Kid Friendly Archives - Busy Moms Helper

Over 100 Staycation Ideas

March 18, 2019 by Danielle 2 Comments

Don’t have the budget to swing an expensive vacation this summer? Even though Disneyland, cruises, and road trips are super fun, for the normal person it’s just not practical to splurge on one every single year. It’s still nice to have some type of family vacation, though, right? Well, here’s the list to save your vacation woes…Over 100 Budget-Saving Staycation Ideas!

Yesterday was Wonder Woman’s last day of 2nd grade, so our house is on ‘official’ summer break mode. Seriously, WHY do kids go crazy the DAY it’s summer break? Do they have a switch? Whatever it is, I do find it slightly annoying. Anywho…since we’re trying our hardest to get out of debt, we’re putting the big N-O to any big vacation plans this year. I don’t want to do NOTHING, though, so went on the search for some awesome Staycation Ideas. This list of over 100 ideas will have us spending plenty of staycation time together, and I’m sure there’s something perfect for your family, too!

Here’s 25 Awesome Staycation Ideas over at Living Well Spending Less

The Extreme Coupon Professors have 100 Staycation Ideas for Your Summer Fun

Six Sisters’ Stuff shared these 30 Cheap Staycation Ideas, and they’re fabulous!

Forbes has a list of 16 Things To Do On a Staycation that’ll help get your brainstorming going

My family (and sometimes just Hubby and I) will surely enjoy some of these 123 Amazing Staycation Ideas from the lovely Dating Divas

What better way to relax and enjoy yourself than with these 22 Ways to Turn Your Home Into a Staycation Resort from This Old House?!

Have you done any Staycations in the past that you absolutely loved? Please share in the comments below!

20 Weather Activities Kids Will Love

March 15, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

With the weather changing from winter to Spring (and back again, depending on where you are!) it’s a perfect time to cover a weather unit at preschool, Kindergarten or just for some fun learning activities for kids! We put together a list of 20 Weather Activities Kids Will Love, from experiments to printables and more.

Contains affiliate links for your convenience. See our disclosure.

There’s some super fun weather crafts and activities here, from umbrella sorting, to I Spy, to homemade weather vanes and much more.

20 Weather Activities Kids Will Love

Pre-K Pages – ‘What’s the Weather?’ Dramatic Play Dress Up

Artsy Craftsy Mom – Umbrella Counting and Color Sorting Activity

Two Daloo – Felt Weather Board

Life Over C’s – Weather I Spy

Weather Stickers

Buggy and Buddy – Thunderstorm Art Project

Mom Inspired Life – Explore Clouds Fine Motor Practice

The Home School Scientist – Using Clouds to Predict the Weather

Things to Share and Remember – ‘What’s the Weather?’ Movement Activity

McCormick Food Colors

Lemon Lime Adventures – DIY Thermometer Kids Activity

Preschool Powol Packets – Weather Science Experiment – Warm & Cold

Sunny Day Family – One Windy Day: Leaves & Weather Activity

123 Homeschool 4 Me – Homemade Weather Vane

A Little Pinch of Perfect – Printable Weather Chart

Gift of Curiosity – Make a Hurricane Weather Sciene

Housing a Forest – How to Make a Barometer

Life Over C’s – Printable Weather Pre-K Pack

Mom Inspired Life – Rain Cloud Jar Science Experiment

In The Playroom – Seasons Weather Sorting Activity

Pre-K Pages – Weather Theme Movement Game

Buggy and Buddy – Weather Mobile Craft

Which idea is your favorite?

Pirate Growth Chart

February 25, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

My boys are really into Jake & The Neverland Pirates right now. Well, for like the past YEAR. They sing the songs all day long, they call each other one of the characters, and are always fighting Hook the ‘Sneakety Snook’. Way cute! (originally shared January 2014)

I’ve been wanting to do a growth chart for awhile, and have stressed about it more and more since my kids are already growing so much. I’m going to miss all their little growth spurts! So what better for them than an adorable (yet simple and budget friendly) DIY Pirate Growth Chart?!

Supplies

6′ tall board – $13

Small canister stain – $8 (I used English Chestnut)

Small canister sealant – $8 (I used clear semi-gloss)

Vinyl for letters and lines – $8

Vinyl for Pirate shapes – $4

Directions

Take your plain board, lay it on something you don’t mind painting on. Choose an area with good ventilation, too, since the stain and sealant smell STRONG. You’ll also need to leave it in place for awhile to dry, so keep that in mind.

Apply the stain according to canister directions. I did two coats on mine. Be sure to allow it to dry completely before adding the sealant, then after applying the sealant before handling.

