Made For Play
Explore child development through play, find inspiration for your next DIY project, and discover tips for selecting the perfect toys for your little ones.
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Outdoor Water Play Ideas for Kids
Have a grumpy kiddo on your hands? Just add water. Seriously, water play = instant happiness for kids. Plus, outdoor water play is a sensory-rich activity that comes with Vitamin D and hands-on learning. And no, you don’t have to go through the trouble of blowing up the kiddie pool every time your little one wants to splash around outside. Here are 5 simple kids’ water play activities to try out this summer! Nature Soup Gather up some cool natural finds from around the yard or a favorite park and you’ve got (almost) everything you need for Nature Soup! Rocks, twigs, leaves, flowers, moss, and plain old dirt are all fair game. From there, you’ll just fill a mixing bowl, water table, or other containers with water and let the kids add and mix to their hearts’ content. Though it may seem super simple to us, your littles are getting a variety of sensory experiences and rich vocabulary about the natural world. Pouring Station Grab some measuring cups, pitchers, anything else your little one can use to pour and head outside. Pouring is great for developing fine motor skills and toddlers can’t get enough of it. We love Busy Toddler’s idea of adding food coloring to some of the containers to make it even more fun! Colored Water Speaking of colors, set out several clear containers of water and let your littles help add some natural food coloring to each one. They’ll love squeezing in the drops and mixing the colors. Add some fun tools like basters, spoons, scoops, etc. to let them transfer water from one container to another to mix the colors. Water Shaker Bottles All you’ll need for this one is some old water bottles or spice jars, a few fun fillings, and of course, water! You’ve probably made shaker bottles for the sound effects before – these water-filled versions won’t be quite as musical, but your little one will love watching how the different materials float, swirl, and sink in the water. Plus, they’ll love adding all the fun things to the bottles. Fill a bottle about ½ to ¾ of the way full with water and then add in simple materials like dry rice, beans, glitter, etc. Some oil and food coloring make for a fun lava lamp effect! (If you have some older kiddos too, have them experiment by adding different amounts of salt to each bottle to see how it affects the buoyancy of the fill objects.) Pom Pom Squish & Squeeze You’ve probably seen those little craft pom poms used in tons of toddler activities. They’re great for sorting, gluing, pouring, and scooping...and they’re great for water play too! After the pom poms have soaked up some water, your little one can squeeze them out into various containers or just have fun squishing, shaking, and throwing! Splash away and have fun!
Best Developmental Toys for Kids
When it comes to toys, simple is usually best. Classic, open-ended toys that encourage building, movement, and pretend play are the time-tested winners when it comes to developing motor skills, growing imaginations, and – most importantly – having fun! Our list of developmental toys covers everyone from babies to big kids and is filled with kid-tested playtime favorites. Best Developmental Toys for Infants & Toddlers Shape Sorters The best developmental toys for babies turn those adorable chubby hands into fine-motor machines! Babies are also all about toys that display cause and effect and help them explore spatial reasoning skills (i.e. how things fit inside of other things). Shape sorters check all of the boxes! The shapes are perfect for the littlest littles who are just learning how to grasp objects of various sizes and shapes. As they get a bit older, they’ll love dumping the shapes out of the box and putting them back in through the large opening. And as they reach toddlerhood, they’ll actually play with it for its main purpose – sorting shapes into the matching holes. Themed shaped sorters like the Noah’s Ark Shape Sorter also work well for pretend play, meaning they’ll stay a playtime favorite into the preschool years. Push Toys Push toys like the Push Along Play Cart help those early walkers get their sea legs! Unlike baby walkers, which have actually been associated with delayed walking and dangerous accidents, push toys like wagons and carts let toddlers develop strength, balance, and coordination. Best Developmental Toys for 3 & 4 Year Olds Play Kitchens Pretend play helps your kiddo develop problem-solving skills, social skills, emotional regulation, and creativity. A play kitchen – and all of those adorable pretend dishes and foods – are a fantastic way to encourage dramatic role-play, an important type of pretend play. Kids develop independence and real-life skills as they pretend to do what adults do. Even tasks that seem mundane to us, like frying eggs for breakfast, are exciting to our littles when they get a chance to do (or pretend to do) them on their own. Play kitchens are also fun props for imaginative play and world-building, and your mini-chef will use theirs for everything from playing house to cooking up magic potions. Toy Train Sets Truthfully, a toy train set can be successfully introduced a bit earlier or even years later, but four-year-olds are right in the sweet spot. They’ve developed the fine motor skills necessary to build tracks on their own, but they’ll still be