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15 Easy Bee Crafts: Preschool & Big Kids

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I've been wanting to write about bumble bee crafts and kid's activities for a while, and I'm really excited to share these ideas with you.  This post has all of the best preschool and children's crafts about bees that I could find.  Now, they're all in one place! But, before we get to that, I want to tell you what piqued my interest in these little honey makers. 

My sister started beekeeping this year, and it's been so fascinating learning about the colony and all of the little things that can go wrong for a beginner bee-keeper.  Through it all, she has stuck with it, and her hive is doing amazingly well.  My nephews and sons, ages 2 through 8 are learning too. They love seeing the progress of the bee hive and knowing that these backyard bees are helping local fruits and vegetables grow. The photos above are from her hive.  Isn't it beautiful?

It would be great if more kids knew how valuable honey bees are to our planet. One easy way to get a conversation started is with a craft or a book.

Here are my top picks for bumble bee themed fun with kids!

1) Bubble Wrap Bee Hive - by Kiwi Crate

2) Honey Bee Number Game by Sugar Aunts

3) Recycled Finger Bug Buddy by Lalymom

4) Buzzing Noisemakers by Teach Beside Me

5) Potato Masher Bee Art via The Education Center

6) Bee Footprint Art by Hand Print Art

7) Buzzing Bee Balloon via Skip to my Lou

8) Recycled Bumble Bee Garden Stake by Coffee with Us 3

9) Honeycomb Art and Finger Print Bees by Mom 2 Posh Little Divas

10) Buzz with Joy Father's Day Card by The Pleasantest Thing

11) Bumble Bee Pumpkin via St. Clair Times

12)Pool Noodle Bees by Next Comes L

13) Recycled Water Bottle Bee Craft by Little Acorns

13) Toilet Paper Roll Bumble Bee by Mom 2 Posh Little Divas

14) Bee Handprint via Pinterest

15) Exploring Sounds with a Buzz Basket by Next Comes L

If you were looking for a simple preschool, kindergarten or elementary school craft, I hope you found something here that you like. Obviously, each of these art projects is appropriate for different skill levels and ages, so you'll need to see what will work best for you and your child.

To keep the conversation going, here are 5 books with bees that you might like to read with your child:

The Honeybee and the Robber by Eric Carle

The Honey Makers by Gail Gibbons

The Beautiful Bee Book by Susan Unstead

Fuzzy Bee and Friends by Roger Priddy

Time For Kids: Bees! 

Did you know that September is National Honey Month which gives us the perfect excuse to celebrate bees and teach our kids how important honey bees are us and our future!  

Do you have any other crafts, activities or tips for helping children learn about bees?  If so, please comment below.

Winnie the Pooh - Easy Party Menu

  Do you love planning parties for your kids? I'm pretty creative and I love to experiment with food, but throwing themed parties is generally not my cup-of-tea.  Luckily, I recently attended an event in NYC sponsored by Disney baby and I was inspired by their simple Winnie the Pooh themed menu. It was easy enough for someone like me to put together, and also cute enough to impress your family and friends.

While at this event, I learned that simplicity is key when it comes to party food.  The menu plan was simple and there was something for everyone.  Yet, at the same time, the cute little cards in front of each dish made it clear that we were celebrating all things Pooh! 

 

Here's a simple menu plan for a Winnie the Pooh Party:

1) From Rabbit's Garden- Raw Vegetables with Assorted Dip

2) 100 Acre Forest Fruit - Fresh Seasonal Fruit with Minty Hunny Yogurt Sauce

3) Pooh Bear Tea Sandwiches - Pooh Nut Butter and Hunny

4) Pooh Bear Tea Sandwiches - Chicken Salad

5) Piglets in a Blanket - Mini Sausages wrapped in a flaky, buttery crust

See...  isn't that a nice simple menu? There is no need to over-complicate things and go nuts on Pinterest finding 100 different ideas. It's really easy to put together a simple and chic menu for a Winnie the pooh baby shower, first birthday or afternoon tea. If you think you need more food, add a few different varieties of tea sandwiches to offer a little more variety. That's it!

 

To celebrate Winnie the pooh and Disney Baby, I'm giving one of my lucky winners a gift box full of Disney baby products! The pack will include: 1 Hallmark Classics Winnie the Pooh Book, 1 Rolled Pooh Throw Blanket, 1 pair of Pink Crib & Crawl Shoes, 1 Puzzle on the GO, 1 Pooh Bib, 1 Monsters 1st Birthday Invite, 1 White Sachet, 1 Pooh Baby Shower invite, 2 Minnie Mouse Red/Yellow Bottles, 1 Minnie Mouse Bib, 1 Flat Pooh Blanket, 1 Pure Bliss Mark Free Zone, and 1 Baby Wash. That's a whole lot of Disney Baby goodness!!!

