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Free Virtual Field Trips for Kids

April 13, 2022 By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

Free Online Field Trips For Elementary School Kids!

Are you looking for some fun, free virtual field trips for kids? I’ve got you covered with this list of free online field trips perfect for elementary school kids, preschool aged kids, or anyone who loves to look at awesome places!

I can’t be the only person with bored kids at home??? I’m constantly being asked, “What can I do? There’s NOTHING to do!” Those poor darlings just think they live in the most boring house ever!

Well, one of the ideas I’ve started giving my kids is to take a free virtual field trip! This way they can experience the world, without even having to leave home! It’s educational and FUN, making mom happy and kiddos happy. Don’t we just love a double win??? Yes, yes we do!

Virtual Field Trips For Kids

I’ve scoured the internet to find the best free online field trips for elementary school kids! I hope your family and students enjoy them as much as we have!

Animal Field Trips

If you have animal lovers, then they are sure to love a few of the virtual animal field trips below.

AfriCam

Have you ever wanted to go on an African safari???? Try a virtual one with the live cameras in the African bush. AfriCam offers multiple camera views so you can enjoy all that Africa has to offer.

Dairy Farm

Learn all about the Dairy Farm with this fun virtual field trip. Kids will be able to tour a real dairy farm and learn all of the behind the scenes that goes on at the farm.

Hen Cam

Get a peek into life with chickens with the Hen Cam. It shows the day to day life of hens living in a backyard outside of Boston. Hens are so funny, I could watch them for hours!

Houston Zoo

Another fun animal virtual field trip is to the Houston Zoo. They have live webcams available to watch the elephants, flamingos, river otters and more!

Marineland Dolphin Adventure

For any dolphin or marine animal lovers out there, you must attend the virtual Marineland Dolphin Adventure for an up close look at a variety of sea animals.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Take a trip to the aquarium without leaving home! The Monterey Bay Aquarium offers multiple cams for your viewing pleasure. You can watch the moon jelly, penguins, sea otters, sharks and more.

San Diego Zoo Cam

Another fun animal cam you can watch is the San Diego Zoo Cam. The San Diego Zoo has multiple animal cams available for you and your kiddos to enjoy. You can watch the apes, baboons, elephants, giraffes, hippos and more!

Zoo Atlanta Panda Cam

Watch the PandaCam on Zoo Atlanta’s YouTube Channel for a fun treat! You can tune in live whenever and wherever to watch the panda play, eat, and sleep.

Related: Free Summer Reading Programs For Kids 2021

Historical Field Trips

Teaching your students a lesson about an historical event or place? Use one of the virtual field trips below to help bring that history to life.

9/11 Memorial Museum

Take a walk through the 9/11 Memorial Museum with this interactive virtual tour. This tour does an amazing job of making you feel like you are actually at the memorial museum, viewing the exhibits up close and personal. It was very moving to go through.

Anne Frank Secret Annex

Tour the Secret Annex where Anne Frank and her family lived in hiding from 1942-1944. This is a great virtual tour to see exactly where the Frank family and others lived during WW2 and to learn more about their stories.

Buckingham Palace

Take a peek inside Buckingham Palace here! You can virtually tour the throne room, grand staircase and white drawing room.

Colonial Williamsburg

Another fun history virtual field trip is to Colonial Williamsburg. It’s a great look into what was life during colonial times.

Ellis Island

I love this interactive tour of Ellis Island. They have audio, pictures, and video from passengers arrive on Ellis Island. The tour takes you step by step through the immigration process into the United States. It’s very informative and interesting.

Ford’s Theater

Ford’s Theater virtual tour is a great way to learn more about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the events that took place that fateful night. Through images of the restored theater, students will learn more about the timeline and experiences of the night Lincoln died.

Great Wall of China

Go on a field trip to the Great Wall of China from the comfort of your own home with this virtual tour!

Mount Vernon

George Washingtons home, Mount Vernon, is a beautifully restored home. This virtual tour will take you through each room of Mount Vernon so that you can get a view of what it looked like when George and Martha lived there.

Museum of the American Revolution

If you or your students are studying about the American Revolution, be sure to check out this field trip to the Museum of the American Revolution. Lauren Tarshie, author of the I Survived series, guides the field trip, with a deeper look to the revolution, with a kid friendly twist.

National Constitution Center

The National Constitution Center offers multiple free virtual tours for elementary kids. Each video teaches kids about the signing of the constitution, the civil war and founding of America.

National Museum of Natural History

Check out all of the rooms of the National Museum of Natural History. This is a self guided tour allowing you to view your favorite areas however and whenever you want!

Plimoth Plantation

Visit the Plimoth Plantation with this virtual field trip to learn more about the early settlers of the United States. The tour includes multiple videos and a slideshow.

Statue of Liberty

Tour the Statue of Liberty with this online field trip. It’s a great way to see what it looks like from the inside and to learn more about it’s history.

Titanic Wreckage

Have you ever wanted to see what the Titanic looks under water? Now you can with this Titanic virtual tour. It’s a fun way to teach kids about a historical event and give them a look at what happens to an object under water.

Related: How To Teach Kids About Money

Great Outdoors Field Trips

Want to see all of the beauty the great outdoors has to offer without leaving your house? Well you can with these outdoors virtual field trips!

Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon Virtual Tour is a an amazing tour along the Grand Canyon Rim to the Colorado River. You’ll be able to join a 2 hour tour of the Grand Canyon to see all of the sights it has to offer!

Hawaii Volcanos

Check out these amazing Webcams of Hawaiian Volcanoes! I had so much fun viewing all of the volcano images and can’t wait to show them to my kids. It’s a great educational virtual field trip!

