Sweet Frugal Life

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Easy Valentine Day Crafts For Kids

By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

Check out these easy Valentine crafts!

Valentines day is such a fun time of year.  I love showing my loved ones how much I care about them.  And it’s even more fun to teach my kids to show love to others!  These easy Valentine day crafts for kids are the perfect activities for a fun February day.

Consider helping your kids make a few crafts to give to their friends and family.  Or they can make some to help decorate the house with a little bit of festivity.  Whichever you choose, make sure to enjoy this fun time together making easy Valentines crafts!

Fun Valentine Day Craft Ideas

Have fun making these easy Valentine Day crafts!  Let me know which one is your favorite!

1.  Clay Valentine Magnets

Check out these adorable Clay Valentine Magnets!  You only need three ingredients and some paint to make them!  They are the perfect craft for kids both young and old.  I can’t wait to make some and hang them on our fridge.

3 Ingredient Clay Valentine Magnets

2.  Panda Valentine Craft

This Panda Valentine craft is not only the cutest thing ever, but it also comes with a free template!  Which for someone like me (non-expert crafter), a template is a must!  Your kids will have so much fun making this craft to give away or keep for themselves, and they will be able to work on their fine motor skills at the same time!

two panda valentine crafts

3.  Conversation Heart Bookmarks

I’m in love with this next easy Valentine day craft!  These conversation heart corner bookmarks are so fun and make a great gift for book lovers!  All it takes is a little bit of folding and glue and you have the cutest bookmark ever!  This is a craft that anyone can do!

Conversation Heart Bookmarks

4.  Valentines Foam Pencil Toppers

Here’s another fun craft for Valentines, Foam Pencil Toppers.  This tutorial comes with a template to help your kids make a hedgehog, owl, penguin and racoon pencil toppers.  The instructions are easy to follow and the results are absolutely darling!

Valentines Foam Pencil Toppers | Homan at Home

 

 

5.  Valentine Yarn Hearts

My kids love making these easy valentine yarn hearts each year.  They are quick, cheap and so cute!  All you need is some cardboard (thank you leftover Amazon box!) and some yarn.  The colors are so fun to customize and mix and match.  They make cute decorations and gifts.

6.  Heart Paint Chip Garland

If you want simple and cheap Valentine decor, I have the thing for you!  You can quickly make this Heart Paint Chip Garland.  It’s very easy to customize and make with your favorite love-day colors.

My kids love having a few holiday decorations in their rooms, and this would be the perfect craft for them to make and hang over their bead.

valentine decor

7.  Heart Suncatcher

I love hanging crafted suncatchers in my windows.  The light that comes through is so pretty.

Your kids will love making their own heart suncatcher following this tutorial.

Hand holding finished heart suncatcher up to window

 

 

8.  Valentines Day Toilet Paper Roll Vase

Crafts that repurpose are just my favorite type of crafts!  They are frugal through and through!

That is one of the reasons why I love this Valentines Day Toilet Paper Roll Vase craft.  It turns something that would have been tossed into the trash, a toilet paper roll, into something beautiful and useful.  Your kids will love making these vases and placing pretty flowers inside!

Valentine’s Day Toilet Paper Roll Flower Vase

 

 

9.  Valentines Pom Pom Painting

Here’s the perfect Valentines day craft for toddlers and preschoolers, Valentines Day Pom Pom painting.  The activity introduces a new way to paint, using pom poms and a clothespin!  This method results in a fun, easy to create heart art!

Two finished Pom Pom Heart Paintings on white background

10.  DIY Valentine Felt Heart

If you are looking for an easy Valentines Day craft for older kids, try this DIY Valentine Felt Heart! 

Felt is very budget friendly, making this craft a perfect option for the frugal conscious.  The hearts are perfect for giving to others or to use as a decoration around your home.

DIY Felt Valentine Hearts | Mommy Evolution

11.  Love Bug Toilet Paper Roll Craft

Your kids will love making this adorable love bug….and again…I love that it’s repurposing something that would have been thrown away!  This is a very easy and cute project, perfect for young kids!

pink love bug made using toilet paper roll

12.  Origami Heart

Folding origami is so fun, and with the right instructions can be very simple.  Here is a great tutorial for folding an easy origami heart that make great corner bookmarks!  Make your corner bookmarks in a variety of colors to giveaway and use in all of your favorite books.

