Top 5 Pirate Play Ideas

Imaginative play is a cornerstone of childhood... and it's fun for adults too. Around here, we LOVE playing Pirates, and today, I am sharing our Top 5 Pirate Play Ideas. The are all easy, inexpensive, and fun!

1)  Make your own pirate costume - You can follow the tutorial for my "no sew" Jake costume here (including a template for a cardboard sword), or you can just cut up some old jeans and shirts to look like ragged pirate clothes.  

2)  Make a pirate craft - You can color a pirate picture, or you can try making our mod podge pirate treasure chest.  (You can find the full tutorial here.)

3)  Read some pirate books - If you don't already have a book shelf full of pirate stories, head to the library and check out some new pirate adventures.

4)  Have a pirate lunch -  Pirates love fish, and these fish sandwiches ARRRRR! almost too cute to eat.  Little pirates will love these peanut butter sandwiches cut out in the shape of fish (with chocolate chip eyes).

5)  Enjoy a special pirate treat - Every pirate adventure ends with a treasure, and these Gold Doubloon cupcakes are the perfect pirate treat.  (You can find the tutorial here.)

Fun, right?  I am absolutely in love with the adorable "fish" sandwiches", aren't you? Do your little ones enjoy going on pirate adventures? I hope I've inspired you to "play pirates" today.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Lunchbox Notes {free printable}

School is starting in a few weeks, so I thought it would be fun to design a sheet of lunch box notes for my boys.  The messages are simple, but they are important, and I know by boys will love them.

Want to download your own sheet of these adorable lunch box notes... for free?  

Click on the picture below, right click, save it to your computer, and print like a regular 8x10 photo.

Do you like sending notes in your child's lunchbox? I think these are simple and adorable. Enjoy them! :-)

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like the school lunch tips here.

Back to School Printables

School doesn't start here until the first week of September, but I know some of my readers are heading back sooner.  So, I thought now would be a good time to share some Back to School Printables.

The first day of school is the perfect photo op, and these FREE printable signs are perfect for documenting the special day.

How adorable are my boys?!?!

These 8X10 prints would be cute as photo props on the first day of school.  They would also be cute framed and sitting on the table for a special "first day of school breakfast".  

You can download prints for grade primary to seven {without the watermark} below.  Feel free to share the printables, but do NOT link directly to the download.  Thank you!

Preschool Print
Grade Primary Print
Grade 1 Print
Grade 2 Print
Grade 3 Print
Grade 4 Print
Grade 5 Print
Grade 6 Print
Grade 7 Print

I hope you have a great first day of school.  Enjoy the free printables!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

UPDATE:  I've had a few requests for Pre-K and Kindergarten since I originally wrote this post.  They are slightly different from the ones above, but you can right click on the pictures below, save them to your computer, and print them like regular 8X10 photos.)

PS (You might also like THESE Back to School Tips.)

More back to school photo ideas here...

{simple} Magic Trick for Kids

One of the items on our Summer Checklist is "learn a new joke or magic trick".  Magic tricks can be tough for little ones, but this one is really simple and lots of fun.  (It is based on one I found at HowDoesShe.com.)

Here's how my boys used "magic words" to turn clear liquid into a colorful magic potion.

Step 1 - Put a couple drops of food coloring onto spoons.
Step 2 - Cover the food coloring with baking soda.
Step 3 - Fill glasses (half full) of vinegar.
Step 4 - While saying magic words, stir the baking soda into the vinegar.

The kids will love watching the clear liquid turn into a colorful and foamy fountain.

Do you think your little ones would love fooling friends with this simple magic trick?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Making Ice Cream in a Bag

One of the things on our summer checklist is "make ice cream in a bag".  It is really easy, requires no special equipment, and is lots of fun on a warm summer day.  Want to make ice cream with your kids?

First, gather your supplies.  You'll need:  big ziploc bags, small ziploc bags, salt, ice, sugar, vanilla, and coffee cream (18%).

Then, 
1) put 1/2 cup of course salt and a bunch of ice in the big bag, and 
2) put 1/2 cup coffee cream, 1 tsp vanilla, and 3 tsp of sugar in the small bag.  
3) Seal the small bag, place it in the larger bag, seal the larger bag, and shake it until ice cream forms (approximately 10-15 minutes).

Once the ice cream has formed, you can add some fun toppings, or you can eat it plain.

Eating it right out of the bag is half the fun, but try not to get salt from the outside of the bag into the ice cream.  You might want to give it a quick wipe with a cloth before you give it to the kids to eat.

Yummy, right?  Enjoy your treat!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Life Size LEGO

If your kids love LEGO like mine do, they are going to love this simple project -- Life Size LEGO.  This project is quick, easy, and lots of fun!

Just gather up some old boxes, wrap them in colored paper, and add some fun "LEGO" dots to the top. I cut my circles from cardstock, and used foam mounting tape to attach them.

Fun, right?  These Life Size LEGO are fun for stacking on a rainy afternoon, and they are perfect for a DIY LEGO party.  It's also a fun way to wrap a gift.  How would you play with this pretend LEGO?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

I am a big fan of my slow cooker... especially on hot days when I don't want to turn on my oven.  One of my favorite recipes is for Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes and Apples.  It is seriously yummy!

Here's what you'll need:

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
4 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and slice 1/2 inch thick)
2 small or 1 large pork tenderloin
2 medium apples (peeled and chopped into chunks)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp water

Here's what you do*:

1)  In a small bowl, mix the following together: brown sugar, thyme, salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
2)  Place sweet potatoe slices in the bottom of the slow cooker, and sprinkle with half of the spice mixture.
3)  Use the remaining spice mixture to coat the pork tenderloin, and place it on top of the sweet potatoes.
4)  Top with apples, cranberries, and water.
5)  Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 hours.  Reduce heat to low, and cook for an additional 5 to 6 hours.

*This recipe is based on one I found in Today's Parent Magazine.  You can find the original recipe here.

Do you have a favorite slow cooker recipe?  I'd love a link to it.  I am always looking for new dinner ideas.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)