I then starting adding the vinyl. I chose to do bone shapes for my FOOT lines, so started by measuring and applying those. I did start with 1′ six inches from the bottom, since I’ll attach the board to the wall six inches off the ground.

Then the ‘fun’ part, measuring out each inch. Tiny vinyl lines are not my friends!

There’s your ‘almost’ complete board!

Now you have the option of applying fun Pirate shapes and fun things: skulls, swords, flags, ships, steering wheels, bandanna caps. Or phrases like ‘Ahoy Matey’ or ‘Yo Ho Yo Ho’ or ‘Walk the Plank’. Have fun with it!

I can’t wait to track my little Pirate Mateys on this fun growth chart!!!

Printable Valentine Superhero Bookmarks

February 11, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

I’m all for encouraging reading in my kiddos, so fun bookmarks can be a huge help. With the upcoming holiday where they’ll exchange tons of Valentine’s with their classes and friends, these Printable Valentine Superhero Bookmarks are just the ticket for the little (or big) hero in your family!

We also have a girl superhero version available HERE

There are 3 designs, and they print on an 8.5×11 sheet. I highly recommend printing it onto cardstock paper so it’s more durable. My kids like to fiddle with their bookmarks while reading, so they sure get worn out fast. I’ve found that laminating them really helps the superhero bookmarks to last longer – and less paper trash from ripped edges 🙂

Download the Valentine Superhero Bookmarks Here

My boys can’t wait to give these out for Valentine’s Day at their schools! We’re printing a bunch, then tying ribbon in the hole at top (just use a hole punch, super easy) – then they’re all set to go! And can I just say I’m THRILLED that my kids are old enough to sign their own names on their Valentines – I can’t imagine having to ‘help’ with the name on every single superhero bookmark for their whole class!

Printable Mickey Numbers & Letters

January 30, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

I love Wednesdays, because they’re my designated ‘Disney Day’ where I share all sorts of Disney-themed tips, ideas, printables, you get the idea. Today I’ve got a really fun Free Printable Mickey Numbers & Letters sheet for you – great to use as a banner, cupcake toppers, a cut-out announcement, and so much more!

Planning a Disney vacation? Get awesome prices at Get Away Today – use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper

There’s 1 sheet each – one for letters and the other for numbers. It’s designed to print onto an 8.5×11 sheet, but you can adjust it when printing if you want your pieces to be smaller in size. You can try enlarging them so you can have bigger letters or numbers, but I can’t guarantee the resolution quality (how blurry it may be). The numbers sheet has 1-9, and the letters one has the whole alphabet – plus a cute little Mickey Mouse dude on the side.

These are some of our subscriber-exclusive free printables, so be sure to sign up below for our newsletter to get access to this and many other awesome printables!

What would you use this fun Mickey banner printable for?

DIY New Year’s Eve Shakers

December 27, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

I’ll admit, we use to do more of a ‘party’ as a family for New Year’s Eve when we lived in Utah. There’d be tons of food, some fireworks in the road in front of the house, and countdowns (one of the kids, one of the adults) – I loved it! The past few years we’ve been much more mellow, watching some movies together then going to bed before midnight. Blah! This year, we’re hoping to do more with our kids – letting them stay up, doing more activities, and really enjoying our time together (and hopefully sleep in). These DIY New Year’s Eve Shakers will be a fun addition to create AND celebrate with!

I know, they’re going to be NOISY – but letting the kids make some crazy noise after the ball drop is a rare treat that we can deal with. I can only imagine how excited they’ll be, and their smiled will be worth the few minutes of shakers 🙂

Supplies

8 Empty Keurig Cups
4 Dowel Rods or Popsicle Sticks
Popcorn Kernels
Washi Tape (Any Colors/Designs)
Scissors

Directions

Decorate the outside of each Keurig cup with the tape. Create your own designs and have fun with it!
Fill one cup about ½ full with popcorn kernels.
Place another cup on top and wrap washi tape around the middle, securing them together. Go around 2-3 times.
Take your dowel rod or popsicle stick and place it on the back. Secure it with 3-4 strips of washi tape.
Now, they are ready to shake and have fun!!

What’s your New Year’s Eve traditions?

20 Winter Handprint Crafts

December 22, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

This weekend is Christmas (crazy, right?!) and some kids will soon be bored with the holiday vacation already. If you’re looking for a fun winter activity for kids, these 20 Winter Handprint Crafts are just the ticket! I’m partial to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle handprints myself, and I know my kiddos would love the salt dough ornaments, too!