Mount Rushmore

Get a birds eye view of Mount Rushmore with this virtual field trip. You’ll get to explore the monument up close and personal, for a little taste of what it would be like to actually be there.

Son Doong Cave

Travel to Vietnam and tour the largest cave in the world, with the Son Doong Cave virtual tour. The calming sounds and pictures transports you straight into this beautiful cave.

Yellowstone

Take a virtual field trip to Yellowstone National Park. You can view Mammoth Hot Springs, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mud Volcano and more! It’s such a fun way to see all of the unique beauty Yellowstone has to offer, without ever leaving your house!

Yosemite

Yosemite is such a beautiful park and I had so much fun visiting it virtually with this field trip.

Related: How To Save Money On Kids Clothes

Space Field Trips

Take a trip to space with these fun virtual field trips.

Mars

I absolutely love this virtual field trip to Mars. You’ll get to tour the real surface of Mars that was previously recorded by NASAS Curiosity Rover.

Slime in Space

You must check out this fun slime in space virtual field trip. Here students will get to learn how slime acts when it’s in space. This is a really fun field trip and experiment!

Space Station

I’m always curious about life in space, and every kid I’ve met is too! Here’s a fun virtual field trip to the international space station. Get a peek into how astronauts live in space and what it’s like working at the space station.

Stellarium

Take a fun field trip to the stars. Check out Stallarium Web to view the constellations, stars and planets. You can even input your location to locate the stars right above your backyard.

Sun

I love this virtual tour to the sun. It’s really well made and even makes stops to the moon, Venus and Mercury.

Related: 21 Free and Frugal Kids Educational Websites

Educational Virtual Field Trips

Below are some of my favorite educational online field trips.

Bright Farms

Learn more about how food is grown with the BrightFarms Virtual Field Trip. You’ll get to peek inside of a greenhouse and watch how indoor farming works!

M&M Candy Factory Tour

Here’s a really fun virtual tour of the M&M Candy Factory. Watch the entire process of what it takes to make M&Ms. It’s a really fun video and tour!

Memphis Fire Department

Here is a fun virtual field trip of a Memphis Fire Department. Learn all about fire stations and get a look at a fire engine up close and personal.

Mount Olive Pickles Tour

Another fun educational virtual field trip is the Mount Olive Pickles Tour. It’s an interesting tour showing the entire process of taking a cucumber and turning it into multiple types of pickles.

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

Learn more about aviation with a tour of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. With this virtual tour you’ll be able to see different aircrafts and missiles on display, and learn a few interesting facts about aviation history.

Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy offers multiple virtual field trips for students to take right from the comfort of their home or classroom. You can choose from multiple topics covered including, climate change, coral, ecosystems and more, there is something for everyone!

Recycling Center

Teach your kids all about recycling with this recycling center virtual tour. They will learn all about the importance of recycling, and get to watch the big equipment sorting and packing the recycled materials.

Sawmill Tour

Tour the Collum’s Lumber Yard and learn how pine trees are turned into lumber. It’s a really fun behind the scenes video!

Related: How To Listen To Audiobooks For Free

Art Field Trips

Do you have an art lover in your classroom? Take a few of these fun virtual art field trips below!

Frida Kahlo Museum

Virtually explore the beautiful home of famed artist, Frida Kahlo. Her home, Casa Azul, is full of so much beauty and original art. It is a masterpiece that is so fun to view from the comfort of your own home.

National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art has multiple video tours and lessons for elementary school kids to take to help them learn more about art. This is a great resource for teachers and parents!

Vatican Museums

Virtually visit the Vatican Museums and get a close up look of the beautiful art and architecture in each one. Your students will be able look inside the Sistine Chapel, Raphaels Rooms, and more!

In Conclusion

We are so lucky to live during a time when we can travel the world as a family or class, without even having to leave our house. I hope you enjoy some of these free virtual field trips for kids!

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Enjoy these free virtual field trips for kids!

Easy Science Activity For Preschoolers

January 8, 2022 By: Sweet Frugal Life3 Comments

How To Do The Magic Toothpick Science Experiment

We are in the dead of winter over here. Which usually means trying to entertain the kids with indoor activities, one of our favorite things to do when stuck at home is science experiments.. My kids love science experiments! They especially love the magic toothpick experiment! It’s so easy to do and I always have the supplies on hand. This is the perfect easy science activity for preschoolers, toddlers, and basically all the kids!

“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Related: 25 Completely Free Family Winter Activities

Magic Toothpick: Easy Science Activity for Preschoolers

One of my favorite things about this easy science activity for preschoolers is that it only requires a few supplies, and I always have them stocked up in my house!

Gather Supplies

To do the magic toothpick experiment you will need to first gather all of your supplies.

You will need:

Perform The Experiment

Now that you have your supplies, it’s time to have fun with this easy science experiment! I promise you won’t mess this up, and your kids will love it!

First, pour some milk into a bowl. I like to use a wide shallow container. A pie tin would work great, or anything you happen to have on hand.

There isn’t an exact measurement for milk, I just usually pour enough milk in to cover the bottom of the container

Next, choose a few colors of food coloring. This is a fun part for kids to help with! They love choosing their favorite colors!

Today my son chose red, green, and blue. Now, drop a few drops of the chosen color of food coloring into the milk. Try to spread out the spots where you put the food coloring, so that it covers different areas of the milk. But, don’t drop in to many that it covers to much milk.

Now comes the fun “magic toothpick” part! Pour a small amount of dish soap into a small, separate bowl.

Get out a toothpick and dip the toothpick into the dish soap. With the dish soap on the toothpick the science experiment is ready! I like to tell my kids the toothpick is now magic…..but, really it’s science! So you choose how you want to explain this next part!

Using the soap side end of the toothpick, lightly touch the drops of food coloring you have in the milk.

