made them, so I’m thinking that if they were to plant and grow their own vegetables, they may be more likely to eat them? I’m not sure if that logic works but it’s worth a shot!
6. Have an ice cream bar.
On one of the warmer nights, set out the ingredients for an ice cream bar. This could include multiple flavors of ice cream, chocolate syrup, bananas, candy pieces, sprinkles, chocolate chips, cherries, whipped cream, and anything else that you enjoy on your ice cream. To make this one even more fun, you can take your kids to the store and let them choose their own toppings.
This may be one of the easiest suggestions on the list, to be honest. This is because it’s free, easy, and there is no prep work involved. You can take a walk around your neighborhood, or you can venture out and find some good hiking trails in your area.
8. Have a game night.
My kids LOVE game night. We get out all the kid games and play them one after another until the kids get bored or I bribe them with a movie. Come on… as much as we love game night, you have to admit that we can only settle so many arguments before we’ve had enough.
Anyhow, we choose some yummy snacks (mostly store bought, but we also let the kids choose a few homemade options).
9. Feed the ducks.
This is something that I have never done before, which is pretty crazy if you think about it. I’m super excited to take my kids to do it. There is this super cute park in my city that is pretty popular for feeding ducks (and it has a super old train that kids love!), so I plan on going there.
Now that I think about it, though, I don’t even know what to feed ducks. Is it bread? I’ll have to google that in a minute.
10. Have a barbeque.
Make sure it’s kid friendly! Unless you don’t have kids, that is. Then make it 100% grown up friendly. Since I have kids, however, mine will have to be kid friendly.
That means hotdogs, hamburgers, and lots of kid friendly side dishes. I’ll probably do this one with a bunch of the other outside, at home ones while the food is cooking. No one says you can’t combine multiple ideas from the list at one time. 😉
11. Spend time star gazing.
Honestly, I feel like I don’t spend enough time simply enjoying the outdoors, especially at night time. Instead, I go inside the minute the sun is gone, preferring the bright warmth of my home.
This spring I plan on changing that and enjoying nature a little more. Disconnecting for a while and spending calming time with my kids while learning about our world sounds so peaceful. I also have a star gazing book I’ve been dying to put to use, so this will be the perfect time for that.
12. Blow bubbles.
Kids love, love, love to blow bubbles. All ages. Take some time to do this WITH them, and they’ll love it even more.
13. Draw with sidewalk chalk.
This is the perfect time to practice letters, numbers, sight words, name recognition, and art. The possibilities with sidewalk chalk are limitless. You can also pull out some classic sidewalk chalk games such as tic tac toe and hopscotch. Another fun idea is to draw lines on the ground and have your kids walk on them.
14. Have a picnic.
Kick off your shoes, settle back on a blanket, and unpack your picnic basket. Kids love to have picnics, and it is the perfect time to simply talk and unwind with your littles.
15. Read books outside.
So this probably won’t go as planned, but I envision all of us sitting calmly, relaxing while reading books outside. My kids will probably run around instead, but it gives me a good excuse to read outside and maybe, just maybe, my kids will join me for a little while.
16. Play hide and seek outside.
Face it, everyone in your house knows all of the hiding places inside. It isn’t even fun anymore when you already know where to look. Take the game outside now that the weather is nice!! Set a few ground rules to ensure that everyone remembers to be safe, pair a grown up or big kid with the toddlers, and search for new hiding places!!
17. Watch the sunset.
Is there anything more relaxing and breathtaking than a sunset? End one of your perfect spring days this way, and invite your kids to enjoy it, too.
18. Have a movie night.
Make it complete with popcorn, movie theater candy, and a yummy drink. Let loose a little and let your kids have a fun night laughing at their favorite movie with you and their siblings. It’ll be a night they’ll remember for years to come.
19. Make a spring craft.
I never need an excuse to make crafts, and if you give me an excuse, I may go a little bit crazy. Spring is the best time to do crafts because you can get a little bit messier than normal by moving craft time outside.
Paint a little more, use nature-inspired items on crafts, and maybe even incorporate some ice cubes or squirt guns. Luckily, Pinterest has TONS of options to choose from, and if you follow me on Pinterest I have a board already dedicated to it.
20. Play catch.
Baseball, football, whatever kind of ball you’ve got… just get outside and play catch. So many memories and bonding moments can happen during these seemingly little moments.
21. Paint rocks outside.
Go on an adventure and find your own rocks to paint! This will make them even more special. When you’re done you can save them or head out and hide them around town for others to find later.
22. Run barefoot in the grass.
My kids have already done this a million times this spring, so I think I can cross it off now.
23. Look for shapes in the clouds.
This is another time to lay back, unwind, and give your kids a chance to talk to you. Even better, it may just be a good time to laugh and be silly with them.
24. Shaving cream play outside.
Wear play clothes (or work clothes if you’re an adult), and get messy with shaving cream. I intend to work on letters, numbers, and sight words with my kids, but I know it’ll eventually turn into kids being covered in shaving cream. If it’s warm enough, you can just use a hose to clean off.
