Tag: Kids

  • DIY Unboxing Gift

    DIY Unboxing Gift

    Like many kids, my girls have been asking for LOL Dolls for their birthday and Christmas. But, I’ve watched them with those toys and they don’t actually play with them all that much. What they really liked was the unboxing experience. They love opening the little compartments one at a time and savoring the surprise. So this year, I thought I’d make an unboxing gift of my own. Let me tell you, this gift idea was a HIT! Read on for how I made a DIY unboxing gift.

    Fidget Toys

    The first thing I did was come up with some small gift ideas that would work in “compartments” of a box. With fidgets being so super popular this year at my daughters school, they were already on her wish list. I ordered a fidget pack off of Amazon and then added a few pieces of candy for extra fun. You could fill it with dollar bills, candy, doll clothes, art supplies, and anything smaller in size. The options are really endless. Next, I laid all the items in an old shipping box I had to make sure they would all fit.

    Design Compartments

    Once I decided how they would all be laid out, I cut some pieces out of a different cardboard box and hot glued them standing up to make separate compartments for each item. I would recommend this cardboard knife, it is a lifesaver if you need to cut a lot of cardboard.

    Fill & Wrap

    Once I made all the compartments and filled them with items, I taped a piece of wrapping paper to one side of the box. I laid the wrapping paper over the top and drew dashed lines along each compartment wall so my daughter would know where to “punch” to get the item. I was able to feel the cardboard walls beneath the paper so I knew where to draw. I then added numbers just for fun.

    Finally, I taped the wrapping paper to the other three box sides and that was it! My daughters face lit up when she understood the idea of the gift and had a blast opening each compartment and discovering what was in them. It was so much fun, in fact, that my younger daughter has already asked me to do this for her birthday.

    DIY Unboxing Gift In Action

    More Gift Ideas

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  • Best Klutz Kits

    Best Klutz Kits

    We have been Klutz fans ever since we were kids growing up in the 80s & 90s! Some of our favorites include Juggling for the Complete Klutz and the Klutz Koosh Kit. As parents, we have had our share of birthday parties and events that require gifts. In our family Klutz is a the go-to gift, which means we have tried many different Klutz kits. Some that were not so great and some that our girls loved. In particular, we LOVE the Klutz Crafting Kits. They are well thought out, easy to do and cute. Below you will see a list of the kits and books our girls love, they are the best Klutz Kits we have tried so far.

    This post contains affiliate links– thank you for supporting us.

    Klutz Melt & Mold Jewelry Craft Kit – Design your own trendy jewelry by melting magical plastic pellets with warm water. That’s right, just using warm water! Then, mold them into a cute cactus, mystical moon, or any of the 19 stylish shapes included in the silicone mold. Create up to 50 charms and make 10 different projects: pendant necklaces, rings, earrings and bracelets. Everyone will melt over how cute your creations are!

    Klutz Mini Bake Shop – Create and decorate your own mini cakes, cookies and pies with easy-peasy, no bake, air-dry clay. This kit includes all of the ‘ingredients’ and instructions for rolling out clay just like fondant. Make faux flowers, stack on the sprinkles, add expressive faces, and more! Display your clay creations on a mini-cake stand or in a beautiful box to highlight your baking talents! It’s a bake shop of captivatingly-cute confectionery.

    Klutz Lego Make Your Own Movie Activity Kit – Bring your LEGO minifigures to life with this beginner-friendly guide to stop-motion animation. Ten ‘Mini Movies’ walk you through using your phone, tablet, or computer to make short, funny clips with step-by-step instructions. My kids love making stop-motion animation movies, this is a great kit to help them with the details!

    Klutz Dress Up Your Own Paper Pups Craft Kit – Five adorable paper pups to pamper, dress up, and tote around. Their fabulous wardrobes offer outfits for every season, and their accessories range from the indispensable (food bowls, bones, and hair curlers) to the extravagant (a tutu). Plus, just in case the pups don’t feel up to prancing, there’s a punch-out dog carrier to take the fashion show on the road. Call it puppy love, Klutz style.

    Klutz The Marvelous Book of Magical Horses: Dress Up Paper Horses & Their Fairy Friends Book – The Marvelous Book of Magical Horses comes with six gorgeous paper ponies and two paper-doll fairies. Plus, everything you need to dress them up and play to your heart’s content: a dozen fabulous wings and more than 250 punch-out saddles, manes, tails, bows, crowns, and other horse and fairy fashions.

