Welcome to the world of learning and exploration! You might have heard about STEM, which includes science, technology, engineering, and math. STEM toys have gained recognition for their ability to engage young minds in critical thinking and problem-solving while promoting a deeper understanding of STEM concepts. But have you ever heard of STEAM toys and wondered what the “A” in STEAM stands for?

In this article, we’ll dive into what the “A” represents and how it can make learning more enjoyable for kids. We’ll explore the meaning of STEAM, explore the world of STEAM toys, share fantastic kits, and get creative with art projects that are perfect for family fun. Our goal is to show you how the artistic side of science, technology, engineering, and math can be a lot of fun. Let’s begin this adventure together!

What Is STEAM?

STEAM is an innovative educational approach that combines science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics to spark creativity and critical thinking in children.¹ It’s all about making education fun and hands-on and encouraging children to explore, create, and solve problems. One of the key tools in this learning journey is using STEAM toys, which make science, math, and art concepts engaging and accessible for kids. This approach not only equips children with essential skills for the future but also fosters a sense of curiosity and excitement in the learning process.

What Are STEAM Toys?

STEAM toys are educational tools thoughtfully designed to ignite children’s interest and proficiency in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.²

STEAM toys offer a comprehensive learning experience, fostering problem-solving skills, creativity, and critical thinking. They come in various forms, from building sets and science kits to art supplies and interactive gadgets, all geared toward making learning enjoyable and hands-on. By seamlessly integrating fun and education, STEAM toys encourage children to explore, experiment, and understand complex concepts in an engaging and interactive way, setting a solid foundation for academic and personal growth.

19 STEAM Kits and Toys for Kids

There are many toys out there, and we’ve put together an assortment of 20 STEM toys and STEAM kits that are ideal for offering young learners the opportunity to explore the worlds of STEM and STEAM. These toys and kits also incorporate the artistic and creative aspects of the arts. These educational toys and kits encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, and a deeper connection with these fundamental subjects.

1. The LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox

This is an interactive building and coding set that combines traditional LEGO brick-building with robotics and programming components. It’s an excellent tool for STEAM education, as it encourages children to explore the concepts in a hands-on and creative way. With the LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox, children can construct and program their own robots. This toolbox is an excellent introduction to engineering and coding principles, featuring a simple coding platform. It offers diverse building possibilities and enables technology integration into creative projects. This resource is excellent for children interested in STEAM subjects because it enhances problem-solving skills, logical thinking, and creativity.

2. The Osmo Genius Starter Kit for iPad

The Osmo Genius Starter Kit is an educational gaming system that transforms the iPad into an interactive learning platform. It promotes creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills by offering a range of games and activities that seamlessly blend technology with hands-on learning. The Osmo Genius Starter Kit for iPad offers many interactive activities. Using the kit, children can engage in math games, engineering challenges, coding adventures, artistic creations, and educational puzzles. The interface provides instant feedback and adjusts the difficulty of activities based on the child’s progress.

3. Snap Circuits

These toys are a series of electronic building kits that allow children to construct various circuits and electronic projects in a hands-on, safe, and creative manner. These kits foster an understanding of how electronic devices work while encouraging experimentation and problem-solving. Snap circuits toys allow children to build real electronic circuits using snap-together components. This product features clear instructions, a wide range of projects to explore, and a focus on real-world electrical principles. Children can construct functioning circuits while using their problem-solving skills and gaining an understanding of electronics.

4. Botley 2.0

The Botley 2.0 is a programmable robot that provides an engaging introduction to coding and robotics. It teaches kids to code and problem-solve while having fun with a friendly, screen-free robot companion. Botley 2.0 is a great way to introduce fundamental coding principles. The coding interface allows children to program the robot using buttons and commands. Children can use Botley to navigate mazes, solve puzzles, and complete coding challenges. The coding challenges involve creating sequences of commands to instruct the robot to perform specific tasks or navigate through complex scenarios.

5. The Thames & Kosmos Physics Workshop

You and your kids will love this educational kit that introduces them to physics principles through hands-on experiments and building projects. Young learners can explore fundamental physics concepts through interactive experimentation and practical application. With the Thames & Kosmos Physics Workshop, children can conduct various experiments and explore scientific principles. There are various hands-on experiments included, such as investigating simple machines, exploring light and optics, understanding electricity and circuits, and learning about thermodynamics. The kit consists of detailed instructions and real-world physics equipment.

6. Melissa and Doug Pattern Blocks and Boards

This creative learning toy combines colorful geometric shapes with pattern boards, encouraging children to explore mathematics and art concepts while developing fine motor skills. It promotes these skills by allowing kids to engage in hands-on activities that foster spatial awareness, critical thinking, and creative design. My 3-year-old son loves these boards, and I’ve noticed an improvement in his spatial awareness due to playing with them. This is a valuable toy for STEAM learning because it encourages early development in mathematics and geometry and enhances cognitive skills.

7. The Sphero Mini Robot Ball

This robot ball is a small, programmable robotic ball that introduces children to coding and robotics through interactive play. It teaches kids to code and problem-solve while having fun with a responsive and engaging robot. Kids can program the Sphero mini to navigate mazes, complete challenges, and experiment with various driving modes. The user-friendly app features an interface with straightforward controls, making it accessible and enjoyable for children.

8. ThinkFun Gravity Maze

This is a challenging logic and building game that requires players to design and complete marble run puzzles, promoting spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills. The ThinkFun Gravity Maze is designed for interactive STEAM learning, featuring a variety of challenge cards and colorful pieces. Children use these components to build 3D marble-run structures and solve gravity-powered puzzles. The challenges vary in complexity, requiring players to arrange the pieces strategically to achieve the goal.

9. K’NEX Intro to Simple Machines

An educational building set like this enables kids to construct working models of real-world machines, teaching them about the fundamentals of engineering and physics while enhancing their problem-solving and creativity. It’s a fantastic tool for encouraging hands-on experimentation and providing insights into how simple machines function. The K’NEX Intro to Simple Machines comprises a range of K’NEX pieces and provides instructions for constructing models of simple machines, such as levers, pulleys, wheels, and axles. Through building these models, children understand the principles of physics and mechanics, fostering a comprehensive grasp of STEAM subjects through hands-on learning.

10. The Snap Circuits 3D Illumination Electronics Exploration Kit

This kit enables children to build various electronic projects, including circuits with lights and sound. It fosters STEAM skills by offering hands-on experimentation and insight into electronics while also sparking creativity and problem-solving abilities in young learners. The Snap Circuits 3D Illumination Electronics Exploration Kit enables children to construct working electronic circuits, integrating lights and 3D structures. Key features of this kit include the ability to build more than 150 projects, hands-on experimentation, and clear instructions. Children learn about circuitry, electronics, and physics by constructing various functional projects.

11. The Scientific Explorer My First Mind Blowing Science Experiment Kit

A hands-on science kit is another excellent option. This one offers a wide range of fun experiments that introduce them to basic scientific concepts and spark their curiosity. It engages young minds in interactive and educational experiments that foster critical thinking, creativity, and a passion for discovery. The Scientific Explorer My First Mind Blowing Science Experiment Kit introduces STEAM concepts by offering experimentation through various simple and safe science experiments. There is a wide range of experiments to explore, like creating volcanic eruptions, growing crystals, and learning about chemical reactions. This would be an excellent tool to instill a love for science in young children!

12. The Playz KABOOM! Explosive Eruptions and Foam Bombs

It can be fun to let kids explore exciting chemical reactions and create safe, colorful “explosions” with foam. This kit is a fantastic resource for STEAM education, as it provides hands-on, engaging experiments that promote scientific understanding, creativity, and problem-solving while making learning fun and memorable. The Playz KABOOM! Explosive Eruptions and Foam Bombs kit focuses on chemical reactions and physics. Children can explore the world of chemistry and physics and conduct various experiments, such as creating volcanic eruptions and foam bombs. This is a valuable kit for introducing young children to experiments and STEAM learning.

13. The Klutz Circuit Clay

This kit combines sculpting with electronic circuitry, allowing kids to create conductive clay projects that light up. It’s a hands-on, creative approach to electronics and circuitry, fostering problem-solving and sparking young imaginations in a fun and engaging way. The Klutz Circuit Clay kit allows children to understand basic electronics and encourages their creativity while enjoying the tactile experience of working with clay. Integrating arts and technology and hands-on creation makes STEAM learning more interactive and engaging.

