Winter Boredom Busters for Kids

Winter is here, and it seems like my kids want to do nothing but play fortnite. It is not that I am opposed to video games, but there has to be a limit to screen time! If you are looking for ways to break up the long nights and cold days while pulling your kids attention away from Fortnite you are in luck! I have rounded up some of my favorite toys, products and activities for kids to share with you.

Samples were provided to inspire this list.

Board games are always a fun thing to do with the family. Here are some of the games we recommended as gifts last year. 

Mad Matter is so much fun to play with. It combines sensory delight with imaginative creation, and best of all, this stuff never dries out! It is a lot like play doh, but is different in its own wonderful ways. My kids love to press this stuff into the included molds and serve up a helping of fun. Find it at Walmart, Kohl's and on Amazon starting at about $8 a pack.

A good story is always a good idea, especially on a cold, winter day! This adorable book by Alex Willan is perfect for snuggling up and getting lost in a story. Unicorns are the Worst! Will have your kids laughing and developing a love of reading. Order for about $18 from Simon and Schuster.

It has been almost a year since my girl has been to a birthday party, so I decided to bring the party to her with this really cool jewelry designer kit. This clay charm kit is perfect for making with a friend and wearing with pride. Order a Clay Chic You Unique kit starting at $18. They have a big selection so you can find the perfect kit!

The Bolean Box is awesome for kids of all ages because who wouldn't like to build their own computer with the raspberry system? This isn't just a computer though, it teaches kids to code, and lets them do lots of rad things like modify minecraft! The kits start at $150 and are a lot of fun to assemble. This makes a perfect snow day activity that will entertain the kids long after the snow melts. Order on the site or from Amazon. I know this list is for screen free ideas, but this is such an engaging option I had to include it on this list.

As for my house, we will love any and everything to do with cats. My 7 year old is crazy for our kitties so the 44 Cats Clubhouse Pilou's Place was a natural choice for her. This fun little set will have kids meowing for days with delight. It has all of the little accessories that any cat fantatic would want to play with! Find these at Target, from Amazon and from Walmart.

Bandai brings back a taste of my childhood with these awesome Tamagotchi Pets! The Hello Kitty Tamagotchi is perfect for portable fun and gives kids something to tinker with at anytime or any place. I love the small size of these and how they fit on a key chain or backpack. Find this Hello Kitty Pet for $20 at Walmart, Target, Game Stop and Amazon.

A classic toy gets a make over with these Charaction CUBE's from Bandai. These are fun little puzzles that challenge kids while engaging them with favorite characters like Gudetama and favorites from Dragon Ball Z. These are about $15 and can be found at Target or from Amazon.

We live in Ohio and we have already had several days with snow on the ground. My kids will happily head out to play in it, anytime, anywhere. These Gosili cups are awesome for warming them up with cocoa after some snow lay. They are durable, portable, and best of all unbreakable! These cups are about $15 and will help you reduce your carbon footprint.

I hope these ideas help you keep your kids entertained without relying on the screen this winter!

How To Make Paw Print Cupcakes

My best friend, my original baby, my dog, turned 10 a few weeks ago! To celebrate the day we got both of the dogs their favorite treats! A plain burger from Wendy's and a kiddie sized vanilla frosty... {Don't judge... my kids feed them everything and this is simply the favorite people food among my dogs...} but I couldn't stop there. I am a mom of furry babies and human ones too! My kids get really psyched for a birthday! The dogs are no exception!

This year, my 5-year-old declared that we should "invite everyone over!" to celebrate this awesome day, the birthday of one of our dogs...

Considering half of the everyone he wanted to invite are several hours away from our house, I asked him if we could compromise and have a little party with just us. He looked skeptical... he asked, "What about balloons and presents mom?" I said "Well, Fritz {dog} doesn't really like toys anymore, he is kind of like... a grandpa among dogs. He likes to eat burgers and ice cream on his birthday."

My 5 year old frowned. He said "Can there be cake? No? Maybe grandma should come, she can bring cookies..." I laughed at this. Gotta give the kid credit, he wants a treat too! 

We could have made homemade cupcakes, but you know, I have kids! Time for cupcakes was not planned on that day. I turned to a box mix and a can of icing... no special recipe to mention here. 

But, I do have an idea for decorating any kind of cupcakes! This easy (and cheap!) decoration idea might just leave a paw print on the hearts and tummies of everyone you share one with!

You will need per 12 cupcakes:

36 Junior Mints (you will need 3 per cupcake)

12 mini York Peppermint Patties 

Directions:

Bake Cupcakes according to the package.

Allow to cool completely.

Frost the cupcakes.

Place the York Peppermint Miniatures
near the bottom edge of the cupcake.

Add 3 Junior Mints
to the top of the York Peppermint Patty to make the toes.

Now you have a delicious and minty addition to your cupcakes! This is my favorite cupcake decorating tip! It is so easy to make and they are fun! 

