Sweet Silly Sara: Search results for play doh

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Dinosaur Rescue Fine Motor Activity

Looking for a way to work on fine motor skills with the kids while having a ton of fun? This dinosaur rescue fine motor activity is perfect for hands on fun and busy work.

Some of the best activities are the simple ones and this dino rescue is no exception! While cleaning bedrooms, the idea to add a new dimension of play to some old toys was hatched.

This hands on play idea will give kids a chance to explore a favorite toy in a new way. They will love rescuing the dinos while working on their fine motor skills. Parents will appreciate how easy this is to set up, and that only two supplies are needed.

Affiliate links have been used below.

Supplies:
Dinosaurs
Small Rubber Bands or Rainbow Loom Bands

Directions:
Stretch small rubber bands all over the dinosaur, cover the arms, legs, tail, scales, spikes, etc in a variety of ways.
Offer the trapped dino to your child.
Encourage your child to remove the bands, one by one, until the dinosaur is free.

Carefully supervise this activity as these bands can be dangerous to little people and critters.

Be sure to dispose of the bands properly as they can be a choking hazard to children and pets.

If your children are younger, use fewer bands. If your children are older, add more bands to make it more challenging!

If you had fun with this idea, you might want to check out my other fun fine motor activities.

Reader favorites include:

Play Doh Lollipop Counting

Play Doh Pre Writing

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!

Strawberry Ghosts

Trying to eat a little healthier this fall? You are in luck! With this simple recipe you can make a serving of candy coated fruit to satisfy your cravings.

I am always trying to make fruits and veggies more appealing to my kids. This recipe is a sure way to get kids excited about strawberries, while giving them a little of the candy they desire.

Supplies:

Strawberries

White candy melts

Candy eyes

Parchment or wax paper

Directions:

Wash the berries and dry them on a paper towel.

It is very important that you remove all the exterior moisture before you dip into the chocolate.

If there is still water/moisture on the berries when you dip into the chocolate; it will clump up fast.

When the berries are dry melt the white chocolate/almond bark according to the directions on the packaging.

Dip the berries into the melted chocolate, working fast.

Place the berries on the wax paper.

Before the chocolate has a chance to harden, drop 2 candy eyes on each berry.

When all of the berries have eyes, you can place them in the fridge to help the chocolate harden.

You can enjoy these within 15 minutes or so.

These are perfect for sharing at a Halloween party! What a sweet little spooky ghost!

I bet you can't eat just one!

These are delicious, easy to make, and while they do have a candy coating, they are so much healthier than some of the options Halloween is best known for!

Make a batch and stop by to share a little BOO! with a friend or neighbor!

Or maybe just eat them all by yourself!

You can find all of my Halloween ideas here

Reader favorites include:

DIY Halloween Tree

Pumpkin Face Window Clings

Play Doh Ghost Ornaments

Mummy Pretzel Snacks

Paper Plate Spiders

Play Doh Pumpkin Faces

Reclaimed Wood Black Cats

Mud Ice Cream

This mud ice cream station is so much fun for kids! It is easy to set up and is the perfect use for those leftover ice cream cones from summer, while serving up a bunch of good old fashioned fun!

I am always looking for great ways to keep my kids playing without turning to their video games.This mud ice cream activity kept them entertained with dramatic play all day. They naturally got filthy dirty which is half the fun! If you do this with your kids, opt for old clothes and shoes and do it outside!

Supplies:

Ice cream cone

Sprinkles

Old dishes like a bowl and spoons to scoop with

Mud

Directions:

Fill up a bowl with mud.

Offer your children spoons and scoops , sprinkles and a few ice cream cones.

You might like to add a few old bowls to the mix for variety.

Allow your child to scoop mud into the cones and dishes and add a generous amount of sprinkles!

Both of my kids were enthralled with this idea. It might have been one of the best activities I have ever set up for them. They laughed, they mixed up mud, served it to each other and got so incredibly dirty. It was wonderful fun!

Both kids agreed that this would be fun to try with snow too! Should we be so lucky this winter to have enough snow to play with!

When playtime is over, simply spray the tools your kids used to play with the hose, and toss the ice cream cones! I love easy clean up activities! If the weather is warm enough, your kids might enjoy a splash in the sprinkler, or the garden hose to clean off a little bit before going inside.

You can find more kids activities here

Play Doh Fine Motor Rainbows

Pine Cone Rescue

Play Dough Ghost Ornaments

This easy Halloween craft is perfect for anyone who wants to add a little boo to the holiday without having to spend any cash! You already have the ingredients to make the Play Dough Ghost Ornaments in your pantry!

With the kids being at home this year, it feels like old times, we have time to craft in the afternoons again, and I LOVE it! With Halloween coming up, we decided to add a little boo to our decor with this easy homemade play doh ghost ornament craft. This is such an easy craft to make! It is perfect for all ages, from kids to adults. You can make about a dozen of these (or more depending on your cookie cutter size) from a batch of dough.

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 cup salt

2 cup flour

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

Slowly add water, a few spoons at a time, until dough is smooth.

You will know you haven't added to much water if your dough is easy to handle and isn't sticking to your hands messily.

Knead by hand for 5 minutes and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll out the dough until it is about 1/2 an inch thck.