14. The Learning Resources Coding Critters

This STEAM toy combines interactive, programmable toy animals with coding challenges, offering a playful way for kids to develop coding and problem-solving skills while engaging in imaginative play. It’s a valuable tool for introducing coding principles in a fun and creative context, encouraging young learners to explore the world of technology and critical thinking. With the Learning Resources Coding Critters, kids can program interactive animal figures with coding cards and playlets. Children engage in creative storytelling and coding challenges by using a straightforward coding system. The Coding Critters set is an effective resource for fostering a practical understanding of coding principles and enhancing problem-solving skills.

15. The Geomag Magicube Set

A magnetic building kit like this one allows children to create 3D structures and designs, fostering creativity, spatial understanding, and fine motor skills while also encouraging hands-on exploration and design thinking. The STEAM toy includes magnetic blocks with integrated building concepts. Children create various structures and shapes, promoting spatial awareness, creativity, and problem-solving skills. The Geomag Magicube Set is an engaging resource for parents and educators to teach STEAM subjects through imaginative play and construction.

16. E-Blox Circuit Blox Builder Electronic Building Blocks

This STEAM toy combines traditional building blocks with electronic components. It offers an interactive way for children to learn about circuits and electronics while enhancing their creativity and problem-solving abilities. The E-Blox Circuit Blox Builder Electronic Building Blocks incorporate electronic components, allowing kids to create working circuits and electronic devices. Key features of the kit include hands-on experimentation, clear instructions, and a focus on real-world electronic principles. Children gain a practical understanding of engineering, circuitry, and creativity by building functional electronic projects.

17. The Wonder Workshop Dash Robot

This programmable robot enables kids to learn coding, problem-solving, and robotics while having a blast! It’s a valuable asset for teaching children to code, think critically, and experiment with technology in an interactive and engaging way. The Wonder Workshop Dash Robot features programmable capabilities and a user-friendly interface, enabling children to code and control the robot to complete tasks and challenges. It introduces robotics and programming and includes hands-on coding experience and problem-solving skills development. Children can create interactive games, navigate mazes, and explore coding principles.

18. The 4M Magnet Science Kit

Designed to introduce kids to the fascinating world of magnetism, this science kit has engaging experiments and activities. The STEAM toy encourages young learners to conduct real experiments, understand magnetic principles, and develop their problem-solving abilities. The 4M Magnet Science kit features various magnet-related experiments so that children can explore the principles of magnetism and learn about the applications of magnets in everyday life. One of the experiments included in the kit involves demonstrating magnetic attraction and repulsion by using different types of magnets and observing how they interact with one another. With the 4M Magnet Science Kit, children gain a practical understanding of science and physics while enhancing their problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

19. The National Geographic Marble Run

This STEAM toy enables children to design and build intricate marble raceways, fostering creativity, problem-solving, and an understanding of physics principles. It gives children a valuable opportunity to explore concepts related to gravity, engineering, and spatial design. The National Geographic Marble Run includes various building components that allow kids to construct marble runs. Children engage in designing and building complex marble-run structures, gaining an understanding of physics while enjoying the process of creating their marble races. This kit is a great tool for learning spatial awareness, logic, thinking, and problem-solving skills.

5 STEAM Art Projects

STEAM art projects are creative activities that blend science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. Children can express themselves artistically, gain problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and develop an appreciation for STEAM subjects.

1. Robot Art With Recycled Materials

Children can unleash their inner engineers and artists by building simple robots from recycled materials like cardboard, plastic bottles, and old toys. After assembling their robotic creations, they can paint and decorate them, combining hands-on engineering with artistic expression. This project encourages kids to repurpose everyday materials to create artistic robots. Through the process, children learn about engineering, design, and problem-solving while exploring the joining of art and technology. This activity provides a hands-on way for children to understand how recycled materials can be transformed into functional and artistic creations.

2. Sculpting With Playdough Circuits

This project combines sculpture and technology. Kids create sculptures using conductive playdough and attach LED lights and batteries to make artwork glow. It’s an interactive way for young artists to explore basic electronics and develop sculpting skills. This project has numerous benefits, such as teaching kids basic electrical concepts and circuitry.

3. Rainbow Slime Chemistry

Mixing science and art, this project allows kids to create colorful, stretchy slime. They learn about chemical reactions and color mixing while customizing their slime with different hues. This activity helps children develop an understanding of basic chemistry concepts. Children create colorful and stretchy slime while learning about chemical reactions, polymer formation, and the scientific method. Through this activity, children mix and explore different substances, observing the chemical reactions that result in the formation of slime with rainbow-like colors.

4. Papier-Mâché Solar System

Young astronomers and artists can construct a papier-mâché model of the solar system. They learn about the planets’ order and characteristics while honing their sculpting and painting abilities. This project fosters a love for both science and art. Children construct models of the planets from paper and other materials while learning about planetary characteristics and relative sizes. They can paint, sculpt, and assemble their solar system models according to their appearance in our solar system. Children gain an appreciation for the arts and learn facts about our solar system.

5. Kinetic Art Mobiles

Kids can design and construct kinetic art mobiles using lightweight materials like paper, string, and cardboard. This project introduces them to concepts of balance, movement, and design while allowing them to create captivating, moving art pieces. This project encourages an understanding of engineering concepts, promotes artistic expression, and enhances fine motor skills. By observing the movement of their mobiles, children develop an appreciation for both the creative and scientific aspects of kinetic art.

From engaging art projects to the best STEAM toys, art enriches learning experiences for both children and adults. This creative element enhances our understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Let’s continue nurturing curiosity and fostering innovation as we journey through the world of STEAM!

Dads play an important role and deserve to know how cherished they are. Father’s Day will be here before we know it, now is the perfect time to prepare something special for the amazing guy(s) in your kiddo’s life with a sweet Father’s Day craft.

If your child’s dad is anything like my kids’ father, you might find yourself scratching your head when figuring out what to give to him (or what to assist your children in gifting to him). Here are two easy (and fun!) Father’s Day craft ideas for kids of all ages. They make excellent gifts and require only a handful of simple materials each.

Father’s Day Craft 1: ‘Dad Rocks’ Photo Frame

Memories are meant for keeping, and this pun-centered craft allows fathers to do just that. Kids will enjoy thoughtfully placing stones and favorite photos, and dads will smile as they look back at cherished moments frozen in time.

What You’ll Need for This Father’s Day Craft

To make this Father’s Day craft, you’ll need the following:

• An unfinished photo frame. I found mine at Dollar Tree, but you can look in any major craft store.
• Small rocks or stones. These can be found in the craft aisle or in nature.
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Permanent marker
• Printed photo of Dad and their child or children
• Optional: Paint for a handprint, one sheet of pre-cut construction paper to fit on the back of a printed photo, and tape or glue

You’re ready to get crafting once you’ve gathered the items above!

1. Select and Glue the Rocks in Place

The first thing you’ll want to do is have your child select their rocks for the frame. Whether you’re using store-bought crafting stones or rocks your kiddo has collected outdoors, encourage them to pick out the ones they think Dad will love (even if the rocks look alike, youngsters will take great pride in this task). Then, leaving a space wide enough to pen a short, handwritten note, glue the rocks onto the frame using your hot glue gun. This step requires adult assistance for young children!

2. Write a Special Message

Using a permanent marker in the space left open and free from rocks, write (or have your kiddo write, if they’re old enough to do so) a sweet and punny message from or inspired by the list below.

• Dad, you really rock!
• Daddy is our rock.
• Dad, you’re a rockstar!
• Dad rocks!

3. Place and Personalize Your Photo

Place your printed photo in the frame to complete this Father’s Day craft. For photo gifts like this, I always write the month and year on the back of the photo. If you’d like, you can customize this even more by adding your child’s handprint to the back of the photo. Cover your kiddo’s hand in paint, press onto the pre-cut construction paper (as the paint is likely to smear on photo paper), and let dry. Then, tape or glue the handprinted paper to the back of the photo.

Father’s Day Craft 2: A Keepsake Hammer

Whether you’re in a time crunch, have a new baby with limited crafting abilities, or want to do something sentimental for Dad that he’ll treasure for years, this keepsake hammer will surely be a hit.

What You’ll Need for This Father’s Day Craft

You’ll only need a few items for this Father’s Day craft:

• A hammer with a wooden handle
• An ink pad for fingerprinting
• A permanent marker

Regardless of your child’s age, adult supervision is suggested for this project.

