5 Simple Crafts and Activities for Tweens and Teens (and younger kids will love them too)

This week (as my family continues to social distance because of Covid 19), my boys and I made videos of the crafts that we did together. These activities and crafts are fantastic for older kids... but younger kids will love them too. I've included the links to our videos (with full instructions) below.

1) MONDAY we did two Simple science experiments. We made rainbows with Skittles and we used vinegar to make a bouncy egg. 

Find our science experiments video here.

2) TUESDAY we did weaving using a toilet roll and popsicle sticks. My boys LOVED this craft, and spent hours making long scarves and snakes.

 Find our toilet roll weaving video here. 

3) WEDNESDAY we made tassel bookmarks. My boys designed their own bookmarks, and we used yarn to add homemade yarn tassels to the tops.

Find our tassel bookmark video here. 

4) THURSDAY we made God's eyes... a classic camp craft. We used popsicle sticks and yarn to make this super-cute and colourful ornaments.

You can find our God's eye video here. 

5) FRIDAY we made 3D handprints. We used paper and markers to create simple drawings. My kids thought the 3D effect was pretty cool.

You can find our 3D handprint video here.

If you are looking for simple crafts and activities to entertain your kids, I highly recommend giving one of these a try. It is often hard to find crafts that aren't to "babyish" for tweens and teens... and these five are sure to please kids of all ages.

If you give them a try, let me know how it goes. I'd love to hear your favourites!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like the ideas you can find here.

Flexible Schedule... for kids social distancing

My boys are just coming off what was supposed to be their March break. We have been social distancing for a full week now, and I have been trying to keep things relaxed and fun for my boys. However, we are getting to a point where we all need a bit of structure. I decided to put together a flexible schedule that allowed my boys to pursue their individual interests and still have fun. Here's what I came up with:

I'm going to try this schedule for the next week, and we'll tweak it as we go.

Are you using a schedule at your house? If you want to use my social distancing scheduling, you can: click on the schedule above, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

And... don't forget to look around the blog. Use the search bar to find lots of recipes, craft ideas, children's activities, etc...

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like this post.

And the ideas for older kids here.

Simple MAGIC TRICKS that kids will love

Who doesn't love magic? And there is nothing more fun than a kid learning a magic trick and showing it to their friends and family. It's a great way for kids to learn about confidence and performing too. Today, I am sharing a few simple magic tricks that kids can master at almost any age.

Disappearing Toothpick - I love this simple trick. Kids hold a toothpick (and through slight of hand) it disappears and appears again. All you need is a toothpick, a piece of tape, and this video!

Magical coloured potion - With a few magic words, kids can turn clear liquid and white powder into a magical and colourful magic potion. Find the full instructions (and secret behind this trick) here.

Magic bag that doesn't leak - Younger kids will love this one because it is super easy. With a few magic words, you can poke holes in a bag of water... and not have any of the water leak out of the bag. Fun, right? Find the instructions here.

My boys loved these tricks when they were younger, and recently they have moved onto card tricks... which are also fun.

Do your kids like magic? I hope they give these simple magic tricks a try. Let me know how it goes!

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like this post.

10 Things to Do With Kids... while social distancing from the rest of the world

Given recent events concerning the Coronavirus / Covid-19, and the increased emphasis on "social distancing", parents are being faced with the task of entertaining their children... and retaining their sanity. 😀 Today, I am sharing 10 things you can do with kids... while social distancing from the rest of the world.

1)  Have an indoor picnic - Make breakfast, lunch or dinner a little more fun by laying a blanket down on the kitchen floor and having an indoor picnic. It's a simple idea, but a good way to "change up" the regular mealtime routine.

2)  Read together - Check out your bookshelves or browse an online bookstore and pick out some new books. Then, cuddle up and read together.  

If you are looking for inspiration, I have a list of our 10 favorite picture books here and a list of some of our favourite books for older kids here. 

I even have a list of books for Moms here. It's important for kids to see their parents reading for pleasure too!

3)  Dress up - When my kids were younger, they loved to dress up as Harry Potter, Pirates, Spies and Jedi.  They are older now, but if we are stuck in the house for long periods of time, I bet I can totally sell them on a themed party!

4)  Bake something - My boys love baking and cooking together... and then eating the fruits of their labour.  I've been wanting to teach them more baking and cooking skills, and now seems like the perfect time.

Some of our current favorites are:  banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, and energy balls... but I'm looking forward to trying some new recipes with them.

5)  Make a craft, paint, learn a magic trick, do a science experiment, or play with play dough - EastCoastMommy.com is full of fun craft ideas, so take a look around.  You might also want to check out my "Activities and Crafts for Kids" Pinterest board here.

6) Have a puppet show - For the puppet theatre, use a spring loaded curtain rod and an old sheet in a doorway. The sheet works well because it already has an opening for a rod -- no sewing required. (You could also use a cardboard box for a theatre.) For puppets, print pictures off the internet onto cardstock, color them, cut them out, and attach popsicle sticks to the back.

7) Play games, take out the LEGO or build a puzzle - My boys love cards and board games, and I think playing games together is a great way to spend an afternoon.  If you want to make it extra special, you can check out some fun snack and decor ideas here.

8) Watch a movie - Put on some PJs, pop some popcorn, cuddle up on the couch, and watch your favorite family movie.  If you want to make it extra special, you can find some tips for throwing a movie party here.

9) Have an indoor concert, karoke party or dance contest - Isn't singing and dancing a great way to spend an afternoon... and burn off some energy?  If you are looking for some great music for younger kids, you can read about some of our favorites here.

