The Ultimate Guide to DIY Crafts and Educational Activities for Kids (Preschool to Middle School) 40+ Activities for at Home Fun!

Looking for exciting activities to keep kids of all ages engaged and entertained at home? We have compiled an extensive list of “boredom busters” for ages 2-12! With a mix of educational, budget-friendly, DIY crafts and printable activities, your children will discover fun and educational ways to spark creativity, curiosity and physical development, tailored to their age group and interests!

Table of Contents:

Let's Dive In! 🚀🤩

The Benefits of Playful Learning at Home

Using DIY activities for kids to promote playful learning, is a fun and engaging way to encourage your child’s creativity, curiosity and imagination. Specifically, through playful activities, children can explore concepts in a hands-on way, making learning a much more enjoyable and memorable experience. Furthermore, it encourages development in their problem-solving skills, social interactions and emotional development.

Moreover, at home playful learning is particularly beneficial as it allows parents to create a comfortable and familiar environment where children can feel safe to experiment, ask questions, and make mistakes. Consequently, this fosters a positive attitude towards learning and prepares them to flourish in a formal classroom setting.

As a parent, you know your child best and can tailor activities to their interests and learning style, ensuring they find learning an exciting experience from an early age. For instance, using DIY activities for kids, you can create fun and educational games at home, easy!

Navigating This Guide (How to Find the Perfect Activities)

Choosing the right activities for your child can be a daunting task. Consider your child’s age and interests to determine which activities they will find the most engaging. Try different activities to see which ones resonate with them and be adaptable in your approach. Exploring different styles such as montessori-inspired, nature-based, on-screen activities, simple crafts and imaginative games can offer your child the opportunity to explore and discover what interests them most. Incorporating activities your family can do together, creates quality time while fostering moments of connection and learning.

General Tips for All Age Groups

While we dive into specific tips for each age group, here are some important things to keep in mind for children of all ages:

• Be flexible and ready to adapt activities based on your child’s mood and interest levels.

• Allow for breaks during longer activities to keep your children regulated and interested.

• Involve kids in the feedback process by asking what they enjoyed and what they’d like to learn next.

• Create a safe and comfortable environment where your children can ask questions and make mistakes, free from distractions and with all of the necessary materials within reach.

• Celebrate their accomplishments, no matter how small, to build confidence, enthusiasm and connection!

Tips By Age:

Activity Tips for Keeping a Toddler Engaged (Ages 1-3)

• Keep it short and sweet! Toddlers have a short attention span, so keep activities brief (10-15 minutes) and offer a variety of different activities to try.

• Incorporate sensory elements like texture, colours, and sounds to engage all of their senses!

Activity Ideas and Tips for Keeping a Preschooler Engaged

• Include interactive elements like using blocks or putting together puzzles that require hands-on participation.

• Integrate stories with fun characters to make play time more engaging.

• Help foster a sense of independence by allowing them to choose what activities they do for themselves. Supply a variety of activities so they can explore their interests.

• Incorporate music and rhyming into activities to make the activity more fun and engaging. Children love to sing and it can help make the lesson stick!

• Use colourful visuals and props to hold their attention. This can be especially helpful during story time.

• Ensure each activity has clear and simple instructions and demonstrate each step as you go.

• Use a lot of praise and encouragement to keep them motivated!

  
  

Engaging Activities and Tips for a Primary Aged Kiddo! (5-7 years old)

• Find hands-on activities that involve creating or building something with their hands.

• Create themed-activities around their current interests (eg, animals, space or dinosaurs).Tailoring activities to their personal interests, such as animals, sports or favourite characters can make it more fun!

• Include physical movement activities to keep them regulated and engaged.

• Encourage activities that can be done with siblings or friends to foster social connections.

• Implement a simple reward system for completing activities to make learning a more exciting experience. Stickers are an excellent option!

• Challenge them by introducing slightly more difficult tasks to keep them interested and engaged.

Activity Tips for Keeping a 8-10 Year Old Engaged

• Incorporate interactive activities like educational games, arts and crafts, experiments, and nature-based activities to keep learning exciting.

• Tailor the activities you choose for your child to their interests and abilities by letting them choose and adjusting learning styles as needed.

• Continue to challenge them by slowly introducing more difficult tasks to improve their development.

Activity Ideas and Tips for Keeping a 11-12 Year Old Engaged!

• Focus on activities that develop specific skills, such as coding, cooking or music. You know your child best, encourage them to follow their interests.

• Encourage them to work on more challenging projects that require critical thinking and creativity.

• Show the real-world applications of activities to make them more relevant.

• Integrate digital tools and technology to improve the learning experience and keep children ahead in our digital age.

• Provide opportunities where they can teach younger kids, or learn from older peers.

Preschool (Ages 2-4) At-Home Learning Adventure Activities

During the playful learning stages of 2-4 years old, the key developmental focus should revolve around promoting holistic growth encompassing cognitive, social, emotional and physical pathways.

Key Development Focus (Ages 2-4)

• Activities like puzzles, simple counting exercises and sorting games are a great way to stimulate cognitive development.

• Fun and engaging ways to develop language can be through storytelling, reading, singing and engaging in conversations.

• Social skills are fostered through cooperative play, turn-taking, validating feelings, while also teaching healthy coping strategies.

• Encourage their creativity through storytelling, imaginative play and hands-on crafts.

• Cultivate independence by giving your child opportunities for tasks like dressing themselves and cleaning up after play.

• Physical development is enhanced through active play, dancing and outdoor exploration.

• By ensuring the activities you give your child address these learning pathways, you can help your child develop a strong foundation for learning and growth.

Arts and Crafts for Preschoolers

➡️ DIY Recycled Monsters!

Check out this awesome DIY monster craft with recycled materials!

Materials You Will Need:

• A cardboard tube (toilet paper roll or paper towel roll)

• Paints in desired colours

• Paint brush

• Pipe cleaners, or construction paper (optional) for arms

• Googly or DIY paper eyes

• Glue

• Any other odd and ends you might like to make your monster unique! (A good time to clean out the scraps in a craft box!)

How To:

1. Paint your cardboard roll in the colour you would like your monster to be!

2. Once dry, decorate your monster making it unique! Maybe it will have feathers, or sharp teeth; maybe it will have string for hair, or pom poms for ears. Get creative!

3. If you would like your monster to have arms, you can use paper or pipe cleaners. Simply glue them onto the sides and make sure to let it dry!