1. Write a Thoughtful Note

Using your permanent marker and on one side of the hammer’s handle, write (or have your child write, if they’re old enough to do so) a personal note from or inspired by the list below.

• Dad, I love building memories with you!
• When it comes to being a great dad, you’re nailing it!
• My daddy can fix anything.

2. Add Your Child’s Fingerprint

Flip the hammer over to the blank side of the handle. Then, place your little one’s thumb firmly onto the ink pad. Finally, press their thumb onto the bottom of the hammer, holding it firmly in place before lifting carefully and letting it sit to dry. The idea here is that you can return to the inkpad every Father’s Day, adding a thumbprint (or thumbprints, if you have multiple children) each year!

Whichever craft you and your kiddos complete for Father’s Day will surely be well received and cherished by the special man in your family. The two options shared here are unique, easy to follow, and able to be personalized. Plus, they both serve a purpose beyond being hung on the refrigerator (although those handmade gifts are equally unique in their own right). Look no further if you need a perfect craft to make and give for this upcoming Father’s Day!

The holiday season is often full of joy and excitement; we frequently find ourselves hustling and bustling from here to there. But if you want to slow down and enjoy the quickly passing time with your little ones, here are some fun Christmas crafts and activities to entertain you and your kids this holiday season. Rest assured, these activities won’t break the bank, which is great because this time of year is already a strain on our wallets. And here’s a bonus: your kids might even learn something or build some skills. But don’t let them know that!

Easy and Fun Christmas Crafts for Kids

1. Sticker Snowflake

This Christmas craft is entirely too easy, but it will keep their hands busy for a long time. Very little work for you, but big-time payoff. Oh, and did I mention it’s virtually mess-free? You’re welcome. I grabbed a large piece of blue poster board at the dollar store and some plain white dot stickers. Yes, that means this activity cost only $2. It doesn’t get any better than that, right?

Directions:

1. Using a black marker, draw a basic snowflake pattern onto your poster board. You can make it as simple or intricate as you would like!

2. Have your child use the dot stickers to cover the lines. Encourage them to keep the stickers only on the lines so you get a clear picture at the end.

Stickers are a great use of our refined fine motor skills, and honestly, what kid doesn’t LOVE stickers? If your little one has difficulty separating the stickers from the sheet, you can peel off the surrounding backing so all you leave behind are the dot stickers.

Bonus tip: I like to stick the entire poster board up on a wall so our kids work against gravity for the duration of the activity. It’s a great way to work on building the shoulder muscles required for fine motor tasks like writing and cutting. This one is a win!

2. Cardboard Village

I don’t know about you, but our kids love to help us decorate during the holidays. And I love finding ways they can be involved in the process. I can’t necessarily have them help me put out our fragile decorations, but they can certainly help with this Christmas craft.

Directions:

1. Grab a bunch of recycled cardboard (I imagine you have some sitting around from all those deliveries this time of year) and a white paint pen. You’ll need tiny sequins, jewels, or glitter for the kids. Hopefully, the kids and glitter don’t give you anxiety as it does me.

2. Cut out a bunch of house shapes from the cardboard and decorate it with white paint or a paint pen. If you have older kids, they could help you with this step. For our younger kids, I had them help me decorate the houses with sequins and jewels, and they loved it!

3. Once the houses are completely dry, you can string them with yarn and hang them somewhere in your home. Or you can attach them in an accordion format and put them on your table display. The possibilities are endless with this one. Our kids were so proud of what they created, and it was great to have them feel like they contributed to our holiday décor this year.

3. Snowman Bowling

This great gross motor activity can easily be done indoors during those cold winter months.

Directions:

1. Gather 10 Styrofoam cups and draw a snowman face on each one. I used a black Sharpie for the eyes and mouth and then cut out orange triangles for the noses. You’ll also need a lightweight object. I found a pack of snowballs at the dollar store, or you could also use a couple of pieces of crumpled-up construction paper.

2. Have your child stack the cups into a pyramid and use your snowball or another lightweight object to try and knock the cups down.

Having your child restack the cups is a great visual motor activity, and they will love knocking them down again and again! If you have more than one child playing, you can make it a game to see who can get the most snowmen knocked down with each round.

4. Reindeer Ornament

Who doesn’t love a homemade ornament idea? You’ve probably seen several examples of salt dough ornaments (capturing your little one’s handprints as a babe is a must!), but if you’re looking for another fun DIY ornament, here’s an idea that can be done in just a couple of minutes. You can make this as easy as a “place and paste” activity, or for older kids, you can also involve them in the cutting process. I did this one when our baby was just three years old, so I did all the cutting in advance, so all he needed to do was paste it together with some help.

Directions:

1. Cut out two antlers from glitter brown cardstock and a small red nose out of red glitter cardstock.

2. Add some eyes and a mouth, and you have a sweet little Rudolph ornament!

I found the wooden ornaments at our local craft store for just a couple of bucks and already had the cardstock on hand. But even if you’re buying all the necessary supplies, this one still comes in at just a few dollars per ornament.

5. Pouch Cap Christmas Tree

This Christmas craft has always been one of my favorite DIY activities. I made this two years ago, and it’s still holding up, and the kids still love it!

Most parents of young kids or toddlers have a collection of squeeze pouches in their cabinets. Start saving those tops and putting them to good use with this fun activity. You’ll want to keep the twist cap and the plastic piece that the cap twists onto. Just cut them right off the pouch, rinse them, and set them aside until you have enough saved. We had two toddlers in the house when I originally made this, so I kept enough tops within just a few days!

Directions:

1. Using recycled cardboard, I cut out a tree shape and a star, then painted the tree green and the star yellow.

2. Once they were dried, I used my hot glue gun to put the tree together. I used the hot glue gun to glue on the plastic twist-top portions. (Tip: leave the caps detached, so they don’t accidentally get glued onto their twist top.)

3. Once they have had enough time to dry completely, it’s playtime. Your child will love to “decorate” the tree with the pouch cap “ornaments.” As they twist the caps on, they work on practical fine motor skills.

I love finding ways to encourage our kids to engage in activities like this because it’s excellent skill-building disguised as play.

6. Marshmallow Painting

There’s just something about kids and painting. This Christmas craft and art project is easy and cheap, and your kids will love this unique spin on stamping. There are all kinds of unconventional ways to do paint stamping using foods. Apples, potatoes, and even broccoli can be dipped into paint and used as stamps. But this activity uses marshmallows!

I got a bag of jumbo marshmallows at the dollar store and some white craft paint at our local craft store, and I used the back of a piece of the blue posterboard I used in the sticker snowflake activity.

Directions:

1. Using a black permanent marker, I drew a snowman shape and allowed our little one to dip his marshmallow into the paint and fill in the snowman shape.

2. After he was done filling in his snowman, I helped cut out the facial features, hat, and buttons from construction paper.

You could have your kids make their own unique snowman, and you’ll have a whole family of snowmen (and women)!

7. Stocking Guessing Game

This game sets up in just minutes and involves skill-building for your kids.

Directions:

1. Grab a stocking and fill it with random objects or toys from around the house. Ensure there are no sharp edges since your child will grab the things without using their eyes.

2. Have your child reach into the stocking, grab an object, and then guess what it is without looking. The ability to recognize an object using your sense of touch, without visual and auditory information, is called stereognosis and is an important life skill.¹ Imagine how often you reach into your purse or diaper bag looking for your keys, phone, or another object and can locate it based purely on your sense of touch!

You can mix this one up as many times as you want. And you can use easy objects your kids are familiar with, or you can increase the difficulty if you use things that are a bit more obscure. If your child can’t verbally communicate, you could have pictures of the objects, and your child can point to the image they feel inside of the stocking. This activity is an excellent low-key, easy-to-set-up way to occupy your little ones this holiday season. You can do this again and again!

I hope these Christmas crafts and activities will keep your little ones occupied during their holiday break from school. The holidays are often when we’re running from here to there, always on the go, so I encourage you to slow down and soak up the true magic of the season by seeing it through your children’s eyes. These activities are just one way to make your holiday season fun and festive. Happy holidays to you and yours!

Thanksgiving crafts for kids are some of my favorites. It’s such a fun holiday to celebrate and a great opportunity to talk with kids about being thankful, showing gratitude, and enjoying family, friends, and the fall season. To help celebrate the holiday, we’ve got 50 fun Thanksgiving crafts for kids we know you and your children will love!

