Showing posts with label activities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label activities. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Cinderella Nails


Cinderella Nails
Welcome to our week of Disney! We will have five fantastic Disney inspired posts for you this week and a few giveaways! Make sure you come back each day and enter!
 
Here's an easy way to turn your princess into a REAL princess. Cinderella nails! I saw this done on adult nails and I knew I could pull this off on my daughter...and she was very pleased to let me try!
Cinderella Nails

Start with a pale blue nail polish. This may take 2-3 coats, since it is so pale.
Cinderella Nails

Next cut out Cinderella's face from a sheet of temporary tattoos. Make sure it is small enough to fit on the finger of your princess.
Cinderella Nails

Then add a bit of silver glitter nail polish.
Cinderella Nails

Last cover each nail with a top coat to keep the art in place for days to come.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Blast from the past- teach them OLD card games


For Easter this year my mom scored on some AWESOME card games for my kids at the dollar store! I was looking through them and it got me to thinking about all the fun, and easy, card games I used to play when I was a kid.

Go Fish-

Go Fish is best for 2-5 players. A regular deck of card may be used, or you can purchase fun kid-friendly cards as well.. The dealer deals 5 cards to each player  All of the remaining cards are placed face down to create a pond (or stock).
The player to dealer's left starts.  The first player may start by asking for a specific persons cards, for example- "Johnnie, may I please have your 5's?" The player who asks must already hold at least one card of the requested. If the player who was asked has cards of the named  (5's in this case), he must give all her cards of this rank to the player who asked for them. That player then gets another turn and may again ask any player for any rank already held by the asker.

If the person asked does not have any cards of the named rank, they say 'Go fish!'. The asker must then draw the top card of the un-dealt stock. If the drawn card is the rank asked for, the asker shows it and gets another turn. If the drawn card is not the rank asked for, the asker keeps it, but the turn now passes to the player who said 'Go fish!'.

As soon as a player collects a book of 4 cards of the same rank, this must be shown and discarded face down. The game continues until either someone has no cards left in their hand or the stock runs out. The winner is the player who then has the most books.

Rummy-

Rummy is best for 2-4 players. The dealer shuffles the cards and deals 6 cards to each player. If there are only two players, each player is dealt 7 cards. Place the remaining cards between the 2 players, face down on the table. Turn only the top card over and place it next to the deck face up. This is the discard stack.

The player to the dealer's left goes 1st. He draws a card from the stack and discards one from his hand. During a turn, if a player has 3 of a kind (same picture, same number) then he may lay them out on the table in from of them face up as a set. They may also lay down a card to add to a set that has already been played by themselves or another player.

1 card must be placed on the discard stack at the end of each turn. If there are no cards left to play from the stack, shuffle the discard pile and place it face down. If the game is played twice thru the deck with no winner, each player adds up their cards left in their hands, the player with the lowest value wins.

War-

Start by dealing out the deck one card at a time, face-down, so that each player gets 26 cards. Keep your cards in a pile and don’t look at them. Each player turns over one card simultaneously; whoever turns over the highest card picks up the two cards and puts them face-down at the bottom of his pile.

The cards have the normal rank from highest to lowest: ace, king, queen, jack, and then 10 through 2.

The game continues in this manner until both players turn over a card of the same rank, at which point you enter a war. A war can progress in one of three ways.
  • Each player puts a card face-down on top of the tied card and then one face-up. Whoever has the higher face-up card takes all six cards.
  • Each player puts three face-down cards on the table and one face-up card, so the competition is for ten cards. This option speeds up the game, which often drags a little — especially for children!
  • Each player puts down cards depending on the rank of the tied cards. If the equal cards are 7s, you each count off seven face-down cards before turning a card over. If the equal cards are kings, queens, or jacks, you turn down 10 cards before flipping one up and squaring off. For an ace, count out 11 face-down cards.

Crazy 8s-

One player, chosen as the dealer, deals out five cards (seven cards if only two are playing) to each player. The rest of the cards get placed face down as the stock pile. The top card on that pile is turned over face up beside the pile to start the discard pile. The game goes clockwise from the dealer, and the first player must play a card on the discard pile or take one from the stock pile. The game keeps going until someone gets rid of all of his or her cards.

To be able to play a card on the discard pile, the card must match either the number or the suit of the card on top of the discard pile. For example, if the queen of diamonds is on top, the card to be played must be either any queen or any diamond. All eights are "crazy," meaning you can play them anytime. However, you must say which suit will be played next when you play the eight card.  Be the first player to get rid of all of your cards to be the winner.

