Activities for Kids Archives

50 battery-free gift ideas for boys ages 8-11

November 5, 2016

We live in a world full of technology and screens. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, in fact, I think it’s pretty awesome, but sometimes it’s nice to have a break from screen time and enjoy toys and activities that don’t need to be charged or plugged in. Battery free toys encourage and...

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Fun board and card games for the whole family

November 3, 2016

We’ve been trying to have a weekly game night at our house and we are loving it! I feel like my kids are growing up way too fast so it’s been very therapeutic to laugh and make memories with them every week. Even though they are growing up faster than I would like it is nice...

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How to Get Kids Outside with a Nature Journal

October 27, 2016

With kids heading back to school and the holidays just right around the corner, we find ourselves wanting to encourage our kids to explore and enjoy as much time outside in nature as possible. During the summer, it feels like nature is our number one best friend. Take the kids to the park, send them...

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5 Ways to Increase Imaginative Play

October 17, 2016

Screen time is taking over more than ever before, yet with a little direction you can increase imaginative play for your children with these easy tips! 1. Tell stories. Stories connect us through generations, whether you are reading from a beloved book or making up stories of your own. One of our favorite games to...

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Free Halloween Joke Printables for Kids

October 17, 2016

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the entire year! My son is also obsessed with telling jokes and reading joke books, they are actually some of the first books he voluntarily read on his own. So I figured why not make some fun Halloween jokes to throw into his lunchbox? Halloween is an...

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Paper plate walrus craft

October 15, 2016

I have always loved walrus. I don’t know what it is about them, maybe it’s the rolly polly hugeness of them? Or the mustache? Maybe it’s their tiny beady eyes? Either way, I think they’re adorable. This paper plate walrus was easy to make and we all agreed that they turned out just as adorable...

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Whale paper plate craft

October 13, 2016

I’ve said it a few times before, but my son loves whales. This whale paper plate was a fun and easy craft, perfect for a little whale fanatic. This would be great for an activity during an under the sea theme and fun to make after reading these books about whales or books about under...

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30 books about whales for young readers

October 11, 2016

My oldest son loves whales and has for quite sometime. When we first moved to Alaska we went on a wildlife cruise in Seward and saw humpback whales and orcas in the wild and that was eye opening to him. He was so delighted and wanted to learn everything he could about whales. At the...

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7 Ways to Teach your Kids How to Share & Giveaway!

October 6, 2016

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kids II. All opinions are 100% mine. We’ve all been there…Christmas morning, a birthday party, or the neighbor kids coming over for a play date. “It’s MY turn!” “No fair!” “I want to play with it!” And the chaos ensues. Teaching a child to...

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Karine
My 2 year old is OBSESSED with cars right now so he would die over the cars toy. ????ReplyCancel
Hayley Brown
My son would love this set because he’s obsessed with cars and when our youngest gets older they can play together!ReplyCancel
Amy
Oh my gosh I never knew they made all these other toys too!!! We had the balls when my kids were younger and they loved them! Great gifts!ReplyCancel
Noelle
When in doubt, go with Daniel Tiger ???? “You can take a turn, and then I’ll get it back.”ReplyCancel
Jessica Allen
I have 4 amazing Boys! When we have struggles with sharing my husband and I like to set the timer so they have equal turns. We also like to remind them of other’s feelings and how important it is to think of how others may feel too. That way they will want to work together.

These toys are amazing!ReplyCancel
Chanae
Give kids lots of opportunities to share and lead by example.ReplyCancel
Tara Pettingill
Simply asking, “Can I have a turn when you’re done, please?” is a great phrase for any age! The question tells the person being asked that you are interested in what they are doing, and allows the you to receive a reply as to whether or not you will have an opportunity, as well! While my kids are now older, this prize bundle is perfect for gift giving! Thank you for the opportunity!ReplyCancel
Julia Groves
Most of the toys we keep out are “Family toys” which our children are required to share. If they aren’t in the mind to do so, then we set a timer.

