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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!

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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!

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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

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easy science experiment for preschoolers

 

Try this easy science activity for preschoolers today!

Easy Rock Painting Ideas For Kids

By: Sweet Frugal Life1 Comment

Check out the best idea for painting rocks for kids.

Are you looking for some easy rock painting ideas for kids?  I have you covered with this fun twist on painting rocks for kids.

If you have been reading for a while you know that I am all about simple and frugal activities for kids.  Mom life is HARD and BUSY and did I mention HARD.  So, if I can come up with fun activities for my kids that require very little prep, I am all for it!  Which is exactly why I love this easy rock craft.  It checks off all the boxes for a fun, cheap craft for the kids.

This activity of “painting” rocks is one of my favorites.  It gets the kids outside and lets them use their creativity at the same time.  Plus, it’s totally free!

How To Make Hot Rocks Craft

This easy rock painting idea for kids starts with an old fashioned rock hunt.  I encourage my kids to find a large and smooth rock, they usually just grab whichever one catches their eye first!  Either way totally works.  (See, simple right?!?!)

After finding the perfect rock, it’s time to bake it!  And yes, I totally mean you bake it!

Place the rock into a hot oven and let it “cook” until the rock gets hot.  I usually turn the oven on to about 400 degrees and bake them for about 15 minutes.  There really is no science here, you just want the rock hot.

Once the rock is hot, take it out of the oven using a hot pad and place it on a paper plate, paper towel, newspaper, etc. 

Now, let your kids color on the hot rock with crayons.  The crayons will melt as they are colored onto the rock.  It is so fun to watch the colors mix together, they make such pretty designs.

 

After you are done “painting” let the rock cool and dry.  You will be left with a fun colored rock, we have a collection of these outside.  My kids are always eager to add a new rock to their loved collection.

Another thing that we enjoy doing with our painted rocks is to hide them around the city for others to find.  It is a popular activity in our area.  My kids love hiding their rocks and checking to see if they have been found, and we love finding others rocks in local playgrounds and areas.

 

Happy Rock Painting!

That’s it!  See how easy this rock painting idea is!  No paints required!  Let me know if you try this easy rock painting idea for kids.  I would love to hear how it went!  Your kids will love this new take on painting rocks.

 

You might be interested in these other articles:

How to Make Your Very Own Pom-Pom Garland

Yarn Hearts: An Easy Valentine Craft for Kids

Peanut Butter Play Dough Recipe

 

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What other easy rock painting ideas for kids do you have?

At Home Preschool Activities

By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

How to entertain preschoolers at home.

Preschoolers are one of my favorite ages!  They are full of so much curiosity and innocence.  I honestly miss having my little ones home with me (they all grew up!).  One thing about preschoolers is that they are a bundle of energy, always wanting to be kept busy and entertained.  Fortunately, there are many cheap at home preschool activities to keep their busy bodies active and engaged.  Here are a few of our favorites!

At Home Preschool Activities

Here are a few of my easy at home preschool activities.  I hope your kids love them as much as my kids did!

1.  Build A Fort

A fort can be a fun place for preschoolers to hide out, read books, and play.

You can easily build a fort by putting a few blankets over the kitchen table.  Or, push some chairs together and drape them with blankets.

Don’t forget to fill the fort with pillows, stuffed animals and a few books for reading.  Enjoy snuggling together inside your newly built fort!

2.  Make White Dirt

My son loved making “white dirt” when he was a preschooler.  This was a simple activity that kept him entertained for hours.

To make white dirt just mix together four cups of flour, 1 cup of brown sugar, and 1 cup of rice together in a 9X13 inch baking pan.

This white dirt is perfect for your preschooler to use for digging and playing with their small toy tractors.

3.  Play In Bubbles

Fill your sink up with water and dish soap to form a bubbly sink.  Let your preschooler play in the sink with plastic cups, spoons, and bowls.

This might make a bit of a watery mess, but it’s so fun for the little ones and a great at home preschool activity.

4.  Make Playdough

It’s so easy to make homemade playdough.  All you need is a few ingredients, and preschoolers can be the best helpers!  I’ve tried many (seriously, MANY) playdough recipes over the years.  This playdough recipe is the very best out there!

