Once the final school bell of the year rings, keeping the kids engaged and occupied for the next three months lies solely on you and whatever childcare you’ve lined up for the summer. Fear not! We’ve found 6 totally free, downloadable printables, guaranteed to be welcomed diversions on more than one rainy day, long car ride or when you simply need a moment to yourself.
ABC Practice: This letter tracing sheet will keep beginning writers sharp and help ABC newbies learn and practice their letters before the start of preschool or kindergarten. The clean, watermark-free file is also nice to frame as artwork or at least to keep in the baby book. (via Back House White Shutters)
Travel Bingo: There are six of these save-your-sanity bingo cards that are beyond perfect for the family road trip. They have pictures along with the words, so even little ones can play. You can print them on card stock and have them laminated or place each in a page protector. As kids find an object on the card, they can mark it by placing a sticker on it or use a dry erase marker. (via Simple As That)
Reading with Kids: For older kids or for those who like a bit more of a challenge, Reading with Kids provides dozens of color-by-number and color-by-letter printables. Simply use the code at the bottom of each pages to determine how to color each space. A picture is revealed when all the spaces are colored. (via Reading with Kids)
Dr. Seuss Word Search: Word searches are fun, attention-grabbing and just the right activity to bring to a restaurant, on a road trip or as a quiet activity for rest (in lieu of nap) time. Here’s a cute word search with words from the popular author. If you’d rather make your own, providing the words and controlling the difficulty level, check out Discovery Education’s Puzzlemaker. (via Jinxy Kids)
For more great printables, including finds to keep your family entertained, organized and sharp, check out our Pinterest Printables Board. You, your kids and your sitter will be glad you took the time to download a few sanity savers!
The 4th of July is nearly upon us – get the party started with fun treats and decorations that’ll pump up the patriotism at your house. All you need for a fantastic July 4th BBQ is good company, good food and these fun, festive decorations and sweet treats.
July 4th Cake Toppers Free printable cake toppers take the all-American Rice Crispy square or any cake, brownie or cupcake up an impressive notch. (via Kara’s Party Ideas)
DIY Rocket Garland Rocket poppers are a fun craft for the kids and are great fun when filled with confetti or make an adorable decoration when hung together as a festive garland. (via Simplified Bee)
Firecracker Favors Adorable candy-filled firecrackers make a great centerpiece and a simple take-home for your guests. (via Crafts Unleashed)
Before you open a box of popsicles or round up the kids for a trip to get ice cream, consider surprising them with a summer treat they can help create. Kids love to help in the kitchen, and everyone loves a summery treat to share on a hot afternoon or at the end of a long summer day. These delicious desserts make the most of summer’s fresh fruit– berries, watermelon, and cherries – and ingredients you likely already have in your pantry or can easily pick up on your way home. They are so simple to make, we can hardly call some of them recipes.
Watermelon Frosty Add 2 1/4 cups frozen watermelon cubes (freeze the night before), 1/2+ cup water, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 large lemon, squeezed (lime juice also works very well! use 2 limes), and 1 fresh banana to a blender. Blend. Add more water as needed, but as little liquid as possible to keep your frosty thick and frosty. Garnish with frozen watermelon/rind slices. For a grown-up version, turn this super smoothie into a margarita by adding tequila! (via Lunchbox Bunch)
Super Easy Strawberry Shortcake Shortcakes, strawberries and whipped cream, oh my! Dip tops and sides of biscuits in margarine (or butter), dip into sugar . Place onto un-greased cookie sheet and bake for 13 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes . Combine strawberries and sugar in a mixing bowl, set aside. Beat whipping cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form . Split biscuits, layer on cream and strawberries . (via Tammilee Tips)
Pretzel Nutella Ice Cream Sandwich Bites You can whip up these mini sweet and salty sandwiches with little more than a bag of pretzels, ice cream and a jar of nutella. Place a sheet of wax paper on a small freezer-safe plate or pan. Place half of the pretzels on the wax paper. Smear some Nutella on each of the pretzels. Working quickly, top with about a teaspoon of ice cream and place a plain pretzel on top. Freeze for about an hour, or until they’re solid. Working quickly, smear a little Nutella on one end of each sandwich and dip in crushed hazelnuts. You may want to return these to the freezer for a while to re-harden them. Or you can eat them right away. (via Tasty Kitchen)
Cherry Pie Bars A little more work, this recipe is a good one to tackle with older kids. These bars would be sweet to pack for a picnic or bring to a BBQ. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a separate bowl, whip together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time, then blend in vanilla and almond extracts. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Reserve and set aside 1 1/2 cups batter then spread remaining evenly into prepared baking dish. Top with cherry pie filling spreading into an even layer. Dollop small spoonfuls of the remaining batter evenly over top. Bake in preheated oven about 30 – 37 minutes. (via Cooking Classy)
These treats are the perfect way to make a play date extra fun or to leave with the sitter for special surprise to enjoy with the kids while you’re away.
