6 Cool Pinterest Father's Day Activities for Kids

Wondering What's Hot on Pinterest in Father's Day Activities for Kids? 

Check out these six fun, easy, and giftable craft projects to make your Father's Day the best one ever. These Father's Day activities are so neat- even the coolest Dads will love them. The best part is Kids can help make them. Enjoy!

Valentine's Day Party Ideas for Tweens Tutorial

Tween Valentine Party Activities Tutorial

Wondering what to do for a Tween Valentine Party? These Valentine's party ideas for tweens will keep kids busy afterschool. Invite their friends over for a fun filled Valentine's Day party with craftivities galore. Girls and boys alike will have fun making their own one of a kind snowflake hearts and Duct Tape Valentine Snack Treat Box to use while watching their favorite movie. Enjoy!

Heart Craftivities for a Valentine's Day Party for Tweens.

Your tweens may not enjoy exchanging classroom valentines or making valentine's mailboxes for school, but they probably enjoy eating fun food and having a party. You can make this as a surprise valentine treat for kids or you can have them help make the Valentine crafts as an afterschool activity.

Tween Valentine Party Activities Tutorial.

To decorate for our Valentine's Day party, we made a few heart crafts that are fun for kids of all ages.

First, we made paper snowflake hearts. Want the full tutorial? Click the link:  How to Make Paper Snowflake Hearts.

Once the snowflake hearts are cut out, glue them to a colorful background paper and cut them out. Use these lacy hearts as decorations hanging from the ceiling, placemats, or write fun sayings on them and hand them out as Valentine classroom exchange cards.

Make paper snowflake hearts to decorate for a Valentine's Day party.

Using colorful cardstock, make heart sculptures. Cut out two hearts and then cut halfway up the bottom of one, and half way up the top of the other. Slide the hearts together (upside down) to form a 3D base for balloons. Punch a whole in the top of them, and slip a ribbon through to attach a balloon bouquet. They make fun, whimsical table decorations too- no balloons required.

3D heart sculpture table decorations.

Next, make heart garland to hang vertically in the window. These are a good scissor skill activity for younger kids. They also work fine motor skills. Fold paper in half, draw half a heart at the crease line of the paper. 

After the heart is cut out, keep it folded and cut two- 1" slits 1-2" apart. Open the heart and weave ribbon or string through the slits.

Using a glue stick (it works just fine) or hot glue gun, attach a pom pom to the end of the garland to give it a whimsical finishing touch.

How to make heart garland for Valentine's Day party decorations.

Surprise the kids with snack treat boxes made from recycled cereal boxes. Make these ahead of time or let the kids choose their own patterns and make their own. 

At the Dollar Tree, we purchased duct tape in various colors. Not only does this decorate the box, it also makes the box sturdier giving it protection against spills or greasy food. 

While shopping, we found little red cups that make perfect Valentine treat holders. Fill them with dip for veggies or yummy candy treats. Ours are filled with Valentine candy conversation hearts.

Valentine snack treat boxes for movie time or after school snacks.

Start with a cereal box. They are the perfect size for sitting on your lap. Cut out a large flap for the main course and then cut out two smaller wholes for the mini snack cup and a juice pack or drink holder. Trace the bottom of the cup and juice box to insure you cut out the perfect fit.

Things to do with a recycled cereal box.

Carefully wrap the box in designer duct tape. When going around round the cut-outs, score the tape (cut a slit in the tape before folding it over), this allows for a cleaner, more attractive edge.

Snack box decorated with duct tape.

Once your box is covered in tape, attach a heart on the inside of the flap. Personalize it with your child's name or candy heart sayings like, 'Be Mine', 'Your the Bomb', 'Hers', or even 'Happy Valentine's Day'.

Treat box for Valentine's day or movie time snack.

Place colorful plastic wrap or tissue paper inside the food flap. Then, fold four flaps over on a paper plate to form a square, paper bowl. Fill your food section with popcorn or a mini heart shaped pizza. Click the link for the full pizza recipe tutorial.

Mini heart shaped pizza for Valentine's Day.

These cute Valentine glasses were a steal at the Dollar Tree. They have lots of fun designs. If your tweens are too grown up for juice boxes, make a special drink for Valentine's Day. Keep scrolling for our easy Valentine's Day drink recipe.

Make a special tween drink for Valentine's Day.