5.  Have A Teddy Bear Picnic

Preschoolers love teddy bear picnics!  To host a teddy bear picnic just lay a blanket on the floor and gather all of the teddy bears and stuffed animals in the house to set on the blanket.

Next, prepare a few simple treats or snacks to bring to the picnic.  

Now, all you have to do is enjoy a picnic with your preschooler and favorite teddys.

6.  Play Hide And Seek

Preschoolers love to play hide and seek, and it requires zero materials or planning, which makes it a quick and easy activity for a parent to throw together.

To play hide and seek, one person will close their eyes and count to twenty.  While counting the hiders must quickly try to conceal themselves in a hiding place.

Once the seeker reaches twenty they will search and to try to find the hiders.  It’s so fun to see where kids decide to hide.  Let everyone have a turn being the “seeker” and “hider”.

7.  Paper Bag Puppets

Another fun at home preschool activity is to make paper bag puppets.  Turn a brown paper bag into a puppet by coloring a face on the flap.  Make a few different puppets and then put on a puppet show with your preschooler!

8.  Magic Toothpick Science Experiment

This magic toothpick science experiment is another easy at home preschool activity.  All you need is a few ingredients and 5 minutes to prepare this experiment.  Your preschooler will love watching the pretty colors form!

9.  Caterpillar Soup

Mix up some caterpillar soup with your kiddo by pouring some water into a bowl and then letting your preschooler shake in a few spices.  I try to pick spices with different colors to help give the “soup” some variety and color.

Give the soup a few stirs with the spoon and then set it outside for the “caterpillars” to enjoy.  My kids always figured out this wasn’t really for caterpillars, but they still enjoyed pretending!

10.  Have A Dance Party

Turn on some fun Disney tunes and have a dance party.  Kids love showing off their newest moves!

11.  Form A Marching Band

Form a marching band as a family using items around the house.  Someone can shake spices, another bang two pot lids together, and someone else could use a pot and spoon as a drum.

Use your “instruments” to march around the house like a marching band.  (pro tip:  you might want to wear ear plugs for this activity!  😉 )

12.  Make A Road Out Of Tape

Use painters tape to form a road over the carpet, stairs, couches, everywhere you want!  Let your preschooler drive their matchbox cars over the road.

You can even add a town to your roads by using the tape to make a few houses, supermarket, school, church, etc.

13.  Make Ice Cream

Make homemade ice cream in a bag.  It only takes a few ingredients and Preschoolers love helping to shake the bag and of course try the ice cream!  We love this ice cream in a bag recipe.

14. Indoor Scavenger Hunt

Set up an indoor scavenger hunt for your preschooler to enjoy.  Make a list (don’t forget to include pictures) of items for your preschooler to find around the house.

Give them the list and let them find each item.  Give a snack or small price to them once the list has been completed.

15.  Peanut Butter Play Dough

A fun twist on the the original play dough is this easy peanut butter play dough recipe.  My kids love helping me make it, probably because they love getting to eat some of it!

This is a great activity for teaching the 5 senses to preschoolers.  They can taste, touch, smell, see, and even hear the play dough being squished.

16.  Play Library

Have fun pretending to have a library at home.  Set up a few books around the house and let your preschooler pick out a few to “check out”.  Pretend to be the librarian and let your child come to you to check out each book.

Then, switch places!  Allow your preschooler a chance to be the librarian while you check out books.

17.  Finger Paint

Mix up some finger paint for your child to paint with.  Give them some white papers and let them create a masterpiece!  Don’t forget to hang the painting on the fridge once it’s done!

18.  Send Letters

Teach your child to serve and send love to others by making a few cards or letters for grandparents or other loved ones.

Your preschooler can draw a cute picture inside and then sign their name if they are able to.  Not only is this a fun at home preschool activity, it’s also a great way to put a smile on someone’s face.

19.  Make Cereal Necklaces

Help your preschooler develop their fine motor skills by making cereal necklaces together.

Use some yarn or string and thread it with cheerios or fruit loop cereal until the necklace is the right size.

20.  Cut Up Magazines

Get out a few magazines for your preschooler to look through.  Let them cup out their favorite pictures.  After you have a pile of pictures use them to tell each other stories.