Please do not feed these Paw Print Cupcakes to your dog! Yes, I know I made these for the dogs birthday and I told you that the dog got his favorite people food treats for his birthday- but I truly do not like my dogs to eat a lot of people food. I know, I am a sweet mom and all but I seriously, between friends, I NAG at my kids every day about feeding the dogs. Also, your dog should never have chocolate as a treat. It is very dangerous for the health of any dog!

I hope you liked hearing about my best friends birthday and I hope that you liked our special cupcakes!

You might also enjoy this Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake Recipe!

Pot of Gold Sensory Bin

Saint Patrick's Day is right around the corner and I have the perfect sensory bin to share with you for the occasion. This Pot of Gold Bin is easy to set up, is loads of fun to play with, and will get kids excited for the holiday!

Sensory bins are so much fun for kids. They combine fine motor work, the engagement of the senses, and imagination into one awesome invitation to play. This Pot of Gold St. Patrick's Day Bin was so easy to set up, and I got everything I needed at the dollar store. This sensory bin is easy to set up, and the kids will want to play with it many times. 

Supplies:

1. A plastic storage bin with a lid.
2. St. Patrick's Day Foam Scatter
3. 4 Leaf Clover Confetti
4. Buttons in assorted colors
5. Small black cauldrons from the party favor section of Dollar Tree

Instructions:

1. Dump the confetti, foam scatter and buttons into the storage bin.
2. Add a few of the cauldrons to the bin.
3. Offer your child tweezers, spoons, or any other tool you like for scooping.
4. Allow your child to fill the buckets with a rainbow of colors (beads) and the gold foam coins.

I encouraged my daughter to tell me what colors she would find in a rainbow and place one bead from each color in the bucket.

We also used this as a counting exercise; how many gold coins could she find? How many big clovers? And so on.

Harper also had fun just digging in the scatter and confetti. She brought a few little action figures into the mix and had a fun small world session later. 

I like to make these bins in shoe box sized plastic containers so we can snap a lid on it and revisit the activity later. The kids always want to play with the bin again!

If you like this idea you can find all of my sensory bins and bags here.
Reader favorites include:
Sensory Party in a Bag
Birthday Cake Sensory Bin
Grab some FREE St. Patick's Day Coloring Pages here
Check out these End of the Rainbow Snacks
Check out these easy 3d Shamrocks

Creepy Eye Sorting Bag

This creepy eye sensory bag is perfect for squishy Halloween color sorting.

Keeping the kids entertained, engaged, and learning is my goal these days. It can be a challenge; the kids are tired of being at home, playing with the same toys, and hearing me ask if anyone wants  to read a book together every couple of moments.

Last week, I was standing around looking at my craft supplies, feeling totally uninspired. I really wanted to give the kids some busy work, but didn't want to make myself too busy putting it together. A simple sorting sensory bag was exactly what they needed. And this one is perfect for fall, or anytime of the year.

Supplies:

Hair Gel; clear

Googly Eyes in assorted colors

Permanent Markers

Large Zipper Seal Bag

Directions:

Draw circles with permanent markers that match the colors of eyes you will be using.

Add 2 tablespoons, or 2 generous squeezes of clear hair gel to a zipper seal bag.

Add googly eyes.

Seal the bag.

Offer the bag to your child.

Encourage your child to move to eyes to their coordinating circle.

This is a great combination of sensory and color matching.

If you want to add an additional challenge to this activity, you could draw more circles in assorted sizes and encourage the kids to coordinate the googly eyes by size.

If you had fun with this creepy eye sorting sensory bag you won't want to miss these sensory play ideas.

Reader favorites include:

Sensory Party in a Bag

Birthday Cake Sensory Bin

Rainbow Disc Sensory Bag

veggie garden sensory bin

This veggie garden sensory bin comes together so easily to give little ones a chance to play and get excited about their vegetables while working on fine motor skills.

We have a weekly routine in the summer; every Tuesday and Saturday we head to the farmers market. We buy all of the fresh food we will eat that week, plus a little extra to freeze. I love how the offerings change throughout the season. The kids love the sights, the smells and the baked goods. While they might spend most of their visit to the market pleading for cookies, they always jump in the line for our favorite farmer. Who gets to hold the basket and who gets to pick the produce? We always work it out.

Last week while we were in line for our peppers, onions and radishes, the kids were bickering about the basket and the picking job and inspiration hit. I knew right away that I was going to recreate a garden scene for their enjoyment. If they argued about who got to play first, I will never tell.

Supplies:

• Plastic box with clip lid
• One pound of dried black beans
• ½ cup of whole coffee beans
• Leaves from artificial flowers
• Assorted play food; tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, strawberries etc
• Plastic serving tongs
• Sandbox tools

Directions:

Layer the dry black beans in the box.

Add coffee beans to the mix for a fragrant experience.

