Dinosaur activities help teach your little ones about an incredible creature that once roamed the earth.  The best way to learn is through play.  Pair these ideas up with dinosaur movies and books for a whole dino theme week!  You’re kids will thank you.

Today we’re handing you some really fun dinosaur activities we found in the It’s Playtime link-up.  Any of these will be a definite hit.

7 Playful Dinosaur Activities

1.  Dinosaur Expedition – Pretend you’re a paleontologist and go exploring for dino bones.  Dig for rocks and piece them together to form the shape of a dinosaur.

2.  Dinosaur Foot Prints – Create some pretend dinosaur foot prints around the house with masking tape and let your kids investigate and guess which dino they belong to.

3.  Dinosaurs and Tea Parties – This fun dinosaur activity matches the children’s book Tea Rex. Create some dinosaur themed plates for a tea party.

4.  Fizzing Dinosaur Eggs – Make an egg shell for your miniature dino figurines then let them hatch!  This is easy and yes, just a bit messy.

5.  DIY Dinosaur Fossils – How to make your very own dinosaur fossils with this clay recipe and a few Google images.  After they’re finished, you can even bury them in the sandbox for them to dig out!

6.  Dinosaur World – Turn your outdoor water table into a dinosaur habitat with these ideas.  Your child will love playing like a dinosaur.

7.  Best Dinosaur Books – Here’s a great list of books for your little dino-lover.  It features my most favorite dinosaur series, How Do Dinosaurs…? by Jane Yolen.   Some of these cute books include How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?, How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?, and How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Room?

If you’d like to link-up your favorite kids activity, stop back by at 4pm today to link-up with Kids Activities Blog.  

Affiliate links used in this post support Kids Activities Blog.

The post 7 Playful Dinosaur Activities appeared first on Kids Activities Blog.

We have a list of the best books for learning about America’s birthday.   There are fun stories about the 4th of July as well as educational ones and others full of great crafty ideas.

Kids Activities Blog loves to see kids learning about America’s Independence Day so we hope your child will enjoy this special collection of books.

Best Books

Fireworks, Picnics, and Flags: The Story of the Fourth of July Symbols by James Cross Giblin.  Read about the symbols that we associate with the Fourth of July and how they came to be.

The Story of the Star Spangled Banner by Patricia Pingry. Great book for ages 4-8.  Your child will read about the how Frances Scott Key was so moved by the sight of the American flag flying in the morning after the Battle of Baltimore that he wrote a poem that is now our national anthem.

Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Independence Day: With Parades, Picnics, and Fireworks by Deborah Heiligman.  Learn about the nation’s Independence Day with narratives, recipes, and fun for all.

The Declaration of Independence (True Books) by Elaine Landau.  An entertaining and educational book for elementary children.  Lots of great info with colorful pages and sidebars.  Includes information to find out more including great websites for kids.

4th of July

The Fourth of July Story by two time Newberry Award winner Alice Dalgliesh.  A full color story that brings America’s birthday alive for children.

Paper Crafts for the 4th of July (Paper Craft Fun for Holidays) by Randel McGee.  48 pages of fun craft ideas for kids.

Fourth of July Mice! by Bethany Roberts.  A cute story about the Holiday Mice taking part in all of the Fourth of July holiday fun.

The Case of the July 4th Jinx (Milo and Jazz Mysteries) by Lewis B. Montgomery.  Part of the fun Milo and Jazz Mystery series, this book investigates why weird and crazy things are happening at the local July 4th fair.

Independence Day

Independence Day (Rookie Read-About Holidays) by Trudi Strain Trueit.  A simple Scholastic book that includes 4th of July traditions, games, meals, and more.

Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George? by Jean Fritz.  A great insight to King George of England and his role leading up to and including the American Revolution.

The Declaration of Independence from A to Z by Catherine Osornio.  A great alphabet book that highlights events of America’s Independence through each letter of the alphabet.

The Declaration Of Independence: The Words that Made America by Sam Fink.   This is a wonderful little book that includes the actual words of the Declaration of Independence along with illustrations to help explain the meaning behind the words.

More Kids Activities

Do you have other books to include in our best books list?  How do you celebrate the 4th of July with your child?  For more great books and kids activities, we hope you enjoy these suggestions:

• Best Books for Boys
• 4th of July T-shirt Tutorial
• Independence Day Dessert: Sugar Cookie Bars

Affiliate links used in this post support Kids Activities Blog – Thanks for reading!

The post Best Books to Celebrate the 4th of July {Independence Day for Kids} appeared first on Kids Activities Blog.