    Klutz Mini Grocery Store Craft Kit – Make a super cute supermarket! Create more than 20 cute clay characters from every aisle of the grocery store: meat, produce, frozen food, and canned goods.Then make a papercraft shopping basket to tote them around. Crystal-clear instructions show what clay measurements you need and custom foam shapes make challenging projects easier! Sprinkled throughout are plenty of ideas to customize your grocery haul with cute food labels and packaging. Don’t forget your shopping list!

    A Peek Inside

    Klutz Sew Mini Animals Craft Kit – Stitch and stuff an assortment of fuzzy animals from felt. These mini plushies deliver full-sized fun, and everything you need to make up to 14 animals is included. Add extra accessories like hats, bows, and glasses to personalize your animals.


    Klutz Book of Paper Airplanes Craft Kit – The ten planes in this book are for people who think they’ve seen a good paper plane or two. They’re for the hard to impress, the playground veterans – the kid at the next desk who thinks he and his plane will get sent to the principal’s office first. These are the planes that can prove him wrong.

    Klutz Cat’s Cradle Book Kit – With this kit, you will learn how to make 5 string figures, including The Cup and Saucer, The Witch’s Broom, and Jacob’s Ladder. With simple instructions and ultra-clear instructional art, each string picture is foolproof.

    LEGO Chain Reactions (Klutz Science/STEM Activity Kit) – With the stuff in this kit and a pile of your own ordinary LEGO bricks, you can build Ten awesome machines that can be combined to make dozens of different chain reactions that use many steps to do. ..a whole lot of nothing (or maybe something vaguely useful).

    More Kid Gift Ideas

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  • Harry Potter House Sorting Easter Eggs

    Harry Potter House Sorting Easter Eggs

    Harry Potter House Sorting Easter Eggs

    Do you have a Harry Potter fan in your house? We do too! We thought we could make Easter a little magical by creating these fun Harry Potter House Sorting Easter Eggs. These eggs make great decorations, a fun Easter craft and an activity to do on Easter morning. The idea is pretty simple:

    First, print and cut out the eggs. Color them in and tape two together leaving a space at the top to insert MnM’s or any candy, confetti, or anything that is a house color such as yellow for Hufflepuff, Red for Gryffindor, Blue for Ravenclaw and Green for Slytherin. Insert candy and tape or staple shut. That’s it! Then on Easter, kids can have fun choosing an egg and ripping it open to find out which house they’re in!

    Hogwarts House Candy Ideas

    Harry Potter House Sorting Easter Eggs Template

    Free Harry Potter House Sorting Easter Eggs Template

    More Harry Potter and Easter Ideas

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  • More Harry Potter Easter Basket Ideas!

    More Harry Potter Easter Basket Ideas!

    Our Harry Potter easter basket ideas were a big hit last year so we decided to offer a 2021 version. Not to mention, our kids are still obsessed with Harry Potter! All of these Easter basket goodies can be bought online so you don’t need to make an unnecessary trip to the store. Don’t forget, Easter is much earlier this year landing on April 4th!

    This post contains affiliate links– thank you for supporting us.

    Pick a Container (Basket)

    Plastic Cauldron

    Grab a cauldron to hold the Easter goodies! Find it on Amazon

    Harry Potter Storage Trunk

    Or if you’re looking for something a little larger, then this Harry Potter Storage Trunk will be a great addition to you child’s room after Easter – Find it on Amazon

    Fill it with some Harry Potter Candy

    Chocolate Golden Snitch

    Milk Chocolate Golden Snitch instead of an Easter Bunny? – Find it on Amazon

    Harry Potter Pez

    Harry Potter Pez Dispenser and Candy – Find it on Amazon

    Harry Potter Knight Bus Tin and Gummies

    Harry Potter Knight Bus Tin & Gummy Candy – Find it on Amazon

    Add Some Outdoor Activities

    Harry Potter Beach Towel

    Harry Potter Beach Towel – Find it on Amazon
    Beach Towel with Harry Potter Characters – Find it on Amazon
    Gryffindor Hooded Poncho – Find it on Amazon

