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Category: Kids Crafts & Activities

How to Create Busy Boxes for Kids
Spring is here! Well, kind of. I live in the Pacific Northwest currently and some days still feel pretty close to winter!

During Spring Break when the kids are home, I have to keep them busy! If I don’t offer fun activities for them to work on, then I hear the usual

“Mom, I’m bored!”

Thankfully, with busy boxes around the house, they aren’t bored anymore. It took a while for me to understand the importance of having activities organized for them so that they could express their creativity during spring break (and the upcoming summer break).

If you are in need of a way to keep the kids entertained during the spring break or summer break, try creating busy boxes for each child that will be staying home during the break.

Busy boxes are a great way to keep kids actively engaged as they provide a way for children to stay creative during the long break.

It’s super easy to create busy boxes. Just follow the steps below to create your busy boxes and your children will be entertained!

FREE Printable “I’m Bored” Jar Activity

15+ Educational Websites for Kids

Keep in mind that you do not need to spend too much money creating your busy boxes. You may have some of these contents around the house.

If not, head to your local Dollar Tree to find affordable items to add to your busy boxes. You’ll also want to make sure each box is age appropriate for your child.

How to Create Busy Boxes for Kids

First, find a box or storage bin for your busy box. You can choose the size based on how many items you’ll use to fill the box.

Then, start collecting items such as the items listed below to place in your child’s busy box.
- Crayons
- Markers
- Highlighters
- Colored Pencils
- Pencils
- Erasers
- Safety Scissors
- Glue Sticks
- Play-doh
- Moon dough
- Modeling Clay
- Ink Stamps
- Ink Pads
- Skinny Chalk
- Sidewalk Chalk
- Glitter
- Stickers
- Foam Stickers
- Journal
- Diary
- Spiral Notebook
- Notebook Paper
- Writing Pad
- Drawing Pad
- Coloring Books
- Children’s Books
- Puzzles
- Construction Paper
- Small Dry Erase Board
- Dry Erase Markers
- Envelopes
- Stationary
- Colored Feathers
- Pipe Cleaners
- Crafting Pom Poms
- Googly Eyes
- Popsicle Sticks
- Tissue Paper
- Beads
- String
- Yarn
- Paint
- Paint Brushes
- Finger Paint
- Ruler
- Clipboard
- Note Cards
- Flashcards
There are many more items you can add to your busy boxes depending on the ages of your children.

Get creative and fill your boxes with enough to get through spring break or the long summer months. You can always add to the boxes as you run out.

I recommend keeping the busy boxes stored away, only pulling them out during days when they need re-direction as well as cool-off time indoors if they’ve been out all day.

It’s a bit of a “surprise factor” when they aren’t aware of what’s in the box. Children tend to get excited to work on items that they don’t usually have access to all of the time.

Busy boxes are also great to have on hand during rainy days!
May 29, 2023
Crab Paper Plate Craft
Learn how to create this adorable Crab Paper Plate Craft this summer with the kids!

Did you know that you can take something as simple as a paper plate and turn it into a beautiful piece of art?!

Today, I’m sharing how to create an adorable crab paper plate craft! Get your art supplies out and gather at the table with the kids to make this fun crab craft today!

This crab is perfect to create for the summer season. It may be difficult to visit a beach this summer, so bring the beach indoors with this craft.

Keep reading below for more fun summer activities including sand slime, ocean sensory bins, a beach movie day, and more to take advantage of this summer.

Plus, find 15 Summer Activities to Keep Kids Busy!

Crab Paper Plate Craft
- 1 paper plate
- Red paper
- Pencil
- Glue
- Scissors
- pipe cleaner
- Popsicle stick, if desired
- Printable Crab Paper Plate templates *see below
Get the free crab template!
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To use a print and cut device (such as Cricut Explore), use the PNG images. Upload to your machine software and cut according to manufacturer’s instructions. Size the pieces as follows:
- Crab claws = 7 inches in height
- Red eye = 3 inches in width
- White eye = 2 inches in width
- Black eye = 1 inch in width
If not using the print and cut option, print the PDF and cut pieces apart.

