Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Life Skill: Swimming

2013-05-07T23:05:00.000-04:00

Is learning to swim a Life Skill? Absolutely! It is one of the few sports that could actually save your life.

Why we swim:

It gives you confidence.
You are safer in and around water.
In our family, learning to swim is not a choice.
It's a skill that will serve you throughout your life.
It's great for kids with allergies and asthma.

How to Start off Swimming with Success:

Start early and go often!
You (the parent) need to be comfortable in the water, so that your child is comfortable too.
The Red Cross and local community pools offer swim classes for children 6 months and up!
Make sure they're warm enough. A cold pool can turn anyone off. My youngest still wears a wet suit. He prefers the Warm Belly suit, but these are good too.
Go early or stay late. Most swimmer's success happens outside of the swim lesson. Have fun together!.
Bring snacks. Swimming is a whole body sport and you're always hungry when you're done.

Materials

Swimsuit - I'm a fan of Speedo swim suits for girls. Play suits (ruffles, etc), 2 piece suits, and baggy swim trunks can really get in your child's way when learning to swim.
Goggles - I prefer Speedo Goggles for kids. I keep a bag of random goggle parts and extra goggles for quick fixes if they break. Hint: if you find goggles for $1.00, they won't work. Purchase a multi-pack and have them for the entire summer.
Towel
Flip Flops

Tips:

Sign up for lessons and practice often. Completing one week of beginner lessons, once a year, will just land you back in the beginner class next year.
Shower before you get in. We have found that if you let your skin absorb the clean water, then the chlorinated water is not so irritating or itchy.
Managing the Locker Rooms. If you are unfamiliar with how the pool operates, ask for a tour. You can go one day to learn all about the facility, so you're comfortable on your first day. Since I have boys, I always ask about family locker rooms as well.
Have a "swim station" set up in your house. We keep our swim stuff in the laundry room. This is where everything lands, swimsuits are hung up, and towels are washed. Keeping the bags packed allows us to not feel like crazy people every time we leave for the pool. It's also near the clean underwear we don't want to forget!
Look for community summer swim teams. They can be a great experience and often take young children for their developmental teams.

Personal background: Recently, I spoke to a group and shared the list of Life Skills. When it came time for questions, one mom asked me why I had swimming to the list. Honestly, I was surprised. I grew up a swimmer and swam through high school. Then I went on to become a Water Safety Instructor (WSI) so that I could teach Red Cross Swim Lessons. In my family, swimming was a necessity. In fact, I was taking swim lessons before I could walk!

When it came time to teach my own children to swim, we signed them up for swim lessons... with someone else! We've had lessons in community pools, outdoor pools, friend's backyards, and the new "strip mall" pools that seem to be popping up all over our suburban area.

Watching my kids swim across the pool was like watching them ride a bike for the first time. I was so proud of them!

More interesting articles and tips on swimming:

Deirdre shared about letting go of fear in the pool, here.
One Mommy recommends making it fun with songs and
Katie shared about her son's water accident, click here. She's an avid believer in teaching children to swim.
Valerie shared her son's first pool experience, here.
Heather from localfunforkids.com shared that her kids were fearless in the water. She taught them how to swim at an early age. She stressed the importance of having lessons 4-5 consecutive days for a two week period. Having one lesson a week for a 6 weeks stretch isn't intensive enough. (I agree).
Interested in teaching your own child to swim? Check out Cheerios and Latte's post here.

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To find other ideas for Life Skills and what is age appropriate, click here.

Life Skills Pinterest board full of ideas and practical tips, click here.

Kristen is a former Water Safety Instructor and the blogger behind Busy Kids = Happy Mom, a site dedicated to fun, practical, and purposeful activities to do with your kids. Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

Product Review: ALEX Toys Kid Concoctions

2013-05-07T23:04:00.002-04:00

We received a fun package from ALEX Toys. Each of my kids chose one that they wanted to make. Since they are both readers, it was almost an independent project!

Our first project was Kid Concoctions - Make Stretchy Putty

All of the supplies came in the kit. Nothing extra needed!

My son easily read the simple directions and mixed the entire concoction himself.

Mix

He loved squishing the liquid until it became a solid.

Look how fun this is!
This was before he squished it between his toes!!

My son was thrilled with his kit.

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Second Project: Kid Concoctions - Plop Plop Polymer

We just had to add a little water to start making this concoction.

