School is out and summer is here! The good news: lots of free days for the kiddos to play. The bad news: lots of free days for the kiddos to get bored. Matter of Cents and I want to help you avoid the glazed-over eyes and the “I’m bored” whine with these fun activities for kids from Pinterest.

This checklist of 100 Things To Do this summer should be a good start!

Once you go through those, here’s another 100 Things To Do this summer!

Try a weekly Family Appreciation Night this summer. Have it in the backyard as a picnic or along with a camp-out for an extra-special event.

Have the kiddos save Batman and Robin (or any little character!) from a frozen prison by shooting the ice blocks with a water gun.

Water balloon pinatas! What a fun way to cool off during those hot summer days. You could add some glitter if you have a sparkly princess at home, or dress the kids in clothes you don’t care about and fill the balloons with colored water and let them spray themselves in a rainbow.

What are your favorite summer activities for the kids?

This weekend I had the pleasure of hosting a Cottonelle Roll Cover Party for myself, some friends, and their kids. We got to check out the new Roll Covers designed by Jonathon Adler. We also had the opportunity to repurpose those classic cardboard tubes into some fun new crafts!

There are so many different things you can do with cardboard tubes, but for our party, I decided we’d do two easy crafts. The first one was finger puppets, and the second one was fairy party favors. I thought it was perfect timing; they make great crafty Earth Day ideas, which happens to be this Sunday! To stay in the reduce, reuse, recycle spirit, I wanted to try and use mostly – if not solely – supplies from around the house.

Continue reading »

April is usually the month that most schools go on spring break. I think the college I attended might have been one of the few exceptions; I recall our spring break falling just before my birthday, which was in March. Considering the college was located in Florida, I guess I can’t complain too much, as most of my friends attending colleges in other states seemed to think I was on spring break year-round.

Because it’s that time of year (seriously, where has the year gone already?), Matter of Cents and I have chosen Spring Break Ideas as our theme for this week’s Pin Me! Thursday. I’m going to share spring break travel ideas, projects and crafts to complete while on spring break, and a few other spring break-related items. Going through and finding pins to share with you has definitely put me in the mood for a towel on the beach (though I’ll probably have to settle for a lounge chair on our patio).

Everything about this says “Spring Break” to me. It makes me want to throw on some flip flops and a fedora, grab a friend, a mixed tape and some lemonade, and head off on a road trip.

PBS recently released “The Best of Caillou: Caillou’s Outdoor Adventure” on DVD. As we’re big Caillou fans in our house, we were pretty excited. A quick episode or two right before bedtime really helps Bubbles to wind down and get ready to fall asleep. And we’re obviously not alone in our love of the cute preschooler; over 4 million households tune in to watch each month!

The Best of Caillou: Caillou's Outdoor Adventures

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

Easy Recipes For Kids

This week Tasty Tuesday is being dedicated to the younger set. We’re cooking with kids!

Cooking With Kids: Easy Recipes for Kids

Growing up, I baked with my Grandmother in her kitchen nearly every Saturday morning. We made bread for my entire extended family, and Gram would whip up big batches of baked beans and potato salad. Those memories are very vivid – and cherished – and they were nurtured from a very young age.

I would love for Baby C. to share my love of creativity in the kitchen. I also want to create special memories for her and have been looking for ways to start doing that even now. Baby C. loves to shake things and it’s an instruction she understands. Asking “Can you shake your Pooh toy for me? Can you shake Clifford?” while we’re driving in the car keeps her entertained for a bit if she’s getting fidgety.

When I was tossing red potatoes with oil and spices the other night, it kind of struck me – she could definitely do that part for me! If I put the items in a small bowl with a lid she’d be able to shake away. Since she loves sweet potatoes, I decided she and I would use those instead for her “lesson”.

Roasted Sweet Potato Shapes

1 medium sweet potato
2T olive oil

First I peeled and washed the sweet potato (I did this over the garbage can with her highchair pulled up next to it so she could watch). Next I sliced the potato into rounds, about 1/4 inch thick. After that I cut some of them into basic shapes (triangle, square, etc.), showing and explaining each shape to her. I have a fairly decent-sized collection of cookie cutters so I grabbed a few of the little ones – like stars, hearts, teddy bears, and gingerbread men – and cut shapes out of a few of the rounds.

Cooking With Kids: Easy Recipes for Kids

Now the part that has some action for the kiddos: I put all the shapes into a small bowl and added 2T of olive oil. I snapped the lid on tight and gave it a quick demonstration shake, then handed the bowl to Baby C. She had such a fun time shaking the bowl. She kept grinning as if to say “Are you sure I should be doing this?” When the excitement wore off and she started trying to peel the lid off, I spread the shapes out on a baking sheet and roasted them for 30 minutes at 350.

Since she had such a good time with the activity, and because she loves eating them, it’s definitely something we’ll be doing again soon! Maybe next time we’ll doctor them up a little and sprinkle on a small bit of cinnamon or nutmeg.

Views From the Ville

Avoid The “I’m Bored” Refrain With These Summer Activities For Kids!

This checklist of 100 Things To Do this summer should be a good start!

Once you go through those, here’s another 100 Things To Do this summer!

Try a weekly Family Appreciation Night this summer. Have it in the backyard as a picnic or along with a camp-out for an extra-special event.

Have the kiddos save Batman and Robin (or any little character!) from a frozen prison by shooting the ice blocks with a water gun.

Water balloon pinatas! What a fun way to cool off during those hot summer days. You could add some glitter if you have a sparkly princess at home, or dress the kids in clothes you don’t care about and fill the balloons with colored water and let them spray themselves in a rainbow.

What are your favorite summer activities for the kids?

On a Creative Roll With the Cottonelle Roll Cover Party

Ready to Run: Spring Break Ideas!

Join Caillou On an Outdoor Adventure

Cooking With Kids! Play With Your Food – Roasted Sweet Potato Shapes

Easy Recipes For Kids

Roasted Sweet Potato Shapes

Do you have a favorite easy recipe for kids? I’d love to hear about your own experiences cooking in the kitchen with your kiddos!