This is a great activity for developing fine motor skills and imagination!

21.  Play Dress Up

Let your preschooler pretend to be someone else for a day by playing dress up.  I always kept a big box of fun dress up clothes for the kids to play with.  These were usually items I collected from the thrift store, like pirate, princess, or super hero costumes.

If you don’t have a dress up box you could lend some of your clothes to your child to dress in for the day.  They would have so much fun pretending to be mom or dad for a few hours!

22.  Cosmic Kids Yoga

My preschoolers all loved Cosmic Kids Yoga.  Its a fun YouTube channel that teaches kids how to do yoga, by telling a story.  There are many different stories and videos to choose from.  This is a great way to keep your kids active and their bodies moving.

23.  Build An Obstacle Course

Another fun activity to keep your kids moving is to make an obstacle course for them to go through.  This can be done in your backyard or wherever you happen to have some large space to run.

Here is an example of what your obstacle course might look like:

  • Do 5 jumping jacks.
  • Kick a ball.
  • Crawl under the trampoline.
  • Walk backyards 20 feet.
  • Swing for 1 minute.
  • Hop on one foot.
  • Carry a ball to another part of the yard.

After you make up the obstacle course for your child, let them then make up a course for you to complete!

24.  Have A Pillow Fight

Grab a few pillows and have an old fashioned pillow fight!  It’s always fun to let loose with your kids!  A pillow fight is sure to bring a lot of laughter and giggles.

25.  Art Hub For Kids

Try the fun YouTube channel Art Hub for Kids for some fun drawing lessons.  This is a great resource for making drawing easy and FUN for kids.  They even have an entire series of drawings for preschoolers.

26.  Bake Cookies

I’ve never met a preschooler who didn’t love baking cookies!  Let them choose their favorite kind (chocolate chip is always a first choice at our house) and then spend an hour baking together, and of course eating!

  • Make sure to grab my recipe ebook for a few of our favorite recipes!

27.  Play Simon Says

My preschoolers always loved to play Simon Says.

Choose one person to stand on one side of the room, this person is “Simon.”  Have everyone else stand on the other side of the room. 

Simon will then instruct the other players to do an activity by using the phrase, “Simon Says.”  For example:  “Charly, Simon says to hop up and down three times.”

The person who was instructed to do the activity then must do what was instructed of them.

If Simon does not use the phrase, “Simon Says” before giving the command, then the player should not complete the activity.  If they do the activity without the phrase “Simon Says” used then that player is then out of the game.

Make sure to give everyone a chance to be Simon, kids love that job!

28.  Make Ooblek

Ooblek is a fun, slimy activity for preschoolers.  It only takes two cheap ingredients and can entertain your little one for hours.

To make ooblek just mix 2 cups of cornstarch and 1 cup of water together in a bowl.

That’s it!  Now, just let them squish and play with the ooblek.

29.  Color Hot Rocks

Collect a few rocks from outside for this fun Hot Rocks activity.  This is a fun twist on the typical painting rocks activity that you and your child are sure to love!

30.  Play Store

Another fun pretend play for at home preschool activity is to play store.  We like to play this activity by setting out a few toys and other objects around the room, this is our “store.”

Next, get out some play money (or make some with paper) and put it in one section of the room for the cash register.  Make sure to give some money to the shopper too!

Now, let your little one “shop” at the store, including checking out with the play money at the cash register.

This is a fun activity to let them get some practice at being a grown up.

31.  Make a Sun Catcher

Crafts always make for fun at home preschool activities.  You will need a few supplies for these easy sun catchers, but if you happen to have them around the house it is a great craft projects for little ones!

32.  Play Balloon Volleyball

Blow up a few balloons and play balloon volleyball with your preschooler.  There aren’t any rules to this volleyball game!  Just enjoy tossing the balloons to each other and having fun with your kids.

33.  Play Red Light, Green Light

Red Light, Green Light is another fun game to play with preschoolers.  To play this game have one person stand on one end of the room, this will be the “caller”, and the other players stand in a line at the other end of the room.

