Kid's Crafts Archives | While He Was Napping

November 28, 2017 by Krista

The Easy Christmas Countdown You Need This Year

Hi there! Happy holiday wishes coming at ya! I’m so glad you stopped by to check out this easy Christmas countdown.

I’m a sucker for a good, and easy, Christmas countdown; but, December is a busy month! Can you relate? So, when the calendar gets around December 8th, I find myself struggling to keep up with the fun we started just a week before.

I need simple. Do you need simple too?

A countdown where, if you miss a day or two (or five), it doesn’t ruin the whole thing. I totally get that! I also wanted a visual representation, because my kids ask “how many days until Christmas?” every single day. For 25 days. This year I plan to just point my kids to this countdown.

EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN

WHY SHOULD YOU USE THE EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN?

Of course, we have some Christmas traditions that I look forward to every year. But, not having an activity assigned to every single day means I can relax more. I can enjoy the traditions without worrying about tomorrow’s activity. This countdown was designed with busy families in mind. This easy Christmas Countdown Chain will help you because:

It’s super simple. 20 minutes and it’ll be ready to go. Or just print it and give it to the kids to put together.
If you miss a day or two, just remove the extra links to catch up. No stress or drama when life gets crazy.
And the kids can see just how close Christmas really is. You won’t feel like you’re stuck on a month long car ride with the kids asking, “are we there yet?” on repeat.

KEEPING TRADITIONS PART OF YOUR EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

But, what about the traditions you DO want to keep? Don’t worry, I thought of that. There are THREE ways to put together the Easy Christmas Countdown Chain so that it works for your family:

One of them has nothing but numbers and is simply just a countdown.
The other one, though, has some fun Christmas activities to do. There’s even blank chain links so you can add your family’s special traditions.
A combination of the two, with activities interspersed through out the month on days you think you’ll be able to accommodate.

So, now you get to customize your chain in whatever way best fits YOUR family. Use whichever Easy Christmas Countdown fits into your schedule better – or – combine the two!

Want an example? My kids will be in school until 3 days before Christmas, so we will have to keep up our school routine during the week. We will also have a brand new baby (we’re talking less than a month old). We won’t have a lot of time this year to throw in extra activities. Weekends will be our best bet, so those days will get an activity link and we can make sure our favorite traditions make it into our schedule.

MAKING YOUR EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN

When I said this is simple, I really meant it will take you about 20 minutes to put together. Maybe 30 if you let the kids “help”. Simple, yeah?

There’s one more thing you need to know before we get started. You already know there are two versions of the chain (the one with the daily countdown and the other one with the activities), but each version of the Easy Christmas Countdown Chain is also available in color and in monochrome.

This is meant to help you save ink by printing on colored paper instead of on white paper. Or in case you only have a monochrome printer (I dream of upgrading to a color laser printer someday). So, just be aware of that when we download your chosen files.

MATERIALS NEEDED FOR YOUR EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN:

Easy Christmas Countdown Chain Printable Files (preview the different files below under step 1)
- Countdown Only: Color | Monochrome
- Countdown with Activities: Color | Monochrome
Printer and paper
Scissors or paper cutter
Tape, glue or stapler and staples

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING YOUR EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN

1. Print the Easy Christmas Countdown Chain links. If you’re using the countdown only monochrome file to print on colored paper, make sure the pages alternate colors. For two colors, page 1 and page 3 should be the same.

2. Cut the chain links apart with the scissors or paper cutter.

3. Take the first chain link and bend it until the ends overlap and the strip forms and circle.
Secure with glue, tape or a staple.

4. Slip the next chain link through the first link and bend until the ends overlap. Secure.

5. Repeat the process with each chain link, slipping the new link through the previous one and
creating a chain.

6. Hang your Easy Christmas Countdown Chain where you can remove a link each day.

That’s it, super easy, right?

I hope this makes counting down to Christmas with your family simpler. And I hope you have a very Merry Christmas with your family, making memories and having fun together.

Happy Holidays!

October 5, 2017 by Krista

Halloween Countdown Printable Boredom Jar

This Halloween Countdown Printable Boredom Jar originally appeared on askannamosely.com in 2014 as a contributor post. Content, possibly including links and photos, may have been updated or changed to maintain the integrity and accuracy of this content since it was originally shared.

Are you looking for some new October traditions? Does the witching hour seem to hit even harder once the weather starts to chill? Do you want to celebrate this month but don’t know how to squeeze it in? Then this Halloween Countdown Printable Boredom Jar will be a great addition to your October!

