One Mama's Daily Drama Archives

New Year’s Eve Printable for Kids

December 26, 2017 by Keri Houchin

Get ready to ring in the new year with the family, including the kiddos. It’s time to look back on 2017 and plan for a wonderful 2018! Give the kids this New Year’s Eve printable to fill out their best memories and resolutions.

Do you make a New Year’s resolution every year? How about your kids? I think it’s really important to set goals, no matter how old you are. As parents, we can help our kids choose goals that are realistic and also fun to accomplish.

Whether you let them stay up until midnight or not quite that late, this New Year’s Eve printable can be a fun family activity. Sit down together and talk about your memories from the year and what things you want to do or are looking forward to next year.

This printable is fun and would make a great keepsake. The first section is a little “about me” to capture what your child loves now. The middle area includes three spaces for memories from the past year and at the end, there is space to make resolutions for next year.

I wanted to keep this simple and my kids really prefer to write with a prompt. I think making resolutions is hard for kids and adults when you don’t have guidelines. I mean, there’s so much you could do, right?

So I included little prompts on each line to get the kids started.

To print your New Year’s Eve page, click HERE.

Although I made this with elementary-aged kids in mind, I think older kids and adults will have fun with it too. I think it would be really fun to do these every year (so there’s no date on this printable!). I love being able to look back and ahead at the same time.

If you’re looking for something more goal-driven, this New Year’s goal printable is perfect for that. It has space to write in a single goal, plus everything you need to do to reach it. I think it goes really nicely with the New Year’s Eve printable for kids, if you want to use both.

How are you celebrating New Year’s Eve with your family?

Printable Spring Banner Paper Craft

March 10, 2017 by Keri Houchin

Update your décor or decorate for a party with this cute and free printable spring banner. This easy paper craft is fun and festive from March to May!

Includes affiliate links for your convenience. See our Disclosure for more info.

Spring is here and I’m celebrating with a pretty printable spring banner. This is an easy DiY project that adds a fun pop of color wherever you hang it. I put mine up over a bookshelf, but it would look cute on a mantle or along a stair railing too.

If you are looking for cheap and easy spring décor, I’ve got it right here.

Supplies:

spring banner printable (click to download)
card stock or other craft paper
scissors/paper cutter
glue
ribbon, about 4 feet long

Instructions:

I started by printing and cutting out the polka dot banner page and the template. I used my paper cutter, but regular scissors are fine, of course.

This paper cutter (affiliate link) is the one I bought a few months ago and love it. It makes the cutting faster and saves me from hand cramps when I’m cutting out a bunch of things.

I traced the template onto the back side of my card stock and cut out six pieces.

Then I lined up the two pieces and glued them together.

Finally, I punched holes in the corners and ran the ribbon through.

This makes a cute decoration for Easter. I made it simple with bright, spring colors so that it can also be used for other celebrations, like Saint Patrick’s Day or Mother’s Day.

If you just like the polka dots, you could skip adding the layer of card stock. Each polka dot banner piece is 2-1/2 inches across and 5 inches tall. The card stock adds about half an inch all the way around.

You can use any color card stock to match or even alternate colors.

Looking for more printable banners? Here are a few more ideas you’ll love:

Fall Party Printables

Printable Star Wars Banner

Red, White, and Blue Party Printables

Saint Patrick’s Day Neighbor Gift + Printable

February 16, 2017 by Keri Houchin

Share a little luck with your neighbors this spring with a fun and easy Saint Patrick’s Day neighbor gift. I also created a cute printable tag that reads, “Our neighborhood is lucky to have you!”

I love the idea of a little leprechaun sneaking around leaving pots of gold on porches on St. Patrick’s Day. This is such a cute and fun way to surprise your neighbors.

You need just a few craft supplies and this free Saint Patrick’s Day printable to make this Saint Patrick’s Day neighbor gift. I made three versions of the tag – neighborhood, school, and blank so you can write your own message.

Supplies

paper mache pot (I found mine at JoAnns for $1.49.)
black chalk paint
paintbrush
black pipe cleaner
hot glue gun & glue
2 green ribbons, each about 24 inches long
St. Patrick’s Day printable (click to download)
chocolate coins or other candy

Directions

I started by painting the pot with the chalk paint. I painted two coats about halfway down the inside and all of the outside. Follow the directions on your paint.