The caller will then start calling out commands.  Commands for this game will be “Red Light” or “Green Light.”  When “Green Light” is called the players can walk as quickly as they can towards the caller.  But, when “Red Light” is called the players must stop moving.

The point of this game is to be the first person to reach the caller.

34.  Matchbox Car Wash

Preschoolers love playing in water.  One fun activity is to set up a Matchbox Car Wash.

Get out a few matchbox cars, a cake pan, bowl of water, and a pastry brush.

One at a time put a matchbox car in the cake pan and wash it using the pastry brush.  This activity is so simple, but kids love it!

35.  Make Hand Shadows

Find a dark place in your house and use a flashlight to light up one wall.  Use your hands to make shadows on the wall.  It’s so fun to see what shadows each of you can come up with.

If you are needing some hand shadow inspiration, check out this fun YouTube video!

36.  Play Will It Float

Will It Float is a fun, easy activity for preschoolers to help learn about what items float and what items sink.

To play this game let your preschooler gather a few small objects around the house, make sure to only let them choose items that are water proof.

Then fill up the sink with water.

Have your preschooler guess which items they think will sink in the water and which ones will float.  Last, drop each of the objects into the sink of water one by one.  It’s so fun to see which items float!

37.  Make a Paper Quilt

Cut up small squares of paper and let your preschooler glue them onto a large piece of paper.  They have then made their very own paper quilt!  It’s so fun to let them choose their colors and patterns and use some creativity.

In Conclusion

There are so many cheap at home preschool activities.  I hope you and your little ones enjoy some of these activities on my list. 

Related Articles:

50 Free Screen Free Summer Kids Activities

Bucket Chore Chart for Kids

Kids Birthday Party on a Budget

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I hope you enjoy these at home preschool activities.

Fun activities to do at home

By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

Need some easy at home at home kids activities?  I’ve got you covered!

Are you looking for some fun activities to do at home with kids?  I’ve got you covered in this article!

After years of parenting I have learned that the less screen time my kids have, the better they behave.  If the kids are happy…..everybody seems to have a better day.  I’ve been collecting fun screen free activities for years, and I am excited to share them with you today!

I hope you find a new favorite activity for you and your kids to enjoy together!

Screen free kids activities - at home kids activities

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Outdoor Activities To Do At Home

1.  Go for a Walk

Get outside and go for a walk together.  This might just be a stroll around the neighborhood or a walk to the mailbox.

2.  Play in the Sprinklers

If it’s warm enough where you live, put on your swimming suits and play outside in the sprinklers.  For even more fun, put the sprinkler under the trampoline while you jump.

3.  Draw on the Sidewalk with Sidewalk Chalk

Draw a picture on the side walk using side walk chalk.  We also like to draw a game of hopscotch, make a road for our bikes to ride on, or sometimes trace each other!

4.  Sleep Under the Stars

If the weather stays warm at night, have a family camp out under the stars.  This is a great time to learn about constellations and stars.

5.  Play Catch

Play an old fashioned game of catch.  See how far apart you can get and still throw the ball to each other.  Or, you count how many times you can throw the ball without anyone missing it.

6.  Jump on the Trampoline

If you have a trampoline, use it!  If it’s warm we love to put water balloons on the trampoline while we jump.  Or play a fun trampoline game, such as Marco Polo or Crack The Egg.

7.  Have a Scavenger Hunt

Set up a scavenger hunt outside.  This is easily done by writing a list of items for your kids to find, give them each a bag and see who can find everything on the list.  After the hunt you can bring the items inside and have the kids show their findings to each other.

8.  Play Missionary Tag

Tag is a family favorite for outdoor fun.  If your family is big enough, try playing our favorite Missionary Tag.

9.  Plant a Garden

Kids can be wonderful garden helpers.  One of my favorite things to do is to be in the garden alongside my kids.  I love their excitement as we watch a seed turn into a plant and then into food we can eat.

If you are new to gardening here is my list of the best garden vegetables for beginners.

10.  Catch Bugs

Search the yard for bugs and try to catch them in a jar.  Observe and learn about them for a few hours and then set them free again.

11.  Build a Fairy House

Try to find items around the yard to build your own fairy house.  We use twigs, grass, moss, leaves and pebbles.  This is something fun you can keep adding to over time.  Be creative!!

