It’s a great time to tap into your creative side and have some fun at home with the kids. It’s a time when there seems to be so little but so much going on and we all need an outlet for our sanity. Here’s a quick list of 5 ideas that you can do that will give an outlet and allow for some stress relief with artistic fun!
More Fun Artistic Activities On The Web
Here are some sites that have some great activities and ideas on them as well!
The Artful Parent has some fun activities to check out as well that include some really cool raised salt art activities.
Left Craft Brain has a list of 40 of the best art projects for kids
Good Housekeeping has 50 Fun Activities for kids
Art Projects for kids has some cool drawing tutorials
Buzzfeed has a great post about the art kids are creating during quarantine to give you some more inspiration!
What are your favorite art activities to do at home that bring out your artistic side?
Bring out the creativity and imagination to have some fun while spending time at home with the kids. Creativity stimulates the brain and promotes learning. It doesn’t require anything expensive or special to do and can not only entertain but create memories as well.
Get Creative!
- Make a fort. Drape some sheets around the house and get out the flashlights. You can also have a fort building contest to see who can build the best one!
- Plant some seeds in the backyard and watch them grow. There are a lot of things you can grow from the food in your fridge, like potatoes and garlic.
- Make a band with kitchen pots, pans, and wooden spoons. Have kids pick they’re favorite song and try and re-create it on the pots and pans.
- Do you have a balloon? If you do, then you can play keep it up. Blow up the balloon and try to keep it in the air by bouncing it back and forth. Here’s another fun twist by adding pool noodles to your game of keep it up!
- Make a store with everything in your kitchen. Give your kids fake money (you can make some if you don’t have any) and have them buy the food from you. This will teach them how to add and show them how it works to pick things out and pay for it.
- Make a treasure hunt. Hide some treasure (it can be anything) and make some clues. Each clue leads to the next clue until they find the treasure. The Spruce has some clues for an indoor treasure hunt! Playtivities also have some printable cards with 10 clues for a treasure hunt!
Want more? Check out how you can get moving with kids at home!
Looking for some ideas to help make it through this #stayathome time with the family? Here are some ideas to help have fun and get the kids up and moving around. They are all super easy and can be don’t require anything special. Sometimes we forget about the simple things in times like this when we are overwhelmed and frustrated.
It’s been proven that moving affects your mental health whether adult or child. It is fun to some days hang out and watch Netfilix or Disney + but we also have to remember the importance of moving and physical activity.
Movement Activities
- Have a dance party! Put on some fun music and get moving. Make a playlist, add some glow sticks and have fun! You can even take it up a notch with a freeze dance party! You can also check out our Hulk Smash Dance Party
- Play a game of tag and get the whole family involved. It’s a fun way to get moving, get your heart rate up and wear kids out for bedtime that night!
- Hide and seek is a great way to move around and involve younger kids in learning to count.
- The floor is lava game. Start on one side of the house and try to get to the other side. You must jump from rug to rug and pillow to pillow without touching the floor. Imaginative play is so important for kids, even in non-pandemic circumstances.
- Relay race especially if you have a backyard. If you only have one child make an obstacle course for them. Mommy Poppins has a great indoor obstacle course option as well
Do you have any at home moving ideas?
Want more activities to do at home?
Check out these creative options!
What could be more fun than a Golden Girls Game to play while you are stuck at home? I had to share since this one is on sale! Check it out! You could even ship it to someone you love, I’m sure they’ll thank you for being a friend! See what I did there? You’re singing it aren’t you?
Funkoverse Golden Girls Strategy Game ONLY $10.99 (Reg. $25)
Looking for some savings during this uncertain “self-isolation”/quarantine time? Me too! Here are some helpful coupons for when you go grocery shopping this week. We’ve been trying to make list so that we’re not making 3 grocery stores runs a week. It’s been tough trying to stay at home. Since I’m working from home and the kids are doing virtual school it has been one of the things to make sure we do but man, I’d love to just go walk around Target for a little bit.
Food Coupons
Allergy Care Coupons
Cleaning Supply Coupons
I don’t know about you but we’ve been doing some deep cleaning recently. These should come in handy for anyone who has been on teh same mission!
Personal Care Coupons
Are you roots showing like mine are? This could come in handy!