The colors will spread and make beautiful designs. Keep touching the food coloring until it is completely spread throughout the bowl. Your kids will be sure magic is happening right before their eyes!

Then, you can dump out the milk and repeat the process all over again! My kids can’t get enough of this activity!

Have Fun With Your Kids

Kids grow so fast!!!! These sweet, special memories you can make with them now will be something you look back on forever! My daughter use to always ask me to do a science experiment with her every day…..and I got tired of it at times. But, now that she is 13….I miss it so much!

Looking for more preschool friendly activities?

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Screen Free At Home Kids Activities

Want to try this easy science activity at home? Pin it for later reference!

Try this easy science activity for preschoolers today!

How To Teach Kids To Give During The Christmas Season

December 9, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Life1 Comment

How we use our giving jar to help others.

Ahhhh January. The month of new beginnings. Fresh starts. Resolution’s and goals. A month where we clear out the clutter in our life, figuratively and literally, and decide what we can do to make our life a little better than it was before.

Which brings me to December. The month of giving and sharing. Where we try to focus more on others than ourselves and look for those who may be in need of charity and service. My family has a favorite family tradition in December. We choose a family in need. Either from the neighborhood, a local giving tree, or any other we may hear about who is down on their luck. We then play the part of Secret Santa.

We go to the store, buy the gifts on this families want and need list. We wrap the presents up in beautiful wrappings and bows and secretly deliver them to where they need to go. We look forward to this tradition every year. I love teaching my kids to serve others. I love that through service they are humbled and learn how lucky (maybe even a little spoiled!) they are in comparison to others. And I love the thought of bringing a smile to someone’s face come Christmas morning. Did I mention I LOVE this tradition!?!

December also just so happens to be the month that is hard for us (maybe you too???) to stick to our monthly budget. We try to plan ahead for it. We try to cut down costs. But, we still found ourselves struggling to afford all the fun festive activities and gift giving we wanted to participate in. As we discussed what we would cut out I refused to limit our Secret Santa tradition.

Enter: The Giving Jar

And so we came up with the beautiful idea of The Giving Jar. I grabbed an old junky used mason jar from our basement, cut a small hole in the top and named it The Giving Jar.

As the fresh new month of January begins, our Giving Jar sits empty. As the year goes on we as a family puts every single coin we receive into the jar. And when December comes a long our jar is full. This is the money we use for our Secret Santa tradition. Our Giving Jar has blessed the lives of so many, and have also helped to teach our kids to give during the Christmas season.

I love that old junky mason jar. I love watching it fill up throughout the year. I love when one of my kids tries to stuff some newly earned dollar bills inside. And I love watching my kids as they proudly carry it into the store as we purchase gifts for others.

It’s pretty cool how something old and used could become something so beautiful and special and can do so much good for others…..including me.

Best Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas

How to Save Money For Christmas

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This jar has helped me teach kids to give during the Christmas season, and it can help you too!

Easy Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe

November 3, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Life24 Comments

The best homemade hot cocoa mix recipe makes everything better!

We love keeping hot chocolate stocked in our home during the cold winter months. My kids will spend hours and hours playing outside in the snow and the first thing they ask for when they come inside is some hot chocolate! Back in my “spender” days I use to buy hot chocolate mix at the store like it was nobody’s business! Once I started learning how to save and live a frugal life I learned how to make hot cocoa from scratch with this easy homemade hot chocolate mix recipe and I have never looked back!

Not only does making your own hot cocoa save you money, it is also so quick and easy to do. We love this easy homemade hot chocolate recipe because it tastes much much better than anything we ever buy from the store. I like to whip a huge catch up at the beginning of every winter and keep it stored in the pantry for the kids to use whenever they need a warm drink.

How To Make Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

Once you start making this easy hot cocoa recipe you will never go back to the expensive store bought kind. Kids love to help make this recipe and it’s a fun family activity to do together.

Gather Ingredients

All you need is 5 cheap ingredients to mix up this creamy hot cocoa….and you probably already have them all in your pantry!

You will need:

2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup powdered creamer
1/8 tsp salt

Mix It Together

Now, with a spoon, stir all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.

That’s it! You are done! (see, I told you it was easy!)

You can store your homemade hot chocolate mix in an airtight container in a cupboard. This mix will should stay fresh for 6-12 months.

When you are ready to enjoy your hot chocolate just stir 1/4 cup mix with 3/4 boiling water in a mug. Enjoy! Feel free to add marshmallows, candy canes, or whipped cream for an even more festive treat!

Hot Cocoa Mix

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup powdered creamer
1/8 tsp salt

Instructions

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in a tightly covered container.
To make hot chocolate: Stir 1/4 cup mix with 3/4 cup boiling water. Enjoy!

Related: 25 Completely Free Family Winter Activities

This easy homemade hot cocoa also makes a great, cheap Christmas gift for neighbors or friends!

Just put some in a mason jar and put a pretty bow around it! Make sure to attach the instructions so your neighbors will know how to use it.

Related: Cheap Gift Ideas for Neighbors, Teachers, and Friends

In Conclusion

This easy hot chocolate recipe will cost you pennies to make and tastes so very delicious! I hope your family will enjoy it as much as we do!

Christmas Hard Candy Recipe

Frugal Christmas Traditions For Families

Best Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas

Don’t Forget To Pin This Recipe To Use Again:

I hope you enjoy this easy homemade hot chocolate mix recipe!

Easy After School Snack Ideas

September 5, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Life4 Comments

Quick after school snacks for kids!