He experimented with the polymer liquid.

Immediately they formed and could be handled.

Our favorite project was the Kid Concoctions - Make Stretchy Putty because it could be played with days later. We look forward to using the Jiggly Gel Bugs in the future!

Thanks to ALEX toys for providing my Busy Kids with these fun concoctions. Perfect for a rainy day or just plain fun!

You can also connect with Alex Toys on Facebook and Pinterest.

Water Mazes - Entertainment with One Drop of Water!

2013-04-23T19:11:00.001-04:00

My youngest child loves mazes! They are the first thing he attempts in all puzzle books and we've found even more free ones for him on-line. In an effort to find something we both would enjoy playing (see 100 Days of Play at the bottom), we decided to try Water Drop Mazes! This is a fun and simple way to explore mazes and water drops.

We used these great, easy to use mazes from Krazy Dad. They're free and you can send them directly to your printer. Worked for me!

Supplies:

mazes

toothpick

water drop

paper towel

page protector

optional: dropper and food coloring

Since I was photographing this for you, we tinted our water orange and actually used a dropper. I have been known to just flick a water drop on the page directly from the faucet. The dropper did add a fun element because we were able to add and subtract water, connect drops together, and drag large drops of water across the page.

Directions:
Put a drop at the start and slowly drag through the maze. Add more water for a larger spot. We used a pointed toothpick, so it helped to hold it on the side so we wouldn't poke a hole in the plastic. Patience is key!

Many options for doing the water mazes:
1. Cover with a plastic page protector.
2. Place a piece of wax paper over it.
2. If you have the option, laminate it.

More Maze Fun:
Want to make your own personalized mazes? Check out this idea from Creative With Kids.

I thought this cool magnetic maze was awesome from J Daniels 4's Mom on Kids Activities Blog, click here.

Trisha made two paper mazes and an awesome LEGO maze on Kids Activities blog, click here.

These frustration free mazes with dry erase markers rock! No Time for Flashcards, click here.

Caroline made this cool tactile maze and a LEGO maze / pinball game! *This LEGO maze inspired my son so much, he's off making it!

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I'm participating in the 100 Days of Play. I chose to participate because my kids crave quality time. Playing with Legos, playing games, and cuddling. I can usually manage fitting in the cuddles (because I get to sit on the couch), but really setting aside time to play a game is hard. I about lost my mind playing Mastermind the other day! I usually look for a way to compromise with my kids. If they ask me to play, I usually come up with a few things that I wouldn't mind playing and then we go from there.

Five minutes a day for 100 days - I think I can do that!

100 Days of Play Blog Hop
Sharing simple ideas on how to connect with your children through play!
New ideas shared each day from 4/1 - 7/20.

Help us spread the word!

Grab a Button to Share on your Blog!

100 Days of Play is brought to you by these wonderful bloggers

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Kristen is the blogger behind Busy Kids = Happy Mom, a site dedicated to fun, practical, and purposeful activities to do with your kids. She also runs Kristen Elise Designs. Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

Bracelet Making for Kids

2013-04-08T10:13:00.001-04:00

Yeah for beads! I had the opportunity to share my love for creating pretty things with a group of 12 girls last week. It didn't take much explaining.... they knew just what to do and each had their own style.

Supplies

Memory Wire Bracelet (available at craft stores)
Bead assortment (ages 5+ love to be trusted with glass beads and pearls). I've liked working with this Etsy company.
Needle nose pliers (check your tool box)
Paper plates and bowls

Notes: I like to use Memory Wire because you don't extra glue or clasps to keep it together. The bracelet size is nice for young girls. If they have really tiny wrists though, it may fall off.

a finished bracelet!

Prep:

Purchase beads and wire.
Make a practice bracelet to see just about how many beads you need.
Even though the Memory Wire comes precut, I usually cut it even smaller (2 loops). The activity lasted about 45 minutes, which was perfect. If you have more beads, more time, and more patience, keep the wire long.
Use your needle nose pliers to turn the end of the memory wire into a little loop. You can see the end of the bracelet in the photo at the top.
Sort your beads into bowls by color.

