Stars and Stripes Bin

Bring a touch of patriotic flair to your sensory activities with this easy to set up Stars and Stripes Bin.

It is fun to play in and gives little hands a chance to design the flag. Make it for the 4th of July, or anytime for hands on play.

A few weeks ago I ran across a bag of white sand in my craft supplies and I wanted to use it before it spilled all over my craft room. I had visions of our rascally kitten Richard finding it and using it like a mini litter box. 

I kept poking around in my supplies and found a bag of glow in the dark starts. Inspiration was born.

This was an easy bin to assemble and both of my kids enjoyed playing in this bin. 

Supplies:

Popcorn kernels

Hand sanitizer

Blue food color

White craft sand

Red paper

Star Confetti

Small glow in the dark stars

Paint brush

Plastic bin with lid

Scissors

Zipper seal storage bag.

Directions:

To make blue dyed popcorn:

Place about a 1/2 a cup of unpopped popcorn kernels, 2 generous drops of hand sanitizer and several drops of blue food coloring in a zipper seal food storage bag. 

Shake well.

You can allow the kernels to dry in the bag overnight, or place them on a paper towel to dry for several hours.

To assemble the bin:

Cut a sheet of red paper to fit inside of the bin you plan to use.

Pour white craft sand over the red paper.

In the upper left section, pour the blue dyed popcorn kernels.

Add a paint brush and an assortment of stars.

Invite your child to brush sand away to create the stripes.

Encourage your child to add the stars to the popcorn kernels.

When not in use, replace the lid on the bin for easy storage for future play!

Find more sensory bin ideas here.

Reader favorites include:

Birthday Cake Bin

Flower Garden Sensory Bin

Time Out Jar

I first made these calm down jars in 2014. My kids were so small that we used plastic, just in case they were dropped or thrown during a tantrum back then. While the children have grown so much since then, I have made these with them a few times. I have updated the post and included a few new photos for you.

Photo Credit: Sara Lehman.

If you need an idea that brings a little more zen and fewer tantrums, let me introduce you to the time out jar. You can call these whatever you like; a meditation jar, a calm down jar, or a time in jar. The idea remains the same, this jar can help your kids take a minute to collect themselves after a meltdown, or offer them a quiet minute for themselves anytime they want it. Plus, the results are pretty and relaxing to watch.

Photo Credit: Sara Lehman.

Make these with a plastic container, like a treehut body scrub container, if you have little kids.

If your kids are older, and would be more likely to use this as a meditation tool, feel free to use a mason jar, or even better, recycle a used food jar, like a pasta sauce container.

Photo Credit: Sara Lehman.

This is an easy craft, that all ages can help with. It is cool enough to get tweens interest, and you can use your favorite colors and whatever glitter you like. We have even added chunky confetti to time out jars.

Photo Credit: Sara Lehman.

Supplies:

1 to 2 tablespoons of glitter glue

Chunky Confetti

Glitter 

A mason jar and lid

1 ¾ water

A craft stick

Photo Credit: Sara Lehman.

Pour the warm water in the container with the glitter glue.

Photo Credit: Sara Lehman.

Add a drop or two of food coloring to the glue and water.

Photo Credit: Sara Lehman.

I lined the lid of the container with glue and firmly sealed the jar.

Photo Credit: Sara Lehman.

And here you have a TIME OUT JAR.

Photo Credit: Sara Lehman

You can find all of my sensory ideas here.
Egypt Sensory Play
Feeding Sharks Sensory Bag

Homemade Play Dough Recipes: A Fun and Easy Way to Keep Kids Entertained

 Play Dough Recipes: A Fun and Easy Way to Keep Kids Entertained

Play dough is a great way to keep kids entertained for hours on end. It's also a great way to help them develop their fine motor skills and creativity. And best of all, it's easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients.

Here are a few of our favorite play dough recipes:

Ice Cream Playdough by Bitz n Giggles

This playdough idea is perfect for a mess free ice cream play session with the kids.

Thanksgiving Playdough by Making Frugal Fun

Make this for the family feast, and give the kids something to do while they wait to have dinner!

Shimmer Makeup Playdoh by In the Playroom

Who knew you could make playdough with make up?! This is a fun idea for girls who love all things glam.

