Made For Play
Explore child development through play, find inspiration for your next DIY project, and discover tips for selecting the perfect toys for your little ones.
Latest Articles
6 Indoor Summer Activities for Toddlers
We’re all for fun in the sun, but let’s be real – when the summer heat is at its peak, everyone is happier playing in the AC for a while. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still have some summertime fun! You can keep the kids active, creative, and learning with these six fun indoor activities for summer! Fun Bath “Swim” Time Turn an everyday bath into a fun indoor summer activity by adding some fun sensory materials or unusual toys. Shaving cream, bath bombs, and bathtub crayons and paints are great for making fun but easy-to-clean messes. Things like dried pasta, kitchen tools, and small water-proof toys can turn the bath into a watery sensory bin. Our favorite fun bath idea though has to be Busy Toddler’s building bricks bathtime! Building bricks float, so the water adds a whole new challenge as they try to build floating structures. Best of all? you’ll be able to skip the bath at bedtime! Couch Cushion Obstacle Course When the kids’ energy levels scream “Play outside!” but the heat index says “Stay inside!”, you’ll need an active physical activity. An indoor obstacle course is just the thing, and your couch cushions make the perfect props. Stack them for a mini climbing challenge and spread them out like stepping stones for some jumping. If your couch cushions aren’t removable (or you just want to spare them the abuse!), you can lay some masking tape down on the floor for a “follow the line” game! Pretend Summer Treats In the winter months, you’ve probably seen your littles whip up pretend Thanksgiving dinners or Christmas cookies in their play kitchen. Bring the same fun to summer by showing them fun summertime treats they can pretend to make. Lemonade, smoothies, ice cream, popsicles, and BBQ are all perfect summertime treats. Indoor Camping “Roast” some s’mores in the microwave and set up sleeping bags in the kids’ teepee or a blanket fort! Indoor camping is perfect for testing the waters for a real camping trip or for just having a fun summer night in! Our Pretend Camping Cookout set has everything you need to complete the fun with a wooden campfire, pretend fishing set, ice chest, camping stove, and camping dishes! Summertime Crafts Windchimes, sun catchers, bird feeders, kites – there’s a ton of crafts that are great for indoor and outdoor summertime fun. When the sun is hot, head indoors to have fun at the craft table. Then when it’s a bit cooler in the morning, evening, or on cloudy days, head outdoors to use them! Dollhouse “Pool” Treat the doll family to some summertime luxury by adding a mini pool to the dollhouse’s “backyard” If your little one’s dolls are waterproof, a shallow mixing bowl or glass baking dish with a little bit of water is all you need. If not, you can fill it with fish tank marbles, blue craft pom poms, or shredded blue construction paper. Once the weather cools off, head to the backyard for some outdoor summer fun with our 12 Outdoor Play Ideas!
8 Ways to Keep Kids Learning Over Summer Break
The dreaded summer slide doesn’t have to be a thing. And intense, boring reviews don’t have to be either. You can keep your kids learning all summer long… but in sneaky ways that feel more like fun than homework. Try these no-sweat summer learning activities to help your crew have fun and stay sharp all summer! Local Reading Challenges Tons of libraries have summer reading challenges for kids. They usually come with a fun chart to check off or put stickers on plus a few prizes once they’ve met their reading goals. Head to your local library to see if they’re offering anything this summer. If not, give the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge a try! Family Field Trips Odds are you have a few spots near your home that are loaded with fun learning opportunities. Think outside of the usual museum spots – kids can learn a ton by touring farms, gardens, factories, state capitols, historical sites, fire departments, etc. Local moms’ groups on social media are a great way to find out what’s available in your area! The Great Outdoors Hikes through natural areas provide a ton of opportunities to chat about plants, animals, ecosystems and conservation. Kids will develop a rich vocabulary and keep their science skills sharp. Resources like the Audobon Bird Guide, Picture Insect App or brochures from state and national parks can help you identify the critters you see on your hike! Raise a Mini Chef Cooking with a recipe helps kids learn to read and follow directions and sharpens math skills with a real-world use for fractions. Whip up some kid-friendly recipes together and be sure to explain why it’s called a quarter teaspoon or half cup. When you aren’t available to cook with them, a play kitchen is the perfect mess-free way for them to practice those skills alone. Just outfit their play kitchen with a few real measuring spoons and cups to beef up pretend play. Build Together Did you know that constructive play (i.e. building things) is associated with improved math and reasoning skills? So while building bricks and blocks may not seem like much of a math review, all that building is helping their brains stay sharp. Write Letters to Family Members Hand-written letters to family members are a perfect learning activity for kids from preschool up! Writing about their favorite summer activities will help kids develop their storytelling skills, and reading and responding to their family members’ letters will help develop critical reading and thought. Even younger kiddoes who can’t write on their own yet will still benefit from the fine motor practice of signing their name! Volunteer Kids learn best through doing, especially if they feel real ownership over what they’re doing. Check to see if local animal shelters, community gardens, and food banks accept kid volunteers (Many do as long as they have adult supervision). They’ll develop critical listening and direction-following skills and learn about giving back to their community! Learn with Movies Even kids’ screen time can be leveraged for learning. Whenever your kiddos finish a movie, follow up with questions that will help them learn about the elements of a story. You can help them master vocab and concepts like antagonist, rising action, conflict, foreshadowing, and tons more! So you see, learning during summer break can be fun! Engage your kids in rich, real-life experiences and provide plenty of fun reading opportunities. Talk about it all together, and you’re good to go!