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Sept 9-14: Free Breakfast at Chick-fil-A

It's FREE breakfast time!  I just found out that participating Chick-fil-A® restaurants are giving away one of a variety of complimentary breakfast entrées from September 9th through September 14th.

In order to participate in this deal, customers will need to make a reservation online. Search here for a Restaurant near you to get started.

Subject to the Official Rules.

Image Source: http://www.chick-fil-aforbreakfast.com/

Lowe's Kids Clinic: September 14th, 2013


Lowe's Build and Grow events are always so much fun for little builders.  On September 14th, 2013 Lowe's is hosting a FREE workshop for children to build their very own Classic Fire Truck. 

Every child who participates in this workshop will get to complete this project for FREE, plus they'll get a complimentary apron and a patch.

When:  Saturday, September 14th at 10:00am

Where: Your Local Lowe's Store

Don't forget to register on the Lowe's Website to reserve your child's space. These workshops fill up really fast, so the sooner you register, the better!



Image Source: http://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com

Ideas to Keep Little Kids Busy

Yipee... It's back-to-school time!
We've met the new teachers, did a test run on the school bus, purchased way too many school supplies and we are ready! My kids are just as excited to for school to start as I am.  Overall, it was been an excellent summer, and now, we're all looking forward to the school-time routine beginning again.
It will be nice for my kids to have some quality time with their friends, learn new things in school and 
become more independent. And, I have a million things on my to-do list for the next few months.
What are you looking forward to the most? Do you have a little one at home that you'll be busy with? If so, check out these new ideas from the Kid's Co-op.

Fun for Kids in England: Knowsley Safari Park

There is no better way to begin a vacation in England than with baboons jumping all over your car! Well, maybe there is, but we decided that going to Knowsley Safari Park would be a fun way to start our trip and it definitely delivered. We saw lions, baboons, owls, camels and so much more. It was a day I will never forget, and I think my 5-year-old would agree!

On our recent trip to Knowsley Safari Park we were a bit hesitant to go through the baboon area. They have a reputation for being a bit wild sometimes, and can even tear off windshield wipers or other parts of your car (not good!!!) However, the baboons were by far, one of our favorite experiences of the day. Most of the baboons were just sitting around their habitat, but others wanted to play. You could have 4 or 5 of them on your car at one time, and some of them didn't want to let go.  We had one perched up on our rearview mirror for quite a while and he was quite content just sitting there while we drove around.

For any Knowsley Safari Park visitors who want to play it safe, there is a 'safe' route for you to take if you don't want baboons climbing all over your car and potentially ripping it apart. Or, you could hop a ride in the the "Baboon Bus" which is a 16 seat minibus that you departs from the information centre.

One of the things I really enjoyed was seeing the animals without any immense fences in front of them. Any zoo would have to take precautionary safety measures and put a barrier between you and the animals. At Knowsley Safari Park, you are in your car, which is strong enough to make you feel safe, but also adds an element of adventure to your visit, because there are no barriers or fences between you and the animals. 

We ended our day with the Sea Lion show which gives everyone the chance to meet some incredibly talented California Seas Lions.  Take a look at this video to see their remarkable skills.

Have you ever been to Knowsley Safari Park? Where is your favorite place to get up close and personal with nature and animals? 

 

Create a New Facebook Timeline Cover with Coverbud {Sponsored}

Doesn't it seem like almost everyone under the sun has a Facebook account? It's crazy to think that there were 699 MILLION daily active users on Facebook in June alone! That's a lot of people uploading photos, changing their cover images, chatting with friends and liking posts. I've been wanting to update my cover image for a while, and a new, free app called Coverbud recently came to the rescue!

What is Coverbud?

Coverbud is a free Facebook app that helps you to create customized cover photos for your Facebook timeline. It's really easy to use. To get started, just click on a template you like on the Coverbud homepage, and then personalize it with some of their many textures, fonts and colors.

What do I love about Coverbud?

It's so user friendly! The very first time I logged onto Coverbud, I was able to create a new cover image in less than 5 minutes.  They make it easy to get started with their templates, but you can personalize your image as much or as little as you like.  You can make it really fancy or very simple. It's totally up to you! 

What do you think about my new Coverbud cover image?  It was so easy to create and I can change it up as often as I want or update it with the seasons. You can use it for your personal profile or any brand, blog or business on Facebook. 

Want to try it for yourself?  Enter to win a $50 Gift Card (via the Rafflecopter widget below) and update your FB cover for free with Coverbud!