Kid Directions (what I basically said to the kids)

We're making bracelets today!
We have a large selection of beads for you to choose from.
You can make any pattern you'd like, organize it by color or shape, or just choose your favorite beads.
Here is a sample of one you can make (show them).
The memory wire works like a big slinky. You need to push your bead all the way to the end.
First, choose 10 favorite beads and put them on your plate.
Then, you'll move to the floor/table to get started. You can keep going back to get more beads until your bracelet is full.
When you're done bring it to me. *At this point, you need to curve the end to close it off.

This was a great activity for a party! Thanks for having me come!

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Reader Sit - Getting Ready to Read

2013-04-03T15:47:00.001-04:00

"Reader Sit"

This is not rocket science, but it helps so much! I came up with Reader Sit" as a positive solution to use with students (instead of whining at them to sit up, stop laying their head down on their desks, or holding their head in their hands). This is the easiest way to get everyone to sit up and wake up!

How to:
1. Demonstrate the "Reader Sit" position to students yourself. Use the above photo if necessary.

2. Show them how to hold the book with one hand and use the other hand to guide them. I like to tell them that we use our whole body to read!

2. Practice "Reader Sit" as a class.

3. Choose a few students to model it for everyone.

4. Practice in whole group and small group situations.

5. Tell them that you're developing good reading habits and it shows that they're ready to learn.

6. Use it daily until everyone knows your expectations.

Background:
I actually came up with it after watching my kids at taekwondo. It was amazing... when the master said, "Taekwondo sit", all of the students would immediately sit up straight, cross their legs, and put their hands in fists by their sides. They were ready to learn and ready to listen... isn't that what we want in the classroom too?

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Kristen is a Reading Specialist who currently works with children in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade. She is the blogger behind Busy Kids = Happy Mom, a site dedicated to fun, practical, and purposeful activities to do with your kids. Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

April Fools - Simple Family Fun

2013-03-31T23:40:00.001-04:00

Family fun with food and innocent pranks! How are you enjoying April Fools' Day?
Want to see what we did last year? Click here.

The simplest ideas are the funniest! We found this sign on April 2nd last year.
They'd left it up all day!

Pranks
Kid Friendly Pranks for April Fools from JDaniel 4's Mom

Playful Pranks for April Fools Day from Play Dr. Mom

Fun Family April Fools Ideas from A Mom With a Lesson Plan

Click the picture to see what we did with Cheetos!

Food
Breakfast Egg from 320 Sycamore

Apple "juice" from Random Handprints

What's new for us this year:

The water bottle trick from All For the Boys.
Brochure for "Chore Camp" by Spoonful (hilarious)
Brown "E"s and making some real brownies too.
Putting wiggly eyes on random things in my house.

I was told that my kids may retaliate one day. Hopefully, they've all learned that we're having fun - not being mean. Most likely, they'll have the last laugh!

Want to follow our April Fools' board on Pinterest? Click HERE.

Tips for Planning a Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt

2013-03-25T23:47:00.003-04:00

Easter! One way we celebrate Easter is by planning an egg hunt for the kids on our street. For my children, this is one of the service projects they can do with minimal help from me! Yeah! They enjoy planning and preparing for the neighbors to come over. We have done this for several years and want to share our tips with you:

1. Our eggs are empty! The kids are content searching for and finding the eggs. We have a huge bucket of eggs that we use year after year. Some we purchased, others were donated, and some were from freecycle.

2. My kids make simple invitations a week in advance to invite everyone to our front yard the Saturday before Easter. Even if people are traveling, many people seem to be home the night before Easter. We usually start at 4:00.

3. We purchase and make treats to share ahead of time: Peeps, cupcakes, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, Capri Sun and Water. (supply list below)

4. The day of the Egg Hunt - we hide the eggs (kids 4 and under like them in plain view) and our kids make a sign for the yard (see above).

5. Finally, the Egg Hunt has arrived! The neighbors come with their baskets and parents with cameras line up. Off they go! Finding the eggs takes a few minutes, so then we have the kids hide them again! We've had eggs resurface months later because they were hidden so well!

6. Then we all enjoy the treats. I usually just keep the table set up in the garage and bring out after the hunt is over.

Supplies or if other neighbors wish to help:
plastic eggs
food (see above): cupcakes (photo 3) or cake (photo 4), "plastic carrots" (photo 2).
drinks: Capri Sun, Water Bottles
fun: sidewalk chalk, bubbles

Side note: I used to be concerned about not putting candy in the eggs and felt I had to make excuses. Guess what? The kids don't care one bit! They just like hunting for them, hiding them again, and hunting again. It also ensures that our eggs will be returned so we can use them again the next year.