Memory-

Memory is a card game designed for two people, although single player modes are available. Cards are laid out in a grid face down, and players take turns flipping pairs of cards over. On each turn, the playerwill first turn one card over, then a second. If the two cards match, theplayer scores one point, the two cards are removed from the game, and the player gets another turn. If they do not match, the cards are turned back over.

The object is to match more pairs of cards than the opposing player.(One point is scored for each matched pair, and the player with the highest score after all cards have been matched wins.) When cards are turned over, it is important to remember where they are for when the matching card is turned up later in the game.

In this online version of memory, there are twelve unique pairs of cards, making 24 cards total.

What was your favorite card game you played when you were younger?

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Creating a special reading place- on a budget

book nook
With four kids I don't have a lot of extra cash floating around (who does these days?). My daughter asked me to create a Book Nook for her. I have to admit, I giggled, because I thought "um, you're 5 what do you know about a Book Nook?" While on bed rest from my surgery (coming soon in another post) I got to work and did some pinning on Pinterest. Apparently Book Nooks are where it's at these days! I was able to create a special place for my princess with less than $50. Sweet!!!!!!  We had several extra crib mattresses laying around (which may not sound normal to you but at one point we had three cribs in use at our house). I knew I could make a custom cover for the mattress and add some special flare to it as well.


book nook
 I found these stick on letters at Target in the clearance section for only $3.46. I thought they were perfect for the wall. They didn't have enough "R's" so I had to get creative and make an extra "r" out of a "p" (can you tell which "R" is made by me?)
book nook
 I Google searched the measurements of a crib sheet (because I couldn't remember what it was) and quickly sewed up a sheet for the crib mattress. I LOVE the colors my daughter and I picked out! I think they POP! The pillows were easy too! I sewed up some covers for some pillows we had laying in our basement and added some ribbon to a couple of them for added fun. (I will admit the largest one- with the piping) is my favorite, ahhh, OK, I take that back, I love the elephant one...no wait...ahh, shoot they're all cute!)
book nook
 I had extra fabric left over I made her a completely reversible and lined library bag from a pattern I found online too. You can go HERE to find it. See the pink pocket on top of the shelf with the tissue sticking out of it? It's a cute tissue holder! (She loves that!) You can go HERE to find out how to make one of these. I made an extra one for my purse.
book nook
I had the white shelves sitting in my basement from college...so they were "free" for my project. The only thing I ended up purchasing was the fabric, the wall decals and the hot pink garbage can.





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Monday, April 15, 2013

Things for the kids to do when mom or dad are sick

entertainment for the kids when I am sick
Mom is sick....uh oh....here are 15 things for the kids to do when mommy or daddy are sick

1.Have a Dance Party- turn up the radio and let them boogie on down

2. Educational games on your smart phone-this keeps my boys entertained for hours, or until the battery dies
entertainment for the kids when I am sick 3. Indoor bowling- yup, you read that right!

4. Create some crazy shapes out of exploding soap
entertainment for the kids when I am sick 
5. Dot to Dot, brain quiz or workbooks- I have a stash of these just for the days when I am under the weather, they love them!

6. Make rainbows and prisms on the wall

7. Popsicle Stick puzzles out of old photographs of your kids

8. Scratch pads. Seriously these things are genius! Let us show you how to make them.
entertainment for the kids when I am sick

9. Have your kids run an obstacle course while you rest

10. Paint with marbles- it's easy and so much fun
entertainment for the kids when I am sick
11. Stickers- let's be real all kids love stickers!

12. Play with shaving cream- I know it sounds messy but it will clean your table and it smells SO good!

13.Make a paper chain

entertainment for the kids when I am sick14. Teach them a new card game

15. When all else fails...see my kids in the first photo? Watch a movie!

Monday, April 1, 2013

11 Last Minute April Fools Activities For Kids

Today is April 1st which means it's April Fools Day.  I really wanted to play some kind of trick on you guys, our readers, by announcing we were quitting this blog, or by putting up a 404 NOT FOUND page in it's place for the day.  Lindsi convinced me it probably wasn't a good idea as people might take it seriously if they weren't paying attention.  So, instead of a joke on you, I'm letting you in on a few awesome, last minute tricks you can play on your family...

1)  Upside down/backwards house

While your kids are at school today, turn everything that you can (photos, knick-knacks, whatever you can) upside down and/or backwards.  When your kids ask what happened, act like you have no clue that things are different.  If your kids are on spring break and are home today, slowly change things when they aren't in the room.