10) Get outside - Is there anything better for kids than playing outside? (And if you should be fine if you are in your yard away from other people.)  

Depending on the weather where you are, you might want to check out some summer activities here and here or some winter activities here.

How are you coping with all the Coronavirus / Covid 19 precautions and protocols? I'm trying hard to keep my kids entertained... and not focused on the news. These are anxious times, and it's tough for kids of all ages to understand what is going on. I hope some of these ideas help you to help your kids manage their anxieties and have some fun.

Stay safe!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like the ideas you can find here.

Indoor Winter Fun... hot chocolate and new product taste testing

We recently had a couple of snow days (days off from school due to a winter storm). When the snow flies, my boys love playing outside, but when temperatures get really low, there comes a point when they come inside to warm up... and it's always fun to have a fun activity and treat waiting for them. I love the idea of setting up a hot chocolate and cookie testing station, don't you?

While the kids were out sledding, I set up a little hot chocolate bar using mason jars. I had hot chocolate, marshmallows, a kettle of hot water, and some Hershey kisses to add a little more chocolaty goodness. I also laid out a few NEW products I found at the grocery store earlier in the week. (Any new and interesting products would work, but these are the ones that caught my eye.)

When the kids came inside, they set to work making their own hot chocolates. Everyone customized their beverage to their liking. 

Then, we got to work trying the new cookies I bought.

Each new product got a thumbs up or a thumbs down... and then they picked a winner.

Fun, right? 

Check out this little video we made.

I love the idea of "taste testing" as a fun indoor winter activity. It would be fun to use healthy food too. I might even work in a cooking lesson with our "tasting party" some day soon. What do you think?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Note: This is NOT a sponsored post. These are just a couple of new products I picked up for my kids and their friend to try... and they were a hit. 😄

New Year's Eve Activity Bags

In 2012, I made activity bags for my boys as a way of entertaining them on New Year's Eve. Since then, I have been making them annually, and the contents of the bags have changed each year to reflect the fact that they are getting older. Today, I am sharing the contents of the New Year's Eve activity bags I put together this year.

I started with dollar store bags. Then, I cut circles from coloured paper and drew clocks on the circles. I did bags for 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm, 10pm, 11pm. and midnight. 

The idea is to have the party guests open a new bag every hour.

Here's what I put in our bags:


6pm - Year in review sheets and pens. You can download my 2021 version for free here.

***Grab you 2022 version here.***

7pm - Chocolates and popcorn.

8pm - A game and a prize. I used LCR with three cash prizes, but any game would work. Chocolate bar Bingo would be fun too. (Bingo with chocolate bar prizes.)

9pm - Candy rings with "Ring in the New Year!" tags. You can download the tags for free here.

10pm - Supplies for a New Year's Eve photo booth. I got a bunch of supplies at the dollar store, and I designed a few photo props (which you can download for free here).

11pm - Midnight Kisses (which are really chocolate kisses packaged in clear bags with free tags that you can download here).

Midnight - Noise makers, sparklers, and cookies. Everything you need to ring in and celebrate the new year!

Isn't this a fun idea? I do 7 bags, but you can do as many (or few) as you want... and if your kids are younger (and won't make it to midnight), you can open the bags earlier.

Have you ever done activity bags with your kids on New Year's Eve? It really is a wonderful idea for a party full of kids, and it works well for a quiet evening at home too. 

What are you going to put in your activity bags? I'm always looking for new ideas.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Check out more New Year's Eve activities and ideas here.

Neighborhood Photo Scavenger Hunt

I love an activity that gets kids outside (and away from electronics), don't you? So, what could be more fun than a neighbourhood photo scavenger hunt? Today I am sharing a fun, printable scavenger hunt that is perfect for kids of all ages. It's a fun activity for a family, but it would be a fantastic group activity too.

To play, every kid (or team) needs a list and something to take pictures with. I gave my kids my phone, and this is what they came back with...

Cute, right? 

To download a copy of the list I used with my boys: click on the picture of the list, save it to your computer, and print it on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet piece of paper.

OR... you can download a pdf version here.

I hope you enjoy this neighbourhood photo scavenger hunt with your family. It's a great activity for spring, summer, or fall.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can find another version (which is fun for younger kids) here.

Great Books for Getting Kids Engaged... with something OTHER than electronics

When I was a little girl, I owned a book called "Things to Make and Do", and I loved it. I would leaf through the pages of the book and get inspired to do science experiments, make crafts, and learn new games. There was something fantastic about having a book full of things to make and do. So... in keeping with my childhood experience, I thought it would be fun to get some books that would inspire my kids to get engaged with new activities... and away from their electronics.

Note: I was given these books (at no cost) by DK books in exchange for my truthful review. I have also included Amazon links in this post. If you purchase one of these books using my link, I will receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you!

These are the three books I chose for my boys.

Science is Magic by Steve Mould - Teaches you to amaze your friends with spectacular science experiments.

The Campfire Cookbook - Recipes for BBQing at home and cooking over a campfire.

Science You Can Eat - Teaches you the science behind cooking and baking... part cookbook/part science reference.

Of the three books, "Science is Magic" was the biggest hit. My 10 year old really enjoyed it. 

We've already learned a couple of magic tricks, and we made a drawing come to life. We drew a picture on a plate, we covered it with cold water, and then we watch as the picture detached from the plate and floated around. Fun, right?

We still have a lot of activities in our books to try, but we are already having a lot of fun. If you are looking for a unique gift for your kids or their friends, these books are great options. I love finding new ways to engage kids WITHOUT electronics, don't you?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)