Cornstarch and Lotion Playdough by The DIY Nuts

This recipe makes for the softest playdough ever. You are going to want to squish this a few times before letting the kids have it.

Pumpkin Spice Playdough by Suburbia Unwrapped

Playdough is always fun, but when it smells of pumpkin spice, the experience is twice as nice.

Super Soft Fairy Dough by Little Bins for Little Hands

This recipe for fairy dough is so soft it feels nothing short of magical!

Glittery Pumpkin Pie Playdough by Retro Potluck

A pinch of glitter takes this pumpkin pie play dough experience to the next level.

Glow in the Dark Playdough by Our Wabi Sabi Life

This playdough glows in the dark for an incredibly fun experience for kids.

Kool Aid Playdough  by The Best Ideas for Kids

This playdough is made with kool aid for such a vibrant color!

Chocolate Play Doh by Rainy Day Mum

Make a batch of chocolate play doh for kids to play with!

5 Minute Playdough by Made in a Pinch

This recipe only takes 5 minutes to make and is just the thing for a rainy day activity!

Color Changing Playdough by STEAM Powered Family

This recipe makes for a magical color changing dough that kids are going to love to play with.

Extract Scented Play Doh by The Typical Mom

This dough is scented with extracts for a sensory experience that kids are going to love.

Glittery Blue Playdough by Tikkido

This glittery blue play doh is perfect for a Frozen themed play session.

Conditioner Playdough by Sweet Silly Sara

Make this recipe with conditioner for a really soft playdoh to share with the kids.

Play Dough Variations There are endless possibilities when it comes to play dough variations. Here are a few ideas: Add glitter or confetti for a festive touch. Add essential oils for a calming aroma. Add herbs or spices for a sensory experience. Add different types of flour for different textures. Add salt dough to make ornaments or other crafts. With a little creativity, you can make play dough that's perfect for your kids. So get started and have fun!

Find more play doh ideas here:
Play Doh Food Puzzles
Play Doh Pie Counting

Unicorn Fine Motor Bin

Little hands will love this fun threading bin! It is a great fine motor exercise that kids will be magically enchanted with!

Harper and I love to make and play with bins. They are perfect for an afterschool activity for her, and she is always curious about what she might find in one of our bins. This was a really easy bin that I put together literally from our junk drawer. 

We had a bunch of Ikea straws from a recent binge visit and a few sections of ribbon. I ran across these leftover party favor unicorns and knew immediately what we would do with these goodies. In case you don't have all these things at home, this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase I will earn a small commission from the advertiser.

Supplies:
Straws; I used soda and milkshake straws in assorted colors to offer variety.

I used 4 straws of each color

Ribbon; 12” length; add several strands.

Plastic Unicorn Figurines

A plastic bin with a clip on lid

Instructions:

Cut your straws by color in assorted lengths

As you cut the straws add it to the plastic bin to layer the colors

Tie a knot one on end of the ribbons. Depending upon the width of your ribbon you may want to add
several knots so that the straws will not slip off

Add a few unicorn figurines for fun

With supervision, allow your child to explore the texture and colors of the straws in the bin and thread
them onto the ribbon.

This was a fun fine motor activity for Harp with an added touch of unicorn fun. She happily threaded straws most of the afternoon!


Find  unicorn gift ideas here.

Easy Labor Day Table Decor

 Can you believe that labor day is right around the corner? It seems like the summer really went by faster than ever. Now that school is in session, why not send summer out in style and welcome fall with open arms? These festive and oh so easy table decorations are perfect for a party, and they look nice long after the patriotic holiday season.

This is an easy project, and chances are, you have everything you need to make a few in your pantry!

This easy candle project is perfect to make with the kids. We used leftover dyed rice from a sensory bin and tossed a battery operated candle into the mix, and BOOM! There is a cute as can be way to decorate for the day. For FREE!

If you don't already have dyed rice laying around no worries, it is so easy to do! You can get the complete dyed rice tutorial here.

Start by putting a little red, a little blue and a little un dyed white rice into a mason jar. Shake it. Add more of each color, making sure to shake in between colors, until you fill about 3/4 of the jar.

Add a battery operated candle. Repeat as needed. Decorate tables, patios, walkways and more with these.