Ever heard of a Shirley Temple? It is a non-alcholic fun, fizzy drink. To make a simple Shirley Temple, fill a glass with lemon-lime soda and then give it a splash of Grenadine. Grenadine is sweet, so a little goes a long way. For a fun version of the Shirley Temple, just add a bit of pink cotton candy. Don't forget to put a cherry on top!

Add a layer of plastic wrap or tissue paper to protect the inside of the box.

How fun was that? Kids will love getting invited to such a fun filled Valentine's party. Once everyone has their snack box, head over to the living room and watch a fun, Valentine's theme movie. 

Peanuts is always a good choice. Charlie Brown never gets the Valentine he hopes for.

Valentine treat box complete.

Tween Valentine party ideas and activities.

These activities are so easy, if you don't have Valentine's Day plans, you can prep for this party in about 2 hours. So, go make your own fun! Hope you have a fabulous Valentine's Day!


Recommended:

Fill your treat box with Homemade Heart Shape Pretzels.

Valentine's Day Movies for Kids*





ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Things to do with Yogurt: Patriotic Trifle Popsicle Dessert

Patriotic Summer Dessert: Things to do with Yogurt

Looking for a refreshing summer dessert for the Fourth of July? When brainstorming for this post, we found lots of things to do with yogurt and yogurt cups. Scroll down to see our favorites! To add to the mix, we created a patriotic trifle with yogurt, frozen fruit juices, and fruit. This is patriotic slushie with fruit and yogurt is a delicious recipe! Especially, with the new flavors of Yoplait® Yogurt.

For this yogurt slushie dessert recipe, we used the Limited edition Yoplait® Rainbow Sherbet Yogurt that we found at Walmart. It makes the perfect seasonal treat for summer snacking and Fourth of July get-togethers. Enjoy!

Refreshing Summer Snack with Yogurt.

Freeze your juice in a shallow baking dish.

Scoop into clear, glass cup.

Layer with berries and Yoplait® Rainbow Sherbet Yogurt.

How to Make a  Frozen Yogurt Trifle Dessert Recipe. Freeze for about an hour.

Things to do with Yogurt: Trifle Popsicle Dessert.

Things to do with Yogurt

Things to do with Yogurt Containers.
Visit Color My Bliss Blog for details on this bracelet.

Make a bracelet from a recycled yogurt container.

Make a Mini Drum with Recycled Containers.

25 Things to do with Yogurt.


Recommended:

How to Make Yogurt Ice Cubes

Use Popsicles to Make a Slushy

101 Things to Do with Yogurt


This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Yoplait®. The opinions and text are all mine.

Activities for Children: How to Make a Straw free Scarecrow with Recycled Items

How to make your own Kid Scarecrow without Straw

When we visit a local farm, there are lots of activities for children including an area set aside to make your own scarecrow. It is very messy and smelly! We all sneeze. Wouldn't it be cool to have a scarecrow without straw?

Activities for Children: Mini Scarecrow for Indoors.

So, a few years ago, I decided to design my own allergy-friendly scarecrow activity for kids. We used paper and recycled bags!

Tired old allergy free scarecrow.

How to Make an Allergy-Free Scarecrow

Old kid's clothes (short sleeves work too).
Paper lunch sacks or plastic pumpkins
Plastic grocery bags
Raffia, yarn, staples, or duct tape to attach the parts.

Grab your kid's old , torn clothes. Stuff the pants with plastic grocery bags. (Tie them in knots or blow them up like balloons for extra padding.) Stuff your shirt.Ties the feet and arms off with string or tape with duct tape. Stuff shirt into waist of pants. Duct tape works best here. Attach it to look like a belt. Cut arms or hands from paper bags as needed. Staple to end of shirt. Make feet too. Stuff a paper lunch sack with plastic bags, tie it off, and attach to the shirt. You can use a plastic pumpkin for the head too- not as easy to attach. Throw on a straw hat or cut out strips of the lunch bag and staple on for hair.

Recommended Reading:

Companion books for this children's activity are:

The Big, Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown

The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown *ad

Countdown to Christmas Gift Advent Calendar with Toilet Roll Tubes and Wrapping Paper

Toilet Roll Cardboard Tube Advent Calendar for Kids

Make an Advent calendar from recycled cardboard tubes and wrapping paper. It is an Easy Christmas craft for kids. Enjoy!

Easy Preschool Advent Calendar from cardboard tubes.

So, we save our toilet tubes. Yes, I am one of those people (I save my jars too) here is a post from one who is not, it made me LOL. Just imagine the possibilities?