Our "carrots" (photo 2 above) are icing decorating bags filled with Annie's Organic Cheddar bunnies.

Other great links:

Check out other ways people impact the neighborhoods they live in.
Make an Easter Egg Hunt Fun For All with Play Dr. Mom
How about a fun Easter Egg Hunt Bath? by Growing a Jeweled Rose

This post contains affiliate links.

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Kristen @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Kristen's background is in elementary education, crafts and raising boys! Busy kids are those engaged in fun, practical, and purposeful activities in their daily life.

Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

The Power of Tracing the Alphabet Part 2

2013-03-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome I Can Teach My Child friends! If you're looking for Part 1 of this post, I shared it on I Can Teach My Child (click here).

Now that you understand how powerful Alphabet letter finger tracing can be, I wanted to share some more tips and resources:

Tips
1. To get your child to start "all of their letters at the top", draw a colored dot (see orange dots above). This works for writing and for tracing.

2. How do you "read" this book? As your child traces the uppercase A they say "A" aloud. When they trace the lowercase a they say "aaah" (short a sound) aloud. Then they point to the picture and say "apple".

3. When actually writing the letters, if you're child is also struggling with appropriate size of letters, I wrote about using a house (here) to explain it. This helps big kids too.

4. Are your ABC cards getting beat up and you need a laminator? Try plastic page protectors, inexpensive small photo album to hold your cards. I've also been known to cover things with clear packing tape if I was desperate!

5. One more tip I love to share with parents when it comes to recognizing letters and sounds is the Letter Factory DVD. One student I'm working with uses the tracing book (above) and sings the entire book the "Letter Factory way" - The A says /a/, The A says /a/, every letter makes a sound the A says /a/! Love it!

Great Free Resources
Royal Baloo has these great tracing cards.

Living Life Intentionally has awesome Alphabet wall cards and flashcards.

3 Dinosaurs has amazing ABC printables and activities.

Materials you can purchase:
Wipe Clean: Learn to Write Your Letters (a dry erase board book)

Tactile Letters Kit (sandpaper letters that the kids can touch)

I usually just use a green marker for GO at the top of the letter. I digitally added the yellow dot here so you could see it in the picture.

This post contains affiliate links.

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Unplugged Play Series: Stair Ball (invented by an 8 year old)

2013-03-18T10:37:00.002-04:00

Supplies:

1 set of stairs

1 or more people

1 large beach ball

Directions:

1. If you have 2 or more players, have someone sit at the top of the stairs and someone stand at the bottom.

2. Throw the beach ball straight up and then put your hands together like you're going to hit a volleyball. Then WHACK it to the person at the top. If you're playing alone, you just hit it to the top and it should bounce right back to you.

3. Keep on hitting it and try not to let the ball hit the floor.

4. If the person on the bottom misses the ball and it hits the floor, you switch spots with the person on the top.

5. Sometimes we do "Worlds Record" (how long can you keep the ball in play) and try not to let it touch the floor.

It doesn't matter how long you play for, I think I play Stair Ball for hours!

Mom note: My son LOVES this game! We can all play it and it actually gets your heart rate up! I haven't noticed any extra scratches on our walls from the balls. My son has been able to engage players as young as 3 and as old as 29 *wink* in the game. Play at your own risk!

About the "Stair Ball" designer:

He is 8 years old and the son of the Busy Kids = Happy Mom author. He first invented Stair Ball when he was 4. It is an upgraded version of a game called "BOP Balloon". He loves to be active, play games, and has loved balls since he was 1!

For more indoor fun ideas:
10 Ways for Kids to Burn off Energy (without tearing down the house!) from Frugal Fun 4 Boys
Nerf Gun Shooting Range
Unplugged Play Series

Kristen @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Kristen's background is in elementary education, crafts and raising boys! Busy kids are those engaged in fun, practical, and purposeful activities in their daily life.

Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

11th Birthday Gift Ideas for Boys and Girls

2013-03-08T13:00:00.000-05:00

Top 11 Gifts for Boys

Nerf Toys (guns, Flag Football, Lazer Tag, basketballs)
Legos (favorite sets are: Chima, Hero Factory, Minifigures, and books.
Helicopter (remote control)
iPod Touch and accessories
Outside gear: new Razor Scooter, skateboard, and helmet
Angry Birds Star Wars toy
Science Set
Gear for sports: swim bag, bat bag, Camelbak
Events - movies, bowling, sports event, batting cages, mini golf
Gift Cards: Amazon, Gamestop, Lazer Tag, iTunes
Weird But True books

Top 11 Gifts for Girls

Kindle
American Girl Doll and accessories
Lego Friends
Manicure / Pedicure Set and Nail Polish sets
Spa Day Kit (for a night in "mom's" bathroom)
Fashionable Outfit (probably ask before you buy!)
Hands on activities: craft kits, science experiments
Jewelry or a starter keepsake piece
Interest Oriented: Writing, Drawing, Crafts, Music
Gift Certificates: Kindle, Target, Ice Cream, Justice, Amazon
Events: movie, museum, musical, spa day, shopping spree (within limits!)

*Bonus Idea for Harry Potter fans turning 11, click here.

Author's Note: The ideas above were gleaned from the great Facebook readers of Busy Kids = Happy Mom and the BKHM advisers.

Affiliate links to Amazon.

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Kristen @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Kristen's background is in elementary education, crafts and raising boys! Busy kids are those engaged in fun, practical, and purposeful activities in their daily life.

Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

Harry Potter 11th Birthday Gift

2013-03-08T12:22:00.000-05:00

We just celebrated our tween's birthday!

One of the biggest hits was this "special letter" from Hogwarts School. Mr. BKHM designed it and we're sharing it with you here:

We purchased the Folkmanis puppet Snowy Owl and had it "deliver" the letter. We did attempt to seal the envelope with hot wax and press a button into it for effect. This was the last gift he received on his birthday. It continues to spark his imagination and has renewed his love for reading Harry Potter books.

Background: When Harry Potter turned 11 Hagrid came visited him to deliver his Hogwarts letter in person. This was when he found out he was a wizard.

I wanted to make sure I documented things that he liked this year, because I'm sure I'll forget! I brainstormed a list of things he received or wished for and made a Eleven Year Old Gift-Buying Guide (click here) for the tween in your life.

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Kristen @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom
Kristen's background is in elementary education, crafts and raising boys! Busy kids are those engaged in fun, practical, and purposeful activities in their daily life.

Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

Simple Preparations for Easter

2013-03-01T21:35:00.001-05:00

We're preparing for Easter! As a Christian, it's our most important celebration of the year. This year Easter is in March, which is really not that far away. We found this great Jesus Storybook Bible to read everyday before Easter during Lent. It has 44 passages and is a super easy daily read. Every night we read a passage and eat a Hershey Kiss (in the plastic eggs).

If you are looking for a way to encourage your child's understanding of the Bible, the book is filled with excellent illustrations and stories. Note: They are adapted stories, not literal translations. I'd recommend it for ages 3 and up; however, my big kids (8 and 11) and they are enjoying it.

A few years ago I realized that I had many boxes of Christmas stuff and hardly any Easter decorations or meaningful materials to use with my children. When the kids were younger we had the Resurrection Eggs, which were were a great teaching tool. I've long looked for a way to countdown to Easter. Last year during Advent we read nightly Christmas stories and had a little treat. The kids loved it. It was special to cuddle on the couch and do something different. I'm happy to find something to use with them with them for Easter and hope it's a tradition we can continue for years to come.
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In Lieu of Preschool has a great plan for reading the book during Lent. Go here.

Kristen @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Kristen's background is in elementary education, crafts and raising boys! Busy kids are those engaged in fun, practical, and purposeful activities in their daily life.

Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

This post contains affiliate links to Amazon.

Crystal Heart Science Experiment

2013-01-28T14:03:00.001-05:00

Borax crystals have been taking over Pinterest! We finally tried it and had great results (the second time). Our first try didn't work because we didn't have the correct ratio of Borax to water.

Supplies needed:

Borax - sold by the box in cleaning aisle of stores

Boiling water

Glass container - I used an old vase, but Mason jars would work too

Stick - anything you have works (pencil, chopsticks, ruler)

String

Pipe Cleaners

Food coloring (optional) - we died our solution a little pink/red for the above results.