I can vividly remember being a kid and not wanting to go outside because it was hot, or I wanted to watch tv instead- and then it would rain and there was absolutely nothing more that I wanted to do than go outside. It was in those moments there was no tv show, no toy, no books, no anything that would provide me something sufficient to do. This was also the struggle during hurricane season when storms would come through. It was like murder. Although all the opportunities I had prior to those moments I didn’t want. It’s the funny thing about the way people tend to think.
For a couple years now there’s been this push of seeing people in person and being involved in “real life” because everyone is so caught up in the online world and social media. The minute though that it is suggested we distance ourselves socially, suddenly no one can take it and they need to be in the biggest, closest social gatherings they can find.
Enter one of the (sometimes many) reasons that adulting sucks. It’s our job to be responsible and lead our kids through this time. That isn’t fun or easy. They recently closed schools in our area for an additional week (I’m hoping that will be all but who knows). I’m smart, I have a Masters Degree and am a big believer in continuous learning but that being said, I’m not a teacher. It is not my expertise and it’s not a role you can just walk into. That doesn’t mean we don’t do our best to keep kids’ minds sharp but I hope that it helps everyone to see just how much value our schools and teachers provide. It’s also a balance in helping our kids not freak out and become scared over everything and keeping our own sanity at the same time. All that we can do is our best. Whatever that is at the moment. Sometimes that will be reading books together or finding fun learning activities. Other times that will be watching Netflix or playing games on the iPad. It’s ok. There’s no rule book for this and in our lifetime nothing like this has happened before so don’t let anyone tell you that you’re doing it wrong. I will say that over the past two days I’ve found that my “out of routine” approach hasn’t helped. I thought I’ll let them stay up a little later- and by that, I mean like 8:30-9:00 at the latest which wasn’t the most brilliant idea for a person whose children thrive on routine. Oh well. Lesson learned and now I start this week trying to figure out balancing routine, the unknown and trying to keep my sanity in the process. It will not be perfect and there will be meltdowns but that’s just life, it really doesn’t have anything to do directly with the Corona Virus or quarantine.
Ideas to Survive Quarantine:
Just the word quarantine let alone survive quarantine sounds dreadful and scary, doesn’t it? Here are some ideas on how to get through it and keep your sanity and wit in the process.
1. Lego Competitions
Legos are educational and fun. Get creative and have your very own lego competitions right at home! Little Bins for Little Hands has a cool Printable Lego Challange Calendar!
2. Dance Party
Music makes us happy, dancing is a physical activity and gets us moving. It’s the perfect time to put together your favorite playlist and have a little fun. It reminds me of our Hulk Smash Dance Party that we did for my son, just on a “household” scale. Get some lights or glow sticks from Amazon to add to the fun!
3. Facetime Party with Friends/Cousins
That’s right, GROUP FACETIME! Virtual parties! Seriously, it’s a great way to entertain and socialize with friends and family during this social distancing/quarantine.
4. Coloring
Coloring can be fun, creative and even therapeutic for kids and adults.
5. Keep a Journal
This is a great idea to help on so many levels. Get feelings out, keep track of the day, talk about what is going on. It can help process things while practicing skills like writing, drawing, fluency. It will also be something that will be interesting to look back on later!
6. Start a Penpal Relationship
I get that maybe snail mail isn’t the best suggestion during this specific time but if you are using envelopes that are self-seal it could work. There’s also the email option that can still make this safe and fun.
7. Fun with Patterns
ABC Mouse Blog had these suggestions on patterns
Visual Patterns
- Small, large, small, large
- Red, red, blue, red, red, blue
- Circle, square, triangle, circle, square, triangle
Sound Patterns
- Snap, snap, clap, snap, snap, clap
- Long sound, short sound, long sound, short sound
Motion Patterns
- Sit, stand, sit, stand
- Arms up, arms out, arms down, arms up, arms out, arms down
8. Scholastic
The Scholastic site has great resources for at-home learning during school closures.
9. Breakout EDU
Breakout EDU has put together some games for kids suddenly stuck at home due to school closures. They are a company that brings the excitement of escape rooms to learning.
10. Kids Discover Online
This resource from Kids Discover Online has some great science and social study resources. There are some free resources, such as interesting infographics and articles (see How Crayons Were Invented) to check out!
11. Prodigy
Prodigy is an online math game that ties in math to a fun adventure. My kids LOVE this game and play it on a regular basis. The same math they will complain about during homework they tend to do with ease while playing in a game environment which in turn helps them at school.