50 Fun Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids

1. Chunky Pumpkin Place Cards

This simple pumpkin craft is so cute and easy to make. Even young kids will be able to help with the yarn wrapping. I love how versatile it is, too. These chunky pumpkins make for cute table décor and serve as place cards. Guests will also love taking them home as a party favor. They look so cute on a shelf as part of a Thanksgiving or fall display, or you can use the yarn to hang them up!

Materials

Here’s what you’ll need to make your chunky pumpkin place cards:

• Cardboard and an Exacto knife for pumpkin cutouts
• Orange yarn
• Green pipe cleaners
• Tape
• Scissors
• Construction paper or cardstock

Directions

1. First, you’ll need to make pumpkin-shaped cardboard cutouts. I just grabbed a cardboard box, a pumpkin outline, and an Exacto knife to make them. It doesn’t have to be perfect because the chunky yarn will cover any mistakes.

2. I got out the yarn, and we taped the end to secure it on the pumpkin. Let your kids wrap the yarn any way they want. There is no right or wrong. My 6-year-old could do all of the yarn wrapping himself. My 2-year-old needed help, but she was able to wrap some of it.

3. After you’ve got it as chunky as you want it, grab a green pipe cleaner and start wrapping it around the stem. We stopped about halfway and made place card tags before adding them on and wrapping them the rest of the way.

4. I cut out pieces of card stock for the place cards, and my son wrote our family names on them. I prefer his cute handwriting rather than trying to make them perfect. It looks so sweet! We used a hole punch to slide the cards through the pipe cleaner.

Look how cute these chunky pumpkin place cards are! Such a fun and easy Thanksgiving craft for kids. They will be so cute next to our table setting on Thanksgiving.

Here are 49 other fun Thanksgiving crafts for kids for you to try:

2. Turkey Resist Art

Need some wall art for your Thanksgiving dinner? Not only is this resist art activity so engaging for your kids, but they will also look so pretty in your dining room for the season. This is a multi-age activity; you can adjust the cardboard size as needed. Even toddlers can make one—be sure to put a splat mat on the floor.

3. Thanksgiving Placemats

This Thanksgiving placemat craft is an excellent activity for the kid’s table. Just weave paper strips and spread-out coloring tools on the table. Even the littlest ones can draw pictures or words to show what they are thankful for.

4. Turkey Windsocks

You can mix and match different materials on hand for this turkey craft. We love the idea of hanging them on a hook for some outside décor made by your kids!

5. Coffee Filter Turkeys

Markers and a spray bottle make this cool tie-dye effect on this turkey craft—even toddlers can help. You can also write family names on them for a creative place card!

6. Paper Bag Turkey Craft

This Thanksgiving craft for kids is oh-so-simple but still so cute! I always love anything that uses their little handprints. You can decorate with these and hang them around the house, or your kids can use them as puppets for some fun Thanksgiving storytelling.

7. Turkey Hat Craft

I love a good holiday-themed DIY hat, and these do not disappoint. Wear it while you watch the parade, toss a football, or during the big meal.

8. Beaded Pipe Cleaner Pumpkins

To make these pumpkins, you only need two things: pipe cleaners and beads. This is an excellent task for preschoolers to help with and practice fine motor skills. And, it’s another one you could use as a table place card. Just write names on slips of cardstock and slip them inside.

9. Autumn Cork Painting

Use all of those extra wine corks as a painting tool to make these pretty fall trees. You can display it in the dining room for cute Thanksgiving dinner décor. Even toddlers can make this craft!

10. Thanksgiving Crayon Resist Art

This is a clever craft and a fun activity to practice reading sight words or Thanksgiving-related words. Kids of any age can enjoy painting and seeing the words appear.

11. Gobbling Turkey Thanksgiving Craft

You’ll have to do adult prep with this one, but after that, kids will love making this turkey and then watching and “hearing” it gobble. So clever!

12. Textured Corn Craft

Use cereal and hole-punched paper to make this textured craft! Little ones will love practicing with glue and then touching this sensory project. Spread out on your Thanksgiving table for a handmade kid-created centerpiece.

13. I am Thankful Pumpkin Craft

Strips of paper, markers, and a stapler are all you need for these cute thankful pumpkins. You may have to help with the writing for younger kids, but they can all come up with ideas for each strip and share what they are thankful for.

14. Egg Carton Turkey Craft

Hold on to an empty carton of eggs and make this cute turkey. This activity also doubles as a treat box or a table nameplate.

15. Construction Paper Turkeys

Looping the paper strips makes the feathers on this turkey super cute! Kids may need help with the stapler, but this is a fun twist on a turkey craft.

16. Feather Name Turkeys

This turkey craft doubles as name practice. It’s perfect for a preschooler to practice their name creatively.

17. Do a Dot Turkey Craft

Dot markers are used to make colorful turkey feathers making this a great craft that even toddlers can do!

18. Painted Pinecone Turkey

My son loves collecting pinecones outside, and we can put them to good use with this pinecone-painted turkey craft! This craft is another great option for a place card holder for your Thanksgiving table.

19. Gratefulness Rocks

Go on a nature walk and find rocks to take back home and paint. You could also use this craft as place cards at the table if you’d like!

20. Turkey Stick Craft

This cute turkey popsicle stick can be placed in a vase or used as a turkey puppet. A quick, easy, and fun Thanksgiving craft for kids.

21. Pumpkin Pie Kid’s Craft

Here’s a craft that recreates a favorite Thanksgiving dessert—the pumpkin pie! If you’re a pumpkin pie lover, this will be a fun one to make with your kids.

22. Thanksgiving Turkey Leaf Lanterns

With extra mason jars, you can make these beautiful luminary jars that look so pretty with a candle inside. Place them on your table for extra decor. Your family and friends will love them!

23. Paper Strips Pumpkin

This craft uses colored paper, ribbon, or tape to make a cute Thanksgiving pumpkin. You could also draw the stem and leaves and turn this craft into placemats for everyone to enjoy.

24. Footprint Turkey Craft

We love a good craft that uses pictures of the kids’ faces—and instead of handprints, footprints are used to make the turkey feathers. So silly and cute! This is sure to put smiles on everyone’s faces.

25. Turkey Tracks Craft

Pipe cleaners make the best turkey track prints—a fun way to make a unique paintbrush with a Thanksgiving theme.

26. Handprint and Paper Cup Turkey

Everyone can help make these cute turkeys made from handprints and paper cups.

27. Gratitude Chain

You can use the printables on this craft post to make a gratitude chain or you can DIY it. Everyone can be a part of sharing things they are thankful for and putting this chain together. Use it as a wall or table decoration.

28. Thanksgiving Pilgrim Hats

Retelling the first stories of Thanksgiving is even more fun with these classic Pilgrim hats.

29. Indian Corn Craft

This Indian corn craft is made using pencil erasers and paint. A simple and fun Thanksgiving craft that your toddler can easily do!

30. Lego Corn Painting

Such a creative twist on making Indian corn with paint—this one uses Lego bricks! I love the look, and it looks so realistic.

31. Paper Towel Roll Indian Corn

Save your toilet paper or paper towel rolls for this Indian corn craft. The kids will need help with this one, but it makes for a fun Thanksgiving table centerpiece.

32. Popsicle Stick Turkey

These turkeys are made out of popsicle sticks and cutout handprints. We like how you can use a fun paper for the turkey body.

33. Froot Loops Turkey Craft

We love Froot Loops over here, and this is a cute way to use them to make a fun turkey craft! A great way to practice color matching, too.

34. Turkey Bookmarks

Isn’t this an adorable and practical craft? This craft can be used as a turkey bookmark. My son loves having unique bookmarks; you can even write their names on the turkey.

35. Paper Bag Turkey Craft

Why not dress up your little one as a turkey themselves? You need a paper bag and some colored paper; they will love acting like a turkey. Gobble gobble!

36. Paper Plate Scarecrow

A scarecrow brings a fun fall vibe to this craft, and we always love using simple materials.

37. Thanksgiving Tree

This sweet tradition and activity you can do with your whole family. Even if you don’t want to use an actual tree, as seen here, you can recreate this just with a large drawing of a tree on a poster board.

38. Turkey Haircuts

This craft provides great scissor-cutting practice for little ones. These turkey haircuts are so cute!

39. Turkey Lollipops

Enjoy making these turkeys that go on a stick for easy carrying. You can display them in vases or other containers for cute décor.

