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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.

Cute but Cheap Farmhouse Decor Finds on Amazon

If only I had the budget of the Fixer Upper crew! I’d have our cozy little home turned into a San Diego farmhouse in no time. There’s a little shop near us that creates custom designed farm tables, up to 12 feet long. Unfortunately, we’re making do for now with pre-made Farmbouse decor on Amazon. Today I’m rounding up some pieces that are super cute and won’t break the bank! And the best part is that, as of right now, they’re all on Prime so I can have them at my doorstep in less than 48 hours. Check out these cheap farmhouse finds on Amazon:

Farmhouse Decor You Can Afford

Did you know you can buy barn doors Amazon? That’s a little out of our price range at the moment. If barn doors or a custom table are too expensive, then most big pieces on Amazon probably are too. No matter what your home looks like, it will have a much more farmhouse-y feel with some simple accessories.

Remember back when I shared about easy everyday table decor? I had recently been to a decorating presentation by a local woman who works as a stylist for showcase homes. She was all over eucalyptus in everything. So I went out and cut some branches from a eucalyptus tree down the street. The table did look nice for a while. But pretty soon the leaves dried and the snippets of eucalyptus lost their fresh green luster.

Savor the look of fresh greenery all year long with some artificial eucalyptus or cheery faux hydrangea.

Creating a Farmhouse Look in a Small Home

We have a pretty small living space, and it’s shared by 6 people. So I totally understand the frustration when it comes to the cluttered feeling of a small space home. But you can still get that cute farmhouse look with a few simple tricks.

Use a lot of white and neutral colors to open up the space. Burlap, white-painted vintage items, and bright white flowers are quick and easy farmhouse-style pieces. This burlap table runner and vintage vase are on Amazon.

Add one or two eye-catching pieces to set the farmhouse decor tone. A rustic wall organizer or vintage cabinet with chalkboard can make it look like you’re an awesome thrift-store-finding-D.I.Y.-er… It’s ok, we won’t tell anyone that you got it on Amazon. 😉

Compliment the Things you Already Have in your Home with Farmhouse Decor Accents

Add a simple touch like a little mason jar wall decoration. Or give any space a “lazy summer day” vibe with a string of indoor/outdoor globe lights.

A tight budget shouldn’t prevent you from getting the farmhouse decor look you crave in your home. It just takes some piecing together (and a bit of eucalyptus!) to make your home feel like Joanna Gaines has been there.

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.

It’s Okay to be “That Mom”

After 16 years of motherhood you’d think I have it together more than I do. I mean, I’ve successfully raised 4 children and I’m still a hot mess. At this point I should be at parenting level: expert, but I’m nowhere near that mark. And I’m here to tell you it’s ok to be “that” mom. How bad do things have to get until you are considered “that mom”, you ask? I’ll illustrate with some recent parenting episodes in the life of a hot mess mom.

Hot Mess Mom Item 1: F-bombs in church. In front of a pastor. TWICE.

Oh yes, you read that right. In my defense, the F-bombs didn’t come from me or my child. Not directly, at least. I was in the church office with my 16-year-old, Logan, and sitting next to us was the children’s pastor. Logan was on his phone (because, teenager), and he says, “Hey Mom check out this funny video.” He rewound the video he was watching so I figured, we’re in church. He’s not going to share anything inappropriate, right? He’s already screened it for curse words, right? Wrong! Out pops a big ol’ F-bomb from the YouTuber’s mouth. I elicit the expected shocked responses, apologize to the pastor, and tell him that’s quite enough of that video. Not 5 minutes later he comes across another video he thinks is funny and wants me to see. By now I’m thinking, he’s already goofed once there’s no way he’ll blast more F-bombs from his phone for all to hear, right? Obviously you know where this story is headed. More expletives from the phone, followed by more apologies and fiery mom-glares at the teenager. Logan wisely decided to listen to his phone in his ear buds after that and keep his videos to himself.