    Luna Lovegood Glasses

    Luna Lovegood Sunnies! Find them on Amazon

    An Owl Kite so the mail can be delivered on time – Find on Amazon

    Harry Potter Walkie Talkies

    Harry Potter Long Range Walkie Talkies – Find it on Amazon

    Maybe a Harry Potter Craft or Game

    Chocolate Frog Mold

    Make your own chocolate frogs with this frog mold – Find it on Amazon

    Harry Potter Perler Bead Craft Kit

    Harry Potter Perler Bead Kit – Find it on Amazon

    Harry Potter Memory Game

    Harry Potter Memory Master Card Game – Find it on Amazon

    Harry Potter Coloring Book

    For the artist in your life add this Harry Potter Coloring Book – Find it on Amazon

    Harry Potter Hedbanz Game

    Grab a game for the family like this Harry Potter Hedbanz Game – Find it on Amazon

    More Easter Basket Ideas

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  • Star Wars Easter Basket Ideas

    Star Wars Easter Basket Ideas

    With the popularity of Baby Yoda from “The Mandalorian” we thought we would round up some fun Star Wars Easter Basket Ideas. Don’t forget, Easter is much earlier this year landing on April 4th! All of these items can be easily ordered online, so there is no need for another trip to the store.

    🛍️ This post contains affiliate linksthank you for supporting us.

    Star Wars Baby Yoda Storage Bins

    Instead of a standard basket, use these Baby Yoda Storage Bins – Buy at Target

    Star Wars Easter Basket Filler Ideas

    Star Wars Easter Eggs

    Star Wars Easter Eggs! Buy at Target

    Or similar eggs here at Amazon

    Star Wars Candy

    Jelly Belly 7.5 oz Star Wars Jelly Bean Bag – Buy on Amazon

    Star Wars Easter Candy

    Baby Yoda Candy – Buy at Target

    Star Wars Mad Libs

    Star Wars Mad Libs – Buy on Amazon

    Star Wars Crafts

    This Klutz Star Wars Folded Flyers look lie a ton of fun – Buy on Amazon

    Star Wars Coloring Book and Stickers

    Star Wars Giant Coloring Book with Stickers – Buy on Amazon

    Toy Light Sabers

    LED Light Up Light Sabers with Sounds – Buy at Amazon

    Mandalorian Legos

    LEGO BrickHeadz Star Wars The Mandalorian & The Child – Buy on Amazon

    Mandalorian Figures

    Star Wars Figures for the avid Mandalorian fan – Buy at Target

    Star Wars Water Bottle

    Star Wars Water Bottle – Buy at Target

    More Easter Fun from Today I Need A…

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  • Funny 2020 Printable Photo Props

    Funny 2020 Printable Photo Props

    Commemorate the craziness that was 2020 by saying “Good Bye” to a year we all agree wasn’t the best. Use these funny 2020 printable photo props to make your New Year’s Eve celebration a little more fun!

    To make your own photo props click the links below for our FREE downloads, then print the images from your computer. You can adjust the size in your printer options if needed. For more stability glue each prop onto cardboard or print on heavy card stock.

    Once printed cut out each prop carefully then glue or tape a long dowel rod or skewer to the back. We highly recommend turning this into a family activity by having your kids color in each prop! Congrats, you have made some funny 2020 printable photo props to use with the family.

    Supplies

    Free 2020 printable photo props

    2020 Photo Props – Click here to download.
    This collection includes two word bubbles signs with funny sayings, two thought bubbles signs with funny sayings, and cut outs of a face mask, roll of toilet paper and a 2020 sign.

    Among Us Photo Prop

    Among Us Free Printable New Years Eve 2020 Sign

    Among Us 2020 Photo Prop – Click here to download.

    Minecraft Photo Prop

    Minecraft Free Printable new Years Eve 2020 Sign

    Minecraft 2020 Photo Prop – Click here to download.

    Hatchimal Photo Prop

    Hatchimal Free Printable New Years Sign

    Hatchimal Photo Prop – Click here to download.

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  • Elf on the Shelf Quarantine Printable

    Elf on the Shelf Quarantine Printable

    Our Elf on the Shelf quarantine printable makes it super easy to put your elf in quarantine! We have FREE printables available in Classic or Woodland style. Included in each is a mini elf face mask and mini elf hand sanitizer. This is a great way to commemorate this historic year while at the same time freeing yourself from moving your Elf on the Shelf for 2 weeks! Win-win! See instructions below.

