Keeping it Simple with Kid Activities

Keeping it Simple with Kid Activities_1

This summer I have been making sure my kids are active, busy, learning, and social.  We’ve happily done park playdates, beach time, school camps, family vacations, arts and crafts, science experiments…and on and on. Guess what?  As much as my kids are enjoying these planned activities, I realized that sometimes the simplest games are often the most popular.  Go figure!  Here are my easy activity ideas for kids.

I was just talking about this in one of my mom’s groups.  Sometimes, getting back to the “basics” can bring the most joy.  Here are some of the favorites in my home…

Little Girl Drama

MeanGirls

I have two girls, ages 5 and 8, so I have been around lots of girls their ages since my first was born. Lots and lots of girls.

Starting in preschool and continuing into the 2nd grade, there is one unkind sentence girls tend to throw around ALL the time when they get frustrated or mad.

Most of the time, little girls use it as a ploy to get their way when playing with a friend, not to be outright unkind or mean.

But I have witnessed many tears and hurt feelings of the little girls who are the recipients of this sentence. It’s hurtful, and just like teaching kids not to hit or bite, teaching kids to be kind is equally important.

Can you guess what it is?

Last Week of Summer Sandwich Special!

Disclosure: My family will receive a complimentary Last Week of Summer Sandwich Special to enjoy a beach picnic this week. Thank you Sessions! Follow me on Instagram, Twitter and FB for photos.

Sessions West Coast Deli

Sessions Sandwiches Newport Beach is giving locals the chance to celebrate the last week of summer with a special basket ready to take to the beach for a family picnic.

From August 25th through August 29th, Sessions West Coast Deli will offer a “Last Week of Summer Sandwich Special” beach picnic basket for $35 (a retail value $75), to serve four people.

The Sessions Sandwiches beach picnic basket features fans’ favorites including:

WAKE UP! It’s a School Day!

Disclosure: I am a Serta brand ambassador and I m compensated for my time and participation in the program. I have also received complimentary products for review.
All opinions are my own. 

Back-to-school sleep tips for kids

Many kids in this area are going to back to school after Labor Day, so I wanted to share some back-to-school sleep tips for kids to hopefully create brighter mornings when school starts.

From my work the past three and a half years with Serta, I have had the opportunity to experience firsthand the difference a good night’s sleep makes when sleeping on a quality, supportive mattress like the iComfort.  Serta’s Perfect Sleeper mattress is the official mattress of the National Sleep Foundation – a great resource site for all sleep topics.

Getting enough sleep is essential for a child’s health and well-being, especially during the school year so they can be alert and able to learn.

Summer inevitably brings later bedtimes for the kiddos. With lighter, later nights, fun activities and vacations, parents tend to relax a little on bedtime, especially if they can sleep in the next morning.

But when summer vacation comes to an end, it’s often a rude wake up call for kids to wake up early.

Here are some of my personal tips I have learned through my 8 years of parenting combined with expert advice on back-to-school sleep tips for kids from the National Sleep Foundation.

How to Make Cleaning Up Fun for Kids

How to make cleaning up fun for kids_1

Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere.  Clean up, clean up…who has this song stuck in their head 24/7??  Are your kids over it, too?  Here are my tips for how to make cleaning up fun for kids.

Make it a friendly contest

My first go-to attempt is always, “Who can clean up the fastest?!”  Oh.my.goodness.  My kids go nuts for this.  Both are highly competitive, so this tactic works well in our house.  If both stare at me with blank faces, I’ll jump in and start furiously cleaning, saying “Look, mama is winning!”  Boom.  That gets them up!