Educational Benefits:

Arts and crafts activities improve a child’s fine motor skills with precise hand movements, stimulating their hand-eye coordination, grip strength, and hand dexterity, while encouraging creativity, problem-solving, and self expression.

Additional Tips:

Close monitoring and involvement from parents can help prevent accidents and ensure that arts and crafts supplies are used as intended.

Printable Nature Activities for Preschoolers

➡️ A Nature Scavenger Hunt

Enjoy this nature walk with a printable Nature Scavenger Hunt activity sheet. Find all the items on the list and have fun with the whole family!

To get Started, download our free activity kit to get the template.

➡️ Assemble One-of-a-Kind Tree

Grab the free printable template at the link, then gather items like leaves, sticks and flowers on a nature walk to create unique trees. Once you’ve gathered your materials, grab the glue and complete your creation!To get started, download our free activity kit to get the template.

➡️ Dande-LION flower Activity

1. Download our free activity kit for the printable 'Dande-LION' template, or draw a big lion head on a piece of paper.

2. Cut out the lion head and get your little Explorer to colour it in (option to laminate it for multiple uses).

3. Hole punch the mane. (If you don’t have a hole punch, you can carefully use a pen or pencil to poke holes).

4. Go for a nature walk, inserting dandelions into the holes to create a beautiful lion mane!

Tip: Ensure your Explorers pick the dandelions with a long enough stem to be pulled through the hole.

PREVIEW

Montessori Activities for Preschoolers

➡️ Kitchen Play

Play based learning is a wonderful way for children to use their imaginations and develop cognitive and social/emotional skills.

➡️ Sensory Tray Writing

This writing activity is a fun and exciting way to get your little ones more comfortable with writing! This Sensory Writing Tray is perfect if you want to familiarize young children with letters and numbers.

Photo Credit: www.messylittlemonster.com

Fun and Engaging Math Activities for Preschoolers!

➡️ Sorting Colours

There are so many fun ways to do this, and is an easy activity you can set up with items around the house.

Option 1: collect a variety of different coloured objects. For example, you can use coloured blocks, toys, stuffed animals, or clothing. Then, use colourful construction paper to use as colour targets for your child.

Option 2: Paint toilet paper rolls in different colours and glue them to a cardboard base to keep them upright. Provide small coloured objects like marbles, felt balls, or crayons for your child to sort and place into the corresponding coloured rolls.

Photo Credit: www.teachinglittles.com

➡️ Go Fish Letter Recognition

Play go fish with letter cards to make letter recognition fun.

➡️ Ice Cream Shape Matching Activity

Match the ice cream shapes to their corresponding cones in this fun worksheet!

Literacy Activities for Preschoolers

➡️ Letter Recognition & Sentence Tracing Worksheets

To get started, download our free activity kit and print out these fun and engaging worksheets!

➡️ Story Time

Read books aloud and ask your child to point out familiar letters or words.

If you don't have a book at your finger tips, you can head to the FrameBright YouTube channel and watch Story Time With Ally.

Physical Activities for Preschoolers

➡️ Hula Hooping

Hula Hooping is a great way to encourage physical activity.

For much smaller/younger children go for a 28" to 29" hoop. They might not be able to spin it around their bodies right away but it's great for teaching a wide spectrum of motor skills, including balancing, hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.

➡️ Pillow Walk

Set up a line of couch, throw or bed pillows on your floor, and have your child walk from one end to the other. It may sound easy but their balance will be challenged!

➡️ Freeze Tag

With a group of 4 or more you can enjoy a game of freeze tag! Pick one kid to be “it” and have them chase the other kids around. When the kiddo that is “it” touches a player, they must freeze (stand still) until another player “unfreezes” them by touching them. When the “it” player freezes all the other kids, the game begins again with a new child as “it”.

Social Emotional Learning for Preschoolers

➡️ DIY Recycled Activity - Emotion Matching

Create an easy-to-make Emotion Matching game for your little one!

Materials You Will Need:

• 1 piece of cardboard (to use as base to attach rolls to)

• 4 toilet paper rolls

• 4 different colours of paint or construction paper

• 8 Googly eyes

• Permanent marker

• Glue

• Bottle caps, or white pieces of cardboard cut into circle

How To:

If using coloured construction paper, cut to size and glue onto rolls.

1. If using paint, paint each roll a different colour and set aside to dry.

2. Once your coloured rolls are ready, attach googly eyes and draw the faces representing different emotions: sad, mad, happy, surprised.

3. Glue rolls onto cardboard base

4. Draw the same emotions represented on the rolls as the bottle caps or cardboard pieces. Ideally at least 4/emotion.

5. Show your little one each represented emotion and see if they can identify it on their own! Help them to match the emotions to the rolls.
   

When toddlers recognize their emotions and those of others, it supports their social and emotional development. It allows them to express themselves, build relationships and develop empathy towards others.

➡️ Emotional Charades

This fun game is one of the most popular social emotional preschool activities. In essence, it is like a game of pretend where you act out an emotion, like being happy or sad. Similarly, just like in charades, everyone tries to guess which emotion you are portraying! Take turns being the Emotion Detective. 👀

Family Fun Activities to Do at Home with Your Preschooler!

➡️ Backyard Races For the Whole Family

Spend a sunny afternoon challenging each other to races. For instance, create interesting ways to compete with the members of your family, including backward hopping races, wheelbarrow racing, egg and spoon racing, and potato sack racing.

➡️ Sidewalk Chalk Activity

This is a great learning activity for children, especially when parents get involved! You can practice name recognition, colours, numbers and letters.

Here is Moe to help us 😍:

Thank you Moe, Rogie and Rory!!

Make sure to check out Life Skills with Moe on YouTube!

KINDERGARTEN & EARLY AT HOME EXPLORATION

Between the ages of 5-7, the key developmental focus of at-home exploration centres on encouraging independence, curiosity and critical thinking skills, while creating a fun and safe environment for them to explore in.

• Cognitive Development: Activities based in hands-on exploration of various subjects promote cognitive development through problem-solving tasks, science experiments and age-appropriate puzzles.

  
  

• Literacy: Language and literacy skills can be enhanced through reading comprehension activities, writing exercises and storytelling.

  
  

• Social & Emotional Development: Social-emotional development is supported by encouraging cooperation, empathy and self-expression.
  

