Indoor Activities
A rainy day or snow day can be fun, with these indoor activities for your school-aged child! These games, puzzles, and activities are perfect rainy-day distractions.
"Stone Soup" Storytelling Activity
"Story Stone Soup" Storytelling Activity This activity combines a nature walk, a craft activity, and the concept of the classic tale Stone Soup to give your child a creative way to practice his storytelling skills. Since you'll need to gather and create your story stones before using them, when you first try this activity it may spread out over a couple of days. Once the stones are collected and made, though, you'll be able to pick them up anytime you're looking for something fun to do. Skills Being Practiced read more
10 Simple Ways to Involve Your Kids in the Kitchen
Is your child an aspiring chef? Most kids love to help out in the kitchen, but it isn't always easy to find age-appropriate tasks for them to do. We've got some fun, simple, and safe ways to let your little one help with the cooking, without wreaking havoc on your kitchen. read more
11 Best Videos for Kids
From classics to newer releases, the best videos for kids often turn out to be favorites for parents, too. Check out our top picks for kids of all ages, and settle in for a great family-friendly flick! read more
12 Simple Traditions for Your Child's Birthday
Planning a picture-perfect, creatively-themed, out-of-a-magazine birthday for your child is so last year! The most meaningful and lasting birthday memories can come from simple gestures you repeat each year to make your child feel special. So resist the urge to go overboard and try one or two of these easy birthday traditions for your child. We promise she'll be thrilled! read more
12 Toddler Playtime Activities Using Common Household Items
Looking for some easy imagination playtime activities for your busybody toddler or preschooler? Just check your cabinets, toy box, or recycling bin for some new "toys" and supplies for playtime. All of these activities use basic household items to stimulate and entertain your tot for hours! Do you have construction paper and string? Try making this butterfly mobile read more
2015's Top Summer Movies for Families
Summer is primetime for block-buster movies for people of all ages. Beat the heat and check out our picks for the best family movies coming your way this summer. read more
5 Activities To Practice Sight Words
Learning sight words is one of the first steps to learning to read! By working on these as you begin to understand letter sounds, kids will be able to quickly identify frequently used words without having to sound them out. Here are some fun ways to practice this skill. read more
5 Coolest Play Tents for Kids
Forts in the living room? Sounds like a kid's greatest dream. Indoor forts, teepees, and playhouses turn even the worst case of cabin fever upside down. Kids love crawling in and out of the small structures and use their imaginations to create a magical world within their fort. Playhouses even encourage your kid to grab a good book and snuggle up. They're the perfect ticket to beat the blues this wintertime. Here are the coolest play tents for kids read more
5 Fun Ways For Kids To Learn To Write Their Name
Kids can get really frustrated trying to learn to write their name. It’s a difficult skill to learn at a young age but something that is very important to learn before starting kindergarten. read more
5 Healthy Family Activities to Try in 2017
My little family had lots of fun ringing in 2017. There was popcorn, noise makers, and dancing. After my son went to bed, my husband and I enjoyed champagne followed by a bedtime before midnight. I guess we're officially old! Before sadly passing out around 11, we did chat about family activities that we plan to try during long New England winters. Here are our favorites! 1. Indoor Healthy Family Activities read more
5 Quick Indoor Games for Kids
Are you stuck inside today? Whether the weather is rainy, too hot, or too cold, we have you covered! One tip to combat cabin fever is to make sure the activities you choose have some way to get out the wiggles. Depending on the age and activity level of your child, indoor exercise is a must! Here are a few quick games to play when you hear the stirrings of boredom. read more
5 Ways to Use Craft Sticks for Play
We are always looking for cheap ways to play, and a bag of craft sticks definitely fits that inexpensive bill. Craft sticks are popsicle sticks that come in several different sizes and colors, and don't require sticky mess clean-up before use. Each type can be used in many ways for hours of fun, and best of all, they don't require any set up! If you have a bag of craft sticks, have some fun these five imaginative activities. read more
7 Best Active Play Toys Your Child Can Use Indoors
When it's cold outside, sometimes it might seem like your little ones bounce off the walls. Tame all of that built-up energy by investing in a few active play toys perfect for indoor use. ActivePlay Adventure Dome and Tunnel read more