25. Have a bonfire.
In the spring, the evenings can be pretty chilly, so after the sun sets, light a fire and put on a hoodie to stay warm. Make it an even better night by roasting some marshmallows and making s’mores.
26. Go to yard sales.
Yard sale signs are the first indicator that spring is here. Stop by a few and let your kids grab a couple toys that may or may not break by the end of the day. You might get lucky and find some super cute home décor, a new patio set, or something even better.
27. Have a toy car carwash.
Get some hot wheels cars dirty and let your kids clean them with toothbrushes, soap, and water. If your kids are anything like my kids, they LOVE water play. Add in some cars and soap and it’s going to be the best day ever.
28. Watch a sports game.
This should be easy to do if you just hit up your local sports field on a Saturday morning. You’ll likely find soccer, baseball, tennis, or track this time of year.
If you have kids in spring sports, you’ve likely already watched a sports game or two this year. I’m in your boat, and I’ve written a post about how to survive spring sports season.
29. Go for a drive and find a new park.
I’m pretty sure that we’ve already played at every park near me, so this may take a trip to a nearby city. I love to explore and I know that my kids do, too, so I think it’ll be fun!! This may just have to be our picnic day.
30. Collect plants and other items to make into artwork.
You can make a collage, a picture frame, letters or a name, or anything else that you little artists come up with. Let them choose their own materials and follow their own ideas. It’ll be fun for everyone, and it is the perfect time to teach them (show them) about trial and error.
Things to Do This Spring Bucket List – Free Printable
My kids always LOVE to check items off of a list. They likely get this trait from their list-loving mother, but I’d say she isn’t that bad. 😉
Since we all agree that lists are awesome, I tend to create bucket list printables for every occasion. To thank you for reading my blog, I’m giving the printables away for FREE. Feel free to download and print the spring bucket list printable so that you never forget the 30 things to do this spring, and please send it along to a friend who may like one, as well!!
Okay, I may have gone a bit crazy and created three different printables, but I couldn’t help myself. Choose whichever one you like best!!! The link for each one is below the corresponding picture, just click where it says “Spring bucket list”.
In the past, Easter hasn’t been a very memorable holiday for my family. We celebrate with one side of the family the week before Easter, and then not at all with the other side of the family.
We would do Easter baskets in the morning, and then our big kids would head off to spend the day with their mom’s side of the family. The rest of us would just hang out at home and eat “normal day” foods for dinner. We always made it a fun day and spent lots of time playing with the littles, and we would make sure to do a small Easter egg hunt, but it was never an Easter worth remembering.
This year, I am looking forward to something completely different for Easter. I want this Easter to memorable and exciting, so I have spent the last few weeks searching for ideas and preparing for the big day, and I can’t wait until we get to celebrate!
10 Memorable Easter Ideas to Make This Year Special
1. Start the day with an Easter-themed breakfast
While the highlight of Easter morning is normally seeing what goodies the Easter bunny brought, breakfast could be a close second. I found the cutest Easter bunny pancakes while I was browsing Pinterest and immediately added them to my list of Easter festivities.
Since my little Liam is allergic to egg I will have to use my own recipe or substitute for the egg, but the idea will still be the same. I can’t wait to see my kids’ reaction when they see their Easter breakfast!!
I am absolutely in love with having fresh flowers displayed around my home. Not only do they look beautiful, but they also add a fresh scent to the air that can’t be faked in any way. Love, love, love it.
For me, Easter is the day when I really start to feel like Spring is here (or near). I am hoping my family all feels that way on Easter, and having flowers decorating the house should help with that.
I know many people cook on the grill on Easter but, for our family, that doesn’t seem very Easter-y. I mean, we cook on the grill so often during the spring and summer that I feel like it just makes Easter seem like any other day.
Having a traditional Easter dinner will make the day seem more festive and special, so my menu this year consists of ham, scalloped potatoes, Easter bunny shaped rolls, asparagus, carrots, and a variety of fruits.
4. Fill plastic Easter eggs with something other than candy
My kids get a ton of candy at our family Easter egg hunt so I hate buying them more candy for our own hunt. In the past, I have done it anyway and ended up with more candy than any family needs in a lifetime.
This year, I am going to fill the plastic Easter eggs with non-candy items instead. At first, I struggled to come up with a variety of items small enough for plastic Easter eggs so, in case you’re like me, I’m including my list of ideas for the Easter egg hunt.
Pieces of papers with numbers that correspond with a specific larger item (kite, bubbles, chalk, activity book, etc.)
Un-inflated balloons
Tiny figurines (Dollar General has Paw Patrol characters that are small enough to fit)
Fingernail polish
“Coupons” (stay up 30 minutes past bedtime, have an extra 30 minutes of screen time, choose your favorite snack at the store, no chores for a day/week, etc.)
Coin money
Paper money
Hotwheels cars (I had to open the package to fit the car in the egg)
Goldfish crackers
Raisins
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5. Have an “Easter egg hunt” for adults (AKA: Beer hunt)
Easter isn’t just for the kids!! Get out there and have some fun. You deserve it after all the careful planning you did for Easter!