40. Feed the Turkey

This is a craft and an activity that your younger ones will love. You’ll make a turkey craft and then use pom poms to “feed” the turkey for some fine motor practice.

41. Thanksgiving Slime

If you’re willing to manage slime at your house, this Thanksgiving slime recipe is so festive for the season. I love the colors and textures. Your kids will have fun first making this slime with you before playing with it on their own.

Thanksgiving Treats

Check out these crafts that are also tasty treats, making them perfect for any Thanksgiving gathering with family and friends. Kids of all ages will love assembling these festive, Thanksgiving-themed snacks and sweets:

42. Turkey Treats

Grab some Reese’s Pieces and some things from the craft closet: pipe cleaners, googly eyes, and tulle (you can even grab it all for cheap at a dollar store). These make cute gifts and also look cute next to individual table settings.

43. Peanut Butter Pretzel Turkey

Let your kids make these turkeys out of peanut butter and pretzel knots and sticks. It also makes an easy pre-dinner snack for a Thanksgiving party!

44. Turkey Donuts

I always love to have a special breakfast while we watch the Thanksgiving parade, and is the perfect treat that’s also fun for kids to make. Your little ones can practice fine motor skills and color recognition, too.

45. Turkey Popcorn Treat Bags

This is a fun Thanksgiving craft for kids to make that’s also a turkey treat bag. You just fill clear plastic gloves with colored candies and popcorn, then seal the bottom with tape. I love how the thumb is filled with red candies and pulled down—such a cute touch!

46. Pilgrim Hat Cookies

How cute are these little Pilgrim hat cookies? This sweet treat is fun to create and eat, of course. You’ll need peanut butter cups, cookies, candies, and frosting to put them together.

47. Turkey Snacks

Healthier turkey treats here. Even your littlest ones can enjoy assembling the apples and pretzels. You can even grab yellow and green apples for more “feather” color variations.

48. Oreo Turkey Cookies

We love candy corn over here, and they make the cutest turkey cookie treats!

49. Pudding Cup Turkey

This Thanksgiving craft uses a pudding cup as the turkey body and basic craft supplies for the details. It also makes for a fun activity at a class party.

50. Turkey Ornament Treats

These crafts use treat-filled clear ornaments to make a clever little turkey. They also look so cute as a decoration for your mantle or table centerpiece.

I hope you found a Thanksgiving craft for your kids that excites you and them! Whichever one you choose, you’re sure to enjoy crafting with your family and create a memorable keepsake, decoration, or memory that you’ll always share.

It’s Halloween! Bring on all the bats, spiderwebs, and witch hats! If you’re looking for fun Halloween crafts for kids, you’ve come to the right place. There are so many fun things to do with your family during Halloween. We love visiting the pumpkin patch and watching Halloween movies. But one of our favorite things is making a new Halloween craft. They get the whole family in a spooky mood and make great décor to frighten up your house!

Whether you’ve got toddlers or older kids, you’ll find the perfect Halloween craft to do with your kids right here. Check out these 40 cute but creepy Halloween crafts we’ve found from around the web — including spiders, haunted houses, black cats, witches, mummies, and more!

Halloween Crafts for Kids: Spiders

1. Spider Slime

This slime is so fun to make together, and it’s fun to play with, too! We love the textured, hands-on experience of slime, and this is an easy Halloween craft for kids to make. It makes a big bucket full, so there’s enough for three to four kids to play with. Pro Mom Tip: Have your kids play with it over a cookie sheet for mess-free fun!

2. Lollipop Spiders

Even your littlest ones can help bend these pipe cleaners into spider legs. Add some googly eyes, and you’ve got cute spiders! You can use it as décor on a table or stick it in a lollipop for a sweet treat to share. This is an excellent craft your child can bring to their school friends for the holiday!

3. Paper Plate Spiders

Here’s some more fun with googly eyes — one of my son’s favorite craft supplies! You can also hang these giant spiders from a door or shelf if you add an extra string on top.

4. Spider Web Art

If you want to let the kids do some painting, try out this spider web craft. It uses watercolor paint and salt to make this cool effect. It’s fun for kids to watch the salt affect the paint, and you’ll all be entertained creating this pretty art piece.

5. Spider and Pumpkin Bookmarks

We love getting new bookmarks, and you can make these cute spider and pumpkin bookmarks with just popsicle sticks and construction paper. And maybe add some googly eyes!

6. Playdough Spiders

Press on googly eyes and pipe cleaners into playdough for this one. You can use homemade playdough or modeling clay and let it sit out to dry.

7. Spider Cupcake Toppers

These adorable spider toppers will look adorable on your cupcakes! Your littles can help you make these toppers and the cupcakes. They would be great for a Halloween party.

8. Puffy Paint Spider Webs

Did you know you can make puffy paint at home? Find the recipe here, and then have your kids practice their fine motor skills with this unique spider web craft.

9. Spider Web Model and Bone Bridge

Build your own spider web model and bone bridge with these hands-on Halloween activities that are perfect for preschoolers and up.

Halloween Crafts for Kids: Haunted Houses

1. Handprint Haunted House

This clever use of a handprint makes a fun haunted house craft that’s perfect for little ones or older kids. All you need is paper, scissors, and a glue stick.

2. Paper Plate Haunted House

You can print pictures for kids to glue on this haunted house paper plate. I love the addition of the cotton “spider web” and candy spider to make it extra creepy!

3. Popsicle Stick Haunted House

Color or paint some popsicle sticks and grab foam stickers for this cute haunted house. It’ll make a great Halloween decoration!

4. Haunted House Paper Rolls

I’m a sucker for a craft you can use with recycled paper rolls, and this is a great one for older kids to do. These would look so cute on your living room mantle.

5. Shape Haunted House

This is a sweet and easy first Halloween craft for toddlers and preschoolers. They can practice shapes with these foam cut-out haunted houses.

Halloween Crafts for Kids: Ghosts

1. Ghost Lollipops

Coffee filters make the cutest little ghosts, and there is a lollipop underneath too! These are great for class treats or to create and share with friends and family.

2. Puffy Cotton Ball Ghosts

Use cotton balls to make these little ghosts, and add yarn or fishing wire so they can hang and float around. So fun! Even your littlest ones can help stick on the cotton balls.

3. Ghost Blow Straw Craft

Get silly and use straws to make these fun, paint-splatter ghosts! You’ll end up with all shapes and sizes of ghosts. Instruct kids to blow out, not in, when making this craft.

4. Paper Plate Ghost

Kids can use crayons, markers, and colored pencils to draw a ghost face on a paper plate. Then, use white paper streamers to make arms and strips for the bottom. Attach a string to the back, and you can hang it up for display!

5. Halloween Ghost Leaves

You can go on a nature hunt and find the best leaves for this craft. Then, have the kids paint the leaves white and add ghost faces.

6. Pom Pom Ghost Painting

This is another great craft for a toddler or preschooler. And it doubles as fine motor practice! You just need pom poms and a clothespin to serve as the paintbrush.

7. Handprint Ghoul Banner

This handprint ghoul banner will look great on your front door! Trace your kids’ hands on construction paper and let them draw faces on the “ghouls.” Create a paper banner that says “Happy Halloween” and attach the handprints.

8. Footprint Ghosts

Kids can also use their feet to create these funny footprint ghosts. You’ll need some orange construction paper, white paint, and black paint.

9. Popper Ghosts

Your kids will love making these spooky ghost poppers and then playing with them. They are perfect for a Halloween party!

10. Flying Ghosts Activity

This is more of a “craftivity” because once you draw the ghost faces on the tissues, you’ve got a fun activity to make them “fly” with straws.

Halloween Crafts for Kids: Black Cats

1. Paper Plate Black Cat

This paper plate cut-out is a clever and simple way to make a black cat! This Halloween craft is also super cute and easy for younger kids to do.

2. Popsicle Stick Black Cat and Witch

Get crafty with popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, and colored paper, and you’ve got cute little black cats and witches for Halloween.

3. Moving Eyes Cat

This is an interactive craft — when you pull on the paper strip, the eyes appear to move! Your kids will love decorating their cat and playing with it!

4. Spooky Black Sock Cat

We love a classic sock craft, and this black sock cat is perfect for the season. Your kid will enjoy making their own stuffy for Halloween!

5. Fork-Painted Black Cats

Use plastic forks for this interesting painting tool. It makes the perfect black cat face!

