Showing posts with label fun for kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun for kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun for kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun for kids. Show all posts

Wondering How to Save Money on Kids' Activities?

How to do Kids’ Activities Without Breaking the Bank


Offering enriching activities to your children is great for their long term growth. However, it might not be fantastic for your pocket. Although you’ll want to make sure your kids get the best opportunities available to them, you don’t want to spend a small fortune on kids' activities, especially if you're learning that your child quickly loses interest. So, how do you do activities with your kids without spending a lot of money?

This post contains affiliate links.


Wondering How to Save Money on Kids' Activities?



It's a tough decision, you want to give your kids the best; but you don't want to waste your money or time. As a parent, you've got options. Your children don’t have to miss out on that activity they desperately want to try just because you're on a tight budget. Here are some helpful tips which will allow your kids to enjoy some fun, enriching kids' activities without breaking the bank.

Tips to Save Money on Activities for Kids


Enroll in One Activity at a Time
Your kids don’t have to do it all, it’s a good idea to pick one activity each season. If you have more than one child, enroll them all in the same activity. Not only will enrolling your kids together save time and stress, but it can save money. There are a number of places that offer sibling discounts and siblings can often share items too. Be sure to ask, even if you don’t see such a discount or offer advertised.

Purchase Fun Equipment for Home Use

There are various toys and equipment that allow different activities without spending too much. You can install a gaga ball pit to provide an exhilarating experience for kids. The pit can be set up outdoors or in a large spare room. You can also dismantle and stored the ball pit between uses. The best thing is that you don't have to spend a lot of money on pricey play venues. This ball pit gives your kids one more choice for fun and beneficial sensory play activities.

Pay Ahead

See if there are any discounts available for paying ahead or in cash. Some businesses will give a price cut if you pay for the whole year up front, or they may even offer a discount once a year if you pay a few months in advance.


Buy Second-Hand

You might find it surprising just how easy it is to find kids' equipment that’s barely been used. So, before you go about buying a new instrument or sports equipment, have a look at places such as eBay, Craigslist, Play it Again Sports or thrift stores. You can even ask other parents! Kids often lose interest in an activity or outgrow their clothes quickly, which means you can find items in good condition for a fraction of the cost.


Go DIY with Crafts
One way to save money on activities for your children is to do it yourself with games and crafts. There are some great, inexpensive DIY craft ideas to try out, and you can always create activities for kids with free print-outs. Of course, some stores even provide coupons that help cover the costs of kids' activities. For instance, take a look at Target Coupons to see what discounts are available.


Volunteer
If you can manage a team, do coaching, record scores, or sell refreshments, you may be able to cut the cost of some activities. Have a chat with whoever oversees the kids' program to discuss how you can donate your time to work off any fees or equipment costs.

Barter
Bartering is always a good choice. When you offer a service or trade in return for another, instead of paying cash, it benefits both parties and if often an acceptable way to pay for your kids' extra-curricular activities. Services may vary based on your abilities and skills, but it might include cleaning or clerical work- just to give you some ideas.


Recommended:

Things to do in Indiana with Kids

Tips on Making and Selling Crafts and Things for Extra Income









Whimsical Kids' Decor for the Nursery: Baby or Toddler Room

Whimsical Nursery Room Decor for Baby

A lot of thought goes into designing a nursery. Many future moms dream about and plan their baby's nursery room long before the baby is even a twinkle in their eye. The rest have nine months to mull over it. So, what design elements should go into your baby's nursery? The baby's room can be whimsical, sophisticated, or comfortably shabby chic. No matter the style, kids room design should be vibrant, inviting, and engaging to stimulate the baby's developing brain. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*

Whimsical Kids Decor for the Nursery: Baby or Toddler Room
Whimsical Kids' Decor for the Nursery: Baby or Toddler Room.

Cool Toddler Bed: Universal Design Bedroom Furniture
Universal Design Bedroom Furniture: Cool Toddler Bed* at Amazon.

Cool kids dresser for nursery
Cool kids dresser for nursery*.


Toddler Bed Tent or Pop up Playspace
Toddler Tent Bed Playspace*

Whimsical Wall art for Kids Room Nursery BABY
Whimsical Wall Art For Kids Room*


Cool, Comfy Chair for Kids room or nursery
Cool comfy chair for kids* for reading and snuggling.

Colorful Curtains in Soothing Shades for baby's room: Jungle
Soothing, colorful, curtain panels*.

Use bright, complementary colors for a fun and soothing environment for baby. Differing hues of orange are perfect for the nursery. Orange is  a warm soothing, spicy earth-tone. Pair green and purple with a splash of orange for a pleasing triad color scheme.  

When planning your design think about the psychological effect of colors. Orange is known to invoke feelings ranging from comfort to anger and hostility. Therefore, orange should not be placed on large surfaces such as walls or floors. Use an orange accent, like drawer pulls or a bed tent, to give the room a punch of color. 

Paint the walls in a cool, light green or pastel lavender for a calming effect. Plop purple and orange throw pillows into a green chair to make a cozy reading nook, and accent your baby's room with whimsical character shapes to set a fun mood.


Recommended:



Disney Princess Wall Decals *

Wall Art for Baby's Room: SimpleShapes.com

Follow Me on Pinterest








Preschool Sensory Play Activities: How it all got started!

Sensory Messy Play and Preschool Activities

We've had many great years teaching messy play and preschool classes for The Play Connection and hope the future will send even more blessings our way. Here are our top sensory and messy play preschool activities from 2013. What a blast from the past!


This post contains affiliate links.