12. Tynker
Tynker is another online learning resource offering access to those whose children’s school is suddenly closed. They are a school computer coding resource.
13. Workout/Physical Activity
It’s so important to get up and get moving during this time, it’s proven to help us emotionally, mentally and physically. Some great FREE resources to help you out.
Fit as a Mama Bear YouTube Channel has some great at home, equipment-free workouts
Family Cario Workout
Cosmo Yoga Frozen Workout
Erin Kendall Mommy and Me Dinosaur Workout
14. Netflix/Amazon/Disney+
There’s a time for everything…. including sitting back and checking out Netflix, Amazon Video and Disney+! Some of our favorites
Dino Dana
Nailed It!
Tangled the series
Jessie
Bunk’d
Phineas and Ferb
More suggestions of Great TV for Kids from Vulture
15. Make It Up As You Go
Sometimes, the most creative, adventurous fun you can have is that which is made up as you go. Whether creating a new game, making a scavenger hunt, or looking for Hidden Mickeys there is fun to be had. When it gets stressful, take a step back and remember that everyone is feeling it. We’ll get through this!
What are your suggestions for activities to survive quarantine? I’d love to hear them!
“Can I have a pet? Please! I promise to take care of it.” -said every child at some point in their life. Most of the time it’s something that will inevitably fall back on the parent even if it’s just partially which I think is what makes us dread it when we hear that question.
At the end of the school year, my daughter’s teacher asked if someone would like to take the class Betta fish. My daughter begged, “please!! I know how to take care of it!” as she proceeded to explain to me the process of feeding and cleaning the bowl. It was a fish, that came with the tank and all, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to say yes. Apparently, other people felt that way also so there way a drawing for it, which we didn’t win. This led us to the next inevitable question… “Can we buy one?” which makes my 5-year-old pipe in too “I want one!” Great. Now I need two? Initially, I explained they could just share one, there wasn’t a point to two. Besides, you can only have one Betta in a tank.
Proven Wrong By Amazon
In order to look for cheap tank options, we decided to look on Amazon. We needed something more than just a plain bowl that didn’t have a lid. We found this Betta Falls Kit by Aqueon.
It’s three separate containers that are part of one tank. It’s pretty cool and it allowed for each kid to pick out a Betta fish which was a bonus.
The tank setup was super easy!
We also got these Betta Bed Leaf Hammock which apparently Betta’s like to lay on?
Interesting Tidbits about Betta Fish
- They are jumpers- so you need a lid
- They are Carnivores- You can supplement the fish’s diet with frozen or freeze-dried brine shrimp or tubifex worms.
- They can live up to 3 years
- They grow up to 3 inches long
- They gulp air from the surface of their tank so they don’t need aerated aquariums
Bettas don’t need a lot of room or a filter in their habitat. However, having a bigger habitat and filter helps with maintenance so that’s the route we went with the Aqueon Betta Falls Kit. The setup process and cost for a Betta fish is much more affordable than a full-on aquarium (especially a saltwater one). The nice thing is they are beautiful and colorful, which you don’t get a lot of in a freshwater tank.
You feed them a very small amount 1-2 times a day, and their maintenance is very little. This makes them a great pet for kids.
The Betta Bed Hammock
I’m not going to lie about this, I laughed at my husband when he purchased these. I mean… really?? A Betta bed hammock? Then, after about two weeks, the fist started laying on it. This was one of the funniest things I had seen. It was like a dog trying to get comfortable on it’s dog bed so it walks around in a circle before sitting. The fish did nearly the same thing.
Is It Really An Easy Pet for Kids
Overall, this is an easy pet for the kids. They like to watch it and talk to their fish. It also helps with encouraging responsibility as they remember to feed their fish every day. Fun fact, you can train your Betta to play with it- Playing With Your Betta Fish. This was funny because when my son went to pick out his fish he looked, and looked, then looked some more before saying “I want to see which one comes to me” meaning when he stuck his finger on the outside of the container which one came over.
If you’re looking for something very low maintenance that will allow your child to have a pet but not drive you crazy, I think a Betta fish is a great option to check out!
Helpful Betta Fish Resources:
Petsmart Betta Fish Care Guide
Aqueon Betta Care Sheet
More Kids Post
Sunday, March 8th is International Women’s Day and the month of March is Women’s History month I thought it would be a great opportunity to highlight some incredible women.
