Did you know you can easily make your own playdough instead of buying it? Aside from it being a cheaper alternative to Play Doh, if your kid likes to suck fingers or loves sticking stuff in their mouth, this may even be a better, more natural choice. A simple recipe for our mix has flour, water, salt, oil and citric acid in it. You can also add some natural food coloring (think curry or beets) to make it more fun for your kid. I’d recommend making a larger batch which you can freeze and use as needed later.
A simple recipe for DIY playdough
The ingredients:
1 lb of wheat flour
2 cups of water (approx. 16 fl-oz)
0.5 lb of salt
4 tablespoons of oil
1.5 teaspoons of citric acid (or fresh lemon juice)
Directions:
Boil the water in the pot and add the oil then the citric acid
In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients and add them to the pot. Mix it. Then let it cool.
If you want the balls to be colored, add food colouring.
When the mixture has cooled down, knead the dough with a blender (or hands) and form balls.
NOTE: keep the playdough in a plastic, closed bag – the salt has preservative properties and it will keep it fresh. You can also wrap it tightly with a plastic foil.
Why DUY playdough is better than Play Doh
pretty cheap
odorless
hypoallergenic
lasts a long time
easy to make and prepare
What can you do with homemade play dough:
Home-made mix is much more elastic and has more possibilities since you can hone in on what your kid loves to do with it. After adding dyes, you can make figures, e.g. animals, insects, people, or just knead it, because it has an anti-stress effect on the child and helps relieve the emotions.
Here are some ideas to jumpstart your activities when it’s dark outside, or when it’s raining or snowing and you would rather stay home and not watch TV. While there are lots of games for kids you can play indoors, this set is meant for just the two of you, and doesn’t require any special prerequisites to get started. And because you’re a busy parent, you can get started with each one in under 5 minutes.
#1 Hot and cold/treasure hunt game for kids
This popular game for kids is probably known to everyone. Here you hide a small object (it can be a mascot, a treat, a toy or a ball), and other person – the hunter – must find it. I would suggest to hide a few items at once – it makes the game a bit more fun and makes it easier to find things by younger children.
Once you hide the treasure, you invite the hunter to the room and ask her to find it by giving her clues as to “cold, colder, freezing!” when she’s moving away from the location or “warm, warmer, hot” when she’s moving closer. If you have more than one kid – whoever finds the treasure hides it and the fun begins anew. Or you can just swap the roles.
Another variant of this game for older children who can read is to leave clues around the house to eventually find the location on little cards. You start by cutting sheets of paper into smaller squares (or use post-it notes). Then you need to hide an object e.g. in a drawer with cutlery in the kitchen. And, step by step, write instructions on each note that lead to it. For the first step- the first instruction card is given to the hunter, and it can be a drawing of dad’s shoe. Then, there is a card with the washing machine in dad’s shoe. And in the washing machine there is a card of a tv. On the tv, a card with a drawing of a child’s bed. And on the child’s bed, a note showing the cutlery drawer!
#2 Obstacle course game for kids
For this one, you will need a bit of space . Then you set up an obstacle course with chairs, balls, blankets, toys, set rules (where we run, where we crawl, what to touch, what to avoid), and set a stopwatch to see who will complete the track in the shortest time!
#3 Jumps over the ladder
Make a ladder on the floor, e.g. from a newspaper. Just cut it into 2 inch strips, which you will lay on the ground like a ladder. Everyone’s task is to jump through each step all the way through and whoever can jump fastest wins.
#4 Hide and seek
I don’t think this classic game needs any recommendation. Kids love it and if your house is a bit bigger and has a few nooks, this game would be a fantastic idea.
#5 Blowing (and chasing) bubbles
While blowing bubbles sounds pretty relaxing, the moment you ask your kids to chase after them and make sure they pop every single one, this one takes on a different meaning. You really don’t need much to get started. Even if you don’t have a kit for it, you can quickly make one by using a liquid soap, shampoo or a detergent that you mix it in with a small amount of water. Then all you need is any object that you can hold on one end and has a hole you can blow through on the other hand – a key, a wire twisted in such way, etc. What you do then is to dip it into your soapy water mixture, then blow or swing your arms around until the bubbles form.
While there are a lot of options for young readers, you really just need one classic magazine – this blog covers 3 best magazines for kids we found. We’ve had more than that and we found it was just a bit of waste of money. Below is a simple summary of what we found to be our family favorites.
#1: High-Five Magazine
High-Five Magazine Cover
I actually have come across this magazine about a year ago,
while my wife grew up with it. We absolutely love the content and often take
this magazine on road trips or when we travel in addition to keeping it around
the house. It’s easy to fit into a backpack and keeps interest away from a
tablet.
Why you and your kids might love High-Five magazine:
It just hits the right amount of fun vs.
educational value you’d want
It has consistent stories that often carry from
one issue to another issue so your kid gets to know the characters
It’s very visual – and has different levels of
copy for kids at different stages of reading
Hidden pictures: one of our favorite sections,
where you can play a game of “who can spot the object” first
Bonus: there is no advertising – it’s 100% solid
kid-friendly content
Recommended for ages 2-6. Price: $29.99 for print (but there is usually a sale going on), Kindle @ $39.99 Check it out here.
#2 Ladybug Magazine
Ladybug Magazine
Why you and your kids might love Ladybug Magazine:
It’s like a smaller
version of Highlights, but with more fiction stories.
