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Simply Sweet Days

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Fun Kids Activities

Valentines Day Printable Word Search, Maze, and Word Jumble

These 3 easy and fun Valentines Day printables are sure to add to your holiday fun. And since they are free, all you have to do is print and go!

In the classroom, word searches and word jumbles are a favorite “fast-finisher” activity of mine. Once you download these freebies, they can be printed out as many times as you want. So feel free to pass them out to the whole class or use them for a simple Valentines Day party activity at home.

To get all 3 free printable Valentines Day activities, you will have to download each one separately using the links below. Just click the link to be taken to the file. You can print from there or save it to your computer to use later. Each file is 2 pages long because the activity is on the first page and the copyright attribution is on the second page. 

  • Valentines Day Word Search
  • Valentines Day Word Jumble
  • Valentines Day Maze with solution on page 2!

The activity pages are in black-and-white so your little ones can also enjoy coloring in the pictures. If homeschooling has taught me one thing, it is that printer ink is an expensive commodity! The pages shown in the photo above were printed with the “conserve ink/print as draft” option checked in my print dialog box. If you haven’t tried this, it is a great trick to extend the life of your ink cartridges! More info on how to do that here. And as you can see, the lines are still crisp and plenty dark enough.  

Check out these other Valentines Day posts:

  • Printable Non-Candy Valentine Card
  • Valentine Gift for your Mom friends

This year is our first year as a homeschool family, and one of the things my kids miss the most is classroom holiday parties. While I can’t give them a big party right now (thank you, pandemic), I can offer small moments of heart-themed entertainment. Like these cute little Valentines Day printable puzzle activities. If you liked these printables, make sure you’re following my Instagram where I share all my stuff as it goes up on the blog.  

 

And now for the “fine print”: I did pay to use the clipart images in these files, so you are ok to use the activity page as is. But you may not screenshot or make a copy of the clipart images by themselves. Those are the property of the creator. Her logo and a link to her website are on the second page of each activity. Please do not crop out my website at the bottom. I made it teeny weeny so it wouldn’t intrude on the activity, and so other people can find it if they want their own copy.

The Grinch’s Grotto is Coming to a City Near You!

You’re a mean one, 2020! You are going to love this fun, and covid-friendly, holiday activity for the whole family. The Grinch’s Grotto is coming to a major city near you!

What is the Grinch’s Grotto?

The Grinch’s Grotto is a brand new holiday experience fit for celebrating the 2020 yuletide season. Westfield UTC, along with other locations across the U.S., will feature The Grinch’s Grotto as a Santa photo alternative. This year, get ready to un-celebrate 2020 with our favorite holiday grump!

From the Press Release:

“The Grinch’s Grotto,” [is] an imaginative take on holiday photo shoots that will give guests a fun way to show off a bit of their grumpiness during  what is still the most wonderful time of the year.

…”The Grinch’s Grotto” will launch on Black Friday across a limited number of flagship malls throughout North America including ones in Los Angeles, Chicago, DC, Dallas, Houston, San Diego, Miami, Northern California and the New York Tri-State area. More locations and partners are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Guests will enter these free-standing locations for a one-of-a-kind visit with The Grinch in his special cave for a photo-shoot and other special surprises that are both intimate and in true Grinch fashion – socially-distant.

Tickets are available now, and will be limited. Find a location nearest you and pre-register for tickets!

Tips for an Epic Beach Trip

Nothing says “summer time” like a trip to the beach. I’ve spent my whole life making beach trips (only during warm weather, because I’m not crazy). When we head out on a beach trip, we try and keep it simple. This is my strategy that helps make every coastal outing into an epic beach trip.  

Tips for an Epic Beach Trip

Now that my kids are 5 and 7, they don’t need as much help – or as much stuff!- for a trip to the beach. My tips for a fantastic beach trip with small children are a little different, but the goal is the same: Don’t make it a huge chore for yourself!

Keep it Simple

Don’t overpack. Maybe every now and then, for a bonfire or something, take the plastic folding table and the portable mini grill. But if you’re just going on a family day trip, you don’t need much. It’s the beach. The fun is built-in. You don’t need a whole lot else.

