March Break Science Fun {Color Changing Carnations}

A break from school doesn't need to mean a break from learning... especially when simple science experiments are so much fun. Check out this fantastic experiment I recently did with my boys - coloring carnations.

This is an easy experiment that teaches kids about how flowers/plants absorb water.  It's also fun for the kids to watch the flowers magically change color.

To do this experiment, you'll need: plain white carnations, glass containers, and food coloring.

1) Fill the glasses with water, and then add several drops of food coloring to each glass.  We added about 15 drops of food coloring to each container.  (We used blue, red, and green food coloring, and we found that the red food coloring had the best results.)

2) Then, make a fresh cut to each of the flowers, and put them in the containers.

After a few days, the flowers will start to change color.  The kids will be able to see how the water (and the food coloring) travels up the stem of the flower and into the pedals.

I love simple experiments that make kids curious about "how things work", don't you?  Have you ever done this colored carnations experiment with your kids?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Easter Bunny Treats {with free printable tags}

Holidays are the perfect time to share treats with friends and classmates, but many schools discourage kids from bringing sugary snacks.  So, this year, my 5 year old will be sharing this non-candy Easter Bunny "treat" with his class.

Cute, right?  I found some inexpensive stretchable bunnies and bunny jumpers at the Dollar Store and Walmart, and I knew my youngest son would love them.

I packaged the bunnies in clear bags, and I designed a simple tag that said, "Some 'bunny' thinks you are a special friend."

To download the tags for free, right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo.

I love this little Easter Bunny party favor, don't you?  It's inexpensive, sugar free, peanut free, and totally adorable!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

THE BEST Cupcakes from a Mix

Impressive and delicious treats don't have to be labour intensive. I just made 36 cupcakes for my 5 year old to take to school, and they were easy to make and everyone loved them. Want to know my secret? I started with store bought cake mixes and icing!

To make the most delicious cupcakes from a mix, I always start with one of my favorite cake mixes. For white cupcakes, I use Duncan Hines Golden Yellow. For chocolate cupcakes, I use Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge. You'll also need:

• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup melted butter (cooled slightly)
• 1 cup water

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Melt 1/2 cup real butter in the microwave, and let it cool slightly.
3) Fill two muffin tins with paper liners.
4) Mix a cake mix, 3 eggs, 1 cup water, and 1/2 cup melted butter using an electric mixer. {I mix the batter on low until it is combined, and then I mix it on high for one minute.}
5) Fill muffin tins with the thick, creamy batter. {I use an ice cream scoop to measure, and one cake mix makes 24 cupcakes.}
6) Cook for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
7) Let cool completely before decorating.

I like to frost my cupcakes with Duncan Hines Buttercream icing (which is the only type of icing my 9 year old will eat). It is delicious, and has a great texture for decorating cupcakes. I use a piping bag and a large star tip to quickly decorate a huge batch of cupcakes.

Give it a try and let me know what you think. I am pretty sure you will agree that these are the yummiest and easiest cupcakes you have ever made.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Shamrock Crafts

Holidays are fun, and perfect for crafting! How cute is this Shamrock headband that my 5 year old made for St. Patrick's Day?

My boys and I recently crafted three different types of Shamrocks. You can find all the fun details over at CBC Parents here.

Check them out and let me know which one is your favorite.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Leprechaun Bait {with free printable tags}

Every year, my boys build a leprechaun trap in the hopes of catching a leprechaun (and his treasure) on St. Patrick's Day.  It is a fun tradition that my boys like to share with their friends, so each year, we make little packages of leprechaun bait for them to take to school to give to their classmates.

This year, I designed this adorable little tag that you can download for free.  To download the tag: right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo.

Add these tags to little bags of "Lucky Charms" cereal, and you have adorable packages of leprechaun bait.

Aren't these bags of leprechaun bait sweet?  They are fantastic class treats, and they make fun St. Patrick's Day party favors too! 