12.  See What You Can Find With Homemade Binoculars

Make homemade binoculars out of toilet paper rolls.  All you need is two toilet paper tolls, staple them together and tie a string to them to go around your neck.

Take your binoculars outside and see what you can find.  Maybe a bird or an airplane???

12.  Jump Rope

Have an old jump rope lying around the garage?  Pull it out and use it!  Have a contest to see who can jump the longest without stopping.

13.  Watch the Clouds

Lay out on a blanket and watch the clouds go by.  See what shapes you can make out of the clouds….who can come up with the funniest shape?

14.  Have a Backyard Picnic

Set up a picnic in your backyard.  Make a few favorite finger foods and sit out on a blanket in the shade.  Enjoy the day together over a nice lunch or dinner.

15.  Paint The House Using Water

Fill a bucket with water and hand your kids a few paintbrushes.  They will love watching the house change color as they “paint” it with their water.  Let them paint the sidewalk while they are at it!

16.  Make an Obstacle Course

Set up a fun obstacle course in the backyard.  This might include crawling under the trampoline, jumping on one foot until you get to the fence, bouncing a ball five times, etc.  Be creative!

17.  Bike Car Wash

Let the kids wash their bikes like an old fashioned car wash.  They can rinse them with the hose and dry them off with a towel.  Let them wash your bike and give them a $1 tip just for fun!

screen free activity ideas

 

Indoor Activities To Do At Home

18.  Read a Book

Help your kids pick out a fun book you can all read together.  Maybe this will be an old favorite, or something new.  Enjoy having a little quiet time to relax.

19.  Play Board Games

Play some of your favorite board games together.  Let each of the kids choose a game and spend a few hours playing each one together.

20.  Build a House of Cards

Get out a few decks of cards and build a card house.  Try to see who can build the tallest house before it falls over.

21.  Make Puppets Out of Paper Bags

Use brown paper bags to make puppets.  The face will be the bottom of the bag so that you can control it with your hand.

21.  Play Grocery Store

Set up an area where the kids can play pretend grocery store.  Maybe a few cans of soup and boxes of pasta.  Get out play money for them to spend at the cash register.  This is a great activity to learn about counting.

22.  Do a Puzzle

Puzzles are a great way to keep the mind relaxed.  Turn on some soft music and work on a puzzle together.  We prefer the 500 piece puzzles (I get frustrated and impatient to easily….).

24.  Do a Science Experiment

My kids love science experiments!  We are constantly searching Pinterest for new ideas.  The magic toothpick experiment is a really simple and fun science experiement to do with kids.

25.  Build a Fort

What’s better than a fort??  Nothing!  Pull a few chairs together and put a blanket over top to make a covered hideaway.  Crawl into the fort and play games together or tell stories.

For a quick fort, just drape a couple of blankets over the kitchen table.  Quick and easy clean up!

26.  Paint Rocks

Collect a few rocks outside and bring them in to paint them.  We love turning rocks into animals or painting them with fun designs.

23.  Make a Sticker Book

If you have some stickers laying around the house, pull them out and make a sticker book.  This is easy to do!  Just staple a few pieces of paper together for your book, and then add the stickers.  My kids hold on to these for years and keep adding new stickers to their collections.

27. Finger Paint

Make up a batch of finger paint for your kids to enjoy.  It’s always fun to try a new way of painting!

28.  Make Play Dough

You can make your own play dough in minutes with this easy homemade play dough recipe.  The kids love helping to make it….and playing with it!

29.  Make Peanut Butter Play Dough

Want a twist on the traditional play dough?  Try our peanut butter play dough recipe.  My kids beg me to make this….I think they enjoy the eating it part best….. 😉

30.  Play Bank

Set up a game of pretend bank.  Someone can be the bank teller and the others can go to the teller to deposit or withdraw money.  Teach them how to write a check and count out money.  Give everyone a turn to play “teller,” because that’s the most fun part!

31.  Make an Indoor Treasure Hunt

Set up a treasure hunt at home, complete with clues and of course a fun box of “treasure” at the end.  Have each clue lead to the next clue, and then to the next clue, etc., until they find the treasure.  Give everyone a chance to make a treasure hunt.