What We Bring for an Epic Beach trip

Sunscreen. Because a beach trip is not epic if your sunburn is too. We bring the spray-on kind and repeat frequently, since it’s not the most reliable stuff.

Drinking Water. We pop some water bottles in the freezer in the morning before we leave and they stay chilly as long as we keep them in our bag in the shade.

Beach Bags. This is the only thing I bring that could be a little extra. We bring 2 totes to the beach: One is a mesh bag that I’ve had for years (still on Amazon, which tells you how great it is!) and I love that I can just shake the sand out of it. This is where I put sand toys/bowls 😉 , maybe a bag of chips, some fruit snacks or granola bars, sunscreen, keys, and towels. I can fit 5 folded towels in this bag! The other bag I bring is an insulated tote for waters, sandwiches, cut fruit, and anything else that I want kept cool and away from sand.

Umbrella. Just one. To cover me and the snacks. #sorrynotsorry I’m the one keeping you all safe and sunscreen up and I don’t like sitting in the sun all day. If you have to bring a second umbrella to share the shade, at least they’re not big and bulky. At least not the ones I bring. 🙂

Snacks. We usually bring a bag of chips, fruit, whatever else is in the cupboard. Smuckers Uncrustables are good for beach trips too because you just toss them in your tote bag, no prep required!  

Towels. Just one per person. No big picnic blanket, no plastic tarp. Just a couple towels. 

Cash, quarters & a debit card. Some of our beach parking lots still use meters that only take quarters. So old school, right? And not all the time, but every once in a while, we grab an ice cream by the pier. You never know if the beachside vendors will be able to take debit cards, so we bring cash as a backup. Lastly, here’s your friendly warning to avoid the tourist shops, my friend. You will be lured in by their cute beachy tees, but they’re always way overpriced!

Our Boogie Boards. Which we will only bring if the kids agree to carry their own because I am not a pack mule. My 7yo girls like to boogie board but the 5yo is still learning. If he brings his board, I will stand in the water with him and give him a push when a wave comes.

3 small plastic bowls. Hear me out. Gone are the days when we used to bring a garden shovel and dig a hole for the little tykes to splash around in. I also don’t want to lug a sack of sand toys on our beach trip (because you know mom will end up carrying them!), but I will admit that it’s much easier to play when you have some tools. We bring a couple of small cereal bowls that the kids can use to carry water and scoop sand, and they’re pretty happy with that. Remember-having an epic beach trip is all about keeping things simple!

Even if you’re a long-time beach person, it’s still a pretty big job to get everyone ready and out the door. If you give yourself permission to not take everything but the kitchen sink, you’ll be more likely to have an epic beach trip with your family!

Scoob! Movie Printable Activity Pages

May 15th was the official premiere and watch party for the new Scooby Doo and Shaggy movie, SCOOB! Your family is going to love this movie. To make the home entertainment even more fun, I’ve rounded up a bunch of Scooby Doo printables and coloring pages! I hope you enjoy this mega bundle of Scooby Doo printables, games and activities. Perfect for your next Scooby Doo themed party or SCOOB! movie night watch party.

Here’s a little bit of the storyline from the website: The first full-length animated Scooby-Doo adventure for the big screen is the never-before told stories of Scooby-Doo’s origins and the greatest mystery in the career of Mystery Inc.

“SCOOB!” reveals how lifelong friends Scooby and Shaggy first met and how they joined with young detectives Fred, Velma and Daphne to form the famous Mystery Inc. Now, with hundreds of cases solved and adventures shared, Scooby and the gang face their biggest, most challenging mystery ever: a plot to unleash the ghost dog Cerberus upon the world. As they race to stop this global “dogpocalypse,” the gang discovers that Scooby has a secret legacy and an epic destiny greater than anyone imagined.

SCOOB! Printable Coloring Pages & Activities

Looking for some easy activities for your Scooby Doo party or SCOOB! movie night? This mega bundle of coloring pages, games, and activities are printer-ready!

Scooby Doo Printable Cutouts

These full-color cutouts are an easy Scooby Doo craft!