Good luck catching a leprechaun!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Leprechaun Paper Doll {free template}

I am so excited about today's post.  I designed an adorable leprechaun paper doll, and I am sharing it with you for free! It's an adorable craft, and it's perfect for St. Patrick's Day.

To make your own leprechaun paper doll (with changeable shirts):

1) Download the printable template here, and print it onto white card stock.

2) Cut out all the pieces (being careful not to cut off the "tabs" on the shirts).

3) Decorate the leprechaun and shirts.

3) Tape a popsicle to the back if you want your leprechaun to be a puppet.

That's it!  Isn't this leprechaun paper doll puppet adorable? The fact that you can change the shirts really ups the "cute factor", don't you think?  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find 10 more EASY and INEXPENSIVE St. Patrick's Day ideas here.)

Homemade "Instant" Oatmeal

My youngest son likes oatmeal, but I don't like giving him the "just add water" packages, so recently, I have started making this homemade "instant" oatmeal in the microwave.  It literally only takes a couple minutes to make.

Here's what you'll need:

1/2 cup quick oats
3/4 cup 1% milk
1 tsp brown sugar
pinch of salt (optional)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Then:

1) Mix oats and milk in a bowl, and microwave on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
2) Remove from microwave, add brown sugar and cinnamon, and stir.

That's it!  I cool mine down by adding a little milk, and sometimes I sprinkle a little more brown sugar  or a drizzle of real maple syrup on top, but these are both optional.  

This homemade oatmeal is perfect for busy mornings, and it is a favorite of my 5 year old. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Indoor Snowball Fight

My boys are pretty active, so when the weather keeps us indoors for long periods of time, we need to get creative.  Recently, when the temperature dropped dramatically, we entertained ourselves with an indoor snowball fight.

My boys and I had a fantastic indoor snowball fight with homemade shooters and cotton balls, and you can find all the fun details at CBC Parents here.

How do you keep your little ones entertained when you are stuck indoors?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Hockey Party Games

Every birthday party needs fun games for the kids to play, so today I am sharing the fantastic DIY hockey party games our party guests played at my son's 9th birthday.

The best part about these games is that they are easy, inexpensive, and really fun.  They are guaranteed to add a special touch to any hockey themed party.

My son really wanted to play floor hockey with his friends, so I used a cardboard tri-fold make an easy and inexpensive scoreboard.  I even used some chalkboard stickers so that they could change the periods and scores with chalk.  The kids had a lot of fun with it.

I also made a "prize punch" using foam core and plastic cups from the dollar store.  The kids were able to choose a cup containing hockey cards, and then they were able to trade them with each other.  You can find the full tutorial for the DIY prize punch here.

Finally, I used a piece of bristol board to make a hockey version of "pin the tail on the donkey".  Our game was called "pin the puck on the ice".  I drew a rink on a piece of bristol board and added a team sticker to centre ice.  Then, I made some black circle "pucks" from a piece of construction paper. 

I believe that DIY elements make a party special, and these DIY hockey party games are easy and inexpensive to put together.  Of course, these games are great for a child's birthday, but they would also be fun at a year end team party, don't you think?

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Last Minute Teacher Valentines {with free printable tags}

My boys and I love their teachers, so this year we made them special Valentines.  I designed some simple tags, and used tape to attach them to the top of boxes of chocolates.  Aren't these simple teacher Valentines adorable?

To download one of the free tags: right click on one of the tags (below), save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo.

What teacher wouldn't like to receive one of these sweet Valentines?  I love how easy and inexpensive they are, don't you?

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple DIY Hockey Cakes

I am not a professional cake decorator, but I love making simple cakes for my boys' birthdays.  Today, I am sharing the secrets behind the two easy hockey cakes I made for my oldest son's 9th birthday.

I made both of these cakes with cake mixes in 9X13 pans.  I greased the pans well to make sure they came out in one piece.  Also, I did a crumb coats, refrigerated the cakes, and then did final layers of icing.

For the first cake, I did a full ice surface, and I used the figures off my boys' tabletop hockey table (after washing them thoroughly, of course).

For the second cake, I did a partial ice surface, and I used some cake toppers I purchased from the bakery department at my local supermarket.