Each issue has a
loose theme, and includes a few stories, a couple poems, a song, a comic strip,
and 1-3 puzzles.
It’s different:
it has a song (with sheet music), a dance/action rhyme, a cut-out activity (a
little booklet to paste pictures inside, a deck of cards to cut out and play
memory with, etc.)
The content is engaging and the artwork is adorable.
Bonus: there is no advertising – it’s 100% solid
kid-friendly content
Recommended for ages 3-6. Price: $33.95 for print. Better price via Amazon ($24.95).
#3 Ranger Rick Jr. Magazine (formerly Your Big Backyard)
Ranger Rick Jr.
This one is more for nature lovers. It is fun, has age-appropriate animal facts, stories, and photos; exciting outdoor activities; and lots of games, crafts, and recipes. Great for beginning readers!
Why you and your kids might love Ranger Rick Jr.:
It has many activities you can do together and it introduces kids to science
Each issue is linked to a specific animal and has a lots of educational animal stories with lots of pictures
More than just for reading: the crafts and activities section gives you and your kid inspiration and is often themed for the season – so think holidays, Valentine’s day, etc.
Promotes great conversations as animals are “the thing” for this age group
Note: there is minimal advertising
Recommended for ages 3-7. Price: $19.95 for print.
If you’re a parent like me who thinks that Valentine’s day is overly commercialized, below are just 5 ways that can inspire you to make it fun and meaningful for the entire family. I personally really like what Valentine’s day stands for and I hope that by teaching our kids the values of caring and expressing appreciation will carry on for much longer than just one day…
Plan a Special Valentine’s Breakfast (or Brunch!) with Kids
What better way to start out Valentine’s Day than with a yummy and unexpected breakfast? While my kid isn’t much of a helper in the kitchen, we start out the preparation by going to the store together. I let my son pick one or two treats that normally we’d pass on and then ask him to pick something special for me and my wife (e.g. fruits, different flavors of yogurts or whatever) – they key here is to let the child make that decision. It creates a good vibe and sets happy energy of anticipation. As far as making the breakfast, here are a few quick ideas you can do yourself or have them help:
Flavored milk and cereal: probably the easiest thing to prepare is to add a strawberry (or other red-colored flavoring) to the basic milk and cereal bowl. If they like “other stuff” in it – feel free to add berries for a touch of extra color
Heart-shaped pancake delights: use a cookie cutter to create pancakes in a heart shape and let them put some chocolate syrup or whipped cream (or both!) on it. Easy!
Toast and eggs: the classic with a twist if you cut out the middle of the toast in the shape of the heart, and then fill it with sunny-side-up egg. Add heart-shaped bacon to it, and you have a winner!
Help Kids Make Valentines
Chances are that you’re inundated with boxed and overpriced Valentine’s Day cards in the stores. But making cards is a great way to keep children busy and help them be more personal. You can use construction paper and get creative – they can paint, draw, or glue stuff to it. Make sure you ask them to express why they appreciate someone and write (or help them write) this message. For an extra bonus, you can also help with the creation of the Valentine’s box to store cards and trinkets. You may use an old shoe-box, or any box for that matter, and let them decorate it with colored paper, stickers, or markers. You’ll have a pretty and functional storage box for days to come…
Give Them Something Special to Wear
While I’m not a big fan of one-time-only clothing, why not give your child something new to wear for Valentine’s Day? It doesn’t even need to have hearts on it, it can be red or pink. The item doesn’t have to be showy, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. But Valentine’s Day is a fun time to introduce something new to their wardrobe.
Create Surprises With Hand-Made Valentine’s Gifts
There is something fundamentally satisfying about getting or giving a hand-made gift. And when it comes to kids, there are a lot of simple ideas you can try at home.
Boxed fruit/candy: why not surprise them with a small box of candy or fruit? You can either put it on their bed after they’ve gone to school or put it at their place at dinner. Or surprise your loved one by making it with your kid – it teaches them how to show care and appreciation, and that gifts don’t have to be expensive, just a little token.
Friendship bracelets: all you need is a string or colored thread, a small piece of colored paper with a message, and that’s about it. You can cut out the heart-shaped notes, write on them, poke holes on each side for the thread to go through, and then connect everything together.
Wall art: this is super simple and could be a lot of fun for the young artists. Imagine finger painting around a stencil. The stencil could say “LOVE” or “FAMILY” and the idea here is to have your little one finger paint the space outside of the stencil on a sheet of paper. When finished, this colorful art could be displayed anywhere on a wall or a desk.
End the Day on the Right Note
After a long day, why not create a special meal for your
spouse and your children? Even if you have picky eaters, you can find something
that you can create that they will love. Love, Valentine’s Day, get it? you can
even make it special by getting napkins with hearts on them and putting them on
the table. If you usually eat at the kitchen table and have a dining room
table, why not eat there instead? And don’t forget to have a special dessert
like strawberry shortcake, cupcakes with Valentine’s Day decorations on them or
brownies in the shapes of hearts with whipped cream on top.
After dinner, you can always watch a fun movie as a family.
These are five things you can do to help your children feel
special on Valentine’s Day. They don’t cost a lot of money and they can make
your children feel special. Show your children how much you love them and make
the day memorable for them too. It’s a day that they won’t forget.