Trace the paper plate on a piece of red paper. Cut the circle from the paper.

Cut slits around the edge of the edge.

Glue the paper to the paper plate with the edges overlapping as needed to fit the curve of the paper plate. Allow the plate to dry completely.

Create the eyes by gluing the round pieces in a stack with the red under the white and the black in the middle of the white. Cut a chenille stem in half and attach one eye to each piece.

Decorate the paper plate by attaching pieces with glue.

Glue or tape the paper plate to the popsicle stick, if desired.

Allow the craft to dry completely before playing or displaying.
May 29, 2023
Water Activities for Toddlers

Toddlers love to play with water. These fun Water Activities for Toddlers can be adapted for indoor or outdoor use and will keep young children busy for hours.

Something about water just fascinates toddlers. The way the water feels and moves is a constant source of wonder for kids. Here are four activities to harness that fascination, either outside in the yard or inside over the kitchen sink.

Outdoor Activities for Toddlers

Water Activities for Toddlers

Painting with Water

Kids love seeing how colors get darker when they paint over them with water. If the weather permits, take them outside, hand them a paintbrush and a bucket of water, and let them paint the house. Some kids also enjoy painting the sidewalk.

For indoor adaptation, present toddlers with a craft paintbrush and differently colored pieces of paper. Watch them get creative as they make patterns with their brush and point out how the colors “change.”

Dropping Rocks into Water

Toddlers enjoy throwing stones into a creek or lake, so why not bring the fun to your own backyard or kitchen? Fill up the kitchen sink or a bucket in the backyard with water and let them toss in rocks.

Encourage their inner scientist with questions. What happens to the size of the splash when you drop the rocks from high up rather than close to the bucket? Try dropping in other objects like toys, leaves, sticks, or kitchen utensils. Do they float or sink?

Kitchen Utensil Water Play

Either outside with a large basin of water or indoors in the bathtub, provide toddlers with containers in a variety of shapes and sizes, along with kitchen supplies like sponges, basters, colanders, whisks, measuring cups, and funnels.

Toddlers can experiment with moving the water from one place to another with the various implements. They also might like mixing up a pretend “treat,” adding ingredients like bath toys (inside) or leaves or grass (outside).

Consider adding a water table for your child’s outdoor play, too! All three of my kids loved their water tables as toddlers.

Break the Ice

Use large containers like 9″x13″ pans, bundt cake pans, and mixing bowls to make giant blocks of ice. Food coloring can be added to the water beforehand if desired. Freeze in layers, adding toys every so often. When you are finished, you’ll have a block of ice with toys “trapped” inside.

Take toddlers outside and tell them to bang away with a plastic hammer or other object to free the toys! It helps to let the ice melt a little first to soften it. For indoor play, place the ice block in a sink or bathtub.

Summer is a great time to take toddlers outside for these water games, but these activities can be adapted for indoor use at any time of the year. Kids always love to play with water, so these activities are sure to be a hit.

Plus, enjoy this FREE Fun Water Activities for Kids Bucket List printable.

Fun Water Activities for Kids Printable Download

May 29, 2023
Summer Activities to Keep Kids Busy

Summer is around the corner! How do you plan to keep the kids busy this summer? I know I’ll be busy this summer entertaining my girls, so I’m doing my best to plan ahead! There are too many days where I fail to plan out our day and it ends up a complete disaster. This year, I’m changing that and having a plan in place for these long summer days where the kids will be at home and it’s my job to figure out how to entertain them all day! I always find that it’s best to get out of the house for at least part of the day to keep everyone happy!

Here’s a list of activities to do with your children during the summer! Print this list off and keep it handy! It will help serve as a great guide for those days when you want to do something fun with the kids but you just can’t think of anything to do!

>>> Print a FREE Summer Bingo Game for more activity ideas! <<<

Summer Activities to Keep Kids Busy

Visit your local library.

Grab a calendar of events for the summer from your library because many times libraries have free programs for children to take advantage of! Plus, your child will enjoy having their very own special library card to check out books or movies!

Sign up Vacation Bible School.