32.  Matchbox Cars in Flour

Fill a cookie tray with flour and let your child play with their matchbox car in the flour.  We call this “white dirt” and my son loved this activity as a toddler.

Once they are done playing let them wash the cars off in the sink.  This makes for two activities in one!

33.  Write a Letter to a Friend/Family Member

Send a card via snail mail to someone who might need a little extra love and attention.  Try to think of those who might not be receiving many visitors at this time or could use a little extra cheer and love.

34.  Listen to an Audio Book

Sign up for a free account on the app Libby.  This app connects to your local library card and gives you access to thousands of free eBooks and audio books.  Pick out a favorite kid friendly book and listen to it together with your kids.

35.  Draw a Picture

Have an art day where you can draw pictures together.  We love to use these drawing books to help us learn how to draw.

36.  Play Beauty Salon

Set up a game of beauty salon, where you (the parent) are the client.  Let your child have fun fixing and styling your hair for you.

37.  Paint Nails

Get out the nail polish and paint each others nails.  Push yourself to see if you can do a little nail art!

38.  Matchbox Car Wash

Set up a car wash for match box cars.  All you need is a cookie sheet, a cup of water and a pastry brush.  Set the cars on the cookie sheet and use the pastry brush to wash the cars.  Kids love this!

39.  Play Dress Up

Encourage your kids to play dress up in fun clothes.  Let them raid your closet or use some old Halloween costumes.  Invite them to a special snack time with everyone wearing their new outfits.

40.  Do a Craft

Come up with a fun craft to do with your kids.  Maybe you’ll enjoy making nature bookmarks, pom pom garland, or fireworks stamping.

41.  Color on Hot Rocks

We love coloring on hot rocks!  All you need to do is collect a few big rocks from outside, bake them in the oven and then use crayons to color on them.  The crayons melt to make fun designs.

42.  Bake Something New

Kids love to help in the kitchen!  Use this time to bake a few new recipes together.  You might enjoy our Chocolate Dipped Cookies or Banana Bread recipe.

43.  Play Library

Encourage your kids to play a pretend game of library.  Set up a few books on shelves and let one child be the librarian and the other kids can walk around pretending to check out books.

44.  Play Hide and Seek

Play a game of hide and go seek around the house.  Let everyone have a turn being the seeker.

45.  Put on a Play

Help your kids put on a play.  They can make up the story, get into costumes, and get creative.  This is such a great way to boost confidence too!  Invite the grandparents or friends over to watch the production!

46.  Make Your Own Instruments

Make your own instruments using items you already have around the house.  Afterwards pretend you are in a marching band and let the kids march around the house making music with their homemade instrument.

47.  Start a Journal

Encourage your kids to start a journal.  They can write about the fun things they did each day while staying at home.  These do not need to be fancy, just staple some papers together and you have a journal!

48.  Have a Dance Party

Crank up those tunes and have an at home dance party.  This is a great way to lift up the mood if someone is having a hard day.

49.  Make Slime

Homemade slime is easy and a huge hit with the kids!  We use this recipe for our slime and it turns out great!

50.  Make a Perler Bead Creation

We go through so many perler beads.  I love watching my kids sit quietly while they create a picture out of these tiny beads.  This is an excellent activity to strengthen fine motor skills.

51.  Play a Card Game

Get out a deck of cards and play a fun card game together.  We love Solitaire, Speed and of course War.

52.  Enjoy an Indoor Picnic

Set out a blanket on the floor and have an indoor picnic.  You can even have everyone bring a Teddy Bear and turn it into a Teddy Bear Picnic.

 

I know it’s hard to be stuck at home, but try to look for the positive.  This can be a beautiful time to slow down, focus on the things that matter most, and enjoy building memories and bonds with your family.

What screen free at home kids activities does your family enjoy?

 

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Screen free activities to do at home for kids.

 

15 Free At Home Spring Break Ideas At Home

By: Sweet Frugal Life15 Comments

Check out these fun ideas for kids to do with your kids at home during Spring Break.

