The Many Little Joys

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Crafts & Activities

Why every child needs an inventor box + how to create one

Forget buying kids expensive toys…instead, create a no-cost inventor box (AKA – tinker box) that will inspire endless hours of creative play and STEM exploration.

Forget buying kids expensive toys…instead, create a no-cost inventor box (AKA - tinker box) that will inspire endless hours of creative play and STEM exploration.

Note: This post contains affiliate links to products that I have used and loved. See my disclosure to learn more.

My six-year-old wants to be an inventor when he grows up. And, honestly, I won’t be a bit surprised if that’s exactly what he becomes. He is constantly creating, imagining, and experimenting with something.

Yes, sometimes it drives me crazy. His big ideas have no bounds (hooray!), but he has a habit of leaving behind a trail of debris (we’re working on that one).

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How to beat the heat: 9 ice play activities for kids

If you feel like you’re melting in the summer heat, these ice play activities will cool things off while you learn and play with your kids!

If you feel like you're melting in the summer heat, these ice play activities will cool things off while you learn and play with your kids!

Note: This post contains affiliate links to products that I have used and loved. See my disclosure to learn more.

I grew up in central California where summers literally got hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk. August was downright brutal, with highs that hovered near 110 degrees!

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How to make a board game: fun learning activity for kids

Do your kids love playing games? Try letting them design one! This creative activity will help kids analyze the games they know and help them learn how to make a board game of their own.

How to make a board game brainstorming worksheets

Note: This post contains affiliate links to products that I have used and loved. See my disclosure to learn more.

Are you a game loving family? We have a whole closet full of board games, and my oldest son (8) is always trying to hunt down someone–ANYONE–to play a game with him.

Recently, we took our love of gaming to the next level—we created our OWN games. It was so fun!

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How to make a human sundial + more fun shadow activities

This human sundial is a fun outdoor STEM activity that will help kids understand how shadows are made and encourage them to experiment with light and shadow.

Note: This post contains affiliate links to products that I have used and loved. See my disclosure to learn more.

Science was one of my least favorite subjects in school as a kid. Ironically, I actually love science itself, but much of the way science is traditionally taught (or at least how it was taught to me in school) sucks the life and wonder out of learning about how the world works.

But science isn’t boring!

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Summer Plan for Fun! (your simple guide to a fantastic summer at home)

Summer is for making memories…but sometimes being the one to come up with the ideas can be exhausting. This free printable weekly calendar will help you create a simple, flexible summer plan without the stress. Ready…set…play!

Summer plan for fun: printable weekly calendar of activities

Note: This post contains affiliate links to products that I have used and loved. See my disclosure to learn more.

It’s official, we’re on summer break! This year, summer feels a little weird, because “summer” won’t be all that different from what we’ve been doing the past several months. Still, I wanted to find a way to make summertime feel special and fun.

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“Trace the alphabet” scavenger hunt (upper and lowercase)

Turn boring handwriting practice into a fun game with this free printable “trace the alphabet” scavenger hunt activity.

Turn boring handwriting practice into a fun game with this free printable "trace the alphabet" scavenger hunt activity.

My kindergartner is brilliant and creative…he also has awful handwriting. That’s okay. He’s only five, but as I say to him:

“How do we get better at something? We practice.”

So we’ve been practicing this year (even back in the ancient days when we actually went to public school…remember that? Faintly?).

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Boredom Buster Bingo

This free printable boredom buster Bingo game is a fun way to encourage independent play during daily quiet time or while parents work from home.

This free printable boredom buster Bingo game is a fun way to encourage independent play during daily quiet time or while parents work from home.

Note: This post contains affiliate links to products that I have used and loved. See my disclosure to learn more.

I love my kids. To the moon and back, really. But sometimes I also need a little “social distance” from them. You know what I mean?

Ever since my kids stopped napping, I have been a firm believer in having daily quiet time. I have three very high-energy boys, and I need some downtime each day for my own sanity. Having an hour or two in the afternoon gives me a chance to breathe, read, work on my business, and sneak to the pantry for chocolate (truth, people).

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Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt I-spy Game

This fun and simple neighborhood Easter egg hunt game is a great way to celebrate spring and connect with neighbors while still social distancing!

This fun and simple neighborhood Easter egg hunt game is a great way to celebrate spring and connect with neighbors while still social distancing!

With much of the world currently on pause, many communities will not be hosting their traditional Easter egg hunts this year. But that doesn’t mean we have to give up on celebrating…we just have to get creative!

One of things I have been most encouraged by during this pandemic has been the way that neighbors and communities have come together to support each other–finding creative ways to build morale even when we can’t get together in person.

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How to encourage creative learning at home (without stressing about it)

If you’re looking for simple ways to help your children with learning at home without stressing yourself out, you’ll love this round-up of amazing (and FREE) resources.

If you're looking for simple ways to help your children with learning at home without stressing yourself out, you'll love this round-up of amazing (and FREE) resources.

With schools closing all over the nation, many of us are scrambling to figure out what to do with our kids home all day!

Our school district has dismissed school for at least the next two weeks, and we’re not sure what will happen beyond that time. …

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How to host a fun & simple Polar Express party for kids

Want to make Christmas extra magical for your kids? Try hosting a Polar Express party! Here’s everything you need (including free printables) to host a festive party without the stress!

Want to make Christmas extra magical for your kids? Try hosting a Polar Express party! Here's everything you need (including free printables) to host a festive party without the stress!

Note: This post contains affiliate links to products that I have used and loved. See my disclosure to learn more.

Sometimes, I get ideas…and they snowball into something much bigger than I originally planned. That’s pretty much how this Polar Express party came to be.

It began with my boys remembering a Polar Express playdate we did with some friends a few years ago and asking if we could do it again this year. It ended with inviting 20+ kids over to our house on a Friday afternoon for a Polar Express party!

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