challenged by planning and assembling complex tracks. This type of constructive play –a fancy term for “building stuff”– is associated with better math skills even much later in life. Our Top Train Set Picks for Kids guide can help you find a train set that lines up with your child’s skill level and interests. Wooden Blocks Good ol’ fashion blocks are one of the most highly praised toys for developmental benefits. In fact, how many blocks a child can stack is used as one measure of their developmental milestones. Stacking blocks challenges their fine motor skills, and making more complex structures helps develop their spatial reasoning and creativity. Best Developmental Toys for 5 & 6 Year Olds Dollhouses All those benefits of pretend play we talked about? Dollhouses provide them too, and they’re particularly awesome in the areas of emotional and social development. If you’ve ever really listened to a five-year-old play with a dollhouse, you know what we mean. Those dolls have some pretty dramatic adventures and conflicts, all powered by the kids’ amazing imaginations. As they play the parts of multiple dolls, they’re learning how to see from others’ perspectives and slowly but surely gaining empathy. Inventing and acting out social conflicts preps them for the real thing and helps them learn to regulate their own big feelings. Building Bricks Your five year old can still benefit from constructive play, but they probably no longer find wooden blocks challenging enough. Plastic building bricks on the other hand? The perfect toy to create all those cool things they’re dreaming up. They’re ideal for creating more complex structures and objects they can pretend with like a garage for their toy trucks or a pretend cell phone. At their age, the possibilities are really endless – we don’t call them “clever creators” for nothing! Outdoor Play Sets Swing sets build gross motor skills, strength, endurance, and perhaps most importantly, encourage kids to get outside and be active! This is especially important for school-age kids who may sit a lot throughout the school day and are more prone to sedentary behavior than ever-wiggly toddlers. Want more ideas for brain-boosting play for your little ones? Be sure to check out our complete toy guides for three, four, five, and six-year-olds!
Super Bowl Ideas for Kids
Whether your crew consists of little football fanatics or kiddos who could care less about the final score, Super Bowl Sunday should be fun for everyone! To give your Super Bowl party the official “fun for the whole family” stamp of approval, check out these seven kid-friendly Super Bowl ideas and get everyone hyped for game day. 1. Super Bowl Bingo A Bingo Card and some fun, simple prizes are a great way to keep older kids interested in the game – even if football isn’t usually their thing. You can find plenty of free printable Super Bowl-themed Bingo cards. If your kiddo is especially football-adverse, they even have a few Bingo cards just for the Super Bowl commercials. 2. The Puppy Bowl Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl is a kid favorite every year, and it’s as adorable as it sounds. Basically, you’re treated to hours of adorable puppies romping, playing, and snoozing on a miniature football field. Featuring only adoptable shelter pups plus a kitten halftime show, what’s not to love? If your little animal lover needs a break from the football madness in the living room, tune into the Puppy Bowl on another TV or stream it through the new Discovery+ app. 3. Face Painting Even if your family’s team didn’t make it to the big game, we have a feeling the kids won’t mind getting in the spirit with some face painting anyway. You’ll need red, gold, and white for the Kansas City Chiefs and red, black, and orange for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 4. Paper Football Origami Remember those little paper footballs you made in elementary school? They make an easy on-theme activity for game day that can keep kids entertained for hours. After teaching the kids how to fold them, let them decorate them, and flick away! You’ll probably see a few cross the screen during the game, but hey, at least they’re having fun, right? 5. A Football Themed Craft Station Set up your craft table with a few low-maintenance, football-themed crafts to keep the littles entertained. Tailor your ideas according to the ages of the kids who will be at the party. Preschoolers will enjoy threading and stuffing their own paper footballs, and kids of any age love decorating and waving team pennants or cheering into their DIY megaphones. 6. Mascot Dress Up Both Super Bowl teams make for fun, easy dress up options this year! The Kansas City Chiefs’ mascot is the famous KC Wolf, while the Buccaneers’ mascot is the swashbuckling Captain Fear. A few inexpensive headbands, some gray and pink felt, and hot glue are all you need to DIY some cute wolf ears. For an even cheaper option, modify these paper cat ears from paper-and-glue.com. For pirate-themed dress up, have kids create their own paper pirate hats and order these felt eye patches on Amazon for under $5! 7. Snack Duty Super Bowl Sunday is just as much about food as it is about football. When it comes to Super Bowl snacks for kids, you can’t go wrong with anything that lets them choose toppings and make their own treat. Popcorn bowls, trail mix, and nachos all make for great build-your-own snack bars, but we especially love the idea of an ice cream sundae bar complete with all the toppings. All together now: Go Team!