Nestle the leaves into the beans (I simply removed the leaves from a few stems of
artificial flowers).

Place the fruits and vegetables in the beans and on the leaves.

Add plastic serving tongs and plastic shovels.

Invite your child to harvest the veggies, to explore the beans and to work on fine motor skills
by picking the veggies and beans up with the tools.

This was so much fun for the kids. Even too cool, 9 year old Rolf got involved and explored this veggie garden sensory bin.

This was fun to smell and touch and it gave Harp a chance to work on her fine motor skills.

When you are all finished playing, you can snap the lid on the bin and store it for playtime in the future.

You can find all of my sensory content here.
Birthday Cake Sensory Bin

Rainbow Disc Sensory Bag

Give kids a fun way to sort colors while getting a little sensory play in with this rainbow disc sensory bag.

We love sensory play. From bins to bags, and even bottles; anyway you present sensory play we are in!

With the kids being out of school for so long I have been really busy coming up with activities to engage them, challenge them, and keep them entertained. We made this easy sensory bag to practice our color sorting and pattern making skills. It is perfect for adding some color to the day.

Supplies:

Hand Sanitizer or Hair Gel

Rainbow Counting Chips

Zipper Seal Bag

Sharpies

Directions:

Draw a rainbow on a zipper seal sandwich bag with Sharpies.

Add several squirts of hand sanitizer or hair gel (about a tablespoon or two of gel is ideal).

Drop transparent colored counting chips (or bingo markers) in the colors of the rainbow into the bag.

Seal well. If your child has 'rough hands' you might want to reinforce the sides with tape to prevent the sides from busting. (This is a good idea for toddlers, but can be skipped for older kids!)

If your child has 'gentle hands' you can skip the reinforcement with tape.

Invite your child to glide the discs thru the gel and place them on the color they match.

When finished, check the seal to be sure it is closed and store for another day when a quiet activity is needed.

You can find all of my sensory play ideas here:

Reader favorites include:

Sensory party in a bag

Birthday Cake Sensory Bin

Cat in the Hat Pattern Making Sensory Bin

This year in honor of Dr.  Seuss's birthday we made this easy and fun Cat in the Hat Pattern Making sensory bin. This is a fun way to put your puffle to good use and work on pattern making skills which later help kids grasp math concepts.

This post contains affiliate links. 

We love sensory bins, bags and play! Both of my kids still get excited when they see I have a new bin ready to explore. This one was a huge hit because they had been itching to get their hands into pluffle. This is such a fun squishy foam! It is a must have for sensory play!

Supplies:

Pluffel

Assorted red and white items.We used cotton balls, feathers, legos, mini clothespins and glittery Christmas scatter

Measuring spoons, tongs and other fun items to pick up the items in the bin with.

A large tray or a plastic storage bin.

Directions:

Pour pluffle on to a tray or into a storage bin.

Make sure you take a moment to squeeze, form and otherwise take in the pluffle; it is a great sensory play option and adults will enjoy the texture too.

Next, offer your child an assortment of red and white items.

We used tiny clothespins, legos in red and white, feathers, cotton balls, and Christmas scatter that was glittery and red.

Encourage your child to recreate the stripes of the Cat in the Hat's hat.

This is a great opportunity to use fine motor skills with the spoons and tongs. Encourage your child to try placing the items with those tools as well as their fingers.

When play time is over, you can snap a lid on the bin, or put it all back in the pluffle container for future play sessions. Pluffle never dries out!

You can find all of my sensory ideas here.

Favorites include:
Rainbow Rice BinVeggie Garden Sensory Bin

Button Sensory Bag

Sensory Play doesn't have to be complicated or messy! This easy button sensory bag is perfect for keeping little hands busy and eager minds learning. Best of all, it comes together in just a few moments!

Add caption

Sensory play is awesome for kids. It is fun, and can be as simple or as complicated as you wish. I love to give my kids the tools they need to play, learn, and relax. This button sensory bag is easy to make and can serve several purposes.

The button sensory bag is perfect for quiet reflection time. I made this for Harper on one of those rough days when she needed a chance to unwind. As she got herself together we used this bag for sorting colors and shapes. Manipulating the buttons is awesome for fine motor practice.

                                                          This post contains affiliate links.

Supplies Needed:

A zipper seal sandwich bag

Hair gel

Buttons

Glitter

Directions:
Place aout 1/4 cup of hair gel in a zipper seal bag.

Add glitter to the hair gel. I thought blue was a nice touch, but you can use whatever color you like.

Add assorted buttons.

Seal. If your child is young or has "rough hands" You might want to reinforce the edges and opening with duct tape.

Invite your child to explore the bag. Squish it, sort colors, or sort by sizes.

You can find more sensory activities ideas here:
Birthday Cake Sensory Play is always a hit!
Flower Garden Sensory Bins are perfect for rainy days!