• Physical Activity: Nurturing physical development through outdoor exploration, active play and sports activities promotes gross motor skills and overall well-being.

Ensuring your child has a wide variety of activities at their disposal encourages development across all learning pathways. In other words, at-home exploration should aim to provide a rich learning environment that encourages your child’s curiosity to explore their interests and develop a lifelong love of learning.

Developmental Milestones by Age (5, 6, 7)

DIY Crafts for Kindergarten and Early Primary Ages

➡️ DIY Fire-Breathing Dragon

Materials You Will Need:

• Toilet paper roll

• Orange, red and yellow tissue paper (cut into long strips)

• Pom Poms for eyes and nose (2 larger ones for eyes and 2 smaller ones for nostrils)

• Googly eyes

• Glue (If using hot glue ensure an adult is present! Liquid glue works as well)

• Scissors

• Paper or Paint (choose your favourite colour for your dragon!)

How To:

1. Choose the colour for your dragon! You can use construction paper, cut to size and glued to the roll – or you can paint it!

2. Ensure glue or paint has thoroughly dried! Now it’s time to start adding the fire. Cut your red, yellow and orange tissue paper into long strips. Add glue to the ends, about an inch up. Glue the strip to the INSIDE of the tube where the mouth will be. Ensure you fill every gap, and alternate the colours as you glue them down!

3. Time to add the rest of your dragon’s face! Glue pom poms onto the top of the roll where you would like the eyes to be. Once dried, attach googly eyes to the pom poms!

4. Glue small pom poms for nostrils where you would like the nose to be.

5. Test your fire breathing dragon out and blow through the roll!

Educational Benefits:

The process of cutting, glueing and decorating sock puppets helps enhance children’s fine motor skills. It involves precise movements that strengthen hand-eye coordination and dexterity. Using sock puppets to communicate and interact in role-playing scenarios can improve children’s communication skills. It encourages them to express themselves, both in the making process, and while playing with them as they articulate ideas and engage in storytelling.

Additional Tips:

The best glue to use is a hot glue gun, however it is very important to ensure they are used safely and properly. Always have an adult present when a child is using a hot glue gun. The adult can handle the glue gun while the child assists with holding materials in place. Teach children to never touch the hot tip of the glue gun or the freshly applied hot glue. Emphasize the importance of handling the glue gun carefully and using it only as directed. Ensure they understand to turn off, or unplug the hot glue gun when they are finished using it.

➡️ DIY Coffee Filter Butterflies

Check out these easy and beautiful coffee filter butterflies!

Materials You Will Need:

• 2 coffee filters

• Washable markers

• Water

• An eye dropper or small measuring spoon

• 1 pipe cleaner (12” long)

How To:

1. Place one coffee filter inside the other so they fit together well. Place the coffee filters on a cookie sheet to keep the mess contained.

2. Flatten out your coffee filters enough that you can colour on them. Use your creativity and create unique designs onto the coffee filters. You’ll be colour on 2 layers, and some of the marker will leak through to the bottom coffee filter.

3. Next take an eye dropper or small measuring spoon and drip water onto the marker until the coffee filter is completely wet. Once the coffee filter is completely wet, you have added enough water. If you add a big pool of water the colours will mix together too much, and it will take a long time to dry.

4. Now it’s time to dry your coffee filters! If it is a sunny day outside, pop them in the sun for a quick drying time. Otherwise it may take several hours inside (depending how much water you added)

5. Once they are thoroughly dry pull them apart and you will have two very similar looking layers.

6. Fold each one back and forth, accordion style, in about ½” folds. (Just make sure the coffee filters are completely dry first or you’ll end up with messy fingers!)

7. Once each filter is folded accordion style into little strips, stack them, one on top of the other.

8. Twist your pipe cleaner around the middle so that the two ends point upwards in a big letter “V”.

9. Pink the end of each pipe cleaner and curl it outwards to make a small spiral

10. Finally, pull apart the folds in the coffee filter to open them up and shape your butterfly!

Photo Credit: www.darcyandbrian.com

Math and Literacy Activity Sheets for Kindy and Early Primary Ages (5-7)

➡️ Chocolate Chip Counting

Motivate your little learner with a chocolate chip cookie counting game! Have them count the chips in the cookie. Option to pair them to the matching numbers on the printable activity board.

➡️ Addition and Subtraction Worksheets

Practice makes perfect! Have your little one try these worksheets to improve their numeracy skills.

➡️ Roll a Monster

Get out your favourite colouring materials and let's roll a Monster! We'd love to see what your little one creates! Share or tag us on social media: @FrameBrightKids

➡️ Rocket Race Counting Board

A fun Rocket Race game for kids to learn the concept of number line, counting, and addition! In this exciting 2-player game, children will learn these concepts while racing to see who reaches outer space first! This game is recommended for 4-7 year olds.

We made this board at home with cardboard paper and string!

➡️ Fill in the Blanks

Between ages 5 and 7, children typically transition from recognizing letters and simple words to forming sentences. This worksheet introduces simple sentence building.

➡️ Space Word Search

Can your little one find all the hidden words?

Outdoor Adventures For Kindy and Early Primary Ages! (5-7)

➡️ Backyard Obstacle Course

Create a backyard obstacle course with things you already have around the house! For example, you can use string, pool noodles, play tunnels, balance beams and more! To keep it interesting, get creative and switch up the course regularly!

➡️ Hopscotch How To Play

To start a hopscotch game, draw squares on the ground using chalk. Make your squares large enough to fit one foot and wide enough so that a stone can land inside each square without touching its lines or bouncing out of it. It’s most common to number your squares vertically from 1-10 with 1 at the bottom. Pairs of 4&5 and 7&8 are often placed side-by-side.

1. Draw your ending square extra wide and designate it as a rest or stop area. This is where a player can take a moment to turn around and/or regain their balance. Sometimes, the ending square is given a nickname like “home”.

   
   

2. Asphalt, patio stones, and concrete make the best surfaces for drawing a hopscotch board, but the grid can be designed on any surface. Have your starting player toss a stone or other flat object (a beanbag, a toy block) onto the hopscotch board. The stone has to land inside the square without touching the border or bouncing out. If the layer successfully lands the stone between the lines, they move on to the next step. If they fail, they lose their turn and the next player goes.
   