WHO IS THE HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN PRINTABLE BOREDOM JAR FOR?

In less than 30 minutes and with just a handful of materials, you’ll have a whole bunch of fun activities to celebrate this month that you can grab when you need it most. Are you:

looking for some fun new traditions?
just trying to keep the kids from demolishing the house?
fighting to keep cool and sane until bedtime?
making family time a priority this month?

Don’t miss out on all the fun that October has to offer with this fun project the kids can help put together and then use when you need a little fun and family time or a few minutes with the kids occupied.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN PRINTABLE BOREDOM JAR:

Materials Needed:

Clean jar or other container to store the activity slips
FREE download of my KIDS’ HALLOWEEN ACTIVITY JAR
Scissors or paper cutter
Tape or glue to adhere the label to the jar

Directions:

Print out the Halloween Jar Activities.
Cut out each colored rectangle and the square jar label with the scissors or paper cutter.
Fold each activity in half or in fourths, whichever you prefer, and put them in the jar.
Apply the label to the outside of the jar and you’re all set for some Halloween fun!

WANT MORE HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN FUN?

This set includes 10 activities plus the jar label – perfect for a weekend activity or those after school evenings when there’s just a little too much free time, the weather is a little too chilly or you need something to entertain the kiddos for a little bit. If you’d like to download the entire set – which contains 36 activities+a blank template to write in your own traditions and activities. Full set also includes updated labels and full printable instructions – you can get it in my Etsy shop.

Happy October!

September 8, 2017 by Krista

The Best Pumpkin Spice Play Dough Ever

Hi there! Welcome! I’m glad you’re here! Do you ever feel like the two hours after dinner seem to drag on for eternity? Or is that just me?

Everyone is cranky and snappy and whiny. And it’s only 6:11pm.

I’ve found that the best way to deal with this is to distract my kids. If they are busy doing something, they aren’t fighting.

Usually.

If they aren’t fighting, I can cross a couple things off my to-do list. Like the the dishes or picking up toys or laundry. There’s always laundry.

This play dough has been my go-to lately. It’s fun, it’s easy and it smells amazing. Sure, it dries your hands out a bit, but that’s just the excuse you were looking for to give yourself a little DIY mani after the kids are in bed, right?

PUMPKIN SPICE PLAY DOUGH

Pumpkin Spice Play Dough Ingredients

1 cup salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp cream of tartar
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
extra flour (I added about another 1/2 cup)
orange food coloring (I used red and yellow)

Pumpkin Spice Play Dough Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine the salt, water, flour, and spice over low medium heat. Stir to combine. Texture should be like glue.
Turn off the heat and add the food coloring to get the shade you desire. I put in about 15 yellow drops and about 10 red drops. You can adjust the ratio to your liking.
Mix until well combined and texture is smooth.
Add additional flour, approximately 1/4 cup at a time and mix until the paste becomes a dough. It should form a ball and be slightly difficult to stir.
Remove from heat and let the dough cool a bit. It will be hot.
Sprinkle flour generously on counter top and, as soon as the play dough is cool enough to handle, dump the dough on the floured counter top and knead in the flour until it is no longer sticky. Keep adding flour until you reach your desired consistency.

Store in an air-tight container or ziptop bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal. Play dough keeps for 4-6 months, depending on environment.

Tips & Tricks to get the most out of your Pumpkin Spice Play Dough

Older kids can totally help with this, especially the kneading part. Just make sure the play dough is cool enough for them to handle.
The cream of tartar will help preserve the dough, so don’t skip it if you want it to last longer. If you just need a few play sessions or a one-time-use activity, you can omit it.
There is nothing in this play dough that will harm your kids if ingested, although it won’t taste very good. So… they probably won’t eat much of it and will only try it once. There’s the silver lining.
We love using cookie cutters when we play with play dough. I especially love this set of cutters – there’s a full set of letters that are perfect for some fun letter practice, a great variety of holiday shapes and some fun everyday shapes – like animals and transportation – too.

July 3, 2017 by Krista

DIY Rain Stick Noise Maker for kids

One of my favorite things about summer is summer rain storms. When I was in 4th grade, we studied the rain forest. As part of our study, we made rain sticks from 3-foot cardboard tubes. I kept that thing for a decade; I loved it.

TOILET PAPER TUBE OR BEST MOM EVER?

