Kid Stuff

Popsicle Stick Crafts For Fall

October 5, 2020 by Jessica Moore Leave a Comment

Looking for fun crafts and activities to do with your kids this Fall? Popsicle stick crafts and engineering projects are the answer! Read on for some fantastic ideas to STICK it to boredom.

Gobbling Fun

Gobble up some fun with these friendly popsicle stick turkeys. Use sticks for the body and feet and construction paper for the face, head, and feathers. Source

Stuffed of Fun

This scarecrow project will stuff your afternoon full of creativity and fun. Use permanent marker, wiggly eyes, and craft paper for the hat and hair. Candy corn makes a cute nose and a perfect treat to snack on. Scare up some more details from Activated Nest.

Jack Be Nimble

Jack be nimble. Jack be quick. Jack jump over the ~~candlestick~~ crafting-stick. These cute Jack-O-Lantern popsicle stick crafts are great for more Halloween fun after you’ve already carved your real frightful gourds. See the original ideas and more here.

Caught Up In Fun

These popsicle stick spider webs will have your kids all caught up in fun. Simply paint popsicle sticks black, orange, and white before winding yarn of the same colors around the sticks to make spider webs worthy of the best eight-legged arachnids. Source.

Boo To You

Boo to you with this ghostly view. Buttons and wiggly eyes bring these haunted apparitions to life using eight black popsicle sticks to frame out a window. Orange paper is used as a background to make the white ghosts pop into sight. Take a peek at The Pinterested Parent for more information.

A House of Sticks

Even the Big Bad Wold will agree that this house of sticks will scare up some Halloween fun! Older children in particular will really enjoy putting their engineering skills to use with this one. Source.

H Is For Haunted House

If younger kids are too little to build a 3D popsicle house with their older siblings, this alphabet inspired haunted house is a boo-tastic solution. What other house designs will they be able to spook up? Source.

Picture Perfect

For a non-holiday Fall project, this popsicle stick schoolhouse frame is picture perfect! What an educated idea for sharing all your kids’ best back-to-school photos. Get schooled on the project here.

He’s Alive!

This Frankenstein popsicle craft is electrifyingly amusing. What a perfect way to shock some fun into this Halloween season! Source.

Something To Crow About

This happy scarecrow craft is something to crow about. The body is made almost entire of popsicle sticks while the head and hat are made of paper, straw, and wiggly eyes. Source.

R.I.P

Rest In Popsicle with this creative haunted graveyard project. Paint small popsicle sticks black and wrap them with thin wire to make the fence. Dig up some more info from Lil Blue Boo.

Up It With Puppets

Up the fun with these simple Halloween puppets. Use different colors of paint, wiggly eyes, sharpie, pipe cleaner, and more to create your spooky starring cast. Source.

Popsicle Pilgrims

Teach your kids about the Mayflower Voyage and First Thanksgiving before making these cute popsicle Pilgrims. Source.

Look No Feather

Here’s another turkey craft to help you count your blessings. After making a body and head from craft paper, use colorful popsicle sticks to make a full tail of feathers. Write one thing you’re grateful for on each feather to celebrate Thanksgiving in true holiday spirit. Cluck out the idea from Preschool Alphabet.

Holiday Travel Kits For Kids That Keep Parents Sane

September 26, 2020 by Jessica Moore Leave a Comment

Holiday travel can get a little crazy, but holiday travel with kids can be insane if you aren’t prepared! Before you head out on your holiday travels this year, check out the holiday travel kits for kids that will help you stay sane. Put one of these together for your kids, because it’s the best travel investment you’ll ever make!

Holiday Travel Kits For Kids

Everyone knows how big of a pain it is to travel during the holidays, but traveling with kids during the holidays is hard! These holiday travel kits for kids will make you feel much more prepared.

Kids’ Holiday Travel Kits For The Plane

It can be really hard to travel with kids during the holidays. These holiday travel kits for kids will help you feel prepared for whatever comes your way.

The perfect organizer for a kids’ holiday travel kit is something like this hanging toiletries bag. It holds a lot of stuff in one convenient little package. Get one for each child in your family, and then stock it with the following items:

Coloring books
Colored pencils {they don’t melt like crayons do!}
Kindle Fire or other kid-friendly activity tablet with age-appropriate apps installed
Sticker activity book
Any other small toys or travel games you can fit inside your kit

Holiday Travel Kits For The Car

Traveling with kiddos can be tricky, especially during the holidays. These holiday travel kits for kids will make your holiday trips be as smooth as possible.

