play Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Bare Feet on the Dashboard

23
Feb
2015

Rainbow Resist Art Painting ~ Creative Activities for Kids

In our home preschool activities we often focus on colors and letters. The Bear (3.5) knows all the basic colors and can identify most of his letters. We started working on color order and learning the rainbow. We sing a song from Mickey Mouse Club House that puts the colors in rainbow order, and I thought it would be fun to make a rainbow resist art painting in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. I’m hosting the Creative Activities for Kids Monthly Blog Hop here on Bare Feet on the Dashboard. You can see the full collection of monthly themed posts from my fellow Kid Blogger Network writers on the series page here, and check out all the other rainbow and St. Patrick’s Day activities at the bottom of this post.

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19
Feb
2015

Exploring Mickey’s Magical Arts World with Preschool Kids #DisneyImagicademy

categories: kids, play, preschool, tech

We are so excited to tell you about the new Mickey’s Magical Arts World app from Disney’s Imagicademy because we are BIG Disney fans and love apps that allow kids to be creative while learning rather than just entertained. The new apps from Disney Imagicademy combine favorite characters with a curriculum designed to meet early learning needs and encourage creativity. The kids and I explored the app together, and were instantly enthralled. Mickey welcomes kids in to a world of creative arts where they can draw, design, create, and make music, all with the help of their favorite Disney characters. Best of all, the app is FREE to download, and has corresponding apps for learning math skills and for parents.

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15
Feb
2015

Five Free Field Trips for Kids Under 5 + Fabulously Frugal

categories: frugal, kids, play

Sometimes you just need to get the kids out of the house, right?! With 2 little ones, cabin fever set in with this winter weather and our usual neighborhood walks and nature hikes become slightly less appealing. We have to get creative to get the kids out and doing something fun without the budget taking a hit. Here are five of our favorite free field trips for kids under 5 to give you some inspiration and get you out of the house. Bonus: If you are a blogger, link up your latest frugal post to the Fabulously Frugal Link Party at the bottom of this page. You can find more of our frugal living ideas here, and our fun for preschool kids here.

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12
Feb
2015

Taste Safe Chocolate Cinnamon Scented Sensory Dough

categories: kids, play, preschool

We love sensory play at our house, and we’ve been experimenting with new ideas for sensory dough. My daughter puts everything she plays with in her mouth, so I love making taste safe sensory dough so I don’t have to worry about her. Today I’m sharing a fun recipe for taste safe chocolate cinnamon scented sensory dough perfect for toddlers and up to engage your kids’ senses. This recipe is perfect for pretend play and sensory exploration. Find more fabulous Sensory Dough ideas at 12 Months of Sensory Dough.

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05
Feb
2015

Indoor Play Ideas: 10 Bad Weather Boredom Busters

categories: kids, play

We are blessed to have a few glorious sunshiny days during the winter here in Texas, but we still have our fair share of nasty weather that makes it impossible to play outside. With two very active kids I’ve had to get creative to keep us (me) from going stir crazy. Today I’m sharing 10 ideas we use as bad weather boredom busters. Hopefully they will help you keep your sanity, avoid cabin fever, and have fun with your kids.

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04
Feb
2015

Create a DIY Play Tent and Reading Nook

categories: diy, kids, play

Kids love a tent to play in, and curling up in a reading nook is so much fun. For those reasons we decided to give our kids a sweet little play tent for Christmas this year. We had two requirements. It needed to be cute and easily stored. I didn’t want something huge and ugly in my living room, and I wanted to be able to take it down and set it up in seconds. Today we’re sharing how we created our DIY play tent and reading nook as part of the Fort Building Challenge from Building Blocks and Acorns. Be sure to check out all the other inspiring forts all month long here as well as our recent pillow fort here.

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01
Feb
2015

Four Easy Ways to Entertain Kids with a Cardboard Box

categories: kids, play

It is a parenting truth almost universally acknowledged that kids prefer empty boxes to almost any toy. All those expensive and beautifully designed toys we so lovingly picked out for our children have all been tossed to the wayside in favor of a giant empty box that once held our new toilet. We are revamping our bathroom, and after installing the toilet Christmas came all over again for my kids. They have been playing with the large empty box for DAYS. This is nothing out of the ordinary at our house. Any time a package arrives, the Bear asks if he can have the box. Use their interest to your advantage and try these four easy ways to entertain kids with a cardboard box.

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30
Jan
2015

Quick & Easy Indoor Play Ideas: Make a Simple Rice Sensory Bin

categories: kids, play, preschool

DIY sensory bins can be a really fun (and cheap) way to keep kids entertained while giving them sensory stimulation and practicing important skills. Your sensory bin doesn’t have to be fancy, and the one I’ll show you today can be made with things you probably have in your kitchen in under 5 minutes. This simple rice sensory bin is so fun and my kids are obsessed with it. Read on to find out how to set up your own and also find other great quick and easy indoor play ideas from my friends in the Kid Blogger Network.

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23
Jan
2015

Making Mini Popcorn Lollipops and Pillow Forts for Pop Secret Family Fun

categories: play, recipes

This post is sponsored by Pop Secret. All opinions are my own.

One of our favorite afternoon rituals when the weather is yucky is to pop a bag of popcorn and curl up to read or watch a movie together after the kids wake up from their nap. Often this sweet time includes a little pillow fort building. This week we decided to take our snacking to the next level by creating the cutest little popcorn lollipops. The recipe is super easy and a fun way to get your kids involved in the kitchen. Be sure to jump over here to grab a $1 off coupon from Pop Secret.

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16
Jan
2015

Active Indoor Play: Mini Trampoline and Jumping Activities

categories: kids, play

Stuck inside with kids who desperately need to burn off energy? Yep, me too. We saw the long, cold winter ahead and bought our kids a mini trampoline for Christmas. It was the Bear’s big present and it has been a LIFESAVER. We were at my parents’ house for the holidays with 5 kids 5 and under, and we got our money’s worth that first week. The trampoline is super fun and helps the kids to be active indoors. The only issue we’ve run in to is that sometimes just plain jumping gets a little old. I’ve compiled a great list of fun activities to do on a mini trampoline (or on the ground if you don’t have one). Our mini trampoline has a support bar, which I’ve found is really helpful for kids under 5. If you want one for your kids, find great deals on mini trampolines here.

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Category: play