Valentine's Day Ideas for Kids the Whole Family Will Love
Need some kid-friendly Valentine’s Day ideas that don’t involve tons of sugar, money, or prep time? We’ve got you covered. Share the love with the whole family this year with these cheap and easy Valentine's Day ideas for kids! Valentine’s Sensory Bins Dyed rice and heart-shaped knick-knacks make for adorable toddler-friendly sensory bins. Add some different spoons, tongs, and tools for scooping and pouring, and preschoolers of all ages will engage with this fun sensory experience! If you want even more ideas, check out this round-up of Valentine’s Day sensory bins from Kindergarten Connection. Older kids will love the added challenge of the math and reading-themed bins. Valentine Cards Is it really even Valentine’s Day without some delightfully messy homemade cards? While the packs of pre-made Valentines are great for class parties, your kids will love making their own grandparents, siblings, and other loved ones. If your kiddos can’t write yet, prompt them with a few questions and write down their answers. “What’s your favorite thing about Grandma?” “If you had a million dollars, what would you buy Daddy for Valentine’s Day?” They’re sure to have some cute answers that make for great keepsakes. Decorate with stickers, finger paint, and (if you dare) glitter. Heart Envelopes Once those little love notes are complete, wrap them up in these DIY heart-shaped envelopes. The envelopes can double as the Valentine itself if your kids write their messages in the center! Valentine’s Reading Hour There are plenty of Valentine’s-themed kid books out there, and your local library probably has plenty to spare! If you can’t browse in person due to social distancing rules, search the online catalog and place some reservations for pickup. Cookie Cutter Everything Those heart-shaped cookie cutters are good for a lot more than just baking sugar cookies (though we suggest you do that too!). We love that they’re a cheap, effortless way to add a little Valentine’s theme to the activities you already have. They can double as stencils and paint “stamps,” and they’re great for playdough. Or add a few to your little one’s play kitchen for some Valentine’s themed pretend baking (just be sure that the edges aren’t too sharp!) Family Date Night Who says candle-lit dinners are just for the grown-ups? Break out that tablecloth, set the table with flowers and candles, and play the cheesiest playlist you can find on Spotify. Serve up the kids’ favorites (even if that means decidedly non-fancy things like grilled cheese and pizza bagels), and celebrate the love you share as a family! For dessert? You can’t go wrong with anything covered in chocolate. However you end up celebrating, as long as your little Valentines know they’re loved, that’s a successful V Day in our book!
St. Patrick's Day Activities for Kids
Corned beef, cabbage, and beer are definitely not kid-friendly cuisine but never fear – there are a ton of fun (and yummy) ways you can celebrate St. Patrick’s day with your kids. Make your kids feel like the luckiest little leprechauns in town with these eight St. Patrick’s Day activities for kids! Dress Up in Green The pinching thing we can do without, but dressing up in your greenest garb is always fun! If your kids are in school, put a fun outfit together the night before. If you’ll be spending the day at home, get a little goofy with it and challenge each other to put on as many green items as you can. Read all about St. Patty’s Day We love this list of Irish-themed kids books from A Teachable Teacher. If you don’t want to spend money on new books, odds are your local library has some fun kids’ books that feature St. Patrick’s Day, Ireland, or leprechauns. If they’re all checked out, check out National Geographic Kids’ quick facts on St. Patrick’s Day. Make Irish Soda Bread If your child is old enough to help in the kitchen, whip up a loaf of Irish soda bread together. Don’t be intimidated by the idea of making bread – Irish soda bread comes together easily, doesn’t need any yeast or special flours, and can be baked on a regular old baking sheet. Make fizzy shamrocks This fizzy shamrock activity is equal parts craft and science experiment. It’s a simple St. Patty’s Day-themed take on the classic baking soda and vinegar experiment. A little green food coloring and some paper are the only other materials you need, making it the perfect activity if you don’t want to shop for new craft supplies. Serve something green While you’ve got that green food coloring on hand, put it to good use by surprising your kiddo with a green snack or drink. Even something as simple as green milk in the morning is enough to put a smile on their face! Do a leprechaun photoshoot Image from The Crafting Chicks Leprechaun hats and beards make the perfect photo booth props. Craft your own, download and print some, or find a set online or at a party store near you. Craft shamrock window hangings Image from A Little Pinch of Perfect You have a ton of options when it comes to shamrock crafts, but we’re partial to these colorful tissue paper shamrocks. They look lovely in the sunlight, and they’re perfect if you have a variety of ages. Older kids will have fun designing their “stain glass” cutouts, and preschoolers and toddlers will just love the chance to use a glue stick! Lucky Leprechaun Scavenger Hunt We love this easy St. Patrick’s Day game from Play Party Plan. All you need for the Lucky Leprechaun Scavenger Hunt are common household items and the free printable checklist. Once your little one has checked off the list, extend the game by asking them to hide their “treasure” like a leprechaun and play “Hot or Cold” as you search for the items!