Spring break is just around the corner….and that means a lot of time at home with my kids.  I love having them home and getting to spend some special time together.  However, the ground is still covered with snow (Idaho life), which means we will be spending a lot of time indoors.  I’ve been brainstorming some fun, easy kids spring break ideas at home.  Here’s what I’ve come up with!  I hope that you are your sweet kids will enjoy them this spring break!

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Fun Kids Spring Break Ideas At Home

If you are stuck at home this spring break, try one of these fun, easy ideas to do with your kids!

1.  Play Board Games

We are HUGE fans of board games at our house.  If my kids ever tell me they are bored, I always tell them to play a game!  Most times, they listen and then proceed to have hours of fun.

I like to buy most of my board games from the thrift store.  There are often like new board games available there, for only a couple of bucks!  Score!

2.  ABC Day

Another fun spring break idea to do at home is to have an ABC Day!  This is such an easy activity.  All you have to do is choose one letter from the alphabet and then plan the day around that letter.

For the letter R we might eat Raisins and Red apples, play Ring around the Rosie or have a Race, and make an art project out of Ribbon (you get the idea).

Get your kids involved with planning the activities based around the letter.  An ABC Day also makes for a fun teaching activity for preschoolers.

3.  Picnic 

Spend the day in the sunshine with a picnic at a park.  Bring a Frisbee (or not if that isn’t your thing) and spend time enjoying the sunshine and letting your kids play.

If it’s not warm enough to picnic at the park (like where I live!) just lay a blanket down on the living room floor and picnic at home.  Your kids will love getting to eat somewhere other than the kitchen and will make some fun new family memories.

4.  Crafts

Crafts are always a big hit at my house.  All it takes is a quick search on pinterest and you will find many easy craft ideas.

A few of our favorite crafts for spring is this easy Nature Bookmark, Fun Easter Egg Sun Catcher, and Hot Rocks.

5.  Ice Cream in a Bag

No need for a fancy ice cream maker!  You can make ice cream at home just by using a ziplock bag and a little muscle!

I have an easy Ice Cream in a Bag tutorial all written out for you here.  My kids love this activity because they each get their own bag to customize and shake (yes, shaking is required!).  This is a fun activity for ALL ages!

6.  Family Movie Night

Spring Break usually means no school….right????  Maybe you could let your kids stay up late one night and watch a movie together as a family.  Pop some popcorn and enjoy a few other treats.

Check out your local library for free movies you might not have seen yet.  We love our library!

7.  Library

Did I mention we love our library?  We do!  And, we make a stop there at the beginning of every Spring Break.

The library is the perfect place to stock up for the week on books, movies, and CDs.  The library offers SO many more free resources than just books.

8.  Bake a Treat

One of my favorite ways to bond with my kids is in the kitchen.  We love to cranck up the music, sing out loud, do some dancing, and bake together (all done at the same time, preferably 😉 ).

Enjoy some time in the kitchen this spring break with a few new recipes.  A few of our favorites are these homemade graham crackers or Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.

9.  Nature Walk

If you are one of the lucky ones with a warm spring break, go outside on a nature walk.

Bring a sack with you and collect different rocks, pine needles and pine cones.  Turn it into a fun treasure hunt to see how many interesting treasures you can each find.

Once back home, have everyone show what they found and admire the collections.  Turn this into a research project and spend some time that day learning about your new finds.

10.  Start your garden

Spring Break is the perfect time to start planning your garden and getting some seeds started indoors.

Gardening is a fun activity to get kids involved with.  Let your kids choose a few things to plant in the garden.  Bring them to the store with you and let the kids help buy the seeds and materials.  Then, back at home they can help with the planting and watering.

Watching the little seeds sprout is so exciting for the kids (and me!).

11.  Friend Day

Plan a play date (or two!) with a few of your kids friends.  Let them entertain each other and work on those social skills.

Maybe invite a friend over for you too!  It’s always nice to get a little adult conversation in.

12.  Spring Cleaning

Alright, I know spring cleaning probably isn’t an “activity” and it’s definitely not that “fun”, but it is free and something we try to work on each Spring Break.  Plus, it is more fun to do the work together…..right….???  That’s what I’m telling my kids anyways!

Getting your kids involved with some heavy spring cleaning is a great way to teach them responsibility and hard work.