I am always looking for easy after school snack ideas. After school snack time is one of my favorite parts of the day because it is a time for my kids to sit down, refill their bellies, and talk to ME (if I’m lucky tbh)! 😉

I will admit, a big reason I make the after school snack a priority is for selfish reasons. My goal is that as they eat their snack they will tell me all the highs and lows of their day. It doesn’t always happen this way, but sometimes I see success. There have been amazing days when they have sat down and poured their hearts out to me over the snack. And those days make it all worthwhile!

I spent the past month taking a daily picture of our after school snacks. A “pinterest mom” I am not; my parenting thrives on simple and cheap. If you are looking for the healthiest, fanciest snacks…..this is NOT that type of blog.

However, if you are looking for a few easy snack ideas then keep reading, you just might find one here!

Easy After School Snack Ideas Week 1

Day 1: Peanut butter cookie, raisins

Day 2: Cinnamon sugar tortilla, grapes

Day 3: Whole wheat banana chocolate chip muffin, strawberries

Day 4: Bagel with cream cheese, strawberries

Day 5: Applesauce

Week 2

Day 1: Peanut butter cookie, dried apples

Day 2: Peanut butter crackers for running errands

Day 3: String cheese, orange

Day 4: Animal crackers, celery with peanut butter

Day 5: Fruit leather and dried apples

Week 3

Day 1: Animal crackers, grapes for running errands

Day 2: Homemade Graham Crackers, grapes

Day 3: Apple slices with peanut butter and chocolate chips (I use this mandoline slicer for the apples)

Day 4: Monster Rice Krispie Treats

Day 5: Frozen Blueberries

Week 4

Day 1: Oil popped popcorn

Day 2: Muffin Tin Snack of carrots, animal crackers, cheerios, raisins and string cheese

Day 3: Pumpkin muffin and raisins

Day 4: String cheese and carrots

Day 5: Cheerios and raisins

In Conclusion

It was actually so fun to look back and see all of the different snacks we had over the past month! I hope that you found them helpful! Feeding kids doesn’t need to take a lot of work or cost a lot of money!

Pin For Later:

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What are some of your favorite easy after school snacks ideas?

DIY Trick or Treat Bag Tutorial

September 2, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Life3 Comments

Check out this No Sew Trick or Treat Bag Tutorial!

Halloween is just around the corner! I love this time of year; I love the pumpkins, the crisp cool air, the changing leaves, and the excitement in my children. My kids love to dress up and run around the neighborhood trick or treating. The urge to craft came on strong the other day and I decided it would be so fun to make my kids new bags for trick or treating. I wanted to create something cute, but also simple and frugal (because that’s how I roll!). I came up with the idea of this DIY trick or treat bag. I’ll be honest with you….it was even EASIER than I originally had planned! (win!)

Disclosure: “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

DIY Trick or Treat Bag Tutorial

My favorite thing about this tutorial is that it is an easy craft projects for non sewers, but comes out looking professional!

The first thing you will need to do to make this no sew Trick or Treat bag is to gather all of your supplies.

Supplies Needed:

–Canvas Craft Tote
Scrap fabric (I chose Halloween colors)
Wonder Under
Iron/ironing board
Pattern for tracing

Find Your Pattern

Now that you have gathered your supplies it’s time to find your pattern. You can choose any design, picture or pattern. It doesn’t even need to be Halloween related!

When we were choosing patterns I asked my kids what picture they wanted on each of their bags. My daughter requested a cat and my son asked for a spider, so those are the patterns I searched for.

You can easily find patterns by searching on google, they are fairly easy to find. Just type in the pattern that you want. For example, if you want to use a spider just type in, “spider tracing pattern.” You will find many different patterns to choose from!

Another great option for patterns is to look at clip art in Microsoft Word.

Once you have found the pattern you want to use, print it and cut it out.

Prepare Your Design

Next you will need to transfer the pattern onto your chosen fabric. I recommend following the directions on your wonder under fusing, they are all a little different.

When I transferred my pattern I cut out a large square of wonder under (large enough to cover the entire shape), and ironed the rough side onto the wrong side of the fabric.

Then I used my tracing pattern to trace the shape onto the paper side of the wonder under.

Once the pattern is traced, cut the picture out (fabric and all), fabric scissors are really helpful to cut out the fabric.

Lastly, gently pull off the paper backing of the wonder under.

Iron On The Picture

Now, center your cut out fabric picture on the bag where you want it. Use a warm iron to iron the picture to the bag. The wonder under fusing will fuse the fabric to the bag, making it stick.

I have found that holding the iron steady for 5-10 seconds over each section of the picture helps give the applique a nice firm hold.

That’s it! You’re done! See, I told you it would be easy!! It probably took me a total of one hour to finish both bags! Quick crafting, is my type of crafting! Imagine all the fun designs and fabric you could iron onto a bag! So many fun ideas!

In Conclusion

Use your imagination when making this DIY Trick or Treat Bag. There are so many fun possibilities. You could iron on a pumpkin, ghost, witch hat, bat, skeleton, or fun lettering.

I can’t wait to watch my kids go trick or treating with their new bags!

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Monster Rice Krispie Treats

Pin for Future Reference:

I hope you love this DIY Trick or Treat Bag as much as we did!

50 Fun Summer Activities For Kids

May 4, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Life2 Comments

The Ultimate List of Screen Free Summer Activities For Kids At Home.

Summer break is just around the corner. I have been looking forward to summer for weeks! I just love having my kids home with me and I always look forward to a more relaxed schedule full of fun family activities. There are so many fun summer activities for kids, and we love to take advantage of all of them!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Outdoor Summer Kids Activities

One of our favorite parts of summer is getting to spend more time outside. I love exploring the outdoors, especially with my sweet kids!

Picnic at The Park

Enjoy some time outdoors with a picnic at the park. We love going to a new park each week and getting to explore different areas of our city. We bring these Rate The Park sheets with us and my kids love critiquing each park we attend.

