Do you have independent children?  So far, I have three of them!  This Popsicle recipe is perfect for them.  It was simple enough that with minimal supervision/intervention my four year old was able to give the directions (she loved that) to my three year old who mixed these yummy treats up!  We made a couple different batches.  The inspiration for these popsicles came from hearing about the dripless icecream that they make with jello, and after having to hose down a toddler covered in traditional popsicle goo… Why don’t we …

Painting with toddlers can be a challenge.  Our youngest wants desperately to participate with her older siblings during craft times, and yet, she still has a tendency to put things in her mouth. Time for edible paints! French’s sent us some honey mustard (yummy!) and Quirky kid A has had fun playing with “paint” while eating her veggies! This was a great time to train her to “paint” only on the paper and not on the table. We’ll work on not putting “paint” in her mouth …

We had fun this past week learning map skills together.  I was amazed at how quickly my kids grasped the concept of a map.  I think this was the first time they had to work with one!  I drew a rough map of our living room/kitchen areas, together we filled our snack cups.

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Together we looked at the map and I explained how to figure out where we are on the map and where the “landmarks” were (our couch, the dollhouse, the ktichen table, etc.).  The kids then went to the …

I love feeding the kids a nutritious breakfast.  I also love teaching them independence and watching my preschoolers have a sense of accomplishment when they “make Daddy’s oatmeal”.  It’s precious!  Here are a few of the ways we have fun with our morning oatmeal.  Do you do anything to make breakfast more interesting?  I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
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The kids get to pick their own packet – Better Oats has quite the variety of flavors – and dump the oats and water into their own bowls.
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Sometimes, they …

I love going to the mall, detest shopping, but love the indoor playcenter which is great to help my preschoolers spend some pent up energy on a rainy day… and I love our tradition of getting a soft pretzel after our outing! We regularly bake bread at the Quirky home, but we made pretzels for the first time as a family. They were so good I think I ate four at one time! This recipe was adapted from All Recipes, and they are really, really good! …

Are you looking for a quick, interactive treat to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or another celebration? Combine vanilla pudding with M&M candies for green goodness kids will gobble up happily. This is a fun way for a younger toddler or preschooler to learn about colors and color mixing. Thanks Julia for inspiring us to have fun during snack time this week!
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Supplies to learn about colors with Saint Patrick’s Day:

Vanilla or coconut pudding, plain yogurt, a milkshake, even applesauce.
M&M candies (we used blue, yellow, and green)
Small bowls
Spoons

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Before …

It is rare that all three of my kids enjoy learning at the same time, usually a learning activity is a hit with one kiddo and a bust with the other, while the other is zoned out in the corner.  This measuring activity was loved by all! What you will need:
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Ruler
Assorted Gummy Worms
Bananas

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Activity to Teach Preschool Math Concepts :
Have the kids sort the gummy worms.  Which do they think is the shortest?  Which is the longest?
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Once they have found the shortest one measure it.  Can they find any …

Super easy and Super fun! This is a really easy edible art project! Instead of boring plain old syrup on your pancakes, why not paint them! I was surprised by painting their pancakes the kids actually used less syrup than when they drizzled their pancakes or dipped bites in a syrup puddle.  This activity actually makes pancakes a more healthy alternative!  You can also use honey instead of syrup.  What you’ll need: Food Coloring, Syrup, Unused Paintbrushes, & Pancakes! We used an egg carton to …

I got this idea from chatting with Kellie, from Chicks With Kidz, she had a great idea/suggestion to include my kiddos in making our own variations of trail mix.  We eat granola regularly for breakfast, but I have always been the one mixing it up!  With her encouragement my one year old now has a way to “help mommy” cook breakfast!  Thanks Kellie!  We are always looking for ways to include our kids in household chores and activities!
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How to make your own Granola Mix:
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Grab handfuls of any or all of …

My son loves being a helper and was thrilled when he got to make lunch for us today! We are eating pancakes – yummy! How fun is it to mix breakfast with learning our letters! We have a set of cookie cutters that are in the shapes of capital letters (thanks Laney). Here is a tip that we use to decrease the likelihood of massive pancake batter spills while using cookie cutters to make pancakes in particular shapes, maybe it will help you!
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We used a dry …