Of course, teenagers are known for their edgy behaviors. You could even say that a mishap with a teen doesn’t equate to being a hot mess mom or being labeled as “that mom”. So I present further evidence from the parenting files:

Hot Mess Mom Item 2: Floor Snacks

One day I was in the grocery store with my 4-year-old, Johnny. We were prepared for a long trip of shopping for the week’s groceries and he was babbling away while sitting in the cart, happily snacking on some things from home. He was telling me all about how much he loved his fruit snacks and how his favorite, favorite, really really favorite is yellow and this was the last fruit snack AND it was yellow! Could life get any better for a 4-year-old? Then as he reached to put the favoritist fruit snack on the planet in his mouth, the fruit snack tragically slipped through his fingers and dropped on the floor of the grocery store.

And what did I do? First ask yourself what would you do??

He looked down at the lost fruit snack with big, sad alligator tears welling in his eyes. So I did what any hot mess mom would do. I blew a puff of air on that fruit snack, wiped it on my pant leg, declared, “All clean!” and handed it back to him. And because he trusts that his mother would never steer him wrong, he ate it.  

I feel like I’ve trained my kids well in regards to what food is clean and what is not. We wash our hands, brush our teeth, and have pretty good hygiene. It’s not all my kids’ fault that they eat food that fell from the floor. It’s definitely partly mine.

I’m sure I have more confessions from the hot mess mom files, like this earlier one about how I accidentally exposed myself at a wedding. I’ll spare you any further exposure to my life as “that mom” (for now).

To all the other hot mess moms out there -and you don’t have to raise your hands, you know who you are- we stand with you. You’re a hot mess and it’s ok. Well, as long as your kids are relatively healthy and no one gets hurt it’s ok. Keep on hot-messin’ on and we’ll all meet at the coffee shop for our monthly support group. Just kidding, there’s no support group. But you can find me on Facebook and we can commiserate and confess over there.

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!

Sanity-Savers for Spring Cleaning with Kids

This post is sponsored by The Libman Company but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Now that the weather is warming up, it’s a good time to spruce up your interior! When you have little ones in the home, this is sometimes easier said than done. This weekend we broke out the suds and scrub brushes. I’d love to share with you some of my sanity-savers for spring cleaning with kids.

Make a List of What you want to Clean

Before you get started, it’s best to have a plan. List the areas of the house you want to clean, and be specific. Instead of listing “refrigerator”, write what you will do to clean the refrigerator, such as “wash refrigerator drawers, scrub door handles, and defrost the freezer.” Be realistic in what you plan to accomplish. If you have small children, this may not be the time to detail the garage and pressure wash your house on your own.

Get the Kids Involved

There are plenty of things kids can do to help clean the house. Give them a bucket of sudsy water and have them scrub the walls. While the quality of cleaning done by kids may not meet White House standards, it keeps them out of your way when they help out. As a bonus, they’re learning responsibility and life skills! They even get a little excited if you let them use “official” cleaning gloves! 🙂

Stick with Simple Equipment

You don’t need a lot of gear to spring clean your house. Some basics are:

  • A bucket or dish pan for sudsy water
  • Sponges or strong scrubbing brushes
  • Some cloths or old rags
  • A spray bottle
  • Your favorite cleaning solutions
  • A good mop

This weekend we tried out the Libman Wonder® Mop and I really love it! I’ve been hesitant to sue mops in the past because all that water is such a pain. It’s no fun trying to keep kids out of the kitchen for hours while the floor is drying. Thankfully, the Wonder® Mop has a power wringer that gets out more water so the floors dry faster. It works on all surfaces, so anyone can use it!

To use the Wonder® Mop, you’ll first want to make sure you sweep up all the big stuff on the floor.

Then simply soak the microfiber mop head thoroughly. Pressing the power wringer towards the mop head, squeeze out the excess water.

Snap the power wringer back into place and you’re ready to go! The Wonder® Mop’s microfiber GRIPSTRIPS™ lift 20% more dirt, leaving your floors even cleaner. It’s so easy to use, you’ll be done with the floors in no time and can get back to tending to your little ones!

Another thing I dislike about using a mop is figuring out what to do with it when I’m done mopping. I mean, I could lean it up against a wall or something but the residue of all that icky stuff from my floor is probably lurking in the fibers. But with the Wonder® Mop, you can remove the mop head and toss it in the washing machine up to 50 times!