Get your free Park Rating Sheet Here

Play Frisbee

Another fun summer activity is to play frisbee in the backyard. Make sure to also check your local parks to see if they have a frisbee golf course you could play at.

Run Through the Sprinkler

Set a sprinkler outside and let your kids run through it in their swim suits. I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to run through the sprinkler without having fun. There is just something about this simple activity that brightens up the day.

“Paint” with Water

Get out a bucket of water and an old paintbrush. Let your kids use the water and brush to “paint” the sidewalk, house and anything else they want. It’s so fun for them to watch the color change as they paint.

Go on a Walk

Get outside and get moving with a nice walk. We love to walk around our neighborhood or try out a few of the walking paths in our city. Make a family goal to walk 100 miles over the summer and celebrate with a treat once accomplished.

You can print my free 100 Miles Challenge Printable here.

Picnic in Backyard

Move the meal outside with a simple backyard picnic. Lay a blanket down in the shade and eat dinner outdoors enjoying nature.

Draw With Sidewalk Chalk

Get out some sidewalk chalk and draw pictures on your driveway. You could draw a hopscotch course or a road for your bikes to travel through. My kids also really love when I trace their bodies on the sidewalk and then let them color in their clothes and faces.

Draw on Sidewalk With Ice Cubes

Don’t have any side walk chalk? Draw with ice cubes instead! They will melt on the hot pavement as you are drawing your picture.

Go On A Bike Ride

One of my favorite summer activities is to go on a bike ride together. Get your family outside for a fun family bike ride. Make sure to log your bike miles on your 100 Miles Challenge printable.

Nature Scavenger Hunt

Give your kids a paper bag and a list of items to find out in nature. This might be a rock, pine cone, dandelion, etc. Have them go outside and collect their findings in their bag. When they get back let everyone show each other their new treasures. Such a fun way to get kids outside exploring.

Go On A Hike

Take your kids on an easy hike. Make sure everyone finds a hiking stick! Hiking sticks are always a necessity for our kids!

Plant A Garden

Work together with your kids to plant a garden together. They will be so proud when they harvest their veggies.

Jump On The Trampoline With Water Balloons

Another fun and cheap outdoor summer activity is to fill up a few water balloons with water and put them on the trampoline. The kids love jumping with them and the surprise of when they pop and spray out water.

Play Catch

Get out a ball and play catch together as a family. Try to see how many times you can catch the ball without letting it drop.

Blow Bubbles

How about having fun blowing bubbles together. You could try to see who can make the biggest bubble!

Go Geocaching

Have you ever been geocaching? Geocaching is a game similar to a treasure hunt. Community members hide geocaches in parts of the city and then give clues to help you and your family find it. You can learn more about it here. Each geocache contains little toys and trinkets. It’s such a fun way to explore new places, and the kids love finding the treasure!

Play Night Games With Flash Lights

Invite a group of friends over to play night games together. Our favorites to play are Ghost In The Graveyard and Kick The Can.

Catch Bugs

Kids love to catch bugs during the summertime! We usually keep them in a jar for an hour to watch and observe and then set them free again. One of the fun parts of catching bugs is to research them. It’s fun to find out information about each but, like what they like to eat, and teach these facts to your kids.

Star Gaze

Stay up late one night so you can watch the stars. Show your kids a few of the constellations and try to find a shooting star. Download a free star finder app to help you learn the constellations together.

Make a Fairy Garden

Use your creativity and put together a Fairy Garden in your back yard. Build a mini house out of twigs and decorate with twigs and flowers. We did this a few years ago and it was such a fun summer activity!

Give The Bikes a Wash

Set up a car wash, but for the bikes! All you need is a hose, some rags, a few buckets of soapy water and your bike wash is ready! Kids love giving each of the bikes a good wash while playing in the water.

Play Jump Rope

Get out a few jump ropes to play with. Try to see how many times you can jump over the rope before it stops or play a few games like Double Dutch.

Make An Obstacle Course

Use your backyard to make an obstacle course for your kids. Your obstacle course might include having the kids walk across a “balance beam” (a piece of wood or jump rope work great), run around all the cones (or chairs), jump on the trampoline three times, and then throw a ball. Use your imagination and get creative while setting it up. Use a timer to see how fast they can get through the course.

After the kids run through the obstacle course, let them set one up for you to try!

Set up a Lemonade Stand

Mix up some lemonade and sell it in front of your home. This is a fun way to socialize with the neighbors and help the kids learn about money.

Make a Nature Journal

Start a Nature Journal. This will be a place to save some of the fun things you find outside, draw pictures of the places you visit and write all about what you love about nature.

Indoor Summer Activities

Looking for a few fun summer activities that can be done indoors? Try one of these suggestions!

Make Play Dough

Whip up some homemade play dough for your kids to enjoy. This play dough recipe is so quick and easy (seriously failproof!). Or, if you want to try something different check out this Peanut Butter Play Dough recipe (it’s my kids favorite!).

Try A Science Experiment

Science experiments are always a fun summer activity for kids! We love this Magic Toothpick Experiment. It’s super quick and mess free (just the way this mamma likes it!)

Bake Cookies

Spend a few hours in the kitchen together baking your favorite cookies. We personally love chocolate chip cookies! This is also a great way to help kids learn how to read a recipe and measure ingredients.

Need new recipes? Try Mel’s Home Cooking recipe ebook!

Make Up A Play

Encourage your kids to make up a play that they can perform. Set up a little stage area to help them feel official. Invite over a few grandparents to watch the big performance!

Build A Fort

Get out some blankets and build a big fort. You can drape them over the kitchen table or a few chairs. Once your fort is built you can cuddle up and read books together or watch a movie!

