I love how simple and cute this idea is, don't you? You can "right click" on the tag below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo.
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Simple Teacher Valentine... with free printable tag
It's the time of year when my boys head off to school with special Valentines for all of their classmates, and of course, they want special Valentines for their teachers too. So, this year I designed a little tag that they can attach to a box of chocolates or some homemade cookies.
And... little ones can write a little note to their teacher on the back of the tag to make it even more special.
Valentine's Day Headband
Yesterday I made this easy and inexpensive craft with a group of toddlers and preschoolers, and it was a big hit. Don't you just love this adorable Valentine's Day headband?
It is simple to make with a few supplies you probably already have on hand. You'll need: cardstock, tissue paper, stickers or crayons, scissors, and glue.
Here's how you make one:
1) Cut two (2-inch wide) strips and a heart from white cardstock.
2) Cut some read tissue paper into 1-inch squares.
3) Tape the two strips together to form one long strip, and tape the heart to the centre.
4) Have the children decorate the band with stickers or crayons.
5) Have the children scrunch up tissue paper and glue it to the heart. Continue until the entire heart is covered.
6) Size the band to fit the child's head, and tape it in place.
I think this headband is the perfect Valentine's Day craft to do with one child or with a group of kids. If you make one, let me know how it turns out. Happy Valentine's Day!
♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
It is simple to make with a few supplies you probably already have on hand. You'll need: cardstock, tissue paper, stickers or crayons, scissors, and glue.
Here's how you make one:
1) Cut two (2-inch wide) strips and a heart from white cardstock.
2) Cut some read tissue paper into 1-inch squares.
3) Tape the two strips together to form one long strip, and tape the heart to the centre.
4) Have the children decorate the band with stickers or crayons.
5) Have the children scrunch up tissue paper and glue it to the heart. Continue until the entire heart is covered.
6) Size the band to fit the child's head, and tape it in place.
I think this headband is the perfect Valentine's Day craft to do with one child or with a group of kids. If you make one, let me know how it turns out. Happy Valentine's Day!
♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
Playing Spies
Yesterday my boys and I had a "spy day", and today I am sharing all the fun DIY elements with you. I really enjoyed watching how engaged my boys were in all the fun activities I planned for them, and I hope you are inspired to plan a similar day with your little ones.
In the morning, when the boys came downstairs, they found a homemade dollar store spy kit, and a folder containing their "missions".
The missions (which you can download here) were as follows:
1) Conduct surveillance... using the surveillance worksheet you can download here.
2) Engage in a kitchen dance party... wearing disguises.
3) Navigate through a laser maze... which was made using red yarn and tape.
4) Write secret messages using lemon juice. (The messages were revealed when held over a lamp.)
5) Complete a scavenger hunt... which you can download here.
We had such a fantastic day "playing spies", and my boys are still playing with their spy kits. What do your kids love to "pretend to be"?
♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
PS - Find another 5 SPY GAMES here.
In the morning, when the boys came downstairs, they found a homemade dollar store spy kit, and a folder containing their "missions".
The missions (which you can download here) were as follows:
1) Conduct surveillance... using the surveillance worksheet you can download here.
2) Engage in a kitchen dance party... wearing disguises.
3) Navigate through a laser maze... which was made using red yarn and tape.
4) Write secret messages using lemon juice. (The messages were revealed when held over a lamp.)
5) Complete a scavenger hunt... which you can download here.
We had such a fantastic day "playing spies", and my boys are still playing with their spy kits. What do your kids love to "pretend to be"?
♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
PS - Find another 5 SPY GAMES here.
DIY Dollar Store Spy Kit
My boys LOVE pretending they are spies, so today we are having a "spy day". As a surprise, I went to the dollar store yesterday, and I purchased supplies for three super-fun dollar store spy kits.
Can you believe I put each kit together for under $8? My boys LOVE them! Here's what each spy kit includes:
Zipper bag (to hold the contents of the kit) - $1.25
Label for front of bag - $0.19
Stick on moustaches (for the perfect disguise) - $1.00
Spy notebook (for writing down important clues) - $1.00
Passport cover - $1.25
Magnifying glass - $1.00
Secret agent ID (printed at home and placed in a dollar store self-
laminating pouch) - $0.25
Sunglasses (for the perfect disguise) - $1.25
Laser beam (finger light) - (4 for $1.00) - $0.25
Jar of lemon juice and a Q-tip (for writing secret messages) - (6 jars for $1 and a full jar of lemon juice for $1) - $0.25
Don't you just love how easy and inexpensive this idea is?