Good healthy food that kids will actually eat can be a challenge to find.  Today we have a great fruit leather recipe that is not only healthy but also fun to eat.

Kids Activities Blog is excited to share this recipe with you because we know how much kids love fruit leather.

Good Healthy Food

Fruity snacks are a staple in our house.  I generally try to buy fruit snacks, fruit rolls, and fruit leather that are made with natural ingredients, natural dyes, and are low in sugar.  As fast as we go through them, I’ve always asked myself, “How hard would it be for us to make our own?”.  Using a recipe I got from a friend, my son (4.5 yrs) and I set to work to have my question was answered.

Ingredients and Supplies Needed:

• Fresh fruits such as strawberries, bananas, grapes, and raspberries
• Water
• A lemon
• Sugar or sugar substitute
• Non-stick spray or Vegetable Oil
• Blender or food processor
• Baking sheet
• Wax paper or silpat baking sheet

1. To prep your fruit, first wash it, then cut into small pieces.  Place the pieces into the a saucepan and heat them until they get mushy and a turn to a bit of gel.

2. Place the contents of the pot into a blender and blend until it is fully mixed.  At this point, it should have the consistency of a smoothie.  If it looks thick, you can add a bit of water to thin it out.

3. If the mixture tastes tart to you, you can add a small amount of sugar.  We were extremely  light on this because my aim was to make these as healthy as possible.

Fruit Leather Recipe

4. Line your baking sheet with wax paper or a silpat baking sheet.  We used wax paper because I didn’t have the silpat sheet.

5. Spray the paper/sheet with non-stick spray or brush on a light coat of vegetable oil.

6. Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and smooth it out.

7. Let it bake in your oven, set at 170 degrees, for 6-8 hours.

8. Prepare a second baking sheet exactly as you did your first.  Flip your pan with the large fruit sheet on it and transfer it to your second baking sheet.  Remove the wax paper backing.  Now bake for another 6-8 hours at 170 degrees.

Kids Love

9. After it’s cool, you can remove the fruit sheet from the baking tray and cut it to the sizes you’d like.  We cut ours into strips, but I think that next time I’ll catch them before they are cool and cut fun shapes out of cookie cutters.

10.If our fruit leather was on the sticky side, I would’ve wrapped them individually in wax paper.  Ours turned out a bit crispy so all we had to do was place in a plastic bag to prevent them from becoming rubbery.

The result was super yummy snacks that were natural and tasted super-yummy!  The next we make these, I’m going to try and sneak a little bit of carrot in for increased nutrition.  But, both my son and I think that this first batch was a total success.

More Kids Activities

What good healthy food options do you kids actually enjoy eating?  Have you ever used a fruit leather recipe to make it at home?  We’d love to hear about it.  For more healthy foods for kids, take a look at these great ideas:

• Good Healthy Food for Kids: Granola Bars
• Homemade Fruit Leather Recipe from Healthy Mama
• Kids Love These Yummy Foil Surprise Balls

The post Good Healthy Food: Fruit Leather Recipe {Kids Love} appeared first on Kids Activities Blog.

Have you ever made a science table in your home for your kids?  We offer these simple guidelines for how to make a hands-on table for kids to explore.  Kids Activities Blog loves open-ended learning and interactive science.

Science Table

An indoor science table in a perfect learning spot for children.  Recently this texture themed science table was set up on my son’s work table. He loves nature and explore the outdoors. The science table brought elements from the outdoors inside for him to observe and investigate.  I selected texture as the table’s theme. There are so many different textures that can be found in just our own backyard. Each of the nature elements presents a different texture that we have seen or heard about in our yard or neighborhood.

What can be found on the science table above?

• Leaves
• Plastic Container with magnifier
• Bark
• Magnifying glass
• Plastic snake ( We have seen are real one and I don’t think I would bring one in the house if we had. They are in our neighborhood.)
• Twigs
• Gift bag with a snake skin texture
• Crayons
• Paper
• Real live pictures of textures featured.

How the elements can be explore:

• The leaves can be observed in the container with a magnifying glass lid or the magnifying glass.
• The leaves can be placed under paper and a rubbing can be done of them with a crayon.
• The bark can be observed with or without the magnifying glass.

Hands On

• The bark and the sticks  can be described based on its feel, sound or view.

Interactive Science

• The snake textured bag can have rubbing done of it as can the rubber snake.
• The pictures of textures found outdoors can be talked about and observed.

There probably a zillion outdoor elements and science themed object in and around your house. I bet you could create a wonderful science table for your children.

