The Many Little Joys

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Crafts & Activities

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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Why we love the Junior Ranger Program & how YOU can become one, too!

If you have plans to visit any national parks this year, check out the Junior Ranger Program! It’s a fun way to help kids learn about the parks you visit as you explore the great outdoors together.

boy holding junior ranger badge

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

Did you know that the National Park Service protects over 84 million acres of wild landscapes and historic sites? That’s a lot of space!

As a Utah resident who grew up in central California, I’ve been lucky enough to have always lived within a couple hours of national parks. I LOVE getting out in nature, and I’m constantly amazed by the variety and beauty of this earth.

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The Great Road Race + more road trip games to play

Traveling with kids really can be fun! All it takes is a little planning and some great road trip games to play while you’re cruising down the highway. Try this one on your next long drive!

Traveling with kids really can be fun! All it takes is a little planning and some great road trip games to play while you're cruising down the highway. Try this one on your next long drive!

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

“Are we there yet?!”

“Nope.”

“How about now?”

“Still no.”

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“Squirt the Letter” fun outdoor alphabet game

Grab a squirt bottle and some chalk and take learning outside with this fun outdoor alphabet game for preschoolers.

Grab a squirt bottle and some chalk and take learning outside with this fun outdoor alphabet game for preschoolers.

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.

The weather is warming up, and that means we’re taking our learning outside! Hooray for sunshine!

Last week I set up a little outdoor alphabet game for my preschooler to practice identifying letters and making letter sounds. It’s super simple, and we had a great time playing and learning together on a Friday afternoon.

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The Best Train Books for Kids of all Ages

If you have aspiring train engineers at your house, you’ll love this curated list of our favorite train books for kids…from our train-loving family to yours!

If you have aspiring train engineers at your house, you'll love this curated list of our favorite train books for kids...from our train-loving family to yours!

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.

As a mom of three young boys, I’ve spent a lot of hours over the past eight years playing with and reading about TRAINS.

All of my boys have gone through a serious train phase (my youngest is still in the thick of it!). Trains are right up there with dinosaurs and construction trucks for my kids biggest obsession.

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How to make Easter egg bath bombs: a fun STEM craft for kids

These Easter egg bath bombs are the perfect combination of festive craft and fascinating science! Make them with your kids using easy-to-find ingredients, and then take them to the tub for a fun-filled bath time!

Easter Egg bath bombs STEM craft for kids

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.

Easter is around the corner, and I’ve got an egg-celent (I know, I blame my dad for teaching my puns) DIY project for you today! This one requires a little advance planning (nothing too crazy, I promise), but the little bit of effort will yield LOTS of fun.

We’re making Easter egg bath bombs!

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Playdough Color Mixing for Kids

What happens when you mix red and blue? Kids will learn this and more in this creative hands-on color activity that uses a playtime classic: playdough!

What happens when you mix red and blue? Playdough Color Mixing for Kids is a creative hands-on learning activity that teaches color theory and more all through 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.

Kids LOVE color…the more, the brighter, the better!

You know what else my kids love? Playdough. We have made dozens of batches of playdough over the years (using my very favorite playdough recipe), and my kids just don’t get tired of it.

To capitalize on their interests, I combined these two kid-friendly things into a creative hands-on color mixing activity for my three boys.

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Money Bingo: A fun way to teach kids coin values

Teach your kids essential money skills and coin identification with this fun printable money bingo game!

Teach your kids essential money skills and coin identification with this fun printable money bingo game!

Kids LOVE money. The joy that comes from finding a penny on the ground or a nickel in between the couch cushions is immeasurable.

But in order to make sure our kids don’t end up like the mistaken child in Shel Silverstein’s poem “Smart” (Have you read that poem?…I love it!), it’s important to teach them about the values of the various coins.

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Valentine’s Day Marble Painting for Kids

Marble painting is a fun process art activity for kids, and this Valentine’s-themed version can be recycled to make adorable (and easy) Valentine’s cards.

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.

Have you ever done marble painting?

It’s a simple process art activity that kids love! There’s something about watching the paint-covered marbles roll around on the paper as you tilt the box, never sure exactly what their movement will create.

It’s a game…art…and science exploration all rolled into one activity!

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Heart Monsters: simple Valentine’s Day craft for kids

This easy Valentine’s Day craft for kids is fun for all ages, and it’s simple enough that even toddlers can do it independently!

This easy Valentine's Day craft for kids is simple enough that even toddlers can do it independently but older kids will have fun with it, too!

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 Valentine’s week! Valentine’s Day is a fun one for kids because there are just SO many ways to play and learn with hearts!

Today we’re making HEART MONSTERS!

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