The It's All Kid's Play blog has moved! Yes, that's right, it is now hanging out on the It's All Kid's Play.ca website! You can find it right here. There's still great play and crafts ideas for kids as well as even more free play! (2-3 times a week!) So if you are giving slow parenting a try or unwrapping your bubble wrapped kids, I've got stories, and activities for you!

Be sure to check out the It's All Kid's Play Facebook page and Pinterest page as well. And if you like to tweet, I'm on Twitter too!

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy!

Jean

P.S. The archived activities on this blog have been moved as well! It's all over there and it's all play!

#86: Bunny Ears: Update From the Archives

Easter is just around the corner and it's everything eggs and bunnies! Here's an easy Easter craft for kids: Make a Bunny Ears Headband!



You will need this printable pdf template of the bunny ear headband, paper, markers or crayons, glue, and as an option: tape or a stapler.

Print off the template on white paper. Have your kids colour their ears and cut them out. Glue the bottoms of the ears on a long strip of paper (the headband) about 50 cm/20 inches long. Adjust this around your child's head and either tape, glue, or staple it at that spot.

Your child is now, officially, a bunny rabbit! Wasn't that easy?!

Note: While I originally thought cardstock would make better ears, I've since discovered that plain paper works well. The curvature of the headband keeps the ears from flopping down. However, if you want more durable ears, cardstock is still a good option.

Make it a family activity: Bunny ears for everyone!
This activity promotes: fine motor skills, imagination, and creativity.

Twitter Tweet

I am now tweeting activities over on Twitter as well as great parenting articles, links, craft and activity ideas from my blog, site, and the net as well as quotes and other resources. You can see my latest tweets on the sidebar (just over there...), but I'd love to see you on Twitter (@KidsPlay). Follow me to join in the fun! I always love to hear from other parents.

Enjoy!

Welcome!

While I am not currently posting new activities daily, there are lots of things to do to jump start your child's entertainment and playtime here at It's All Kid's Play as well as on the 'mother' site at www.itsallkidsplay.ca. With over 700 searchable activities and almost 400 of them over here on the blog and over 35 categories to choose from, there is always something to do.

Did you know that playtime is the most important developmental time for children? Even more so than school! Let's make it easy, fun, and affordable!

Let's get started!

Enjoy!

#398: Easter Tree

Make your own Easter Tree to decorate your home or to use as a centerpiece at your table.



To make a basic tree you will need: A branch with many little twigs on it, clay or playdough, small plant pot, and decorations.

Place the clay or playdough in the bottom of the pot. Push the branch into the playdough or clay. Once it dries, it will hold it in place quite nicely. Then, add decorations to the tree.

For the decorations, you can either make your own at home or buy some from a craft or dollar store.

You can also decorate your pot using markers, glitter glue, stickers, or foam pieces.

As well, you can place the streamers from Easter baskets on top of the clay to decorate your pot.


Make this a family activity: Get together to make your own decorations for your Easter tree--more people means more ideas!

This activity promotes creativity and fine motor skills.

#397: Colour Easter Eggs

This is a safe and easy way to colour eggs for Easter.



To colour Easter eggs you will need: Hardboiled eggs (cooked in their shells), crepe paper (you can rip up party streams), water, and papertowel.

Take small pieces of crepe paper and wet them. Lay them over the egg until the egg is coloured. Set the egg on the papertowel to dry. Once the crepe paper is dried, peel it off. Some of the colour should have stayed behind to decorate the egg.

P.S. If you keep the eggs cool, you can eat them afterwards!


Make this a family activity: Get everyone together to make eggs.

This activity promotes creativity and colour awareness.

#396: Eggcarton Easter Bunny

To make a little Easter bunny you will need: an egg carton, cotton ball or craft pompom ball, pipe cleaner, marker, googly eyes, and glue.


Cut one egg piece off an egg carton. Cut the pipe cleaner in half. Fold each piece in half. Poke the ends into the carton for ears. Glue the googly eyes and puffy tail on. Draw on a face using the marker and you have a cute little Easter bunny.


Make this a family activity: Have each family member make their own and use them as a place setting decoration at Easter.

This activity promotes fine motor skills.

Short Break

Hi everyone!

As you may have noticed, the blog has been a bit quiet lately as I have been working as a childrens' programmer (story time gal) in a public library as well as helping two fine writers edit their manuscripts.

I will return to my regular posts soon, but in the meantime, please feel free to check out the full list of activities posted on itsallkidsplay.ca as well as past blog posts using the subject groups to your left.

Have fun and enjoy!

Jean

#395: Count Clocks

How many clocks do you have in your house? You might be surprised where clocks are hiding. Does your microwave have a clock? How about your stereo? Coffeemaker? DVD player? Phone? Thermostat?

Do all the clocks agree with each other?



P.S. Daylight Savings Time begins today. Because it is almost spring and the days are getting longer, your clocks spring ahead by one hour. (In most places.) While you count the clocks, you can change their time, too.


Make this a family activity: Get everyone to guess how many clocks there are in the house, then go count them all. Who was the closest? Were there more or less than you thought there would be?

This activity promotes math skills and visual identification.

#394: Window Shopping

When you go window shopping, you aren't really looking to buy windows. Window shopping is when you look in the front windows of stores, but don't go in, and don't buy anything. Instead, you admire and enjoy the beautiful window displays and a nice walk around outside or in a mall.



Make this a family activity: Take your family (don't leave home without them!) and talk about the wonderful things you see.