Find more wonderful rice ideas here.

Reader favorites include Homemade Rice Pudding.

Sushi Sensory Bin

Basket of Fruit Process Art

Lemon and Limes find a second life after their prime with this easy and fun process art activity! It incorporates an introduction to weaving for small hands with a lot of painting fun. This activity is great for kids of all ages from Toddlers and Preschoolers, to older kids, like Rolf who is 11 now and still had fun with this!

Ok, first, let that sink in. Rolf is 11 now. When I started this blog, he was a baby. Literally, just a baby. And here we are 10 years later. Still sharing, growing and creating. Let's have a big group hug!

Next, isn't this such a cute process art project for kids? I love that the touchy, smelly parts make it super engaging for little hands. If you have been reading for a while now, you know how I feel about sensory play and  projects! (I love them!) Well, I also love to paint with Harper too!  We had a few lemons and limes in the fruit basket that were a little shriveled up and unappetizing so instead of tossing them out, we put them to work in an art project.

 Supplies: 

A lemon and a lime, sliced in half

A paper plate

Glue

Scissors

A brown bag of construction paper

Yellow and green paint

Directions:

Cut the brown paper into thin strips.

Offer your child one strip and encourage the child to glue it to the paper.

As you can see we used 3 vertical strips, then began the under/over process of weaving the horizontal strips.

Keep the weaving simple, you only need 3 vertical and 3 horizontal strips of paper. If your older child is creating this, feel free to encourage a more complicated weave!

Now comes the fun!

Pour a little paint (about a quarter size drop of each color) on a paper plate.

Offer the citrus fruit to the child, allow them to squeeze the juice out and pick at the seeds if they want to. They will want to because it is fun and it smells good! Just have a towel nearby to wipe their hands! When all of the seed picking and fruit squeezing is finished, encourage your child to press the fruit into the paint, and begin filling the woven basket with fruit!

Remind your artist to use all of the fruit and colors!

Allow to dry and display.

This is fun to make in the summer, when we are making loads of lemonade, so maybe save a few lemons after squeezing for an art project? Or pull this out in the winter, when the kids need a break. It is such a sunny little process art project that they are bound to love it!

Find more art and craft ideas for kids here

Play Doh Snakes

Looking for a simple way to engage the kids with supplies you probably already have on hand? This easy play doh snakes idea is the way to go. Kids of all ages will love this sensory play idea that combines fine motor work and creativity for an all around fun time!

Now that my kids are enrolled in virtual school for the semester, I have been finding ways to keep them engaged. They finish their work early in the day and have a few hours to fill in the afternoon. I bought a bunch of blank books, small canvases, coloring books, wooden plaques and so onto keep them creating. But, to keep things entertaining, I give them a daily challenge.

Some days, I challenge them to build something specific with legos. another day, I might challenge them to find pine cones, leaves, or sticks of a certain size. My favorite challenges involve play doh. On this particular day I gave them a pile of buttons and a can of play doh and asked them to make an animal. They put their heads together asked for a touch of red doh and 2 little eyes. This is what they came up with. It is so cute, I knew I wanted to share this idea with you.

This post contains affiliate links.

Supplies:

Play Doh, offer 2 colors

Buttons

Googly Eyes

Directions:

Encourage your child to roll a play doh snake and  decorate it with buttons.

Give the snake eyes and carefully give him a tongue.

If you liked this easy play doh idea check out these reader favorites.

Button Tower Stem Activity

Apple Tree Math

Gifts for Boys

I consider myself an expert in toys. I have spent a million hours cleaning them up and organizing them, and I know what kids want to play with. If you need an epic gift for a boy on your holiday shopping list, keep reading, cause I got you covered on the best gifts for boys this year.

Product samples have been provided for photography. Affiliate links may be used.

Give your kids a gift of security with this HD Wifi Camera with Night Vision. Keep an eye on them while they sleep, or let the kids make some epic home video while adding some character to his space with the help of Chase from Paw Patrol. Find this at retailers like Walmart, Amazon or Best Buy for about $30.

Boys appreciate farts like no one else. Get a few of these Fart Ninjas for a silent butt deadly holiday surprise that will keep boys giggling for hours. Find these for about $8 at Target, Amazon, or Walmart.

