There is a group of traditional abstract strategy games called "leopard hunt games." Since my kids and I have been playing other DIY abstract strategy games like Tapatan and Pong Hau K'i, we wanted to try a beginning leopards and tiger game. Len choa is a traditional game from Thailand and pits the tiger (the hunter) against six leopards (the hunted)....
Len Choa: Leopards and Tiger Game from Thailand
30 Inspiring Picture Books about Fear and Courage
This is the first installment in a new series: books about feelings. Over the years I've often turned to books to help my kids understand their big emotions. Since helping our children overcome their fears can be a big challenge for a lot of parents, I thought I'd start with a list of picture books...
Katy and the Big Snow Activity: Sensory Play
Welcome back to Amy of Sunlit Pages who has a Katy and the Big Snow activity and play idea. This book extension activity is perfect for sensory play with your kids and a great indoor boredom buster. It takes indoor snow play with toy vehicles to a new level! Katy and the Big Snow Activity One of our...
Weird and Wonderful Books for Kids who Like Roald Dahl
Books by Roald Dahl appear on every "best books for kids" list out there. My kids and I love his magically subversive storytelling in books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, as I'm sure yours do too. But what do you read when you are looking for your next outrageously hilarious, yet slightly...
How to Use Books to Teach Kids the Value of Service
Thanks so much to Jodie from Growing Book by Books for sharing her tips for how to help her kids learn the value of service using books! One of my all time favorite book lists on What Do We Do All Day? is the 17 Books to Inspire Kids to Change the World. I'm not alone. The list...
Heart Air Balloon Coloring Page (and craft)
Time for our monthly installment to our coloring page series. Children's book author and illustrator Melanie Hope Greenberg created a new heart coloring page that the boys and I used to create a sweet and super easy Valentine craft. You could always print these "heart air balloons" (get it?) out as class valentine coloring pages, but...
American Folktales and Tall Tales for Kids
Kids adore folktales. And really, that is not surprising. Folklore and fables get passed down for a reason. American folktales are an important way for us to connect with our shared history and pass down cultural values from generation to generation. American folklore is rich with tall tales. What are tall tales, exactly? Tall tales...
The Tricky Tricky Peg Solitaire Triangle Game
While cleaning out the games closet I game across a wooden peg solitaire triangle game. It's a classic logic game, but some of the pegs were missing so the remaining parts were a bit useless. I knew immediately, however, that I cold design a peg game that would not take up precious space in our...
Game of the Month: Castle Logix
We've had Castle Logix for more than 7 years now, and somehow it has escaped being featured as a game of the month. Oversight corrected! !!UPDATE: Folks, it looks like Castle Logix has been discontinued, which is a TRAVESTY. You could try the similar concept Day and Night Wooden Puzzle Game. How to play: Castle...
Books for Kids Who Like Little House on the Prairie
I have a confession: I have never read the Little House books to my sons. I did start Farmer Boy one summer, but they were so disturbed by the whipping in the first chapter that we put it down and never returned to it. As a kid I loved Laura Ingalls Wilder's books and read them...
Möbius Strip Hearts: A Valentine for Math Nerds
How do you express love on Valentine's Day in the nerdiest way possible? You make möbius strip hearts, of course. We previously entered the world of topology with Möbius strips and turning two circles into a square, so what better way to express our love of creative ways to learn math than with a super geeky valentine?...
Social Justice Books for Kids to Teach about Global Issues
Social justice, whether it be environmental, political, gender oriented, or economic is a crucial subject and we must discuss it with our children if we want them to grow up to be compassionate global citizens. Because stories help build empathy for others, books are a great way to start those conversations and teach kids to...
A Waddle of Penguins Coloring Page
Did you know a group of penguins is called a waddle? In truth, it is more commonly known as a "rookery" or a "colony", but a "waddle of penguins" sounds much cuter, don't you think? A group of penguins in the water is known as a "raft of penguins." And so I come to the...