Make A Dream Catcher

If your kids enjoy crafting, make a dream catcher together. It’s a great craft for older kids who are able to sit still. I love this tutorial for making a dream catcher out of a paper plate, a perfect craft activity for kids!

Make Slime

Slime is all the rage in the kid crowd. It only requires a few ingredients and brings hours of fun play. Here’s a super easy slime recipe.

Play Hide-and-Seek or Sardines

Play a few family friendly games in the house. We love Hide And Seek or Sardines! For a fun change turn off all of the lights and play in the dark using flashlights!

Color Hot Rocks

Try out our favorite twist on painting rocks. All you need is a rock and some crayons! Find the tutorial here.

Write Letters To Friends or Family

Everyone loves to get an old fashioned letter in the mail, or at least I do! Spend an afternoon writing letters for friends or family.

Play Board Games

My daughters and I love spending an afternoon playing board games together. It’s such a fun way to pass the time and enjoy some friendly competition.

Related: 20 Family Board Games, all Under $20

Make A Summer Scrapbook

Put together a summer scrapbook of your favorite summer memories. Include pictures and any special events.

Sing Karaoke

Find free karaoke songs on YouTube and have an old fashioned karaoke party. Here’s a highly rated karaoke machine your kids will love!

Make A Nature Bookmark

Preserve flowers you find on your nature walk by turn them into a Nature Bookmark.

Fold Origami

Learn how to fold origami. There are many easy tutorials on YouTube. I would start with a frog, they are my favorite!

Put On A Puppet Show

Make puppets out of brown paper bags and put on a puppet show for each other.

Make Homemade Butter

Teach your kids about life on the prairie by making homemade butter together. All you need is some cream and a jar! After you make the butter you can enjoy it on a piece of bread, so yummy!!!

Indoor Treasure Hunt

Put together a simple indoor treasure hunt for your kids to go on. You can hide different items around the house with clues to find each one. Don’t forget to leave a fun surprise treasure at the end!

Go To The Library

Visit your local library for a fun day out. We always set a goal to read 50 books in a summer, the library is the perfect place to get to that goal! Many libraries will offer summer reading program for the family, complete with prizes and activities.

Related: 10 Free Things At The Library

Play Dress-Up

Get out a few dress up clothes for your kids to play with. See who can dress up in the funniest outfit. If you don’t have any dress up clothes, you could let them dress up in some of your clothing.

Have A Dance Party

Turn on some music and have a dance party in your living room! I have a playlist on my phone with all of our favorite dance tunes, it’s so fun and a great way to cut loose.

Put Together A Puzzle

Spend the day doing a puzzle together. It’s so relaxing and a great way to bring out some conversation. We love Eric Dowdle Puzzles!

Make Ice Cream In A Bag

Make homemade ice cream in a bag. It’s really easy to do and the perfect activity for a hot summers day!

Have An Impromptu Photo Shoot

Get dressed up and have an impromptu photo shoot. Let your kids choose the poses and locations. It’s always so fun to see what they come up with!

Learn Magic Tricks

Look up a few magic tricks on YouTube. Once you have a few tricks learned, put on a magic show for each other!

In Conclusion

There are so many fun kids summer activities out there, and many of them won’t cost you any money at all. Kids grow to fast! I hope you will use summer time as a way to reconnect and build lasting memories.

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What are your favorite summer activities for kids???

Free Printable Chore Chart

April 3, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Life15 Comments

Best free chore chart for kids.

Are you looking for a free printable chore chart for kids? Because I have one for you today!

Teaching my kids how to work is a huge priority for me. In today’s world with busy schedules and so many kids focused on screens, it’s hard to find the right way to instill a hard work ethic. I’ve tried so many different methods and kids chore charts to try to encourage my kids to be hard workers. Many of those methods have failed, but the method we are using right now has been going strong for 7 years. That’s definitely a record in my house! Of course, I don’t know if it is teaching them the hard work ethic I desire, but I know it has been teaching them a lot about household chores and so I am happy with it!

Honestly, my chore system is nothing fancy, SO un-fancy in fact that it probably shouldn’t even be called a “system”! 😉

Kids Household Responsibilities:

Here are the three main household chores my kids are responsible for each week.

Bedrooms

First, the kids are responsible to keep their rooms clean and tidy, including making their bed each day and putting away any clutter. This usually only takes 5 minutes each morning, sometimes more or less.

Once a week they are required to vacuum and dust their rooms, we usually do this on Saturdays. I always check on Saturdays to make sure they did what was asked of them and to verify that they haven’t stuffed anything under the bed or in their closets (because, that has been known to happen from time to time….).

Dishes

We have three “Dish Duties” that we rotate each week between our three kids. These duties are: Load the Dishwasher, Sweep the Floor, and Wipe the Counters.

After our nightly dinner the family all cleans up the dishes together with the kids each helping with their specific assignment.

Household Chore

Each week my kids are assigned a Household Chore. The Household Chore is usually centered around a room in the house; one that the entire family uses, so we all need to help keep it clean. These chores are rotated each week, so that the kids all get even turns with each job.

Saturday is the day we complete household chores. After breakfast the kids work on both their household chore and bedroom chores. Once they have completed both of these, and I have inspected to make sure it was done correctly, they can then have free time.

Our current list of household chores are:

Family Room
Bathroom
Basement
Kitchen
Entry
Your Choice

I love to include a Your Choice option in the rotations so that the kids can have a little control over the area they clean. They all look forward to when they get a Your Choice chore.

If a child is assigned “your choice” for the week they can then choose from these job options:

Wash Windows
Laundry
Clean Out Car
Refrigerator

I keep a chore list hanging in our kitchen so that my kids always know exactly what is expected of them each week. These chores are changed every Saturday as we prepare for a new week.