2)  Blue toothbrush

Put a small drop of blue food coloring in the middle of your child's toothbrush sometime today.  When they go to brush their teeth tonight, their mouth will turn blue!  (Note this only works if your child's toothbrush has blue bristles or indicator bristles but you could do it to your significant other if your child's tooth brush has normal bristles!)

3)  Short sheet the bed

An old prank from college that you can now play on your kids!  Forgot how to do it?  Find the instructions on WikiHow.

4)  Trip a circuit

Trip the circuit in a room or two in your house so that the lights don't turn on.  Tell your kids the power went out but only in that room.  The electric company is working on it.

5)  Stuck coin

This one isn't for your kids, it's one that they can play on others.  If you have a busy sidewalk or walking path by your house, use super glue to glue a quarter to the ground.  Sit back and watch how many people try to pick it up.

6)  Chewy cheese sandwich

Make your child a sandwich with cheese but don't take the wrapper off of the cheese.  They'll bite into a surprise!

7)  Small shoes

Stuff toilet paper into the toes of your child's shoes so that they are suddenly too small.

8)  Slippery seat

This one is for your older kids who are good at using the potty.  Put a thin layer of Vaseline on the toilet seat so that it is slippery when they sit on it.

9)  Broken straw

Give your child a drink with a straw in it.  First, however, use a pin to poke small holes in it so that when they suck they'll get air and not their drink!

10)  Brown-Es

Cut a bunch of letter Es out of brown paper and put them in a container.  Tell your kids you made them brownies and give them the container full of brown Es.

11)  April Fool's Ice

Last but not least, this is a must see!!  This awesome fake ice looks real to me and would make a great prank.  It does, however, require a little time and prep so you might have to put it on your list for next year.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Paint With Kool-Aid

Today, Toys In The Dryer is excited to bring you a guest post from Becky of Your Modern Family:

With four kids ages six and under, I am always looking for a great activity to do with them. I taught elementary school before our oldest son was born and I know how every thing that you do with your children will teach them. Let them explore and learn and you will be amazed by them! Today we will learn how to make paint with kool-aid.
This is a fun, easy activity to do with your children! It makes your house smell great and it is so much fun to do with your kids. It is a wonderful activity for creativity and working on fine motor skills. Add in a great story (read about rainbows and paint one) and you have just done a great learning lesson with your kids!
 photo paintwithkool-aid.jpg

Make paint with kool-aid: 

I bought a few packets of the off-brand (cheapest you can find) Kool-aid mix.

To make this, you will want to start by getting out as many bowls as you have kids (or if you are separating by color, get out as many bowls as you have colors of Kool-aid. (Example: if you have green, blue and red, you could do three bowls- one for each color)

I have done both. Some days we do a colorful picture with many different colors and other times, I just use one packet and split the one color between the kids. They just love the creation of it all and they really are happy either way. Its a win-win.


PREPARE THE AREA: 

Get on your aprons and get out your 'craft' tablecloth (see how to organize art supplies for kids). I like to let our kids paint with our easel, so I lay the tablecloth on the ground after we are done mixing it up on the table. If you want them to paint on paper on the table- just lay it down once and you are done.
 photo painting-with-kool-aid-kitchen-bench-001-300x225.jpg
So, if you are using just one packet:
Pour a little bit into each bowl with just a touch of water (a tablespoon or two). The more you use, the runnier it will be.

Mix it up until the Kool-aid is dissolved. 
 photo painting-with-kool-aid-kitchen-bench-002-150x150.jpg
Give your kids a paintbrush and let them go to town! (Notice the tablecloth on the floor in the first photo to protect the wood from any "paint" spills.

The Kool-aid is scented so it makes your house smell great!

Remember- this can stain, so wear your aprons!!
 photo paint-with-kool-aid-2.jpg 
We have been doing this for years- so here is an older picture of our boys painting, too. It is quite possibly their favorite activity!

 photo Becky-at-Your-Modern-Family-1.jpgBecky blogs about raising your kids & running your household (while staying within your budget!) at Your Modern Family. She was an elementary teacher until her oldest son was born. She became a (one morning a week) play therapist and Stay At Home Mom to four kids. She shares her tips on raising kids, organizing the home, and helping you to save money (to make being a Stay-at-home-Mom or working Mom easier!)