If you haven’t yet caught World Cup fever, it’s not too late to get in on the excitement and cheer for the home team. Team USA secured its place in the last 16 of the World Cup and will play Belgium on Tuesday, July 1 – just days before our nation celebrates its Independence Day. Kick up your family’s patriotism with these fun crafts. Cheer on our team in Tuesday’s game and again on the 4th when they’d make for great decorations for a family BBQ and awesome fanfare for a neighborhood bike parade.
Fun, festive crafts to cheer on Team USA and celebrate July 4th
These paper flag fansare festive and fun, and make for an easy craft to make with kids. Simply print the template and glue to sticks. Your kids will love them! (via Paging Super Mom)
It’s party time when you hang red, white and blue stars from the ceiling! We’re digging these star streamers. (via Spoonful)
Oh, the wonderful things you can do with duct tape! These patriotic duct tape banners are perfect if you’re lacking in craft supplies and need a simple, afternoon project. (via Becoming Simple)
Although a little messy, these paper rockets are a hit for kids! Not only can they decorate their own rockets, but who doesn’t love a confetti shower? (via Alpha Mom)
In no time at all, you’ll have your whole family cheering, “U-S-A! U-S-A!” How is your family celebrating the World Cup? Let us know in the comments!
Decorating Easter eggs with kids isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Fragile eggs + stainable dye often equals disaster, or at least a somewhat anxious parent or sitter. This year, opt for one of these simple, yet very cool techniques for decorating eggs with kids. They are fun to do and create some pretty impressive looking eggs.
1. Chalkboard Eggs How cool are these black eggs?! A really fun, graphic take on the traditional, dyed Easter egg, these funky eggs are just as easy to create as the dip-dyed version. Paint hard-boiled eggs with chalkboard paint – 2-3 coats are recommended for good coverage – and have kids doodle with chalk or wet chalk markers, which create really vivid color that pops against the black background. The blogger behind this DIY suggests creating a trough out of aluminum foil for holding the eggs while they dry. See her complete tutorial with handy photos for help.
via Brett Bara
2. Neon Eggs Wow, food coloring has come a long way since we were kids! Pick up a box of Neon Food Coloring to create these eye-popping Easter beauties. These were created by dripping rubber cement over hard-boiled eggs before letting them sit in neon dye for at least five minutes. The long soak might be tough for the kids to wait out, but the results are worth it.
via Kirsten Gab
3. Glitter Eggs Pull a Martha and forego the dye for a good douse of sparkly glitter. The fancy version of these glittery eggs calls for blowing the eggs out so you’re just decorating the shell. The technique makes the egg last for more than one season, but to make it a kid-friendly craft, forget the fragile shell and instead boil the eggs…making peace with the fact that you’ll have to toss them after a few days.
via Martha Stewart
4. No-Dye, No-Mess Eggs Just as pretty as dyed eggs, but way less mess. In other words, very kid-friendly… which translates into quick and easy. Instead of having kids plunk eggs into baths of dye, have them stick hard-boiled eggs with adhesive dots and roll in colored glitter.
via Mindful Mum
5. Water Color Easter Eggs Pretty eggs that are fun for even really little ones to create. Use a baking sheet to collect the extra dye that falls when simply spooning dye over eggs. Let dry completely after applying a color so the next color you add won’t run and turn your masterpiece into a muddy mess of muted shades.
via Spoon Fork Bacon
If these DIYs are a bit more work than you bargained for, opt for the even simpler techniques of decorating eggs with stickers, markers or temporary tattoos. You and your kids will have just as much fun!
You’ve seen a million lists like this one, but it never hurts to have some fresh ideas. When you’re stuck in the house and the natives are restless, give one of these a shot.
5 Rainy Day Activities
1. Tupperware bowling. Line up your BPA-free lunch containers in the kitchen or hallway and give any type of ball a roll. See how many you can knock down. Kids love anything involving destruction and they can even help set up the “pins.” You can make a more challenging formation for older kids and keep track of spares and strikes, just like in a real game. No grimy shoes required.