It also helps that each child has a few special toys all their own that they choose whether or not anyone else can play with.ReplyCancel
Lisa Jones
Since my kids are so little still, we make the rule is that one child plays with a toy until they’re finished. Once it’s put away, the other child can take it. I read something once where children don’t really understand sharing until their older. It’s better just having the rule above.ReplyCancel
Sydney
The best way I’ve found to get my boys to share with each other and friends is to offer an alternative if they want to play with a toy the other has. These toys look awesome!ReplyCancel
Melinda McGraw
I really like how all of these toys encourage imagination and you can easily share while playing with them. I think sometimes by having a variety like this you can make a game out of it so the children can enjoy sharing with each other.ReplyCancel
Katie
Sometimes it’s fun to set up sharing excercies like sitting all the kids down and having them feed each other marshmallows or another little treat. Make sharing a fun game.ReplyCancel
Wendy Goldman
That would be awesome to winReplyCancel
Sarah Barrand
Oh my goodness these are SO cute. I have never seen them before but will have to keep an eye out for them next time I am in Toys R Us. As a mom to 5 kids sharing is coming we are always working on, but coming from a big family it also comes a little more natural because there is always someone else touching your toys. It tends to help them see that it is still yours after someone else plays with it. It is ok to share, in fact sharing is fun (most the time lol). My kids would love all the toys but I think the Speedway or the Dump Truck with be the favorite!ReplyCancel
Amber Marshall
My son just turned 2 and I have wondered many times how to help him learn to share with other kids (he likes to share at home but in different environments it gets tricky). The suggestion to have your child ask to play with a toy when a child it finished is a great idea. Thanks for the tips- I hope we win! 🙂ReplyCancel
Polly Weatherspoon
I like to get my son’s to share by reminding them how it feels to not be shared with.
My son would love the race track!ReplyCancel
Laura Lundquist
We love the Daniel Tiger song “you can take a turn, and then I’ll get it back.” My kids would totally love these!ReplyCancel
Heather
My lil’ guy would love the dump truck!!! He loves his little oball car he has!ReplyCancel
Melissa Wilson
We could use some sharing tips at our house!! But seriously, up until about age 5 or 6 I can usually get my kids to share if I praise them for being really great at it – even when they are not sharing at the moment. It usually flips a switch and they want to please me and prove me right. Like I said though, there is definitely an age limit on how long you can use this one!ReplyCancel
Emma McNeal
My boys would LOVE the race track and share that better than the individual toys. We try to do activities that require them to work together i.e. Parachute games and them talk about why it is important to let others have turns. We also do a “team” cheer like they do before an athletic game. We use our family name and say, “Go team…” we talk constantly about how their brothers are each other’s best friends and that if the want to be a good friend outside of the home they need to practice at home the best behavior possible including sharing.ReplyCancel
Lindsay Fekitoa
I love these toys. They’re the only ones that my baby was able to get a good grip on. XXReplyCancel
Taralyn Parker
My little boys would be so excited about that tall raceway! Looks like so much fun. I love your ideas. Modeling the right behavior and making it fun work the best at our house.ReplyCancel
Tamara
We use lots of praise for sharing and also have the kids ask to play with a toy/book after the other is done. Usually the kiddo with the desired object enjoys the power of being able to decide when to give the toy to the other child and does so quickly 🙂ReplyCancel
Kristina
Wow! I have never heard of this brand before. These toys look awesome! My little boy would love them.ReplyCancel
Jessie
Ugh, sharing. Haha. I actually started using a timing and making them switch. It turned into a game and works most the time.ReplyCancel
Mckeely Jean
Sharing is never easy, it is something that has to be learned. But if you start young it can get easier and become part of who you are. Teaching by example is one of the post powerful ways to teach a child to share. I love them all, but the Speedway would have to be my top choice.ReplyCancel
Neena