Monday, March 25, 2013

Easter Egg Memory Game

Looking for an Easter game that can keep your kids busy for a while? How about doing an Easter Egg Memory Game?
My daughter thought this game was a blast and she played it multiple different ways too. It kept her busy for literally an hour!  The only things you'll need are a bunch of plastic Easter eggs and the same amount of small, matching objects to put into the eggs.
 photo EasterEggMemoryGame1.jpg
There are a few different ways to play the Easter Egg Memory Game depending on how hard or easy you want to make it.  The basic way is to simply put the objects into the eggs, mix them up, then try to find the matching objects in the eggs.

To make it easier:  put matching objects in matching egg colors such as the pennies in two pink eggs, the buttons in two blue eggs.

To make it harder:  Mix up the egg colors such as a yellow top with a blue bottom or an orange top with a yellow bottom.  You can also do similar items instead of matching items such as a penny and a nickle, two different buttons, or two different Lego pieces.
 photo EasterEggMemoryGame2.jpg
Mix up the game:  Try matching the eggs by sound of the shake vs by memory.  Shake the eggs and try to find their match.  Once you think you've got them matched open them up to see if you are right.  My daughter LOVED this version!  It's harder than you think too!

Things to keep in mind:  As always, beware of little objects around younger kids who could choke on them.  
Also, my daughter had a little trouble opening and closing the eggs so you might have to help a bit.

Do your kids like memory games?

Friday, March 22, 2013

Easter Peep Basket- Pinned it, Did it

peeps
 The other day I was drooling over Pintrest posts (and I only say drooling because in all honesty I am obsessed with that site! I love the fabulous ideas people have, I love to see what people have done and figure out ways to improve upon them, and frankly I love to organize them). I saw the cutest Peep basket on there and immediately thought of my grandpa!
peeps


The 83 year old man has a mean sweet tooth and he can put away several Peeps in one sitting. Thing is though, he doesn't like them fresh and soft....he likes them stale and chewy or almost hard. Goofy man! He came over to our house last week after my lil' princess had her surgery to meet my lil' king at the bus stop and I thought I'd surprise him with a Peep basket as a thank you for his help! Oh man he was so excited!!!
peeps
It was really easy to do. I simply spent $2 at the dollar store (1 for the basket and 1 for the Easter grass). We had some sticks and Peeps already purchased and waiting for us at home. We filled the basket with the Easter Grass for a sturdy base.
peeps
After the basket was ready we inserted a candy stick into each Peep and added them to the basket one by one. When we were all done we were pretty excited with how it turned out and Grandpa was thrilled with the sugar overload!
peeps


Monday, March 18, 2013

21 After Surgery Activities for Kids

If you've been paying attention to our social media over the last week, you know that both my daughter, Tottie, and Lindsi's daughter, Lil' Princess, had tonsillectomies last week. Tottie's was on Monday and Lil' Princess' was on Tuesday. Though neither daughter has been very perky, we have had to keep them occupied while they are to remain on the quiet side.  Here's some of the things we've done to keep our post-surgery kids from getting bored...
after surgery activities for kids
1)  Legos--What kid doesn't love them?  Buy a new set of Legos for after surgery and keep your child busy for hours.

2)  Glurch/Slime--This ooey, gooey stuff isn't messy at all but your kids will have fun thinking it is!

3)  Board games--When was the last time you played a board game?  Now's the time to have some fun with your kids playing the games you used to love.

4)  I spy bottles--We dusted off one of my girls' favorite toys AND made a new one!

5)  Make cards for other sick kids--Dust off your art supplies and make cards for friends or relatives who are sick.  You can also contact your local hospital to find out where to send general cards to kids in need.

6)  Make rainbows on the wall--Feeling down and cooped up?  Rainbows make anybody happy and it's fun to make them inside!

7)  Play on the iPad/tablet/computer--Find a new app or online game to play.

8)  Make paper beads--These beads are easy to make but take time.  Once they're dry, string them into a necklace.

9)  Water guns--For those stuck in the hospital for a bit, get some water guns and squirt the unexpecting nurses and doctors who walk into the room (I happen to be a pediatric nurse, trust me, we don't mind and we may just get you back!).

10)  Custom word search--Yes, you can make your own word search game!  Use words that relate to the surgery or any of your favorite topics.

11)  Play surgeon--If you're lucky enough (like we were) to take home a few hospital supplies after surgery, let your child practice on their dolls or stuffed animals.  If you're reading this before your child has surgery, ask if you can bring a few supplies home to play with.

make your own play dough12)  Play dough--An old fashion classic that is fun for all.