Halloween Crafts for Kids: Monsters

1. Tissue Box Monsters

This monster craft is super easy to make! Just get some old tissue boxes, then have kids paint them and attach large googly eyes, pom poms, and “teeth” made out of white cardstock.

2. Monster Handprints

Don’t forget to document your kids’ ages on the back of these monster handprints. These would be so cute if you strung them together to make a spooky monster garland!

3. Paper Plate Monsters

Grab some different-sized googly eyes and paper plates — both can be found at the dollar store. We love these fun monster plates that kids of all ages can recreate!

4. Paper Bag Monster Puppets

Another quick way to make monsters is to use paper bags and markers. Younger kids will have fun using them as monster puppets while reading or listening to a Halloween story.

Halloween Crafts for Kids: Witches

1. Glow Stick Witch Broomsticks

Have your kids get in some scissors practice with this witch’s broom craft. Add a tag, and these glow stick broomsticks can also make great party favors!

2. Paper Plate Witch’s Hat

The witch’s hat is a classic Halloween craft, and we love the idea of adding stickers to help little ones decorate them.

3. Handprint Witch

Add a few tweaks to handprint cut-outs for this cute craft! Simply add googly eyes and use construction paper to make the hair, broom, and witch’s hat — plus a pipe cleaner for the broomstick base.

4. Witch’s Broomstick Fine Motor Activity

Here is another activity and craft in one. It gives kids fine motor practice as they use beads and paper strips to make this witch’s broomstick.

Halloween Crafts for Kids: Mummies

1. Mummy Yarn Craft

How cute are these mummy eyes peeking out?! Yarn wrapping is fun for all kids, and you can’t go wrong with the design.

2. Mummy Paper Bag Puppet

Or you can make your mummy out of a paper bag and tape. This gives you a fun mummy puppet!

3. Paper Plate Mummy Lacing

This lacing is tricky for preschoolers, but it would be an excellent Halloween craft challenge for older kids. They can help with the hole punching too!

4. Neon Mason Jar Mummies

This craft uses mason jars at its base, making for a colorful Halloween craft for your kids that you can keep on display all season long.

Halloween Crafts for Kids: Bats

1. Clothespin Bats

These are smaller, more detailed crafts for older kids. You can make several of these for a great Halloween decoration!

2. Paper Plate Bat

Here’s yet another use for a paper plate! This craft is great for toddlers and preschoolers, and the Halloween book that goes with it is an excellent idea for role-playing.

3. Spoon Bats

This is another version of the bat craft for older kids that uses plastic spoons. We love how they are attached to the sticks for a playful look.

Other Halloween Crafts for Kids

1. Halloween Toilet Paper Rolls

You can use this photo as inspiration, then see what other monster or Halloween faces your kids can come up with.

2. Halloween Wooden Spoons

Kids can turn wooden spoons into their favorite Halloween characters, such as a vampire or Frankenstein’s monster. Decorate them using buttons, glitter sheets, ribbon, and any other craft supplies you have!

3. Pumpkin Stamps

Surprisingly, you can use apples to make these pumpkin stamps! Cut an apple in half, add orange paint to one half, and press it onto a piece of paper. Once the pumpkins are dry, add eyes and use pipe cleaners as a stem and leaf.

4. Halloween Treat Cups

You can make these Halloween treat cups out of styrofoam cups. Kids can paint them as desired and use pipe cleaners as handles. Then, fill them with small Halloween toys or candy to give out.

5. Halloween Lanterns

These lanterns will look so good on Halloween night. Add a light amount of acrylic paint to the inside of a mason jar, then decorate the outside. Fill it with fairy lights, and it’ll glow!

6. Paper Halloween Luminaries

Here’s another easy Halloween light-up craft for kids that’s sure to be a hit. They’ll have fun being creative and making Halloween drawings on paper. Then, let their artwork shine brightly with a tea light candle.

After seeing all these fun Halloween crafts for kids, we know you can’t help but be in the Halloween spirit now! And you may be able to do many of them with things you already have in your craft closet or junk drawer. Which craft are you going to do with your kids first? Let us know!

Other than my husband and I, their grandparents are the most special people in our kids’ lives. They’re the ones who love them just as much as we do! Today we’ve got a sweet Grandparent’s Day Craft to share. It’s easy to make and oh-so-cute. Your kids will love making it with you, and it’s sure to put a smile on Nana’s and Papa’s faces as well! Read on for what materials you’ll need and the step-by-step instructions for this floral and personal Grandparent’s Day craft.

Flower Garden Grandparent’s Day Craft

We love this flower garden craft because, with a parent’s help, kids of various ages can help to make it. Plus, there are some variations on the final product, so you can make it work for you and the materials you have on hand!

When it comes to crafts, I always keep it sweet and simple. I was able to find all of these things at home already on my craft shelves, except for the foam block. I found a set of two foam blocks for under $1 at Walmart, so it wasn’t hard to get them! However, the foam blocks are optional, so feel free to use just what you already have on hand.

Materials

• A photo of your kids (you’ll want a close-up of those cute little faces)
• Large popsicle sticks
• Colored tissue paper
• Masking tape (Scotch tape won’t cut it here – masking tape will help hold the flowers up)
• Glue and scissors

Optional Materials

These materials depend on whether you want to gift a single flower, make a bouquet with your flowers, or stick them in a stand to look like a garden.

• Single flower or bouquet: You may want to present it in a pretty vase, jar, or cup
• Flower Garden/Stand: You’ll need a foam block and paper. You will cover the foam block with paper and stick the flowers in it.

Step by Step Directions

First, you’ll want to print pictures of your kids. I used these photos of them individually so I could get a nice circle cut out of their faces. This will be the center of the flower! To make them perfectly round, I found a cup that was the size I wanted. I traced the bottom of the cup and cut the photo to make these circular flower centers.

Then have your kids tear up plenty of tissue paper – they’ll love this part! This is what they’ll use to decorate the flower petals. Even your toddlers can help with the ripping part, so this also makes for great fine motor practice! If you don’t want to use glue and tissue, you can simply have your kids use markers to color the sticks instead.

After the paper pieces were ready, I gave each child 4-5 popsicle sticks. We spread glue on the sticks, and then they applied the tissue however they wanted. Let them be creative!

Next, you will cut each popsicle stick in half with a strong pair of scissors. It doesn’t have to be perfect – I just eyeballed it, and it took mere seconds to cut them all for the perfect flower petal length. Then we taped all the sticks to the back of the photo to make the flower. You can see how this looks from the back and front in the photos below and above. I folded over a small piece of masking tape for each stick.

After all of the sticks were glued on, I wanted to make the flower extra sturdy, so I put more masking tape on top of all of the popsicles to really bind them to the picture. My older, six-year-old son was able to help with this part too. I simply modeled the one I was doing for my one-and-a-half-year-old toddler, and he copied me on his own. I love allowing him to be as involved as possible when doing a craft together.

Then you can choose what to do with your flowers! My son used a green marker to color the bottom of the stems. We wrapped a foam block with paper and stuck the flowers in there. You can let your kids decorate the paper even more with drawings or special notes. We wrote a note and had each kid sign it on the back. You can also decorate the top and sides too if you want.

We’re so excited that we now have the perfect gift for Grandparent’s Day! I know they will just love that it includes photos and heartfelt messages. They always appreciate it when they know the kids had a part in making their gift too. We hope you are inspired by this flower garden Grandparent’s Day craft and have fun making your own version.

Are you looking for vision board ideas? We’ve got all the tips to help you make the right vision board that works for you and your current season of life. Soon you’ll have fresh inspiration to help you reflect on and achieve your life goals.

As busy parents, we sometimes get so bogged down with day-to-day tasks. Setting aside time to reflect, evaluate, and set goals for yourself and your family is essential. And vision boards help you do just that! Read on for inspiration for ideas for individual, family, children, and digital vision boards.

What Is a Vision Board?

Even though there are many types of vision boards, they all have one thing in common: They represent the feelings, ideas, and goals you have for an area in your life. Vision boards serve to inspire individuals and groups to work towards a certain goal. You might have career aspirations, or financial goals, or simply want to generate ideas for your next family vacation.

Some people like to create a vision board at the beginning of the new calendar year, school year, or any new start in their life. Or, you may be simply starting a new project and need some inspiration.