Valentine paper heart origami bookmark craft

13.  Valentines Day Frame

Alright, I have the perfect craft for any non crafters out there!  Seriously, anyone can make this Valentines Day frame craft….and it’s the cutest thing ever!  So, basically a win-win all around!

I love the idea of using this frame as a decoration, you can put a picture of your family inside of it.  Or, it can be a great gift with a picture of you and your loved one together.

DIY Valentine's Day Frame

 

 

14.  Gnome Paper Craft

Another fun valentine paper craft is to make this darling gnome.  It comes with a free template, for easy cutting and designing and it is just so cute!  I want to make one just for me!

15.  Love You To Pieces Wreath

I’m so in love with this fun puzzle piece wreath!  It’s so creative and simple to make!

This adorable DIY Valentine Wreath is an easy and thrifty Valentine's Day craft to make with kids. All you need is a dollar store puzzle, a recycled cardboard box, and simple art supplies! 

 

 

16.  DIY Heart Crayons

My kids use to make these heart crayons all the time.  It’s a great way to use up half used crayons, and create something new and fun.  The silicone molds come in a lot of different shapes and designs too!

4 mutli-colored new heart crayons made from crayons melting in oven in silicone heart molds.

17.  Tissue Paper Heart Craft

Crafting with tissue paper is always affordable and kid friendly.  The tissue paper heart craft is perfect for helping young ones work on their fine motor skills while creating something new.

textured heart with tissue paper and supplies around it.

18.  Popsicle Stick Heart Garland

This popsicle stick heart garland is so cute and unique!  It’s something that I haven’t ever seen before, and that just makes me love it even more!  I love trying new projects like this with my kids.

valentines day garland craft

19.  Mess Free Smush Painting

Want to craft with your kids, but hate the mess??  Try the mesh free smush painting method! 

All of the painting is done within a contained plastic bag!  This is especially a great craft idea for toddlers!

image shows painted heart art

20.  Love Code Bracelet

How cute is this love code bracelet?!  I think it’s the perfect craft for kids who love coding….but also need a break from a screen!

Valentines Day Coding Activity LOVE

21.  Crystal Hearts Science Experiment

There just isn’t much better than turning a craft into a science experiment!  It will get your kids fingers and creativity working, all while helping them learn! 

The Crystal Hearts Science Experiment is the perfect Valentine craft turned experiment to do with your kids this year!

still wet crystal hearts drying on a paper towel after forming in jars

22.  Valentine Hugs

I use to make these Valentine Hug crafts all the time when I was young, and they always made me so happy!  It’s a very easy craft to make, and this tutorial even provides a free template you can use!  I love free templates!

valentine hugs man with accordion arms

23.  Pom Pom Love Bug Craft

Here’s another super cute and easy Valentines day craft idea that kids can do, make a Pom Pom Love Bug!  It will only take a few minutes to whip up a few of these darling bugs, and they are super easy to customize just the way your child wants them!

Valentines day love bug

 

Have Fun With These Easy Valentine Day Crafts for Kids!

I hope this articled helped you to find a few fun crafts to do with your kiddos this year.  Crafting with kids is one of the best ways to make memories and build bonds.  And, with the ideas listed here you won’t need to spend hardly any money at all!

 

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There are so many easy Valentine day crafts for kids to make!

How To Make Cloud Dough

By: Sweet Frugal Life2 Comments

Easy two ingredient cloud dough recipe.

I recently learned how to make cloud dough and am so in love with how easy and quick it is to mix together!

If you are looking for a fun, cheap activity for your kids to do at home, then I highly recommend you try this two ingredient cloud dough recipe.  It takes about 5 minutes to mix together, only requires two ingredients, and will provide hours of fun for your little ones.

The dough is soft, smooth, silky, and moldable.  And addicting…seriously!  I love squishing it through my fingers for hours and hours.

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How To Make Cloud Dough

One of the best parts of this recipe is the fact that it only requires two ingredients….and they are both cheap ingredients…..in fact you probably already have them in your house right now!  Win, win and win!

Ingredients Needed:

To make this quick cloud dough you will need:

hair conditioner and cornstarch on countertop

 

Supplies Needed:

You will also need these two basic supplies:

  • Small Bowl
  • Spoon

 

Homemade Cloud Dough Recipe

In a small bowl mix together:

  • 1/2 cup hair conditioner
  • 1 cup cornstarch

Use a spoon to stir the conditioner and cornstarch together.  You might need to add a little more corn starch or a little more hair conditioner, you’ll just have to use a little bit of trial and error as you find the best consistency for you.  It’s better to have the dough a little more dry than wet.

cornstarch and conditioner in bowl

 

Once the cloud dough is mostly completely mixed together you will need to knead it with your hands together to make it nice and smooth.