    Supplies:

    Elf on the Shelf – Buy at Target (larger size here)
    Brown or white paper bag
    Tape or Glue
    Quarantine Printable
    Scissors
    Plastic Wrap or piece of clear plastic

    Instructions:

    Cut a square out of the front of your paper bag the height of your elf’s head when he/she is sitting in the bag. Tape a piece of plastic wrap to the inside to make the window.

    Save the Elf on the Shelf Quarantine Printable of your choice to your computer and print. Cut out each object.

    Write the name of your elf on the appropriate lines along with the date they will be getting out of quarantine.

    Tape the four small rectangle or vine “mask ties” to the back of the mask. Wrap it around your elf’s head and tape to the back of the head. Tape or place the hand sanitizer to/in the hand of your elf and place the elf in the bag, facing outward through the window.

    Finally, tape the sign to the front of the bag and use a paperclip, clothespin or even tape the top closed. Then tape the Quarantine sign on the top of the bag.

    Elf on the Shelf Accessories from Target

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  • Advent Calendars for the Whole Family

    Advent Calendars for the Whole Family

    Advent calendars for the whole family can be a great way to get a few minutes of family time each day in December. Whether it’s putting a puzzle together or sharing a bag of popcorn, gather around an advent calendar for Christmastime cheer. December is just a few weeks away, so get your advent calendar now!

    This post contains affiliate links– thank you for supporting us.

    Family Activity Advent Calendars

    Family Advent Calendar

    Winter Village Activity Kit Advent Calendar – Because while the holidays are about sweets and treats, they’re more about spending time with the ones you love. Handmade in Yorkshire, England. – See Price on Uncommon Goods

    Puzzle Advent Calendar

    Jigsaw Puzzle Advent Calendar – Get them festive but focused with this entertaining advent calendar that reveals pieces of jigsaw behind each opened door. By the time Christmas arrives, they should have all 200 pieces of a beautifully illustrated Santa-in-space scene. – See Price on World Market

    Lottery Ticket Advent Calendar

    Christmas Luck Holiday Advent Lottery Calendar – Just add your own lottery tickets scratch for a chance to win each night! Because who doesn’t love a surprise? – See Price on Amazon

    Activity Advent Calendar

    The Advent Calendar for Couch Potatoes by Mindmade – This calendar works exactly like a classic advent calendar – almost. Instead of finding candy inside each window you will find three different physical activities, and you must select one of them to complete during that day. See Price on Amazon

    Lovepop Advent Calendar – Count down to Christmas with Pancake the Penguin’s Christmas Adventur Lovepop’s first-ever day-by-day advent calendar! Follow Pancake’s journey through a winter wonderland and unveil new discoveries on each of the 25 days leading up to Christmas. See Price on Love Pop

    Collectibles Advent Calendars

    Elf Advent Calendar

    Elf Advent Calendar – If you love the movie Elf as much as we do, you’ll love this adorable Elf Advent Calendar! – See Price on Target

    Advent Calendar for Horse Lovers

    Breyer Horses 2020 Holiday Collection | Holiday Advent Calendar – Starting on December 1st, count down to Christmas by opening one door each day to reveal Mini Whinnies items! This calendar features 40 hidden treasures! Including, 7 horses, 2 foals, 1 unicorn, 3 people figures, and a wide assortment of barn and riding accessories! –See Price on Amazon

    Harry Potter Advent Calendar

    Funko Advent Calendar: Harry Potter – Open one of the tiny doors each day and reveal which of the 24 Pocket Pops vinyl figures will join your collection that day. You can hide them among your other holiday decorations or assemble them within your collection. See Price on Amazon

    Food Advent Calendars

    Jerky Advent Calendar

    Jerky Advent Calendar from Man Crates – Forget the french hens and geese a-layin’. Nothing says “Meaty Christmas” like an advent calendar filled with twenty-five festive flavors of beef and exotic jerky. It’s a carnivore’s ultimate countdown ‘til Christmas. See Price on Man Crates

    Popcorn Advent Calendar

    Joe & Seph’s Popcorn Calendar – Inside, you’ll find 24 doors with snack-sized packets of Joe & Seph’s artisan-crafted popcorn. 12 delicious flavors for you to enjoy, including salted caramel, raspberry cheesecake and double chocolate. – See Price on World Market

    Advent Calendar for Dogs

    We can’t forget the dog! Check out this adorable Bosco & Roxy’s Bark The Halls Dog Treat Advent Calendar. – Behind each festive flap is a handmade dog biscuit crafted with applesauce and crushed peanuts. Finally, a bite-sized reward for your best friend to help them share in the Christmas spirit. See Price on World Market

    Candy Advent Calendar

    2020 Mars Assorted Candy Christmas Advent Calendar – Candy Includes M&M’s, Snickers Minis, Skittles, MilkyWay Minis, Twix Minis, and Starburst assorted candies. Above all, it’s a great activity for kids and adults. See Price on Amazon

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  • Free Halloween Craft Printable – Pencil Toppers!

