For one of those remaining requirements he made Cache In Trash Out (CITO) containers. The two of us then took a morning hike to find geocache, drop off his CITO containers, and pick up trash. It was a great way to spend some one on one time while working on his merit badge.

When planning for the CITO containers, we looked online for ideas. Surprisingly there was very little. We came up with a simple solution and put together this tutorial to help others. Whether you are also trying to complete the Scouting America Geocaching Merit Badge or just want to make Cache In Trash Out containers, continue reading for our step by step process.

Supplies

• Small Containers
• Bags for Trash
• Labels
• Clear Packaging Tape

Instructions

Step 1 Choose your CITO container. We used an old film canister as well as plastic gum packaging. This is a great way to reuse small containers that you might otherwise toss out or recycle.

Step 2 Fold and roll a small trash or grocery bag to fit inside. If you use gum containers like we did, you can fit up to 4 grocery bags inside. Simply fold lengthwise to just under the height of the container and the roll.

Step 3 Print labels for your CITO containers that explains what they are.

>> Download our free CITO printable labels here. <<

Step 4 Attach the labels to the containers. Add a layer of packaging tape overtop to help protect and laminate the label.

Step 5 Go geocaching to find cache to leave your Cache In Trash Out containers in. Remember to carry your own trash bag with you so you can pick up trash as well.

Have fun geocaching and keeping our world a cleaner place for all to enjoy!

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Supplies

• White and dark blue construction paper
• Blue and yellow craft paint
• Scissors
• Elmer’s Glue All

Instructions

Step 1 Place a sheet of white construction paper onto a table top.

Step 2 Have your child hold out one hand with the palm facing up. Use a paintbrush to apply yellow paint to their finger tips.

Step 3 Apply blue paint to the rest of their fingers and palm.

Step 4 Carefully place hand down onto paper and press to create print. Clean off hand to avoid getting paint elsewhere.

Step 5 Repeat steps 2-4 with the opposite hand, but do not paint thumb on this hand. When placing on the paper, overlap handprint with first one so the thumbs create a single ‘candle’ in the center.

Step 6 Set aside and allow to dry.

Step 7 Cut out an upside down ‘T’ shape from dark blue construction paper. See image above for reference.

Step 8 Take paper with dried handprints and carefully cut around leaving only a bit of white paper.

Step 9 Glue the handprint candle portion of the menorah craft to your base.

Learn more by reading The Story of Hanukkah with your child.

If you enjoyed this craft, you might also like making a Star of David to hang & display in your home.

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The Raleigh trolls are spread out across Dix park. 4 are paired up on the west side and one is off on his own closer to Gipson Play Plaza. They officially “opened” for viewing this past week. The excitement and fabulous fall weather (sunny and 70!) this weekend made this a popular adventure for lots of families.

There are maps noting the locations of the trolls which will be helpful, but we mostly just followed the crowds. Daddy Bird Eye has the most open space. Mother Strong Tail is hidden in the woods for a rest – follow her tail to find her baby, Dix (if you didn’t spot him first from the fields).

Playful duo Dux and Dax can be found in a wooded area near the dog park enjoying a game of hide and seek.

The Grandmother Tree

The trolls have a full story and the family also includes 2 other siblings located in High Point and Charlotte, NC. Using clues from all 7 trolls, you can unlock a secret map to the Grandmother Tree.

We went in search of it yesterday afternoon and, as expected, it was a much quieter journey than locating the trolls. I’m not sure how many are aware of or have tried to find it. I debated whether to share a photo or not – to help preserve the mystery. Soon after we left the location, I saw an image had already been shared on social media so I guess it’s safe to say it’s out there.

As for where it’s located? That’s the puzzle you will need to solve. My one recommendation – closed toed shoes and long pants.

Have fun exploring and finding the magical trolls in North Carolina.

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Trip Overview

I start planning most of our trips by seeing where we can get to via a direct flight from our local airport (RDU) as that makes travel simpler. This one started that way but changed a few times before we settled on a road trip covering 4 states starting in Bozeman, MT, and ending in Salt Lake City, UT.