3. If you’re playing hopscotch by yourself, continue tossing! To encourage balance, use one foot to jump inside each square. Don’t place more than one foot on the ground at a time, unless there are 2 number squares right next to each other. In this case, put down both feet simultaneously (one in each square).
   

4. Always keep your feet inside the appropriate square(s); if you step on a line, hop on the wrong square, or step out of the square, you lose your turn.
   

5. When you get to the last number (usually 10), turn around (remaining on one foot) and hop your way back in reverse order.
   

6. When you land on the square directly before the one containing your stone, lean down (still on one foot) and pick it up.
   

7. Then skip over that square and finish up. Once you’ve completed the course or lost your turn, hand the stone to the player after you.
   

8. Then, they go! After every player has taken their turn, if you didn’t lose your turn in the previous round, throw your stone into square 2 for your next turn.
   

9. Your goal is to complete the course with the stone in each square. The first person to do this wins the game!

Use a pen and paper to keep track of each player’s progress or have players sign on the square chalk, once they have successfully bounced the stone inside.

➡️ Animal Tag

Spice up a regular game of tag with Animal Tag!

First, designate one area to be the “cage” where players will be sent if they are tagged. Next, choose one child to be the “zookeeper” responsible for tagging all of the animals and sending them back to the “cage”. In addition, choose another child to be the mischievous “monkey”; they can tag players to let them out of the cage. Then, divide the rest of the players up and assign different animals to them!

You can make it even more fun by having them act as their assigned animals (hopping like kangaroos, galloping like a zebra, slithering like a snake, etc.) Finally, to keep it interesting, you can switch up the zoo theme to a barnyard theme with animals you’d find on a farm!

Activities in the Car for Your 5-7 Year Old!

To get started, download our free activity kit and print off the worksheets for the following games.

➡️ Counting Coloured Cars

Cross off the cars as you spot them!

➡️ Road Trip BINGO

Make road trips way more fun with this Road Trip game of BINGO!

➡️ Road Trip 'I SPY'

You can do this with or without a worksheet. Go through the alphabet and see if you can find objects, words or places that start with the corresponding letter.

BUILDING SKILLS AT HOME FOR CHILDREN AGES 8-10

For children aged 8-10, there are several key developmental areas you might want to focus on for at-home skill building that can better prepare them for the more formal classroom setting.

• Literacy: Encourage reading regularly and explore different genres to improve their literacy skills. Pair their reading material with reading comprehension worksheets to further their skills.
  

• Numeracy: Practice basic math skills through games, puzzles and real-life situations like cooking or shopping.
  

• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Engage your child in activities that require them to think critically and solve problems independently. This could look like puzzles, brainteasers, and strategy games.
  

• Communication: Help your child improve their communication skills by encouraging discussions, debates and journaling. Utilizing these tools can help them express themselves clearly and confidently.
  

• Social & Emotional Development: Facilitate opportunities for your child to interact with peers and adults, both in person and virtually, this can be through imaginative play or organized group settings, like sports, or crafting clubs. Encourage empathy, cooperation and conflict resolution through role-playing and cooperative games.
  

• Creativity & Imagination: Encourage creativity through art, storytelling, music, and imaginative play. Provide materials and opportunities for your child to explore their interests and express their uniqueness while supporting self expression.
  

• Responsibility & Independence: Giving your child age-appropriate tasks and responsibilities at home, such as household chores or caring for family pets, encourages independence by allowing them to make decisions and solve problems on their own, while instilling good habits they can build on!
  

• Healthy Habits: Encourage healthy habits like physical activity through sports, outdoor play, or organized groups like dance or martial arts, and proper nutrition by getting them involved in the planning and preparation of healthy foods!
  

• Technology: Teach your child how to use technology responsibly and safely. Help them develop basic computer skills and critical thinking about online content.

You know your child best! Therefore, remember to tailor activities to your child’s interests and abilities to ensure they are engaged and getting the most out of these activities. In addition, provide plenty of encouragement and support along the way!

Developmental Milestones by Age (8, 9, 10)

Arts and Crafts for Ages 8-10

➡️ DIY Sock Puppets

Try your hand at these fun and simple DIY sock puppets!

Recycling old socks into wonderful creations, is a great way to clean out the scraps in the craft bin!

Materials You Will Need:

• A clean sock (crew sock or knee sock)

• Cardboard – the cardboard from a cereal or cracker box is great.

• Buttons or googly eyes

• Glue (Hot glue works best but supervision and/or assistance is required)

• Felt – a few different colours used for mouth, teeth and spine (optional)

• Feathers, yarn, pipe cleaners or fake fur for unique characteristics (optional)

How To:

1. Find a clean sock tall sock

2. Slip it over your hand, forming a C-shape

3. Mark where you would like to add your eyes and nose with a felt marker.

4. First let’s make the mouth of our puppet! Cut out a piece of cardboard that fits just inside the width of your sock, then fold it in half like you’re closing its mouth.

5. Draw what kind of mouth shape you would like. It can be short or long, round or pointed! Once you’ve decided on the mouth shape for your puppet, draw the shape onto the cardboard and cut it out.

6. Using a hot glue gun, glue your cardboard mouthpiece to a piece of felt.

7. Cut around the cardboard mouthpiece leaving about a ¼ inch border. Snip little lines into the felt along the edge to avoid bucking and glue the border onto the underside of the cardboard mouth.

8. Here you can choose to add teeth to your puppet! Ensure you cut a piece of white felt long enough to wrap around the top part of the mouth piece and wide enough for the teeth. Remember to keep an edge that you can use to glue it onto the mouth! Next, cut away a row of teeth, if you want sharp teeth, cut a row of small triangles.

9. Next, glue your teeth to the underside of the cardboard mouthpiece.

10. Now the mouth is ready to be glued into the sock!

11. Once glued in, you can add a tongue if you’d like to.

12. Next, it’s time to decorate your sock puppet. Get creative and use the scraps from the craft bin to make it unique!

Educational Benefits:

The process of cutting, gluing and decorating sock puppets helps enhance children’s fine motor skills. In fact, it involves precise movements that strengthen hand-eye coordination and dexterity. Additionally, using sock puppets to communicate and interact in role-playing scenarios can improve children’s communication skills. As a result, it encourages them to express themselves, both in the making process, and while playing with them, allowing them to articulate ideas and engage in storytelling.