Scooby Doo Mystery Machine 

Print out this colorful Mystery Machine cutout, add some glue, and you're all set!

Evil Bot Mask 

Print out this Evil Bot mask and pretend you're part of the movie!

SCOOB! Bracelet Cutouts

These Scooby Doo Bracelet Cutouts are another easy Print-and-Go craft!

Scooby Doo Themed Party Food

Try these tasty treats at your next Scooby Doo movie watch party!

Scooby Doo Monster Burgers

These are sure to make you SCREAM for more!

Scooby Doo Cupcakes

Take your cupcake skills up a notch with this easy-to-follow Scooby Doo cupcake tutorial!

SCOOB! Coloring Pages 

Use your creativity to bring your favorite SCOOB! characters to life.

Shaggy and Scooby Coloring Page

This Scooby Doo coloring page is from when the pals were little.

Young Scooby Doo Coloring Page

He's such a cute little pup!

Shaggy and Scooby Picnic

Here are the BFFs, doing what they do best... Eating!

Scooby and the Gang Coloring Page

All the friends are here in this Scooby and the Gang coloring page!

Best Pals Coloring Page

Shaggy and Scooby are the best of friends!

The Mystery Inc. Coloring Page

Another great printable of the whole crew!

Ruh-Roh Coloring Page

One of Scooby's classic lines!

Shaggy Coloring Page

Lots of snacks in the background are the perfect wallpaper for this hungry fella!

The Gang in the Snow

This chilly scene brings all the friends together for some coloring fun!

Shaggy and Scooby at the Movies

No sharing popcorn for these guys!

The Mystery Machine Coloring Page

The unsung hero of all the spooky adventures.

More Scooby Doo Printable Activities

Looking for more Scoby Doo printable activities? Check these out!

Mystery Quiz

Test your SCOOB knowledge with this fun quiz!

Scooby Doo Maze Activity

Help Scooby Doo get through the maze to find his collar. Also, test your memory skills with this fun online SCOOB! memory game!

The Mystery Inc. Gang Maze Activity

Help the pals find the haunted house!

SCOOB! Connect the Dots 

Reveal the Blue Falcon in this connect the dots activity page.

Shaggy and Fred Connect the Dots Activity

Complete this activity to reveal Fred!

Movie Scavenger Hunt

Be on the lookout for these characters, and check them off as you watch the movie! Bonus game: Go to whackabot.scoob.movie to whack some evil bots in a fun online game!

Scooby Doo Crossword Puzzle

Use the clues to solve the puzzle!

Scooby Doo Mad Libs

You can enjoy this silly story over and over again!

SCOOB! Drawing Challenge

Pick a character to draw and have your family and friends guess who it is!

How to Draw Scoob

Use this quick tutorial or watch this video on how to draw the mystery-solving pooch.

SCOOB! Word Search (1)

Can you find all the hidden words?

SCOOB! Word Search (2)

Even more word-seeking fun!

Want the whole, 40+ page activity mega bundle? Click here to grab the entire SCOOB! Movie Night Party Pack.

Mega Bundle of Scooby Doo printables, games and activities for your next Scooby Doo themed party or SCOOB! movie night watch party.

Free Printable Valentine’s Day Card – Looking Sharp

When it comes to Valentine’s Day cards, all I really want is something that’s easy to do. This year I created my own printable with a cute pair of sunglasses. It’s a great candy-free Valentine’s Day option. You can make it even more special and “punny” if you add a sharpened pencil to the card!

This easy and FREE printable Valentine's Day card is a great candy free alternative. Add decorative pencils to make it extra special!

The Year of Candy-Free Valentines

This year I wanted my kids to give out candy free Valentine’s Day cards. I was a teacher for a long time, so I know that the last thing any educator wants is a bunch of seven-year-olds all hopped up on sugar. I’ve seen some super cute Valentines on Pinterest with a play on words, so my goal was to create something like that.

These Valentines are about 3″ x 3.5″ in length and come with 4 printed t a page. They work best if you print them out in color on card stock paper, but I’ve also made them using standard copy paper. Here’s how to make your own “Looking Sharp” free printable Valentines Cards:

Looking Sharp Printable Valentine

Get the printable Valentine here. Print it onto heavyweight or card stock paper. On the back of each card, write the name of who your Valentine is to and from.