Jar lids make great messy spoon holders, paint mixing trays, and chimes. Jars make amazing things! When I was a kid, my Dad had a glass cutting kit, and he'd make all kinds of "fancy" glasses from jars. (You know, just like Waterford Crystal.) 

Toilet Tubes are even better. They just cry out for re-purposation. Do you like that word? I just invented it. There, now I copyrighted it too. 12/2012. Maybe, I can trademark it?  "You're fired!" Wait, what was I saying? Toilet Tubes and Cardboard Tubes = Awesome craftability.

So... we save our toilet roll tubes. Except we moved, and then we didn't, so I had to start all over. I barely had enough for 25 days, and they were all different diameters and lengths. We had fun, but it wasn't perfect. Remember, it's the fun that counts.

To make our Advent Calendar tree, we took an idea from something similar we saw on Pinterest and it sparked an idea.  You know, how that goes. Hmmmmm, very pinteresting. I wonder how I can recreate it to make it my own?  

Cardboard tube Advent Calendar Tree.

Ow, my brain just exploded a little! I'm going to get my crafty blogging buddies together and make a contest. I'll call it, "The American Crafter" and we'll find something pinteresting and give everyone an assignment to make it their own and you can vote but not by phone- maybe just by comments. Copyright, Trademark, and Hashtag that please.

Digression ~ 

He digressed so often that it was hard to follow what he was saying. 

To turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument.

I do that a lot when I write on Sundays. It's my little form of meditation. So who's in? Are you up for a Voice/American Idol style Crafter contest? 

I'll make the winner a handmade, toilet tube crown with a fancy jar torch. (wink, wink)

What? You came here to make an Advent Calendar or a cute holiday decoration?  Here goes:

You will need 25 Toilet Roll Tubes minus the toilet paper, but I guess you could use the toilet rolls, now wouldn't that be pinteresting?

Tape or a Hot Glue Gun

Wrapping Paper or Scraps 
(Yes, of course, I save the little bits of paper from the previous year that aren't big enough to wrap a package. They are so pretty, I can't bare to throw them away. No, I talk about hoarding, but I'm not really a hoarder not yet anyway. My cat is alive and well, The food in my fridge isn't expired, and you can walk through the rooms of our house just fine. Well, most of them.)

Construction Paper

1.  Cut little squares of wrapping paper and roll onto your tubes. Attach with tape.

2.  Decide how many will be in each row to taper to one on top.

3.  Attach the bottom row together with a little piece of tape inside the end of two tubes.

4.  Stack the next row. Repeat step 3. Choose to glue first row to second row or use tape.

5.  Repeat.

6.  Cut out a Star or Angel from Construction Paper and glue to top of Christmas Tree.

7.  Fill each slot with little gifts or fun notes until Christmas Day.


Recommended Reading:

Holiday Party Favor Basket Ornaments

Turkey with Fall Leaves

New Year's Eve Rocket Popper

Look What You Can Make With Tubes: Creative crafts from 
everyday objects






ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Plan an Indy 500 Race Theme for a Kid's Birthday Party or Special School Activity

Indy 500 Theme Race Party with Cardboard Racecars

The Play Connection, Inc. (my alter ego) did lots of fun preschool activities that are great for a birthday party or for kids' outdoor pe games. Due to the proximity of Indianapolis, an Indy 500 racing theme is always popular in May. Plan Indy 500 kid activities for a fun field day at school, and make your own race cars from cardboard boxes. Enjoy!

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.*

Indy 500 Activities for Kids.

Use recycled household items as props- 
including a plastic milk jug for a gas can.

Ideas on how to plan an Indy 500 Race Birthday Party: 

• Purchase inexpensive, large, black buckets to use in a pit stop race game. 
• Recycle a milk jug, paint it black with spray paint or acrylics, and use duct tape or paint to spell out G-A-S.
•  Turn a milk crate upside down to use as a Winner's Circle.
• Hang a race banner (we got ours at the Dollar Tree).
• Make 9 colored race flags for a realistic race experience.

Trick out your cardboard car with paper plate wheels or 
fancy, cardboard fan wheels.

Wondering 'what do the flags mean or stand for in the Indy 500 race'?  