Have a non-drinking adult hide the beer around the yard, and then the rest of the adults all rush off to see how many they can find. You keep (and drink) whatever you find, of course!
6. Do memorable Easter crafts
Easter crafts can be done anytime leading up to Easter, so you can get extra creative with this ideas. This is handy because you won’t have to squeeze all of the fun stuff into one single day. It also makes it possible for you to help your littles with their crafts, or you can take the time to talk about the meaning of Easter while working on crafts with them.
On the actual day of, you can plan a craft that the kids can do all on their own since you’re likely to be pretty busy that day.
A fun idea for a craft during the Easter day celebration is coloring pages. Kids will be able to do this at their leisure, and they won’t require adult assistance.
7. In the week leading up, do Easter-themed activities
This might be my most favorite part of any holiday. Easter is the most fun because of the plastic Easter egg idea, though. You can use plastic Easter eggs for so many activities, learning concepts, and sensory play.
Dessert is my favorite part of the meal, so I plan on making it extra special. Just like with the adult Easter hunt, adults cannot be forgotten at dessert time, either. I plan on making a few desserts; one that the adults will love, one that the kids will love, and one that everyone will love. This way, no one will be disappointed.
You can help your kids get by until dinner with yummy Easter treats. I plan on bringing out one treat when we first start our celebration preparation, one while the food is cooking, and one later on while the adults are catching up. I want these treats to be Easter-themed, but also kind of interactive and fun.
I am so, so, so excited about this part. This idea came from the TV show on Netflix, and if you haven’t watched “Nailed It” on Nexflix, I highly recommend it. I already bought Easter cookie cutters and we are going to make sugar cookies in the shape of eggs, flowers, bunnies, and other Easter or spring inspired shapes.
Once the cookies are baked and cooled, we are going to choose a couple design ideas from Pinterest and have a challenge to see who can come closer to nailing the design.
Final Thoughts On Memorable Easter Ideas
Easter tends to be a “forgotten” holiday in our family. We don’t ignore the holiday or anything, but we have never gone all out before. This year, I plan on changing that. I want to make this Easter memorable for everyone in my family, adults included.
Tell me about your Easter plans!!! What traditions does your family follow? What new ideas do you want to implement?
I like to make holidays memorable for my kids. One way I do it is by doing holiday-themed crafts and activities in the days leading up to the holiday. My kids love it, I get keepsakes, and it offers an opportunity to discuss what the holiday means. 4th of July activities and crafts make the holiday more fun and exciting. Plus, there are plenty of ideas to choose from.
The 4th of July is always busy for us. We have a cookout the day of the holiday and another party the weekend after. It’s hard to talk about the meaning of the holiday with so much going on. Luckily, our craft time gives us that needed time to connect.
4th of July Activities and Crafts
This year we’ve done two crafts already, including:
4th of July Ripped Paper Wreath Kids Craft
These ripped paper wreaths were fun and easy. We used white paper, cut it into a circle (or close enough), and cut a round hole in the middle. Then, the kids ripped blue and red paper to glue on. I cut out stars to put on at the end. We hung the finished wreaths on the kids’ bedroom doors.
Handprint Firework Craft
This one is my favorite one we have made so far this year. It’s so cute, and I love handprint keepsakes. I painted their hands red before helping them put their hand flat on white paper. Then, using blue and red paint (separately so it doesn’t turn purple), they used their fingers to make the “fireworks” part. Super simple.
Other 4th of July Crafts and Activities
There are three other crafts I want to do with them before the 4th of July and one scavenger hunt.
Kids Blowers Patriotic Craft Idea
These patriotic kids blowers from Natural Beach Living are so cute. The kids can use them during fireworks displays to add more festivity.
Footprint Rocket Pop
I love this Footprint Rocket Pop craft from Tippytoe Crafts. It’s another keepsake for Mama and a craft the kids will love. It could be a general summertime craft, but with the red, white, and blue, it gives me patriotic vibes.
Painted Rocks
We want to paint some rocks like these Painted Rocks for the 4th of July created by Thrifty Nifty Things. I don’t know if this is popular everywhere, but where I’m from, people paint rocks and hide them for others to find. When you find a rock, you’re supposed to post a picture on the dedicated Facebook site and say where you found it. Then, you re-hide it in a new location. I want to paint them this weekend and hide them in the couple of days before the 4th of July. My kids LOVE hiding and finding rocks around town, so it’s perfect for them.
4th of July Scavenger Hunt
I fell in love with this 4th of July Scavenger Hunt Printable from Women With Intention on Pinterest. I’m bummed that the link didn’t work, and the website no longer exists, so I can’t download it directly from who created it. Later tonight I’ll make a scavenger hunt printable to use at home on the 4th of July and maybe a second one for the larger party the weekend after.
Recap: 4th of July Activities and Crafts
How do you teach your kids about holidays? Are you doing any fun crafts or activities with them for the 4th of July? Tell me about it in the comments!
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