Tip: If you’re making Valentines with your small child (any age from pre-K to first grade), it’s MUCH easier on the teacher if the cards aren’t addressed to a specific child. If your child can’t read, then he has to have his teacher read every single name to him. From experience, it takes forever to pass them out this way.

Tutorial for the Looking Sharp printable Valentine's Day cards

Cut out each card and, using a standard single hole punch, make a hole at the corner of each sunglasses. The hole punch that I use in all my crafting has notches in the side so you can line up the hole punch with the right place on the paper.

Otherwise, guessing where the holes will be can make your cards look like this:

#nailedit

Bend the card into a rainbow shape and push the pencil through the two holes. The pencil makes the card it keep its rounded shape. At first I planned to make the cards with dollar store pencils but they kept breaking as I was sharpening them, so I ordered some cute Valentine’s Day pencils from Amazon instead. I think they will go pretty well with this card’s color pattern too!

printable Valentines with a pencil and no candy!

And there you have a pretty easy Valentine that you can make yourself!

Easy and Fun Printable Valentine's Day card candy free

Ways to Wear Out the Kids this Summer

I can’t believe summer is almost upon us. This year my kids get out of school on May 31st and all I can think of is what am I going to do to keep them busy all summer long? I’m totally outnumbered so the goal is to come up with ways to wear out the kids this summer that don’t take a lot of effort on my part. And let’s face it, the point isn’t not necessarily to keep them busy. I want these kids collapsing into bed at night completely wiped out from their day.

The goal is to come up with ways to wear out the kids this summer that don’t take a lot of effort on my part. If you need ideas, I've got you covered!

Ways to Wear Out the Kids this Summer

The best summer activities are the ones that take place outdoors. So ideally, I’m going to wear out the kids in the fresh air and sunshine so they’re not indoors destroying my apartment.

Make a Bike Course

Give the kids some sidewalk chalk and let them make paths to ride their bikes on. They can sue the chalk to draw lanes for the bikes or draw arrows to direct the wheeled traffic. Encourage them to think like a driver and create rules for the road. Mailboxes make great stop signs! They might even come up with community jobs like police officer or delivery truck driver.

Head to the Trampoline Park

This is a favorite destination for kids. While it’s not an outdoor activity, the exertion of all that jumping is guaranteed to wear the kids out by the end of the trip! If price is a concern, check Groupon or call the facility and ask if they are offering any specials.

Any Water Activity

Wear the kids out this summer with water activities

Get creative and think beyond pool, beach, and lake water. Even though my kids are way too big for a kiddie pool, they’ll still play in one on the back patio for hours. Dollar store squirt guns and water shooters add some excitement to a hot afternoon. Personally, I try and steer clear of water balloons. They make a huge mess and I usually end up getting asked to fill them anyway. The goal is to wear the kids out this summer, and not the mama!

  • Water Blasters
  • Super Soaker
  • Fish Blasters

Homegrown Olympic Games

Grab a few dollar store prizes and let the kids set up their own olympic games. With a little creativity (and a lot of hyping it up), this could potentially take them all day. I haven’t done this with my own kids, but I have done it with my elementary students. I had them make a flag to represent their team, come up with team colors, and practice their skill over and over. Things can get really competitive if you can scrounge up a timer for them to use.

The weather is too nice during the summer to stay indoors watching YouTube. If you need some help coming up with ways to wear out the kids this summer, I’ve got you covered. 😉

What are some fun, low-effort ways you keep kids busy during school vacation?

25 Fun Things to do on a Rainy Day with Kids

fun indoor activities for a rainy day

I just love a rainy day. I remember a time when I’d cozy up next to the window with a cup of hot tea and watch the rain fall gently on the sidewalk. Now that I have 3 small children, on most rainy days I look like a crazy lady by noon from all the bickering and demands for more snacks. I made a list some of my favorite kids activities and put together 25 of the best things to do on a rainy day with kids.  

25 Things to do on a Rainy Day with Kids  

Build a Play Doh Creation Station.