DIY Handprint Ornament: Christmas Craft from blog.consumercrafts.com
Handprint Angel Craft For Kids You’ll Cherish Forever from alittlepinchofperfect.com
Handprint And Footprint Angel Craft from easypeasyandfun.com
Hand And Footprint Reindeer from freekidscrafts.com
Fingerprint Christmas Tree Salt Dough Ornament from easypeasyandfun.com
Handprint Reindeer Christmas Ornament Craft For Kids from buggyandbuddy.com
Handprint Christmas Wreath from icanteachmychild.com
Snowman Handprint Christmas Ornament from littleredwindow.com
Handprint Reindeer Puppets And Treat Bags from icanteachmychild.com
Family Handprint Christmas Tree from mamasmiles.com
Family Hand Print Christmas Tree Canvas from muminthemadhouse.com
Handprint Reindeer Ornaments from kidsstuffworld.com
Homemade Christmas Decorations from kidscraftroom.com
Handprint Christmas Tree from theimaginationtree.com
Make A Paper Plate Reindeer from education.com
Handprint Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Salt Dough Ornament from iheartartsncrafts.com
Toilet Paper Roll Reindeer Kid Craft from theresourcefulmama.com
Snowy Owl Handprint Craft from funhandprintartblog.com
Polar Bear Handprint Winter Craft from intheplayroom.co.uk
Handprint Polar Bear from funhandprintartblog.com

Which of these cute and creative Winter Handprint Crafts are your kids most excited to try?

Star Wars Printable Cupcake Toppers

November 21, 2018 by Danielle 4 Comments

Star Wars was a huge part of my childhood, and marrying a fellow fan resulted in our kids being raised this way as well. Of course, instead of just the originals, our kids get to enjoy the newer films AND side stories like Star Wars Rebels, expanding that world even further. I love sharing this with my family, so it’s only natural we’d love having themed parties or cupcake decorations just for the heck of it! Now you can join in with these Free Star Wars Printable Cupcake Toppers – and they’re not just great for cupcakes, but also for dangly decor, stickers and so much more!

Don’t forget to see Get Away Today from great Disney vacation prices – use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper

If you’ve enjoyed our previous Star Wars printables – such as stick puppets or the soda bottle gift set – then these are probably right up your alley! I love how these ones are not only colorful and adorable, but have a little spunk to each of the characters.

There’s quite a variety of your favorite CLASSIC characters – Yoda, Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, Darth Vader, C3P0 and R2D2. There’s even one with my favorite couple in the galaxy, Han and Leia together!

To use as a cupcake topper, just cut out and tape to either lollipop sticks or toothpicks then stick into your cupcakes. Easy peasy!

They print nicely onto 8.5×11 size paper (I recommend printing onto cardstock for durability), making them roughly 1.5-2″ (ish) in diameter. You can print into a smaller size if you’re looking for tinier circles, of course.

Another idea is to tape them to streamers or gift wrap ribbon to hang around for decorations. Maybe as a backdrop for a ‘photo booth’ spot during a party?

Another unique idea is to print of two of the sheets, cut them out – then do a Star Wars themed memory game. It’s a great way to keep littles entertained for a bit, plus work on their memory AND fine motor (flipping over little circles) skills!

These Star Wars printables are free as part of our subscriber-exclusive printables, so if you’re not already on our weekly newsletter list then be sure to sign up below for access to this fun printable and many others!

Who’s your favorite Star Wars character?

20 DIY Halloween Mason Jars

October 15, 2018 by Danielle 2 Comments

I love doing crafts, especially around the holidays. They’re just extra special, plus you can do decor or gifts and consider it a check off your list of to-dos anyway! For some extra fun, here’s a list of 20 DIY Halloween Mason Jars – you can pick from spiders or monsters, bats or candy corn, even cute ‘BOO’ jars for some festive decor!

My personal favorites are the mummy jars because they’re so dang cute! My kids would have a fun time with several of these, including the ghost lanterns. There’s a little something for everyone, so pick your favorite and get your Halloween craft on with these fun Halloween Mason Jars!