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Win a Crayola “Get Out and Create” gift pack! {Sponsored}

Crayola is always creating some of the coolest art products for kids.  They recently sent me a “Get Out and Create” gift pack to review.  It contained: (1) Pack of Washable Sidewalk Chalk, (1) Color Wonder Mini Stow and Go and (1) Color Wonder Mess-Free Glitter Paper and Markers.  My 5-year-old had a great time using these products and one of my lucky readers will WIN the same products too! Woohoo!

I love having Crayola products around the house.  I've mentioned before that my kids LOVE playing outside and sidewalk chalk is a summer favorite. There are also times when my kids need some quiet-time, and having a good stash of arts and crafts products is essential.  The product my son loved the most was the Crayola mini Stow and Go.  The Color Wonder Mini Stow & Go gives kids a compact portable writing surface and storage for their markers.  Moms will like it because the color wonder markers color only on special paper so they won’t color skin, furniture or the car! 

This was perfect for him to take to his bothers baseball game.  It kept him busy on the sidelines and it was easy to pack up when it was time to go. since everything stores nicely back in it's own case.

Another product we received in our package was the Disney Princess Color Wonder glitter paper and markers.  To my surprise, my son wanted to give this a try and the results were great.  Wouldn't this be a great product to give a little girl to keep her busy in the car or on the airplane to Disney?

Speaking of airplanes, my son also packed his Crayola Mini Stow and Go on our recent flight to England.  It was the perfect size to fit on the tray and kept him busy for quote a while.  If you're going on a long flight with your child, this will fit nicely in the carry on luggage and hopefully, keep them busy for a while, like it did for my son!

Now, onto the sweepstakes....  As I mentioned earlier, one of my lucky readers will win these products from my friends at Crayola.  Just use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.

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Back From Summer Break

Well, hello there! It's been a while since I posted a Kid's Co-op activity collection, but I thought this would be a perfect time to get back on track.  

Like many of you, I have been on vacation over the past couple of weeks.  I have many upcoming posts to share about our adventures. We went to quaint medieval villages, world-famous soccer stadiums, an immense castle that was built in 1068 and so much more.  It was a very unique vacation full of family, friends, rolling green hills, cups of tea, weddings, quite a bit of traffic, and, of course, memories that will last a lifetime. Any guesses on where we went?

Before I get into more details of our trip, I am truly enjoying the serenity of being home.  The kids are in their element and are much more relaxed than they were while travelling. I'm cherishing the sounds of home: my kids playing in the yard, the birds chirping and the sound of the crickets. It is so peaceful, and, after developing pneumonia at the end of our trip, this is just what the doctor ordered.

I am beyond thrilled to have two weeks with only a handful of things on our family schedule.  I expect that many folks are still on vacation (in which case, I hope you're not reading this blog), but there's also lots of moms at home enjoying their last few days of summer break.  If you're looking for some fun, things to do with the kids, the Kid's Co-op is a great place to be.  Let's get started!

New Muppets Movie #MuppetsMostWanted

Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great week.  I am so excited to share with you the new teaser trailer for Disney’s MUPPETS MOST WANTED which debuted yesterday Disney.com. 


Here's a little information about the movie from Disney:

Disney’s “Muppets Most Wanted” takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine—the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit—and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais. The film stars Tina Fey as Nadya, a feisty prison guard, and Ty Burrell as Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon. Disney’s “MuppetsMost Wanted” is directed by James Bobin and produced by David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman. Bobin co-wrote the screenplay with Nicholas Stoller, who is also executive producer with John G. Scotti. Featuring music from Academy Award®-winning songwriter Bret McKenzie, “Muppets Most Wanted”  hits the big screen March 21, 2014.

For more information, visit Disney.com/Muppets, like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/Muppets, and follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/MuppetsStudio.

Skylanders Birthday Party Ideas

 

 

Even though my kids aren't really into Skylanders, I know there are many little Skylander's fans out there. My son's friend loves all things Skylander, and I wanted to share a few photos from his birthday party.

It may help inspire you if you're thinking about hosting a Skylander Birthday Party too.

I loved the hand made piñata at the party. The kids really enjoyed taking turns whacking it until the candy exploded all over the ground. The Skylander themed balloons and birthday cake were a hit too!

Have you thrown any great kid's birthday parties recently? If so, what was the theme?

