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America's National Waffle Day is August 24th.  The day is a commemoration of the day the first waffle iron was patented - so a perfect time to talk about inventions and patents with your kids and indulge in a hearty breakfast or tasty waffle dessert!

If you are interested in joining either of these playgroups, you can sign up at the June 24th event or register for the playgroup kick off day on this site.

We look forward to meeting you this summer!

One of the healthiest national observance days has arrived!  Treat your kids to a free classic doughnut at Dunkin Donuts with the purchase of any beverage on June 2nd.

The holidays are busy!  Here are my favorite go-to sites for activities to engage and keep my kids busy while doing something creative and festive.  Some activities only require two pipe cleaners and others will require a trip to the hardware store!

• Artful Parent: Art projects, ornaments, and decorations
  
• Toddler Approved: Toddler crafts
  
• STEAM Kids: STEAM projects for older kids
  
• Little Bins for Little Hands: Lego advent countdown
  
• Gift of Curiosity: Crafts, printables, and Do-A-Dot sheets
  
• Preschool Powol Packets: Busy bags and Montessori activities

This month only, new members can join for $20!  If you've been putting off joining, this is the month to do it!  For more information about membership benefits, check out our membership page!

It's fitting that Thanksgiving comes when it does--right after the sugar craze of Halloween and before the gimmes! of Christmas.  By November 1st, I'm usually ready for an activity to remind my kids that Disney Junior does not, in fact, rule the world (or at least, try to convince all of us of it).  

Last year, we used these Gratitude Conversation Starters.  First, I printed the sheets out and cut out all of the slips of paper.  I folded them and put them in a little dish we keep in the dining room.  Each night, the kids take turns picking a slip from the dish and each of us answers the prompt.  Then I record everyone's answers on a paper leaf (you can use this template to make them) and hang it up in the kitchen to remind us all month long of all the things we are grateful for.  

It doesn't prevent my kids from begging everything under the sun in December, but it does give me fond memories of a time when they were grateful, if only for a few weeks!

Now that the leaves are starting to turn, we have a great excuse to head out for a short walk every afternoon.  I'm especially trying to savor this time knowing that Elsa is predicted to return for several months this winter!  

To keep our walks interesting, I try to focus on a different activity either during or after the walk.  We wind up gathering tons of leaves, so I try to get the kids to count and sort them when we get home--by color, size, or tree type.  We add in pinecones and acorns to keep things really interesting.  

Luckily, there are lots of good leaf activity resources and craft ideas.  Below are just a few of my favorites!

• Preschool Mom: Fall Leaf Theme
  
• Moms Have Questions Too: Leaf Activities 
  
• Surviving a Teacher's Salary: Leaf game and coloring book
  
• Artful Parent: What to do with autumn leaves
  

My mom has made this dessert for the 4th of July for as long as I can remember, and I've made it a tradition to make with my kids each year also.  It's easy for little hands to help with, (somewhat) healthy, and visually on theme!

Ingredients

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Sugar (optional)
• Bisquick
• Milk
• Whipped Cream

Directions

1. Wash, chop, and combine the strawberries and blueberries.  Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.  Set aside.
2. Follow Bisquick recipe for biscuits (or make your own favorite kind!) to make the dough. 
3. After rolling out dough, use a star shaped cookie cutter to form the biscuits and cook as directed.  Tip: don’t make the biscuits too thin—it’s best for them to be about an inch thick when done.
4. After biscuits have cooled, slice them in half.
5. To plate, place a biscuit open faced on a plate.  Spoon fruit mixture on top of the bottom side, top with whipped cream, and then put the top back on.  Optional: red, white, and blue tooth picks to hold it all together!

What's on your child's summer bucket list?  There's a lot of pressure to make memories over the summer, but making sure that they are the ones that your child wants to make is the trick!  Here are some questions to get you started:

• where do you want to go?
• who do you want to play with?
• what do you want to learn?
• what do you want to build?
• what do you want to practice?
• what do you want to make?

Of course, if you all run out of ideas, check out our summer fun guide (2015 version coming soon!).   

A few people also have cute ways of displaying the their lists once they are done.  Here are two printables you can use, from theidearoom.net and Artful Parent. 

A perfect Mother's Day craft for grandmothers should be sweet, sentimental, and totally hand-crafted--something grandma will hang on the kitchen fridge or in the window for a few weeks and then dispose of.

My favorite art site for kids has a list of over 50 suncatchers that are just that.  There are so many kinds you are sure to find something that you already have all the supplies for, and grandma will appreciate it!  My favorites are the nature ones because they also celebrate spring!  Here's the complete list! 

Another popular way to go is the hand/foot print picture.  Here are fourteen (!) different ways to make those. 

And of course, flowers are always appreciated, in any form!  This is just a regular clay pot, painted by the kids and containing a sweet flower. 

Whatever form your Mother's Day celebration takes, enjoy the day with family!