Simple directions:

1. Make your design from pipe cleaners.

2. Attach the pipe cleaner to the stick with a piece of string. This will allow the heart to dangle in the solution.

3. Mix boiling 1 pint of boiling water with 1/3 cup of Borax.

4. Lower design into the water. Let it stay for 3 hours or overnight.

5. Dry and display.

For a really great example, clear photos and the science behind why it works - check out Club Chica.

For more Valentines Crafts click here and here. For fun candy - free card ideas, click here.

Kristen @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Kristen's background is in elementary education, crafts and raising boys! Busy kids are those engaged in fun, practical, and purposeful activities in their daily life.

Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

Affiliate Links to Amazon, not a sponsored post.

Angry Birds and Super Mario Pinewood Derby Cars

2013-01-20T22:36:00.002-05:00

Now that we have 2 boys in Cub Scouts, we spend a lot of time preparing for the Pinewood Derby! These are actually last year's cars. I wasn't "allowed" to share them last year. I'm sure you understand!

Last year, both boys came in 3rd place, which was thrilling for both of them! I don't have any race winning tips - I did help slightly with the design:

Mario Car - We sat Mario in model magic (picture below) and a large button was added to make a steering wheel. The the entire car was spray painted. The racing stripes were made with electrical tape.

Angry Birds Car - The Angry Bird was a party favor eraser. The helmet was made from model magic and the clear visor and helmet base came from one of those little capsules in gumball machines.

I did like some of these tips on How to Make Your Car Go Faster from Sugar Bee. Not all of the tips are legal in our area, so make sure you check them out!

Anyone else racing this year?

Kristen @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Kristen's background is in elementary education, crafts and raising boys! Busy kids are those engaged in fun, practical, and purposeful activities in their daily life.

Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

Unplugged Play: Build-a-Bridge Challenge

2013-01-19T09:02:00.000-05:00

Stuck inside for winter? Too hot? Too rainy? Just need a new creative project? It's time for a challenge!

Challenge: Construct a bridge that spans at least 12 inches and hold one action figure (or whatever toy you have in your home).

Supplies:
1. glue guns (craft glue would work as well, we wanted fast drying)
2. 40-50 craft sticks / Popsicle sticks
3. ruler
4. cookie sheet or parchment paper to keep it from sticking to other surfaces

If this the first time your child will be using a glue gun? Click here for some tips.

Make Predictions -
Predict what will happen if the bridge cannot handle the weight (it will snap and break).

Test it Out-
Then test the bridge between two chairs that are about 10 inches apart.

You can either test one item and see if the bridge can hold it or you can continue to stack items (books, cards, blocks) until the bridge breaks.

Our Experience-
We didn't want our bridges to break, so we slowly added heavier items. Surprisingly they were very sturdy! The bottom picture (above) shows how many books we piled on top of one of them. It was fun to see how two children went at it completely different from one another and still worked!

Kristen @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Kristen's background is in elementary education, crafts and raising boys! Busy kids are those engaged in fun, practical, and purposeful activities in their daily life.

Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

Celebrating with Family Fun Magazine!

2013-01-13T15:23:00.002-05:00

Do you subscribe to Family Fun Magazine? Did you receive your February 2013 copy?

I've been waiting patiently for it! Our copy was delivered on Saturday. I think I imagined a perfect moment at the mailbox opening it up to find our craft published! Instead, I was in the garage (in my pajamas, raincoat, and baseball hat) trimming the boy's hair. Yep - real life, looking my best!

We quickly flipped through it to find...... dun, dun, duhhhhhh...... Our Sign Language "I Love You" cards!

Page 58, Family Fun Magazine, February 2013

For our original post, click here:

Special thanks to Family Fun Magazine! It's always been a dream of mine to have something featured!

Kristen @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Kristen's background is in elementary education, crafts and raising boys! Busy kids are those engaged in fun, practical, and purposeful activities in their daily life.

Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

Quarters for the month: Bed Making

2013-01-09T22:29:00.001-05:00

When something you've put on your site has been pinned (on Pinterest) over 180,000 times, it causes you to take notice and reflect. The post is Life Skills. As my children get older, I'm even more aware that my responsibility is to teach and train them, not handle all tasks for them.

How am I doing with teaching my children Life Skills? How are my kids doing? Well.... not so good. We're about where we left off at the end of the summer.

So, I plan to start monthly goals. No judging - we'll begin with making our beds. This is something I've just never worried about and have let slide because they leave for school before 7:30 a.m. Truth be told, my bed only gets made if my husband does it.

