The Many Little Joys

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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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5 ways to make family dinnertime meaningful

If your family dinnertime is in need of a little makeover, try one of these simple activities to get everyone talking and laughing together. Make dinnertime matter!

If your family dinnertime is in need of a little makeover, try one of these simple activities to get everyone talking and laughing together. Make dinnertime matter!

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.

With back to school just around the corner, I’ve been thinking a lot about our family rhythm and routines. For the past year and half my kids have been home with me every day, and we’ve had lots of time together.

Once school starts, my big kids will be gone for more than 6 hours per day! I’m excited for the opportunities that will open up for them–and for me–but I’m also a little sad about losing so much family time. It’s gotten me thinking about how to replace quantity with quality time.

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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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Valentine’s Day Secret Code Love Notes for Kids

These printable Valentine’s Day love notes are a perfectly simple way to surprise your kids…or for kids to secretly deliver to their friends!

These printable Valentine's Day love notes are a perfectly simple way to surprise your kids...or for kids to secretly deliver to their friends!

Do your kids love getting mail as much as mine do? If so, you’ll love today’s activity.

I don’t go ALL out on Valentine’s Day, but I do think it’s a great opportunity to send some extra love to the people we love.

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The Bowl Game: my super-simple favorite for family game night

Need new ideas for family game night? You’ll love “The Bowl Game”…a family favorite that’s quick to learn, easy to adapt for all ages, and quite possibly ridiculous!

Need new ideas for family game night? You'll love "The Bowl Game"...a family favorite that's quick to learn, easy to adapt for all ages, and quite possibly ridiculous!

I love games. Growing up, we spent many hours playing games of Clue, Guesstures, Trivial Pursuit, and Life. In fact, as the youngest child, whenever I couldn’t find one of my older siblings to play a game with me, I would “practice” the games by playing with myself.

One of my favorite games, however, is one that didn’t come from a store. It was a simple game that required only some pencils, paper, a bowl, and a slightly dramatic and quirky family to make it work.

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Printable U.S. Presidents Memory Game

This printable U.S. presidents memory game is a fun way to teach kids fun facts about some of America’s most famous presidents.

This printable U.S. presidents memory game is a fun way to teach kids fun facts about some of America's most famous presidents.

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.

Did you know that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day? Even more amazing: that date was the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence–July 4, 1826.

Crazy, right?

That’s one of the fun facts that you and your kids will learn in this US presidents memory game.

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