 

 

Water Balloon Fun: Kaos Portable Pumping Station Review

I've written about my kids love for water balloons before. The kids have a blast tossing them around, throwing them at each other and playing lots of other water balloon games too. But, if you've ever filled water balloons for your kids, you know that it takes a long time to fill them up and mere seconds for them to burst!  The other day, my 5 year old picked out a Imperial Toy Kaos Portable Pumping Station in the store.  I was reluctant to buy it, because I wasn't sure that it would actually work, but it was worth every penny and I want to show you why.

The Kaos Portable Pumping Station, which has great reviews on Amazon, is described like this:

"Easy, easy operation: First, fill the container with water Next, attach a balloon to the nozzle Press the pump to fill the balloon with water Wrap the filled balloon around the Tie-Not tool, slip the end through the notch Ta-Da! - pull off a perfectly tied balloon Tie-Not Portable Water Balloon Pump Portable water pump that fills balloons and ties them with ease! Encourages gross and fine motor skills Promotes teamwork..."

I have to agree with this 110%! I couldn't have said it any better myself.

My sons are 5 and 7 years old.  They don't know how to tie balloons by themselves and they have never made water balloons independently, but it only took them minutes to learn how with the Kaos Pumping Station.

I was in awe.  As I peered through the window, they were making water balloons all by themselves. They were playing catch with their balloons and having so much fun!  Making the balloons was actually part of the fun.  They were working together and it growing their fine motor skills too!  

Here's a video of my 5 year old making a water balloon all by himself!

It's so much fun to watch my kids master new skills, even if it is something as silly as making water balloons.  The Kaos Portable Pumping Station totally lives up to the hype!  If you want one, please check out my affiliate link through Amazon!

You might like:

Water Balloon Games and Activities for Kids

Note: I was not compensated in any way for this post. All Opinions are my own.  Affiliate links are included in this post.

Motherhood & Expectations

Who ever knows if they're getting it right?  Life, motherhood, marriage.  It's all trial and error.

I have great expectations for my kids.  However, with that said, I also know that no one is perfect. Everybody makes mistakes and everybody is different.  That's one reason why I just want my kids to be the best that they can be.  They are not in competition with their friends to see who is the most academic or most athletic.  If our friends have accomplished something great, I think it's important to celebrate with them.  Let's be genuinely happy for them, but let's not get caught up in comparison.

In the grand scheme of things success is so incredibly subjective anyway.  A polished veneer doesn't mean things are perfect underneath.  In an age of iPads and name brands, it can be easy to get caught up in these veneers, but that's not what's important.  

My goal is to teach my children to embrace what we have and be grateful for the many blessings in our life. I want to teach them confidence and the importance of aiming for their own personal best - not their friend's personal best.  

So, as we soon enter another season of sports and school, I want to be better than I ever thought I could be.  I want to push myself to do more, learn more and love more.  It's not easy when we face daily challenges, both big and small, but I'm up for the challenge.  As a parent, that's my job.

My kids are watching and learning.

3 Ideas To Help Kids With Back To School Jitters

 

In 1959, when my mom was a little girl, she was so excited for her first day of school. She had a new outfit, her hair was curled, and she was looking forward to meeting her new teacher. Since my mom lived only a couple blocks from her catholic school in Philadelphia, it made sense to walk to school, but on the way to school, she saw something she never expected to see.

As my mom and grandmom were walking on the sidewalk, they saw my mom's friend, Gloria, but, she wasn't going school ike she should be. She was hysterical crying and running back home! Even though I wasn't there, I can just imagine this sight. This little girl had so much anxiety about the first day of school, she just wanted to come home.

I know how hard it can be. Two years ago, my son went to a new preschool and had a very rough time adjusting. He didn't have the chance to run home, but I know he would have if he could!

Have you ever experienced something like this? Do you think your child will have back-to-school jitters this year?

Here are 3 Ideas to Make Back-to-School More Fun:

1. Have a Back to School Party.  It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Meet your friends for ice cream at the park or invite everyone over for smore's. This will give kids a chance to reconnect with friends they haven't seen in a while.

2. Surprise the teacher with a gift. It's true that giving can make you feel just as good as receiving. Make or buy your child's new teacher a simple back-to-school gift. It's an easy way to make your child and their teacher feel special on the first day back. Buy your teacher some personalized name labels, or make a back-to-school flower bouquets! Don't forget to buy your child personalized labels too. It may cost a little more now, but you're likely to save big in the long run when you don't have to replace lost belongings.

Bright Star has 2 main types of labels: stick-on and iron-on. The stick-on labels will withstand the wear and tear of dishwashers. They're 100% waterproof, scratch resistant and will stay stuck for years. Iron-on labels are quick and easy to pop on to all your kids clothing and they will stay stuck and look great for years to come.