 

If you would like to add a few drops of food coloring at this point, you are welcome to.  I usually just let the color of the hair conditioner be the color of the cloud dough.  But using food coloring will give it a much more vibrant color.

crumbly cloud dough on countertopsquishing cloud dough in fingers

 

 

It only takes a few minutes of kneading before your dough is ready to play with.  You’ll know it’s ready once you a soft, silky, and smooth dough.

Feel free to get out a few cookie cutters, knives, spoons, forks, rolling pins, and anything else you think sounds fun to let your kids cut and smooth and imagine with the homemade cloud dough.

pushing cloud dough with fingers

 

After you’ve made this cloud dough recipe you might enjoy a couple of my other favorite play dough recipes:

 

Cloud Dough

A quick and fun play dough recipe for kids to play with at home.
3 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup hair conditioner
  • 2-4 drops food coloring optional

Instructions
 

  • Stir hair conditioner and cornstarch together in a small bowl.
  • Once mixed begin kneading the dough with your hands until it becomes soft and smooth.
  • If desired, add a few drops of food coloring to finished dough and mix through.

Have fun!

Now that you know how to make cloud dough it’s time for you to have fun playing with it with your little ones.  I love cheap and quick activities for kids to do at home.  They are some of the best ways to make memories, while on a small budget.

 

More Cheap Kids Activities

Easy Rock Painting Ideas For Kids

Easy Science Activity For Preschoolers

Yarn Hearts: An Easy Valentine Craft for Kids

 

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I hope this helped you learn how to make cloud dough at home!

Harry Potter Theme Party Ideas

By: Sweet Frugal Life4 Comments

Fun ideas for a Harry Potter birthday party!

My youngest turned 10 last week and he really wanted a Harry Potter themed birthday party.  As a huge Harry Potter fan myself, I was so excited to make his dreams become a reality!  One of the best things about throwing a Harry Potter birthday party is that there are just SO many fun activities you can do.  We had so much fun looking up ideas, planning the party together. and making “magic” happen.

The party was a huge success and I’m so excited to share all the nitty gritty details with you today!

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Harry Potter Party Decorations

The decorations for this party were very simple.  Basically all I did was splurge on a Platform 9 3/4 sign for our front door, and placed a few candles on the table (easy peasy is my jam).  The kids loved walking through the platform curtain and I’m so happy I bought it!  My son now has it hanging in his bedroom doorway.  It’s so cute!

 

platform 9 3/4 curtain on front door

 

Sorting Hat Cupcakes

The party started with our Sorting Hat Cupcakes.  This was probably my favorite part of the entire party!  I knew I wanted to sort everyone into a house, but I wasn’t sure exactly how to do that.  But, then I came across the idea to use Sorting Hat Cupcakes.

These were a huge hit and I’m so glad we went this direction.

But, I have to give a little disclaimer!  I am by no means a professional cake decorator or baker!  But, I do like trying to find budget friendly ways to make my kids dreams come true!  And fortunately, even though these cupcakes did not look perfect….my Harry Potter fan LOVED them….and that’s really all that mattered.

How To Make Sorting Hat Cupcakes

Sorting hat cupcakes are so easy to make!  Just bake cupcakes according to your favorite cake recipe instructions. 

Once the cupcakes are baked and cooled, take a spoon and gently spoon out some of the middle of the cupcake.

Next, mix up 4 different colors of frosting.  One will be blue (for Ravenclaw house), one red (for Gryffindor house), another yellow (for Hufflepuff house), and the last green (for Slytherin house).  Which are, obviously, the different colors of the four houses in Harry Potter.  I really like this frosting recipe and then I used food coloring to make the different colors.

After you’ve made your frosting it’s time to fill the cupcakes.  Put a different color of frosting into the middle of each cupcake. 

sorting cupcakes

 

Frost the cupcake with white frosting, making sure to cover the colored frosting.  Then, put half an Oreo on top of the frosting.  This will be the first part of your sorting hat.

 

Lastly, add a Hershey kiss on top of the Oreo half.  I had to put a little bit of frosting on the bottom of the kiss to make sure it stuck to the oreo.  And ta-dah!  Your sorting hat cupcakes are done!

