Tag: play


Feb
2015

Four Easy Ways to Entertain Kids with a Cardboard Box

categories: kids, play

Four Easy Ways to Entertain Kids with a Cardboard BoxIt 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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Jan
2015

Active Indoor Play: Mini Trampoline and Jumping Activities

categories: kids, play

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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Jan
2015

Active Indoor Play: Dance Through the Alphabet

categories: kids, play, preschool

Easy Ideas for Active Indoor Play - Dance through the AlphabetThe weather outside is frightful, and the indoors might not be so delightful if your kids are filled with pent up energy. My little ones are VERY active and when they don’t get to play outside we have to get creative. I’ve shared before about our dance parties and indoor obstacle courses. Today I’m sharing a new idea we tried this week as part of the Gross Motor Activities from A to Z Series with Still Playing School – lots of great ideas for active indoor play.  We’ve been working on the alphabet as part of our home preschool, and the Bear can now identify all of his letters. To practice them while getting some exercise we had an alphabet dance party. With the whole body involved, simple silly dancing becomes a gross motor skill development tool. It was silly, fun, and both kids really got in to it. Best of all you don’t need anything except a little creativity and music. Bonus: Enter to win a Parachute Pack to take active play to the next level. (more…)


Jan
2015

The Best Kid Activities of 2014 ~ Crafts, Education, & Parenting

categories: crafts, kids, parenting

best-kid-blogger-posts-2014
With the new year fresh and full of possibility, I like to take a minute to reflect on the one just ended. This little blog has grown like crazy and I am constantly blown away by how many of you visit, read, share, and pin. I am so thankful for each one of you and for the way your support enables me to be home with my kids and have this creative outlet. Thank you. I am also so thankful to be part of a fabulous network of kid bloggers – moms, dads, grandparents, and education professionals – who partner to make each of blogs better together. We’ve joined forces once again to share the very best of our work from 2014. Each blogger has added their BEST post from the past year in one of the three categories below – crafts, education, and parenting.

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Dec
2014

Three Ways to Celebrate Epiphany with Preschool Kids

categories: holiday, kids, preschool

Three Ways to Celebrate Epiphany with Preschool Kids

I’ve always loved the way Epiphany (the coming of the 3 kings/wise men) is celebrated in Spanish culture. Most Americans don’t make a big deal out of the January 6th holiday that is the traditional end of the 12 days of Christmas. I studied abroad in Spain in college and fell in love with the culture, and was *this close* to moving there in my mid 20s. I thought it would be fun this year to celebrate Epiphany with my kids and teach them about the holiday. This post is a part of the Christmas Around the World Series hosted by my friends over at Multicultural Kid Blogs. Visit the main page here and the Pinterest board here.

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Sep
2014

Preschool Pumpkin Fun ~ 20 Easy Ideas for Your Toddlers & Preschool Kids

categories: crafts, kids, parenting, play

20 Easy Ideas for Toddler and Preschool Pumpkin Fun

Pumpkins are one of my favorite things about fall. I love to have them around the house, eat them in everything, and create pumpkin fun for my kids. Today I’m sharing 20 easy ideas for pumpkin fun for preschool and toddler age kids. Pour yourself a DIY pumpkin spice latte and pin these ideas to do with your favorite little ones. Did I mention I’m partnering with some other fabulous bloggers to give away $2000 at the end of this post? {It’s true!}

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Sep
2014

Create a DIY Outdoor Play Table for Kids from Reclaimed Wood

categories: diy, kids, play

create a diy outdoor play table for kids

We took back our yard last spring, fighting for control of the space against a formidible foe of Asian jasmine and ivy. Once we had established our dominance and set up an enjoyable outdoor room, it was time to bring in a table for the kids and some play structures. I’ve shared with you our DIY water table already, and today I’m showing our DIY wood table, stools, and play structure. We created them all from wood found in the neighborhood after a storm, for free, and will share how you can make them for your own family.

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Jul
2014

20 of the Best Beach Activities for Kids and Families #BareFeetontheBeach

categories: beach, family, kids, play

beachactivitiesfamilies

Welcome to the #BareFeetontheBeach series here on Bare Feet on the Dashboard. We’ve been taking family beach vacations for over 30 years (since I was a toddler) and are now taking the third generation on beach trips. I’ve compiled a list of 20 of the best beach activities for kids and families for your vacation or staycation this year (some are perfect to do at home). Read more below and don’t forget to pin this post to find it later.

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Jun
2014

Play Outside: Tips for Taking Your Kids on a Nature Walk

categories: baby, kids, parenting, play, tech

This play idea is brought to you by Knoala – Raise Happier Kids. Knoala is a free app that offers activities for parents to enjoy with infants to preschoolers.

naturewalkswithkidsknoala

 

We love to go on nature walks with our kids. Playing outside is a daily activity at our house, and we try to make everythine we do an adventure and a learning experience without making it complicated. Recently I downloaded the new Knoala app and used it to take our nature walks to the next level. Don’t worry, I wasn’t on my phone during our walk. I clicked on to Knoala before we left and found a few ideas for our walk to get the kids to notice everything around me. They responded really well, and we felt like super fun parents.

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