Additional Tips:

The best glue to use is a hot glue gun, however, it is very important to ensure they are used safely and properly. Therefore, always have an adult present when a child is using a hot glue gun. For instance, the adult can handle the glue gun while the child assists with holding materials in place. Furthermore, teach children to never touch the hot tip of the glue gun or the freshly applied hot glue. Above all, emphasize the importance of handling the glue gun carefully and using it only as directed. Finally, ensure they understand to turn off or unplug the hot glue gun when they are finished using it.

➡️ Toilet Paper Roll Zoo!

Using paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls, create a zoo full of animals! For example, you can paint them to look like lions, tigers, bears, or any other animal you can imagine. Furthermore, get creative with scrap crafting materials to add detail to your animals. You can use pipe cleaners for whiskers, googly eyes for eyes, and feathers for tails.

➡️ Be a Designer! 🏡

Draw designs of your dream house and all the cool features you would include. For example, does your house have a pool? A ball pit? In addition, bonus points for added detail and colours!

➡️ Painted Cactus Pet Rocks

Head outside to find some cool rocks to use for your cactus! Once collected, paint your rocks green. If doing more than one cactus, use different shades of green to make them each unique! Acrylic paint works best. Once dry, use white paint to add the “prickles” to your cactus! Add a little dry flower for the cactus bloom or googly eyes for some extra fun! Once dry, place it in a tiny flower pot and enjoy!

FUN Math Activities for Ages 8-10

➡️ Math Scavenger Hunt

A math scavenger hunt! Look for math all around you! What can your little one find?

➡️ 1 Minute Multiplication Worksheets

Looking for a stimulating challenge to help your child commit their multiplication facts to memory? Then, see how many of these one-digit multiplication problems your young mathematician can solve in one minute!

Literacy and Reading Comprehension for Ages 8-10

➡️ Comic Book Writing!

First, fold paper together to make your own comic book. Then, develop unique characters and a captivating storyline. You can draw the characters, write dialogue in speech bubbles, and create exciting plot twists. Finally, share your comic book with friends and family for a fun reading experience.

How To Fold Your Paper:

• Gather your materials: You’ll need a standard sheet of paper (8.5 x 11 inches)..

• First fold: Fold the paper in half lengthwise (the long way), so it’s long and narrow. Crease it well.

• Secondly fold: Fold it in half again lengthwise, creasing well.

• Thirdly fold: Fold it in half one more time lengthwise, creasing firmly. You should now have a very narrow strip of paper.

• Lastly: Unfold the paper completely. You’ll see creases that divide the paper into eight equal sections. These are your comic panels!

➡️ Their, There and They're Worksheet

“Their”, “there” and “they’re” are homophones, words that sound the same but have different meanings. In this base-ball themed worksheet, learners will use context clues to determine the correct homophone for each of eight sentences. Designed for fourth and fifth graders, this fill-in-the-blanks worksheet reinforces students’ understanding of homophones, while also supporting grammar and spelling skills.

➡️ Nature Word Search

Try this nature themed word search!

➡️ Compound Words

Fill in a word from the word list to complete each compound word.

Healthy Habits for Ages 8-10

➡️ Fun Chalk Obstacle Course Ideas

Create a fun obstacle course out of chalk outside! Get creative and assign different pictures with different tasks! “Clap five times”, “10 jumping jacks” etc.

Photo Credit: www.missiongrit.com

Bonus Activities for Ages 8+!

➡️ Mini Basketball Board

First, create a mini basketball board using solo cups, a piece of cardboard, markers, glue and a ping pong ball or ball of tape for your basketball. Next, glue the cups onto the cardboard and give them each a value (5, 10 or 20 points). To make it your own, decorate your board! You can add stickers or any other materials to make your board unique. Finally, add up the points as you sink the balls!

➡️ STEM Activity! Coloured Carnation

This coloured carnations science experiment doubles as a beautiful centrepiece! Watch as the colour rises through the stem and throughout the petals like magic.

Materials You Will Need:

• Carnations

• Water

• Food

• Colouring

• Cups

How To:

1. Add 10 drops of food colouring into a small vase.

2. Fill with water. Add more drops if necessary to achieve a nice vibrant colour.

3. Cut each stem on an angle and place it inside the vase.

4. Wait and watch! Within a few hours you’ll begin to see the flowers start to change colour! As the flower drinks the water, it runs through the stem as well as all of the petals.

LEARNING INDEPENDENCE AT-HOME FOR AGES 11-12

Children ages 11 & 12 are going through a significant stage of development, both physically and emotionally. It is a crucial time in their lives where they need both patience and understanding.Below are some key areas of focus for parents during this time:

• Reading Fluency and Comprehension: Encourage regular reading to improve fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. In addition, explore a variety of genres and styles to expand your child’s interests and preferences.
  

• Study Skills: Help your child develop effective study habits such as time management, organization, note-taking, and test preparation. Encourage them to break tasks into smaller, manageable chunks and prioritize their assignments. This will help them build a strong foundation as the expectations on them grow in the coming years.
  

• Curiosity and Exploration: Encourage a love of learning by helping your child to explore their interests and pursue topics they find intriguing. For example, you could support extracurricular activities, clubs, and hobbies that they find interesting. Ultimately, help them to lead with whatever brings them the most excitement!
  

• Social Skills: Preteens are learning to navigate complex social dynamics at school and with friends. Therefore, it’s important to encourage healthy communication, empathy, and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, help your child understand the importance of kindness and respect towards others.
  

• Independence: Encourage independence by giving your child responsibilities and allowing them to make decisions for themselves (within appropriate boundaries). For example, encourage them to take ownership of their schoolwork, chores, and personal routines like getting themselves ready for their day, and personal hygiene.
  

• Emotional Regulation: Preteens may experience a wide range of emotions as they navigate puberty and peer relationships. Therefore, it is important to help them work through these feelings by teaching them healthy coping mechanisms for managing stress and emotions. Additionally, providing a safe environment with open communication will encourage them to share their feelings and ultimately strengthen your relationship together.
  

• Setting Boundaries: Help your child understand the importance of setting boundaries in relationships and respecting the boundaries of others. Teach them to be respectful while being assertive and to recognize when they need to say no.
  

• Digital Literacy and Safety: Educate your child about the importance of online safety, responsible internet usage, and the potential risks associated with social media and technology. Furthermore, monitor their online activities and have open conversations about appropriate online behaviour. In addition to these conversations, discuss scenarios to ensure they understand what is safe and unsafe on the internet.
  