3. Decorate your house.  My friend Denise from Painted Home Design always has the coolest home design ideas that incorporate upcycled materials. She decorated her mantle to celebrate the new school year. You let your kids help you decorate for Halloween and Christmas, right? Include them in the back-to-school decorating too, so that everyone can get in the spirit!

How does your family stay organized during back to school?

Put a label on it! Kick off the school year right and prevent unnecessary mishaps. Reply below for $5 off your Bright Star Kids order.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Bright Star Kids. The opinions and text are all mine.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Bright Star Kids.  The opinions and text are all mine.

Sand & Water Activities for Kids

Looking for fun ways for your kids to play with sand and water? I've got you covered.  I recently wrote a post about all of the fun ways to help keep your kids cool with water play, and now Spoonful.com by Disney shows us fun ideas for playing with sand as well!  In the article below, Spoonful featured my Sand and Shell Keepsakes in their collection, and other unique ideas such as: Framed Sand Footprints, DIY Moon Sand, and Sand Greeting Cards.

Click on the image below to see the full articles.

 

Older kids may also like these Water Balloon Games.

Do you have any other fun ideas for playing with sand or water?  Leave a comment below.

Summer Fun For Kids

Welcome to the first July edition of the Kid's Co-op!  Last week, I took a little break from the blog, but this week, I am excited to be back with more fun ideas for keeping kids (and moms) happy. 

 

Monsters University FREE Kids Activity Sheets #MonstersU

A couple of weeks ago, my kids, husband and I went to the movies for the FIRST time ever as a family. My kids are 5 & 7 years old, so I feel like we're a little behind the curve with this one.  But, they say "good things come to those who wait", and in this case, it was certainly the truth.

This past month was officially the rainiest June, ever, in the Philadelphia area.  One rainy Friday night, we decided to head over to our local theatre and see Monsters University.  The movie was even better than I expected.  I don't think my 5-year-old took his eyes off the screen for even a second during the movie. My husband and I enjoyed this movie as much as the kids did.  I was cheering for Sully and Mike the whole time, and, even though this was a kid's movie, it was the best film I've seen in a long time!

My friends at Disney.Pixar sent me some Monsters University activity sheets and I'm excited to share them with to you.  There's a coloring sheet, design sheets, spot the difference image, and more! 

If you want to download or print these for your kids, just click the name under the image for each activity.

Design a Monsters University ID Card

Monsters University Coloring Sheet

Spot The Difference

Design your own Monsters University Crest

Monsters Memory Game

Whether you need a quick activity for a rainy afternoon, or you have a child in love with Monsters University my mine, these are really cute activities to keep them busy for a while!

Have you seen this movie yet?  Did you love it too?

“Like” MONSTERS UNIVERSITY on Facebook: http://facebook.com/PixarMonstersUniversity 

 "Follow" Disney/Pixar on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DisneyPixar

 Visit the website: http://www.Disney.com/MonstersU

 

Egg smiley face breakfast for dad

My kids love picking cherry tomatoes and herbs from our garden. This morning, my 5-year-old picked a bowl of the juiciest little tomatoes and some herbs while we were cooking breakfast. He wanted to incorporate the herbs into our eggs, so he made a big smiley face made with chives and basil. He said it was for daddy since he is "the best dad ever!"

Easy Kid's Activity: Super Snow #SummerOfJoann

We've been getting lots of rain here in the Philadelphia suburbs. I'm not complaining, because I know there are other parts of the country that would take this rain in a heartbeat. However, since our summer is off to such a wet start, we've needed to come up with a few more indoor activities than usual.

Luckily, my friends at Joann Fabrics sent me a gift card to buy some crafts and kids' camp supplies to help keep my kiddos happy. The first activity we tried out was SUPER SNOW!

Before seeing Super Snow at the Joann Fabric store, I had never heard of it before. It's described as "Jumbo Polymer" on the package which sounds really scientific. I don't know much about polymers, but I do know that my kids absolutely loved this stuff!

First, my-seven-year old measured 64 ounces of water and poured it into a large roasting pan. Then, he measured 2 tablespoons of super snow, poured it into the pan and stirred it with a spoon.

The super snow grew almost instantly. While we were making the snow, the phone rang. I quickly answered the phone, and the next time I turned around the snow was completely ready. It seemed like it happened in the blink of an eye.

It felt really cool and was a fun texture to play with. My kids experimented with food coloring. They turned the 'snow' a bunch of different colors until it got all mixed up into dark green slop. Ick!

There was enough super snow mix that we can make a new batch on another rainy day, and I would definitely recommend it as a quick summer boredom buster. Thanks, Joann!

Find more summer crafts on the Joann Website and get a 20% coupon when you join their preferred customer list.