Big Kid
Bye-bye, Homeschooling: Heading Back To Public School
After two and a half years of homeschooling, my autistic teen is embarking on a new adventure. Here’s why, and how we’re hoping to make it work.
Party & Play
Best Board Games For Winter Fun
We’ve put some award-winning board games for school-aged children through their paces to see which ones we like best.
Big Kid
In Defense of Youth Sports
We have a saying in our house: Hard work wins when talent quits working hard. We didn’t make that saying up, but we read it somewhere and decided to embrace it as our own. It is a truth for all areas of life. Nothing will ever beat hard work..
Big Kid
End-of-School Interviews for Kids
Make time to interview your child and record memories about the school year.
Activities
A Haunted House for Pint-Sized Witches & Ghosts
Who says haunted houses aren’t for little kids? Let them create their own and they’ll be screaming for more!
Crafts
Easter Craft: make your own flower pots and vases
Using salt dough, turn jars from your recycling bin into flower pots, vases and candy jars for Easter.
Crafts
Make a Bird’s Nest for Spring
Welcome spring by making this simple bird’s nest with your kids using recycled paper bags. Or, try colored pastel paper for an Easter decoration.
Crafts
Simple Handmade Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids
I love to make crafts, yet find Valentine’s Day cards to be a chore. I always start with grand plans, but after my kids have made about 10 cards they lose interest, even when we start well before. So I was looking for ideas that truly are easy but will make you feel good about creating handmade cards.
Holidays
New Years NoiseMakers!
Ring in the new year with these shiny new noisemakers made from raisin boxes! They’re fun to shake and even more fun to make!
Crafts
Glitter Paper Houses
Ah, the little mini holiday village. We’ve made ours sparkle. You know, just in case the Cullens come to visit.
Crafts
DIY Holiday Wreaths
Ring in the Christmas season with fun homemade wreaths crafted from repurposed household items you can find in your own recycling bin! One man’s trash is another man holiday trimming!
Crafts
DIY Holiday Advent Calendars
We created two free printable calendars customizable to reflect your family’s own celebration of the holidays. One calendar is a gingerbread house with 24 days to count down until Xmas and the other calendar is a winter village with eight window openings to celebrate the days of Hanukkah. Enjoy!
Holidays
Last-Minute Kids’ Owl Costume
Still looking for a Halloween costume for your kiddo? Here’s an easy way to turn a t-shirt into an owl costume in a couple of hours without any sewing involved.
Crafts
Halloween Craft: Cereal Box Stencils
More ghosts and jack o’ lanterns! I’m afraid of the scary Halloween stuff, so we like to keep it happy around here. We made these fun and simple stencils to use on treat bags, but you could add them to tees, banners, or any other fabric decorations.
Crafts
Halloween Craft: Paper Bag Candy Bowls
Serve up your candy this year in these fun papier mâché Halloween candy bowls. Made from paper bags and recycled tissue paper, they are a fun and messy project for the kids. This project uses some recycled materials and others that can probably be found around your house.
Crafts
Halloween Craft: Paper Ghost Garlands
Looking for a simple and inexpensive way to decorate your home for Halloween? Let your little ones make these cute paper ghost garlands.
Party & Play
Animal Temporary Tattoo Fun
These temporary hand tattoos are some of the most fun things we have seen in a long time.
Crafts
Make a Shofar to Celebrate the Jewish New Year
Rosh Hashanah is approaching and the shofar horn delights kids. Help your child make one easily.
Crafts
Back-to-School Craft: Apple Print Backpack
Get ready for school with this apple print drawstring backpack. Let the kids make their own fabric pattern with an apple and some fabric paint.
Activities
Grow Butterflies
Enjoy the last few weeks of summer by raising your own butterflies at home. The kids will love it.