These women each faced their own struggles and pushed past their own fears of self-esteem and self-worth to achieve greatness. They have left lasting legacies on the world that will continue to inspire future generations as well.
As a mom, one thing I want for my kids is to be strong and confident as they grow. Whether a daughter or a son, lessons can be learned from these strong women and what they overcame to leave a positive mark on history.
5 Strong Women to Celebrate on International Women’s Day
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor was a shy, insecure child who overcame obstacles in life to become one of the most important and beloved First Ladies, authors, reformers and female leaders of our time. She was born in 1884 to a wealthy, politically prominent family but that did not save her from her father’s alcoholism or the deaths of her parents and one brother before she was 10-years-old. After the deaths of her parents and brother, her maternal grandmother who was said to be harsh and critical of Eleanor raised her. She had a low self-esteem and was seen as timid and awkward believing she wasn’t as good as other girls.
Despite this, as she grew older she became involved in the settlement house movement, teaching children and families on Rivington Street. She held leadership roles in several organizations such as the League of Women Voters and the Women’s Trade Union League. When she moved into her role as First Lady she became one of the most politically active, influential First Ladies in history. She not only chaired but also helped write the 1948 United Nations Declaration of Human Rights as well as worked on the Equal Pay Act. Eleanor took on many social issues related to women, racial justice, and immigration.
Low self-esteem is not an easy thing to overcome especially when you’ve had to deal with it starting from such a young age. Eleanor Roosevelt is an example of a strong woman who embraced grit and determination and who also understood that ONLY YOU can decide your worth.
Princess Diana
Princess Diana, was one of the most adored members of the British Royal Family. She was known for her shyness growing up and throughout her life she struggled with depression. Diana was born into a wealthy family on July 1, 1961. In 1969 her parents divorced and her father, Lord Spenser was given custody of the children. After leaving school in the late 1970’s she worked various jobs including cook, nanny and kindergarten teacher. She married Prince Charles who was 12 years older and stepped into Royal life. Her charisma and friendliness outshined her shyness as she was known for her compassion and advocacy. Initially, her patronages centered on children and youth but she also became known for her involvement with AIDS patients and campaigns to remove landmines as well as advocacy for people affected with cancer and mental illness.
Throughout her life she struggled with self-image even though she was seen as a fashion icon. There were times were she would seek attention but other times when she would stay at hospitals and charity events long after the press had left. Diana pushed past her own doubts of self-image to convey the importance of kindness and the human touch with those she met. She changed the way the royal family was perceived and after her death was referred to by Prime Minister Tony Blair as “The Peoples Princess” which captured people’s feelings of her around the world. Even the Queen, who had often been at odds with Diana’s ways noted, “[Diana] was an exceptional and gifted human being,” Queen Elizabeth said. “In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness.”
Princess Diana showed the importance of kindness, grace, and determination, making a lasting impact on the world.
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a beloved actress, fashion icon, and humanitarian. Born in Belgium, she was known for her beauty, elegance and grace. To this day she is one of the greatest style icons. She starred in movies such as Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. During much of World War II, she studied at the Arnhem Conservatory in the Netherlands. After the country was invaded by Nazis, she and her mother struggled to survive. According to the New York times, it was during this time she helped the resistance movement by delivering messages. At the age of 22 she moved to New York to star in the Broadway production of Gigi. Years after becoming a film star, she became known for her work on behalf of children. She was a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF in the late 1980’s. She once said, “I can testify to what UNICEF means to children, because I was among those who received food and medical relief right after World War II,” said actress Audrey Hepburn on her appointment as a Goodwill Ambassador in 1989. “I have a long-lasting gratitude and trust for what UNICEF does.”
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart was the first woman in history to fly solo across the Atlantic. From a young age, she loved adventures and the outdoors. She lived primarily with her maternal grandparents during the school year and stayed with her parents in Kansas City during the summers. Despite the disapproval from her grandmother, she enjoyed roaming the outdoors, riding imaginary horses, climbing trees, sledding and hunting. She broke stereotypes of what was known as “male jobs.” She helped girls realize their own limitless potential and that restriction placed on them by society shouldn’t dictate their success. She is remembered for her courage and strength. Amelia didn’t let anyone else define who she would be or what successes she could accomplish.
In a letter to her husband, she wrote, “Please know I am quite aware of the hazards.” She said, “I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.” A challenge for others to pick up and persevere through.