Our itinerary:

Saturday – fly to Bozeman, MT and pick up rental car
Sunday & Monday – explore Yellowstone National Park
Tuesday – Yellowstone and Grand Teton
Wednesday – explore Grand Teton National Park
Thursday – travel day with stops in Paris, ID, and Golden Spike National Historic Park
Friday – explore Salt Lake City, UT
Saturday – return rental car at SLC and take a direct flight home!

Montana

Our day started EARLY with a 5am ET flight leaving RDU. We had a quick layover in Denver and arrived in Bozeman, Montana, just after 9am MT (11am ET). Needless to say, we needed food. I did my research ahead of time and plugged directions into Waze to get to Feed Cafe for brunch. This was the best idea. Local, delicious, and super friendly staff. Highly recommend.

Fueled up and reenergized, we visited 2 museums while in Bozeman – the American Computer and Robotics Museum and Museum of the Rockies. Located just 2 blocks from each other, it’s very easy to visit both in a few hours. They are vastly different as the names imply, but both equally interesting and fun.

TIP: Always check affiliations for museums and zoos you have memberships with. Both museums are part of ASTC and we were able to visit for free with our family membership to the Museum of Life + Science in Durham, NC.

Our hotel that first evening was in Livingston, MT – just about the halfway point between Bozeman and the north entrance to Yellowstone. I did this intentionally to break up the drive so we would be a bit closer to Yellowstone the next morning. It also gave us a good spot to stock up on some groceries before heading into the Parks.

Yellowstone National Park

Altogether we spent almost 3 days in Yellowstone National Park. We arrived early Sunday morning and, after a quick photo stop at the Roosevelt Arch, we began our adventures.

We probably could have spent a full week (or more) in this park as it is just that large and there is so much to see and do. As it was, I didn’t feel rushed or that we missed out. We had a general idea of what we wanted to do, and then enjoyed as we felt inspired. Some of the spots we spent a lot of time, while others were a much quicker “we saw, let’s move on.” I have learned traveling with my kids that it’s better to slow down and stop when you need to stop versus pushing to try to check off a list. Nonetheless, we covered a LOT and I’ll share full details in my next post.

If I had to pick a couple of favorites, there were some highlights for sure. Seeing bison and elk roaming was truly amazing. Those are unplanned moments as wildlife is unpredictable. I also really appreciated seeing the vast difference in the land across the park – from hot springs and geysers to waterfalls and lakes. It was incredible.

TIP: If you want to stay IN the Parks like we did, plan to book early as reservations open 12-16 months ahead of time and fill up fast. I booked both a year before our trip. We stayed at Old Faithful Snow Lodge in Yellowstone and Signal Mountain Lodge in Grand Teton.

Grand Teton National Park

One of the fascinating things to me when traveling from Yellowstone to Grand Teton was how quickly the world around us changed. Gone were the geysers and hot springs. Suddenly the land was more lush and the mountains rose up before us. It was truly breathtaking and equally as amazing as Yellowstone – just in a different way.

Being the smaller of the two parks, we spent less time in Grand Teton. Again, while we could have spent more days here, I didn’t feel rushed. We managed to fit in and see a lot. The best surprise (and biggest challenge) was seeing moose. Although I only managed a photo of one partially hidden by vegetation, we saw 2 during our visit! Those were definite highlight moments.

Take me to Paris

Our son has long requested a trip to Paris. While my husband and I took an anniversary trip to Paris, France, in 2023, we have not taken our kids. When he saw Paris, Idaho, on the map and asked to include it in our trip, it was an easy “yes.” Having also requested to visit Golden Spike National Historic Park just north of Salt Lake City, we started our travel day early to arrive with time to enjoy.

We packed up our cabin in Grand Teton, ate a quick breakfast, and were on the road by 7:30am. My goal was 8am and having a little head start proved to be helpful. We made our way south through Jackson and made a quick stop at the rest area off Highway 89 in Star Valley. We were slowed slightly by road construction, but arrived in Montpelier, ID, at our planned lunch stop just before 11am. Literally the first people to arrive for lunch at Rooster’s Grazing! It’s a local restaurant I found online ahead of time and was delicious.

