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December 2, 2021December 2, 2021

Make, Bake & Sew: 15 Fun & Easy Christmas Projects for Kids

Christmas is coming reeeeeeal soon and the Christmas spirit is in the air!

Well, at least it is in our house. And when I say “Christmas spirit” I mean, studying toy catalogues for ideas and excitedly writing out Christmas wish lists with dozens and dozens of ideas.

The kids are just SO EXCITED about Christmas being so near. Aside from hoping for a stack of Lego sets and a mountain of new books, there is also building excitement about buying the Christmas tree and how to decorate the house and what foods we can start making now and which ones we will be enjoying at Christmas time.

And all of this means it’s time to start digging out the colourful craft supplies and shopping for the groceries to bake delicious-looking Christmas recipes.

But Christmas can also be a stressful time, keeping up with the kids and ALL.THE.THINGS. that need to be organised.

Are YOU ready for getting creative with your kids? Or maybe not… Perhaps you’re not quite there yet and actually looking for some new inspiration. Or perhaps you don’t see yourself as creative and are actually dreading feeling obligated to “do Christmas stuff” with your kids.

Well, I can definitely help you with that right now!

This post contains loads of kid-friendly (and budget-friendly) Christmas activities to sew, bake and make this festive season, with an emphasis on less stress and more fun and happy faces. Sound good?

January 28, 2021September 25, 2021

Cheap & Easy Awesome Activities to Stop Kids Saying They’re Bored

I’ve been hearing from a lot of fellow mums lately, about how hard it is to keep their kids busy and entertained these days. I hear you. (I am one of them trust me! 😉)

For a million reasons not limited to: the kids being at home more, household budgets getting tighter, chaotic work schedules, fewer activities outside of the home being an option, even lousy weather, parents just like you are struggling to come up with new ideas to keep their kids occupied and happy.

Last year I published a great post with tons of fun ideas (Psst! That are not TV!) to keep your children occupied when school’s closed .

In the list you’ll find a range of things for kids to do when they’re bored. There are indoor activities and outdoor activities, sporty activities and quiet ones, as well as social and independent activities for kids of all ages.

No matter whether you have toddlers, tweens or teens in the house not only will the ideas on that list stop your children from saying “Mum I’m bored!”, they are all budget-friendly! Fun and cheap ideas for kids?!? Yes please!!

Because I keep hearing people ask for help on how to keep the kids entertained when they’re stuck at home, I thought it was time for a fresh update of my kid- (and mum-) friendly ideas. But this time I am not the only one here with the suggestions.

I have called on a group of fantastic fellow mums to share their top tips for clever ideas to keep kids busy. I’m really excited to have them all on board, because as we mamas all know, what works for one family isn’t guaranteed to work for the next.

Have fun reading the dozens of ideas in this post and pick and choose as you please, the best boredom-busting activities for your kids.

April 9, 2020June 26, 2021

Easter Crafts for Kids: Easy Salt Dough Decorations

Most kids are home this week for Easter holidays. The suspense is building. The Easter Bunny and his basket filled with chocolate goodies is just days away. Oh, my children’s (more so for my little guy) excitement is clear to see!

What better way to keep them entertained while waiting for their sugar shock on Sunday morning than with some Easter activities?

The other week I guest posted on Skelly Hodge Podge with some fabulous, felt, easy-sew Easter Bunnies, perfect for little hands to create 😉.

If you’re the sewing type yourself, you and your kids could also try sewing these cute Egg Baskets (my kids especially enjoyed helping with choosing the fabrics and trying out various ways of filling and decorating the baskets 😉).

Today’s family-friendly, easy-peasy craft that I would love to share with you, is how to make Easter ornaments out of dough. Yes, dough! Never though about baking playdough? Well, let me show you how!

March 19, 2020June 26, 2021

17 Sensational Ideas to Keep Kids Busy When School is Closed (and TV is Not One of Them!)

Wow, how quickly the world changes. One minute your kids are at school and you’re rocking your everyday life. The next- kablam!- you’ve got your kids at home with you all day because the schools and kindergartens and child care centres are closed.

Well, at least that’s how it is for me, here in Germany. How about where you’re living?

In our town it started last week already when the local high schools closed. Then it was ALL schools and kindergartens. And then it was all children’s extra-curricular activities, you know, like sport, music lessons, youth groups and so on. And then all forms of possible entertainment outside of the home, like public libraries, museums, cinemas, zoos and pools. Everyone is being reminded to stay at home as much as possible and not mingle with others. That now rules out organising playdates for the kiddos. The latest news today is that playgrounds are closed too.

Sure, the schools are doing their best to keep up with the changing times and send over some homework for the kids to work through. But it’s not the same (for them or for you) as being out of the house learning for hours and hours every day.

I know a lot of people have been falling back on TV and DVDs to entertain their children at this challenging time. It is certainly a simple and easy way to keep them occupied for a while. Unless they all argue about what to watch and whose turn it is to select the program … 😉

There will be no judgement or finger pointing here. To each his own, as they say. But our kids usually only watch TV on weekends and if we can avoid it, we’d love that they didn’t sit glued to the sofa for hours every day.

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So what’s a Mama with a houseful of kids to do?!? I’ve prepared a list for you of non-TV fun activities to keep your children entertained and happy while school (and pretty much everything else!) is closed for a few weeks. I’ve got your back! 👍

December 12, 2019November 8, 2021

How to Make the Prettiest Paper Christmas Star Decoration

Oh my! Christmas is coming! And fast! Do you remember back when you were a kid and asking “How many more days til Christmas?” and your parents answered with something like “Still 6 weeks, kiddo!” and you thought it would just Never. Ever. Arrive.?

These days, as a big ol’ grown-up, 6 weeks goes by SO quickly, and Christmas is over before you know it and suddenly your kids are asking you “How many more days til Easter?!?”.

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This year I am feeling a bit slack with the Christmas preparations, especially on the creative and decorative side of things. But I am determined not to have Christmas arrive without me having made some effort.

As fate would have it, just the other day my son came home from kindergarten and presented his latest masterpiece- a beautiful, intricately folded paper Christmas star. If I was only going to manage one new craft project with the kids this Christmas, I knew that this would be it.

Christmas Star, DIY, Crafts, Paper Crafts

And once I had decoded the pattern, I just knew that I would have to share the secret of the Christmas star with you! (Spoiler Alert! It’s not as difficult to make as it looks!) Read on to learn how you can make your own gorgeous paper star this Christmas.

June 30, 2019June 21, 2024

Mega List of 61 Super Summer Boredom Busters for Kids

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Woo hoo! Summer has really been showing off this past week in Germany (and much of Europe, actually)! We’ve had temps up in the high 30s (around 100F). Reminds me of being back in an Australian summer. How’s the weather been in your part of the world?

I am constantly being asked how I feel about the hot weather here, while many of my compatriots (well, not really, because I am not a German citizen so that word is technically not correct. But I can’t think of a better one… “fellow inhabitants of Germany” isn’t quite as catchy 😉). Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, I am constantly being asked how I am coping with the weather while many of those around me seem to be flustered, sweaty and melting. FYI- I’m all good 😉.

These past weeks I have been celebrating some of the exciting things I love about spring and summer; like strawberry season and enjoying the outdoors. And yes, we are still eating our boundless strawberry products. Can’t get enough! *nom nom*.

Since summer holidays are a HUGE deal for kids at this time of year, what a great idea it would be if only there was a long list of fantastic things to do during the school holidays. No more “Mamaaaaa I’m so boooooooored!”. Right?!? Well, drumroll please…