Author: kimbond

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DIY Signs – Adding Charm To The Outdoors

While most of my recent blog posts have, obviously, centered around entertaining the kids over their summer break, I haven’t completely strayed away from my crafty ways, there has just been little time to share it with you all.  Since we spend most of our time in the summer outdoors, I do find that I try to make the spaces that we hang out in a little more inviting.  Today I wanted to share with you three of my favorite DIY outdoor signs that I have made to decorate our outdoor spaces and add a little bit a charm.  I love making signs, because I get to create them exactly the way I want them, instead of looking for pieces that fit the bill.  They always turn out to be exactly what I need.

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Summer Fun – Tie Dye T-shirts With The Kids

Summer is quickly coming to an end I realize that this summer has been packed full of nonstop fun with the kids!  Thanks to our summer fun list and all of the fun summertime activities we were never really at a  loss for something to keep us busy.  One of my favorite summertime activities to do with the kids is make tie-dye shirts.  This is a little project that we have done every summer since they were very little, and it has become a super fun tradition!  They love to create the shirts, and then they have a fun play ans sleep shirt to wear all summer long too!  We also find it is a great way to spruce up faded white shirts, dingy onesies, and even socks that cold use some TLC.  Turn drab white kids clothes into stuff that is fun to wear.

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DIY Sugar Sprinkles And An Easy Lemon Cake

One of my very favorite summer time dessert is this super simple lemon cake.  Topped with a little cool whip it is the perfect light summery dessert to enjoy with my family!  A lemon cake mix, a can of 7UP, and a container of cool whip make for a fantastic dessert to make and share.  Three ingredients are all you will need to whip up this pretty little dessert that everyone in your family will love, and here’s the best part…it’s a Weight Watchers recipe so it is guilt free treat… unless, of course, you eat the entire cake.  I’m also including a fun little trick to help you fancy up any dessert using DIY Sugar sprinkles in case your pantry isn’t stocked with sprinkles!  The combination of these two ideas is the prefect pairing –  lemon cake and sugar sprinkles!

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DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint

Here is a super fun summertime project to do with the kids that they will request over and over.  You need only a few simple ingredients, and you already have everything you need in your cupboards to make this DIY sidewalk chalk paint at home!  Did you know by mixing water, cornstarch, and food coloring you create a super inexpensive chalk paint that is fun for all ages?   This was a summer fun activity that my kids loved!  It kept them busy for hours, and we had a great time painting and creating together.  The perfect way to spend a day together.  Pretty fun!  What a cool way to make an activity out of things that you already have at home!  This is definitely a fun and inexpensive summer time project that I highly recommend!

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Oobleck – Story Time Activity

What do you get when you combine a typically whacky,  zany Dr, Suess book with a super cool experiment with the kids?  Fun…that’s all there is to it!  Upon reading Dr. Suess’ Bartholomew and the Oobleck for the first time with the kids I was inspired to do a project with the kids that I had had on my to do list for a long time.  Essentially the DIY version of GAK is the perfect Oobleck type substance!  Pairing the awesome GAK making project with the book was a hit with the kids and they were able to act out and play through the story with their very own Oobleck as I read it (over and over I might add)!  It was so fun to bring the story to life in a way that gets the kids excited about reading!

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Ice Excavation – Kid’s Activity To Beat The Heat

We are having a heat wave here in Wisconsin.  Definitely the most hot and humid summer like days so far!  It is hot hot hot, and being outside requires activities that include lots of playing in the water.  We are almost done with our 2013 summer fun list and here is one of the activities that we did recently to beat the heat.  My son called it an Ice Excavation and it was a project that they enjoyed from start to finish.  The object of the activity is to learn more about solids, liquids, water and ice.  Learn ways to remove things from ice, and experiment with ways to turn it into a liquid again.  The perfect activity for a hot day for your school age, or preschool kids.

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Keep The Kids Thinking With Summer Work Stations

So if you have a school age child at home for the summer, I’m sure you have realized that they have a new need to stay busy and productive.  My kindergarten son is now home all day every day, and it was immediately apparent to me that we needed to keep his reading, writing, and math skills in practice.  We use my younger daughter’s daily nap time as quiet time for my almost first grade son to do what we call  “Summer Learning Stations” .  We set up seven different stimulating and appealing stations for my little school going boy so he could practice all of the skills that he learned at school last year.  He adores this quiet time of day when he can get his “work” done , and I can get some work done at the same time too.

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No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Chocolate chip cookies, is there anyone alive that wouldn’t eat one if it was set in front of them?  They are one of the simplest forms of baking happiness and sharing it with the people you love!  If you love chocolate chip cookies, and especially the cookie dough – here is a great little recipe that you have got to try!  Six simple ingredients are all you will need, and you don’t even have to turn on your even to enjoy this chocolaty treat.  No bake chocolate chip cookie dough balls are the perfect summer time treat to make and enjoy with your kids.  They are so simple and easy to make and they are sure to be a hit with anyone you decide to share them with!  Just mix, roll, refrigerated, serve and watch the smiles appear.

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Moon Dough Recipe – Busy Kids Are Happy Kids

Need a super fun activity to occupy those kiddos on a “boring” summer day.  Moon or Cloud dough is your answer!  This is so quick and easy, and will thrill your kids to pieces.  This stuff is made with two simple household ingredients – all you need to do is mix and start playing!  It has a fabulously fun texture that makes it a sensory experience for your kids.  It crumbles, sifts, and separates, but can also be packed, patted and made into shapes and structures too.  It’s gonna get messy, so be prepared.  But the messiest days at our house are often the most fun!  I recommend doing this outdoors where the kids can go crazy constructing, playing, and creating without worrying about the mess.

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Shaving Cream Slide – Summer Fun For Kids

In searching for ways to keep the kids busy during the summer months, whether it be a beautiful sunny day, or a rainy day indoors, I have found that a simple can of shaving cream can evoke all the smiles and laughter you can imagine for kids.  Not sure what it is about the fresh smelling fluffy stuff, but my kids love it and the activities that we do with it on any occasion.  We use it for crafts, painting, and sensory play on rainy days, but on bright sunny days it is a cheap way for the kids to have a really good time!  A can of shaving cream costs a dollar or less, but the smiles it evokes from the kids is totally priceless.  For this summer fun activity all you will need is a slide of any shape or size, and a few cans of shaving cream.  This IS my kid’s favorite summer activity to date.

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