7 Family Activities to Celebrate Screen-Free Week
Does your family spend too much time with their noses glued to screens, like computers, TVs, smart phones, the latest iGadget? If so, then perhaps give Screen Free Week a try. Screen free what? read more
8 Epic Emoji-Themed Crafts, Activities & Recipes
Are your kids obsessed with emoji? We've rounded up the best emoji crafts, activities, and treats found on Pinterest. Whether you're throwing an emoji-themed birthday party or simply want to have some (shhh... screen-free!) fun with kids, tweens, and teens, these DIY activities should bring big smiles — with heart eyes. read more
8 Great Cookbooks for Kids
If you are looking for cookbooks for kids who love to cook or hoping to instill a lifelong love of cooking, you've come to the right place! You've heard the saying "give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime." With the right cookbooks for kids in hand, you'll be giving your children a skill for life. read more
A Spring Storybook
A Spring StorybookTime: An hour or more Type of activity: Reading and writing, arts and crafts Celebrate the coming of spring by telling a story about the season! read more
A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Genealogical Treasure Hunt
Are you curious about your ancestors? Exploring your family history can take some work, but with a little digging, you can uncover a goldmine of information. Try these tips to help uncover information and interesting facts about your family tree. Brought to you in association with The Ellis Island Foundation. read more
Act It Out Game
Act It Out GameAges:4 to 10 Materials:Index cards, markers, large piece construction paper, erasers. On the back of 3x5 index cards, write various activities for people to do: Organize the actions by categories, such as Animals ("Make a cow sound"); Physical Things ("Jump up and down on one foot three times"); Silly Songs ("Make up a dinosaur version of Old McDonald"); or Tongue Twisters ("Say 'she sells sea shells by the sea shore' five times"). read more
Add-On Stories
Add-On StoriesDirections This is a good game at the dinner table or in the car. One person starts a story and each person takes a turn continuing it. You may want to have each person add a sentence, or choose a "pointer" to conduct the story. The pointer decides who goes next and can stop a person at any time, even in midsentence. You may want to choose a topic or theme for your story, or leave it completely open and see what kind of nonsense results. read more
African Recipes
Prepare some traditional African foods with your students. read more
Alphabet Cookies
Alphabet CookiesTime 30 to 45 minutes Materials Rolling pinAlphabet cookie cuttersCookie dough Directions Work together to help prepare some homemade or purchased cookie dough, rolling it thin so you can each cut out the letters from your names. Include the names or initials of friends and family members to give as gifts. Extensions read more
Amazing Inflating Balloons
Amazing Inflating BalloonsBoth chemistry and cooking are about combining ingredients to create something completely different. In cooking, certain ingredients, such as yeast and sugar, are vital to the finished product because of the chemical reaction they produce when they're combined. This activity demonstrates how yeast works. Materials read more
Animal Dress-Up
Animal Dress-UpTime 15 to 20 minutes Materials Some of your toddler's clothesLarge stuffed animals Directions To give dolls and stuffed animals a new look, dress them up in your toddler's clothes.Talk about how nice they look, and thank your toddler for helping out. Extensions read more
Apple Prints
Apple Prints Activity for an individual child Age group: 18-40 months Duration of activity: 10 minutes Materials: 1 apple Knife Paper towel Tempera paint Shallow pie tin Light-colored construction paper Celebrate harvest time with a bounty of fresh apples. This activity will help your child have fun with this popular fruit. read more
Apple Shake-Ups
Apple Shake-UpsThese treats aren't very nutritious, but toddlers will love to help make their own colorful snack. Materials Apple Knife Sugar Cinnamon Ziploc bag Directions read more
Apple Shapes
Apple ShapesMaterials Apples Knife Metal cookie cutters Directions Peel apples and cut them into thin slices. Give your child small metal cookie cutters and let him cut shapes out of the slices. read more
Apple Smile
Apple SmileMaterials Red apple (unpeeled) Peanut butter Miniature marshmallows Directions Cut a crisp apple into wedges. When laid on its side, each wedge should look like a lip. Spread one side of an apple wedge with peanut butter. Add three or four miniature marshmallow "teeth" along the edge. Spread another apple wedge with peanut butter. Place it on top of the marshmallows for a big, toothy grin. read more
At-Home Billboards
At-Home BillboardsKids 7 to 12: indoor activityRequired:Posterboard, art supplies, magazines/junk mail read more