If you’re taking a holiday road trip, stock a kids’ holiday travel kit inside a backpack for the car before you go. Here are some ideas:

Create a craft binder. A large binder with 3″ rings holds several zip-close pouches you can fill with stickers, colored pencils, markers and paper. When the binder is closed, the top acts as the perfect sized “desk” for your child to work on.
Include a pack of Expo Window Markers. These are fun for drawing on the glass, and easily erase when your child is finished.
Window clings are fun on a road trip. Get a pack of holiday-themed window clings and let your child use the window glass to have hours of fun using her imagination.
A tablet or Kindle Fire works as well in the car as it does on a plane. Before you go, download some brand new apps and games to keep your child’s interest.

Stock a holiday travel kit for the kids, and save your sanity on the plane and in the car. And don’t forget to read up on 10 expert tips for traveling with kids!

12 Science Experiments You Can Eat

September 16, 2020 by Jessica Moore Leave a Comment

Get ready to have fun and eat it too with edible science experiments for kids! Knock out learning time, fun time and snack time in one fell blow. Your kids will be amazed!

Challenging your children's mind doesn't have to be boring. Kids love to learn and it is even better when they can eat what they have created. Read on for more info about these edible science projects for kids. They are easy and can be done at home. #scienceexperiements #ediblescienceprojects #educationforkids #educationathome #halfpintpeepsblog

12 Edible Science Experiments for Kids

At Home

Peanut Butter Playdough

This edible playdough means you can play with your peanut butter and eat it too. Any time you mix ingredients to form a new texture, it’s an easy way to talk about chemistry. For this recipe you need:

Rock & Crystals

Learn about crystals and how they form before making your own rock candy.

Popcorn Experiments You Can Eat

How does popcorn come from corn on the cob? Discuss this and so much more about the wonders of popcorn all while you enjoy it straight from the bag.

Easy Edible Science Experiments for Kids

Metamorphic Starbursts

Teach your kids about metamorphic rocks and the rock cycle–with Starburst candies! Press warm Starbursts together to teach about rock layers. Use a different color Starburst for each layer to help the kids visualize it.

Moon Cycle Cookies

Learning the different phases of the moon cycle doesn’t get much tastier than this! Carve (orrr…lick) the frosting on black and white sandwich cookies to illustrate the 8 phases of the moon.

Gummy Bear Genetics

Understanding genetics just got unbearable fun! Use different colored gummy bears to show how genes are passed from one generation to the next.

Solar Oven S’mores

Pizza boxes, aluminum foil and cling wrap make this melty experiment about heat and energy. Solar oven s’mores are always a hot project in my classroom and I keep going back for s’more year after year!

Floating S-Kittles

Teach children about the Scientific Method. Make predictions by watching the S magically float off candy Skittles. I LOVE the reaction this experiment gets from kids (and me too)!

Gum Drop Engineering

Kids love to put their engineering hats on with this gum drop experiment. Build structures with toothpicks and gum drops. Spaghetti or cooking skewers work in place of toothpicks if you want to build taller structures.

Cookie Erosion

Using cookies and few “excavating” tools will have the process of weathering play out right before your eyes. No eroding brains around here!

DIY Edible Science Projects For Kids

Homemade Butter

One of my students’ favorite science lessons each year is making cream turn into butter. They love watching the transformation as they take turns shaking a jar full of cream. They especially love sampling the butter on fresh bread at the end! Michaels sells mason jars in any size and shape you need.

Jelly Bean Solubility

Dissolving jelly beans in various liquids is a fun way to put some extra spring into your scientific endeavors. Which liquids dissolve the jelly beans the fastest? Why?

