The Many Little Joys

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Crafts & Activities

Gingerbread play dough recipe (smells amazing!) + homemade gift idea

Make up a batch of this amazing-smelling gingerbread play dough as a fun sensory activity for your kids over Christmas break…then gift another batch to friends!

Make a batch of this amazing-smelling gingerbread play dough for your kids over Christmas break...then gift another batch to friends!

Christmas is THIS week! Can you believe it? If your kids are anything like mine, they can hardly contain their excitement!

We are on break from school all week, so I knew I needed to have some fun activities planned to help keep the kids occupied until Santa comes to town. We’ll be hosting a Polar Express party for some neigborhood friends, baking up a storm, playing LOTS of games, watching movies, and who knows what else.

Need an idea for a fun and festive activity that will keep the kids busy for hours?

Make gingerbread playdough!

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Festive Printable Christmas Gift Tags that Kids Can Color!

Get your kids involved in wrapping gifts for family and friends this year by inviting them to color these fun printable Christmas gift tags!

Printable Christmas gift tags with colored pencils for kids to color.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you buy something through a link on my site, I may earn a commission, at no cost to you. See my disclosure to learn more.

I’ll be honest. I’m not usually one for fancy gift wrapping. I love it, I admire it, but as the mom of three young boys…I don’t have time for it. I do almost all the wrapping of gifts around our house, so I usually buy a pack of the sticker-style gift tags and call it good.

But this year I got inspired to do something a little different.

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Christmas Jokes for kids that will make your day merry and bright

Add a little extra “jolly” to your holiday season with these fun (and oh so punny) Christmas jokes for kids. Perfect for holiday parties or lunch box jokes!

Add a little extra "jolly" to your holiday season with these fun (and oh so punny) Christmas jokes for kids. Perfect for holiday parties or lunch box jokes!

Want a simple way to get into the holiday spirit and connect with your kids? Try a little laughter!

Telling jokes around the dinner table has become on of our family’s favorite activities lately. Whether it’s dad’s terrible puns (sorry, my love), my preschooler’s nonsensical knock-knock jokes, or some surprisingly witty jokes from my older boys, laughter really is the best medicine!

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A simple way to “Give Thanks” this year (+ Free Printable Thanksgiving Gift Tags to help!)

This year, help your kids turn their gratitude into action by giving thanks (literally) to the people your family is thankful for with these printable Thanksgiving gift tags!

There are many messages in the world that teach our kids to chase after more, more, more and focus on “What’s in it for me?”

I want to counter this message with my own: that we are already living in abundance and that when we look for ways to give to others, the world as whole becomes a little better and brighter.

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Awesome science gifts for kids with BIG ideas!

Have a curious kid who loves to tinker and build? These science gifts for kids are perfect for teaching scientific principles and inspiring creativity in your budding inventor!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you buy something through a link on my site, I may earn a commission, at no cost to you. See my disclosure to learn more.

If you ask my seven-year-old what he wants to be when he grows up, he’ll confidently tell you: AN INVENTOR. Specifically, an electrical engineer. He wants to design and build robots that can do everything.

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Printable Halloween Memory Game for Kids

This free printable Halloween memory game is the perfect activity for kids who need something to keep them busy until trick-or-treat time!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you buy something through a link on my site, I may earn a commission, at no cost to you. See my disclosure to learn more.

Need a quick and easy activity to keep your kids happy today? I’ve got you covered! Try playing this Halloween memory game for kids. It’s a great (and simple) way to get into the Halloween spirit! Just print, cut, and play!

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Funny Halloween jokes for kids that your little goblins will love

Tickle your kids’ funny bones with these fun (and oh so punny) Halloween jokes for kids. Squeaky clean and perfect for even the littlest ghosts in your house.

Tickle your kids' funny bone with these fun (and oh so punny) Halloween jokes and riddles for kids. Squeaky clean and perfect for even the littlest ghosts on the block.

Who says Halloween has to be scary? If you’d rather switch out the spooky for silly this year, I’ve got a treat for you:

Q: What happened when the mummy ate too much candy?

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Free printable Halloween BINGO game for kids

This free printable Halloween BINGO game is perfect for class parties, community activities, and for family fun at home. Just print & play!

This free printable Halloween BINGO game is perfect for class parties, church or community activities, and for family fun at home. Just print & play!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you buy something through a link on my site, I may earn a commission, at no cost to you. See my disclosure to learn more.

It’s October! The weather is getting colder, we have pumpkins on our porch, and my kids are busy planning out their Halloween costumes. The holiday season creeps up faster each year, doesn’t it?

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Fun Friday Activities: a simple family tradition for early out school days

Want a simple way to celebrate the beginning of the weekend and reconnect after a busy week of school? Try our favorite new family tradition: Fun Friday Activities!

3 boys posing during Fun Friday Activity

After a year (and then some) of homeschooling, my boys are back in public school this year. They are LOVING it (and so am I), but the downside is that during the week our schedules are much busier! My two older boys don’t get home from school until almost 4:00, and as much as I love my new-found freedom…I miss all the quality time I got with my boys last year.

While homeschooling was INCREDIBLY challenging, I loved all the time that we spent together exploring the mountains, playing at nearby parks, and visiting local attractions together.

Knowing that this year I wouldn’t have the same quantity of time with my kids, I started a new tradition to help us get some quality time. We call it: “Fun Fridays.”

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How to host your own Olympic backyard games + all the printables you need!

Get your family and friends in the Olympic spirit with these simple but oh-so-fun Olympic backyard games. Let the games begin!

Get your family and friends in the Olympic spirit with these simple but oh-so-fun Olympic backyard games. Let the games begin!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you buy something through a link on my site, I may earn a commission, at no cost to you. See my disclosure to learn more.

It’s summer Olympics time! Are you excited? While I’m no die-hard athlete, I love admiring the insane level of skill and dedication that Olympic athletes demonstrate.

This year, I wanted to do something a little special to get my kids excited about the games. And once I get an idea…well, there’s no stopping me.

To get everyone in the Olympic spirit I thought it would be fun to host our very own Olympic backyard games, complete with torch relay and opening ceremonies! We decided to invite some of our neighborhood friends (we’re lucky to live in a neighborhood that is bursting with kids), but you could also make this a fun family activity!

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