Most churches have a themed Vacation Bible School to attend during the summer. Some VBS weeks are held in the morning, afternoon, or evenings so call your church to find out when or if your child can attend and what age your child needs to be to attend.

Take a trip to the zoo or aquarium.

Children love animals and learn a lot about animals during trips to the zoo or aquarium! If you have a zoo or aquarium nearby, consider purchasing a season pass so you can visit often!

Visit a children’s museum.

Search for the nearest children’s museum and take a trip to a children’s museum for the day. It usually takes a few hours to get through a children’s museum depending on how large it is, so this would be perfect for a day trip! Just like the zoo, you may be able to buy a season pass if you plan to visit more than once during the summer.

Go swimming or find a spray park.

Find a pool or spray park in your area and pack the bags to enjoy a day out. Don’t forget to reapply sunscreen often! Season passes are usually available if you plan to go swimming often during the summer. This is a great time to sign up for summer swim lessons offered, too!

Take a trip to the beach.

Plan a beach day! Be sure to pack up your favorite snacks and drinks (no glass of course) along with towels, plenty of sunscreen, beach toys, and your bathing suits and enjoy a day in the sun at the nearest beach!

Head out for ice cream or sno-cones.

You don’t have to go far to have a great time! Pack the kids up and head out for ice cream or sno-cones at your favorite ice cream parlor. Kids love cold treats, so this is an ice cold treat for them when it’s hot out!

Go to the movies.

Take a break from the heat and head to a movie theater to watch kid friendly movies this summer! Enjoy ice cold drinks, snacks, and popcorn while enjoying the nice A/C inside!

Plan a picnic at a park.

Pack up a nice lunch for the kids and take a trip to a park nearby to enjoy a picnic! After the picnic, allow the kids to have plenty of playtime at the park!

Go camping.

If you have a state park nearby or a outdoor recreation center, plan a camping trip! Pack up the tent or grab the keys to your RV and head out for a family camping trip to enjoy the great outdoors.

Tips for Camping with Kids

Skate indoors or go bowling.

Have a skating rink or bowling alley nearby? Pack up your skates or rent skates at your local skating rink or head out for a day of bowling! Kids will love skating around or bowling to fun music while staying cool indoors!

Find an indoor fun park.

Some places have indoor fun parks that offer go-karts, miniature golf, arcade games, bounce houses, and more. Enjoy a day playing games and enjoying time together.

Visit a theme park.

If you have room in your budget, plan a trip to your nearest theme park! This is a perfect day trip activity, so be sure to plan a full day of fun while you are there!

Join summer art or science programs.

Many towns offer art or science programs during the summer for kids. Call around to local resources to find out how you can take advantage of these programs.

Visit a farmer’s market.

Take a trip to a farmer’s market and allow your children to pick out a few healthy fruits or veggies to bring home. Then, prepare fresh fruit salads or snacks for them to enjoy!

Staying indoors at home? Create busy boxes to keep the kids from getting bored!

Plus, here’s a FREE Printable Summer Bingo game to print and complete this summer! Simply check off each activity that your child completes and try to get as many Bingo lines as you can!

Free Printable Summer Bingo Game Download

There are so many great ways to enjoy the summer. Grab your calendars now and start planning for summertime fun with the kids! This will help beat summertime boredom and hopefully help to keep everyone happy!

What are other ways to keep kids busy during the summer?

May 29, 2023
Memorial Day Trivia

Are you looking for a Memorial Day Trivia printable? Here are several great options to choose from this year!

Memorial Day is here and what better way to celebrate the day than with a fun-filled, patriotic activity?

As a mom, I know how hard it can get to keep your kids engaged during the holidays.

Memorial Day Crafts for Kids

But with Memorial Day being a day to remember and honor those who fought for our freedom, it’s important to keep our kids involved and educated with American history.

That’s why I’m sharing with you the importance of downloading and printing a Memorial Day trivia activity for your kids to work on during this patriotic holiday.

Memorial Day Trivia

Education is Key

Memorial Day is all about honoring those who fought for our freedom.

But it’s also a day to educate our kids on the importance of patriotism and the sacrifices made by our military heroes.

