Balloon Paddles

My kids had so much fun trying to keep the balloons off the floor with these balloon paddles. Just tape a paper plate to some sort of "handle" (we had paint stirrers, so I used those, but you could use rulers, wooden spoons, or whatever you have), blow up a couple balloons and have fun!

Paper Bag Blocks

These were fun. You just take paper bags (I used small since that's what I had at home, but I would really love to try the big ones), stuff them part way with newspaper, fold over and tape shut! The kids had a lot of fun stacking and knocking them over, tossing them into a big basket, and yes, even throwing them at each other. But nobody got hurt! :) My original plan was to have them decorate them, but they were too eager to play. Maybe next time. Anyway, cheap (free if you have bags) and very quick to throw together.

Ice Block Toys

For a fun twist to bath time, try Ice Block Toys. First, find some toys around your house that are water safe. Fill up some containers with water, and freeze the toys in them. Once they're frozen, dip them in warm water to release the ice blocks. Toss them in the tub, and let your kids have fun watching their toys appear! If you don't want to do bath time, let your kids play with them in a sink full of warm water.

Chunky Crayons

If you're like me, then you most likely have tons of broken crayon pieces in your crayon box. Rather than throw them away, I like to recycle them and use them again! This is one of my favorite things. It's great for learning colors, sorting, and teaching about recycling.

First of all, take all the paper off your crayon pieces. Then sort them however you want. This was my daughter's favorite part. You can sort like colors, by season, or just any combination of rainbow.
Put them in a sprayed muffin tin- you can use the big or mini one.

Put muffin tin in a 275 degree oven for about ten minutes (just keep an eye on them- they melt pretty fast). When they're all melted, take out and let cool. When it's cool enough to handle, you can put it in the freezer to speed up the process, and that also makes them come right out of the pan.

Take them out, and you have brand new chunky crayons! These are perfect for my one year old son, who gets frustrated with regular crayons.

If you have candy molds or other fun baking tins, you can use those as well. Just make sure your child knows they're not a treat! :)

Muffin Tin Meals

As a mother of a very picky, fidgety eater, I am all for ideas that will get her to eat! I've seen this around a lot, and thought I'd give it a try. I love it because it's so versatile- you can use a six muffin tin, or twelve, mini muffin tins, as well as switch up what you put in them. My daughter was actually excited about helping mom get lunch ready! The little mini spoon just made it more fun to eat.

For an older baby, you could do different finger foods.

"Scrap" Book

I save my scrap paper for my daughter to color on, but I found a way that's much more fun! We took several pieces of scrap paper, folded them in half and stapled down the edge to make a "book". Then I gave her some crayons and stickers and she made her very own book. She felt pretty important, if you can tell from the pictures below. Anyway, this is just a random daily activity that we spiced up a little.

Water Fight

Okay, so not very original, but sometimes the most spontaneous things are the very most fun! My husband and I were outside the other day when it was pretty hot, and we somehow got into a water fight, fully dressed of course! We involved my kids (being gentle with them) and they had a BLAST and didn't want to go inside. Yes, I had to deal with wet soggy clothes afterwards, but pure joy like that is worth it.