• Green means go! Of course, you already knew that! Just like shouting "Green Light", the green flag is waved to signal the start of the race. It is also used to for restarts after a caution flag.
• Yellow flag signals caution for a hazard. It could be an accident, debris, rain, maybe a silly goose got loose on the track. The pace car hops on the track to lead the other cars in safety. When we play Red Light, Green Light, we use yellow to signal walk very slowly.
• Red flag STOP! Do not pass go, do not collect $100 dollars. A red light means freeze in your tracks. It is for accident or rain conditions.  Head straight to the pits or stay parked. No repairs, tire changes, or gassing up allowed. In other words, no fair cheating!
• Red flag with a yellow "X" means the pits are closed to all vehicles.
• Black flag means a penalty to a car on the track. Don't break the rules! It's also used for mechanical failures.
• Black flag with a white "X" black-flag penalty.  Your car isn't keeping score anymore.
• Blue flag or blue flag with yellow diagonal stripe Get out of the way, slow poke, a faster driver is about to pass. We use a blue light in our game to signal to turn around and walk backward toward the finish line.
• White flag the end is near! It's the FINAL lap.
• Checkered flag  Hooray! We have a winner. This flag means the race is over.

For our race car game of Red Light, Green Light, we purchased dowel rods and squares of fabric from Joann's Fabrics. To attach, rub glue on the dowel, wrap one end of fabric around the dowel, and staple as close to the stick as possible.

Lay out aluminum foil, tissue paper, paper plates, and colored duct tape.  
Let the kids' diy imagination run wild.

On your mark, get set, go! Mark off a track with chalk, tape, or use cornstarch paint in the grass. Get your flags ready to wave. Have parents or helpers use a stopwatch to track each child's time. No need to compete against others. Race around several times for your best lap. Now the fun begins!

On your mark, get set, let the games begin!

How to Play Pretend Pit Stop

Get parents and teachers involved with the fun. Before the game begins, designate a pit crew for each "driver". 

During a caution flag, have everyone pull into the pits. One member of the crew must run around the car 4 times checking pretending to check tires. 

Another crew member will take the pre-filled milk "Gas" jug (water) and pour it into the black bucket. 

Then, the crew members must use a funnel to re-fill the jug. Have the driver time the crew for even more giggles. When all the water is gone, the drivers can take off again.

Measure the water in the jugs to see which pit crew wins a prize. Just pour it back into the buckets, and see which one retained the most water (gas).

A game of Red Light, Green Light is fun around the track too.


Recommended Reading:

Things to do in Indiana: Indy 500 Race Activities for Kids

Eat My Dust! Henry Ford's First Race* 

Hot Air Balloon Glow at the Indy 500

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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Easy Preschool Holiday Craft: Recycle Business Cards into Ornaments

Easy Preschool Holiday Craft: Recycle Business Cards and Popsicle Sticks into Santa and Reindeer Holiday Ornament Decorations

Think of the possibilities! These can be refrigerator magnets, tree ornaments, or bookmarks. Recycle business cards or use small squares of cardboard to make holiday decorations and ornaments for your Christmas tree.  Contact a local businesses - many companies have boxes of business cards from employees who have left or perhaps a phone number has changed. Don't let these go to waste!  Enjoy!

Reindeer and Santa popsicle stick craft.

Reindeer paper and popsicle stick craft for toddlers.

Make your own playing cards

Perhaps a game of  'Hearts' or 'Old Maid'. Cut photos from magazines or draw your own. We used business cards, paint, glue, glitter, popsicle sticks, and construction paper.

Step 1

Paint your business card.

Pink for Santa's face, brown for a reindeer. 

Step 2  

Take 5 or 6 sticks of the same color. If you're using plain, recycled, popsicle sticks - don't forget to paint them.

Step 3

Place the sticks as pictured on your business card and glue them in place. Elmer's school glue worked perfectly.

Santa Popsicle Craft for Kids.

Step 4 Cut out Santa's hat and trimmings. Draw his face.

Step 5
Add a magnet from a recycled calendar or business card logo-magnet and glue it to the back or glue a ribbon to the top back to hang on your tree. Add glue, dump on the glitter, shake it off, and when it dries you have a sparkly tree ornament! HAPPY RECYCLING!

Popsicle Stick Santa Craft.

Recommended Reading:


Christmas Crafts For Kids: 50 Step-By-Step Decorations And Gift Ideas For Festive Fun

Christmas Ornaments to Make: 101 Sparkling Holiday Trims (Better Homes and Gardens)

The Best list of Christmas Party Games Ever!

