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Five Free Field Trips for Kids Under 5 + Fabulously Frugal

5 fun free field trips for kids under 5Sometimes 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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Taste Safe Chocolate Cinnamon Scented Sensory Dough

Taste Safe Chocolate Cinnamon Scented Sensory DoughWe 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.

Making Pretend Cupcakes with Taste Safe Chocolate Cinnamon Scented Sensory Dough

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

Make a Simple Rice Sensory Bin

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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Active Indoor Play: Mini Trampoline and Jumping Activities

Active Indoor Play Mini Trampoline and Jumping Activities

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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Ten Fun & Festive Family Christmas Traditions

Ten Fun and Festive Family Christmas Traditions to start with your family.

Holiday traditions can be full of joy and meaning, and are different for every family. You may bring in traditions from your own childhood as well as from your spouse’s family of origin, and combine them to make new ones for your own children. As I shared in this post about Ways to Simplify the Holiday Season, we make a list of all the things we want to experience during the holidays at the beginning so we make sure to prioritize and not get caught up in the busyness. Today I’m sharing ten of our favorite Christmas traditions with you, and I’d love to hear about your own in the comments section. Don’t forget to check out the links at the bottom of this post to find more Festive Family Fun ideas from the Festive Family bloggers. Our MASSIVE Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway ends tonight (11/17) at midnight, so be sure to enter at the bottom of this post. (more…)

Gifts for Toddlers ~ Educational, Active, & Fun Ideas

The Best Gifts for Toddlers Educational Active Fun Ideas

Toddlers are fun all year round, but especially during the holidays. They can be a handful, but fill my heart with joy as well. Their eyes aglow with wonder at the lights on the tree, singing carols with the words all wrong, throwing a fit during that visit with Santa, caring more about the gift wrap than the present itself… all of it makes for a special holiday season. If you are looking to be strategic with your toddler gift giving this year by choosing gifts that will grow with your child and benefit them throughout the year, I’ve got the list for the best gifts for toddlers with options for every budget. With an 18 month old and 3 year old in our house, we are not looking to pile a bunch of stuff under the tree, but want to give our kids meaningful, useful gifts they’ll love. At this age you get to choose the gifts you want them to have rather than the latest toy they’re obsessed with, because they don’t really know any better. Read on to find our ideas and share your own in the comments section.

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Festive Activities for Kids: Create Time Capsule Christmas Ornaments {Free Printable}

Create Time Capsule Christmas Ornaments with Kids

Looking for a sweet keepsake ornament to make with your kids that captures a bit of who they are right now but requires zero craft skills? You’ve come to the right place. My DIY Time Capsule Christmas Ornaments are super easy, get the kids involved, cost almost nothing, and will be a precious memento for years to come. Read on to find out how to make your own. You’ll find festive kid activities from the Festive Family bloggers at the bottom of this post as well as the entry form for our MASSIVE Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway with over $1800 in prizes. Don’t forget to enter!

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Festive Family Holiday Gift Guide Favorites ~ Gifts for Everyone on Your List

festive family holiday gift guide giveaway $1800 in prizes

Holiday shopping doesn’t have to be stressful. I’ve chosen my favorite items from each of our fabulous Festive Family Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway sponsors to help you knock out your shopping quickly and easily, and hopefully on budget. To read more about each brand, check out the full Gift Guide event here. At the bottom of this post you’ll find not only our HUGE $1800+ giveaway to win prizes from each of these sponsors, but also Gifts for the Season posts from the Festive Family bloggers.

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Creative Christmas: 15 Easy Christmas Crafts You CAN Make

15 Easy Christmas Crafts You Can Make #FestiveFamily #holiday #craft

Around our house, Christmas is a time for crafting. I’ve had my fair share of craft fails so I thought I’d share 15 easy Christmas crafts that are really and truly doable. I’ve made several of the ones on this list and plan to do a few more this year. All of these projects are frugal and can be done while you watch a favorite Christmas movie. Pick a project, turn on Elf, and get to crafting. Don’t forget to check out the other Creative Christmas posts from the Festive Family bloggers at the bottom of this post, and enter our HUGE Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway.

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Peg and Plum Peg Dolls Review

Peg and Plum Handmade Peg Dolls Review #KBNWishlist #FestiveFamily

Holiday shopping for kids can be a daunting task. With millions of options, how do you find the best gift for your child that they will love and treasure? I’ve teamed up with a group of fabulous Kid Blogger Network folks to bring you real reviews of items from your kid’s wishlist. Peg and Plum is an Etsy shop focused on making high quality peg dolls perfect for imaginative play. Nativity sets for Christmas, Thanksgiving sets for the kids’ table, wedding and birthday cake toppers, custom sets made to look like your family, favorite characters, community helpers, and just about any type of peg doll you can imagine are available at Peg and Plum. Read on to find out what we thought about the peg dolls and enter to win a set of your own.

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