Did you enjoy these edible science experiments for kids? Since you’re already here…check out these other fun science projects for kids:

20 Teacher-Tested Science Projects for Kids

Valentines Day Science Experiments for All Kids

How to Make A Kid-Approved Lava Lamp In 3 Groovy Steps

August 31, 2020 by Jessica Moore Leave a Comment

Science is one of my favorite activities to teach. This surprises me because as a child, science and I did not play nicely. I always felt one step behind or, sadly, just bored. For as much as there are some who don’t like the Common Core as it is applied in public education, I personally find much value in these curriculum standards as a teacher. I feel that they set a precedence in classrooms that helps bring learning away from worksheets and into hands-on learning. One of my favorite science experiments to conduct with my students (and theirs as well!!) is to make lava lamps. They are really simple to make and are a great way to get kids excited about science! Here’s how to make a lava lamp in 3 groovy steps.

How To Make A Lava Lamp

Gather Materials

Before you get started, you’ll need to gather some (simple) materials:

Cooking Oil (Canola or Vegetable work just the same)
Food Coloring (liquid, not gel)
An Empty Water Bottle or Glass Jar (the more unusual the shape, the better!)
Water (of the liquid sort)
Fizzing Antacid Tablets such as Alka-Seltzer (as many as you’d like to keep you entertained)

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Learning Topics

I don’t like teaching something in my classroom just to pass time or because it “looks fun”. We always have a learning objective. Here are some ideas of topics you can teach your children with your lava lamp experiment:

Use senses to make and record observations and interpretations of data.
Identify properties of solids, liquids, and gases.
Investigate and record changes to the properties of matter.
Investigate and record the interactions between liquids, solids, and gases.
Practice measuring and calculating math with metric units (HUGE concept for 3rd graders!).
Conduct “next steps” experiments. In other words, what else could you do to this experiment to possibly change the outcome? Have children record their hypotheses and outcomes/data. (Suggested Next Step: Use a glow stick instead of food coloring. Crack the glow stick, cut off the top, and empty the gel into the water bottle).

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Image

Step 1

Fill your empty bottle or jar about 1/2-2/3 of the way with the cooking oil and the rest of the way with water. BE SURE to leave about an inch of air at the top. Image.

Step 2

Add 10 drops of food coloring. Warning: May require some patience as the food coloring makes its way through the oil and water. Image.

Step 3

Break the Alka-Seltzer tablet(s) into quarters or halves. We like to “go big” in my classroom so we go with half a tablet at once. Then just watch and be dazzled! The food coloring will start “erupting” all sorts of grooviness in your bottle! Kids have so much fun watching the the food coloring as it bubbles and moves. As soon as the Alka-Seltzer has dissolved, you can add more or more for as long as you’d like. Image.

Now that you know how to make a lava lamp, it’s time to get started! For more fun ideas to do with your kiddos, check out my post on seriously cool 5 minute science projects for kids!

FREE! Printable Chore Charts for Kids

August 27, 2020 by Jessica Moore Leave a Comment

Reminding children to take care of their chores can be the worst! Take the nag out of asking by using an easy printable chore chart.

Teaching kids about the responsibilities of the household chores is a critical factor in them developing their own sense of duty and responsibility. Chore charts make that so much easier and fun, too. With these free printable chore charts, you are already there! #halfpintpeepsblog #chorecharts #kids

1. Tiffany Collins Designs shares these adorable calendar chore charts. There are two color choices. I love how easy the chart makes it to see which chores were done on each day.

2. The fun design on this chore chart makes it worthy for display. Laminate the paper before writing on it so you can change chore tasks as needed. Get your free printable here.

3. Help motivate your kids with this rainbow colored chore chart. Print and laminate the matching stars for an added fun incentive. You can also have children earn points based on chores completed. Who doesn’t like to earn stars?! Print it from Printable Crush.

4. Your Little Princess won’t give you the royal treatment anymore when you ask her to take care of her “princess duties” instead of her chores. And, really, it just makes sense to call on Cinderella to share some of her awesome cleaning skills. Print out the Printable here.

5. Get those bigger out-of-the-norm jobs done with a work for hire board. This job board isn’t quite a chore chart and it’ll require a framed corkboard, but The Chic Site provides all the free tags and printables here. What a great way for kids to earn some extra cash when they want to buy a toy or hang out with friends.

6. Motivate your Little Star Wars Jedis with some help from the Force. Getting through your Skywalker “Jedi duties” or Han Solo “flight plan” sounds a whole lot cooler than “doing your chores”! Find the printable here.