 

After singing Happy Birthday I let each of the kids randomly choose a cupcake.  Whichever color of frosting was inside their cupcake was the house that they would be in.  They loved getting to take off the sorting hat to see which house they were in.  It was such a fun activity!

I forgot to take a picture of the kids finding out what house they are in, but here is a picture of the Great Hall before our guests arrived.

 

Harry Potter Party Activities

After the kids were sorted into their houses and finished eating their cupcakes we started the activities.  Each activity was in a different room and represented a different Hogwarts Class.  I pinned our class schedule onto a bulletin board to display and the kids loved looking to see the different classes for the day.  If you want this class schedule, you can grab it for free here:  Harry Potter Class Schedule Printable

History of Magic

Our first class was the History of Magic.  In the History of Magic class we learned about the famous wizard who defeated Voldemort….I’m talking about Harry Potter of course!

After learning about Harry Potter we played the game, Pin the Scar on Harry.  My husband drew the poster for me (because he is much more artistic than I am) and I printed out some lightning bolt scars.  Yay for team effort!  This game was a lot of fun, you just can’t beat the tried and true classic!

 

Potions

Next up on the schedule was Potions.  The kids absolutely LOVED this class and it turned out even better than I had imagined!

I wanted to do a simple science experiment, but with big results.  So, I decided to do an old favorite of mixing vinegar and baking soda together.  When you combine the vinegar and baking soda together it bubbles up really big.  The dish soap makes it more bubbly, and the rest of the ingredients are just for fun!  I printed up a potions card to display, and you can print it out for free here:   Harry Potter Growth Potion.

Unicorn Potion:  Vinegar

Dragons Blood:  Food Coloring

Spider Venom:  Dish Soap

Gillyweed:  Oregano (although the kids all let me know gillyweed is suppose to be slimy…you win some and you lose some)

Crushed Bones:  Baking Soda

 

To set up potions class, I bought these science mixing cups from Amazon.  Then I printed out labels for each of the ingredients and taped them to the cups.

 

Potions class was outside (because I knew it would be messy!).  Each party guest started with a small mason jar and a stirring stick (the stirring sticks came with the science mixing cups I had bought).  

 

Then, we brought out a new ingredient one by one as they stirred it all together.   Make sure to add the baking soda last for the big surprise.  The entire solution will foam over the mason jars.  The kids were all shocked and surprised at the result!  It was a huge hit and fun to see their reactions!

 

 

Divinations

Next up was Divinations class.  This class was another huge hit!

To prepare in advance I made this fortune teller guide.

 

The night before the party I put a small drop of food coloring into 8 different plastic cups, one for each child coming.  The food coloring needs to dry completely before adding anything else to the cup, so doing this the night before is necessary.  Then, right before divination class began I filled the cups up with ice to hide the food coloring at the bottom.

 

I wanted to make this experience really fun for the kids.  So, I poured some sprite into a large bowl and then added a dry ice block to make it foggy.  The kids LOVED this!

 

I handed each of the kids one of the cups I had prepped earlier.  Then one by one I spooned sprite into each cup.  We had to wait a few minutes for the fog to clear but once it did the sprite had changed colors (thanks to the dried food coloring).  We were able to use the color in the cup and fortune teller guide to tell each of the kids their fortunes.  It was so fun!

 

Charms Class

After divination we went to charms class.  Earlier in the week my son had made wands for each of the party guests and we let everyone choose a wand for charms class.  I found a Wand Motion Chart from The Scrap Shoppe Blog and gave one to each kid.  Together we practiced a few charms and spells, and the kids had fun practicing the different wand motions.

 

 

Defense Against The Dark Arts

Last, but not least we went to Defense Against The Dark Arts class.  I thought it would be fun to have a pinata in this class for the kids to “battle.”  I found this spider pinata on Amazon and decided it would be perfect!  After coloring in the face (to make it more spooky) and filling it with candy we were ready to go!

Everyone got a turn to hit the spider with a bat, and then we let the birthday boy finish it off.  The kids loved grabbing the candy with their Harry Potter goody bag.

 

 

The Party Was A Hit

The kids had so much fun at our Harry Potter themed party.  I couldn’t have asked for it to go any better!  Let me know if any of these ideas helped you plan your own party!  I’d love to hear how they worked out.