With a Memorial Day trivia activity, your kids can learn and understand the significance of this holiday in a fun and engaging way.

It’s a simple yet effective way to keep them educated, entertained, and well-informed.

Memorial Day Trivia

Keep Your Kids Engaged

Keeping your kids entertained and engaged during a holiday is always a struggle.

But with a Memorial Day trivia activity, you can keep your kids occupied for hours on end.

Keep their minds busy with a range of trivia questions that will challenge them and keep them engaged.

And when they successfully complete the activity, they’ll feel a sense of accomplishment, making the holiday even more special and memorable.

Memorial Day Trivia

Screen Time Alternative

In today’s digital world, it’s easy to resort to screen time when we’re looking to keep our kids entertained.

But with a Memorial Day trivia activity, you can offer your kids a fun alternative that gets them offline and involved in the patriotic celebrations.

This activity can become a family affair, with parents and kids competing to see who knows the most about American history.

It’s a great way to bond with your family while teaching them about the importance of Memorial Day.

Memorial Day Trivia

Creating Lasting Memories

Memorial Day is a day to remember the sacrifices made by our military heroes.

It’s a day to create lasting memories with our loved ones.

With a Memorial Day trivia activity, you’re not only keeping your kids engaged and entertained, but you’re also creating lasting memories that they’ll treasure for years to come.

Whether it’s a new family tradition or just a fun activity that your kids won’t forget, the Memorial Day trivia activity is the perfect way to celebrate the day.

Memorial Day Trivia

Memorial Day is an important holiday that deserves recognition and celebration.

It’s a day to remember and honor the sacrifices made by our military heroes.

As a mom, it’s our responsibility to keep our kids involved and educated with American history.

The Memorial Day trivia activity is the perfect way to do just that. It’s a fun-filled, engaging, and educational activity that your kids will love.

So why not download and print the Memorial Day trivia activity and share in the patriotic celebrations with your family today?

Memorial Day Trivia

Memorial Day Trivia

Memorial Day Trivia

Memorial Day Trivia

May 27, 2023
Memorial Day Crafts for Kids
Enjoy these Memorial Day Crafts for Kids to celebrate Memorial Day this year!

Photo by Blessing Ri on Unsplash

Do you have plans this weekend to observe the Memorial Day holiday?

What is Memorial Day and why do we celebrate it?

Memorial Day is an American holiday honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Memorial Day falls on the last Monday during the month of May! This year, Memorial Day 2021 is Monday, May 31.

For many, Memorial Day is a time to get together with family and friends.

We will be heading out to the lake this year to enjoy our Memorial Day weekend with the kids! I want to make sure we have plenty of fun and entertaining activities to keep them entertained.

You can create these activities at home, create them before heading out, or take your craft supplies with you and create these fun crafts together! Here are some ideas for craft supplies:
If you are looking for crafts to work on with your kids this Memorial Day, here are a few great ideas for you!

15+ Patriotic Crafts for Kids (includes FREE printables!)

Memorial Day Crafts for Kids

Red, White, and Blue Sensory Bottle

Kids will enjoy creating and shaking up this fun and patriotic sensory bottle with floating stars and glitter!

Red, White, and Blue Slime

Create this stretchy and glittery red, white, and blue slime to keep kids entertained this Memorial Day.

Red, White, and Blue Wind Sock

Windsocks are easy to make, plus they make great decorations! Kids will love this DIY windsock to run around with outdoors this Memorial Day holiday weekend!

Firework Kids Craft

Here’s an easy firework craft for kids. All you need is some liquid paint and drinking straws!

Red, White, and Blue Sensory Rice

Learn how to make this red, white, and blue rice for sensory play!

Patriotic Bubble Wrap Stomp Painting

Kids LOVE bubble wrap! Here’s a fun spin on using bubble wrap and paint to create a fun patriotic picture!

Memorial Day Sensory Bin

This patriotic sensory bin will keep tiny hands entertained and engaged in sensory play!

Patriotic Play Dough Kit at Etsy: Buy NOW!