Challenge boys this holiday season with a logic game that stretches the mind. Paired with the included Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty this game is sure to be a big hit with kids this year. Finding the Thinking Putty Puzzle online or at retailers like Walmart for about $30.

Animal Planet brings the animal kingdom to life every day. Now you can interact with the mighty T-Rex and control his movements. Includes 6 different sounds activated by motion or touch. Find this interactive dino from Wicked Cool Toys $35.

Sticks n Stones n Dinosaur Bones is a lively and witty book of rhymes plus wonderfully demented illustrations reveal how a paleontologists’ infamous rivalry began, and how—despite making genuine and lasting contributions to the field—their mutual obsession with outdoing one another spun out of control. Give it to a book loving boy this holiday. Find it from Amazon, or from Schiffer Publishing for about $17 this holiday season.

Magformers are perfect for boys who love to pair dramatic play and building. Get this 50 peice set Amazing Rescue STEM kit online to give the gift of dramatic rescue anytime boys car to build the vehicles for about $60.

Hoping for a pet at Christmas is a rite of passage for loads of kids. This year give them a pet hedgehog that they can construct with the Tumbling Hedgehog kit from Thames & Kosmos. This is a great STEM kit that will engage and delight kids with an introduction to robotics. This is great for ages 7 to 12. Buy it online or from retailers like Walmart and Target for under $40.

Give kids the gift of a safe internet experience, all of their favorite PBS characters and apps and a portable dvd player in one device with this 7" HD Tablet DVD combo from PBS Kids. This is a durable option for eager little ones. It is easy to use, and can with stand eager hands. Find it at retailers like Walmart, or from Amazon for about $100.

Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty is a gift for the senses and the thought process. This fun to touch and work with the hands putty comes in an assortment of varieties and sizes. Thinking putty never dries out, making it a favorite among parents. Get a large tin for at home, and a small travel tin for the backpack to give the gift of sensory delight. Find it at a variety of stores like Target,  Walmart and Hallmark, or buy online. Prices start around $4 for a mini thinking putty.

On the coldest days of winter, it is easy for boys to grow restless with the extra indoor time. This year gift them an assortment of games from Amigo Games to give an invitation for family game night and a break from cabin fever.  Ring a Ding Ding, No Thanks and Clack are great for multi-player games and are sure to have everyone ready to play another game. Buy them online from Amazon or from retailers like Michael's.

Disney fans are going to love the challenge this Villainous Wicked to the Core board game presents. This game is strategy for Disney fans and can be combined with the other Villainous game from Ravensburger to let more friends or family join in the fun. Get it online or from retailers like Target or Barnes and Noble for under $25.

Bath time can be fun and spooky too with these awesome options from Not Another Rubber Ducky. Available in 4 designs that cover all of your favorite classic horror movie monsters. These make a great gift idea for kids who love Halloween, or maybe just need to add a little fun to their bath. Get them online for $15 each.

Give the gift of science with this Ooze Labs Chemistry Station. This kit oozes a good time and a healthy dose chemistry in a kid safe manner. The kit includes these irresistible chunky test tubes and an assortment of materials to experiment with. Get this Thames and Kosmos kit for about $30 from retailers like Target, Kohl's or Walmart, or order online.

A furry friend is always a good choice for gifts for boys. This EcoKins 12" Snow Leopard is a gift kids will love to cuddle and everyone can feel good about. These toys are made with 16 water bottles. Talk about from trash to treasure! Order these cute plushies online from the Ecokins store. a 12" animal will cost about $18 but they have other sizes at prices around $6.

Got a kid to buy for that loves to create his own stories and characters? This Character Creator action figure set from Wicked Uncle Gifts makes for a great gift for boys of all ages. They will love the endless possibilities that await them and their blank action figure. Boys will love customizing it. Order from Wicked Uncle Gifts for $20.

Give the gift of kid safe entertainment this year with a made just for kids and loaded full of fun. Plug & Play by PBS Kids is like roku for kids that is loaded with videos, games and more. No subscription is needed to enjoy the hours upon hours of content that is loaded. Order from the PBS Kids shop for under $60. This will be handy this winter during snow days. Parents will love that everything on the Plug & Play is kid friendly, parent approved.

