Back to School Countdown

As sad as it makes me to think about the summer coming to an end, I thought it would be fun to do a back to school countdown with the boys.  When I saw these adorable jars at the dollar store, I knew I had to use them.  Aren't the bright colorful lids fun?

All three boys got a jar, and each boy counted out a "Smartie" for every day until their "big event".  My oldest is counting down to the first day of school, my middle son is counting down to the first day of preschool, and my youngest (as not to be left out) is counting down to some "mommy and me alone time".  :-)

Didn't they turn out cute????  Do you have any "back to school" traditions in your house?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

* You can find me on facebook here.

Bubbles, Bubbles, and More Bubbles!

Yesterday, we had a beautiful, sunny summer day.... so we decided to make bubbles.  Who  doesn't love bubbles??? And homemade bubbles are the absolute BEST!

I have never made bubbles before, but I have seen tons of recipes on the web, and I always wanted to do it.  I chose this recipe (which I found here) because the ingredients were easy to find. 


12 cups water

1 cup light corn syrup

2 cups dishwashing liquid



First, add the corn syrup to the water, and mix very well.

 

Then, add the dish soap and stir thoroughly (but gently).



The boys had a great time, and the bubbles were way better than store bought ones we have used in the past.  

Give it a try... it is easy and you'll have a lot of fun.  We did.  :-)

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

** If you haven't already "liked" me on facebook, I would love to have you join me here.

Pirate Play Date

We had a rainy day yesterday, so after a trip to the library, we came home and played "Pirates".  {Such is the life of the mom of three boys.}

You can have your own Pirate Play Date in three easy steps.

 

Step 1 - Build a pirate ship out of an old box.

Step 2 - Dress like a pirate.  We had jeans (with holes in them) and old shirts that we cut off to make "pirate shirts and pants".  We also used a cup and tin foil to make a "pirate hook".  (I got the idea for the hooks here.)  We added some hats and eye patches out of our dress up box.

Step 3 - Read pirate stories, and eat pirate food (peanut butter sandwiches cut out in the shape of fish).  And... you can find more pirate snack ideas here.

That's it!  An afternoon of fun in three easy steps.  Do your little ones like playing pirates?

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Vacation Recap

Just a quick post to let you know what my boys and I have been up to... and maybe provide a  little inspiration for your own vacation.  :-)

My husband had two weeks vacation, so we hit the road (a quick trip to Halifax, NS and a week in a cottage on Prince Edward Island).

In Halifax: 

We took a ride on Theodore Tugboat.

We hit the beach.

We visted Subenacadie Wildlife Park.

In PEI:

We hopped on a Ferry.

 

We spent a day at Avonlea Village.



We "Followed the Fiddler" in Victoria by the Sea.

We are having lots of fun (despite the less than perfect weather), and the summer isn't over yet.  Hope you and your family are having a great summer!

PS (If you are looking for more summer inspiration, you can check out my Super Summer Checklist.  You'll find 50 easy and fun summer activities.)

DIY Super Hero Party

My two youngest boys just turned four and two, and we had a really fun Super Hero party.  It was easy to find "Spiderman" stuff, but in order to include their other favorites, we had to get creative.  

(Don't my boys look adorable in their "Super Grover" t-shirts?  :-)

Here is how we hosted the ultimate DIY Super Hero Party:

1)  When the guests arrived, they were greeted by a "Welcome to Super Hero Training Camp" sign.  They were then directed to a table where, they selected a picture of their favorite Super Hero.  All the pictures were cut out, and a popsicle stick was added to create a "puppet" they could take home.

Welcome to Super Hero Training Camp

Grab a Super Hero Mask and Start Crafting

Super Hero Puppets to take home

2)  After the guests finished their craft, they were given a Super Hero Mask and Super Hero Cape with their initial, and they decorated their capes with foam stickers.  (You can find the tutorial for the capes here and the masks here.)  