2. A bath. Who doesn’t love a warm bubble bath on a cold day? With babies or toddlers, don’t be afraid to climb in with them – and let your little one choose a toy or two to submerge. Most plastic toys do just fine in water and some might need a bath anyway. Race tracks are particularly fun in water as are play kitchen utensils, pots and pans. With older kids, you may even get to read a magazine while sitting on the toilet seat.
3. Baking. Anything is fun when kids get to “help.” Don’t make it a dish you need to present at a fancy dinner party. Search your pantry for something easy and kid-friendly. Banana bread, cookies with M&M’s, even lasagna for dinner (as long as little hands are nimble and super clean) are great options. Older children can help read measurements and set the oven timer. Little ones can pour and stir. Baking is a great hands-on activity and is sure to please when the timer dings.
4. This Is Your Life, starring your child(ren). Kids love to look at photos and videos from when they were babies. If you don’t have a baby book, start with any loose photos in a drawer, digital files, ultrasound pics, the invitation to your baby shower, and any videos Dad made — first steps, first words, first bike ride. Oldest children will benefit most (why do we run out of photographic energy with each respective child?!), but even the youngest ones will delight in seeing you pregnant (“I was in your tummy!”) and if you’re lucky, he or she can help you organize and perhaps even create a photo album or online photo book.
5. Magazine arts and crafts. Find some old magazines, catalogs, or newspaper advertisement inserts — maybe even an old book or two — and let them go to town with scissors and glue. Cutting and pasting pictures onto construction paper is fun for everyone. A holiday or birthday list is always enhanced by photos of coveted items, and creating a “book” can be fun, too, complete with cast of characters from the PB Kids catalog and reality television.
Whatever you choose do to on a rainy day, just rest assured the weather will turn soon enough, and know that your kids love the bonding time with Mom or Dad. Enjoy!
Browse babysitter and nanny profiles, and schedule interviews at the click of a button at www.UrbanSitter.com.
Ahhh, Autumn. It’s many people’s favorite season, and for good reason — the nip in the air, the crisp leaves, the pumpkin-flavored espresso drinks — to name just a few. And for little ones, there’s loads of fun to be had. Why not take the whole family and indulge in one of these sure-to-please Fall diversions on your next free weekend?
1. Pumpkin Patch
Now, this one is a classic, tried and true. Children are just as pleased with a trip to the super market aisle or an off-the-freeway patch complete with jumpy house. But most counties have at least one big, fall-festival-like patch with a corn maze, hot cider stand, and maybe even a petting zoo.
These off-the-beaten-track spots offer a little something extra and really bring the experience home. Plus, the car ride builds anticipation. Check out these safe, no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas.
2. Apple Picking
If you venture out a little further into the country (or deep suburbs in some spots), you can usually find a place to pick apples when Fall rolls around.
A family farm is the typical backdrop and kids as young as one or two can join in the fun. Apple orchards are heaving with fruit this time of year and for a small fee, you can borrow a basket and pick as many you like (or want to pay for), as you meander amongst the trees and livestock. Have a taste or make apple cider at home! This is a fun, easy activity for families and makes for a great photo op as well. Some farms require an appointment, so do your research.
3. Pie Making
Once you’ve picked your apples (or purchased them at the grocery store), why not share the experience of making a home-made pie with your kids?
Whether you have Grandma’s tried and true recipe or one just downloaded, the kids will love the hands-on experience…and delectable result. You can even let the kids use cookie cutters to decorate the crust….easy as pie! And sure to fill your home with a delicious Fall aroma.
4. Jumping in Leaves
A classic straight out of a Normal Rockwell painting. But truly, leaf jumping never gets old for kids–or even dogs. Just use a standard rake to gather the leaves in your yard and let them go to town. Of course, you will have to deal with the end product — a mess of crispy leaf bits, but it’s worth it…right?
If you don’t have a yard full of leaves, head to your favorite park and do the same. In that case, the kids will have to gather the leaves themselves, but that in itself can be a great diversion.
Whatever you do this Fall, enjoy yourself! It’s a cozy season filled with rosy cheeks, full moons, and warm sweaters. Plus, before you know it, the madness of the holidays will be upon you. So get out there!