Here are some things you might what to think about as you create one:

What  science topics are my children interested in now?  (light, specific animals, plants, magnets, gravity)

What science tools do you already own that would be great for a science table? (plastic  droppers, magnifying glasses,  magnets, microscopes,etc…)

How can they record there observations? (drawings, journals, checklists)

Where will it  be setup? ( You will want it to be on a table where it can say on display for a few days. Children loves to stop by a science center again and again.)

What senses will the science center be engaging? ( Involving three or more senses seems to help keep children involved in the science center.)

How will I display information and pictures? ( I created stands out of cereal boxes for the pictures and the sign displaying the science centers theme.)

My son really loves having an indoor science center. I hope you will try one out at your house. I bet your children will too.

More Kids Activities

A science table allows for so much discovery learning.  Kids will have fun while learning with hands on objects for them to explore.  For more science related kids activities, you might want to take a look at these ideas:

• Make a Science Table for Kids {From An Everyday Story}
• Hands On Science Experiment: Water Absorption
• Interactive Science and Nature: Take a Walk!

The post Science Table: Hands On, Interactive Science appeared first on Kids Activities Blog.

I would love to work out with my kids more, and now we have a stroller that can help me both bond with my kids and exercise.

Thanks to ZUMU for sponsoring this post and gifting us with a 3 in 1 Bike Trailer with Stroller and Jogger Conversion.

We have come up with some games to engage our toddlers while Mommy runs.

The kids loved the windows and getting to watch the world as I ran!

Exercise with your kids

Sing a silly song together – make up the songs, or change the words of the songs you and your child know.

Pretend you are a car a “vroom” and your way along the sidewalks.

Have your kids play Red light Green light with you.  As you push, they get to decide if it’s green and you run, yellow and you walk or red and you come to a stop.

I Spy.  Ask them to identify things that you see as you walk.  If they are older, have them guess at what you are looking at.

Check out the storage!  We were able to fit a gallon of water, bag of
apples, blankets to sit on, plates/cups, and dinner for the kids and I 
- with room to spare in our Zumu!

More Outdoor Activities

Pack a picnic.  Eat a meal or fun snack together halfway through your run.

Beanbag Toss.  Give your child a bean bag.  They throw it ahead of you.  Dash with the stroller to the bean bag.  Do a 3 squats, pick it up.  Run for a couple of paces, have your child re-throw the bag and then do jumping jacks or a when you “pick it up”, etc.

Play the Alphabet game.  Find the letters of the alphabet as you walk.

Dance Walk.  Try it with your kids – Dance while you walk – it is guaranteed to make your kids giggle, make you (and any bystanders) smile.

The front wheel axle can be easily replaced with a 
bike hitch - very versatile!

Get Moving with the Kids

Draw a curvy line on the sidewalk (or have an older run ahead of you and draw the line for you), do laps following the “swerves”.

Count to 100 together with every step, or if you are in a neighborhood, with every house that you pass.  Then count backwards on your way back home.

Thanks again to Zumu Products for sponsoring this post.  We can’t wait to hitch up a bike and take our kids for a ride!

Please go like them on facebook to learn more how they focus on helping families enjoy outdoor activities together.

The post 10 Stroller Games for Tots appeared first on Kids Activities Blog.

Surface Tension is a difficult concept to understand but we’ve got a fun way to demonstrate it to your child to make it easier to understand.  First we have an experiment with salt and then another experiment with LEGOs.  At Kids Activities Blog, we know how to make science for kids fun and exciting.

Surface Tension

Surface tension is one of those concepts that is best explained visually. This simple experiment has a great “wow” factor and is a fun and quick way to demonstrate surface tension in action.

Experiment with Salt

All you need is a bowl of water, some pepper and small amount of dish washing liquid. Sprinkle the pepper over the surface of the water so that it is completely covered. Next, dip your finger into some dish washing liquid. Now dip your finger right into the center of the bowl of water and….wow!  Watch as the pepper instantly disperses to the sides of the bowl. My son LOVES doing this and no matter how many times we do it, he still gasps “Wow!” and asks to do it again. It really is fun to watch it happen.

Science for Kids

My son is into Lego in a BIG way right now and so he asked whether we could try the same experiment using some Lego bricks. we began by floating some bricks on top of the water. We selected only the very flat, thin bricks to ensure they would float and disperse easily. The first thing we observed was that the Lego bricks slowly floated toward one another. This is a demonstration of surface tension. When you float objects in water, they will naturally seek out each other and the sides of the bowl. When explaining this to my son I said that the Lego bricks were looking to hold hands with each other and he found this pretty amusing to watch.