Leap Start Go by Leapfrog makes for a fun way to play and learn for kids this holiday season.  Bring books to life with audio and video for an immersive learning experience that is a lot of fun for kids.  Add new books to keep kids learning or let them enjoy the over 750+ activities that can be completed time and time again. Find this online from Leapfrog or at retailers like Walmart for under $40.

When I asked my 9 year old what he wanted for Christmas he looked at me with dreamiest look in his eyes. He said "All the Nerf things mom..." and he proceeded to go back to his video games. I found something better than Nerf. The Adventure Force Max Morpher foam dart gun blows Nerf out of the water with the long distance firing power this impressively sized gun has. Give him the ability to shoot his targets from 100 feet away with accuracy, in a safe for kids way. Best of all, you can find this gun in shops like Walmart, for about $17. These are economical and are going to be one of the most loved toys for boys this year. Check out all of the options including Walking Dead Foam dart guns from Buzzbee Toys.

Boys love to shoot foam darts at any and everything, so take his breath away this year with the biggest foam dart gun I have ever seen. The Mutator from Air Warriors is incredible. This is so much gun for any nerf loving kid. This gun is huge. It can go the distance or offer precision accuracy. Looking at this gun you probably are thinking how much is it? I couldn't believe these are under $100. The look on any boys face when he opens this is worth more than that! Get it from Buzzbee Toys or from retailers like Walmart or Target. (It is like $27 at Target right now which is a STEAL, and under $75 at Walmart.)

If you have a boy to buy for that loves to ride his scooter and is ready for a little more responsibility, the One K E-Motion electric scooter from Globber is perfect for a beginner. The scooter goes about 12 mph and can hold about 110 pounds making it great for kids 8 to tween. These are easy to ride, easy to stop and tons of fun. But, parents, they do require supervision, so be prepared to get the adult version for yourself!

Board games are the bomb for Christmas. Give boys on your shopping list a really fun opportunity to bring back family game night with Let It Fly by Maya Toys. Who will splat the fly first in this active and zany game for kids 8 and older. Get it online for about $20.

The long days of winter are upon us, so that means the boys are stuck indoors more than ever. Offer a little variety to their daily play with this fun and easy shooting game. Glowstriker naturally glows in the dark to make it more of a challenge, or shoot at the levitating targets with the lights on for practice. Get this from Wicked Uncle Gifts for under $35.

Give kids a chance to plug, link and count with this Stem Challenge. The Plugo link and count works with your ipad to bring puzzles to life. This is a great tool for at home learning via hands on play. Find it at Amazon for about $50 this holiday season.

Give the gift of hands on play with this Thames and Kosmos Engineering Makers Off Road Rovers kit. Build ten wild off-road vehicles and other machines while learning about belt drives, wheels, and tank tread and STEM. Get it from Walmart, Target and other nationwide retailers, or order online for under $30.

Brik Buster is a fun game for kids of all ages that are into brick building. Brik Buster lets you build a tower and then try to bust it up! Kids love this game and adults might get a kick out of it too. Find it online from Strictly Briks. Order it from Amazon for under $30 and keep boys building and busting down brick creations all winter long.

If you need a gift for a boy who digs slime and dinosaurs, the Discovery Prehistoric Slimy Goop Dig kit by Horizon is perfect for gifting this holiday season. Boys can get their hands into some slimy goop to uncover some epic dinosaur finds. Get this from Walmart, Michael's or from Amazon for about $13.

Give the gift of music is a friendly portable manner with Wicked Uncle Gifts. This real Hawaiian Ukulele looks awesome and gives boys an affordable introduction to stringed instruments. Boys will love strumming away on this ukulele while parents are grateful it doesn't require an amp. Find it and so many more excellent gift options from the Wicked Uncle Gifts site for under $40.

This 4 pack of insects in resin makes a gift curious boys will go creepy crawly for. The set includes identifying info, a magnifying glass to inspire future bug hunts and 4 awesome insects to check out and collect. Get it on Amazon for about $15.

This is an awesome and unique gift for boys who haven't lost their baby teeth just yet. This The Toothless Monster box includes a book, a friend and some teeth that parents can attach later. It is incredibly creative and adds a lot to the typical tooth fairy routine. Get it online for under $40.