When I told my boys we were going to use toilet paper tubes to create noise makers, they were a bit skeptical. But, as we talked about it and Ii gave them more details you’d have thought I told them they had free reign in a candy store. They went crazy! It’s nice to score cool mom points on easy stuff like this. These noise maker rain sticks are great for parties, dress up boxes, celebrations, and they make a fun learning activity too! Ready to score some cool mom points of your own?

MATERIALS:

Empty toilet paper tubes
1 3/8″ finish nails
Pencil
Cardstock
Hot glue gun and glue stick
Scissors
Colored duct tape or cardstock
Push pin
Filler material (we used both rice and dried beans. But other ideas include small beads, dried peas, and small pebbles. We experimented with the different sounds different fillers would make.)

DIRECTIONS:

Use the pencil and trace around the end of the toilet paper tube to make 2 circles that will cap the ends of the tube.
Cut the circles out with the scissors.
Hot glue one circle to one end of the tube.
Use the push pin to poke holes in the side of the toilet paper tube in 3 or 4 layers.
Poke a finish nail into each push pin hole.
Put 1/8 – 1/4 cup of your chosen filler material in the tube. You can experiment with how much filler to use by placing your hand over the open end and turning the tube upside down to hear what it will sound like.
Hot glue the other cardstock circle over the open end of the tube.
Cover the tube with colored duct tape or cardstock. You can decorate with markers, stickers, or adhesive foam if desired.

CREATE A TON OF FUN WITH YOUR NOISE MAKER

Use your rain sticks to create your own rain storm. Or use your rain sticks as maracas. Add them to your dress up stash. Whatever you decide to do with your noise maker rain sticks, just have fun.

May 24, 2017 by Krista

9 Summer Printables You Need to Enjoy an Amazing Summer Break

Hi there. Are you ready for summer? We still have 3 weeks of school left here. Which means I have 3 more weeks to come up with a game plan to keep my kids from fighting all summer long. Luckily, I’ve discovered some great resources that I think are going to be super helpful. If you’re looking for ways to not only survive summer, but to make it an irresistibly amazing one, check out these 9 summer printables that will help you create a summer your family won’t soon forget!

KEEP THE KIDS FROM FIGHTING AND CREATE SOME AWESOME MEMORIES THIS SUMMER

If the thought of all your kids all together ALL SUMMER LONG makes you a little nervous, I get it. My boys have kicked their sibling rivalry into high gear lately and the idea of being with all of them all of the time for 8 weeks makes my eye twitch a little. While I’m a firm believer that kids shouldn’t be entertained all of the time, I also know from experience that bored kids are bickering kids. In order to keep the peace – and my sanity – I plan to have a few activities that I can turn to when things get a little too crazy.

These summer printables are perfect because they mean less work for me. Sure, I could design similar ones myself, but time is worth something to me. When all I have to do is print them out, some minor prep work and they are ready and waiting for when I need them most, I am willing to spend a few dollars. These are all printables offered by The Dating Divas so you know the quality is awesome, the designs are gorgeous and I love that I can save them on my computer and use them again and again.

SUMMER PRINTABLES THE WHOLE FAMILY WILL LOVE

These summer printables aren’t just for the stay-at-home mom who now has to fill day after day with memory-making activities. There are a huge variety of printables that will fit into just about every kind of summer plans you can imagine. Find the set – or sets – that best suit your family and make it a great summer! There’s something for:

Stay-at-home moms and dads
Family camping trips
a Stay-cation you won’t soon forget
anyone looking for a way to serve others and brighten someone else’s day
families celebrating summer birthdays
anyone looking to spend more time with their kids
anyone wanting to make some great summer memories

9 SUMMER PRINTABLES YOU NEED TO ENJOY AN AMAZING SUMMER BREAK

Make this summer a summer of memories! All you have to do is download your favorite summer printables, save them to your computer, print them out and do some minor prep work and you’ll have a fun project waiting for you and your family to enjoy together. Click through on the images below to see complete details on what’s included in each printable pack. Ready to check these out?

SUMMER BOREDOM BUSTERS PACK

If you don’t know where to start, this is for you. This Summer Boredom Busters Pack has activity cards to keep that boredom monster at bay! Have a lemonade stand, do some random acts of kindness, or write letters to family and friends. There’s an adventure journal to keep track of all the awesome things you do this summer. Reading trackers, summer schedules, calendars, chore chart bingo and road trip games are some of the other great activities included in this pack. Beat the “I’m boooorreed” with these great summer printables.

