FunThingsToDoWithUrKidz

Recently we went apple picking, it ended up into a free for all and before I knew we had two huge bags of apples....After making apple everything we still had a bunch....Well recently some went soft and we decided to craft with the rest. So today we made pumpkins using some apples, orange paint and markers. We cut the apples open and dried them on a paper towel before dipping in paint. My daughter easily made some prints while my son went for a whole pumpkin patch look. lol

These crafts are ones that my kids came up with on their own, some are nice so I thought I would share. This was reusing a bug home as a mini fish tank. Play doh nails Using old food molds, filling them with glitter glue and then peeling then out to play with. Jumping stones made with caulk, this turned into a game of jumping on the right colors to make it down the path  Using kid tongs to place all the tic tacs back  in the case, great for practicing fine motor skills  Fall play doh cupcakes 

Walking during the day is fun in itself but at night new creatures and sounds arise and it can be just as fun. We love walking in the evening. It helps get out any extra energy before bedtime and gives kids something to think of as they drift off to sleep. The sky changes different colors and the moon shines different shapes. A extra thing we like to do is to bring glo sticks. It also helps keep kids safe as they glo in the dark. (of course flash lights work too but I found for little kids it wasn't always easy to them not to shine it at passing cars or faces.) At night owls come out with different sounds and spiders start to make webs for the night. Another idea is to do a nighttime scavenger hunt. It can be the same things you would look for in the day just a little harder cause its turning dark. 

Okay this is one fall activity I never thought could be dangerous but the more parents I talk to the more I hear why they do not let their kids do this. First thing I herd was ticks....yeah not something I really thought about when jumping in leaves but supposedly it happens. A good tick check once done should take care of that. Then I herd random sticks....yes, random sticks....Where their is leaves there may be small sticks. This parents thought was what if she misses a stick and her kid jumps in the leaves and gets hurt....well that is a worry that has never passed my mind but it is understandable. Other things  I herd are~ Mold~Mold grows on fallen leaves making its dangerous for kids, ones with asthma are at a higher risk for this effecting them. Snakes and spiders...I would think raking the leaves into a pile would scare these critters away though?... Letting kids play in leaf piles that have been made in the street. In our area we have a leaf clean up day. You push all leaves

How to make clean mudd~ In a tub rip up as much toilet paper as you would like to use. For this activity we used one roll. Then add in some soap. Normally people use bar soap that has been shaved but I just used liquid hand soap. Add a little bit of water and mix together.  This activity was "Let's go mudding!" so we added brown food coloring also. When my kids were over that activity we got out the mud table stuff and they went and made mud pies. Over all it was a easy, fun, messy yet clean activity. I will for sure visit this again. 

Messy but fun and always unique!  We had a old box from moving and some washable paint. We used old shoes and made swinging art. First I let them use the paint bottles and swing, squirting the paint onto the box. When they had a good amount of paint on the box they laid on theirs bellies and swung rubbing the paint around with their shoes as they went. I thought this would be even funner to do bare foot but decided not too with the wood chips everywhere. Next time I would try to find a swing with grass under and maybe use a white box cause the brown made it look dirty. Either way the kids didn't mind and love trying this activity out. 

Here is another craft that worked but was just a little too silly to try again. So the idea is to poke holes threw the lid of a milk jug and then use it as a gentle play shower for little ones bath time. It worked but I call this one a fail for one reason. That being once the jug is filled its heavy, not only that but it is slippery sense it is wet with water. So it will take a lot of work to hold this thing up while it empties.  My kids personally wanted to then stick there heads under the "shower" and I was just to nervous this thing would slip out of my hands and fall on their heads.  I guess if you drink milk you will have a empty jug at some point though and sense that is all this takes you can try still but be careful. Maybe the idea of using it as a watering jug is better?

Walking sticks are great for kids and adults alike. I found they have been helpful with keeping little ones in line and from wondering off to touch something while on a walk or hike. They are pretty easy to make and can be as unique as a child wants. Just find any stick around chest height of the person that will be carrying it and thick. Then let them go crazy painting it the way they want. Once dried have fun going on walks and showing off the new walking sticks you made. :)  note~ Maybe add ribbon and beads to make each stick more personal. 

This was made for my Mindcraft loving kids. We added some legos and other Mindcraft toys to make a quite play time idea while I got dinner done.  What you will need for Blob slime~ One bottle of glue (for each color you make) water food coloring (we went with green cause blobs are green in Mindcraft)   liquid starch  mixing stick and cup First empty the bottle of glue in a cup, then fill the bottle back up with water and add that. Now add food coloring and mix. Once well mixed slowly add in the liquid starch, you do not need a lot. The more you add the less the slime will flow. That is it. I normally let mines sit for a moment before giving it to kids to play with but it is not needed. 

Another way to play with a marble track, cause really we end up losing all the marbles after awhile. So instead we added water beads. Note~ make sure that the water beads do not grow to full size, they may not fit if they do. Also we found it a lot easier to wet the track down first, made the beads go faster. 

Ways to gift hand prints and foot prints- Place on paper and frame Place on tote bag Place on dish or cup In salt dough In a card On a apron  On canvas