How To Create/Approach a Vision Board

There are different ways to approach creating a new vision board. The first things you need to consider are the materials you will use. Here are some options:

Vision Board Materials

• Corkboard, poster, or cardboard
• Paper, coloring and writing utensils, paints
• Magazine images and words
• Printed images and words
• Stickers, ribbon, and other craft supplies

There is no right or wrong! It is simply your preference for the materials you’d like to use. Next, you’ll want to determine what to include on your vision board. Most people start by asking themselves these questions: What areas in my life do I want to see changed? What are my strengths? My weaknesses?

If you’re making a vision board that will encompass your whole life, it can help to categorize your goals:

• Academic/Professional
• Physical health
• Relationships with friends, family, and self
• Financial
• Spiritual

Spending time reflecting on these things will help when you select the images and words to include on your vision board. Other vision boards may be more focused and show your vision for a design project or a smaller area in your life. For example, you may make a vision board solely with your financial goals and include ways to get out of debt and what your life will look like after that last student loan is paid off.

Or, you may be setting up a home office space for a new job. A vision board can help you identify the colors and styles that will work best in your space and help you achieve the home office of your dreams!

Vision Board Ideas

Check out these examples and be inspired by various vision board ideas you can begin working on today!

Couples’ Vision Boards

I love the idea of creating a couple’s vision board with your significant other. It’s such a great way to reflect on your relationship, think about how you can grow closer, and begin a discussion on where you’d like to go together. These examples show various ways to make a couple’s vision board. You can use photos and captions, printed photos, or magazine cutouts to capture the vision for your relationship. A framed corkboard or a simple poster board can both work for your backdrop!

We love the use of Polaroids with captions for a classic yet playful look for these couple’s goals.

Customize Your Own Here

Using a framed board means you can easily hang your couple’s vision board up for pretty
bedroom wall décor you’re sure to look at together every day.

You can use magazine cutouts with inspiring words and photos along with stickers for a quick
and easy couple’s vision board!

You can use tape, glue, stickers, or push pins to display everything that inspires you and your vision.

Family Vision Boards

Family vision boards are a great way to bring the whole family together and share ideas for how your family can grow closer, live out personal family values, and create shared experiences. The important thing about a family vision board is that even the youngest members get to contribute to making sure that all family voices are heard.

This family vision board uses a framed corkboard to display words and images that they strive for in their family.

Or, you can simply use a piece of cardboard or a poster board and glue down printed images that
showcase trips and activities your family wants to do together in the upcoming year. Whichever materials or strategy you choose, a family vision board is sure to bring your family closer together!

Vision Boards for Kids

Vision boards for kids are a great way to help children practice setting and achieving personal goals. You may have a little one who loves to express creativity and ideas or an older child who is thinking about their future aspirations. Start by showing your child an example of a vision board you’ve made yourself or finding some online images. Once you do that, they will surely get ideas for their own board! Using a template for kids is also a great way to get them started with ideas on what to include on a vision board.

Here are some kid vision board ideas to get their creative juices flowing:

We love how colorful this kid’s vision board is! She added foam stickers and loads of colorful images and drawings to really show her personality.

You can also use scrapbook stickers to add meaningful quotes to inspire your child.

Children may also enjoy typing and printing their own labels and phrases to individualize their vision board. Don’t forget to add lots of colors!

Organizing your board by categories can help children set spiritual, social, physical, and intellectual goals.

Personal Vision Boards

Here are some personal vision board ideas if you are setting personal goals and vision for yourself:

Making a vision board straight in your bullet journal is a simple but unique way to make your vision board for personal goals. Be sure to use your planner stickers and colorful markers to make it unique.

Add some stringed lights to make your vision board really stand out!

Making a traditional vision board of your new year’s resolutions is a great way to set and achieve your personal goals.

Digital Vision Boards

If you love the idea of a vision board but you’re not a crafty person, we’ve got you covered! You can also make a digital vision board. For a digital vision board, you can use your photos or find images for anything you want on Google or other image websites. A variety of applications can help you compile your images and text. Canva and Picmonkey are both popular applications with free versions requiring little tech knowledge. This means anyone can download these apps today and get started immediately on their own digital vision board! Here are some examples to inspire you with your own digital vision board:

This blogger shows how she uses the Canva application on her phone to create a collage of inspirational photos and custom text.

This family vision board was created on a desktop and showcases personal and stock photos.

This blogger recommends setting your digital vision board as your phone or tablet background. That way, you’ll look at it often throughout the day!

Another example of a Canva vision board, this one is sized to be the perfect desktop background.

Get Started!

A vision board is just the thing to inspire and get you excited about the next phase or project in your life! Whatever your current goals are, a vision board can help bring your ideas to life and provide you with the motivation you need to achieve them. Which type of vision board do you need in your life right now? We’d love to know!

What’s not to love about playdough? The kids love playing with it, and we moms love the hands-on exploration and engagement it provides. As a mom and former elementary teacher, pulling out the playdough has often been a surefire way to knock out boredom with my kids or students, calm down an emotional child, or keep little ones busy when I need to get a quick task done.

My son (Fitz, five years old) and I tried making our own playdough today, and we want to share the recipe and tips with you! I’m not one to be that great in the kitchen, so I promise you, if I can make a great batch of homemade playdough, you can too!

Why Make Your Own Playdough?

There are a few benefits that we found to making our own playdough! I didn’t think of some until we made it ourselves, and we are so glad we did.

• If stored properly, it can last longer than store-bought playdough. Put it in a Ziplock bag placed in an airtight plastic container.
• It’s cheaper than buying store-bought playdough, especially if your kids are really into it and use it often. All you need are simple ingredients, and you probably have them on hand already!
• It smells so much better! I strongly dislike the scent of store-bought playdough, and the homemade kind smells fresh and doughy.
• You can also add your own scents to make the smell even better. Just add your preferred scented extract to your next playdough batch!
• Kids love mixing and making their own fun colors. You can get different shades other than what is sold at the store.
• It’s really fun to make together. Fitz loved being part of the process, and he was such a good helper.
• Anytime your kids are cooking in the kitchen with you, you can call it a science lesson! We talked about how the different ingredients work together to serve a purpose for the dough. Fun + learning is a win-win, in my opinion!

No-Bake Homemade Playdough Recipe

We used this recipe that uses boiling water instead of baking. We liked it because it made small batches so we could quickly and easily make a few different colors.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup salt
  • We chose a fine salt so that it mixed in better. The salt is essential to keep your playdough fresher for longer.
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
  • This helps to make your dough nice and stretchy. If you notice your dough is too tough, you can add some more cream of tartar to make it more malleable.
• ½ cup boiling water
• ½ tbsp vegetable oil
• Food dye: Gel will make your colors brighter, and the regular liquid will be more pastel.
• (Optional) extract: We loved making our playdough smell like fruit! Strawberry and lemon extract is easy to find and smells so good. You could also use almond, vanilla, or cinnamon or add drops of essential oils if you have them.

The Steps

First, whisk the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and cream of tartar) together in a plastic bowl. Then, push them to the edge of the bowl to make a well in the center of the bowl.

Then add the wet ingredients (boiling water and vegetable oil) into the well.

This was also when we added the food coloring and scented extract. Today we used strawberry for our red and lemon for our yellow playdough. (We kept the blue without a scent so we could see what it naturally smelled like . . . and it was so good too!) After adding the wet ingredients, use a spatula to mix until the dough begins forming.

Then we used our hands to further knead the dough together. You will want to be sure all the color gets mixed in evenly too. Having disposable gloves on hand was helpful because the dough will be hot due to the boiling water. It also keeps your hands from getting colored by the dye as it mixes in. Fitz loved this part!

That’s it! You have your homemade playdough. You can always adjust any ingredients if necessary:

• If it’s too sticky, you can add some flour.
• Adding more boiling water will help if it’s too dry.
• If you need it to be stretchier, add a dash more of the cream of tartar.

Playing with your homemade dough.

You don’t have to have fancy or expensive equipment to have fun with your homemade playdough! These are our favorite (and simple!) ways to play:

• Get out cookie cutters and make shapes that go with the season.
• Use forks and spoons to make shapes, mold the dough, and add texture.
• Other kitchen tools, like ice cream scoopers, tongs, and spatulas, allow for scooping, spreading, and other exploration!

Finally, don’t forget to provide a designated playdough play area to keep things contained and easy to pick up. A cookie sheet works for a quick and small workspace. We also often use a foam board that we tuck away and can easily pull out to reuse. Or, spread out a splat mat on the ground for a larger space that you can easily wash after play!

