This is the 2nd post in our new series Unplanned and On The Go. My daughter is starting to refuse nap ( pray for me) and if she doesn’t go to sleep we go outside if at all possible for a calm walk. On our walk she decided she wanted to look for colors and I suggested she take pictures with my iPhone. She is a whiz at handling my iPhone so with it’s ugly but kid friendly cover on it we set out to find some colors! It was a huge hit.
What we were doing : Going for a walk in an attempt to clam down and chill out before trying to nap again. I don’t give up easily and naps are my me time!
What I did to spark the activity : Handed my daughter my iPhone and said “Take pictures of the colors you see.”
What it turned into : A fun colorful photo safari! As we walked I had her find a color and then I handed her my phone to take a picture. I didn’t want her walking and looking down at the phone at the same time. Not a safe option for her or the phone. 
I was fascinated by which colors stood out for her in the photos she took. We also found that when given the chance to be very careful with my phone she was. It was a lesson in trust and responsibility. I was super impressed with her pictures – she took each herself and while I re sized them for the post I only edited the a few a tiny bit for clarity.
What is your favorite on the go activity with you kids? Leave a comment and let’s talk!
What a week! There are only a few weeks left of school for my kiddos and we need to get ready for summer! I know I am not the only parent looking for great ideas to keep my kids engaged and not in front of the TV all summer long. So I am begging you to add your fab posts ( kids crafts , family fun, books…) to the link up so we can all learn from each other.
If you missed my post yesterday I announced a project I have been working on for some time - Camp Mom Summer Activities Pack it’s super awesome and will help all parents plan out great activities for their kids this summer. Check it out here.
If you are new to Link & Learn please do not be shy! Add your post and check out whatever catches your eye. There are no requirements but you are free to use the title picture or my button ( scroll way way down! ) if you want to let your readers know where you linked up to. Also check out our Pinterest boards for even more ideas!
I am really excited to share this project with you because I think it will be incredibly useful for families , not to mention really fun. Camp Mom is the result of the Top 20 Moms of Pinterest getting together and saying ” We should do something collaborative for the summer. ” When you say that to a bunch of creative and driven women stuff gets done. What Camp Mom Summer Activities Pack is all about is simplifying summer planning for you by putting over 80 ideas, tips & tricks and even some book recommendations together in one easy download for $14.99.
We don’t have everyday planned out for you because we know that in the summer things aren’t always easy to fit into a schedule. What we do have are 80 wonderful activities perfect for kids 2-9 years old. Some are structured, some are free and open and all can be done easily. So when you do want to do something fun and engaging you have all you need to whip something together your kids will love.
The themes are Water: Splash and Play , Art: The Earth Without art is just “Eh” , and Nature: Explorers in Your Own Back Yard . There is also a great list of sensory ideas for simple everyday explorations.
Buy NOW and get a BONUS GIFT ! 
From May 15th – 31st we are offering extra special offers for anyone who buys Camp Mom. You will get exclusive discount codes for :
- FREE! (save $4.99): Positive Parenting: The Basics by Amanda Morgan
- 40% off (save $3.60): Parenting with Positive Guidance by Amanda Morgan
- 40% off(save $49.20): Parenting with Positive Guidance eCourse by Amanda Morgan
- 20% off (save $1.58): Raising a Creative Kid: Simple Strategies for Igniting and Nurturing that Creative Spark by Jillian Riley
- 50% off (save $2.50): Project Organize Your ENTIRE Life: The Quick Start Guide by Stephanie Morgan
- 50% off (save $3.50): Freezy Peasy: Freezer Cooking Made Easy by Stephanie Morgan
- 50% off (save $4.00): Alphabet Crafts by Allison McDonald
- Total Value of Bonus: $69.37
I think I have shared how much my son loathes drawing . He’s a bright kid and most things come easy to him so when something doesn’t he like many of us tries to avoid it instead of attacking it. When a child has trouble with penmanship or drawing one of the first things I would suggest is to find low stress ways to get them to draw and write more ( like playing with an easel , make your own mini chalk boards or design your own cards ) and the other is to work on their fine motor skill development. Building with Lego and squeezing Play-Doh are two of our favorites but when I was sent these alphabet beads from craftprojectideas.com I knew I could mix spelling (something he loves) with developing his fine motor skills ( not as much fun as spelling for him). Here is what we did.
- Gather your materials. You could make a printable with clip art but I just grabbed some stickers because I had 10 minutes to throw this idea together before we had to grab him from the bus stop. You will also need some tape, pipe cleaners and of course alphabet beads.
- Pop the stickers on . Cut the pipe cleaners into small sections.Tape on . Give the tape a good rub to make sure it sticks.
- If you want pop on the first letter to get your kids started.
- Separate out the letters needed to complete the words and then add in a bunch of random ones.
- Add your kiddo and go for it. He had no trouble spelling any of the words but threading the letters on was a little challenging. He had to press hard but not too hard or else the pipe cleaner would buckle. 8 words was exactly the right amount any more and frustration would have set in.
For more simple learning activities to do with your school age kids after school check out our whole Learning After School series.
Creepy, crawly and slimy are a few ways to describe these swamp craft and activity ideas for kids. You could also say fun, educational and engaging. Check out these 15 swampy ideas!
Paper Plate Frog Craft
Swamp Sensory Tub
Shape Snake
A is for Alligator Letter Craft
Painting with Bugs
Walnut Shell Turtles
Band-aid Lightning Bugs
Paper Plate Tadpole
Doily Painted Dragonfly
Lily Pad Math
Painting with Snakes ( or worms)
S is for Snake Letter Craft
Paper Bag Frog
Venus Flytrap
Paper Plate Turtle