I think my boys' appreciate the time I spend making their cakes special, and I enjoy it too.  Do you prefer homemade or professional cakes for your children's cakes?

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Prize Punch

When it comes to children's parties, the little "DIY" details are what make the event special. For my son's 9th birthday, I made this simple (and totally fun) DIY prize punch.  It was a big hit with the party guests. It is easy to make, and it uses supplies that you can buy inexpensively at the dollar store. 

To make your own DIY prize punch, you'll need:  

• a piece of foam core 
• tissue paper 
• plastic glasses
• tissue paper
• scissors
• a glue gun

Then:

1) Fill each cup with a little prize.  (My son's party had a hockey theme, so our cups contained hockey cards.) Any prize will work as long as it fits in the cups.

2) Cover each cup with two squares of tissue paper, and secure in place with hot glue. (I glued one on, secured it in place, and then glued on the second one.)

3) Use hot glue to secure the cups to the foam core.

That's it!  You can use a piece of ribbon to hang the board, or you can lean it against a wall.

You can use different colour cups and tissue paper to match the colours scheme of your party too.

I absolutely LOVE this idea, don't you?

With a small amount of effort, you will have a board full of prizes that can be claimed by choosing a cup and "poking" through the tissue paper.

Here's a fun carnival game prize punch I made for a carnival themed birthday party.

It would be fun for a Christmas countdown too.

Aren't these inexpensive DIY prize punches adorable?  I love that the prizes and colours can be customized to any party theme.

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Don't miss out on any of the fun... follow me on social media here.

     

PS - If you are looking for some easy carnival games, you might want to check out this fantastic post (with tons of DIY carnival games made from recycled materials and dollar store supplies): 

10 Candy Free Valentine Ideas

My boys love Valentine's Day, and they enjoy giving unique valentines to their friends. However, due to the nutrition policy at my boys' school, I prefer to have them share cute, candy-free Valentine's Day treats with their classmates.  Today, I am sharing 10 candy free valentine ideas that kids will love! 

Click on the links for all the DIY details and free printables.

1) Teddy Bear Valentine - Everyone loves a tiny teddy, and this one I found at the dollar store is totally adorable and makes a sweet little valentine.  You can download the adorable free printable tags here.

2) Bubbles Valentine - Bubbles are inexpensive and fun... and perfect for sharing with friends.  You can download the adorable free printable tags here.

3) Super Hero Mask Valentine - Every child likes to play dress up, and that is why this easy and inexpensive valentine is such a "super" idea.  You can download the free mask template and free printable tags here.

4) Airplane Valentine - This valentine is guaranteed to be a "soaring" success. You can download the free printable tags here.

5) Crayon Valentine - These simple valentines made from recycled crayons are sure to "brighten up" a child's day.  You can download the step-by-step tutorial for making crayon valentines here.

6) Bookmark Valentine - This bookmark is really cute, and it will be useful long after other valentines end up in the recycling bin.  You can find the full step-by-step tutorial for making this book Valentine here.

7) Glow Stick Valentine - Glow sticks are always a hit... especially when they are given out as part of these adorable character valentines.  We have done two versions of glow stick Valentines.  You can find the details on the Star Wars glow stick valentine here, and you can find the info on the Harry Potter glow stick Valentine here.

8) Punny Valentine - Kids love jokes and puns, and these "punny" photo valentines will not disappoint.  You can find all the details you need to make these 3 "punny" Valentines here.

9) Cookie Cutter Valentine - Cookie cutters make fantastic valentines... especially if you pair them with a fun and easy play dough recipe. You can find my favourite no-cook play dough recipe here.

10) Book Valentine - Books are one of my favorite gifts to give and receive, so I love the idea of books as valentines.  You can download the free printable tags here.

I think all of these Valentine's are adorable candy free options, don't you?  Which one is your favourite?  I don't think I could pick just one because I love them all!

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Bonus: This "I hope you have a BALL" Valentine is simple and cute... and you can find FREE printable tags here.