I've been reading Cleaning House by Kay Wills Wyma. She instituted a dollar plan, I've knocked it down to a quarter plan.

Quarter Plan
Each boy starts the month off with 1 quarter for each day of the month. January has 31 days, so they received 31 quarters. I poke my head in their rooms daily to see if they made their beds. If they did they keep their quarter, if not, they bring one to me. (it's much more painful to bring the quarter to mom)

If at the end of the month they've kept all their quarters, they can trade it in for approximately $7.00 extra in cash each month. Money talks for my kids, maybe your children would prefer points or pom poms.

We'll refill quarters at the beginning of the next month and add a new task (probably the bathroom) in addition to making beds. Make sense?

I know it seems like I'm taking very simple steps, but if we have 12 new tasks done and implemented by the end of the year it could be genius!

What would be on your to-do list?

More on Life Skills? Join the Pinterest Life Skills Board here.

In other news, we have had success with setting the table and our nighttime procedure.

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Update: So far, everyone has kept their quarters. We're halfway through the month.... well, 9 days!

Update:

January - beds

February - towels

March - jackets hung up

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Kristen @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Kristen's background is in elementary education, crafts and raising boys! Busy kids are those engaged in fun, practical, and purposeful activities in their daily life.

Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

More Candy Free Valentines

2013-01-03T23:40:00.000-05:00

Are your kids already getting excited about Valentines Day? Our school requires all Valentines to be candy-free. Here are some fun ideas to get you started. Don't forget to check our last round-up of Candy Free Valentines too!

Glow Stick Light Saber Lego Valentines by Stitch Craft Creations

Small vehicle from Thirty Handmade Days

Origami Bookmarks Clutter Free Classroom

Love Bugs from Dandee Designs

Just Write from Bits of Everything

DIY Scratch Off - Come Together Kids

You are Just Write for Me! from The Teacher Wife

Remember these? Warm Fuzzy from Funky Polka Dot Giraffe

More Candy Free Valentines - click here.

Maybe you have some suggestions for me - we purchased little puzzle erasers at Target before we had a plan on how to give them. I'm looking for something cute to say!

Reader Favorites of 2012 from Busy Kids = Happy Mom

2012-12-29T20:43:00.001-05:00

Thank you so much for joining us and sharing in our fun.
In no particular order, here they are:

Five Love Languages Guide for Moms - Dr. Gary Chapman even gave a shout-out to this on his Facebook page! Wowzers!

Words with Family - DIY Scrabble Board. I love this piece and so does my family! Worth the work.

Duct or Duck Tape - we add to this list often. Each child received one more roll for Christmas!

Book Leveling Guide - this is helpful for teachers and parents!

Glue Guns with Kids - Still popular at my house!

Life Skills continues to be super popular on Pinterest. It generates the most interesting comments (and debate).

I Love You Sign Language card - idea soon to be published in Family Fun!

Writing to Your Child's Teacher - a good way to start the year!

Sand Art - I love, love, love this trick!

Dove Fingerprint tutorial

I hope that people feel welcomed and inspired. If I can do it, you can too!

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Kristen @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Kristen's background is in elementary education, crafts and raising boys! Busy kids are those engaged in fun, practical, and purposeful activities in their daily life.

Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

Best of our Elf-on-the-Shelf

2012-12-24T11:31:00.001-05:00

Here are your favorite Elf pictures - voted on by our
Facebook fans:
1. Celebrating the Reason for the Season.
2. Classic Elf with our New Elf.
3. Circus Elf on a trapeze.
4. Super Elf!

We loved seeing all of your ideas on the collaborative Pinterest board and reading about your elves and all of their names on our Facebook page!

Thank you for joining us this year for all of our

Elf-on-the-Shelf fun!

Merry Christmas to all!
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Kristen @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Kristen's background is in elementary education, crafts and raising boys! Busy kids are those engaged in fun, practical, and purposeful activities in their daily life.

Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

If you need to purchase an Elf for your family, we got our's from Amazon. Affiliate Link: {click here}.

Grandma's Gingerbread Men

2012-12-21T08:30:00.002-05:00

Today, I'm sharing one of our family's favorite traditions. Just like the gingerbread houses, this one is sponsored by Gramom! She mixes, rolls, refrigerates, bakes, and supervises the entire cookie making process. She called to see if I can a rolling pin.... just one for play-dough was my response!