Sensory Messy Play and Preschool Activities


Here is a listing of our top posts of 2013. Many offer great ideas for fun, preschool activities, clip art, and lots of fun for kids! Enjoy!


  1. Christmas Eye Candy: Photos of Christmas Trees in Snow Clipart
  2. Angie's Homemade Artisan Bread Recipe
  3. New Year Preschool Party Ideas and Activities for Kids
  4. Lots of Snowmen and Marshmallows Christmas Crafts and Activities for Kids
  5. Fun for Kids with Phineas and Ferb Printables
  6. Lots of photos of Bread Clipart
  7. Cute Valentine Clipart and Free Printables for Kids Classroom Valentines
  8. 9 New Year Activities for Kids with games for kids too
  9. Marshmallows: Fun for kids SENSORY game great for preschoolers
  10. The Tooth Fairy Sagas: Free Toothfairy clipart and true Mommy Drama
  11. Activities for Kids: Make your own snow for Sensory play fun for kids
  12. Birthday Party games for Kids and Moms on a budget
  13. Our new Series Made the cut! Creative Country Sayings and Inspirational Quotes

Activities for pre school Pre K Kids Creative Chaos Lora Langston Edible Crafts fun for kids
Memories from 2008 - 2012.

Here's my favorite Homeschool Lesson from 2013.

Primary and Complementary Color Homeschool Art and Science Lesson.
Primary and Complementary Color Homeschool Art and Science Lesson.


(Pre K to Elementary)
There are many Homeschool Lessons in this series, so make sure you click the labels under each post. (Still Life, Water Coloring for Kids, Weaving, Self-Portrait activities, Building Models for Science, Christmas Gingerbread House how to diy, Color Theory Lessons, Primary Colors, and even some History  along the way - it's art to me how we've designed our lives throughout the years. I hope you will follow along on the journey.)


We published a Kitchen Kids Cookbook with mix and make recipes for kids. We helped fund raise for Santa's Elves of Indy, we started Homeschooling through INCA (Indiana Connections Academy,) and we moved to a house in the country. 


2013 holds many dreams as we look forward to gardening, raising chickens, goats, and hopefully bunnies and alpacas, get that YA novel published, and share a few of the many stage plays and skits for kids I've written over the years. Bring it! I am excited to get started :-) 


What does your future hold? Leave a comment and let us know.



Follow us on Pinterest (Kids Creative Chaos and Pin it! Online Scavenger Hunt for Pre school Curriculum) and Google +  Can't find us on Twitter? Check the right sidebar for a link we're @playconnection


Recommended Reading:

Fun with Messy Play: Ideas and Activities for Children with Special Needs

Play Out: How to develop your outside space for learning and play


Children's Party Activities: Toss the Marshmallows Game for Kids

 

Marshmallow Toss Game: Easy, Budget-friendly Birthday Party Game for Kids


BIRTHDAY ON A BUDGET


Get back to the basics with 
Marshmallows, always fun for kids and perfect for children's party activities!  We have lots of marshmallow activities for kids. Enjoy!

How to Play Marshmallow Toss Game


Children's Party Activities Toss the Marshmallow Game for kids


Things to do with Marshmallows





What you Need:  Bucket or Large Bowl and a bag of Large Marshmallows 

How to Play:  Divide the party-goers into pairs. The first team up chooses a catcher and a thrower. The catcher stands on one end of the room and holds the bucket or bowl on top of their head and the thrower stands on the other end of the room with the bag of marshmallows. The thrower tries to toss the marshmallows into the bucket. The catcher can move and duck to try to catch them, as long as they do not move their feet and they must remain standing. Each team takes a turn to see which team can catch the most!





Sensory Game for Children with Marshmallows: Fun for Kids!

Marshmallow Sensory Game for Kids



Need a few minutes of peace and quiet, Marshmallows are fun game for kids and this SENSORY game for children is the perfect fix. Kids can't talk with the straws in their mouths!  Everyone is intent on winning and they all loved it! Looking for more marshmallow activities for kids? In the sidebar, enter marshmallow(s) for a list of our posts with Things to do with Marshmallows. Enjoy!


Sensory Marshmallow Game for Preschoolers Edible
Fold the straw in half and use it like chopsticks 
to pick up the marshmallows. This way is easier for preschoolers.




Sensory Marshmallows Game for Children fun for kids activities
Marshmallows make great sensory games for children.


How to play Sensory Marshmallow Game


  • Open up a bag of mini-marshmallows and spread them in the center of a cloth covered table. Give every kid a cup and a straw. (The teenage counselors liked it too.)

  • Start with a stop-watch to increase the excitement. Let the Marshmallow Games begin!  Ready, Set, Go!  It is a race to see who can suck up the most marshmallows and place them in their cup.  No hands allowed. Suck and hold until you drop into the cup.

  • I quickly realized no stop-watch was needed and let them play until all marshmallows were gone. We counted who had the most.  The winner got stickers and candy and everyone else got to eat the marshmallows!

Aren't marshmallows fun?


Squishy Sensory Marshmallow Edible Game for preschoolers.
For another sensory element, poke marshmallows with straw.
Then, try to pick up and place into the cup before they fall off.




Gingerbread Man Marshmallow Activity for Kids fun for Preschool

This cute gingerbread man is one of our many  marshmallow activities for kids

Marshmallows- an inexpensive, yummy way to make fun projects for kids and create eatable art. Search in the browse us bar in the sidebar for more ideas for preschool and sensory play. Enjoy!



This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*


Edible Art Marshmallow Gingerbread Man Activity