How to Maintain Your Wooden Swing Set
The excitement of unveiling a brand new wooden swing set to your over-the-moon kids is tough to beat. But over time, the elements can do a number on your kids’ swing set. Fortunately, you can preserve that brand-new look and feel with a little routine maintenance. Here are the most common questions we get when it comes to caring for your outdoor swing set: What amount of weathering is normal? As a natural material, the wood on your swing set will show a little weathering as it’s exposed to the elements. The most common types of weathering are checking (i.e. cracks in the surface along the grain), warping, and fading. This type of weathering is totally normal and won’t affect the safety of your swing set, so keep on playing! We recommend applying a stain or water repellant each year to keep weathering to a minimum. What about splinters? It’s also normal to see some minor splintering on the surface of the wood over time. Simply sand those splinters down to save you and the kiddos the first-aid-fuss later on. . How often should I check my playset for safety? At the beginning of each play season, we recommend doing a thorough sweep over the play set to check for splinters, loose or rusted hardware, damaged plastic pieces, and loose or damaged anchors. If you do find any issues, here’s what you should do: Sand down any rusted hardware and repaint with a lead-free paint Tighten loose bolts or screws, but do not overtighten as this will cause the wood to splinter If any bolts are protruding on the other side of the wood, add more flat washers under the top of the bolt until it no longer protrudes. Sand any splintered wood until smooth and reapply water repellant or stain If the playset isn’t secure (i.e. wobbly/ sinking), resecure or replace ground stakes and anchors if necessary. Refer to your manual for instructions. Lubricate squeaking hardware on swings with WD-40 Replace chains, swings, and other attachments that show excessive rust or damage Continue to check the swing set once a month during play season to keep playtime safe! Do I really need to apply water repellent/stain to my wooden swing set each year? Please do! This keeps the wood from absorbing too much moisture, which is the main cause of weathering. This is one of the simplest ways you can keep your playset looking like new for years to come. How do I care for the plastic pieces on my swing set? The plastic swings, slides, and other accessories on your swing set are tough and built to last. Their only enemy? Freezing temperatures. Temperatures below freezing can make the plastic brittle and more prone to breaking over time. If it’s freezing outside, we recommend removing and storing these pieces to prolong their life. How do I keep my swing set from sinking or wobbling? The best way to prevent sinking or wobbling swing sets is to make sure they are installed properly. Swing sets that are installed and anchored properly on level surfaces rarely have these issues. If you do notice some sinking, check your anchors and ground stakes to make sure they are secure and undamaged and resecure or replace them if necessary.
Your Guide To The Ultimate Easter Egg Hunt for Toddlers
Peter Cottontail is officially hopping down the bunny trail, folks. That’s right, Easter is just around the corner, and we’ve got just the thing to help make it a great one for your toddler. Our Guide to the Ultimate Easter Egg Hunt for Toddlers All About Eggs We like a combo of dyed eggs and plastic eggs – you get the fun of coloring eggs together and the yumminess of chocolate Easter treats! Plus, with a few dozen boiled eggs in the mix, you can give your kid more eggs to hunt without giving them more sugar. Tips for Dying Eggs with Toddlers If you’re getting a dye kit, be sure to get it early before they sell out! Or make your own by filling small bowls with enough hot water to cover an egg and adding 1 tsp of vinegar and 20 drops of food coloring per bowl. Use one of your old t-shirts as a smock for your toddler. It will completely cover their clothes and makes for a cute picture! Go with the flow – even if that means your toddler wants to mix colors and ends up with a dark brown egg. It’s all about having fun, right? Be sure your toddler knows that the water is hot! Tips for Filling Your Plastic Easter Eggs Fill them on Saturday night after the kids are asleep and keep them out-of-sight until it’s time for the big hunt – toddlers are not known for their patience, after all. Candy is the obvious filling choice, but you have plenty of options. Your toddler probably doesn’t have any expectations about what they’ll find in their eggs, so go with whatever you want. Raisins, peanut butter crackers, dark chocolate, you name it... Almost any toy that can fit into an Easter egg is probably a choking hazard for a toddler. Opt for stickers instead if you want some non-food fillings! Remember that many hard or chewy candies are also considered