Sometimes a good way to distract your kids from going bonkers inside on a cold or rainy day is to just cover the table with paper and give them some art supplies. I recommend leaving the paper on the table as long as possible to see what art your kids create. Our art session lasted...
Open-Ended Art Is a Great Boredom Buster!
Float or Sink Experiment Instructions and Worksheet Ideas
"Will it float or sink?" That is the key question in this classic science experiment for kids. Kids from preschool age to tweens will enjoy this scientific investigation into how objects behave when they are dropped into a container of water. The sink or float experiment encourages kids' natural curiosity and the simple instructions gives...
Shaken Container Painting: Art Project for Active Kids
Since my kids are not usually content to sit around and draw in a quiet, meditative manner, I seek out active art projects like this awesome shaken container art activity, which combines creativity and physicality! Shaken container painting is perfect for rowdy, active kids of all ages from toddlers to tweens! Even big kids will...
Weather Wheel Craft for Kids
Kids know that the weather impacts their daily life. Rain on a beach day is disappointing. Sun on a birthday is delightful. Snow storms cancel school for the day and a windy day is great for kite-flying! This fun and easy weather wheel craft is a great way to observe weather phenomena and learn about...
Make Your Own Connect the Dots Activity
Help kids develop the fine motor skills necessary for handwriting with this diy connect-the-dots activity that also teaches counting. Connect-the-dots activities, or "dot-to-dots", a great way to help kids develop the fine motor skills necessary for handwriting but without the pressure of having to learn how to form alphabet letters before it is developmentally appropriate....
Numbers Collage Art Project
This numbers collage art project is not just about numbers. It's actually a passion collage art project that harnesses your child's interest! It just so happens that the kid in question has a passion for numbers. What does your child love? It might be dinosaurs, birds, letters, the color blue, pizza, fairies, trucks, you name...
Sticker Art Resist Painting
Resist art with stickers is an easy way to make a simple painting project a little more fun. This art idea is easily adaptable for kids of all ages and skill levels. Plus, the magic of seeing a "final reveal" at the end of the project when they pull off the stickers has "wow!" factor...
Cutting Activity to Develop Fine Motor Skills
Learning how to use scissors is good practice to develop children's fine motor skills, and strengthen their hand and finger muscles. This easy cutting activity is easy to set up and is a great way to supplement occupational therapy sessions at home. Materials Construction paper Marker Scissors Straws Instructions For the grown-up: Cut construction paper...
Toy Digger Play: Dig and Scoop
Kids never tire of playing with toy diggers. Offering them a new prop for their pretend play is an excellent way to boost their imaginative play. It also gives parents another tool to help keep the screens turned off! This dig and scoop activity is one of my son's favorite ways to play with his...
Marbled Paper Art with Shaving Cream
What kid doesn't love the sensory experience of playing with shaving cream? Channel that joy into an easy art project and make marbled paper with shaving cream! This art project is a real treat and because kids will be focusing on the process of creation, there is no pressure! Kids can make a mess and...
Water Transfer Activity: Easy Boredom Buster for Kids
When you want an incredibly simple, screen-free indoor activity idea for kids that keeps them busy, try this water transfer activity! This is the kind of activity that would make an adult bored to tears but completely fascinates kids! What you need: Pipettes or an eye dropper. Water Two small containers, like plastic bowls or...
Simple Spelling Practice Activity
My son is really into spelling right now. He likes to ask me how to spell words. I think it's because spelling is a system that he can figure out. Learning how sounds make words is an important step in his literacy progression, so I encourage it as much as possible. Finding ways to parent...
Easy Homemade Bird Feeder from Paper Roll, Fat and Seeds
Making a homemade bird feeder is a rite of passage for every kid! Even apartment dwellers can feed the birds with this easy diy bird feeder using a paper roll, fat and seed. Once your child has finished making the bird feeder, be sure to hang it up where you can easily see it from...
How to Make a Road for Toy Cars
Kids love things that go. When playing with toy vehicles, their creativity knows no bounds! Encourage your child's love of screen-free, independent play this easy DIY toy road for their toy cars, trucks, diggers and busses and all other things that go "Vroom! Vroom!" The homemade road for toy cars can be as simple or...
Indoor Gardening Fun: Growing Beansprouts
You don't need a yard to teach your kids about how plants grow! Growing beansprouts in a jar is an easy indoor gardening activity for kids. This is an immensely satisfying activity since it produces results so quickly. No waiting around days or weeks to see anything growing! Sprouting beans is a classic classroom science...
Little Blue & Little Yellow Activity
This is a really easy kid activity to go with Leo Lionni's Little Blue and Little Yellow, (affiliate link) a delightful book about color mixing. It's so easy you don't really need much in the way of instructions. All I did was cut a few cellophane shapes out of blue and yellow cellophane which Kiddo played...
Easy Sailboat Craft and Science Project for Preschoolers
This easy sailboat craft is the perfect activity for preschoolers learning about the science of air currents, wind and water. Most young children love water play and this small scale boat activity is excellent for indoor water play. As part of a science lesson, preschoolers will make the boats, fill the "lake," and create wind...
Hanging Up the Alphabet Fine Motor and Literacy Activity
This alphabet clothesline activity is a fun learning activity for preschoolers that combines fine motor skills and literacy. While using their pincer grip, kids practice reciting the alphabet and learn to recognize upper and lower case letters. It's very easy to set up and keeps the kids busy, two characteristics of at at-home learning activity...
Simple Themed Art Project: Shiny
We've been engaged in some screen-free fun lately and I find a great way to approach art project sessions is to pick a simple theme and center a process art project around that theme. This week the art themes were "shiny" and "blue" art. We started with a visit to the art store down the street...
Collage Book Art Project for Preschoolers
Preschoolers love to cut or tear out pictures from magazines so instead of scolding them for ruining your latest catalog, turn it into a fun and easy art project and make collage books. Since this is a process art project, you may find the term "collage" only applies loosely, but that's okay. It's all about...
Preschool Counting Activity (Bean Counting)
This preschool counting activity is an easy at home preschool idea that teaches counting without turning on screens to find online preschool math games. Practicing the act of counting is very important at this age, because the "more experience children have with counting, the more they will learn the meaning of numbers." My son loved...
No-Mess Color Mixing Activity: "Color Smushing"
An easy, mess-free sensory activity for preschoolers or toddlers that also teaches about the science of color mixing is what I like to call "Color Smushing." This color mixing activity takes very little preparation, and the end result can be used in a variety of art extension activities. It's an excellent no-mess activity for preschool...