13)  Magic 8 Ball--Grab a magic 8 ball and ask it silly questions.  What is the answer?


14)  Scratch drawings--A new take on drawing.

15)  New books--Buy either new reading books, new activity books, or new puzzle books.

make your own snow globe 16)  Snow globes--It's fun and peaceful to watch the glitter float around in these globes.

17)  Puzzles--Pick a puzzle with more pieces and keep your child busy for longer.  Help out if it's too hard and have some fun of your own.

18)  Tissue paper flowers--Everyone loves flowers when they aren't feeling well.  Now you can make some that last as long as you need them to.

19)  Rent a new movie--You've got at lease 1.5 hours of entertainment when you rent a movie you've never seen.

boo boo bunny 20)  Email your relatives--Kids will love to email their relatives even if they don't know how to type.  Let them type any key on the keyboard to make "words" and "sentences" them ask them what they said to translate underneath.

21)  Don't forget, BooBoo Bunnies make EVERYTHING better!

What things have you done to keep your kids occupied when they've had to remain quiet for a few days?

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Pintrest Inspired St. Patrick's Day Activities

Because Jamie and I are busy taking care of our daughters this week (post surgeries) we are bringing you a week of fun Pintrest inspirations.

Make, Take, Teach created this awesome gif file for her readers. "To play this game, you’ll need a board for every two players.  Each player will need about 10 colored chips of the same color (each partner must have a different colored chip).   So, if we were playing, I may have 10 red chips and you may have 10 blue chips.  Players take turns reading a word and placing their colored chip on the word.  Players try to be the first to get 4 chips in a row either vertically, horizontally, or diagnoally while at the same time blocking their opponent."

JDaniel4'sMom shared these awesome crystal'd shamrocks that she made with her son. Didn't they turn out awesome?

Momma'sFun World showed her readers how to make a great science experiment with kool-aid and water....and you'd be surprised with the results! Make sure you check it out!

B-Inspired Mama reminded me of something my grandma and I used to do when I was younger. We'd add a little food coloring to the water of a white flower and watch it slowly change the color. A pretty neat "science" opportunity for you to do with your kiddos.

B-Inspired Mama is one cool mama! Check out this really fun spelling game she created for her kiddos with shamrocks and a marker! Learned is fun with this game!

Monday, March 4, 2013

Easy DIY Fairy/Gnome Garden

My girls and I planted a Gnome Garden a few weeks ago. They got it as a kit for Christmas.
They are having so much fun watching it grow (as are Hubby and I!).  Though ours came as a kit, it would be super to make one on your own with your kids.

You'll need:
  • a large terra cotta pot base 
  • soil
  • grass seed
  • a few bean seeds
  • rocks
  • paint
  • a small house
  • a small gnome (optional)
  • other decorations you want
 photo fairy-gnomegarden3.jpg
Everything you need (except the seeds) you should be able to find at your local craft store.  The rocks you can find outside.  

1)  Paint the pot base and rocks and/or other decorations you have and let dry.

2)  Fill the pot base 1/2 way with the soil

3)  Plant the seeds mostly around the edges, leaving yourself some open space for decorations in the middle

4)  Fill with the rest of the soil and decorate your garden as you want

5)  Water and watch grow!
 photo fairy-gnomegarden2.jpg
Our seeds were pretty fast growing so after 2 days we already saw sprouts!  My girls were ecstatic!

Have you ever planted a fairy or gnome garden with your kids?

Monday, February 18, 2013

Frozen Bubbles

We've had a cold winter this year in Minnesota. Though most of the time we keep our kids indoors when the weather is well below freezing, there are times when sub 0°F can be a lot of fun!
frozen bubbles
Take bubbles for example...they are a summertime or indoor activity, correct?  No!  Take them outside when it's below freezing and watch what happens!
frozen bubbles 4
The colder the temp outside the faster the magic happens, however, don't go outside when it's too cold or you won't be able to do it for long. Also a bit of a hint, make sure it's pretty calm outside. Any breeze and your bubbles will fly away before you get to play with them.
frozen bubbles 2
Don't have bubble solution or a bubble wand? No problem! Make the solution out of dish soap and water. Use a straw as a wand.
frozen bubbles 3
Experiment by blowing a bubble, letting it freeze, then taking it inside. What happens?

Freezing bubbles was a ton of fun with my girls and I'm sure your kids will have just as much fun!
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