choking hazards for toddlers. Get a Toddler-friendly Easter Basket Keep those tiny hands in mind when you pick their Easter basket. Long handles and large baskets will be tougher for them to handle as they hunt. Time to Hide Keep Count Rotting eggs smell like… well, rotting eggs. Avoid all of that by keeping track of how many eggs you’ve put out and make a basic map if necessary. Keep it simple You have plenty of years for creative Easter egg hiding places that make your kids really work for it… the toddler years are not those years. They’re likely to get bored or frustrated before all of the eggs are found. Eggs scattered out in the open or “hidden” in easy spots are plenty for toddlers! The novelty of the activity and the process of gathering things in a basket are enough to make it fun. If you’ve got older kids too, make sure they know they know to leave plenty of “easy” eggs for their younger sibling. If you do want to add some creativity to your hiding places, go for funny instead of difficult. Leave eggs in silly but obvious places like chairs, flower beds, or doormats, and have a few stuffed animals “lay” eggs in the backyard. Time to Hunt When it’s time for the main event, remember that any amount of fun is a success. Young toddlers may not get the concept, and even older toddlers may be way more interested in the snail they find than the eggs. Lots of hints and help can help keep them interested and focused, but if they decide to plop down and enjoy each treat as they find it, that’s okay too! We have a feeling the Easter Bunny won’t mind.
Caring For Outdoor Toys in the Summer
Between the heat, the sun, and the extra play, your kid’s outdoor toys may need a little extra TLC in the summer. Here are our best tips for keeping them safe, clean, and damage-free all summer long! How to Store Outdoor Toys Proper storage is the best way to keep your outdoor toys in great shape and avoid the wear and tear that comes with the summer sun. Plastic toys in particular can be faded by sunlight and weakened by extreme heat. Whenever possible try to keep outdoor toys in a dry, shady area when not in use such as your garage, shed, or covered porch. Just be sure they aren’t stored near dangerous chemicals. If toys have been stored for a long time, double-check for any bugs or spiders and wipe them down before use. No space in the shed? Outdoor storage boxes are a great solution for weather-proof protection and easy access to your kids’ favorite toys. For large toys that can’t be moved like swing sets and playhouses, try to install them in shady areas whenever possible, and opt for durable materials that can handle the summer heat. How to Clean Outdoor Toys Wooden toys Wood is naturally antimicrobial, so it’s a low maintenance material that’s less prone to mold and bacteria than plastic outdoor toys. Large wooden toys like playhouses and swing sets can usually just be cleaned with a garden hose and spray nozzle. If some dirt and grime have built up, try a scrub brush and a bucket filled with a 1:4 solution of gentle soap (like Castile or dish soap) and water. See all of our tips for cleaning wooden toys here! Plastic toys Most plastic outdoor toys are easy to clean but can be prone to mold growth, so be sure to keep them dry and properly stored when not in use. Some small toys may be dishwasher safe. For everything else, soak it in a 1:4 mixture of vinegar and water as needed (the kiddie pool is great for this!). Spot clean larger toys with the same solution and rinse with a garden hose. For especially grimy spots, try a scrub brush with dish soap or baking soda paste, or a Mr. Clean magic eraser. Water toys From water tables to kiddie pools, any outdoor toy that involves water is especially prone to grime and mold. To prevent mold build-up, try to ensure toys are completely dry before storing them away. Pour out as much water as possible, leave the toy in the sun to sanitize and dry, and then store it out of the elements. then At the first sign of mold, clean the toy with a 1:4 solution of vinegar and water. If mold persists, it’s probably safest to discard the toy. How to Keep Outdoor Toys Safe During Yard Maintenance Summer is the peak season for lawn care and weed and insect control. Make sure all outdoor toys are stored safely out of the way when chemicals of any kind are being used in your yard. If you have large outdoor toys that can’t be moved, such as swing sets or sandboxes, take extra care to only use products that are safe for kids, follow all label instructions, and avoid contact with the toys as much as possible. Even most kid-safe products will recommend that children avoid the area until the product has dried. Ultimately, a little dirt isn’t the enemy when it comes to outdoor toys. But proper storage and a little maintenance will help you avoid mold, sun damage, and extreme grimy buildup, prolonging the life of your toys and keeping playtime safe and clean (well...clean-ish anyway).