What better way is there to enjoy a relaxing afternoon with your family – soaking in the sunshine, eating good food and simply being together – than with a glorious, family picnic? Before the summer slips away, follow our formula to create the perfect family picnic. We show you how to choose the right menu, including ideas and recipes for delicious and easy-to-prepare fare; how to pack just right; and also provide a fantastic round-up of the best picnicking spots for families in the SF Bay Area, New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles and San Diego.
Greek Salad via Pinterest
STEP 1: The Perfectly Portable, Family-Friendly Picnic Menu.
The best picnic meals are the ones that come together without a whole lot of effort. After all, who wants to be slaving away in the kitchen in August? The most successful picnics are also easy to transport and simple to eat while sitting or lounging on a blanket. In other words, they are fuss-free.
And, since we’re talking about a family event, make sure the menu provides food and treats kids will be happy to eat without any pleading or begging from you. Think finger foods and simple salads you can eat out of the individual containers you transport them in.
Mozzarella Bites via Cooking Light
Here are some sure-fire hits for the best family picnic food:
Gather the essentials – enough to have everything you need, but not enough to weigh you down so much that you’re worn out by the time you get there.
Image via Pinterest
You get bonus points if you can eat out of the containers the food is stored in, meaning you have less to carry and less to toss. Stick with foods that require no or few utensils and borrow small plastic containers from the stash you use to pack your kids’ school lunches.
Just as important as the food are the extras –
A soft blanket everyone can fit on, a ball or Frisbee, a game the whole family can play, some music and of course, sunscreen, bug spray and water. If it’s a late evening picnic, a lantern is useful and sets a nice mood, and flashlights will entertain the kids while you rest and enjoy the night.
STEP 3: The Right Picnic Spot.
Your kids would likely be thrilled to simply throw down a blanket and sit on the back patio, since it’s so much more exciting than eating at, say the kitchen table. If you’re looking for a better spot, here are our picks for the best places to picnic with families:
Experts estimate that kids spend the first 2.3 months of the school year learning what they’ve forgotten over the summer. Yikes!
Help your kids brush up on their skills, before the first school bell rings, with these effective learning tools that can easily pass as fun games and entertainment.
Free, printable alphabet handwriting worksheet in a fun Back-to-School theme. Traceable worksheets help preschoolers through First Graders learn to write letters A to Z in upper and lower case. The worksheet features a start dot on each letter to help kids remember where to start writing the letter. Tip: Laminate and use fine tip erasable markers for repeated use.
LEGO activities are a visual way for kids to do math. And for the LEGO enthusiast, this might just be the sure-fire way to encourage math practice. The printable worksheet is great for kids to work on addition and subtraction. For younger kids, simply use LEGOS to work on colors, sorting and counting.
Research has shown that the single most important thing that a parent can do to help their child acquire language, prepare for school, and instill a love of learning is to read to them (Russ et al., 2007). If you need a few new books to add to your repertoire, check out Cool Mom Picks Roundup. They have compiled an awesome list of their editors’ own children’s favorite books, including picks for ages 2-12.
Little kids can work on motor skills, letters and numbers with a simple puzzle that includes all 26 letters of the alphabet in uppercase and lowercase, along with 26 gorgeously detailed illustrations of various animals. $11.99 at Target.
If you’re in the camp that believes in embracing the power of technology as a teaching tool, try out these educational apps for preschoolers. The list includes practice games for handwriting, letters and numbers for iPad and iPhone devices. Costs vary.
You can avoid the time and mess of cutting letters out of magazines for your child to use for literacy exercises – such as finding the alphabet or creating words or phrases – with this super cool Magazine Letter Printable, just $7 from Etsy.
Verbal games are great for developing speaking and listening skills, and thinking and reasoning abilities. They are ideal to play on a long car trip, or while your child’s hanging out in the kitchen while you make dinner. Try them with kids age 3 and up.
Photo: Childhood 101
All of these games and activities are great to leave with the babysitter. Find trusted babysitters and nannies at UrbanSitter.com.
Have you noticed that bracelets are all the rage these days? You can get current and also score big points with your child by arming your babysitter with these awesome DIY bracelet craft ideas. We’ve rounded up 10 DIY Bracelets that kids – little and big, girl and boy – will go wild to create and wear!
Thank you Molly Moo for providing the inspiration and showing us how to make popsicle sticks pliable enough to wrap around a glass into the shape of a bracelet. Once the sticks are dry, you can decorate them with wasabi tape (for instant gratification) or embroidery thread with the ends of the thread capped with beads for a dangly look.