For the kits, I created adorable spy IDs on my computer. I printed them, cut them out, and put them in laminating pouches from the dollar store. This is what they looked like:
I also made simple "top secret" labels for the front of the zipper bags. If you right-click on the picture below, you can save and print a 4X6 copy.
This kit is fun for an afternoon of imaginative play at home, a themed playdate, or birthday party. Do you have a child that would love this dollar store spy kit?
♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
Can you believe I put each kit together for under $8? My boys LOVE them! Here's what each spy kit includes:
Zipper bag (to hold the contents of the kit) - $1.25
Label for front of bag - $0.19
Stick on moustaches (for the perfect disguise) - $1.00
Spy notebook (for writing down important clues) - $1.00
Passport cover - $1.25
Magnifying glass - $1.00
Secret agent ID (printed at home and placed in a dollar store self-
laminating pouch) - $0.25
Sunglasses (for the perfect disguise) - $1.25
Laser beam (finger light) - (4 for $1.00) - $0.25
Jar of lemon juice and a Q-tip (for writing secret messages) - (6 jars for $1 and a full jar of lemon juice for $1) - $0.25
Don't you just love how easy and inexpensive this idea is?
For the kits, I created adorable spy IDs on my computer. I printed them, cut them out, and put them in laminating pouches from the dollar store. This is what they looked like:
I also made simple "top secret" labels for the front of the zipper bags. If you right-click on the picture below, you can save and print a 4X6 copy.
This kit is fun for an afternoon of imaginative play at home, a themed playdate, or birthday party. Do you have a child that would love this dollar store spy kit?
♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
Find more spy fun here.
5 Simple Valentine's Day Crafts for Kids
My boys love Valentine's Day, and over the years we have made many adorable Valentine's Day crafts. Today, I am sharing 5 of my favorite simple Valentine's Day crafts for kids.
Click on the links for full tutorials.
1) Love bugs - These adorable love bugs are made from yarn scraps and recycled egg cartons... and they couldn't be any cuter.
2) Heart people - All you need to make these sweet heart people is some construction paper, googly eyes, glue, scissors, and a little imagination.
3) Kiss countdown - With a few supplies from the dollar store, the countdown to Valentine's Day can be just as fun as the day itself.
4) Babyfood jar tealight holders - A little tissue paper and Mod Podge can transform an ordinary jar into extraordinary Valentine's Day decor.
5) Recycled heart crayons - It couldn't be easier to recycle broken crayons into super-fun heart crayons. Little ones will love the chunky feel and rainbow colors.
Do you have a favorite Valentine's Day crafts? Let me know if you give one of these ideas a try.
Happy Valentine's Day!
♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
PS... you might also want to check out these fun posts... click on the links for all the fun details.
Unique Valentines for kids
Simple Valentine's Day treats
Click on the links for full tutorials.
1) Love bugs - These adorable love bugs are made from yarn scraps and recycled egg cartons... and they couldn't be any cuter.
2) Heart people - All you need to make these sweet heart people is some construction paper, googly eyes, glue, scissors, and a little imagination.
3) Kiss countdown - With a few supplies from the dollar store, the countdown to Valentine's Day can be just as fun as the day itself.
4) Babyfood jar tealight holders - A little tissue paper and Mod Podge can transform an ordinary jar into extraordinary Valentine's Day decor.
5) Recycled heart crayons - It couldn't be easier to recycle broken crayons into super-fun heart crayons. Little ones will love the chunky feel and rainbow colors.
Happy Valentine's Day!
♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
Unique Valentines for kids
Simple Valentine's Day treats
Double Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
Some days you just need a double dose of chocolate in order to make it to bedtime. Am I right? If you ever find yourself in need of a chocolatey "pick me up", this is the perfect recipe for you... double chocolate cake mix cookies.
My version of these easy to make chocolate cookies is adapted from one I found here.
You'll need:
1 (8oz) block of cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 egg
1tsp pure vanilla extract
1 box Duncan Hines extra moist chocolate fudge cake mix (or another high quality cake mix)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Then, beat in the egg, the vanilla, and the cake mix.
3) Use a wooden spoon to mix in the chocolate chips.
4) Refrigerate batter for 1 hour.
5) Scoop tablespoons of batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake for approximately 12 minutes.
Trust me... if you are a chocolate lover, you will not be disappointed by these soft and delicious cookies. They are perfect with a glass of milk!
♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
My version of these easy to make chocolate cookies is adapted from one I found here.