 

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Easy Science Activity For Preschoolers

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!

magic toothpick science activity preschoolers - rainy day activities for kids

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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

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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.

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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!

EA06ED50-E961-4E4D-9C4A-686FC65D23FF

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?

Peanut Butter Play Dough Recipe

Easy Easter Craft for Preschoolers: Egg Sun Catcher

Screen Free At Home Kids Activities

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

easy science experiment for preschoolers

 

Try this easy science activity for preschoolers today!

How To Play Fish Bowl

By: Sweet Frugal Life10 Comments

Check Out This Fun Party Game For Large Groups!

Anyone else love playing party games?  Games are one of my favorite activities.  I love to laugh, get competitive, and enjoy time with friends and family all while playing a game together.  One of my favorite group games is called Fish Bowl.  This game is the perfect mix of Charades, Password and Taboo.  I’m excited to share with you exactly How To Play Fish Bowl so you can enjoy it at your next party!  

 

How To Play Fish Bowl

Fish Bowl is a really easy game to learn and play.  I’ve played it in many different groups and it has always been a hit.  The perfect game for a group of mixed personalities!

 

1.  Gather Supplies

One of the reasons why I love this game so much is because it’s so easy to prepare.  You do need to gather a few supplies, but you probably already have them in your house.  To play Fish Bowl you will need:

  • Blank White Paper
  • Scissors
  • Pens/Pencils
  • Bowl (this can be an actual fishbowl, but is not necessary to play)
  • Timer (I just use the one on my phone)

 

2.  Prepare The Fish Bowl

Now that you have your supplies, it’s time to prepare the “fish bowl.”  The original game was meant to be played using an actual fishbowl, but any bowl will work just fine.  Use whatever you have at home!

Cut your white papers into thin strips, they need to be big enough for players to write a word or phrase on.  Each player will need three strips of paper.  Once you have your strips of paper of cut, pass three to everyone playing.

Ask each person to write a noun on each one of their paper strips.  For example you could write, “pine tree”, “Santa Clause” or “rollerblades.”  You can make these words as vague or familiar as possible, but keeping mind that you want your team to be able to guess the word you wrote down.

Fold each of the papers in half and place them into the bowl.

 

3.  Split Into Teams

It’s now time to split into teams!  You will need two teams for this game, each with an equal amount of players in them.  I call the teams, Team A and Team B (so creative, I know 😉 ).  You can call the teams whatever you would like!

Have everyone sit in a circle, with teams sitting every other person.  So, players will sit: Team A, Team B, Team A, Team B, etc.

 

4. Round 1:  Taboo

Now, for the fun part!  Let’s learn how to play Fish Bowl!  This game is separated into three rounds.  Each round is played similar, but with a different twist.  The first round is the Taboo round.

Choose one person from Team A to start the round.  Give that player the bowl containing the paper strips and set the timer to 60 seconds.

Once the timer begins the player will pull a strip of paper from the bowl and describe the word on their paper while trying to get their team to guess it. first player will pull a strip of paper from the bowl and describe the word trying to get their team to guess it.  They can not say any part of the secret  word, or use any gestures.  So, if the word is, “Blanket” they can not say the word “blank” when giving the clue.  Instead they might give clues like, “something warm on your bed.”

Once the team guesses the word on the strip, set it aside and draw out another strip from the bowl.  Keep trying to get your team to guess as many words as you can before the timer goes off.

After the 60 seconds are done that player keeps the strips of papers their team guessed correctly, and then passes the bowl to the next player, who should be on Team B.

Play continues in this order until all words in the bowl have been guessed.

Once the round is over, have each team add up the amount of papers their team guessed correctly.  Each paper is worth one point for the team.

Fold the papers in half again and then place them back into the bowl.  It’s time for round 2!

 

5.  Round 2:  Password

The second round of the Fish Bowl game is the Password round.  Play continues similar to round 1, where each team takes turns trying to get their teammates to guess as many words as they can within the 60 second time limit.

However, this round you can only give a one word clue to describe the word on your paper.  For example, if the word is “blanket” you might give the one word clue of “bed.”  It really helps to try to remember the clues that were given in the first round and try to give your one word clue based off of the first round clues.

Let Team B start this round since Team A started the first round.

Once all of the papers have been guessed correctly, add up how many words each team guessed correctly and add it to your score.

Fold the papers in half and place them back into the bowl for the last round.