How cool is this! This Patriotic Play Dough Kit comes with a variety of fun items to engage with for play time!

Printable Memorial Day Activities:

Memorial Day Handprint Kid Craft

Memorial Day Handprint Kid Craft

Memorial Day 5-in-1 Word Games Patriotic Bundle

Memorial Day Coloring Pages

Memorial Day Activity Pack for Kids

Memorial Day Games for Kids
May 27, 2023
FREE “I’m Bored” Jar Printable Pack
Are you tired of hearing your kids say, “I’m bored?” If so, create this I’m Bored Jar to keep around to prevent or help bust boredom!

I’ll provide you with a free printable pack to help you get started.

As parents, nothing is more frustrating than hearing your kids say “I’m bored” during the summer break.

But what if there’s a way to keep them entertained and engaged without spending every waking moment planning activities or shelling out money for summer camps?

Enter the “I’m Bored” jar – a classic parenting hack that’s been around for ages and for good reason too!

FREE Summer Bucket List Bingo Printable

15 Summer Activities for Kids

Summer Activities to Keep Kids Busy

Summer Coloring Pages

In this post, I’ll discuss why parents should create an “I’m Bored” jar for their kids this summer and the benefits of doing so.

I’ll also show you how you can print and use my free I’m Bored printable pack so that you can get started on your own jar, TODAY! Win!

Are you ready to say goodbye to summer boredom? Let’s dive in!

The “I’m Bored” jar encourages creativity

When kids are looking for something to do, they often turn to their screens or rely on their parents for ideas.

The “I’m Bored” jar changes that by encouraging them to use their imagination and be creative.

By filling the jar with fun and unique prompts, kids can explore new ideas and activities on their own, without relying on anyone else’s guidance.

It’s a fun way to spend time together

As parents, we often find ourselves with little time to share with our kids.

By creating an “I’m Bored” jar, you can have fun coming up with ideas and filling the jar together.

It’s a great way to spend time discussing and exploring ways to keep busy, and it creates a sense of teamwork and accomplishment that will leave everyone feeling satisfied.

It’s budget-friendly

Summer camps and activities can be costly, and not every family has the resources to pay for them.

The “I’m Bored” jar is a cost-effective solution that requires nothing more than a jar, craft supplies, and some creativity.

By filling the jar with free or low-cost activities, you can provide your kids with endless entertainment without breaking the bank.

It helps kids develop independence

Summer is a great time for kids to learn new skills and become more independent.

By using the “I’m Bored” jar, kids can explore new activities and learn how to manage their time and resources.

It’s a fun way to instill responsibility and independence in kids that will help them in the long run.

It brings a sense of anticipation and surprise

Finally, the “I’m Bored” jar is a fun way to add some mystery and excitement to your child’s day.

By choosing one prompt at random, kids never know what they’re going to get, which can add an element of surprise to their day.

It also keeps them engaged since they’re curious about what they’re going to pick next.

The “I’m Bored” jar is a simple yet effective parenting hack that’s perfect for summer break.

By encouraging creativity, teamwork, independence, and providing endless options for entertainment, it’s no wonder that parents have been using this hack for ages.

So, are you ready to create your “I’m Bored” jar and say goodbye to summer boredom?

Get started today and watch as your kids discover new activities and skills!

FREE Printable “I’m Bored” Jar Pack

This pack includes 5 pages including premade 30 labels and 10 fill in the blank labels to write in your own ideas.

Here’s what you’ll need.

Supplies:
- plastic or glass jar
- FREE “I’m Bored” Jar Printable
- scissors
- permanent Marker (for use on the blank labels)
- printer and color ink
- optional: laminator and laminator sheets (helps your labels last longer!)
Directions:

Download and print the 5-page “I’m Bored” jar pack.
Get your free “I’m Bored” Jar printable pack!
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Cut out the main cover label and place in or secure to the outside of the jar.

Cut out the labels and place them in the jar. Fill out the blank labels if desired. You can have your kids come up with ideas for these labels.

When you kids come to you saying they are bored, have them reach in the jar and pick out a label to complete! Repeat as necessary.
May 21, 2023