• Family Connections: While we want to encourage our children to be independent, maintaining a strong family bond by spending time together, engaging in meaningful conversations, and creating traditions, can foster a sense of belonging and support. At this age, children need connection and patience while they ride the rollercoaster that is puberty.
  

By encouraging your child in these areas of focus, you can better equip them to handle the responsibilities and expectations as they enter the next stage of their lives.

Developmental Milestones by Age (11, 12)

Fun DIY Crafts for Ages 11-12!

➡️ DIY Owl Painted Rocks!

Try this fun and frugal activity! Get creative and practice your painting skills.

You Will Need:

• Rocks! As many as you would like to paint. Rocks with a flat surface work best.

• Paint brushes (fine tipped for detailing)

• Acrylic paint

• Fine tipped permanent marker

• Pencil

• Varnish (optional – if keeping outside)

How To:

First, ensure your rocks are washed and dried so the paint goes on smoothly.

Next, use your pencil to sketch your owls’ eyes, beak, and wings. Then, choose the colors you’d like for your owl! You can go for a more realistic look or get creative with bright colors. Now, fill in your owl’s eyes with white.

Afterward, paint your owl in sections, going around the areas already painted very carefully. Start with the head, then fill in the beak, and finally fill in the main body and wings. Once the paint is dry, create your owl’s pupils with black paint. You can have it looking straight forward, or be silly with it and make your owl cross-eyed!

Wait for the paint to dry completely. Once your owl is dry, you can add details like little lines or designs for feathers. You can use a fine-tipped paint brush or a fine-tipped permanent marker.

Finally, if you plan to keep these creations outside, you can choose to cover them with a coating of varnish to keep them from chipping!

Rock painting can be a fun and educational activity that nurtures children’s creativity, fine motor skills, and artistic development!

Photo Credit: www.frugalfun4boys.com

➡️ DIY Banjo with Recycled Materials!

Create this cool mini banjo with simple items around the house!

Materials You Will Need:

• Jar lid/ whatever lid you have on hand.

• 1 Popsicle stick

• 3-4 rubber bands

• Tape

• Markers

How To:

1. Wrap 3-4 rubber bands around your lid.

2. Next, secure the rubber bands to the lid by taping the backside of your lid.

3. Attach your popsicle stick to the back of the lid and tape it as well. There you have it! Your banjo is assembled.

4. Finally, use markers to decorate the popsicle stick and have fun!

Educational Activities Your Child Will Love! Ages 11-12

➡️ Cooking Dinner

Have your pre-teen cook dinner for the family! To begin, start with something simple, like a one-pot pasta dish or tacos. Then, supply all the ingredients and give them support as needed, such as reading the recipe aloud or demonstrating a cooking technique. Finally, see if they can complete the challenge of following the recipe and making a meal! This could become a weekly event that not only improves their comprehension skills but also solidifies healthy habits for the future.

➡️ Calculating Groceries

Help the little robot calculate how much his groceries will cost. If you go out for food or the grocery store, consider letting your child use cash to make the transaction. This is a great way for them to understand the value of money.

Fun and Challenging Logic and Math Activities for Ages 11-12

➡️ Solving 2 Step Equation

Can you complete all of these 2 step equations?

➡️ Logic Puzzles! Whose Pet Is It?

With this at-home learning activity, use the clues and the grid to match each person to their dog! To complete the puzzle, ensure all the information is matched correctly.

➡️ Logic Puzzles! Water Park Fun!

Use the clues to identify everyone’s favourite ride with this at-home learning activity!

Engaging Literacy Activities for Ages 11-12

➡️ Similes!

Complete the simile worksheet by filling in the blank spaces with the adjectives in the box!

➡️ Adjective Worksheet

Underline the adjectives in each sentence. Then, write the noun the adjective describes on the line!

➡️ Roll a Story

First, roll the dice THREE times, once for each column, to mix-and-match different story elements. Then, record each story element along with any additional story ideas that come to mind!

Family Game Night Ideas

➡️ Charades

Charades is a classic game that encourages creativity, teamwork, and quick thinking. It’s suitable for players of all ages and can be played in various settings from family gatherings to social events and classroom activities!

➡️ Family Trivia

Write down trivia questions based on family history and fun facts on big pieces of paper and get the whole family together for a night of Trivia!

Here are some fun questions to get started!

1. Trivia Question: Where is the Eiffel Tower located? Answer: Paris, France.

2. Trivia Question: What is grandmas favourite desert? Answer: _____________

3. Trivia Question: What is the largest planet in the solar System? Answer: Jupiter

4. Trivia Question: What is the fastest land animal? Answer: Cheetah

5. Trivia Question: What is the name of Harry Potter's pet owl? Answer: Hedwig
   

TIPS & ACTIVITIES FOR NEURODIVERGENT KIDDOS

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Creating a structured and predictable routine can be a very helpful way to make learning more engaging and understandable for children with ASD. In addition, providing a sensory-friendly place for your child to regulate can be a very useful tool. For example, you can create a calm and comfortable space by using soft lighting, minimizing loud noises, and reducing clutter. Furthermore, providing sensory tools like fidget-toys, weighted blankets, or noise-cancelling headphones can help children regulate their sensory input.

Similarly, using visual supports such as visual schedules, picture cues, or labels can also aid in communication and understanding. Offering sensory activities like sensory bins, playdough, or textured materials can engage children in a calming way. By tailoring the environment to meet your child’s sensory preferences, you can create a supportive and comfortable space for them.

Ultimately, these methods can help make learning a fun and comfortable experience for your child. Additionally, practicing patience, understanding, and celebrating small victories can make a big difference. Finally, seeking support from professionals, joining parent support groups, and staying informed about ASD can also be beneficial for parents.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Establishing routines and clear expectations can be beneficial for children with ADHD. For example, providing structure, setting up a quiet and organized study area, and breaking tasks into smaller, more manageable steps can help children with ADHD stay focused and on task. Furthermore, encouraging regular “body breaks” where your child can release some energy, refocus, and regulate emotions can be helpful. Additionally, using visual aids or timers can also assist in managing attention and impulsivity.

Moreover, seeking support from healthcare professionals, educators, and support groups can provide valuable resources and guidance for parents navigating ADHD. When choosing activities, it’s helpful to use those that involve active participation and hands-on learning with clear goals and rewards. Finally, setting achievable goals and providing immediate rewards or feedback can improve engagement.