    Free Halloween Craft Printable – Pencil Toppers!

    It’s officially October! To celebrate one of our favorite months of the year, we put together a fun and free Halloween craft printable for you! We love Halloween and our kids couldn’t wait to get started decorating weeks ago. Because they are currently remote learning, I thought we could create something to share with their class during Zoom calls. Pencil Toppers were a perfect option! We have created a FREE printable template so you can make your own pencil toppers too!

    Halloween Craft Supplies

    This is an easy craft that doesn’t need too many supplies. We made some out of felt and hot glue and some out of paper and white glue. You can use whatever you have on hand. We even made a garland to go on our fireplace by printing out a few extra sheets and using watercolor paints and a hold puncher. You can really make this craft your own by adding googly eyes, stickers or any other crafting supplies. Whatever you do, have fun!

    Free Halloween Craft Printable

    Click here to download our FREE PDF!

    More Halloween Posts

  • Halloween Countdown Calendars – Updated for 2020!

    Halloween Countdown Calendars – Updated for 2020!

    As a kid, I LOVED getting an Advent Calendar at the beginning of December. You know, the kind with a tiny piece of chocolate behind a door you opened each night leading up to Christmas? As a fan of everything Halloween, I thought I would search for something similar for the month of October. Enter: Halloween Countdown Calendars!

    Note: Affiliate links below. If you click on and purchase any item from this list, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. We thank you for supporting us and keeping our website running!


    Pre-filled Calendars

    Halloween Funko Countdown Calendar

    Countdown to the spookiest day of the year, with the Funko 13 Day Spooky Countdown Calendar. This Halloween countdown calendar contains 13 Pocket Pop! sized figures from your favorite Horror franchises. Reserve your Funko Halloween countdown calendar now!

    Find it here at Amazon

    Halloween Countdown Calendar

    Have fun while counting down the days to Halloween! Includes 13 bags with toys or treats along with ideas for fun Halloween activities. Open one bag per day until Halloween! 

    Find it here at Etsy

    Fillable Calendars

    Halloween Countdown Calendar - Michael's

    Countdown the days to Halloween with this fun haunted house calendar by ArtMinds. Decorate this countdown calendar with paints, glitter and stickers and put fun treats in each of the 31 small boxes to open up each day of October.

    Find it here at Michael’s

    Amazon Fillable Halloween Advent Calendar

    Decorate each drawer with spooky fun! 11 Inch Advent Calendar Shadow Box w/Free Project Idea Booklet – Pre Assembled with Removable Drawers – Unfinished Wood Ready to Decorate and Personalize – For DIY , Gifts & Crafts.

    Find it here at Amazon

    Felt Calendars

    Halloween Countdown Calendar - Oriental Trading

    Trick-or-treaters, get ready for fright night! Count down to Halloween with this unique October calendar. It’s a fun addition to classroom supplies, day cares and your in-home playroom. This large wall decoration includes 31 pockets, one for each day of the month, and you can fill the pockets with small treats or notes to help kids prepare and get pumped up for the big night. Include reminders on getting costumes ready and basic safety tips to make it personal.

    Find it here at Oriental Trading

    Felt Halloween Countdown Calendar

    If you’re looking for something a little larger, check out this Felt Countdown Calendar. It comes with a cute little bats that you put into a new pocket each day of the countdown and detachable ghost ornaments. You can get it here with our affiliate link: https://amzn.to/2kAX1Cr. Happy Haunting!

    Paper Calendars

    Paper Halloween Countdown Calendar

    Super cute! They don’t come with chocolate, but instead have either a spooky joke behind each door or a clue to lead you to which door to open next. I love these because they are just as fun to open, but don’t offer kids even more sugar during October. Also, they’re not too expensive which is a plus! Now, comes the hard part – picking which one to get.

    Find is here at Amazon

    Ghostly Gathering Countdown

    Find it here on Amazon

    Little Goblins Countdown

    Find it here at Amazon

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