This recipe has been with my family for over 40 years. They were originally made by my dad's mom (my grandma). I grew up with these tasty treats and now my children enjoy helping with them as well. Helping = adding the red hots and eating them.

Gingerbread Men
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
5 cups flour
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1 cup molasses
grated rind of orange (or purchase the container in the spice aisle)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice

*You also need "cinnamon imperials". They are found in the cake decorating section of the grocery store. Do not purchase "red hots", they melt and look strange after baking

Mix all ingredients. Chill overnight.

1. Roll out 1/8" to 1/4" thickness on lightly floured cloth covered surface.
2. Use cookie cutters and add add red hots.
3. Refrigerate again for about 10 minutes (helps them keep their shape).
4. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Makes 5 dozen.

Merry Christmas!

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Kristen @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Kristen's background is in elementary education, crafts and raising boys! Busy kids are those engaged in fun, practical, and purposeful activities in their daily life.

Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

Be The Good

2012-12-17T21:37:00.001-05:00

Free Printable (click here)

Yarn Star Ornaments

2012-12-11T22:11:00.000-05:00

Here's a little ornament that cost me nothing - just some craft sticks, glue, and yarn. I think my box of craft sticks is never ending and it multiplies overnight! We also had some scraps of yarn.

These were inspired by the wonderful Twig Stars over at Happy Hooligans with her preschoolers.

This made my little guy very happy. He loved making the star and wrapping it with cool yarn. I think it felt great in his fingers and it was easy to do.

Hardest part was making the star.... when I did it. When my son did it, he had no problem. He is now our official star maker.

Make the star, glue gun the points, and wrap with yarn. Hang and enjoy.

Merry Christmas!

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Kristen @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Kristen's background is in elementary education, crafts and raising boys! Busy kids are those engaged in fun, practical, and purposeful activities in their daily life.

Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

Knock-off Ballard Designs Magnet Board

2012-12-09T11:37:00.002-05:00

This is a special gift for my favorite sister in the entire world! Happy "29th" Birthday lovely lady! Wish I was spending the day with you!

My sister has a small wall next to her kitchen that needed a magnet board. After making the Scrabble Magnet Board, I had the perfect size remnant of metal to make her a board.

Supplies:

linen fabric

metal board

black ribbon

ivory felt by the yard

spray adhesive

glue gun

fabric scissors

metal cutters

magnets

covered button kit

fabric paint

freezer paper
large piece of cardboard

Directions:
1. Cut the metal to size and adhere the cardboard to the back (this offers some stability).
2. Iron the fabric. I put two layers of fabric over the board because the metal edges were a little sharp.
3. Use the spray adhesive to adhere the fabric to the metal.
4. Tightly wrap around the edges and glue gun in place.
5. The monogram was put on using the stencil technique from the Lego t-shirts.
6. Attach a bow to the front and a loop to the back with the black ribbon.
7. Cover the back with a piece of felt for a finished, smooth look.
8. Make covered buttons with corresponding fabric.

This could be used in your kitchen or bedroom. Perfect for organizing photos, projects, or homework reminders.

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Kristen @ Busy Kids = Happy Mom

Kristen's background is in elementary education, crafts and raising boys! Busy kids are those engaged in fun, practical, and purposeful activities in their daily life.

Follow Kristen on Facebook, Pinterest, and Busy Kids = Happy Mom.

Secret Trick to Gingerbread Houses

2012-11-30T20:28:00.000-05:00

Today we started our holiday season with one of our most favorite traditions, The Gingerbread House!

Fortunately for me, this event is always sponsored by the boy's Gramom (my mom)! Yeah for Grand-moms! They can swoop in and dole out the fun and magic. I usually have great intentions for creating those "magical Christmas moments", but they can easily get lost in the hustle and bustle.

1. Buy a gingerbread house kit (this one is from Trader Joe's).

2. Get out your glue gun! This is the best tip you'll see. No need to wait around for the icing to dry. Glue the sides to the base for a quick house. It should dry in less than 60 seconds. Now use your icing for decorating fun! (Remember: don't eat it!)

3. Leftover candy from Halloween, pull it out now and decorate away!

You also might like our Secret Trick to Sand Art or our other Christmas and Elf on the Shelf fun. Thanks for stopping by Busy Kids = Happy Mom!