Celebrating the Olympics {with kids}

Our family has really been enjoying the Olympics in Sochi, and today I am sharing 3 simple Olympic crafts that will help you celebrate the games with your kids.  I am also sharing a few ideas for fun Olympic treats. 

When it comes to Olympic crafts, it's all about the torch, the Olympic flag, and the medals.  Turn an empty paper towel roll into an Olympic torch by wrapping it in tin foil and adding some red and orange tissue paper flames.  

Or... cut some circles from cardstock, colour the circles, and add some ribbon or string to create adorable gold, silver and bronze medals. 

And finally... grab a piece of card stock, markers, and a craft stick to create a simple Olympic flag.  

Themed snacks are the perfect companion to any crafting sessions, and the Olympics provide the perfect snacking inspiration.  Try baking cupcakes in ice cream cones and adding fruit roll-up flames to create edible Olympic torches.  Cakes or cupcakes decorated with the Olympic rings are also fun options.  (You can find the instructions for this adorable Olympic cake here.)

As the games draw to a close, I am reflecting on all the valuable lessons that children can learn from watching athletic competitions.  The Olympics, as a worldwide competition, provide a unique opportunity to teach children about diversity, other countries, and different cultures.  The games also give parents a chance to nurture their children's sense of national pride and community.

I love that my boys are being exposed to new sports, the rewards of hard work, and the inevitable fact that sometimes people (even great athletes) don't always win.  We are watching the events together, as a family, and we have had some great discussions about these things.

I hope you enjoy some of these easy Olympic crafts and snacks with your family as you continue to celebrate the games.  I know our family will continue to watch and cheer, and I hope my boys learn some lessons about the importance of being active, the value of teamwork, and the grace that comes from exhibiting good sportsmanship.  GO CANADA GO!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple Olympic Cake

Olympic fever has hit my house in a big way.  So... yesterday I baked a special treat for my boys -- an Olympic cake.  This cake was really easy to make, and my boys LOVED it!

I started with a cake mix and covered it with store-bought icing. Then, I made an Olympic flag from card stock, and I used yarn and paper straws to place it on top of the cake.  Finally, to add a bit of color, I trimmed the bottom of the cake with Smarties.

Fun, right? If your family loves the Olympics, you should totally make this cake. I think it would be really great to have it as a treat during the closing ceremonies. I might need to make a second one. ;-)

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Valentine Mailboxes {Crafts for Kids}

Do you remember making Valentine mailboxes when you were child?  Check out these 3 adorable mailboxes that you can easily craft with your little ones – a cereal box mailbox, a paper plate mailbox, and a paper bag mailbox.

Today, I am sharing all three Valentine Mailbox tutorials at CBC kids, and you can find them here.

Happy Valentines Day!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Harry Potter Party Signage

Today I am sharing another fun element from my son's Harry Potter birthday party.  I absolutely loved the Harry Potter party signage I created (and it was all easy and inexpensive to put together).

The 9 3/4 Platform sign (and brick wall) that greeted guests as they arrived at the party was my absolute favorite.

For the 9 3/4 platform sign, I started with a piece of foamcore from the dollar store, I covered it with a piece of red bristol board, and I secured it around the edges with red duct tape. Then, I printed the number and letters on my computer, cut them out, and attached them to the sign.  (I finished the sign with a plastic chain I purchased at Halloween... but a piece of twine or ribbon would work too.)

To make the brick wall, I started with a white paper tablecloth (backed with plastic) from the dollar store.  Then, I dipped a sponge in red paint, and pressed it onto the tablecloth to make a "brick".  I repeated this process until the entire tablecloth was covered.

I also had signs for the different "shops" from Harry Potter.  I had one for Flourish & Blotts, one for Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, and one for Ollivander's.  I printed them on my computer, and framed them in inexpensive red frames (from the dollar store).

Finally, I made a bright and cheerful sign for Honeydukes Sweet Shop.  I started with a piece of foam core from the dollar store, and I trimmed the edges with duct tape.  Then, I printed the letters on my computer, cut them out, and attached them to the sign.

I thought these signs were a lot of fun and really helped the guests feel like they were transported to the world of Harry Potter.  I loved them all, but the Platform 9 3/4 signage was definitely my favorite. What do you think?

And... if you want to see the rest of the Harry Potter Party details (including our invite, food and cake ideas, and party activities), you can check them out here.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like the fun party ideas here.

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.

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.

And... little ones can write a little note to their teacher on the back of the tag to make it even more special.

Do your children like to bring valentines to their teachers?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

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)

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.

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)

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. 

Bonus - I love you to "pieces" paper craft

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

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)

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?

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!)

Simple Family Games Day

Yesterday, we had snow day, so I let my boys decide how they wanted to spend their day at home.  They decided we should have a special "Games Day".

Of course, we needed a special snack, so we made a domino cake.  We started with a rectangle cake, frosted the cake with chocolate icing, and added some white Oreo cookies.

Then, we gathered a few of our favorite games.  The boys chose Connect Four, Scrabble, Yahtzee, and Skipbo.

Finally, we did some simple decorating.  We taped some playing cards to the windows, and we put our Twister mat on the table as a tablecloth.  Cute, right?

I didn't go to a lot of work, but a few special touches made the day extra fun for my boys.  We had a fantastic "Family Games Day".

What is your favorite game to play with your family?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Harry Potter Valentine

As many of you know, my boys (and I) are huge Harry Potter fans, so it is no surprise that I was asked to come up with a Harry Potter Valentine.  I decided to use a variation of the Star Wars Valentine that we did last year.  This year, instead of using a glow stick as a light saber, I used a glow stick as a magic wand.

To make this Valentine, I took a picture of my son dressed as Harry Potter with his hand sticking out in front of him, and I added a Valentine's Day greeting using Picmonkey.com.  Then, I cut a slit above and below his fist, and I inserted a glow stick.

Didn't it turn out cute?  My four year old is excited to share his Harry Potter Valentine with his friends at preschool.

What kind of Valentines are you handing out this year?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)