You'll need:
1 (8oz) block of cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 egg
1tsp pure vanilla extract
1 box Duncan Hines extra moist chocolate fudge cake mix (or another high quality cake mix)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Then, beat in the egg, the vanilla, and the cake mix.
3) Use a wooden spoon to mix in the chocolate chips.
4) Refrigerate batter for 1 hour.
5) Scoop tablespoons of batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake for approximately 12 minutes.
Trust me... if you are a chocolate lover, you will not be disappointed by these soft and delicious cookies. They are perfect with a glass of milk!
♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
Top 10 Picture Books for Kids
For the last several months, my four year old and I have been working our way through our local library's list of their top 100 picture books for kids, and this weekend we completed it. So today, I thought I would share my boys favourite books. Our top 10 picture books are...
1) Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? -- by Bill Martin (This simple book, with its fun colors and rhyming words, has always been a favourite in our house.)
2) Corduroy -- by Don Freeman (My mom gave me this book several years ago, and I have read it to my boys many times. What's not to love about a story about an adorable bear finding a home?)
3) Goodnight Moon -- by Margaret Wise Brown (This is the perfect bedtime book. I know it by heart, and my boys still love looking at all the detailed pictures.)
4) Green Eggs and Ham -- by Dr. Seuss (I am a sucker for the fun, rhyming style of Dr.Seuss books, and my boys love the silliness they contain.)
5) Guess How Much I Love You -- by Sam McBratney (This is another bedtime staple in our house, and every time I read it, I have the perfect excuse to remind my boys just how much I love them.)
6) If you Give a Mouse a Cookie -- by Laura Joffe Numeroff (This book always makes me smile, and my boys love it too. It's silly, fun, and great to read with a cookie and a glass of milk.)
7) Moo, Baa, La La La -- Sandra Boynton (I adore Sandra Boynton books. The illustrations are adorable, and the words are like song lyrics. I know most of our Sandra Boynton books by heart.)
8) The Paper Bag Princess -- by Robert Munsch (This is a great book, with a fantastic message about not judging a book by its cover. Robert Muncsh is a wonderful writer, and we have many of his books in our collection.)
9) Press Here -- by Herve Tullet (This book is totally original, and my boys love it. It is interactive, and very clever. Trust me.... you'll want to check out this one!)
10)The Very Hungry Caterpillar -- by Eric Carle (The artwork in this book makes it a "must have" for any child. I have definitely read this one more times than I can count!)
Have you read all the picture books on this list? Do you have a favorite?
♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
*PS (I have included affiliate links in this post. You can click on the links to read more about the books, and if you decide to place an order, you will be supporting me and this blog. Thanks so much!)
1) Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? -- by Bill Martin (This simple book, with its fun colors and rhyming words, has always been a favourite in our house.)
2) Corduroy -- by Don Freeman (My mom gave me this book several years ago, and I have read it to my boys many times. What's not to love about a story about an adorable bear finding a home?)
3) Goodnight Moon -- by Margaret Wise Brown (This is the perfect bedtime book. I know it by heart, and my boys still love looking at all the detailed pictures.)
4) Green Eggs and Ham -- by Dr. Seuss (I am a sucker for the fun, rhyming style of Dr.Seuss books, and my boys love the silliness they contain.)
5) Guess How Much I Love You -- by Sam McBratney (This is another bedtime staple in our house, and every time I read it, I have the perfect excuse to remind my boys just how much I love them.)
6) If you Give a Mouse a Cookie -- by Laura Joffe Numeroff (This book always makes me smile, and my boys love it too. It's silly, fun, and great to read with a cookie and a glass of milk.)
7) Moo, Baa, La La La -- Sandra Boynton (I adore Sandra Boynton books. The illustrations are adorable, and the words are like song lyrics. I know most of our Sandra Boynton books by heart.)
8) The Paper Bag Princess -- by Robert Munsch (This is a great book, with a fantastic message about not judging a book by its cover. Robert Muncsh is a wonderful writer, and we have many of his books in our collection.)
9) Press Here -- by Herve Tullet (This book is totally original, and my boys love it. It is interactive, and very clever. Trust me.... you'll want to check out this one!)
10)The Very Hungry Caterpillar -- by Eric Carle (The artwork in this book makes it a "must have" for any child. I have definitely read this one more times than I can count!)
Have you read all the picture books on this list? Do you have a favorite?
Happy Family Literacy Day!
♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
*PS (I have included affiliate links in this post. You can click on the links to read more about the books, and if you decide to place an order, you will be supporting me and this blog. Thanks so much!)
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