Mine needed to dry an hour between coats and I let it dry completely overnight. I used an empty toilet paper tube to hold it up off of the newspaper while it dried.

Next, I used the hot glue to attach the pipe cleaner on the inside for a handle. This only needed to dry for a minute.

I cut the thin green ribbon and tied it to one end of the handle. I looped it through the tag, then wrapped the rest of it around the handle and tied it at the other end.

I then tied the thick green ribbon in a bow opposite from the tag and filled the pot with candy.

Don’t forget to add some treasure to your Saint Patrick’s Day neighbor gift. I found these chocolate coins at JoAnn too. If you have trouble finding them, rainbow candy like Skittles would be fun or anything wrapped in gold foil, like Rolos or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

If you don’t want to fill the whole container with candy, ball up some black tissue paper to fit in the bottom of the pot.

Download Printable HERE

Here are a few more spring printables you’ll love:

Printable spring bucket list

Printable spring break journal

Spring print and color bookmarks

Printable New Year’s Eve Countdown

December 9, 2016 by Keri Houchin

Celebrating New Year’s Eve doesn’t need to stop when you have kids. Plan a special night at home with fun games and food while you wait for midnight. Use this Printable New Year’s Eve Countdown to space the fun out all night.

Celebrating New Year’s Eve as a family is lots of fun, especially when the kids are old enough to stay awake until midnight, but young enough to think that it’s a special treat. Spread out the fun activities all night with a special surprise to open and do each hour. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

6:30 p.m. – Supper time!

Start the evening with a meal that everyone loves. I usually let the kids pick out their favorite junk food that we don’t eat the rest of the year, like pizza bagels or mozzarella sticks.

7:30 p.m. – Play a game together.

Play a board game or card game together. If the kids are younger, they can be on “teams” with parents.

8:30 p.m. – Dessert.

What’s a party without dessert? It can be as simple at store bakery cookies or as fancy as a build-your-own sundae bar.

9:30 p.m. – Play another game.

Choose something different from the earlier one. Go on a scavenger hunt around the house, play 20 Questions, or tic-tac-toe.

10:30 p.m. – Make resolutions for next year.

Take turns telling stories about the best memories from the past year. Choose something you want to do better or something new for this year.

11:30 p.m. – Get ready to countdown to midnight.

Gather drinks for toasting, noise-makers, and party whistles, and keep your eyes on the clock.

Click to download the printable: Printable New Year’s Eve Countdown

It includes:

Happy New Year sign – trims to 8″x10″
Set of 6 “Open at” cards
Set of 2 blank cards for writing

You’ll also need envelopes, bags, or something to put your surprise messages in. Plus, of course, supplies for whatever your celebration plans include.

I printed my New Year’s Eve countdown on regular 8-1/2”x11” cardstock and cut out each countdown piece, then used some Glue Dots on the corners to attach them to the envelopes. The cards to go inside the envelopes are blank so you can write in whatever you want to do for the surprise is at the hour.

I love the ombre-like fading from dark purple to bright pink! These printables are so fun and will go great with and gold and sparkly accessories you want to add to your New Year’s Eve celebration.

Here are a few more things you’ll need for a fun New Year’s Eve party:

Go Fish + more printable games

NYE Printable for Kids

New Year’s Goal Printable for Adults

Printable Holiday Gift Tags for Christmas

November 9, 2016 by Keri Houchin

They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but I always know a present is going to be amazing if the wrapping is eye-catching. Put these printable holiday gift tags on all of your Christmas presents this year to wow the recipients.

These gift tags are adorable with presents and stockings and ornaments. The background is a very light blue. They’re so bright and cheerful – which is perfect for Christmastime, of course!

I think the snowman is my favorite. {You can see him in the picture of the pages below.}

I made these printable holiday gift tags in a lot of different sizes so that they will be perfect for everyone on your gifting list.

6 – 1”x2” tags
4 – 2”x2” tags
2 – 2”x3” tags
6 – 3” round tags

The round ones fit inside the lid of a wide-mouth canning jar. You could trim them to fit the standard size too. Candy and homemade treats are always one of my favorite gifts to give and receive.

