Quick Tip Tuesday #5 - Simple Summer Craft

When it comes to kids, it is always helpful to have an "I'm bored"  solution at-the-ready.  So, here is a simple craft for a rainy summer day... a paper plate fish puppet.

This craft requires minimal supplies and minimal adult supervision.  Can you say, "Win Win"?

To make this craft, have the children color a paper plate.  Then, cut out a mouth and glue it on as a tail.  Add a googly-eye and a popsicle stick, and you have an adorable fish puppet to keep the little ones entertained.

Do you have "quick craft" for your kids to do that requires minimal supplies and minimal adult supervision?  I'd love to hear about it.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Balloon Pop Countdown

Don't you just love a good "countdown"?  Me too!  So... with five days left to the end of school, I put together this fun, easy, and inexpensive balloon pop countdown for my boys.

Each day, my boys will pop a balloon, and we will do the activity that is written on the slip of paper inside the balloon.  Fun, right?

Here is what we have written inside our balloons:

You can download a pdf version of our list here.

All you need to do is:

1)  Print out the list, and cut it into strips.
2)  Roll up the strips, and pop them into the balloons.
3)  Blow up the balloons, and write numbers on them (if you want to do your activities on specific days).

That's it!  We are having fun counting down to summer vacation, but you could use this simple idea for any occasion.  What exciting event do you have coming up? 

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

ECM Kids' Craft Club - #16 {Canada Day Crafts}

Welcome to the 16th edition of the ECM Kids' Craft Club {an easy & inexpensive way for kids to have fun crafting and experience the excitement of getting their very own mail}.  If you want to join the club, you can find more info here.  For everyone who is already a member... let's get started on this month's craft.  This month we are making two Canada Day Crafts!

Here's the "how to":

1)  Color your flag and "Canada Day Carl" finger puppet.

2)  Cut out your flag and finger puppet.  Have a grown up help you cut out the two circles at the bottom of the finger puppet.

3)  Add a Canadian flag sticker to "Canada Day Carl's" t-shirt, and tape a popsicle stick to the back of your flag.

That's it!  I hope you enjoyed these crafts, and I hope you have a great Canada Day.  {Don't forget to leave me a comment, or send me an email.  Your comments help me improve the club, and I love hearing from you.} 

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Don't forget... Assist young children when using scissors, and be careful of the small parts included with this kit, as they can be a choking hazard for children under three".)

7 Ways to Make Family Movie Night Special

At the end of every week, my family gathers together to enjoy one of our favorite family traditions – Friday Night Family Movie Night.  Does your family enjoy movie nights?  Here are 7 simple ideas that can help make movie nights a little more special.

1)  Make movie night a tradition by having it on the same night every week.

2)  Pair it with a favorite meal.  (We always have pancakes for supper on movie night, but Pizza Friday would be fun too.)

3)  Pick a good family movie... one that everyone will enjoy.  If consensus is difficult, let the kids take turns making the selection.

4)  Use special dishes.  (I have popcorn bowls from the dollar store that we only use on movie nights.)

5)  Set the scene with a special sign or two.  We have a “Movie Snacks” sign and a “Now Playing” sign that we use every week.

6)  Get comfy.  PJs are the perfect attire for family movie night, and it makes the transition to bedtime (after the movie) easier.

7)  Have movie snacks.  Popcorn is always a good choice, but pick whatever your family enjoys.

It’s also fun to “mix it up” some weeks by adding something special.  E.g. Choose a fun theme, have an outdoor screening, make a craft to go along with the movie, or bake a special treat.

Implementing some (or all) of these suggestions will add to the fun, but the most important part of family movie night is sitting down together as a family.  Years from now, the kids won’t remember what movies they watched or the snacks they ate, but they will remember the time spent together cuddled up on the couch.
♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Quick Tip Tuesday #4 - Makeshift Mudroom

Although I dream of a fancy, highly organized mudroom -- I just don't have the space or budget for it right now.  So... I took a small wall in my garage and made a little "makeshift mudroom".

It isn't fancy.  It is just 6 hooks and 3 bins from the dollar store... but it works.  Each of my boys has two hooks for their sweaters and jackets, and each boy has a bin for all their shoes.

It is an easy, inexpensive, and effective solution.  A place for everything and everything in its place.

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

What makes summer "all good" for you? {Contest from McCain}

Summer is almost here, and McCain is asking the question, "What makes summer all good for you?"  To find out, McCain is hosting an All Good Pinathon and awarding $100 each to the 5 pinners whose boards inspire them the most.

Entering is fun and easy.  Just follow these simple steps:

1) Create a board on Pinterest and name it "McCain All Good Pinathon".

2) Pin the things that make summer all good for you. e.g. a perfectly ripe peach, the smell of grass, a picnic with friends, blowing bubbles at the park, a trip to the beach, etc..

3) Include one pin from McCain that makes you feel happy.

4) Tag each pin in your board with the keyword McCainAllGood.
5) Fill out the short contest application here.

That's it! And... if you are looking for inspiration, you can check out my board here.

My boys and I have a summer checklist full of things that are "All Good" to us, and we have already started checking some things off. Don't you just love summer?

Good luck, and happy pinning!  I can't wait to see what makes summer "all good" for you.

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure – This is a sponsored post.  I received compensation as a thank you for participating; however, the opinions on this blog are 100% my own.

Backyard Safari

Last week I made some "safari" binoculars out of foam and felt, and I got a great idea.   Wouldn't it be fun to set up a backyard safari for my boys?

It was a simple idea, but it was a blast!  Here's how I did it:

1)  I found a package (with 5 identical sheets) of safari stickers.  I took one sheet, and attached the stickers to paper plates.

 

2)  I took the sheets of matching stickers, and I gave one to each of my boys.  I also gave each boy a clipboard and a sheet of paper.

3)  I went into the yard and hid all the plates.

4)  The boys took their clipboards, and they went in search of the paper plates.  When they found one, they took the matching sticker from their sheet of stickers and stuck it to their piece of paper. The goal was to find all the plates and move all the stickers onto their sheet of paper.

Fun, right?  I think it would be fun to hide little plastic animals and have the kids search for them.  I think we might try that next time.

♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)