Intellectual Disabilities

Providing a supportive and nurturing environment is key for children with intellectual disabilities. For instance, tailoring activities and tasks to your child’s abilities, offering clear and simple instructions broken down into more manageable steps, and celebrating small achievements can boost their confidence and motivation. Furthermore, use repetitive and multi-sensory activities that engage your child’s senses, like music, touch, and visual aids to reinforce learning. In addition, incorporate adaptive tools and materials that are easy to handle, like communication boards, picture schedules, visual timers, and sensory tools, like fidget toys or weighted blankets. These tools can enhance communication, organization, time management, and sensory regulation.

Moreover, seeking guidance from healthcare professionals, educators, and support groups can also provide valuable resources and strategies for supporting your child’s development. Additionally, specialized software, apps, and assistive devices tailored to your child’s needs can also support independence and skill development.

Physical Disabilities

Finding ways to adapt and having a supportive network are key to helping your little one’s development. Remember, every parent’s journey is unique, so finding what works best for you and your family is important. The use of adaptive equipment, such as modified scissors, large-handles paint brushes, or switch-activated devices, help facilitate participation.

For example, you can introduce fun activities like Uno, Go Fish, Checkers or Connect Four, puzzles and interactive games like Simon Says or Charades. These games can be adapted to accommodate different abilities and provide great opportunities for socialization and fun! Additionally, crafts are a great activity that can promote self-expression and create great memories. There are also a variety of physical activities that can be adapted, such as seated yoga, wheelchair basketball, adaptive swimming, and modified dance classes. These activities not only promote physical health, but also provide opportunities for making connections and having fun! Finally, ensuring the activity space is accessible and free from obstacles can ensure your child has every opportunity to have a safe and enjoyable time.

Visual Impairments

Creating a supportive and accessible environment is crucial for your little one to thrive. For example, hands-on activities and real-life examples can be very helpful in learning. Some specific activities include tactile games like textured puzzles for shapes, using objects to demonstrate addition and subtractions, and interactive tools to explore multiplication and division concepts.

Additionally, providing materials with high-contrast colours and large print can further enhance the learning experience. Furthermore, incorporating auditory cues and instructions to guide activities, along with verbal descriptions of materials and activities, can be beneficial.

Finally, seeking support from family, friends, or community resources can also provide valuable assistance in creating an optimal learning environment for your child.

Hearing Impairments

Creating a supportive and inclusive environment is key to your child’s development. For example, using visual aids, such as pictorial instructions, sign language, and written communication can help facilitate understanding and communication. Additionally, tools that vibrate or light up to provide feedback can be very useful. Furthermore, group activities that encourage peer interaction through visual cues and gestures can be a great way to foster connections and ensure your child feels included in fun activities.

Speech and Language Disorders

Encouraging communication through alternative methods like sign language, visual aids, or augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices can help facilitate understanding. For example, you can incorporate interactive storytelling with visual aids and prompts to further engage your little one. Additionally, the use of art and music therapy activities are a great way to support expression, and turn-taking games further encourage communication and social interaction.

Learning Disabilities

Creating a supportive environment where your child can ask questions and make mistakes is a great way to encourage their development. To cater to your child’s individual needs, incorporate visual aids, auditory and kinesthetic learning styles, hands-on activities, and personalized learning strategies. For example, you can break down tasks into clear, step-by-step instructions and use interactive tools, like educational apps and games. Additionally, encourage frequent body breaks to release excess energy and regulate their emotions to maintain focus. Above all, provide positive encouragement to build confidence.

Fun & Collaborative Art Projects for Everyone!

➡️ Giant Mural

First, roll out a large sheet of paper and let kids paint or draw a giant mural together. For example, themes could include a jungle, outer space, under the sea, or even abstract designs. To enhance their creativity, they can use different techniques such as sponge painting, finger painting, or stencilling to add texture and depth to their work.

➡️ Group Collage

Using magazines, scissors, glue, and a large poster board, children can work together to create a collage based on a theme, such as animals, nature, food, or their favorite things. Moreover, it’s a great way to show self-expression and encourage resourcefulness.

Must-Try Science Experiments!

➡️ Volcano Eruption

Creating a volcanic eruption is a great way to encourage teamwork and creativity!

How To:

1. Start by creating a base structure using a plastic bottle or a cup as the volcano’s core.

2. Build up the shape of the volcano using crumpled newspaper and secure it with tape.

3. Next, create a paper mache paste by mixing flour and water to a smooth consistency.

4. Dip strips of newspaper into the paste and layer them over the volcano structure, covering it completely.

5. Allow it to dry between layers to ensure a sturdy construction. Repeat this process until you have a thick and solid volcano shape.

6. Once fully dry, you can paint and decorate your volcano!

7. Now, for the eruption, you can simulate it using baking soda and vinegar. Inside the volcano, place a small container filled with baking soda.

8. Finally, when you’re ready for the eruption, pour vinegar with food coloring into the container, and watch as the chemical reaction causes the volcano to “erupt” with foamy lava, bringing it to life!
   

➡️ DIY Slimes

Making slime is a fun and engaging activity for kids!

Materials You Will Need:

• White school glue

• Liquid laundry detergent

• Food colouring (optional)

• Glitter (optional)

How To:

1. Mix the glue with a few drops of food colouring.

2. Then slowly add the liquid laundry detergent while stirring.

3. Add glitter for an added sparkle of fun! (optional).

4. Mix until the slime forms.

This method can also result in a stretchy and squishy slime that kids will love to play with!

Team Activities!

➡️ Treasure Hunt

To add excitement and teamwork to your day, create a treasure hunt with clues and hidden items from around the house or items found in nature. Then, children can work in teams to solve the clues and find the treasure!

➡️ Obstacle Course

To get kids active, set up an obstacle course using household items like cushions, chairs and ropes. Then, kids can take turns completing the course or work together to navigate it!

Cooking and Baking Fun

➡️ Make-Your-Own Pizza

First, provide pizza dough, sauce, cheese, and a variety of toppings. Then, kids can work together to create their own pizzas, sharing ingredients and ideas. Alternatively, everyone can make their favourite individual pizza and share their creation with the group!

➡️ Cookie Decorating

Bake a batch of cookies and provide icing, sprinkles, and decorations. Children can use their creativity and enjoy the creation process as much as the eating!