Though gorgeous, this craft require a bit more manual dexterity and involves more steps than some of the others. The bracelets are delightful for little kids to wear, but plan on your sitter, an older sibling or yourself doing much of work. You can download a free pattern for the felt flowers and you’ll need to purchase a roll of Velcro, along with felt. Merriment Design recommends something called Velcro Plant Ties, which is basically a roll of a thin strip of Velcro, which will serve as the base of your bracelet.
Here’s a simple, sweet project perfect for tackling when you have really little kids involved. The bracelet is cute enough that older kids won’t mind that it’s as easy as cutting drinking straws into pieces (an adult can do the cutting for little ones) and stringing them onto pipe cleaners, which are then twisted to form a bracelet. You can get bigger kids more interested by encouraging them to create patterns with the different color pieces.
Wow, these bring back memories! Remember making these when you were a kid, loading up your arms with them and gifting and trading them with friends? If the how-to isn’t too fresh in your mind, check out this great tutorial from Apartment Therapy. It’ll be like riding a bike. Before you know it, you’ll be whipping out a few to bestow on your little one and maybe just helping her to start a new trend in the hood.
What’s just as popular with kids as bracelets? Why, LEGOSs, of course. There is a small supply list for these, though be forewarned that the project requires a drill. Thanks to The Centsible Life for listing the requirements – (lots of) flat LEGO bricks, a drill and 3/32″ drill bit, embroidery thread (three colors per brick) and scissors. You or a handy sitter will need to prepare the bricks for your kids to string by stacking bricks and drilling a small hole on each end of the stack. Complete instructions included here.
Martha Stewart showcases Pom Pom bracelets as a winter holiday accessory, which would be lovely, but we think they’d also make for cheerful, colorful, summery arm candy. Buy pom-poms with holes in them, and help kids thread them onto clear stretchy beading cord. Tie off the ends with several double knots.
Imagine telling your kids you are about to provide a fun craft to make, candy to eat and a new piece of jewelry to wear! You’ll need to hit the candy and cereal isles to stock up on supplies for these yummy, wearable treats. Lila Luna used Cheerios, Froot Loops, Peach Rings and Gummy Lifesavers, but any candy or cereal with a hole in the middle will work. Simply help kids string them on length of yarn. It’s helpful to use a blunt, plastic needle for threading.
Here’s a sweet, modern take on old-school wooden beads on a cord. You need nothing more than a bag of ¾” wooden beads, 1mm stretch cord (three colors are ideal, but you can certainly make these with more or less), and scissors to cut the elastic-like stretch cord. Playful Learning gives a simple tutorial:
Count out 10-12 beads
Measure 3 strands of stretch cord at 18”
Holding ends together, thread cord through the first bead.
Pull the ends through, wrap them around the bead, and pull back through
Pull taut to secure, leaving about 2” of cord length at the end
Using the remainder of the cord, repeat looping and pulling through on the remaining beads until all ten are lined up snugly.
Double knot and tightly tug the cord taut at the end and trim to about 1/4”
A button bracelet is excellent for building fine motor skills. You can cater to your child’s age by using buttons with bigger holes for little kids and smaller buttons for older kids. Buttons with smaller holes will require a needle for threading the ribbon. You can find blunt needles that are safer for kids to use. Simply gather a collection of buttons and some ribbon to string through the holes. Weave the ribbon through the buttons, coming up from underneath the button, crossing over the top, and dipping back down again on the other side of the button. Once you have threaded on enough buttons for the length of your bracelet, tie the two ends of ribbon together and voila, a new bracelet!
Not your ordinary friendship bracelet, these lovelies have a secret message written on the inside. And just as nice, they take only minutes to make. You’ll need ribbon, self-adhesive Velcro (bought as precut circles or strips you cut yourself), tacky glue (optional), a white office label and a pen or marker to write your message. Instructions via Spoonful: Cut the ribbon into a piece long enough to wrap around your child’s wrist with extra for folding under the ends. Fold down one end of the ribbon and adhere one half of a Velcro piece, then flip over the ribbon, fold down the end, and attach the other half of the Velcro. Add a drop of glue under each piece of Velcro if needed (depends on the ribbon and Velcro used). Cut the label to fit (if necessary), write a message on it, then stick it to the inside of the bracelet.
Secret Message Ribbon Bracelets via Spoonful
Remember, there are plenty of crafty babysitters ready and willing to lead the charge if DIY is not your thing!