I used a cookie cutter to cut the shape of ghosts.

Next, poke a hole thru the top of the ghost so you can hang it up.

I used a BBQ skewer.

After cutting my shapes, I used a black crayola marker to make the face of the ghost, on the raw dough.

Place the dough on a cookie sheet and place it in a cold oven, turning up the temp to 200 degrees. Allow your ornaments to bake for about 90 minutes. Check them frequently to make sure they are not browning (if they are pull them out.)

Allow the ornaments to cool then feed a section of bakers twine or a string into the hole and hang.

Add a variety of faces to your ornaments for a boo-tiful variety of economical and adorable DIY Halloween decorations.

You can find all of my Halloween crafts here.

Reader favorites include:

Pumpkin Window Clings

Paper Plate Spiders

Pretzel Mummy Snack

This 3 ingredient treat is a total scream for Halloween. This is great for party snacks or just as an easy way to give pretzels a little costume of their own for the occasion.

After a year and a half of homeschooling my kids, they are back to in person learning. Let me first off say, hats off to all the homeschool families and distance learning families. That is no easy feat! I don't think I realized how time consuming school was for us until they went back to normal.

I usually find that I have just enough time to make something special for their afternoon snack after cleaning the house, tending to the pets, and enjoying my own coffee and podcast time. This was one of the treats I made for the kids that they LOVED. Best of all, it is so easy that anyone can make these, in just a couple of minutes.

Ingredients:

Pretzels

Melted white candy wafers

Candy eyes

Melt the candy and dip the pretzels in. Fish them out with a fork or spoon.

Related: Ghost Ornaments

Drop the pretzels onto some parchment or wax paper.

Drop on some candy eyes.

Alternately, if you prefer, you can just drizzle on some melted white chocolate right onto the pretzels.

Either way is totally delicious and easy!

Then drop on the candy eyes.

Then let them dry for about a half hour.

Serve immediately after they have hardened.

Store in an airtight container if you have leftovers.

If you are looking for more Halloween treats check out these favorites:

12 Ghouslish Snacks for Halloween

Play Doh Pumpkin Faces are so much fun for little ones this Halloween too!

Fine Motor Counting Activity

This easy activity is perfect for practicing early math while developing fine motor skills.

Before I was a mom, I was a developmental psychology major. In my studies, I was intrigued by sensory and fine motor development then. Now that I am a mom, I love setting up activities for my own kids that give them hands on fun and learning opportunities without spending a ton of money to do it.

This fine motor counting activity is perfect for preschoolers.They can work on their fine motor skills while practicing counting. You might have all the materials at home to do this, making it fuss free and frugal. If not, I have included some affiliate links you can use to get your supplies.

Supplies:
Rainbow Bands
Large Craft Sticks
Sharpies

Directions:
Write numbers on large craft sticks with sharpies.
Use the largest craft sticks you can find to make the activity challenging.
Offer your child small rubber bands, like the rainbow loom style of bands and encourage your child to count the number of bands that need to go on each craft stick and slide that number of bands on to each craft stick.

If you are looking for more fine motor activities for kids, check out these posts:
Unicorn Fine Motor Bin
Play Doh Pre Writing

Fantastic Flower Crafts for Spring

Bloom Where You're Planted: Unleash Your Creativity with Flower Crafts!

Flowers bring color, joy, and a touch of nature's beauty into our lives. But their magic extends far beyond the vase! Today, we're celebrating the art of flower crafts, a vibrant world where creativity blossoms alongside blooming details.

Whether you're a seasoned crafter or just starting your artistic journey, flower crafts offer something for everyone. From simple projects perfect for little hands to intricate designs that challenge experienced makers, the possibilities are endless.

We love crafting flowers. Here are a few of my favorite projects from over the years.

3d Tulips

Ten Cute Tulip Projects

Play Doh Cactus

Sock Roses

Here are just a few reasons to embrace the world of flower crafts:

Unleash your inner artist: Flower crafts are a beautiful canvas for expressing your creativity. Experiment with different colors, textures, and materials to bring your unique vision to life.
Embrace mindfulness: Crafting can be a wonderful way to unwind and de-stress. The repetitive motions and focus required in many flower crafts can be a form of meditation, allowing you to find peace and tranquility in the creative process.
Spread the joy of handmade: Handmade gifts hold a special place in our hearts. Whether you're crafting a vibrant bouquet for a loved one or decorating your home with blooming creations, flower crafts are a thoughtful and heartfelt way to share your creativity with others.
Upcycle and repurpose: Give new life to everyday objects! From using leftover fabric scraps to crafting with recycled materials like cardboard tubes, flower crafts encourage resourcefulness and sustainability practices.
Bond with loved ones: Crafting is a wonderful activity to share with friends and family. Get together for a crafting session, teach younger generations the joys of handmade creations, and create lasting memories together.

So, gather your supplies, let your imagination bloom, and dive into the world of flower crafts! With a little creativity and these timeless projects, you can bring a touch of floral flair to your life and the lives of those around you.

Ready to get started? Explore these links, from some of my favorite bloggers for a vast array of flower craft tutorials, or simply grab your favorite crafting materials and let your creativity bloom!