Coco Chanel
Coco Chanel trademarked suits and the infamous little black dress, designs that are still popular today. In the 1920’s she introduced her first perfume and went on to later introduce the Chanel suit as well as the little black dress with an emphasis on making clothes that were comfortable for women. She was known for paring simple outfits with great accessories.
Coco’s early life was not as glamorous as the one she would grow up to lead. She was born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel. At the age of 12 after her mothers death her father put her in an orphanage where she was raised by nuns who taught her to sew. During a brief career as a singer she was known as “Coco” which is where the name her brand took on came from.
The international economic depression of the 1930’s caused Chanel’s company to be hit hard but it was the outbreak of WWII that led her to close her business and shut down shops. At the age of 70, she made a triumphant return to the fashion world with feminine, easy fitting designs. The designs received scathing reviews from critics, but shoppers loved it.
Coco Chanel not only made an impact on the fashion world creating comfortable, stylish clothing for women but she later at the age of 70 made a successful comeback showing that you’re never too old to accomplish more in life.
What Women Inspire You?
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Candy stores bring to mind bright colors, Willy Wonka, happiness and sugar rushes. It’s one of those magical childhood places where you think that you are in paradise. Sweet Pete’s Candy Shop in Jacksonville, Florida is the perfect picture of all these things. They have done an amazing job of capturing the essence of childhood happiness. There are lots of picture-perfect places to capture snaps of your adventure including a Social Media Room.
About Sweet Pete’s
Sweet Pete’s was founded by Pete and Allison Behringer. It is the largest candy store in the southeast. Located in a historic 22,000 square foot mansion in the heart of downtown Jacksonville. You may have heard of Sweet Pete’s if you are familiar with CNBC’s show The Profit. That’s when they moved from their Springfield location to one with more foot traffic in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. It’s a really cool story of how they completely turned the business around so that it could thrive.
Image from First Coast News from Sweetpetescandy.com
Our Visit To Sweet Pete’s
My sister had taken the kids (separately) a couple years ago for their birthday but they hadn’t been back since. I thought it would be something fun to do especially since it was chilly and a little rainy out. There is something about candy shops that bring back the kid in you and make you feel happy.
We went early and parked a block over. The shop itself doesn’t have any direct parking. There were no meter charges because it was a Saturday which was nice. The building stands out in downtown and even from the outside, you can tell that it is going to be fun. I warned the kids ahead of time that while I would buy them some candy I was not purchasing any toys. Like all kids, they will find a reason they need another stuffed animal or toy car so I was attempting to set the expectation going in. I didn’t realize that Sweet Pete’s had as many toys as they now had.
Inside The Shop
Sweet Pete’s is three floors, the bottom has a small shop where you can get fudge and specialty items as well as a restaurant- 10/6 Grille. The second floor has candy and ice-cream parlor. The third floor has party rooms, a play area, toys, and a social media room.
The 10/6 Grille to the left when you walk into Sweet Pete’s Picture Wall Going up to the 2nd Floor of Sweet Pete’s
I love the staircase, it’s amazing. As you walk up to the second floor there is a decorated area where you can sit and take a picture.
There’s an area on the second floor with some old fashioned candy as well as a place where you can purchase bulk candy in small $5 boxes. There’s also outdoor seating areas that are pretty cool. It was chilly the day we were there so we didn’t sit out there. We’ll have to check it out next time that we go! There’s also an ice cream parlor on the second floor. Since we were going to be eating lunch at the 10/6 Grille we skipped that as well but next time.
On to the Toy Shop
The kids went wild over the toy shop. There was so much stuff up there. Toys and books. Even though we had talked about it several times, they still asked for a toy (who would’ve guessed??!) but I had to stick to my no, even though I did want to give in. There was an Eloise book which my daughter loved. She became a big Eloise fan after we visited The Plaza in New York City.
There was also an area where you could see candy being made.
Social Media Room at Sweet Pete’s
One of our favorite rooms was the Social Media room that had various photo areas set up. This is a MUST SEE area for any family or blogger who is visiting. You can get some adorable shots!
You can see a little more of the setup from the image below taken by my 6-year-old. There’s little square areas set up for the perfect photos.
Our visit was so much fun and also included a complimentary sample of their fantastic Salted Caramels. You can check out more of Sweet Pete’s and even order some of their delicious goodies (including those Salted Caramels) at Sweetpetescandyshop.com. It’s an amazing place to check out.