Hurdle Run
When I was thinking of fun Olympic Games we could play with the kids, I immediately knew I wanted to make hurdles of some kind. I remembered a post from the May 2012 issue of Family Fun magazine that used…
Javelin Throw
When I told my rough-and-tumble, daring husband that we were doing a javelin throw for one of our Olympic activities, his eyes got as wide as saucers. Our boys + Javelins = Assumed Extreme Harm. Don’t worry, this isn’t your…
Olympic Balance Beam
The gymnastic events are my absolute favorite part of the Olympics! I enjoy watching the floor routines, but I especially love to watch the vaulting and balance beam routines. Although we certainly won’t be doing any handstands or back handsprings,…
Olympic Ring Toss
With a little imagination, simple diving rings can be transformed into an Olympic event! Here’s what you’ll need: diving rings; a 2-liter bottle filled with water, sand, or any other liquid (I used one filled with oil and water from…
Dot Art Flag (free printable)
If your kids love their Do-A-Dot Markers as much as mine do, they’ll enjoy making a festive American flag with this simple template. Print your dot art template now. Here’s what you’ll need: the free printable and dot markers. You…
Marshmallow Slingshots
Did you see the brand-new Fascinating Science for Kids eBook that you can download for FREE? If not, head on over and grab it while it’s free! For the next 15 days, I’ll be walking you step-by-step through each of…
Homemade Art Supplies
As summer approaches and you start thinking about the many arts and craft projects you want to do with your kids, why not have a little fun making your own homemade art supplies first? Here are just a few…
Pound-a-Sound
There are a few wonderful things about this activity. First of all, it teaches left-to-right orientation, which is an important pre-reading skill. Secondly, it is great for the relationship between a sound (phoneme) and its corresponding letter (grapheme). Finally, it’s…
Flower Patterning with Lemongrass-Scented Playdough
We had lots of fun making and playing with this playdough. And I absolutely love the fresh scent of the lemongrass essential oil (which I already had on hand from the Natural Mosquito Spray we made last year)! There…
Beaded Rainbow
We had lots of fun making this beaded rainbow. We all pitched in on each individual color and took our time. Putting the beads on the pipe cleaners is great for fine motor development! Here’s what you’ll need: Pipe…
Cubed Cheese Sculptures
Looking to make lunch time or snack time a little more interactive? The boys had TONS of fun creating sculptures using cubed cheese and toothpicks! We’ve been holed up in the house all week due to Big Brother (and…
How To Make Wooden Stilts
For Christmas last year, my cousin and his wife gave the boys these awesome stilts that they made (they got the idea from Made by Joel). Not only are these tons of fun, they also work on balance and…
Mini Bow & Arrow Set (with free printables)
When I saw this idea for making a tiny bow and arrow set, I knew this would be a fun activity to do at Big Brother’s camping party! I adapted it slightly to fit our needs. These mini bows…
Digging for Bugs in the ‘Mud’
We’re beginning a brand-new CAMPING thematic unit! The one thing that I like the least about camping is all the bugs…but they seem to be absolutely intriguing to kids. Want to encourage your child to dig for bugs in the…
Beaded Snowflakes
Big Brother is a bit under the weather, so making this beaded snowflake was the perfect activity to do to take a break from all the TV watching! This is the fine motor activity for our snow thematic unit….
Angry Birds in 3D
Whenever Big Brother sees his Uncle Chris, he always asks to play “Angry Birds” on his phone. And as a doting uncle does, Uncle Chris will always oblige. Because of Big Brother’s love for Angry Birds, Uncle Chris thought these two…
The ’15 Minutes Outside’ Challenge
I just started reading 15 Minutes Outside by Rebecca P. Cohen. I planned on doing a book review but instead, I’m turning it into a challenge…for myself and for whomever else would like to join in! The challenge is this:…
Laced Felt Stocking :: Perfect Gift Card Holder
Big Brother helped me add a personalized touch to the gift cards we’ll be giving this Christmas by making (and lacing) these felt stockings. Threading and lacing are excellent for developing fine motor control! Here’s what you’ll need: Felt, Glittered…