6.  Round 3:  Charades

The final round is the charades round (my favorite!).  Keep playing using the same routine as round 1 and round 1; passing the bowl around the circle and taking 60 second turns trying to get your team to guess the words in the bowl.

Only this time, you can’t say any words when trying to get your team to guess.  You can only use gestures to act out the clue.  So, if my word was “blanket” I would maybe act out getting into bed and pulling a blanket on me.

After all of the words in the bowl have been guessed add up the scores for each team one more time.

Whichever team has the most points at the end of the game wins!

 

In Conclusion

The fish bowl party game is so much fun.  It’s a great ice breaker to use at a youth activity or party.  I love teaching this game to new people, because everyone who plays it enjoys it!  Fish bowl is a game for all personalities and interests.

Try this game at your next get together, you will not regret it!!  Before long you’ll be teaching everyone else how to play fish bowl!

 

Related Articles:

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25 Completely Free Family Winter Activities

 

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21 Free and Frugal Kids Educational Websites

By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

The best free learning websites for kids!

Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of kids screen time, it’s something I have always limited with my kids and encouraged other activities to help them pass the time.  However, I do allow them a few hours of screen time each week.  During their screen time I prefer them to use kids educational websites.  The way I see it, if they are going to be sitting in front of a screen, hopefully they can learn something at the same time!

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Who are Educational Websites For?

I think any child can benefit from a few educational websites.  These are great resources to supplement home school lessons, give kids an extra boost of knowledge, and to help keep their minds active over the summer months.

My son is always telling me about a new alphabet sound he learned from one of his learning websites.  It makes me so happy to know these are helping him learn and progress.

 

 

best websites to help kids learn

 

Educational Websites for Younger Kids

Let’s first look at a few learning websites for younger kids to enjoy.  Here are some of our favorites.

1.  PBS Kids

PBS Kids is a favorite website at our house.  It is full of fun games and activities.  My kids love being able to play games related to their favorite TV characters, and I love that they are learning while they are playing!

The best best part (in my opinion) of PBS Kids is the Parents Section.  This section of the website is stocked full of resources to help us as parents guide and educate our kids.  From social skills to science and everything in between PBS Parents is my go to website for inspiration in helping my kids achieve their full potential.

2.  Starfall

Geared towards younger kids (preschool-3rd grade), Starfall has fun games to help your kids learn how to read.

This is actually one website that my kids teachers always recommend, and I do notice a huge difference in their progress when they are using it.

3.  ABC Mouse

ABC Mouse does cost money ($9.95/month), but it really is an amazing resource!  The games are best suited for kids ages 2-7 and is the perfect way to give them a jump start on reading, colors, math and more.

We have used it off and on for years, and I am always impressed by the variety of activities, the high educational aspect and the fact that my kids ENJOY playing games that are helping them learn!

You can try ABC Mouse for free for the first month.  This is a great offer to help you decide if it’s worth the small monthly investment or not.

4.  Storyline Online

Storyline Online is a fun website where actors read aloud children’s books.  We just had a cute book read to us by the beautiful Betty White.

Surrounding kids with books is so good for their brain, and Storyline Online helps you do just that.  I especially love that the books all have closed captioning; this is a good way to help kids learn to read.

5.  Seussville

If you are a Dr.Seuss fan then you will love the Seussville website.  It has some really cute videos and games for kids to enjoy.  There aren’t a lot of activities for kids, but all of the games provided are cute and whimsical…in true Dr.Seuss fashion!

6.  Sesame Street

I love all things Sesame Street, so of course I’m recommending the Sesame Street Website.  It’s full of fun, educational games, videos and activities.

My kids especially love the art section.  It’s fun to color, create and then print out their own picture….complete with their favorite Sesame Street characters!

cheap websites to use for homeschooling

Educational Websites for Older Kids

7.  National Geographic Kids

If your child is an animal lover, then they will love exploring on National Geographic Kids.  This website is full of fun animal facts, games and videos.

National Geographic Kids is best for older kids, ages 8-12.  We have used this website for school projects or reports and the information is all very interesting to learn.

8.  Switch Zoo

Switch Zoo is another fun website dedicated to educating kids about animals.  Older kids will enjoy learning new facts about their favorite animals, creating their own animal, and exploring the other games and articles.

9.  Youngzine

For the news and fact lover Youngzine will be a huge hit!  It is basically a news website, but for kids!  It has content about current events and interesting tidbits, all told in a fun way to keep it entertaining.