Fun Indoor Games for Kids When they are Stuck Inside
Because we live in an apartment and I cannot shoo the kids out the door at a moment's notice, my kids and I have become experts in finding and playing fun indoor games for kids. I have a gigantic list of indoor activities for kids, but it is such an extensive list it can get...
Math Tic-Tac-Toe: Fun Way to Practice Mental Math
We love games (as you well know) and math games are even better! Tired of the old Tic-Tac-Toe game? Mix it up with some number sense and turn it into Math Tic-Tac-Toe! This basic math game is perfect for the early grades when kids are working on adding more than two numbers. It helps children practice...
Holiday Doves Ornament Coloring Page
Consider this a last minute holiday decorating idea from Melanie and me! This holiday ornament coloring page is making it just under the wire to be our final monthly coloring page of the year! This is Melanie's third ornament coloring page and you can be sure we will bring you another one next year. The...
Game of the Month: Code Master
Teaching kids to code is all the rage right now, and for good reason. I love it when I find ways to teach kids coding skills offline. ThinkFun games sent us their new board game, Code Master Programming Logic Game to try out and it was a big hit. I was especially impressed with how...
Fun and Amazing Brain Teasers for Family Gatherings
What's the secret for peaceful family gatherings? Hint: it's not a discussion of politics and religion. If you are bracing yourself for the family to descend, the best weapon you can have at your disposal is a brain teaser or a magic trick. Why is that? Kids love it because they can feel powerful in...
Learning to Love Audiobooks
Amy from Sunlit Pages is back with some great advice for helping your kids love audiobooks. Audiobooks have saved me on many on occasion. Amy has some suggestions for audiobooks at the end of this post , and you can also visit my list of audiobooks kids love. - Erica ******************************* I want to tell...
Sibling Kindness Advent Calendar
![Two glass jars with hand written labels, "I liak [sic] you" and "kind words"](https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sibling-advent-fb-opt-360x480.jpg)
Do your kids fight as much as mine? Are you constantly struggling to find ways to help your kids find the positive side of having siblings? I have bad news and good news. The bad news is that this idea will not cure bickering. The good news is that this parenting idea will help instill a...
Easy Christmas Crafts for Tweens and Kids
Wouldn't you like to be able to make Christmas crafts without all the annoying fuss of gathering supplies and making a mess? And wouldn't you like Christmas crafts to be unique and not involve paper plates or glitter? And what if those Christmas projects involved cool engineering and science concepts? You're intrigued now, right? Meet...
Science on the Go: Sink or Float Science Discovery Bottle
My friend Megan is here today with a fun science activity perfect for preschoolers! Oh the joys of simple science experiments! There's a feeling of awesomeness that bubbles up inside you when you are uncovering answers and testing your hypotheses--it's so empowering. And while there are tons of super cool science experiments out there it's...
Game of the Month: Gravity Maze
Last year I mentioned in my S.T.E.M. books and toys gift guide that I was going to purchase Gravity Maze for my kids, and I stayed true to my word! My ten year old has been enjoying it all year, so I wanted to revisit it as a game of the month and share our...
Make a Marvelous Masterpiece from Bathroom Recyclables
I've got a fun art printing project today that both my kids actually got into! Even my youngest who would rather play with action figures than pick up a paint brush enjoyed it. Yep, it turns out that only 1 in 5 people say they consistently recycle items they use in the bathroom.* I thought,...
Noah's Ark Coloring Page
This Noah's Ark by children's book illustrator, Melanie Hope Greenberg, features the iconic vessel filled with three pairs of animals. Giraffes, bears and ducks crowd onto the water craft with a hopeful gleam in their eyes. Pair it with our pirate ship coloring page for a nautical coloring session! As I've said before coloring pages make...
Pong Hau K'i : DIY Board Game from China
If you have been following me throughout the years, you know we love a good game like Pong Hau K'i you see here. DIY games are often just as satisfying as store bought, but with the benefit that they can often be played on the go. The kids and I have been "collecting" easy to learn...
