Keeping the Jellybeans Entertained on a Budget:
Our friends are always saying the Jellybeans and I are always having fun. Funny as I feel like we are always doing laundry. They asked for a list of activities we do to keep the kids entertained on a budget. I'll start a list of activities, we've done. Check back as I'll add as we do new ones. I'd love to hear yours too. One of the the idea stimulators I enjoy each month is Family Fun magazine. Super cute and inventive fun. If you want more info on a specific activity, please leave a note. I'd love to share.
Ideas:
Create a time capsule to be opened in 20 years from now.
Dress up: We have a collection of fun costumes from Halloween past or other bargains I pick up at Savers.
Princess tea parties
Theme dinners, games or movie night. (Sponge Bob, Mickey Mouse, Scooby Doo)
Flat Stanley, we read and make our own Stanley's sending him off as we follow his adventure.
Tie Dye t-shirts
Jean purses out of our old jeans.
Barretts/Clips made of flowers, buttons and bows.
Barrett holders
Jewelery making *we just made cute gem sparkle jewelery out of nuts (hardware)
Tea Party at the park followed by feeding the ducks and general play.
Zoo memberships
Playing restaurant. The girls make up the menu's, some our customers others are servers.
Camping in the backyard, complete with a campfire and roasting marshmellows
Geocaching
Kindness mailboxes, they create and we put by their rooms. They leave each other positve notes, little gifts.
They LOVE to make over mom.
High School and Jr. High plays, they are very well done.
Photo adventures: Picture walks looking for items that look like letters, colors, animals.
Followed by creating theme photo books.
Barbarian dinner: No utensils, plates complete with some skelton goblets from Halloween. Messy fun!
Handprint tiles
Coloring with a Sharpie on tile for cute gifts. Attach a clothes pin for a photo holder or decorate the kitchen.
coffee filter butterflies
sun catchers
book marks out of ribbon or cardstock
flower magnets or magnet clips using a clothes pin
Home made stick horses out of socks and dowl rods.
Holiday Activities
Halloween:
Haunted gingerbread house
Foot print ghosts
Halloween tree-out of playdough black spray painted branch
With starch and cheese cloth create a ghost to display
Spiders out of hand prints or cut outs of the kids hands.
Halloween cards
Thanksgiving:
Make your own scarecrow.
Dress for Thanksgiving as Pilgrims and Indians
Pine cone turkeys
Handprint turkeys
Leaf scratchings
Christmas (So many to list, here is a sample)
Cookies
Homemade cards
Snowman brick door stops
Snowman pictures out of shaving cream or cottonballs
Simmering bags of Christmas scents
Christmas ornaments
Gingerbread houses
Handprint Wreaths
Valentines
Paint wood hearts add ribbon and hang as a decoration.
Tissue paper hearts
Easter
Decorate egg cut outs
Turn the kids into bunnies
Put together easter baskets to give to those in need.
Hatch eggs
Decorate crosses
Cross suncatchers
4th of July
Flag cake out of pound cake, cool whip, blueberries and strawberries
Simple firecrackers: Swiss role ups and a piece of red licorice makes a cute wick
Pick up some glow sticks to enhance your celebration.