The smallest tags have “To” and “From” and the round ones have plenty of space for writing in the middle.

Oh, and there’s one tag that says “Happy New Year!” for anyone {like me, ahem} that might need to give someone a gift after the big day has passed.

Click to download both pages: Printable holiday gift tags

These print on regular 8-1/2”x11” paper. Cardstock is great for durability and these might be fun on specialty papers like textured or glitter.

Print at home or your favorite copy shop and then cut them out. You can punch holes to tie them to packages or print onto label paper for self-sticking tags.

Here are a few more printables to get you in the Christmas spirit:

Free printable holiday gift planner

Free printable coloring gift tags

Printable Christmas coloring & activity book

Welcome Fall Printable Sign

October 10, 2016 by Keri Houchin

Fall is officially here! It’s time to pack away the last bits of summer and transition your home to cooler weather soon. Download this welcome fall printable sign for a simple but gorgeous update to your home décor.

What’s your favorite thing about fall – or autumn? Is it the cooler weather? Here in Texas, that is certainly a change that is appreciated. Maybe you’re a foodie and can’t wait for pumpkin spice everything to be on the menu again. Do you have family traditions for Halloween or Thanksgiving?

For me, fall is a time to slow down and look back over the year. Sure, my family is still busy with school events and the hustle and bustle of the holidays will be here soon.

But the cooler weather outside makes nights at home seem cozier and with Thanksgiving in November, I can’t help but be reminded of all the good things that I’ve experienced this year. It’s easy to get distracted by the not-so-good things {and downright awful ones} that have happened, but autumn reminds me that just like the actual seasons… seasons of life change.

Fall is a time to give thanks and celebrate with those you love. I think there’s a reason that the fall and winter holidays are all about welcoming people to your house.

I made this printable so that you can display it all season. It has gorgeous autumn jewel colors and a simple message to welcome everyone who might be visiting your home.

Click to download: Welcome fall printable

This printable fits on regular 8-1/2”x11” paper or card stock. It can be trimmed down to fit an 8”x10” frame or just be hung up as-is without a frame.

Print at home or your favorite copy shop.

If you’re hosting a fall get-together, here are a few more printables you might need:

Printable fall party invitation

Fall party printables with woodland creatures

Printable Halloween scavenger hunt

Printable Fall Party Invitation

September 10, 2016 by Keri Houchin

Once we get past Labor Day and the beginning of the new school year, it’s time to start thinking about fall. Download this pretty printable fall party invitation to send to friends and family for a Halloween, Thanksgiving or other fall celebration.

Fall is my favorite season. I love the cooler weather after months of blazing Texas sunshine and always look forward to being able to bake pumpkin muffins and unpack my sweaters again.

Really, we are probably as busy in my family as we are during the summer. It seems like we slow down just a bit for fall, though. September, October, and November are a time to reflect on the past year and look ahead. After all, the new year will be here before we know it, right?

This season brings plenty of reasons to throw a party. You might throw a late back-to-school celebration in September, plan a kid-friendly Halloween party or host a big Thanksgiving gathering. In my house, we also have a few fall birthdays.

What are you celebrating this season?

I made this printable fall party invitation in autumn leaf colors – gold, orange, maroon and lime green. It is simple and cute and I couldn’t resist adding a little owl sitting on a tree stump at the bottom.

The text says “It’s time to celebrate!” and has lines for you to write in the date, time, location, and contact info. I made it generic enough that you can use it for any type of seasonal celebration.

Click to download: Fall party invitation

This card measures 5”x7” and can be printed on stationery cardstock for a flat 5-by-7 invitation. You could also print it on regular 8-1/2”x11” card stock or paper, but you’ll need to trim it. The design doesn’t have any copyright info on it, so you should be able to get these professionally printed at your favorite copy shop if you prefer.

To throw a fun fall party, you might also like these ideas:

{matching} Fall party printables with woodland creatures – full alphabet banner, tent cards & circles

Printable Halloween scavenger hunt

12 tips for hosting a big Thanksgiving dinner

Printable Student Binder Covers

August 9, 2016 by Keri Houchin

This post is sponsored. All opinions are mine alone. Thank you for supporting our site so we can continue to bring you great content!