How to Make a Paper Turkey Craft with Scrapbook Paper

Scrapbook Paper Turkey Craft

Last year, we were given a few scrapbook paper books. These are amazing things to a crafter. Pages and pages of beautiful, colorful paper with awesome patterns and designs. We guarded it carefully until one day we saw, There's Just One Mommy, make a paper turkey craft. We knew right then, our paper treasure was destined to be a Thanksgiving turkey!  Enjoy.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

My favorite part of creating is how everyone creates differently. I've known many an art teacher and several preschool teachers, who give you a pattern and instructions and get very upset if it isn't a carbon copy of their own.

Mommy cut a pattern. She showed her turkey (that she loves) and told the kids they could use any papers from the recycle bin, including the scrapbook paper. Check it out!

We took it further and used actual scrap paper from our recycle box.

Mayhem turned the tail feathers the opposite direction and used a mix of old cards, coloring pages, and pages from an Oriental Trading Co. flyer. Mommy's turkey head pattern was completely tossed aside for a simple circle.

Look what we did with just a simple sales flyer, you know, trash. We made it pretty.

Jake, Jake, Jake. He likes order. He turned the feathers the right way and made them all match. He didn't use Mommy's turkey head pattern, but he made his own head and body. Still no feet though.

Mommy's scrapbook turkey lost a foot.

Paper plate turkey collage craft from There's Just one Mommy.

Collage paper plate turkey craft for preschoolers from theresjustonemommy.com

Recommended Reading:

10 Fat Turkeys Book

Jake's Stuffed Turkey Recipe

Styrofoam Turkey Craft

How to Make Marshmallow Turkeys

Thanksgiving Coloring Pages

7 Creative New Year's Crafts and Activities for Kids fun for boys and girls

7 Easy New Year Activities for Kids for Boys and Girls

These 7 New Year's Crafts are creative and easy enough for little ones to do. The anticipation of the suprise package and the enjoyment of the other activities will help make it the best new year's ever. Enjoy!

 New Year's Crafts and Activities for Kids.

Click the titles for How to Make New Year's Crafts for Kids.

Festive Rocket Popper Blaster

Rocket Popper Activity for Children.

Fill this with confetti or feathers.  Ours is filled with colorful, recycled silk flowers from a craft lei project. Perfect for New Years, VBS, or, a Fourth of July Party.

Silver Surprise Package

Midnight Care Package New Year Activity.

We used a tiny jewelry box.  Tag reads, "Do not open until Midnight - 12/31/12". Fill this with a fun gift for the kiddos or make it a Midnight Care Package by filling it with a noise maker/kazoo, a pair of silly glasses, and a party hat.

Ring in the New Year Bell

Make a bell from a paper cup.

Recycle a paper cup, plastic spoon, holiday ornament or that jingle bell necklace into a fun kid-crafted bell noisemaker for the year-end celebration.

Snow Globe or Eye Spy New Year's Time Capsule Ornament

7 New Year's Decorations.

A clear glass or plastic ornament makes a fun party favor.

New Year's Necklace/Medallion

New Year Medallion a recycled Christmas decoration.

Paint an old, plastic holiday ornament with sparkles and the New Year date.  Insert a shiny ribbon or string and you've got a fun, memento.  Boy's like to wear necklaces too so this is a fun project they can personalize anyway they want.

Easy, Sparkly Ornaments to Deck the Halls

Transform Christmas Balls to sparkly New Year Decorations.

Give that Gold or Silver ball ornament new life.  Add a sparkly, spiraled pipe-cleaner to hang and paint with glitter glue.  We added a gold leaf from an old, holiday decoration to give it a little whimsy.

Fun Ball Drop Whirly-Gig Silent Spin Drum

Fun New Year activity for kids. 
Craft a whirly-gig with preschoolers.

Popsicle sticks and styrofoam make for fun!  Paint a styrofoam ball of any size, paint any color you like (be patient paint takes forever to dry on styrofoam).  Add glitter.  Pop in the stick and decorate to your hearts content.  We added a silver pipe-cleaner and silver, star garland to hang.  Add feathers and spin in your hands like a spin drum or hang upside down in the doorway as a festive replacement for mistletoe.  The kiddos can pretend to let the ball drop if you attach a long string over a hanger.

Tip:  Add tiny pieces of mirror (Find sticky back pieces at Craft Stores) to a styrofoam ball to make a Disco Ball decoration.


Recommended Reading:

P. Bear's New Year's Party: A Counting Book*

The Night Before New Year's*


Grafix 9-Inch-by-12-Inch Adhesive Backed Film Silver, 3-Pack*

More New Year's Craft and Activities






ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)