I am so excited to finally be able to introduce to you a brand new book that I have co-authored:  Learn with Play — 150+ Activities for Year-Round Fun and Learning. 

This book was written by 94 bloggers from the Kid Blogger Network, which is home to some of the best kid bloggers out there.  It is geared towards young children (from baby through kindergarten), and it includes a wide variety of crafts, sensory exploration idea, learning activities, and so much more!

Here’s a sneak peak of just a couple of the fun activities you’ll find inside:

See those colored circles on the sides?

They help guide you to age-appropriate activities to meet the needs of your children.

Each activity includes a complete list of supplies and easy to follow instructions.  Oh, and did I mention that  most of the activities use materials you already have on hand?  Love that!

And, since both the eBook and Kindle versions give you an additional 2 more links of activities found on each author’s blog, you will never run out of ideas.  (The print version gives you the URL for each author’s blog.)

*Want to see a complete activity that is in the book?  Check out my Recycled Water Bottle Fish Craft.

Learn with Play would be a great resource for parents, care givers, and early education teachers.

Want to get a copy for yourself or a gift?

As of 2019, the book is no longer available on Amazon.  However, if you are interested, you can email me about purchasing the ebook.

Thank you!

The post Learn with Play: 150+ Activities in a Fun New Book first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Before you know it, the kids will be home for winter break.  Sure, the first few days they’ll be happy playing with toys and just hanging out, but what happens when they get bored?  How will you help the kids avoid cabin fever this winter?

How to Avoid Cabin Fever in Kids

Plan an indoor camp-out with the kids, complete with s’mores!

Have a few jingle bells on hand?  Build this cute indoor obstacle course with a Christmas twist!

Use a ball of yarn to weave your own spider web maze for the kids to crawl under and through.  (Older kids will love creating their own web!)

Make craft stick catapults and see how far you can fling mini-marshmallows or paper wads.

Grab the recycling box and check out the junk drawer to make your own invention box!  (The kids may just learn something in the process!)

Raid the sock drawers and have an indoor snowball fight that will leave them giggling.

Make snow!  This simple taste-safe cloud dough looks like snow, without freezing little fingers.

How about a STEM activity?  Can your kids build a plastic cup pyramid without touching the cups?

Science is always a hit with kids!  There are tons of winter science experiments kids can try using ingredients you probably already have at home.

Break out the board games, or even better, let older kids design their own board game for the family to play.  (Check out these great math games and sneak in a little learning, too!)

Gather up your “treasure,” hide it, and send the kids on a scavenger hunt to find it.

Challenge your kids to make Styrofoam structures.

Turn on the tunes and have a dance party!

Try your hands at straw weaving and make colorful bracelets to wear.

Grab a stack of sheets/blankets and build a blanket fort.

Have a bunch of large boxes left from the holidays?  Make a cardboard box castle or fort.

Host your very own candy cane hunt.

Hand the kids some dry-erase markers and let them decorate the windows.  (This is always a hit here!)

Kids love science.  Make fizzing snow for tons of fun indoors or out.

Pop some popcorn, grab a blanket, and snuggle up to watch the movie of your kid’s choice.

Still looking for ways to avoid cabin fever this winter?

• Find over 30 awesome STEM activities in my ebook Up.
• Try out a few Christmas crafts and activities to do together.
• Get out the Nerf guns for math fact practice.

The post Ways to Avoid Cabin Fever over Winter Break first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

What do you do when you have five energetic kids stuck in the house?

Get out the shaving cream and let them go crazy with some basic shaving cream sensory play!

My kids have played with shaving cream a number of times.  It is ALWAYS a hit!

My daughter loved last summer’s whole body shaving cream experience and the Frozen-inspired sensory table… And when we had company over this week and she spotted the can of shaving cream I had stashed on the counter?

Well, I couldn’t resist introducing a whole new batch of kids to shaving cream sensory fun!

I started off by just squirting a little bit in front of each child.

They had fun squishing it and smearing it on the table, drawing pictures with their fingers, writing their names, and then smearing it to start all over again.

When they decided to work together to cover the whole table (this was a first here!), I got out miniature cars so they could see the tire marks each car left behind.

And just when our company was starting to think I was crazy for letting the kids cover the dining table in shaving cream…  I got out the food coloring.

Just a drop or two of food coloring gives the kids a whole new shaving cream experience!

They had fun mixing the colors and creating more shaving cream pictures.

And then I got a bit crazier….and sprinkled a bit of baking soda on the whole mess.

With a few sprays from my “magic squirt bottle”  (which was filled with vinegar and water), the colorful art work started to foam!

Of course the added liquid made it all a bit more slippery (a whole new sensory experience).

I bet by now you are wondering how clean up went.

Shaving cream is really pretty easy to clean up.

I usually wipe up as much as I can of it with dry paper towels before using a wet wash cloth.  As for the kids, I filled the sink with a bit of water and had them each walk to it with their hands in the air.  A quick dip in the water and a bit of rubbing and the shaving cream came right off, leaving the kids ready for whatever fun they’d find next.

(I’ll give you a secret:  If it’s just your own kids, let them play with the shaving cream in the bathtub!  All you need to do then is rinse the shaving cream down the drain and the kids are already in a convenient location for their own clean up, too!)

Have you ever let the kids play in shaving cream?

I’d love to hear how you’ve gotten creative with it in the comments!