Paris, Idaho

Paris is a very small town near Montpelier with a population just over 500. My husband and I planned to surprise the kids with a stop for donuts here, but sadly, the shop was already sold out and closed for the day. We did get a family photo at the “Welcome to Paris” sign entering town and my daughter and I snapped a couple of photos of the murals on the side of El Camino Donuts. Then we continued onward.

From Paris to Golden Spike National Historic Park was a little over 2 hours drive. We made a stop midway in Logan, Utah, for a restroom break. When scanning signs and buildings, we spotted a sign for the Cache Valley Visitors Bureau. The staff here were super friendly. We were able to pick up a Utah state map and the restrooms were the cleanest we had experienced on the trip. In my daughter’s words, they were “so fancy!”

Golden Spike National Historic Park

Luck was definitely with us as our travel day timed perfectly. We approached the entrance to Golden Spike National Historic Park just before 3pm. This gave a us 2 hours to explore, enjoy, and stretch our legs before the park closed. Our kids completed the Junior Ranger program. We also were able to see both locomotives move (119 at 4pm and Jupiter at 4:30pm) which was a neat surprise.

Salt Lake City

Our final destination in our western road trip was Salt Lake City. We had one full day and made the most of it starting with a visit to the Great Salt Lake State Park located just off I-80 west of the city. Visiting Salt Lake City for the first time, seeing the Great Salt Lake felt like a “must do.” I intentionally chose this location instead of Antelope Island because it was closer to the city and easier to access. After so much car time the day before (we were about 12 hours from our cabin in Grand Teton to hotel in SLC), I wanted to limit our driving.

It worked out well. We went, we saw, and we smelled the lake. Yes, smelled. I wasn’t prepared for the strong smell or the millions of spiders. Apparently the salt attracts bugs which the spiders love. The birds eat both. Full circle of life.

I had no other set plans so we discussed a few options and decided to visit Tracy Aviary in Liberty Park. Admission was free with our NC Zoo membership. We had a great time strolling through the buildings and outdoor exhibits seeing the different varieties of birds.

The rest of the day we spent exploring Salt Lake City. We saw and enjoyed many of the vibrant murals painted around the city, caught sight of F-35 flyovers from Hill Air Force Base, strolled Temple Square, visited the Utah Sports Hall of Fame Museum, and played at Clark Planetarium.

We definitely filled our last day of vacation, but didn’t feel overextended as many of those were located close to each other so we could stroll at our own pace from place to place. We even made it back to our hotel with time for the kids to enjoy the pool for a bit (always a win when we travel!).

Looking for more travel ideas? Get inspired with our US road (and day) trips here.

Final Tips

A few things we found super useful for planning and making the most of our road trip:

• Moon Best of Yellowstone & Grand Teton: Make the Most of One to Three Days in the Parks – my husband gifted me this book last Christmas. It was fun to read and prepare, and also useful to have with us on the trip. It helped us plan some stops and restaurant decisions.
• NPS app – download the official National Parks app and then information for the parks to use offline. Many areas (especially in Yellowstone) have no cell service. It’s nice to have this resource available in your pocket to use at all times.
• GuideAlong app – this was great to help us with our tours through both Yellowstone and Grand Teton. The narrator shared details and made suggestions on where to stop. It also works offline so no need for cell service. Just be sure to download before entering the park.
• Tripod with remote – obviously not a ‘necessary’ item, but I was glad I brought this along. I purchased our tripod with cell phone mount for our trip to Joshua Tree in 2023. It came in handy a lot on this trip too so we could get family photos when no one else was around. Just set up and then use the bluetooth remote to take photo when everyone is in place.

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Supplies

• Blue or black construction paper
• Elmer’s Glue All
• Multicolored glitter

Instructions

Step 1 Place a sheet of construction paper onto a table top.