Mason Jar Crafts Love – Zombie Mason Jars

Blue i Style – Mason Jar Jack O Lanterns

Mabey She Made It – DIY Halloween Treat Jar

A Pumpkin and a Princess – Halloween Etched Glass Mason Jar Luninaries

Crafts by Amanda – Frankenstein Luminaries

Kids Craft Room – Neon Mason Jar Mummies

Landeelou – Black and White Halloween Painted Mason Jars

Just a Girl and Her Blog – Halloween Mason Jar Luminaries

Two Sisters Crafting – Spooky Halloween Mason Jars

MomDot – Halloween Drip Painted Mason Jars

Oh So Savvy Mom – DIY Upcycled Halloween Village Luminaries

Anne’s Entitled Life – Sugar Skull Mason Jar

Mason Jar Crafts Love – Candy Corn Mason Jars

Yesterday on Tuesday – Lighted Halloween Mason Jar

Simply Kierste – Mason Jar Ghost Lantern

It All Started With Paint – Mummy Mason Jars

Miss Information – Halloween Luninaries

House of Hawthornes – Painted Halloween Mason Jar Craft

Bee of Good Cheer – Polka Dot Candy Corn Mason Jar

MomDot – Halloween Mason Jars

Disney Activity & Autograph Book

October 3, 2018 by Danielle 24 Comments

By popular demand, we’ve updated our Disney-themed autograph & activity books! Now there’s even more pages for extended fun while you’re at any Disney-themed park, cruise, event or just at home for some magical fun. Here’s the major changes we made with our ‘Unofficial’ Disney Activity & Autograph Book:

Contains purchase/affiliate links. See our disclosure for more info.

Changes:

Now there is no park-specific option. Pages are all general Disney-themes, so will work at any of the parks, cruise line, etc.
54 Total pages of activities, memory sheets and autograph pages
Cover now says ‘My Magical Vacation’
Newer characters, such as Moana, now included in autograph sheets

Get the PDF HERE for just $2!

Get the new PRINTED version from Amazon HERE (coming soon)

Get the old PRINTED version from Amazon HERE

Check out our Facebook live showing of the OLD book HERE

Since our original book was released a couple of years ago, people are LOVING it! The favorites so far are the fun Star Wars autograph pages, jokes, and creating your own treehouse or superhero. With more than 54 pages in the new book, there’s plenty for everyone, whether young or old! Yes, us adults even enjoy them 🙂

Disney Activity Pages

To keep short attention spans happy, we included a large variety of things for them to do, such as:

Games
Mazes
Connect the Dots
Matching
Crosswords
Create your own map, super hero suit and treehouse
Coloring
Jokes
Trivia
and more!

Even THOR loved playing the games with my friend Lexi’s boy!

Disney Autograph Pages

Long gone are the days of boring, blank autograph pages – we’ve got more than 28 creatively designed ones to nab signatures from favorite characters! We’ve covered classics like Mickey & Minnie, Donald, and Goofy, princesses like Ariel, Belle and Rapunzel, and even Darth Vader and Avengers! Such a great Disney souvenir!

Donald Duck went CRAZY for his special page – it says #1 Duck, of course!

Even Minnie got in on the fun, along with Chip at Goofy’s Kitchen!

We’re excited to catch try and catch Kilo Ren next time – got the perfect page just for him!

Disney Memories

Creating memories together is a HUGE reason to do family vacations, right? I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been very good at writing them down before we forget many! Now you can keep track with our several pages designed exactly for that purpose – keeping the most important moments safe. You can list funny moments or things people said on the trip, favorite foods and rides, how old people were and who was with you, and even trace your child’s hand print so you can remember how big – or little – they were! Updated – no longer with dates, so you can use them any year!

To make it super easy to put in your bags or carry around at the parks, we sized it at 6×9. Our kids had no problem keeping track of theirs – they refused to let us carry them since they were having so much fun!

We have two options for the book, so you can get it in whatever way works best for your family:

Disney Themed – any park, trip, cruise, etc.

PDF Download: print and bind it yourself, especially nice if you have lots of children (via Gumroad)
Old Version Professional Printed Book: already bound with shiny cover (via Amazon)
New Version Professional Printed Book: already bound with shiny cover (via Amazon) – coming soon

So turn the lines at Disney from boring to fantastic with our newly updated ‘Unofficial’ Disney Activity & Autograph Book! More info available in our Store!

This is included in our Busy Mom Bundle, along with other fabulous printable packs!

Book your next Disney vacation with Get Away Today for the best deals – use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation package!

Check out our other products HERE

Family Home Binder

2018 Planner & Calendar

Summer Camp Kits or Kid Activity Packs

A YEAR of Meal Plans plus Recipes – on a budget!

Other Disney fun you may like!

Free Printable Disneyland Height Requirements

August 15, 2018 by Danielle 1 Comment

Y’all know that we’re one of those crazy, Disney-loving families that have taken our kids during all sorts of ages and heights. I was so excited when my youngest finally reached 42″, because we could then go on ALMOST every single ride! Woot woot! For those travelling with younger ones that may require extra attention to what they can and can’t go on, here’s some super fun Free Printable Disneyland Height Requirements – plus a sheet for California Adventure, as well! And yes, they’ve been updated with the changes to Pixar Pier 🙂

Contains affiliate links that support this blog at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure for more info.