This activity promotes self restraint and visual admiration.

#393: Shiverees

Give a friend the shiverees. Don't know how? Fear not! I have the way...

1) On your friend's back, slowly and gently draw a big 'x' with your finger.
While doing that say: Criss Cross

2) Then slide a hand slowly and gently down their back.
Say: applesauce

3) Walk your fingers up their back, one by one.
Say: Spiders crawling up your back.

4) Tickle their left side, then their right side.
Say: One here, one there.

5) Run your fingers around on their scalp (head).
Say: Spiders crawling through your hair.

6) Give them a little squeeze.
Say: Tight squeeze

7) Blow gently on their neck.
Say: Cool breeze. Now you've got the shiverees.

They might get goosebumps all the way from their toes to their nose!



Make this a family activity: Give everyone the shiverees!

This activity promotes tactile awareness.

#392: Magic Carpet!

Pretend you are taking a magic carpet ride!


Get on a blanket, towel, or little carpet and pretend you are flying through the air. What do you see down there? Is there someone in need of rescue?


Make this a family activity: Give your family members a ride! Where should you go? What do you want to see?

This activity promotes imagination and stimulates free play.

#391: Light Switch Cover

Hmmm... does you room need a little decorating? An easy way to brighten up your room is to dress up your light switch cover (the rectangle plate around your light switch).



To make the cover shown, cut out a piece of crafting foam that is the same size as your cover. Then, cut out the rectangular hole for the switch. One easy way to get the right size and shape is to have an adult remove the cover from the wall and trace the shape and switch hole onto the foam.

Cut out the foam and decorate it with other foam shapes.

Stick your new cover on your old cover using tape (or if you are allowed, use glue).

Variations: You can also make a cover using cardstock (thin cardboard) instead of foam. Glue buttons, sparkles, sequins, ribbon, pictures, or draw or paint on your cover. (Or try it all!) Use your imagination and you can't go wrong!


Make this a family activity: Everyone can make one for each room of the house.

This activity promotes creativity.

#390: Unfortunately - Fortunately

The game Unfortunately-Fortunately is a pile of fun and will get you thinking.



Take turns with a friend or bunch of friends and switch between ‘unfortunately’ and ‘fortunately’.

Start with unfortunately.
For example:
First person: “Unfortunately our essay that was due next week is really due tomorrow morning.”
Next person: “Fortunately, I have mine done.”
Next person: “Unfortunately the teacher added an extra page.”
Next Person: “Fortunately, mine was two pages over.”


Make this a family activity: Play together in the car, around the supper table, or anytime you feel up to a little playing.

This activity promotes positive problem solving and thinking in opposites.

#389: Write Fan Mail

Do you have someone you admire? Write them a letter telling them how much you enjoy their singing/dancing/books/acting/rock at the Olympics/basketball playing or whatever it is that they do.


You can probably find their mailing address or email address for fans on their website, on the Internet, or by asking your favourite librarian.

Usually, famous people don't have time to reply to all their mail, but maybe, if you are lucky, you will get a reply back--make sure you include your return address!


Make this a family activity: Get your whole family to write a fan letter to someone they admire.

This activity promotes showing one's appreciation for others, as well as literacy skills.

#388: Punch Buggy / Slug Bug

Going somewhere? Play Punch Buggy / Slug Bug!

Here are the rules for Punch Buggy which is also known as Slug Bug:


Look for Volkswagen Beetles (Bugs). Whenever you see one (old styling or new styling--it doesn't matter), yell, "Punch Buggy White (or whatever colour it is)!" Then lightly punch the person riding with you in the arm. Also add, "No punchbacks!" or else they can call that same car on you and punch you back! If so say no punchbacks, it means nobody can use that punch buggy again.

Variations: Some people call them Pinch Buggies and pinch instead of punch. And some people call this game Slug Bug. As well, if punching isn't your thing--OUCH!--try variations such as a gentle nudge, a tap, or simply calling out with no actions.


Make this a family activity: Get everyone looking for a punch buggy. Break into teams if there are a lot of you riding together.

This activity promotes keen eyesight and quick visual identification.

#387: Shoot Elastics

Target practice time! Grab some elastics and aim for a target. If you don't have a target, you can make one out of cardboard or a piece of paper. Draw circles on it--different circles equal different points! The circles can be random (all over the paper or cardboard), or they can be inside each other with each smaller circle being more and more points.


To shoot an elastic, hook one end over the end of your right thumb. Pull the elastic back by grabbing it with your left hand. Let go and see where the elastic goes!


Make this a family activity: Target practice together!

This activity promotes aiming skills, predictive skills, and fine motor skills.

#386: Do Your Homework

The weekend is coming! Do your homework, then if something exciting comes along, you will be ready and able to go as your homework will be out of the way!

Hop to it!




Make this a family activity: Work together to get all those 'have to's out of the way so you can use the weekend for fun, fun, fun!

This activity promotes personal responsibility and planning.

#385: Play a Video Game

Sometimes, it is nice to challenge yourself with a video game.

Just don't forget about the real world--take breaks!



Make this a family activity: Challenge your family to a video game tournament.

This activity promotes fine motor skills, and problem and puzzle solving skills.

#384: Sledding / Tobogganing

Go sledding or tobogganing!

Dress up warm, watch out for rocks, trees, and other people and have a blast!


Make this a family activity: Get the whole family out there--it's great exercise and can chip away at those winter blues.

This activity promotes physical activity and enjoying the great outdoors.