Books Like Magic Tree House: 19 Book Series
If you have a child just starting to read chapter books, you are no doubt familiar with the Magic Tree House series featuring a pair of time traveling siblings. But what do you read when you finish the 4,683 books in the series? Where will you find more books like Magic Tree House so your...
Subway Train Template Coloring Page (Printable)
This month's free coloring page is perfect for little train fans. New York City residents will recognize the iconic design in Melanie Hope Greenberg's printable subway template but train buffs everywhere will enjoy making and playing with these subway trains. DOWNLOAD AND PRINT --> (By clicking on link you agree to our terms of service, *see...
My Son Hates Writing (And How I'm Changing That)
I have two kids. One who has loved to write since the age of three. The other.... Well, let's just say we are working on it. Some might say it doesn't matter, that in this technological age, typing is more important than handwriting. I disagree! Not only has there been a lot of research showing...
Game of the Month: Bananagrams
I'm a bit behind on my game of the month posts. Did I miss two months? Ooops. Anyway. Our game of the month is a modern classic literacy game. It will remind you of Scrabble, but in my opinion it is a zillion times less stressful playing Bananagrams than playing Scrabble. Note: This post contains...
Water Refraction Science Experiment
This water refraction science experiment has a big "Wow! How Does that work?" factor and is so quick and easy. It's a perfect at home science project because there is almost no set up. Best of all, once I showed it to the kids, they experimented on their own and debated the reasons for the...
Two Frames for School Portraits (Coloring Page)
Oh, school pictures. We all have at least one that makes us say, "Look at my hair!" This month's coloring page from Melanie Hope Greenberg will help you re-frame (get it?) your kids' adorable school pictures so that they, too, can one day look back and say, "I was such a dork!" How to Make...
Math Dice Games Kids Can Play Cooperatively!
We acquired a set of Math Dice a few years ago and my son loved playing with them but they have been languishing in the game closet for a while now so I thought it was time to bring them out for some fun math dice games during our final week of Camp Mathematics. We had...
Spirolateral Math Art: Fun Way to Practice Multiplication
We are working on patterning and math art this week for Camp Mathematics. Have you ever heard of spirolaterals? Yeah, me neither. I happened upon them while looking for a new math art project to inspire my kids. If you follow this blog (hugs and kisses for you) then you are aware of my great love...
Spinning Noise Maker (Science of Sound)
Today we are exploring the science of SOUND with a DIY noise maker. Since I knew my boys would take delight in making a toy that they could use to annoy one another, a buzzing, spinning noise maker seemed like the perfect science project. But don't let my kids' sibling rivalry deter you! These spinning noise makers are...
Symmetry Paper Trick Brain Teaser
Don't overlook small activities. Small activities can actually lead to big learning. I showed this symmetry paper trick to my 10-year-old and he saw the answer right away, but my 6-year-old had to watch it several times. He focused, concentrated and kicked his spatial perception into gear. His brain was working! Then, he had to try...
UFO and Space Alien Coloring Page
Use this UFO and space alien coloring page to start a conversation with your kids about the possibility of life in outer space, or use it as an activity while you wait for sun to set so you can gaze up at the stars on a warm summer night. This month's coloring page is based...
How to Make Milk Carton Candles (Science + Craft)
Parents and teachers of a certain age will remember this old school science craft and I didn't want my kids to miss out on the thrilling experience of making homemade milk carton candles! Although there is more preparation time than many of the activities we share, the process is straightforward and not very difficult. In...
Sanity Saving Indoor Magnet Game
One morning when we were stuck indoors my attempt to redirect the kids' boundless energy away from chaos and towards constructive creativity resulted in a pillow-hopping game with my 6 year old. It evolved into a simple magnet wand activity for which I made up rules as we went along. As our indoor magnet game grew, I continued to...
Geometry Magic: Turn 2 Circles into 1 Square
It's been a while since my son and I made math art magic with Möbius strips and it was time for some more math fun, this time we explored the geometry magic and accomplished the impossible! (Melodramatic, much?) We turned two circles into one square. "Inconceivable!" you shout. "No one can turn two closed curves into a...