I love those cars! My 3-yr-old would love to have them! My favorite tip for helping my kids share is a time limit. The compromise is “I will have this toy for 5 minutes and then it’s your turn.” Usually works!ReplyCancel
Lindsey hill
My little one year old would love ANY of these!!!ReplyCancel
Aubrey Gourley
I bet my little guy would just LOVE the dump truck!ReplyCancel
Amber taylor
I have found over the years the best way to teach kids to share is have them ask one simple question, “can I have a turn when you’re done”. You would be surprised how many kids say yes you can have a turn when I’m done playing with it. And even more surprising is that half the kids actually go up to that child and say, “here you go” when they are done with the toy! I run a preschool and I have rarely had sharing problems using this simple technique. I’d love to teach my kids how to “share” your awesome toys you are giving away!ReplyCancel
Evelyn Heaton
We are big fans of the timer to prevent our little darlings from creating the next world War over sharing. And we LOVE that Speedway!!!ReplyCancel
Vanessa
If the kids are really struggling to share we have set a timer. It works great.ReplyCancel
Andrea Gamarra
Our favorite phrase is “you can take a turn and then I’ll give it back” from Daniel tiger and it’s been working for his in play situations 🙂ReplyCancel
Paula Iniguez
If it’s a shared toy, we’ll put a time limit so each child gets a chance to play. 🙂 Such a fun giveaway! Thanks for all the great tips!ReplyCancel
Amber Taylor
I teach my kids to use the phrase, ” can I have a turn when you’re done.” It works wonders in my preschool and I rarely have a sharing problem. I would love to have this toy in my preschool collection and we can practice sharing with it!!ReplyCancel
Erika Lorenzo
I always asked my kids to share.. toys, food, a drink.. from a young age. I always interrupted them and asked them to share. I figured that if they were used to it from day one they wouldn’t mind sharing with friends, family, or their sibling. Even now, as they are school aged, they are usually always great about sharing!ReplyCancel
Brenda
We set a timer and trade toys once the timer goes off.ReplyCancel
Michelle
I love these ideas. I have many preschoolers just learning how to share. It’s something that we talk about on the daily.ReplyCancel
Caitlin
We always let our boys see lots of examples of sharing. And when he doesn’t want to share we stop playing until he does share the toy. Then we help him find something else to play with. Most of the time now he shares no questions asked because there is usually something else he wants to play with anyways by then.ReplyCancel
Tricia Andersen
Oh my grandsons would LOVE these and boy, do they need to learn sharing as the youngest has now hit 17 months and thinks he needs everything his 4 year old brother has! They love everything cars and trucks and the speedway would knock their socks off! (and make me a cool grandma in the process)ReplyCancel
Candice
I have 2 little boys with autism so sharing is always a challenge 😉 the best thing I have found is to set a time limit. ‘You get 5 minutes and then it will be your turn.’ And then I set a timer.ReplyCancel
Deidra
I think it takes lots of practice, time & patience! My two year old would love this! ????ReplyCancel
Anna Delano
There’s a group of us that bring a few toys to the playground and dump them in a pile and have all the children play with themail together.ReplyCancel
Alli @ Cupcake Diaries
These are so cute!! My two year old would love all of these. Especially those ball cars!ReplyCancel
Megan
My daughter saw these in the store and fell in love with the small cars. They would fit in her hand perfectly, so this is on the Christmas list. She will soon learn to share with baby sister who is due to arrive next month, hopefully!ReplyCancel
Carolsue
My son would love all of these, but probably the Oball Go Grippers Car Carrier would be at the top of his list!ReplyCancel
Christin
My boy would LOVE the Oball Go Grippers Bounce ‘N Zoom SpeedwaReplyCancel
Angela W
The speedway for sure! Fabulous fun!ReplyCancel
Jill Stucki
We love the ball we have. I encourage my almost 2 year old to share by praising her when she does. The problem comes when she tries to share goldfish crackers with her 4 month old sister ????ReplyCancel
Mireya
I have a 6 year old and a 3 year old. I will remind them to share twice, but on third time the toys go to time out. In order for toys to come out of time out, the kids have to settle down and decide how and who gets to play with it first. They have learned to govern themselves and control their tempers. There are times when the toys stay in time out for days.ReplyCancel
Katie
My 20 month old would love the dump truck and tractor toys.