The post Indoor Playdate Idea: Shaving Cream Sensory first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

If you are looking for wasy to keep the kids cool this summer, these outdoor water play ideas are perfect. 

Break up the monotony of squirt guns and water balloons with a few of these fun ideas when it comes to backyard summer activities. 

Summer is the time for making memories.  These fun ways to play with water are perfect for super hot days.  

Your kids will also enjoy these backyard day camp ideas.  

Water Play Ideas

Sponge Water Balls — Use cheap kitchen sponges to create your very own water balls and let the kids toss them like water balloons.  They can be used over and over again, without the mess of balloon pieces left behind.

Water Obstacle Course — Kids of all ages love obstacle courses.  Use pool noodles, water balloons and other items you have on hand to create a fun obstacle course where the kids get wet.  

Water Blob — Toddlers and preschoolers will have hours of fun with this squishy sensory activity that allows them to explore without getting quite as wet.  

Water Math and Science Activities — Worried about the summer slide?  The kids will have so much fun with these activities they won’t even know they’re learning.  

DIY Sprinklers — Sprinklers are always fun.  Make it twice as fun by creating your very own water sprinkler with one of these simple ideas. 

Water Wheel — This would be a fun STEM activity for summer.  Kids will learn how water wheels work and engineer their own with materials you probably have at home. 

Water Balloon Art — Kids will have fun drawing with markers and then using water balloons to see the colors swirl and mix together. 

Pom-Pom Water Squeeze — This simple boredom buster will help little ones strengthen hand muscles while having fun. 

Water Balloon Activities — Sure, water balloon fights are fun.  But sometimes you want something a little different.  Try some of these fun race and game ideas on a hot summer day.  

Outdoor Dishwashing Station — Little ones love to pretend.  Give them a chance to be just like Mom with this simple idea. 

Foil River —  Build a river in the backyard and let your child use it to play with their toy boats.  

Rain Gutter River —  For a longer lasting river, try using rain gutters.  You can even set them up so kids can stand while they play. 

Water Wall — Use recyclables to build a water wall that will keep toddlers and preschoolers entertained for days.  Older kids can even help build it.  

Rainbow Bubble Snakes — Discover how to blow a long line of rainbow-colored bubbles that are so fun to play with. 

Sponge Water Play — Young kids will have fun soaking water up in the sponges and squeezing it out.  Then, discover what toys can float with the help of a sponge. 

Rainbow Bubbles — This colorful, foamy sensory activity is fun for all ages.  Kids will love seeing the colors swirl together as they play.  

Colored Water Play — Young kids will have fun seeing what colors they get when then mix the different colors of water.  Then, let them use the colorful water to play with a few favorite toys.  

Soapy Shape Sort —  This is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.  They’ll have fun digging through the foamy water to find and sort different shapes. 

Legos and Water — What happens when you mix those colorful bricks with water?  Hours of fun.  

Water Balloon Bath — Take the bath time fun up a notch with this simple idea.  You could also try it outside in a kiddie pool. 

DIY Water Slide — Kids of all ages will love this slippery and fun homemade water slide idea. 

Whatever you do, have fun and stay cool with the kids these next few weeks with a few of these simple ways to play with water.  

Looking for other ways to beat the heat?

• Fun Ways for Kids to Play with Ice
• Make a Rubber Band Paddle Boat 
• Make yummy soda pop slushies at home with this science trick!

The post Fun & Easy Outdoor Water Play Ideas first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Happy New Year!

May 2014 bring you health, happiness, and plenty of time to enjoy the children in your life!

Looking back on 2013 there were so many great posts I read, kids activities to try, and helpful tips on Pinterest; I can hardly wait to see what 2014 brings!

This year I’m privileged to be a part of The KBN Best Of 2013 Blog Hop!

So what post drew the most attention here?

It was a post I wrote in October about 4 Halloween Party Games I  planned for my daughter’s birthday party.

A close runner up from 2013 was my post on Screen-Free Ideas for Traveling with Kids.

But, the 2013 post that I feel most strongly about is Messages We Send Our Kids.

Those messages I’m sending?  That’s something I want to continue to work on as we enter into the new year.

Below you’ll find over 50 Kid Blogger Network members coming together for The KBN Best Of 2013 Blog Hop. We know you’ll find tons of wonderful ideas to browse, pin and share.   Make sure you’re following the Kid Blogger Network on Pinterest. 

The post The Very Best Kids Activities from 2013 Blog Hop first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

My son loves to drive his miniature construction vehicles through dry rice.  It’s a nice alternative when playing in the sandbox isn’t possible.

With Memorial Day coming up this weekend, I thought I’d try making patriotic rainbow rice.  (I’ve seen several “recipes” for colored rice out there.  I did something very similar to the one found at Blog Me Mom.  The only difference is that I stirred the food coloring into the rice instead of shaking it.  Next time, I’m letting the kids shake it up before I pop it in the microwave for those 10 seconds!)

Once I had the rice colored, I set out the invitation to play…

I pulled out the outdoor play kitchen stuff from when we do mud pies, and they started spooning rice into various containers.

At first they tried keeping all the colors separated.  But eventually it was a spoonful of red, followed by a spoonful of blue…

And, of course, after a while, the construction vehicles made an appearance!

I have to say, just by adding color to the rice, it became a whole new level of excitement for both of my preschoolers!  Rainbow rice sensory play is something we will definitely be doing again!

The post Patriotic Sensory Play first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.