Free Printable Chore Chart

After a lot of request I decided to turn these free chore chart for kids into a printable for you to use in your home!

You can download your free printable chore chart for kids at the bottom of this article.

I recommend printing these printables out on white cardstock to keep them sturdy and durable.

After printing it, cut out each of the the household chores checklists and then laminate them using contact paper.

Next, laminate the the Family Weekly Chores, Chore Chart, and Bedroom Checklist. I prefer sticking these larger printables in a page protector, because it’s easier. But, you can do whatever works best for you!

Printable Bedroom Checklist Chore Chart

Now that you have your chore chart all put together, it’s time to start using them with your kids!

Hang one bedroom checklist in your childs bedroom. The closet door is a great place for this. Now, whenever your child completes their daily and weekly bedroom chores they can use a dry erase marker to mark off each chore. This helps you as the parent to quickly see what they have completed, and reminds the child of what should be done each day.

Family Weekly Chores Chart

Next, hang up the Family Weekly Chores chart somewhere that your family will see it often. I like to put mine in the kitchen or entry area. Write each of your kids names next to a chore. That will be their assigned household chore for the week. Once the week is over, rotate the names down to the next chore. This gives everyone a fair chance at each chore.

Your child can use the chore checklists while working on their household chores. This helps them stay focused on the chore and remember all of the details.

Chore Chart Printable

I also included a basic chore chart printable. This gives you the option to fill in the chores you want your child to do each week, just in case they are different from our families chore chart.

Grab Your Free Printables Below!

I truly believe one of the greatest gifts we can give a child is teaching them how to work. They WILL look back one day and thank you for giving them this gift. I whined and yelled and cried and complained and told my parents they were the meanest in the world…..but I grew up….and I realized just how GRATEFUL I am that they taught me how to work!

The saying says there is more than one way to train a horse! That falls true with kids too! This is what works for my kids, you might find something different that works for your family. All that matters is that we are TRYING. Keep trying mamas! We got this!

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Don’t forget to download my Free Kids Chore Chart Printable using the link above!

How To Make Yarn Pom Poms

February 6, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Life1 Comment

How To Make A Pom Pom Garland Out Of Yarn

I recently discovered how to make yarn pom poms and I am now obsessed! These pom-poms turned out to be easy to make and so cute! My daughters and I spent all evening making pom poms and experimenting with different sizes and techniques.

We decided to turn these yarn pom poms into a cute garland for Valentines Day. I love how it turned out and am already planning more garlands in other themes and colors! I see a spring garland in my near future!

These were so fun (and cheap!) to make, I thought I would share an easy tutorial with all of you! I was able to use items I already had at home and didn’t need to spend any money (yay!), but you can find some quality yarn for less than five dollars and it will make hundreds of pom-poms!

Gather Supplies

To make your yarn pom pom you will need to first gather your supplies. For this project you will need:

Yarn (softer yarn seems to work best)
Sharp Scissors

Yep! That’s all you need! I told you these were easy!

How To Make Yarn Pom Poms

Now that we have the supplies, let’s start crafting!

First, take a small string of yarn and begin wrapping it around two of your fingers.

Keep wrapping the yarn around your finger until the yarn looks a good size. I just eyeballed it, but I probably twisted the yarn about 70-100 times.

When the pom pom looks right, cut the yarn leaving about 6 inches of a tail. You will then push the tail through your two fingers and pull it out the other side.

Bring the tail up on top of the yarn and push it through the top of your two fingers. Pull it tight (this is important!).

Now, gently slide the yarn off of your fingers, making sure to keep the yarn pulled tight and kept across the middle (this was a little tricky, but you can do it!).

Knot the tail and wrap the remaining tail across the other middle, this will form a plus sign. Pull it tight and knot it. This will form four sections. Tie another knot securing the yarn.

Next, grab some sharp scissors. I used my fabric scissors (aka: “if anyone uses these for anything other than fabric they will be in HUGE trouble” scissors).

Begin cutting the loops apart in each section. Make sure you do not cut the tied tail. We only had this happened once, but it’s important to remember.

Continue cutting all of the loops. Once finished, it will not look very good and you’ll wonder if you did it right! You did. I promise.

The pom pom just needs some fluffing. Shake it, separate the pieces and try to fluff it out as best as you can.

Once your little ball of yarn is all fluffed out it’s time for a haircut! This is when you will see your pom pom begin to take shape.

Trim the yarn pieces until they are all nice and even. I like to cut them fairly short, but not to short.

Play around with it a little bit and you will find the style you like. My daughters kept theirs a little more long, it’s all personal preference.

That’s it! Your pom pom is done! Isn’t it cute???? The first one takes the longest…..to be honest, I threw away my first five (or was it ten????).

But, once I had a little practice I was able to whip them up much quicker.

Stick some googly eyes on those pom poms and make little monsters for your kids, OR you can string it together to form a cute garland. I chose the garland.

Pom Pom Garland Tutorial

Using your pom poms to make a garland is really quick and simple!

Gather Your Supplies

To make your pom pom garland you will need to first gather a few supplies. You will need:

Yarn Pom Poms
String

After browsing through my house unable to find a string for my garland I resorted to the garage (I was refusing to spend money on this project!).

I found some string in my husbands stash of “stuff” and it worked really well. Twine or even embroidery thread will work great too.

How To Make A Pom Pom Garland

First, tie a knot at the end of your string and use the string to thread a needle.

You will then stick your needle right through the middle of your pom-pom, pull it along the string until it reaches the knot, and continue until your garland is at the desired length.

Knot off the end and you are done! You can hang your yarn pom-pom garland around your house, but we came up with a different idea.