If my child isn’t willing to share, I take the toy that the kids are fighting over, and put it in a timeout. Then I redirect their play with something else.ReplyCancel
Melissa
The Daniel tiger song has worked wonders for my 3 year old!ReplyCancel
Kristin
My favorite way to help kids share is to remind them that they don’t have to give up their toy just like their friend doesn’t– we find something else fun while the friend finishes with the first toy. It is a hard lesson to learn, though!ReplyCancel
Shae
All these toys look SO much fun!! Having a new little boy joining our family soon, these would be so much fun for him…and my 6 year old boy LOVES cars, and would equally love them! Providing a GREAT opportunity for them to share! 🙂 A tip that we use on sharing is the rule that if there is something special to them that they don’t want to share, then they need to keep it in a safe space/place for others to not have access to it…otherwise, it is up for sharing. 🙂ReplyCancel
Nicole Thompson
I find that setting a timer really helps. “You can play with it for 3 more minutes and then we’ll let her have a turn for 3 minutes.”ReplyCancel
Katelyn Fagan
The concept of taking turns has really helped my kids.ReplyCancel
Megan
I have seven children from the ages of 4 months to 8 years old, and yes they are all mine:-). Because we have so many kids my children have learned to share at a fairly young age because not sharing isn’t really an option. Usually just being consistent and giving the constant reminder of we share helps. Also letting them have a special item that is just theirs that they don’t have to share also helps them feel like they have some control.ReplyCancel
Heather Ray
We play games to practice sharing and taking turns. Simple as matching games and things. Also, we teach respect for special toy, such as the ones given by Grandparents. We also try and let them see it from the other child’s point for view. Explaining about feelings and showing love.ReplyCancel
Carolynn Recksiek
We let them use the toy til they are done. But I’ve found that if they realize they can have the toy as long as they’d want, they don’t feel possessive, and either immediately hand the toy to the asker, or with in a few minutes.ReplyCancel
Angela Ingles
My favorite way to teach my 2 year old to share is by playing with him and telling him, “It’s your turn with the car. And in a few minutes, it will be mommy’s turn with the car. And then it will be Eli’s turn again.” It’s working well so far. He has a little sister on the way, so we’ve been working on it a lot! I think his favorite toy from this collection would be the Speedway with all the loops and that claw feature, especially! He’d absolutely love it!ReplyCancel
Mary Wilson
We try to buy toys that can be played by themselves or with others so it makes things easier. We love the car mat with a bunch of cars so everyone can have a turn.ReplyCancel
Juliana
My son would love the trucks! Love the tip about asking for a turn when they’re done.ReplyCancel
Ashley elam
I would love these to teach my kids to share!ReplyCancel
Diana Cote
I think the biggest influence is going to be the parents. If you model good, kind & respectful behavior, they will see that and do the same. At least that’s how it’s been for us.ReplyCancel
Megan Chavez
My little girl would love the OBALL Go Gripper cars! She actually played with one at her little friends house the other day and LOVED it! ????????❗️Cool thing is that the Go Gripper Cars have multiple cars! Perfect for sharing with her friends and family! Thank you for the opportunity to win this for my family!ReplyCancel
Hannah
What a neat toy, my little guy would love the dump truck!ReplyCancel
corene h
i like to play games where everyone helps each other and if you don’t you won’t win.ReplyCancel
Linda Quigley
What a great thing to offer such fantastic toys and some ways to help kids to learn sharing. I have 2 grandsons 3 and 1 years old. This would be a great opportunity for them and myself on how to share and play together.ReplyCancel
Corene h.
I like to teach my boys to share and get along by playing games. One of my favorites is the busytown game where you have to work together and share or you will not win. My boys would love any of these fun toys! Thanks for the giveaway!ReplyCancel
Jenni
My little boy is in love with cars. He would love these toys. I help kids share by having them take turns or finding something that has a lot of pieces so there is more things to play with. Kids learn to share the older they get so with my kids getting older the sharing issue is easier.ReplyCancel
Ashley Davis
My little girl would love this set!! We always sing Da Ile Tiger “you can take a turn, then I get it back”, it’s been pretty helpful.ReplyCancel

Color by number coloring page free printable

October 6, 2016

My daughter is learning numbers right now so I’ve been trying to come up with fun activities to have her learn numbers in an exciting way. She also loves to color so I made this color by number coloring page for her to work on. This is also a great way to review and learn...

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