Surface Tension of Water

We filled the bowl with more Lego bricks so that almost the entire surface was covered in a layer of bricks. The surface tension experiment is not quite as effective with Lego as it is with pepper, but it works best if you have covered the entire surface as shown in the photo above.

Soap and Surface Tension

We dipped a craft stick into some dish washing liquid and then dipped it into the bowl of water. The Lego bricks quickly dispersed to the sides of the bowl. The impact of the Lego was not quite the “wow” factor of the pepper, as the visual was not so distinct, but it was still lots of fun to watch. Science and Lego for kids  – how can you go wrong?

What is surface tension?

Surface tension describes the attraction or adhesion of molecules to one another on the surface of a liquid. In a bowl of water for instance, the water molecules underneath the surface have equal pressure on them from all directions – sideways, below and above. The water molecules on the surface of the water however, have unequal pressure on them since there are not water molecules above them. This causes the surface of the water to act like a stretchy skin or elastic band.

How does it work?

The surface of the water is like a stretchy elastic skin on top of the water. The surface tension is broken by the dish washing liquid and it snaps away quickly. As the water molecules try to straighten up again, they quickly move to the sides of the bowl, and the pepper moves with them.

More Kids Activities

We hope these ideas help explain surface tension to your child.  The experiment with salt and pepper is especially fun to repeat over and over and over!  For more super cool demonstrations and kids activities, please take a look at these ideas:

• What is Surface Tension?
• The Floating Egg Experiment with Salt
• Balloon Science for Kids {Static Electricity} 

The post Surface Tension: Experiment with Salt {Science for Kids} appeared first on Kids Activities Blog.

We have an easy way for kids to make a compass on their own.  This simple magnetic compass needs only a few basic household supplies (we thought you’d like that!).  Kids Activities Blog loves helping kids learn about the world around them with simple hands-on projects like this.

Make a Compass

It’s easier than you might think to make a compass. All you need are a few simple household items and you can put together a compass that shows due North with surprising accuracy.

To make a compass, all you need are four simple items:

* bowl of water

* sewing pin or needle

* magnet

*small piece of craft foam, cork, or paper

Magnetic Compass

Cut a small circle from a material that will float in water. We used some craft foam but cork or even a piece of paper will work.  The next step is to turn the sewing needle into a magnet. To do this, stroke the needle across the magnet about thirty to forty times. Be sure to stroke in one direction only, not back and forth. The needle will now be magnetized.

Next, place the needle on the circle of craft foam or cork and place it on top of the water. Try to place it in the center of the bowl, keeping it away from the edges. The needle will begin to slowly turn around and eventually the needle will point North and South. We were so amazed to watch the needle finding North and we checked the accuracy of our diy compass with a compass app (we used Compass from Tim O’s Studios. It was free to download and very simple to use).

How it works

Every magnet has a north and south pole. A compass is small magnet that aligns itself with the north and south poles of the Earth’s magnetic field. As the needle is stroked across the magnet, it becomes magnetized because the electrons within the needle straighten up and align themselves with the magnet. The magnetized needle then aligns itself with the Earth’s magnetic field when it is placed on top of the water.

More Kids Activities

Your child will be so proud that they were able to make a compass on their own.  We’d love to hear how they used their new magnetic compass.  For more great kids activities, you may want to head in the direction of these ideas:

• Make a Compass Rose
• Learn about a Magnetic Compass
• How to Use a Compass

The post Make a Compass {Simple Magnetic Compass for Kids} appeared first on Kids Activities Blog.

DIY birthday parties are so much fun for so many reasons.  You always feel such a sense of satisfaction when you create something yourself.  It gives you the ability to put your own ideas into play and it also saves you money!  Birthday’s can be expensive, especially if you have several children in your family.

So, if you’re looking for inspiration, this mornings best blog feature, East Coast Mommy, is sharing a few of her ideas for DIY birthday parties.  You don’t have to go roam the aisles of your local party store to host an amazing birthday party.

5 DIY Birthday Party Ideas

1.  Circus Party - This is a great list of easy DIY birthday ideas for a circus party including the cake, cupcakes, favors, games and more!

2.  Monkey Party - Perfect for a baby turning one, this has lots of ideas for baby friendly food choices.  This also gives you a list of 5 easy DIY planning ideas for a successful party.

3.  Superhero Party - If your little boy (or little girl!) is into superheros, here are some DIY ideas for their birthday party.  This is complete with Spiderman cakes, games and even a few crafts.