Step 2 Use glue to ‘draw’ some fun firework shapes. See completed project image below – you want to make lots of lines stemming from a center point. Draw as many fireworks as you want on your page.

Step 3 Shake glitter over the glue areas.

Step 4 Set aside and allow to dry thoroughly.

Step 5 Shake off any loose glitter. We like to do this over a trash can to help make clean up easier.

Display and enjoy your completed glitter fireworks art!

Want to make fireworks with paint and forks? Yes, forks! Try this project next.

The post Glitter Fireworks Craft appeared first on 2paws Designs.

Supplies

• Red, white, and blue construction paper
• White craft paint
• Scissors
• Glue sticks

Instructions

Step 1 Set out your construction paper. You should have 1 sheet of each color – red, white, and blue. The white sheet will remain whole and serve as the base of the design.

Step 2 Cut a smaller rectangle from the blue paper. You can measure and draw pencil lines to help or just cut it free hand.

If your child is too young to safely use scissors, have an adult do the cutting portions. Many toddlers and young preschoolers can learn to use a glue stick and/or stick the colored paper pieces to the white background. Use adult supervision and guidance as appropriate.

Step 3 Use white paint to add “stars” to your blue rectangle. You can use a paint brush, q-tip, or even your finger tip. Just dip in the paint and tap where you want your stars. Then set aside to dry.

Step 4 Cut strips from the red construction paper using scissors.

Step 5 Glue the blue rectangle onto the upper left corner of your white sheet of construction paper.

Step 6 Trim a few red strips shorter and glue to the right of the blue rectangle. Then continue gluing red strips below to finish out the flag “stripes.”

Your completed flag paper craft may look different than ours. Part of the fun is letting your child make their craft unique. It’s a wonderful learning experience and something to be proud of.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Looking for more fun red, white, and blue fun? Create a firework painting.

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Local Library

Borrowing books from your local library is the easiest and least expensive way to find your favorites. We enjoy visiting and browsing to stock up on new reads. Sometimes we have a specific title in mind and I’ll put in an online request first to make it easy to pick up later.

Many libraries host Summer Reading programs to encourage all ages to read more. Check to see if your library offers one. This can be especially encouraging to kids. Some programs have special check off sheets, activities, and even small prizes for completing reading goals.

Don’t forget to take advantage of any online offerings as well such a free audio and e-books through Libby and/or Overdrive.

Little Free Library

Maybe your neighborhood has a Little Free Library or maybe there is one down the road. These are great resources for books for all ages. Our kids love stopping at the two in our neighborhood to browse for something new to read. They also take their own completed books to leave and share with others.

Better World Books

My husband introduced me to Better World Books. You can purchase new and used books through them. With each purchase, BWB donates a book to someone in need. They offer regular sales and have a rewards program too so you can save money while feeling good about your book purchases.

You can also donate books when you are done reading them. Find a drop box via their website. This is a great way to support a company doing good and to clean out extra stuff from your home.

Encourage your littlest readers with fun hands-on activities to connect to their books.

Barnes & Noble Summer Reading

Each Summer Barnes & Noble hosts a Summer Reading program for kids in 1st through 6th grades. Get your Summer Reading Journal in store (look for the display near the kids’ section or ask an employee) or download a copy from their website. Return completed journals to your local B&N store between July 1st and August 31st to get one new book for free.

Love that Barnes & Noble does this year after year. We’ve been participating since my now teen was in first grade and are nearing the end of when our daughter will be eligible. Both kids have enjoyed completing their reading and then selecting a new book. We found some great books we might not have otherwise discovered through this program.

Books-A-Million

Books-A-Million offers a Summer Reading Adventure. You can download your printable log book on their website. Complete it and turn in at a store to collect a prize. For summer 2025, it’s a Dog Man backpack. This would be great to tote your library books in after future visits.

Audible

Listening to audiobooks is another great option for summer reading! Audible helps put lots of books at your fingertips (or maybe ears?) quickly. If you have a road trip planned for your summer, be sure to download a few titles to listen to. It’s a great way for the entire family to pass the time.