10.  Money Confident Kids

To help your kids understand finances, budgeting and all things money I recommend checking out the Money Confident Kids Website.  It has easy to follow lessons and fun games to help kids understand the best ways to manage money and plan for their future.

I have a full review of Money Confident Kids here.  It’s done wonders for helping my kids understand the financial world, plus it’s free!

11.  Adventure Academy

Adventure Academy was created by the same makers of ABC Mouse, but for kids aged 8-13.  Through a full interactive experience Adventure Academy gives kids access to a “virtual school” that can be customized for their own needs and preferences.

Your kids will find lessons on math, reading, science and more.  The coolest part of Adventure Academy is that three kids within the SAME household can play the game together at the exact same time, so fun right!?!  This makes the experience even more fun because you are able to interact with your family in a different environment.

Adventure Academy costs $9.99/month, but you can try it out for free using this link!


First Month Free!

12.  Smithsonian Learning Lab

We have had a lot of fun exploring the Smithsonian Learning Lab website. It’s full of useful information and interesting pictures and articles.

I especially love that the kids can create collections of the things they find interesting.  It’s a great way for them to learn how to study and research.

My daughter wanted to learn more about Egyptian Pyramids, after just one quick search she found many interesting pictures and articles.

13.  Interactive Constitution

Encourage your kids to learn more about US History using the Interactive Constitution website.  This website is best suited for older kids to help them understand the importance of the constitution.

I especially loved the Civil Dialogue toolkit and think it would be helpful for teachers to encourage good constitution discussions.

fun educational websites for kids

 

Educational Websites For All Ages

14.  Make Me Genius

Make science fun and interesting with the Make Me Genius website.  It’s full of science videos, fun jokes for kids, and other interesting facts.

Kids ages kindergarten-7th grade will enjoy this very educational website.

15.  Reading IQ

How amazing would it be to offer your children access to over 7,000 books with just the click of your fingertip?

Well, with Reading IQ, that is exactly what you get!  With a $7.99 monthly fee you will be given access to a library full of reading materials perfect for all children between the ages of 2-12.

A subscription with Reading IQ includes a collection of audio books, popular favorites, and more.  This is a great resource for home schoolers, road trips, or summertime.

Use this link to get your first month of Reading IQ for free!


Get 30 Days Free of RIQ!

16.  ABC Ya

ABC Ya is another favorite at our house.  The website is very user friendly, full of fun books, games and other activities.

Your younger child will learn about numbers and letters, while your older child will have activities about fractions, strategies and more.  There is something for everyone aged Kindergarten-6th grade.

The other huge plus to ABC Ya is it’s free (you can’t beat free!), you can buy a subscription for $9.99/month, but we prefer the free version.  I’ve had multiple elementary teachers recommend this site to me, and we love it!

17.  Fun Brain

Another great, FREE website is Fun Brain.  It has games, books (including Diary of a Wimpy Kid), and videos to watch.  My kids just watched a funny video today from this website called, “How To Deal With Annoying Siblings.”  They loved it, and couldn’t stop laughing!

18.  Highlights Kids

Did you know that the incredible Highlights is more than just a magazine?  The Highlights Kids website is full of educational activities, jokes, and games.

My son was playing on this website a few weeks ago and loved the video all about trains.  We both learned so much!

Best of all, Highlights Kids is free!  This is truly one of my favorites and think all parents should check it out.

19.  Kahn Academy

Kahn Academy is honestly one of the best free educational websites out there.  They provide lessons for kids ages K-8th grade ranging in subjects from math, science to history.  But, the main focus is math.

This is a great website if your child is needing some supplemental lessons and help.  I also really like the parents section.  It has given me a lot of good information so that I can better help my kids learn and understand.

20.  Education.com

I was so impressed with Education.com, I actually had to double check to make sure it was free….and it is!

This amazing website has learning worksheets and games for kids aged preschool-5th grade.  It is a treasure trove of resources for parents and teachers.

21.  BrainPOP

BrainPOP is a fun website with games, videos, lessons and more about many school subjects and interests.  I love that it goes beyond the math and reading to include subjects like engineering, art, and science.

They even have a BrainPopJr. website if you are looking for a similar version, but for younger kids.

In Conclusion

There are so many wonderful resources out there that do not require us to spend a lot of money.  A child’s education is so important, and I love helping those young minds learn and grow.

 

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I hope you find a website that your kids will learn from and love!

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