ROAD TRIP ADVENTURE PRINTABLE PACK

This was included in the Summer Printable Bundle and I am super excited to use it when we hit the road this summer. The Road Trip Adventure pack includes something for everyone in the car – yep, even the grown-ups! A new activity every hour will get you there before you know it. There’s games and printables for the kids and there are printables for your next getaway with your sweetie too!

FAMILY CAMPING ADVENTURE PACK

If you’re headed out camping, this fun kit will help keep everyone happy… and out of the fire pit! There’s some fun activities to help your family acclimate to life in the great outdoors. You’ll get a packing list and a to-do list to make sure you take everything you’ll need for an awesome adventure, a camping menu, camping games, scavenger hunt and a fun s’mores kit to make the best part of camping just a little bit better.

FAMILY STAY-CATION ADVENTURE PACK

If staying home is more your speed this summer, make your next staycation one for the books with this Family Staycation Adventure pack. Officially invite your family to your special family time with some fun invitations. There’s a fun bucket list and a customizable itinerary you can fill out together so you’ll be sure to make the most out of your vacation time. Activity ideas to help you make sure it feels like vacation, instead of being stuck at home will come in handy if you need some help coming up with ideas to keep everyone happy and entertained. Plus, there’s a little something special for you and your sweetie after the kids are in bed. Ooh-la-la!

BABYSITTER IN A BAG: COOKING ADVENTURE PACK

If you just need something to do for an evening, the Babysitter in a Bag ideas are perfect. While designed for you to leave with the kids and sitter while you go out, there’s no reason you can’t stay in and do it with the kids! I think I’d probably want to watch my kids enjoy these printables, they look like a ton of fun! The Cooking Adventure includes a kid’s recipe booklet, a DIY chef hat, printable games, activity place mat, a clean up list and more! Your kids will get to explore the kitchen while they learn and play! I am going to save this one for an afternoon and do it with my kids!

BABYSITTER IN A BAG: CAMPING ADVENTURE PACK

If actually going camping isn’t in your plans, bring the camping to you! Everyone will enjoy the best parts of camping and they will still sleep like little babies in their own beds with this Camping Adventure pack. Camping without my kids up at the crack of dawn? Yes, please! This pack includes scavenger hunt, games and other great camping ideas, plus a recipe for easy indoor s’mores. It’s the best of both the indoor and the outdoor worlds!

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION PACK

Do you have a summer birthday in your family? Celebrate in style with this fun Birthday Celebration pack. There are printables for both the kids and the grown-ups, so you’ll have what you need no matter what. You’ll get decor, activity ideas to fill the day with amazing memories, gift embellishments and fun photo booth props too! Everything you need for an unforgettable birthday!

CHEER UP PRINTABLE PACK

If you are looking for something nice to do, a way to pass a little bit of time doing something kind and productive, this Cheer Up pack is exactly what you need. It’s bright, fun, and happy and is sure to help you put a smile on someone’s face. You’ll get a card to put all your well wishes in, tags to fancy up any special goodies or treats you want to include, decor to make your box extra cheery and more! The best part is this is designed to go in a box, so it’s perfect for mailing if your recipient lives far away.

MINI MOM & DAD DATES PACK

My middle little guy asks me every so often, “Mom, when can you and me spend some time together? Just us.” It pulls at my heart strings every single time and that dreaded mommy guilt starts gnawing away. I try to make time for all my boys, but it can be hard when you’re outnumbered. That’s why I love this last pack.

If you want to spend quality time with your kids, this Mini Mom & Dad Dates pack will help you do just that. Make it a big deal and give your child an invitation to the date. Not sure what to do? There are mini questionnaires that will help you figure out what you child is most interested in. There’s tools and resources to help you plan your little dates and there’s even 5 ready-to-go mini dates to help you get started. Summer is the perfect chance to take a little extra one-on-one time with your kids and this printable pack will make it a snap!

GET YOUR SUMMER PRINTABLES NOW TO CREATE A SUMMER TO REMEMBER

There’s 9 ideas to help you keep the chaos under control and the memories sweet and happy all summer long. My boys laughing and giggling together is one of my favorite sounds in the whole wide world. I’m so excited for school to finally end so we can focus on playing together. It’s crazy how fast they grow up and I want to squeeze all the memories and fun in that I can while they are still little and want to spend time with me.

I know their bickering makes the days long, but they are numbered. I’m doing my best to make them count. And, yes, that even includes having memories prepped and ready to be made. I’m so glad these summer printables will be part of our summer break!