School supply lists seem to get more specific every year. Sometimes that mile-long list doesn’t come with a lot of opportunities for personalization. Add these printable student binder covers to the front of a clear binder for a pop of color and fun. Add these printable student binder covers to the front of a clear binder for a pop of color and fun.

Is your family getting ready for school to start again soon? If you’re like me {and most other parents I know}, you saw that school supply list and winced a little. It seems every year the list gets longer, more expensive, and more detailed so I thought I’d make a little freebie to share.

Every bit counts, right? Now you can buy the cheap plain binders and use these fun printables!

When I was in middle school, Lisa Frank was the coolest school supply brand you could possibly have. Every Lisa Frank product – binders, spirals, folders, pencils, etc. – was the craziest bright colors. It was also covered in rainbows and unicorns and other fantastic animals.

The only way to be any cooler was to have a Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper.

I think a lot of adults are nostalgic about the era of neon puppies and four-colored pens. Of course, trends usually come back around. I saw a girl with a side ponytail and a tie-dye shirt on a hoverboard last week.

If your child is all about rainbows and unicorns, they’re going to love these printable binder covers. They’re not quite as bright as Lisa Frank, but they’re pretty cute and appeal to a pretty wide age range.

I made four printable binder cover pages: a rainbow, a unicorn, a turtle, and a dolphin.

The backgrounds are cheerful pastel patterns and there’s space to write in your student’s name and the subject.

Click to download:

Print the pages on regular 8-1/2”x11” paper. Use one or all four, depending on what you need for school this year. These printable student binder covers are sure to make your child’s binders stand out.

For more back to school printables:

Printable student planner

Printable Star Wars lunch box notes

Printable after school snack list

Printable Doughnut Tic Tac Toe Game

July 9, 2016 by Keri Houchin

If you need a “sweet” activity for your next party or just something to keep the kids entertained any day, this printable doughnut tic tac toe is just what you need. This simple and familiar game is one that everyone can enjoy.

My family loves playing games together. There are plenty of new ones we enjoy and of course, technology has given my kids tons of opportunities for educational games that I adore. And hey, I also love to zone out and play a little TETRIS on my phone every now and then!

There’s something I just love about classic games, though. We still play card games like Go Fish and Jenga.

Tic tac toe is one of those classic games that I think never goes out of style. It simple, but at my house, it can also get pretty competitive. I love that tic tac toe appeals to all ages. If you have kids in a wide age range, this is something that preschoolers up through teens can both play together.

This doughnut tic tac toe game is pretty simple. There are two pages: the board and the doughnut pieces. I made the doughnuts in two contrasting colors – pink and chocolate brown – instead of the traditional Xs and Os. There are 5 of each doughnut, giving you plenty of pieces.

Click to download: Doughnut Tic Tac Toe

Print the game on regular 8-1/2”x11” card stock. Cut out all of the doughnuts. If you have a 2-inch punch, you could use that to make it a little faster.

I didn’t cut out the center of my doughnuts, but you could.

Just like the original version, players take turns putting a piece on the board and trying to get 3 in a row.

For more fun summer activities to print:

Printable Tangrams + Challenge Cards

Printable Summer BINGO

Printable Ocean Coloring Pages

Printable Summer Bingo Game

June 9, 2016 by Keri Houchin

Summer break from school is all fun and games – until the kids say those dreaded words “I’m bored.” For a fun party game or activity for any day, print this cute summer bingo game. It’s fun for a group of elementary-aged children.

There’s been a lot of nostalgia about the old-fashioned lazy days of summer going around. When I was a kid, I spent a lot of my summer time playing outdoors with my brothers, sister, and neighbors.

We also spent a lot of time indoors playing board games.

Of course, there were often battles about who was cheating at Monopoly, but we had a lot of fun. I think one of the best benefits of board games is that the kids are learning.

Board games are a great way to avoid the “summer slide” by practicing reading and math skills. Playing games with others also teaches kids to be fair, follow rules, and win or lose graciously.

These are definitely skills I want my own kids to keep practicing!