Find more ways to keep your kids entertained while traveling HERE.

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Playground

The playground at Gipson Play Plaza is massive and has several different areas to enjoy – Slide Valley, Sand Bowl, Sensory Maze, and Watermill Mountain.

When I first saw images, the main structure in Slide Valley immediately reminded me of Maggie Daley Park in Chicago. I soon found out why – Gipson Play Plaza was designed by the same landscape architect firm. While the two aren’t identical, there are definitely similarities between the structures. My kids have enjoyed playing on both and will agree that both are fantastic.

Slide Valley

As the name implies, Slide Valley features LOTS of slides. There are slides down from different locations on the climbing structure. There are also slides on the hills and even through a tunnel ending underneath a walkway.

One thing to note: although there are a few covered areas and shade sails, the metal slides do get quite hot on a sunny day so check before sliding down.

Sensory Maze

The Sensory Maze is fun now and will get even better over time. I look forward to seeing the shrubs grow and create natural “walls” to define the space. Along with gravel pathways to wander, there are spots scattered throughout to explore with your senses.

Fun mirrors to see your reflection in. Elements to spin. Musical spots to play a tune.

Sand Bowl

This might be the best sand box I’ve seen at a park. There are areas for even the smallest visitors to play. Kick off shoes, feel the sand between their toes, and dig. There are also a few appropriately sized play structures to encourage climbing and motor skills.

Bigger kids don’t get left out. Just behind is a spot with sand AND water to mix, play, build, squish. There is also a millhouse that was designed to connect kids to the history of nearby Historic Yates Mill. They can move water in many different ways including pumps, pulleys, and wheels to spin.

Fountain Plaza

Another spot to cool off on a hot day? Fountain plaza. While there is a large open patio area, head closer to the stone wall for the fun. Here sprays of water shoot from the ground. The main feature though is definitely the waterfall. Periodically water will come pouring over the edge and down onto visitors below.

TIP: Large restrooms with changing areas (one has a shower) are located directly behind the waterfall to the left so you can easily dry off and freshen up after playing.

Swing Terrace

A large single structure holds numerous individual swings plus a few for multiple visitors to enjoy together (ie, saucer swings and a large braided “log” that holds 3). It’s located a bit away from the playground with views overlooking downtown Raleigh.

Picnicking

Plan to stay and enjoy your time at Gipson Play Plaza. Bring your own picnic and throw out a blanket on the lawn. Or grab a table in Picnic Grove. There a numerous tables to spread out and several grills if you feel like cooking.

You can also find food and refreshments at the House of Many Porches. It’s located a short walk away past Fountain Plaza. Inside are a number of ready to go and freshly made snacks and drinks as well as cool sweet treats (popsicles are always good on a hot summer day).

Quiet Spaces

One of the things I really appreciated was the number of open and quiet spaces scattered around the plaza. There are Adirondack chairs and benches in shady spots as well as sunny. Open grassy fields beckon you to run and play or throw down a picnic blanket and read a book. Quiet paths that beckon you for a stroll.

Truly, Gipson Play Plaza is a great addition to our city! The amenities and options provide something for everyone. Combined with a great location near downtown and next to the State Farmers Market – it is truly destination for locals and Raleigh visitors.

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Regardless which you are using (I personally still use a $5 band from our 2021 visit to WDW), you don’t want to lose it which is why having a way to secure your MagicBand is a must. Here are easy and inexpensive options to keep it safely attached while wearing.

Plastic Safety Clasp

A family member bought a package of Bitbelt plastic safety clasps before our trip in 2017. The package included enough for everyone in our group who needed/wanted one for their MagicBand. We used the ones we were given for a few other visits to WDW later.

I couldn’t find them ahead of our 2025 travel. Instead, I ordered a new package before our spring break cruise. They are inexpensive and come in a variety of colors in each pack. The kids each picked one to coordinate with their current bands and I stashed away the extras for future travel. Hopefully in a spot where I won’t misplace them when we need them!

Want something a little more fun? These cute made to order band locks have Mickey heads and you can choose your own color.