Disneyland Height Requirements

As we get ready for our Disney trips, we have fun with our DIY Disney Countdown, as well as prepare our kids for what rides they can or can’t go on due to any height restrictions. I think that by being prepared, we can help avoid more meltdowns at the parks, making it the best Disney vacation ever! On these printables, you’ll find some favorite characters from each of the parks – like Mike & Sulley for the California Adventure sheet! I couldn’t resist also including Dusty, since he’s one of my boys’ absolute FAVS!

Check out Get Away Today to book your trip today! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper to save $10 off your package!

I tried to make this as convenient as possible, with the MANY rides that don’t have any height requirement at all listed right at the top. You can pair this with our amazing ‘Unofficial’ Disney Activity Book, but even alone it’s still the perfect printable to fold into your pocket or fanny pack to use for quick reference at the parks.

You can download and print off your FREE printables here….

Download the Disneyland Height Requirements Here

Download the California Adventure Height Requirements Here

Check out Get Away Today to book your trip today! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper to save $10 off your package!

Don’t forget to save some money (every few dollars saved is another Dole Whip – woot woot!) and book your magical vacation -whether it’s Disneyland, Walt Disney World, or even Legoland or Universal Studios – through the awesome folks at Get Away Today! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper to save $10 on your package!

Check out the fun changes to Pixar Pier (formerly Paradise Pier) like the Incredicoaster!

And did you know – ur ‘Unofficial’ Disney Activity Book is available as a PDF download OR you can nab a printed one from Amazon! Woot woot!

Check out Get Away Today to book your trip today! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper to save $10 off your package!

Toy Story Alien Craft

August 1, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Y’all know how much our family loves Disney, right? Well, putting together a fun Disney craft for kids was a great way to celebrate the opening of the new Toy Story Land at Walt Disney World. In anticipation of our visit there later this year, we made this Toy Story Alien Craft – a great activity for a lazy afternoon!

Aren’t they cute? We’re all excited to check out the new Toy Story Land during our trip – the Alien ride looks really fun, but we’re especially eager to try out Slinky Dog Dash! I’m sure y’all know how patient kids are when leading up to a vacation (note the sarcasm there), so why not give them a little Disney creating while they wait with this awesome Alien craft?

Eager for your own Disney vacation? Check out Get Away Today for the best deals! Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper

Supplies

Directions

Take your green paper plate and cut it in half with your scissors. You will instantly have an Alien shaped head. Grab that glue stick and glue three eyes onto each Alien.
Now take another green paper plate and draw/cut out an Alien antenna. When you have two Alien antennas, take your glue stick and glue an antenna onto each Alien.
While your eyes and antennas are drying, take your black sparkle foam paper and cut out four Alien ears. Glue those ears onto your Aliens
Now for the fun part! Take your black marker and draw a mouth on each Alien. I suggest practicing on a blank piece of paper to perfect your technique before drawing on your plate.
Enjoy your two fun new Alien friends!

Told you it was super easy – and it’s likely that you have at least some of the supplies on hand already. Maybe not BIG googly eyes or green paper plates, but you can easily buy or order those. Then you’re all set for some Toy Story Alien crafting.

Over 100 Staycation Ideas

20 Weather Activities Kids Will Love

20 Weather Activities Kids Will Love

Which idea is your favorite?

Pirate Growth Chart

Printable Valentine Superhero Bookmarks

Download the Valentine Superhero Bookmarks Here

Printable Mickey Numbers & Letters

What would you use this fun Mickey banner printable for?

DIY New Year’s Eve Shakers

Supplies

Directions

What’s your New Year’s Eve traditions?

20 Winter Handprint Crafts

Which of these cute and creative Winter Handprint Crafts are your kids most excited to try?

Star Wars Printable Cupcake Toppers

Who’s your favorite Star Wars character?

20 DIY Halloween Mason Jars

Disney Activity & Autograph Book

Disney Activity Pages

Disney Autograph Pages

Disney Memories

Disney Themed – any park, trip, cruise, etc.

This is included in our Busy Mom Bundle, along with other fabulous printable packs!

Check out our other products HERE

Other Disney fun you may like!

Free Printable Disneyland Height Requirements

Disneyland Height Requirements

Other Disney themed posts you may like…

Toy Story Alien Craft

Supplies

Directions

Eager for your own Disney vacation? Check out Get Away Today for the best deals! Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper

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