Kid-painted $1 bird houses Carousels Antique croquet sets Tree houses Summer science experiments Outdoor museums Kids gardening Roses blooming for the first time of the season Wooden playlands Brotherly love Doing art outside Fresh lettuce from the garden Good friends Wacky glasses Oh yes, and belly kisses! It’s National Get Outdoor Day today (Saturday) so…
Author: Alicia
20 Children’s Books That Are a Joy to Read Aloud
There are a million reasons why we read to our children. The best books contain wonderful art, engaging stories, rich vocabulary and something that just makes kids (and their grown ups) feel good. They also are the kind of book you don’t mind reading again and again to your kiddos. Here’s 20 books that we…
10 Ways to Make Today Magical
Happy Monday! Here’s a few ways to make some magic this week…. 1. Make up some fizzing sidewalk chalk. Quirky Momma has all the details on how to take homemade sidewalk chalk paint to the next level. This is definitely on our to-do list this week! 2. Put birthday candles in each child’s dinner tonight. …
The Never-Ending Parent
You may have noticed that Monday came and went without a list of ways to make the day magical this week. It’s been one of those weeks. You’re on your own! 😉 But in the meantime, I came across this tidbit that I wrote in the Magical Childhood newsletter years ago. It was written half…
I’m So Glad I Hadn’t Cleaned the Bathroom…
It’s spring, and that means one thing is guaranteed at my house. Muddy children. Luckily, they clean up pretty easy. And so do bathrooms. 🙂 Want to have some fun with the mud with your kiddos? Here’s 10 ways to play with it… Make mud pies. Paint with it on the driveway or sidewalk. Squish…
10 Ways to Make Today Magical
Happy Monday! I hope you and your family stayed safe from the recent storms. Here’s a few ways to make some memories this week…… 1. Make some flower petal potions. The Imagination Tree has instructions for making their lovely Rose Petal Fairy Perfume. Just don’t be surprised if it smells less than lovely after a…
A Little Madness
“You’re only given a little madness. You mustn’t lose it.” – Robin Williams It has been a kind of wonderful week here. There’s been the usual messes and meltdowns and stresses BUT I seem to finally be done with “morning” (all the time) sickness (yay!) and while a new set of pains has replaced them,…
10 Ways to Make Today Magical
Happy Monday! I hope you and your family had a fabulous weekend. We got together with friends who met us in a nearby town and swam at their motel pool, talked, played and hiked at two gorgeous sites. I kept up pretty well for an old pregnant lady, and the kids had a blast. Here’s…
More Research Shows Preschoolers Learn Best Through Play and Exploration (and a Few Fun Links)
As if we needed more studies to show that preschoolers don’t need formal education, two new studies have shown that little ones are better at learning and solving problems when they are not instructed about it first. In Slate’s Why Preschool Shouldn’t Be Like School, researcher Alison Gopnik cites the studies and how they surprised…
10 Ways to Make Today Magical
Happy Monday! I’m up early, thanks to a spring thunderstorm and hailstorm. I am apparently a softie as a plant mama, as I immediately worried about the fate of our new plants in the garden. The fact that Victoria has a freshly painted dresser and drawers outside in the storm isn’t so great either! I’m…