Make an indoor obstacle course. 

Make DIY Window Clings. 

Make a “We Care Kit” for the homeless. Tuck a sweet note inside to let someone know they are loved!

Bake some chewy fudge-y chocolate chip cookies.

Let your wild ones get physical while flexing their mini muscles with a DIY Monster Punching Bag. 

Play a board game. We love the classic Candy Land game!

Make gold slime.

Make a bubble wrap flower craft. 

Grab some dollar store fly swatters and hold a rousing game of balloon tennis. 

Make an indoor hopscotch from recyclables. 

fun rainy day activities you can do indoors

Make your own kid-friendly trail mix.

Make some rainbow slime. So pretty! 

Look through your old photos.

Do some jumping, dancing, stretching, and moving with GoNoodle (it’s free!). 

Have a picnic in the living room.

Make some shaving cream puffy paint. 

Go on an indoor treasure hunt.

Build a blanket fort.

Put together a rainy day activity jar. 

Play some fun music and have a dance party.

Make a racetrack for toy cars using painters tape, or put together this easy ramp made from a diaper box! 

Read some books (better yet – visit the library!)

Make some easy homemade musical instruments like shakers and maracas. 

Grow your little engineer’s mind with some STEM activities. 

Yes, slime made an appearance twice on this list. 🙂 I’m not a fan of the stuff myself, but my kids LOVE it!

What’s your favorite indoor boredom-buster activity?  

25 fun ideas for kids activities. Indoor play ideas and crafts that you can do with what you already have. Ways to have fun and beat boredom on a rainy or snowy day when you're stuck indoors.

Fun Spring Snacks for Kids

This post is sponsored by Goldfish® but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Our family is leaping into spring and all things warmer weather. If you can’t get outside to enjoy a warm spring day, you can always bring the season inside with some fun spring snacks for kids!

Step up your game with these easy and fun spring snacks for kids! @GoldfishSmiles #EpicCrunch #ad

Today’s snacking features our new favorite crackers: Goldfish Epic Crunch. These crackers have bold flavors and a pack a big, tortilla crunch! But don’t worry, these Nacho flavored Goldfish Epic Crunch crackers aren’t spicy. You’ve got to try this new, exciting snack. You and your kids will love the cheesy, zesty Nacho flavor of these Goldfish Epic Crunch!

My spring snack designs were inspired by the beautiful flowers that are sprouting up everywhere. Make your own Goldfish-decorated flowers by cutting out yellow circles from foam craft sheets or construction paper. I used a green craft foam sheet for the background. To make the cute sunflower shapes, arrange Goldfish Epic Crunch crackers along the outside of the circle. Add a thin slice of celery for a stem. Then watch as your children’s eyes light up at the tasty springtime scene!

As a mom, I prefer Goldfish Epic Crunch crackers because they’re baked with whole grain and made without using artificial flavors or preservatives. Look for theGoldfish Epic CrunchNacho flavored crackers at your local grocery store. Be sure and also check out some of the other Goldfish Epic Crunchflavors, like Honey BBQ and Ranch.

To make additional spring snacks for kids, it helps if you have some cookie cutters in cute Easter or spring shapes. You can make cutouts from almost any food you have in your kitchen. I used some fried eggs to make a little chick and a piece of lightly toasted bread to make a bunny.

A thinly-sliced strawberry makes a cute tulip once you add a celery stem to it! I even made a cup of “carrot juice” by adding a few drops of food coloring to a glass of apple juice.

My cute little spring snacks were quickly gobbled up. The Goldfish Epic Crunch Nacho flavor crackers were by far the biggest hit. Purchase the Goldfish Epic Crunch Nacho flavor at your local retailer, which you can find here.

April Fools Jokes for your Kids

When I was little my dad was such a jokester. I can’t wait to have some fun with my own kids on April Fools! Make sure to be careful with kids and avoid jokes that make them feel upset. Kids love a good laugh, and they’ll crack up at these April Fools jokes. No mean tricks here, these jokes are just for fun!