13.  Make Slime or Play Dough 

Slime is all the rage these days.  We have tried out a few recipes and loved how easy it was to make. You can find a lot of slime recipes on pinterest.

A great alternative to slime is homemade play dough.  We love this easy play dough recipe and this peanut butter play dough recipe for a little twist.

14.  Paint Rocks

Find some rocks outdoors and bring them inside to paint.  You can paint a cute design, turn the rock into an animal, or whatever you feel inspired to paint.  This is so easy, cheap and fun!

Make it even more fun by hiding them around your city.  We love finding painted rocks hidden at parks or the library.  But, I think it’s even more fun to be the person hiding the rocks!

15.  Science Experiment

Try out a fun science experiment.  We love the basic volcano experiment, where you mix baking soda with vinegar.  Or this Magic Toothpick Experiment is another go to at our house.

In Conclusion

I think the most important thing to remember when planning spring break ideas at home is that it doesn’t cost any money to make memories.  Your kids will remember the fun time spent together at home, laughing and creating, they won’t even realize it was cheap fun!

 

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5 At Home Kids Activities

By: Sweet Frugal Life14 Comments

Fun ideas for kids at home!

Winter is long in my area.  So.Very.Long.  The cabin fever comes quick and it is hard to keep coming up with at home kids activities, especially ones that I don’t have to spend money on!

I’m all about finding easy ways to entertain kids at home.  ESPECIALLY with items I already have around the house.  If I can keep the kids entertained and happy without needing to spend money, I am a happy mom!  Today, I’m sharing a few of our favorite at home kids activities with you!

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Fun At Home Activities For Kids

1.  A Box and a few markers and scissors

Sometimes all you need for fun at home is a box, some markers and scissors.  Really, that’s it.  Whenever you get a box–SAVE IT!  Large boxes are best, these can be a little hard to come by, so if you ever get one make sure to hold on to it!

We turn large boxes into secret hideouts, spaceships and cars.

The “box car” is so fun to take to our very own drive-in movie.  All it takes is decorating the box to look like a car, put some pillows in it, grab a snack and sit in your car to watch a movie.  My kids love this!

Save your small boxes, such as shoe boxes too!  We like to turn shoe boxes into a fun scene; such as a mountain scene, a castle, a race track anything your kids are interested in will work!

Make your scene using construction paper, markers, glue and then your kids can use their toys to play inside of the box.  Once you’re done put the lid on it and save it for another day.  We love this!

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2.  Magazines and Scissors

Kids love magazines!  I save all of the magazines we get in a container so they are always available for play.

Give your kids some scissors and let them cut out pictures using the magazines.  Encourage the kids to uses these pictures to make up stories.  You can glue the pictures onto papers and make a story book out of it.

The magazine pictures could also be used for play like paper dolls.  Or give your kids a theme and see how many pictures they can find that fit into the theme.  The possibilities are endless!

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3.  Play dough

Play dough is so easy to make!  And the ingredients are all so cheap!  Plus, kids are the best play dough helpers!

Try out my two favorite play dough recipes:

Traditional play dough

Peanut butter play dough.

Let your kids play for hours with cookie cutters, butter knives and rolling pins!  Just use whatever you can find in the kitchen.

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4.  Paint on Wood

Another one of our favorite at home activity is to paint on wood.  My husband is a wood worker, so we always have extra junk wood around.

We love to pull out a unused piece of wood and a few of my craft paints for my preschooler to paint on.  He loves spending the day painting and displays each of his creations proudly in his room.

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5.   Science Experiments

Kids love science experiments, and many of them are done using simple ingredients you probably already have at home.  You can find so many easy science experiments on pinterest.

One of our favorites is the  Magic toothpick science experiment.  We love this experiment because I always have the ingredients on hand, and the kids love that their hands control the “magic.”

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In Conclusion:

There are many fun activities available to do at home with kids.  I hope that your kiddos enjoy a few of my suggestions!  Some of our best memories are made at home.

Related Articles:

25 Completely Free Family Winter Activities

15 FREE Things to do with your Kids over Spring Break

Our Summer Plans: Keeping the kids Entertained and Mom Sane

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