7. Attach your chore chart right to a cleaning kit. Fill baskets with all the necessary cleaning supplies for a job or group of jobs and then attach a chore chart to the basket with all the jobs that can be done with those supplies. Kids shouldn’t have any problem knowing exactly what to do with this chore chart idea! Find more details from Must Have Mom.

8. This chore chart is a great solution if you need something more visual for all age groups. Even younger children can know exactly what tasks are assigned to them. Children earn tickets for each completed job and can use tickets to “buy” rewards. To help display the cards and tickets you’ll need a pocket chart. Otherwise, get all the free printables and more information from Confessions of A Homeschooler.

9. Turn completed chores into a game with a Tic-Tac-To-Do Chart. Have children fill in a space for every completed job and try to get three in a row. Learn more and get your free game mats from Design Eat Repeat.

10. Use Chore Bucks as a reward system with any chore chart. They can be used to buy trips to the zoo or to a movie, or can be used to buy a new toy or special treat. Find your free Chore Bucks here.

10 Deliciously Spooky Halloween Snacks for Kids

August 25, 2020 by Jessica Moore Leave a Comment

One of the best parts of Halloween is the costumes. A whole day getting to be someone or something besides yourself (of course knowing that you’ll be you again tomorrow). But it’s just as fun that people aren’t the only ones that change their identity for the day. Think of all those spooktakular snacks that get to don a mask as well. So, whether you’ve joined this foody tradition yet or not, here are 10 deliciously spooky Halloween snacks for kids.

Mummys, spiders and Frankenstein in your snacks? Must be Halloween and you won't want to miss these fun Halloween snacks! #halfpintpeepsblog #kidssnacks #halloween

Mummy Pretzels

Get all wrapped up in the these tasty mummy treats. Just add candy eyes to white chocolate dipped pretzels and snack time will be ready to rise from the dead. Get the recipe from Let’s Dish Recipes.

Spider Pizza Bites

Use olives to make creepy crawly pizza bites. Make the base of the pizza with mini bagel crisps and then add tomato paste, cheese, and olives to spin it all together. Read more information here.

Frankenguac

This frankeguac is electrifyingly fun! Spread your favorite guacamole in a rectangle on a serving dish and add veggies and more to make Frankenstein’s face. Use blue tortilla chips for the hair. Get the recipe and assembly directions here.

Pumpkin Deviled Eggs

These gourdish delights are a sure way to carve out some good times! Shape the filling like a pumpkin and add a sprig of parsley for the stem. Paprika adds a tasty pop of flavor on top. Recipe found here.

BATastic Chips

Cinnamon sugar is a favorite flavor in our home. My boys love sprinkling it on buttered toast and extra pie crust in particular. Another favorite is cinnamon sugar tortilla chips! To make these addictive little bites, just use a bat shaped cookie cutter to punch out the chips from flour tortillas. Dip the chips in melted butter, sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar, and bake! Bats all folks! Fly on over to Simple Recipes for the full recipe.

Zombie Boogers

Zombies everywhere agree that this Halloween treat is ripe for the picking. Add green and yellow food coloring to your favorite popcorn ball recipe to make the juicy snack. Come fright this way for the full directions.

Looky Looky

Call olive your kids to the kitchen to get an eye popping look at what you’ve prepared for today’s haunting treat. Use green olives and mozzarella balls to make the sightly snack. Just remind your kids that it isn’t polite to roll their eyes. Don’t blink or you’ll miss the recipe over at GiantEagle.com.

Bone Appetit!

This Halloween snack is straight from the cookbook of Ghoulia Child: Bone Appetit! Simply tie knots into your favorite ready-to-bake breadsticks for some bone chilling delight. Get scared to the bone with the recipe from Kraft.

Jack of All Treats

Candy and sweets aren’t the only yummy Halloween treats and these jack-o-lantern fruit cups are carving the way to prove it. Hollow out an orange before carving a jack-o-lantern face and filling it with bite-sized fruit bits. With no processed foods or preservatives and all the fun of other Halloween treats, you’ll all be wiping pump grins off your faces. Get more information here.

PB & J Spiderwich

Eight tiny legs is all that you’ll need,

To turn PB & J into a creepy fun feed.

Kids will love getting all caught and spun,

Bread, chocolate, and pretzels for some spiderwich fun!

Crawl here for directions.