4.  Star Wars Party - Create a “Jedi Training Academy” for your little ones next birthday party.  This has several ideas for pretend Jedi training and a certificate you can pass out at the end.

5.  Loot Bag Ideas - Alternatives to the traditional party “loot bag” filled with candy and temporary tattoos.  Books, balls and personalized stickers are a few nice thank-you’s.

Thank you for sharing these inspiring DIY birthday party ideas with us, East Coast Mommy!

The post 5 DIY Birthday Party Ideas appeared first on Kids Activities Blog.

This week’s pick for our best blog feature is East Coast Mommy.

We are featuring an interview with Gina today and rounding up some of our favorite East Coast Mommy posts this afternoon.  Kids Activities Blog is so excited about our best blog series.  We are hoping to introduce you to some sites you won’t want to miss!

Best Blog

East Coast Mommy loves to share her experiences with raising her three boys. This includes free tutorials, crafts, holiday fun, party planning recipes that are fun, easy and inexpensive.

East Coast Mommy

We are interviewing Gina today to find out about the mom behind East Coast Mommy.

Why did you begin blogging?

I began blogging to express myself, share my ideas, and to inspire and to support other mothers.

What do you hope to inspire in the parents who read your blog?

I hope to inspire fun, easy and inexpensive ways “real moms” can create a great life for their families.

What is it like to live in your home?

I have three awesome {and active} little boys ages 7, 5, and 3. They love to play sports, use their imaginations, and create things. Oh and yes, they rock!

What are your kids favorite activities?

There are a lot of things as the boys are very busy. I would say that our Friday night “family movie night” tradition is definitely one of our favorites. It is a great way to end the week together.

What is important to YOU as a blogger?

As a mom and a blogger, I LOVE things that are fun, easy and inexpensive.

What is your advice to readers?

My advice is that it doesn’t matter what you do or how you go about it but it is the time you spend together that your children will remember.

More East Coast Mommy

You can catch Gina and Easy Coast Mommy Facebook, as EastCoastMommy1 on Twitter and on Pinterest.

Thanks so much Gina for inspiring us today to make the most of our time with our kids. We love that you shared with us that it is the spending time together that counts the most!

More Best Blogs

If you are looking for more great blogs to follow, check out previous best blog articles here at Kids Activities Blog

• East Coast Mommy
• Housing A Forest
• Playdough to Plato
• Learn Create Love
• Busy Kids Happy Mom
• Mess For Less
• Creative Family Fun
• B-Inspired Mama
• The Usual Mayhem
• Octavia and Vicky
• My Poppet
• Mama Miss
• All Done Monkey
• Inspiration Laboratories
• Frugal Fun for Boys
• 52 Brand New
• Creative Kid Snacks
• Kid World Citizen
• Two Big Two Little
• What Do We Do All Day?
• 3 Dinosaurs
• Red Ted Art
• Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

The post {Best Blog} East Coast Mommy appeared first on Kids Activities Blog.

Summer is finally here, and after the very late spring, I know we are all ready for the warmer weather, the beach, and summer break! Well, I’m sure the kids are looking forward to summer break, at least!

Beach Fun

While the kids are home and you’re at a loss for what to do, try out these beach fun coloring pages just for June! They’re sure to get creative juices flowing, and the little ones entertained for at least a little while.

Kids activities blog loves coloring pages for kids because they make quick, easy, and inexpensive entertainment options for kids!

Coloring pages

I have 9 june and beach themed coloring pages available to print.
These pages include:

• a sandy June image
• a sandcastle with a bucket and a shovel
• a relaxing beach scene
• a girl at the beach
• a boy with goggles and a snorkel
• a surfboard and waves with a palm tree
• a seagull among shells and a sandcastle
• a boy about to go surfing
• design your own surfboard

Free printable

All 9 coloring pages are included in this one download. Click the link for the coloring pages to open in a new window, or right click and save to download them to your computer.

Click here to download the June and beach themed coloring pages

Coloring page fun

There are many ways to use coloring pages aside from just coloring. Here are some fun coloring ideas:

• Tear up magazines or construction paper and glue down
• Watercolors
• Cut out the images, glue to craft sticks and have a show!
• Use buttons to lay on the image instead of crayons. Glue them down, or just lay them there and redo another day!

More coloring pages

Here are some more great coloring page options:
May and spring themed coloring pages
Spring coloring pages
Abstract art coloring pages

The post Beach Fun June Coloring Pages for Kids appeared first on Kids Activities Blog.