We decided to decorate one of our little Christmas Trees as a “valentine tree.” We have been making little crafts for it all month and decided this pom pom garland would be the perfect addition!

Let me know if you make a pom pom garland! I would love to hear how it went.

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I hope this helped you understand how to make a yarn pom pom!

Easy Cinnamon Candy Recipe For Christmas

December 9, 2020 By: Sweet Frugal Life4 Comments

Try this cinnamon hard candy recipe this year!

Years ago I went home with my boyfriend (now husband) for Christmas. We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas together and I was able to celebrate the holiday with new experiences. It’s always interesting to me how different families celebrate each holiday. On this visit all those years ago I was introduced to many new traditions (they open all of their presents on Christmas Eve, was, ALL the presents. Anyone else do this???) and lots of new foods! One of my favorite Christmas treats his mom made for us was Cinnamon Candy. I begged her for her recipes and I have been making this Cinnamon Candy recipe ever since!

It takes less than 30 minutes to make and requires very few ingredients. Yay! This Cinnamon Hard Candy recipe is now a tradition in our own home and we look forward to making it every year.

You can make this Christmas hard candy recipe two different ways.

The first way is with red food coloring and cinnamon oil, which is how I always make it.

Another way to make this candy is using green food coloring with peppermint oil.

My mother in law makes a batch of both flavors, but I have only made it with the cinnamon. I encourage you to make it however your family will enjoy it most!

How to Make Your Own Cinnamon Candy

It’s easy to make Cinnamon Candy, which is one of the reasons why I love this easy recipe!

First, gather all of your ingredients. You will need:

White sugar
Light corn syrup
Water
Cinnamon oil (or peppermint)
Food coloring (red for cinnamon, green for peppermint)

I usually buy cinnamon oil at a local craft store in the cake decorating section. It is also on Amazon here. Do not use cinnamon extract, it will not taste the same…I promise, I have tried! It needs to be cinnamon oil.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup and water together in a medium sauce pan. Stir mixture continually until it boils.

Insert a candy thermometer and continue stirring occasionally. Keep stirring until thermometer reaches 300 degrees.

Remove candy from heat once it reaches 300 degrees. Quickly stir in the oil and food coloring.

Immediately pour it onto an oiled cookie sheet.

Pick up the pan and gently tilt it left, right, back, forward to help the candy fill up the pan.

Let candy cool completely and then you can break it into pieces. I usually just use the back of a spoon to crack each section.

Now enjoy your delicious cinnamon candy! See how easy that was?!?!

cinnamon hard candy recipe - easy Christmas candy recipe

Christmas Hard Candy Recipe

Easy Cinnamon Candy Recipe for the Holidays!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

3 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water
1/2 tsp cinnamon or peppermint oil
1 tsp either red (for cinnamon) or green (for peppermint) food coloring for cinnamon or green (for peppermint) food coloring

Instructions

In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water.
Cook on medium to high heat until candy thermometer reads 300 degrees (hard crack stage), stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat.
Stir in oil and food coloring, keeping face away from mixture as odor is very strong. Immediately pour onto an oiled cookie sheet.
Cool and break into pieces.
Store in air tight container.

This Christmas cinnamon candy recipe also makes the perfect gifts to hand out to neighbors and friends! Just package it up in a cute gift bag, tie a bow around it and done!

Related: Cheap Christmas Gifts for Neighbors, Teachers, and Friends

Let me know if you try it and like it! It puts a big smile on my husbands face every year and I hope it will bring a smile to your face!

Free Online Field Trips For Elementary School Kids!

Virtual Field Trips For Kids

Animal Field Trips

Historical Field Trips

Great Outdoors Field Trips

Space Field Trips

Sun

Educational Virtual Field Trips

Art Field Trips

In Conclusion

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Enjoy these free virtual field trips for kids!

How To Do The Magic Toothpick Science Experiment

Magic Toothpick: Easy Science Activity for Preschoolers

Gather Supplies

Perform The Experiment

Have Fun With Your Kids

Looking for more preschool friendly activities?

Want to try this easy science activity at home? Pin it for later reference!

Try this easy science activity for preschoolers today!

How we use our giving jar to help others.

Enter: The Giving Jar

Related Articles:

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This jar has helped me teach kids to give during the Christmas season, and it can help you too!

The best homemade hot cocoa mix recipe makes everything better!

How To Make Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

Gather Ingredients

Mix It Together

Hot Cocoa Mix

Ingredients

Instructions

In Conclusion

Related Articles:

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I hope you enjoy this easy homemade hot chocolate mix recipe!

Quick after school snacks for kids!

Easy After School Snack Ideas Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

In Conclusion

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Related Articles:

What are some of your favorite easy after school snacks ideas?

Check out this No Sew Trick or Treat Bag Tutorial!

DIY Trick or Treat Bag Tutorial

Supplies Needed:

Find Your Pattern

Prepare Your Design

Iron On The Picture

In Conclusion

Related Articles:

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I hope you love this DIY Trick or Treat Bag as much as we did!

The Ultimate List of Screen Free Summer Activities For Kids At Home.

Outdoor Summer Kids Activities

Picnic at The Park

Play Frisbee

Run Through the Sprinkler

“Paint” with Water

Go on a Walk

Picnic in Backyard

Draw With Sidewalk Chalk

Draw on Sidewalk With Ice Cubes

Go On A Bike Ride

Nature Scavenger Hunt

Go On A Hike

Plant A Garden

Jump On The Trampoline With Water Balloons

Play Catch

Blow Bubbles

Go Geocaching

Play Night Games With Flash Lights

Catch Bugs

Star Gaze

Make a Fairy Garden

Give The Bikes a Wash

Play Jump Rope

Make An Obstacle Course