Our final rating: 10/10! We loved making our own playdough, and Fitz already has ideas on what colors and scents he wants to try next. What do you think — would you make your own homemade playdough? We’d love to know if you try it!

Did you know that using the five senses for sensory self-care helps to keep kids calm? Our emotions and five senses are deeply entwined. Touch, taste, smell, hearing, sight—each sense feeds back essential information about our surroundings which helps our brain to make sense of the world. And the world can be a big, scary place, especially for kids.

Our senses are also involved in the making of memories. When we store our memories, we also include some of the sensory input and the emotion felt at that moment in time. Have you ever smelled something or seen a picture of a beautiful holiday you once took, and a memory comes flooding back? Was it coupled with a strong emotion? This is called “conceptual association,” where what we sense triggers our feelings.¹

Using the Five Senses to Keep Kids Calm

Harnessing senses to try to elicit particular feelings can help bring a sense of calm. This works well for our kids and their emotions too. We don’t want to teach our kids to avoid their feelings. We need to help them process and work through negative emotions. One way to do this is to use senses to help soothe kids and help them feel less overwhelmed by the feeling they are experiencing.

There’s also the added benefit that when we engage their senses, we are helping them change their focus to the present moment. This is a type of mindfulness. Bringing awareness to the here and now can influence wellbeing positively as our kids won’t be caught up in negative thoughts, patterns, or other stressors occupying their minds. Building a sensory self-care box is one great way to harness the senses and help our kids stay calm.

Sensory Self-Care Box

Creating a sensory self-care box or bag for your child is fun and easy! It can be an old shoebox or a reusable shopping bag. It doesn’t have to be expensive. First, get them to decorate the box or bag by painting, coloring, gluing on pictures, etc. The act of intentionally creating a box that they know will help them calm down and soothe themselves is very important. They will feel ownership over their feelings and be less worried or fearful of big emotions. Here are some suggestions for what to include in the sensory box or bag for your child:

Sense of Sight

• Mindful coloring pages.
• Pictures of your family, a holiday, or an adventure they have taken.
• Photos or pictures that make them feel happy.
• Natural fractals—these are patterns in nature that repeat themselves at different scales (like pinecones or the inside of seashells. There is some interesting research that says being exposed to images of natural fractals reduces people’s stress levels by up to 60%.²

Sense of Sound

• An iPod, or cheap MP3 player, with different playlists to enhance or elicit particular moods. Do this in conjunction with your child, as it’s about their moods and preferences. Pick some upbeat tracks to encourage them to jump about and get rid of excess energy or frustration. You could pop some more calming songs, natural sounds, ocean or rain noises, classical songs, etc. You could also set up some mindfulness tracks or calm breathing practices.
• Rain shaker, rice shaker, or musical instruments. Things like drums work well to express frustration. Rhythm or trying to replicate sounds uses a different part of the brain than emotions, so it can help soothe them.

Sense of Touch

• Playdough to squish (release some tension) or roll into a ball (the movement is rhythmic and soothing).
• A “lovey” or favorite soft toy, or a soft square of silk or faux fur to touch or stroke.
• A little figurine or token to hold for a mindfulness activity. Have them hold the figurine in their hand and ask the following questions:

• • Hold the token in your hand. Is it heavy or light?
  • Run a finger around the perimeter and think about the shape? Is it soft? Firm? Jagged? Smooth?
  • Squeeze it tight in your hand and feel the sensation against your fingers and palm. Is it pointy? Smooth?
  • Is the object warm or cool to touch?

Sense of Taste

• Ensure that anything food-related is age-appropriate, and you don’t mind if they have access to it.
• A little treat – something crunchy, chewy with a good texture.
• Chewing gum.
• A toothbrush and toothpaste.
• A drink – hot cocoa that you can make and enjoy together, a cup of fruit tea, iced tea, etc.

Sense of Smell

• A lavender pillow that can be heated up.
• A card sprayed with a scent that they like (it could even be your perfume if they find that comforting).
• Dried flowers or herbs.
• Scented hand cream or lotion (they could use it for touch as well – you could give them a hand massage, or they could use it themselves).

Help your child create a sensory box to take charge of their emotions. Ensure they always have access to it, so they can use it independently and feel in control of their emotions. Practice pulling out the box or bag at times you know are challenging in the day and encourage them to use the items to soothe themselves. Learning to harness their senses will give them a sense of autonomy and confidence. And they will be increasingly aware and attuned to their emotional needs.

Are we feeling the LOVE yet? As we begin a new calendar year, we start by celebrating Valentine’s Day. Today I’m sharing some ideas for some fun Valentine’s Day crafts for kids. The best part is that your kids can do most of these activities using things you may already have around the house!

Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids

1. Heart Letter Matching

This one is super easy to make and doesn’t require many materials! Your kids will love it and come back to it again and again! Grab several pieces of colored construction paper (I chose to stick with red, white, and pink for the Valentine’s Day theme) and cut out 26 hearts. On one half of each heart, write the upper case letters. On the other side, write the lowercase equivalent. Then cut each heart in half down the center. Mix up the pieces and have your child match each heart to have an upper and lower case letter pair. This is a great hands-on learning activity for young kids that they’re sure to love!

2. Cotton Ball Painting

This activity is all about the process and not the result! Using a piece of recycled cardboard, glue several cotton balls into the shape of a heart and set it aside to dry. Once the cotton balls have dried, fill a cupcake tin with water and drop several drops of food coloring into each section. Have your child use an eye dropper to transfer the colored water onto the cotton balls. You can purchase a set on Amazon cheaply if you don’t already have one. Using medicine droppers is a great fine motor activity for your child to work on coordination, finger strength, and grading force. It’s a great way to isolate and strengthen the muscles in your child’s fingers for writing, coloring, and other fine motor tasks.

3. Painted Rocks

Spread some love around your neighborhood! Go for a walk with the kids and collect various rocks (what kid doesn’t love to go pick out rocks, right?). Then grab some paints and decorate the rocks however you’d like. You can help them write out messages of love using a permanent marker. Or leave them looking colorful! Then go around the neighborhood and leave the stones by mailboxes or near your neighbors’ doorsteps. This is a great way to teach kids how to spread positivity and do kind things for others. This activity is fun all year round, especially for Valentine’s Day!

4. How We Show Our Love

Grab a marker and some construction paper, and have your kids help you list all the ways we can show our love. Younger kids may need some prompting, but once you give them a few ideas, they should be able to come up with some on their own. It’s a great conversation to have as a family around the dinner table. And it helps kids identify different feelings and how their actions impact others. If you have slightly older children, they could even be the ones to do the writing.

5. Yarn Heart

Be still my heart! You can set this Valentine’s Day activity up in a couple of minutes, and it will preoccupy your little one for a good chunk of time! Cut out a heart from some recycled cardboard. Punch some holes along the edge, leaving about a 1-inch border. Give your child a bundle of red yarn (you can wrap some tape around the end to make it easier for them to lace) and have them practice lacing all around the edge of the heart. You can impose as much structure as you want for this activity (i.e., encouraging your child to lace just around the edge). But I decided to sit back and let our little guy go wherever he wanted with the yarn. Lacing is an excellent fine motor activity for kids, and the result of this project is adorable!

6. Heart Resist Painting

This activity makes for an excellent gift for grandparents or other family members! Cut out a large heart and place it in the center of a piece of cardstock or a canvas. (I got these small canvases at the dollar store, so they’re incredibly affordable!) Gather some pink, red, and white paint and clip a cotton ball to the end of a clothespin (they will use it for dipping into the paint). Have your child dip the cotton ball into the paint and dot it all around the canvas, being careful not to disrupt the heart shape. It’s best to have your child work from the lightest to the darkest colors to avoid a big smear of paint. Some color mixing is good and makes the result look pretty, but you want some definition of pink vs. red.

7. I LOVE YOU Cards

These cards could not be any cuter and are incredibly easy to make! Trace your child’s hand on a piece of pink construction paper and cut it out. Glue down the middle and ring fingers so that the hand forms the sign for “I love you” in American Sign Language. I glued down just the fingertips so that the hand was sort of 3D. Once the fingers are dry, glue the whole hand cut out onto a folded piece of red construction paper and write “I love you” on the front. Have your child help you come up with a sweet message to a loved one, and there you have it! The most precious little Valentine’s card that costs hardly anything!

Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your little love bugs! I hope you have fun doing these Valentine’s Day crafts for kids!