April Fools Jokes for Kids

At breakfast, serve them their cereal with a few drops of food coloring in the milk. “Sorry, honey. I think the milk’s gone bad. It’s green! APRIL FOOLS!”

Make some red Jell-o. Let it set in some tumblers, adding a straw sticking out before the Jell-o has a chance to cool. Offer your kids a glass of “juice”, serve them the Jell-o cups and say “April Fools!”

The night before, drive your car a block or so down the road and park it. On April Fools Day when the car isn’t where it should be, act like it’s no big deal and start walking to school instead. What a surprise the kids will have when they discover the car not far away!

Make some green slime and hide some of it in your hand. Pretend that you’re about to sneeze, and it’s going to be a big one! Cover your nose as you “sneeze”, and catch your slime “boogers” in your hand.

Eeew, gross!

Bring colorful water to the home by tinting the faucets. Put some gel food coloring on a q-tip and run it around the mouth of the bathtub or sink faucet. This should make for a fun bath!

Tell your children that as an adult you have the ability to read their minds and know everything that they are thinking. Play this one out for a while. Tell your children that if you tell them what they are thinking that you will lose the power so you have to keep it a secret.

Give them something to giggle at during school lunch. As you’re making their lunch, stick googly eyes to everything in their lunch box. Make it even sillier by adding a punny note: “Eye love you, happy April Fools Day!”

Put whoopee cushions under their car booster seats. If you gently place the seat on top of the whoopee cushion, it will hardly be noticeable. Then everyone will get in the car and start making glorious “music” as they sit!

Have you played any good April Fools jokes? Share your best family-friendly April Fools Day experiences below!

15 Pi Day Activities

Ever since I started teaching, March 14th has been one of my favorite days because it’s Pi Day!  Pi is represented by the symbol (?). It’s the number you get when you divide a a circle’s circumference by its diameter. Pi Day relates to circles, and circles are everywhere you look. Even young kids can celebrate Pi Day activities by examining circles, and working with early fraction concepts like fair-sharing. These 15 Pi Day activities range from the simple to the complex, so there is something for everyone!

15 Pi Day Activities

  1. Make cute Pi Day friendship cards
  2. Make a real Pi pie in a Pi pie pan (try saying that 3 times fast!)
  3. Score free (or cheap) pie! Check out these sweet Pi Day deals on Offers.com.  
  4. Have a pi- themed dress-up day, or sport a math-themed Pi Day jersey.
  5. Turn a graph of the numbers in Pi into a colorful skyline with this math art activity.
  6. Read the math adventure story Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi.  
  7. Make a color-coded necklace to represent the digits in pi. Do you see a pattern? 😉
  8. Sing along to a silly parody, “Mathematical Pi” (American Pie). If nothing else, it’s fun to find the math references!
  9. String, scissors, and a round object are all you’ll need to “Cut Pi”  
  10. Write a “Pi-Ku”. The poem style of Haiku is 5-7-5. The first line in the poem has 5 syllables, the second line has 7 and the final line has 5 syllables again. For Pi Day, the syllables in each line are 3-1-4. Here’s my attempt at a Pi-Ku:

  11. Finding pi
    Math
    Numbers are fun
    PI day concept. The value of PI and the date written on the blackboard
    1. Make these beautiful math suncatchers using fuse beads. Suncatcher difficulty level: Easy. Math application difficulty level: Advanced. Hold onto your protractors, folks!
    2. See who can memorize the most digits in pi. Here are the first 10,000 digits, to get you started.
    3. Have a hula hoop contest. No math involved, but it gets kids moving and using circles!
    4. Tell some side-splitting pi day jokes.
    5. Younger kids will love Pink Stripey Socks’s Race Around the Circle game. More active math fun!    

    Most of my teaching experience has been in the primary grades, when the kids aren’t quite ready to grasp calculations related to pi. That never stopped me from donning my latest math t-shirt and embracing another opportunity to make math fun. Happy Pi Day!

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Hi, I’m Nikki!

I'm Nikki, a lover of coffee, chef for 6, elementary teacher, and expert in the art of wrangling twins. I'm also a working mom with a passion for having fun and keeping a cozy home. Come along with me on the journey of a joyful mom! Learn More…

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