Right now, you can save $3 when you sign up for the Libman newsletter. Check the website for tutorials, tips, and where to buy the Libman Wonder® Mop!

Dumbo Review + Free Printables | Mom Goes to the Movies

Well hello, movie-goers! This week I had the pleasure of attending the new Dumbo movie screening. I can’t wait to tell you all about it! Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to dance around any spoilers so you can enjoy the movie when you see it in theaters this weekend. 😉

Set of free printables and activities to go along with our Dumbo Movie Review

The Dumbo 2019 Movie is Unique… Yet Still the Same

I know, I know. What a vague thing to say, right? But it’s true. Many of the things that we remember about the original movie are still there. The story revolves around a baby elephant who is separated from his mommy. Thanks to his big ears and a magic feather, he has an almost magical ability to fly. The story takes place in a circus. You’ll see many other nods to the 1942 film if you’re paying attention. But this time Disney takes the story in a different direction.

Some 2019 Dumbo Easter Eggs: See if you can find Mr. stork, a not-so-boozy bubble bath, The “Casey Junior” song, the ear-wagging punk who mocks Dumbo, and pink elephants!

A Different Point of View

In the original film, the story unfolds through the interactions of a talking mouse and silent baby elephant. But you can’t really have a talking mouse in a live action movie, can you? Enter a science-enthusiast preteen girl and her spunky little brother. The children, Milly and Joe Farrier, befriend Dumbo and guide him in perfecting his flying abilities. Meanwhile their father, back from the war, is the adult who shamelessly stands up for the baby elephant’s best interests. We are so glad to see a strong father figure in a family movie! As Holt Farrier, Colin Farrell is devoted to both his children and animals. Could he be any more irresistible?

Grand Circus Entertainment

Everything that comes to mind when we think about the circus is wonderfully portrayed in the Dumbo 2019 movie. Big striped tent? Check. Lots of animals? Check. Bright, flashy costumes? Check. But unlike in the animated version, this time there is an extra special performer in the center ring. Eva Green graces the stage as the beautiful Collette, a spectacular aerial artist. At first I wasn’t sure if she was going to be a good guy or a bad guy. But by the end of the movie she had my heart.

Chasing Big Dreams

True to the style of many Disney movies, the characters in the 2019 Dumbo movie are spurred on by their biggest dreams. Baby Dumbo dreams of finding his mother. Young Milly Farrier dreams of becoming a scientist. Holt Farrier dreams of riding stallions like he did in the pre-war days. Will they all reach their goals? You’ll have to see the movie to find out.

What if I haven’t seen the original movie?

While it is a classic, you don’t have to have seen the original Dumbo movie to enjoy everything about this one. The story is complete as it is! There isn’t a bit of this movie that requires an understanding of the first one. However, if you have seen the animated movie from the 1940’s, you will definitely notice some of the familiar characters and scenes.

When I first heard the Disney 2019 movie lineup I couldn’t believe that Dumbo was coming back. I’ll be honest, when I first heard about the live-action remake of the classic movie, I was a bit hesitant about seeing it. However, Director Tim Burton gave us another movie full of excitement and deep emotions. The new Dumbo movie is so heartwarming, and sends many positive messages about what it is to be a true family, about animal rights, and about equality. I can’t wait to see it again.

Dumbo (2019)

Release Date: Friday, March 29, 2019

Running Time: 1 hour 52 minutes

Mom Goes to the Movies Recommends this movie for kids 7 and up due to exciting action and strong emotional scenes.   

Check out these Free Dumbo Movie Printables and Activities

Click on an image to be taken to the printable pdf file!

Have you seen the new Dumbo movie yet? What was your favorite part?

Creating a Home where Learning is Fun

This post was sponsored by Amazon as part of an Ambassador Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

How do you keep kids interested in reading and growing their little minds? With all the rain that’s hit San Diego this winter, we have spent more time indoors than this mama would like. On the plus side, everyone has had plenty of chances to work on their literacy skills!