Construction and Building Activities

➡️ Lego City

First, ensure they have a sufficient amount of Lego pieces and bases to create their vision. Then, kids can work together to build a city, assigning different parts like buildings, roads, and parks to each other.

➡️ Fort Building

Using blankets, pillows, and furniture, kids can build a fort by working on a design and executing a plan together. Once the fort is built, it becomes a great place to read in with flashlights, or play board games!

Performing Arts for Your Little Superstar!

➡️ Puppet Show

Kids can make their own puppets using socks or paper bags, (See how to video above) then create a puppet show together. Furthermore, they can write the script, design the set, and perform for an audience.

➡️ Dance Party

Create a playlist of your child’s favourite songs. Then, have a dance party! Kids can take turns leading the dance moves or, for an added challenge, they can choreograph a dance routine together.

Playing In Nature

➡️ Garden Planting

Kids can work together to plant a mini garden, taking care of the plants as they grow. Ensure they have pots, soil and seeds to start their garden.

➡️ Nature Scavenger Hunt

Create a list of items found in nature, such as pine cones, leaves, rocks, and flowers. Then, the kids can team up to find all the items on the list.

Creative Writing Activities

➡️ Story Chain

Start a story with a writing prompt and have each child add a sentence or paragraph to continue it. Pass the story around until it’s complete, then read it aloud together.

➡️ Comic Strip

Using paper and drawing supplies, children can create a comic strip together! To make it engaging, ensure they include characters, a storyline, and illustrations to bring their comic strip to life.

DIY Fun Craft Projects!

➡️ Friendship Bracelets

Provide embroidery thread, or coloured string and beads for kids to make friendship bracelets for each other. They can learn different weaving techniques and exchange bracelets!

Photo Credit: www.abeautifulmess.com

➡️ Tie-Dye Shirts

With white shirts and tie-dye kits children can create colourful tie-dye designs on their shirts. A cool activity and a great keepsake all wrapped into one fun afternoon!

Educational Activities

➡️ Puzzle Assembly

Choose a large, challenging puzzle and have kids work together to complete it! Provide a space where they can keep the puzzle while it is in progress.

➡️ Math Games

Math related games like “Math Bingo” or “Number Jeopardy” are fun and engaging ways children can work together to win the games.

Mother’s Day Crafts

➡️ Coffee Filter Flowers

Make a beautiful bouquet of coffee filter flowers your mom can keep forever!

Materials You Will Need:

• Coffee filters

• Scissors

• Green pipe cleaners

• Liquid watercolour paint

• Eye dropper

How To:

1. First, make a stack of 4 coffee filters.

2. Them, fold the stack in half and then in half again, then in half one last time. It will look like a small piece of pizza now in your hand.

3. Next, Cut a rounded petal shape across the wide edge of the folded coffee filters.

4. Now, Unfold the coffee filters and place the stack on a baking tray. Use your hands to press them out so the pile lies flat.

5. After that, add 2 tablespoons of water to a small bowl. Repeat in other bowls for additional colours. (1 bowl per paint colour”

6. Then add liquid watercolour paint into the water. (For example, use 10 drops for yellow, 2 drops of red to make pink, and 4 drops for orange)

7. Then, using an eyedropper, add yellow to the centre of the coffee filters. (They should still be stacked in a pile of 4 coffee filters.)

8. Again using the eyedropper, add another colour (or several colours) to the petals of the flower.

9. Next, Allow the coffee filters to dry for 3 to 5 hours (or 20 minutes in the oven at 130F).

10. Once your flowers are dry, separate filters into 2 piles with 2 coffee filters each.

11. Adjust the top coffee filter so that the petals are off-set from the bottom coffee filter.

12. Place your finger in the centre of the flower, then bring the coffee filters up and around your finger.

13. After that, Pinch and twist them together a bit at the bottom.

14. Then, repeat for the second pile of coffee filters.

15. After that, bring the two bundles together at the bottom.

16. Then, place the end of the pipe cleaner about ½ inch from the bottom point of the coffee filters.

17. Tightly wrap the pipe cleaner around the coffee filters spiralling down until it covers the bottom point. Leave the rest of the pipe cleaner straight as the stem.

18. Finally, separate the coffee filters and shape them to look like a flower.

➡️ Mother's Day Handprint Apron

Start with a blank apron, and using acrylic paint decorate the apron with whatever theme you would like. Handprints for flowers and footprints for a butterfly are a cute and easy theme, but you can choose any theme your mom would like best!

Fathers Day Crafts

➡️ Handprint Father's Day Grill Card

Materials You Will Need:

• Grill Card template

• Light cardstock – red, orange, black, silver, grey, white

• Black marker

• Glue stick

• Scissors

How To:

1. Firstly, cut out all the pieces. Leave the smaller circle as is on the white paper.

2. After that, trace the large circle and cut it out of black paper

3. Then, trace the spatula onto the silver cardstock and cut it out.

4. After that, trace the legs on gray cardstock and cut it out.

5. Now, glue the white circle in the center of the black circle.

6. Fold the circles in half.

7. Next, draw slots on the spatula with the black marker.

8. Then, glue the legs to the back of the bottom, curved part of the folded circle.

9. Next, glue the spatula to the front of the card.

10. Then, trace two handprints. One on red and one orange paper.

11. Cut out the two handprints.

12. Glue the handprints together at the thumbs.

13. After that, glue the handprints behind the fold of the grill card.

Finally, write your Happy Father’s Day message on the inside of the card.

A lightweight cardstock works best to keep the card’s structure without being heavy. Construction paper would work as well!

In Conclusion

Engaging your children in DIY craft activities not only fosters their creativity but also cultivates essential skills like problem-solving and fine motor skills for all age groups, while simultaneously encouraging exploration and individuality.

For example, from simple projects for toddlers that focus on sensory exploration to more intricate crafts that challenge older children’s artistic abilities, there is a DIY craft out there for everyone!

Moreover, they encourage imagination, provide opportunities for learning through hands-on experiences, and strengthen family bonds through shared creations. Whether it is painting, making gifts, or playing games with the whole family, these activities are not just about the end product but also about the joy of the creative process itself.

Therefore, by introducing age-appropriate DIY crafts and activities, we empower our children to express themselves, build confidence, and foster a positive relationship with the arts and creativity. So, gather your supplies, tap into your imagination, and begin a crafting and activity journey for the whole family!