Felt Super Hero Capes for all the guests

Decorating capes to take home

3)  After the capes were decorated, we had cake and opened presents.  (The simple Spiderman cakes I made were a big hit!)

Simple Super Hero Cakes

Super Heroes with their Cakes

4)  To end the party, we had a "Super Hero Obstacle Course", and each child received a certificate when they completed it.  A few of the key elements of the Obstacle Course are pictured below.

Super Hero Obstacle Course

Super Why Target Practice

Spiderman Photo Booth

Jumping Over Tall Buildings

Weight Lifting

Graduation Certificate

Everything ran smoothly (given the number of pint-sized guests :-), and a good time was had by all.  Lots of happy little Super Hero Graduates!

Here are a couple of  *bonus* tips:

I used a picture of the birthday boys dressed as Super Heroes for the cover of the invitation.



Each guest was given a bag with their name on it.  It helped them to keep track of their "stuff"



I made a Super Hero Banner with all their favorite Super Heroes on it.  I included my boys picture too!  :-)

I printed some really cute personalized tags for the loot bags.

 

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also be interested in the fun DIY party ideas here.

Fishing Fun!

Inspired by Dr.Seuss's One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, the boys and I decided to have {what they called} a "fishing party".  Doesn't everything sound more fun when you add "party" to the end of it???  

Here is what we did:

First, we made some fish.  The boys traced a fish template I made, cut them out, and added a googly eye.

Second, we had a snack while we were waiting for the glue to dry.  We had Goldfish and peanut butter sandwiches cut out with a fish-shaped cookie cutter.  (The eye of the fish is a chocolate chip.)

Third, we made a fishing rod out of a dowel, some ribbon, and a clothespin.  We used gummie worms for bait.

It was easy and fun and kept them entertained for hours.  Give it a try, and let me know how it goes.  :-)

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

 

PS (If you like this, you might also like our Pirate Play Date.  Check it out here.)

5 Easy Things to Make out of a Box

Empty boxes are perfect for making things for kids to play with -- they are free and the possibilities are endless.  "Box" crafts are a great way to get kids using their imaginations and learning about "reusing"/recycling.  Here are a few things my boys and I have made using boxes and stuff we had lying around the house.

1)  Photo Booth 

You'll need: a tall box, a poster (of a favorite character, sports figure, or singer), some tape or glue, and an X-Acto knife (or other cutting tool).

To make a photo booth: 

• Cut the back out of the box, and reinforce with packing tape (to make it a little stronger).
• Tape or glue the poster to the front of the box.
• Cut out the head of the person/character with an X-Acto knife.

2)  Bean Bag Toss Game

You'll need: a box with a lid, a picture (of anything/anyone the child likes), some paint and Modge Podge, and an X-Acto knife (or other cutting tool).

For a step by step tutorial, click here.

3)  Box Car

You'll need: a box big enough for a child to sit in, some paper plates for wheels and a steering wheel, and whatever else your child wants to use to decorate their car.

Just let the child drive the creative process, and you can help him/her implement it.  You'll be amazed at what he/she will come up with. 

4)  Puppet Theatre

You'll need: a box of any size (we used a diaper box), stuff to decorate the box (we used paper, crayons, and stickers), scrap material, tape, scissors, and a stapler. 

To make a puppet theatre: 

• Cut the flaps off the box.  (This will be the back of the theatre.)
• Cut a square out of the front of the box.
• Decorate box.
• Staple the fabric to the top of the box (leaving an opening in the middle of the "curtain").

5)  Buildings

You'll need: boxes of various shapes and sizes, construction paper, tape (for attaching the paper), and black electrical tape.

To make buildings:

• Cover the boxes in construction paper - securing with tape.
• Cut electrical tape into tiny squares and attach "windows".
• Cut two strips of electrical tape and attach "doors".

My boys use their buildings when they are setting up their cars and trucks.   

It is amazing how entertaining boxes can be.  I would love to see/hear what you have made from boxes in your house.  Leave a comment below, or email me at EastCoastMommy@gmail.com.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)