Things are heating up in the Walnut house. Summer is in full swing, and the natives are getting a bit restless. (Swimming, library, playing with friends…you know, rough life.) We’d like to think boredom couldn’t possibly set in with another month of vacation, but then again, this is a tough crowd. Because all those sunny days can sometimes get a little too hot to handle, consider breaking with routine and moving the party indoors with a fun new board game. Goliath Games’ Barbecue Party is the perfect summertime game for your favorite preschool. The premise is simple–the winner is the first one to get all their food off the grill before it spills–but the reward is satisfying. Kids will love showing off their grilling skills, [&hellip
The Playful Walnut Archive
It’s been two months since my daughter’s Frozen birthday party, and we still don’t see signs of this Disney craze slowing down. (Even a visit to the pediatrician for her annual check-up confirmed that doctors are in the know!). If you’re still looking for ways to appease your own Frozen-loving fanatic, we’re sharing step-by-step directions for our take-home craft that delighted my daughter’s party guests this past May. (Sure beats a goodie bag of plastic junk!) Even if you don’t consider yourself crafty (believe me, I can relate!), this simple project can be done using a few grocery store staples and does not require a glue gun (thankfully). The best part? You can eat it! Happy crafting… 1. Using a toothpick, stack 3 marshmallows on [&hellip
When my 10-year- old was a baby, she received more piggy banks than we knew what to do with. Seriously, was this some sort of hint that we start saving right away for her college education? Oddly enough, when her younger sister was born 4 years later, no one bestowed her with any means for saving her dollars. So how is that then that she is our resident saver, while her sister likes to spend her bucks right away? But that’s a story for another day…If there’s one thing I noticed, it’s that the idea of giving a a piggybank as a gift is as exciting as getting pajamas on Christmas morning. How do you go about making something practical a little more exciting? We [&hellip
When my husband was a kid, he liked to watch “Inspector Gadget.” He may have thought the adventures alone were cool, but personally, I think he was mesmerized by his watch, which could do just about everything under the sun. If ever we thought those kind of gadgets were a long way off, well, let’s just the say that the future is now. VTech’s Kidizoom Smartwatch is probably the hardest-working timepiece we’ve ever seen. Ever the multitasker, this wristwatch boasts a miniature camera for taking photos and making videos, four games to play on the go, and (our favorite) a voice recorder with five voice changing effects (bet Inspector Gadget would have loved that). Kids will love to dress up their pix with personalized picture [&hellip
“Tempus fugit,” my grandfather used to say. For those unschooled in Latin, the expression means time flies, with the implication that you’re having fun, of course. I wish I could say this is the case for my 6-year-old, but she’s already crying the boredom blues…and it’s only the second week of summer vacation! When I tell her we’re heading to the beach, she reminds me that we “did that already.” To the library? “I already have enough books.” (Not a phrase I could personally ever relate to.) Well, since this kid has her eye on the clock more than any summer-loving child every should, the least she could do is learn to tell time….and I don’t mean the digital way! Later this month, Maple Landmark [&hellip
How cool are your blue jeans? Probably not as hip as you’d like them to be (seriously, my mom jeans could use a makeover). If you happen to have some crafty tweens who are already crying the summertime blues, but are way past the Rainbow Loom craze, have we got a product for them (and you)! Peaceable Kingdom’s Jean Tats are a simple way to update your favorite pair of jeans without involving any tears, rips or dye jobs. Easy as pie, these tattoos don’t require any special tools or any hard-to-follow instructions either. Simply cut them out, remove the backing paper and place the tattoo face up on your jeans. Next rub the tattoo evenly with the included popsicle-type stick. Finally, carefully lift off [&hellip
My favorite thing about having young kids is witnessing their imaginations firsthand. My 6-year-old wishes she were a bunny, and sometimes draws her alter ego as herself. (I won’t get into her insatiable appetite for carrots and celery…let’s consider it a parenting perk.) If you happen to be blessed with a kid with a penchant for pretend play, then surely you must know Julius Jr., the preschool sensation with his own Nick Jr. TV series. This little monkey has the knack for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, including a basic cardboard box that turns into a wonderland of magic and fun. Bringing Julius and his gang’s excitement over to playtime is a complete line of toys and books. Fisher-Price has already launched a number [&hellip
Here we go: summertime in the suburbs, and that means plenty of afternoons spent leisurely lounging by the pool and making my way through a long list of beach reads undisturbed…NOT! With two kids about to descend upon my daily routine of quiet and productivity, that fantasy is about to be shattered. Because my creative kindergartner will be with me for much of her summer break, we’ve got to get those creative hats on and start thinking. I tend to look for craft supplies that don’t require too much parental supervision (not only to encourage her independent thinking, but to keep me from hovering). So when Elmer’s recently introduced its Early Learners line, it earned big smiles in this house. Products like the Washable Glue [&hellip
Right now, I’m in Brazil (mentally speaking, of course). While I wish I were relaxing on one of their beautiful beaches, the place I’m in is a far cry from the sandy shore. We’re packed in like sardines at the Sao Paulo stadium, but hey, it’s worth it just to see J. Lo and Pitbull in the midst of an Amazon rainforest made up of walking trees and dancing flowers…Poof! I’m wide awake now, but as they say, a mom can dream, can’t she? If you or your kids want to live out their World Cup fantasies over the next few weeks, we have a few toy suggestions to help get your game on. Playmobil’s Take Along Soccer Match comes with everything needed to play [&hellip
Does your kid love Peg+Cat as much as mine do? My 6-year-old admittedly enjoys it more than her big sister, but they still both relish the opportunity to help Peg complete her mission du jour. Even in real life, we make a big deal about finding ways to make things work, from short-cutting a recipe, to fashioning a replacement part for a craft project. If you’re particularly proud of a recent accomplishment, why not share it with other like-minded parents? PBS Kids is hosting a Peg+Cat Problem Solver of the Week. Each Monday, fans are asked to visit the Peg+Cat Facebook page submit an answer to the question, “What problem did your child solve this week?”, along with their child’s first name, photo and hashtag [&hellip