Hair Tie

After the near loss of our daughter’s brand new MagicBand+ in Animal Kingdom just a day after purchase this past January, we needed an easy way to secure her band and fast. It was a short trip so ordering anything online for delivery to our resort didn’t make sense. Instead, I considered what we had in our luggage and came up with a super simple solution – an elastic hair tie!

I just twisted it multiple times around the longer end of the band and slid close to the center. After securing the MagicBand+ on her wrist, I slid the hair tie down so it wrapped around both ends of the band. This worked perfectly and we had no issues with the band coming loose again.

Disney Sliders

If you are an Annual Passholder or Disney Vacation Club member, check at information desks, your resort, or on a Disney Cruise ship. An occasional gift to qualified individuals are MagicBand sliders. These fun freebies show off membership but also can double as a way to secure your MagicBand+.

Cute “Member at Sea” sliders were handed out on our recent cruise on the Disney Treasure. Though a little larger than our simple plastic safety clasps, these sliders did fit over the bands and hold in place.

MagicKeepers

Disney now sells its own version of plastic sliders as part of their MagicKeeper collection. They come in a 3 pack and cost $9.99 per package. Find in stores at Disney Springs or in the Parks.

Visiting Disney Parks with a younger child? Find all of our tips here for enjoying Disney with a Preschooler.

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Bluey and her sister, Bingo, dress up as grannies Janet and Rita as part of their imaginative play. Thankfully, their attire is super simple which makes the Grannies costumes easy to DIY. I simply ‘shopped our house’ for items to make these which made the entire project free except for my time.

Granny Janet

Referencing images in the book, I pulled fabrics from my stash to see which might work best for the costume. My daughter was instantly obsessed with the minky dot ones. I had a light pink and green that worked to create Janet’s shawl.

I cut the pink pinky dot fabric into a 26″ x 62″ rectangle. Then I cut two rectangles from the green fabric 26″ wide by approximately 5″ high. I sewed one on each of the shorter ends of the large pink rectangle.

Honestly, I thought I was done. Place over head at midpoint and wrap around. But, my daughter had other ideas and insisted that the back be enclosed to match the photos.

Assuming your child wants the same, I turned the fabric inside out and carefully pinned it along my daughter’s back to quickly size to her. I used fabric clips along some of the edges and then safety pins to better secure the fabric in half. Minky fabric tends to slip some so this helped me keep it in place as I sewed a quick, curved line from the fold to the green trim pieces.

I did a quick check to make sure this fit my daughter before trimming off the excess along the seam I had just sewn. Then flipped it right side out.

One of the perks of using the minky fabric is that I could skip hemming the unfinished edges. This made creating the costume piece a lot faster.

Janet’s Granny Glasses

For the granny glasses, I started with a pair of freebie sunglasses my kids had. I traced the outline onto a piece of paper so I could create a template to match Janet’s glasses. Then I placed a piece of fabric stabilizer over top. I traced the design onto it. Trimmed the stabilizer and ironed it to a piece of purple felt.

I carefully cut the felt – following the design on the stabilizer. Then peeled off the stabilizer and used hot glue to attach the felt to the sunglasses frames. Instant easy Granny Janet glasses.

Granny Rita

Janet has to have Rita – the Grannies are a pair. Thankfully, my daughter owned a Bingo plush toy so all she needed was a costume. I went back to my fabric stash and found a pair of purple cotton fabrics that would work. I made the shawl similar to how I created Janet’s – just smaller.

My daughter requested that I add a button to help secure the shawl. Thankfully, I also had one of those in my craft supply stash that worked.

The Grannies go to School

On Book Character Day, my daughter put on her Bluey t-shirt with navy leggings. Then she and Bingo got into their Grannies costumes and headed to school. They looked simply adorable!

And, in case wearing the costume got to be too much, we also packed my daughter’s Bluey ears headband. This way she could make a quick switch from Janet to Bluey whenever she wanted.

Want more DIY costume ideas? Find all of our costumes HERE.

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