On my own blog, One Mama’s Daily Drama, I’ll be doing a Christmas in July feature with a free printable kids’ game every Wednesday throughout the month of July. Today for Busy Mom’s Helper readers, I want to share a fun printable summer bingo game.

This printable summer bingo game includes 4 bingo boards and 24 cards. I’ve also included the instructions on a cover page.

Traditional bingo has one person being the caller, who picks the numbers out of a tumbler. For this version, the cards are placed face down and one person flips over the top card.

All of the words have a summer theme. They’re appropriate for elementary readers, but older kids may enjoy playing too.

Click to download: Summer Bingo Game

Print the game on regular 8-1/2”x11” card stock. Cut out the boards and cards. You can print extra boards if you’ve got more than four players.

We used M&Ms for playing pieces, but anything small that won’t roll away will work. Use buttons, mancala marbles, or pieces from another game.

For more fun summer activities to print:

Printable LEGO Play Mat

LEGO Guess Who Board Game

Printable Summer Vacation Journal

Printable Backyard Barbecue Invitation

May 24, 2016 by Keri Houchin

Summertime is cookout season. If you’re planning to host a fun and casual backyard get-together with friends, send everyone on your guest list this cute printable backyard barbecue invitation.

Sometimes summer seems like one big holiday. Sure, the adults still have to work, but when the kids are at home, everything slows down.

My family likes to take advantage of summer holidays to invite friends over to hang out in the backyard and enjoy food from the grill. There’s Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day – but any weekend is a good excuse to have fun.

Our parties are super casual. Usually, my husband cooks hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill. We ask our guests to bring a potluck of simple, picnic-style side dishes like pasta salad, chips, and fresh fruit. The kids run and play in the backyard while the adults get to sit and chat.

This printable backyard barbecue invitation is red, white, and blue for those patriotic holidays. It’s also generic enough that you can use it all summer long.

The text simply says “Please join us for a backyard barbecue” and has space for you to write in the date, time, location, and contact info.

If you’d rather type the details than write them by hand, open the invitation in Adobe Reader. Click ‘add text’ and type on the lines. You can change the font and size. The ones I used are called Aventura and Freestyle Script. You should be able to find them for free at your favorite font sites.

Click to download: Backyard Barbecue Invitation

To throw a fabulous summer party, you might also like these ideas:

Red, white, and blue party printables

Easy and fabulous peach tea recipe

Sweet and spicy Texas BBQ ribs

Printable Star Wars Mother’s Day Card

April 24, 2016 by Keri Houchin

Mother’s Day is coming up and it’s time to show the geeky moms in your life what they mean to you. Moms are a lot like Jedi and it takes some serious skills to do all that they do. This printable Star Wars Mother’s Day card is the perfect way to says thanks.

If you think about it, Star Wars has a lot of awfully cool and strong moms.

Anakin’s mom, Shmi Skywalker, raised him by herself. She worked insanely hard to give him the best life she could, despite their circumstances. When the time came, she also made the difficult choice of letting him go because she knew that could give him a better life too.

Luke and Leia’s mom, Padme Amidala, might not have had the opportunity to show off her momming skills, but there’s no denying that she would’ve been a good mom. She fought for the rights of people everywhere and wasn’t one to back down even when the odds were against her.

Luke’s Aunt Beru raised him and taught him the value of hard work. He had to finish his breakfast and get his chores done before he could go hang out with his friends. That’s pretty much how it works in my house too.

We don’t know anything at all about Rey’s mom, but I believe that whatever happened to her, she must have made those choices to protect her daughter.

As a mom, I sometimes feel like I need Jedi skills to get everything on my to-do list done and still keep my younglings happy. I made this printable Star Wars Mother’s Day card to reflect that.

On the front, it says “The force is strong in my family.”

On the inside, “I got it from my mom. Happy Mother’s Day!”

Click to download: Star Wars Mother’s Day Card

Print your card on regular 8-1/2”x11” card stock. There’s no need to trim it. Just fold the card in half with the pictures and text facing outward. Fold it in half again with the front and back covers on the outside.

I like to use a wooden ruler to smooth the edges so that’s they’re really crisp.

If you want to DiY a gift for a Jedi Mom to go with your Star Wars Mother’s Day card, you might like these projects:

Star Wars rebel bleach tee