Did you know there is more to literacy than just reading? A literate child is one who reads and writes at grade level, but also has a strong vocabulary as well as listening and speaking skills. I know my girls’ teachers are doing a fantastic job at supporting all these skills. Still, there are ways to make learning fun at home that include our preschooler too! Our Echo Dot Kids Edition and Echo Show help a lot with creating a home where learning is fun.

Playing Games Together

With our Echo Dot Kids Edition and Echo Show we can play games that support listening skills while having fun as a family! With Amazon FreeTime, we have access to a variety of child-friendly features. Using the Parent Dashboard, I added some game skills to our Alexa app like the Silly Things skill and the Animal Game skill. These are so much fun to play! The silly things skill lets us act goofy and giggle at the silly things Alexa tells us to do. The Animal Game skill always amazes me. When we play this game, Alexa can guesses whatever animal we’re thinking of! She’s so smart.

Listening to our Favorite Stories Over and Over Again

Our family shares an Audible account, which we connected to our devices through the Alexa app. Now we can all enjoy listening to books together! My kids love to listen to books, then go read books on their own. The girls are beginning readers, so they often read their little decodable books from school out loud to their little brother. Our preschooler explores concepts of reading like holding the book right side up and reading books from left to right.

Staying on Track During Work Times

The skills in the Alexa app help us all stay on track when we need to. I’ll ask Alexa to play “Pink Noise” while the kids are working on homework. They don’t even realize it’s playing in the background, but I can see a difference in their focus! The kids all take turns when we need a timer set on the Echo Dot Kids Edition. Part of their homework requirements is to read for 15 minutes, but if we don’t set a timer they’ll keep reading indefinitely! Which is not a problem for me, but they do like to play with their toys after homework.

Wouldn’t you love an Echo Dot Kids Edition? Check out this awesome sweepstakes!

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30 Things to do in Spring

Warmer weather is on its way, and spring is in the air! The freshness of spring and cool, sunny days go by all too quickly. There’s still time to enjoy this sweet season before the long hot days of summer arrive. If you need some inspiration, try some of these things to do in the spring.

bird on a spring branch

30 Things to do in Spring

  1. Make a bouquet of wildflowers
  2. Sit quietly in a nature preserve and observe wildlife
  3. Have friends over for a brunch
  4. Go “polar bearing” at the pool, beach, or lake
  5. Paint a picture of a nature scene
  6. Count the butterflies or bees as they fly past
  7. Go to the park and have a picnic
  8. Throw rocks and sticks off the side of a bridge in a game of “pooh sticks”
  9. Visit a pond and feed the ducks
  10. Make pinwheels and place them in the front yard or in potted plants
  11. Make blended fruit popsicles
  12. Visit a nature center
  13. Stock up on winter clothes for next year at end-of-season clearance racks
  14. Take pictures in the rain (while it lasts!)
  15. Frost and decorate Easter cookies or flower-shaped cookies
  16. Go on a nature walk
  17. Stock up on sunscreen
  18. Start planning your summer vacation or staycation (check out our 25 ideas for a staycation with kids!)
  19. Enroll the kids in swim lessons
  20. Go see a baseball game at the stadium
  21. Spring clean your home
  22. Check out some children’s books on spring from the library to read as a family
  23. Organize the kids toys
  24. Bake blueberry muffins
  25. Go for a hike
  26. Decorate your kitchen table with a fun spring centerpiece
  27. Inventory your camping gear and replace items before summer
  28. Spruce up the patio for summer barbecues
  29. Rearrange the furniture in one room of the house for a fresh look
  30. Send your child’s teacher a thank-you gift
nest of eggs on a background of daisies

Important March and April dates:

March 20: First day of spring

March 21: Purim

April 1: April Fool’s Day

April 10: Sibling’s Day-share a pic on social of you and your siblings!

April 14: Palm Sunday

April 19: Good Friday

April 19: Passover

April 21: Easter

April 22: Earth Day

April 24: Administrative Professionals Day – thank an office assistant!

April 25: Take your daughter to work day

We’ll be sharing our fun spring adventures on Instagram and Facebook. Join in the fun and share your pictures with #makespringhappen. We can’t wait to see what fun you’ll have this spring!

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!