6 Kids Summer Birthday Ideas for Kids
Summer birthdays are the best birthdays – no school, no stress, and the perfect season for fun outdoor kids birthday parties. This year outdoor birthday parties are back on and better than ever! We’ve got six super fun, super simple outdoor birthday party ideas for kids that you can do in your own backyard. Water Party Pool parties are a default kids summer birthday idea, but we think a water party might be even better – especially for kids without strong swimming skills. Parents can relax a little bit more, and the kids will still have tons of fun. Fill a kiddie pool with water balloons and soaker balls, set out some water guns, and get the sprinkler going! Backyard Free Play When you’ve got a backyard that’s decked out for play, the party entertainment takes care of itself. Swing sets, playhouses, and sandboxes will keep the kids playing all party long. Plus, they double as amazing birthday presents. Besides, is there anything more adorable than a playhouse decorated to match your party theme? (Need some proof? Check out our Instagram for some of the ridiculously adorable playhouse decor DIYs parents have shared). Backyard Tea Party or Picnic Spreading out a few blankets for a picnic is an easy, low-cost way to give your backyard dreamy summer vibes that are equally Insta-worthy and fun for the kids. Dress it up with cut flowers in mason jars and a tea set, or give it a camping feel with play tents. If it’s within the party budget, a kid-sized picnic table perfectly complements the theme, and you’ll get plenty of use out of it the rest of the summer too. Ice Cream Party What better way to celebrate and stay cool than with everyone’s favorite summertime treat? Set up an ice cream bar outside with all the toppings, and you’ve got a theme, snack, and an outdoor birthday activity in one. For a little extra fun, throw some of the candy toppings in an ice cream cone-shaped pinñata. Bubble Party Easy and endlessly entertaining, bubbles are a theme in and of themselves. Get a few different kinds of bubble makers and let the kids go to town chasing and popping bubbles and seeing who can make the biggest one. Bubble machines let you keep a constant flow of bubbles for a whimsical feel – perfect for keeping toddlers entertained. For older kids, try bubble strings and nets. They take a little practice, so big kids will be engaged by the challenge... and they’ll get to create the biggest bubbles they’ve ever seen. Science Experiment Party Who says kids don’t learn in the summer? Hands-on science experiments are super fun, and there are plenty that are easy to do with a whole group of kids. Soda geysers and elephant toothpaste are both inexpensive classics that kids will love. There really are endless options for kids’ science experiments, so you’re sure to find several that your child and their friends will love. However you party, we wish your kiddo a very happy birthday!
8 Activities Using Play Food for Kids
We all know that play kitchens and the play food that comes with them are great for dramatic play. I mean, who doesn't love being served pizza-watermelon-cookie soup by their toddling chef? But your kids’ pretend food makes a great addition to other activities too! Here are 8 new ways you can put that pretend food set to use in these food play activities for kids of all ages. Sorting Sorting is naturally fun for kids! They have a natural desire to find patterns, opposites, and categories. Play food sets offer all kinds of sorting activities for toddlers and preschoolers. Toddlers can sort by color, and older children can use more abstract concepts to sort the food items. (Which foods are for breakfast/lunch/ dinner? Which foods are sweet/ sour/ savory? Which foods are served hot or cold?) Mystery Bags Stereognostics, aka mystery bags, are a classic Montessori-inspired activity. To make one, put a few different objects in an opaque bag. Have your child reach in and feel the objects, describe them, and try to identify them, all without taking a peek. This activity helps your child develop their tactile senses, vocabulary, and reasoning skills. Play food presents a great challenge for this activity! Because most pieces of play food have a similar texture and weight, kids will have to use their fingers to explore the shapes to identify them correctly. This added challenge is perfect for older preschoolers who have already mastered mystery bags with easier-to-identify objects.. Learning Fractions Toy foods like this apple pie or cake set are perfect manipulatives for introducing fractions. Abstract number concepts can be tough for kids, but make that concept tangible and dessert-related? Now that’s something they’ll get on board with! Shopping & Math If your school-age kiddo loves to play restaurant or shopkeeper, have them create their own price list for each of the food items. When it’s time to pay the bill, you can add up the total together. This activity is especially great for introducing the concept of multiplication to school-age kids. (If I want to buy three pizza slices, and you charge $2 per slice, how much should I give you?) Raid your Monopoly box for pretend money or make your own for even more fun! Clay Models Add a little challenge and inspiration to play dough time by asking your child to make their best playdough or clay version of their play foods. Play food items are the perfect level of difficulty for this kind of activity: simple and easy to make yet interesting and intricate enough that your kids will enjoy trying to copy them. Stencils and Stamps Bring your play food set into the craft area for fun food-inspired art! Use them as stencils, letting kids trace the outline and then color and draw inside. Or pour a small amount of washable paint onto paper plates, and use them as stamps! Sensory Bins Sensory bins are all the rage on Pinterest, Instagram, and pretty much every mom blog around. And yes, they live up to the hype! While there are all types of sensory bins, a classic version includes a base like dyed rice, beans, or kinetic sand along with smaller objects and toys. Kids love pouring, digging, and sifting through the base to find the toys, and play foods make a perfect addition. Since sensory bins are often themed around holidays, seasons, and other categories, toss in a few play foods that fit your theme!Looking to shop for the perfect play kitchen or pretend play toy by age? Explore our selection for 2-to-4 year olds and 3-to-5 year olds now.
St. Patrick's Day Activities for Kids
Corned beef, cabbage, and beer are definitely not kid-friendly cuisine but never fear – there are a ton of fun (and yummy) ways you can celebrate St. Patrick’s day with your kids. Make your kids feel like the luckiest little leprechauns in town with these eight St. Patrick’s Day activities for kids! Dress Up in Green The pinching thing we can do without, but dressing up in your greenest garb is always fun! If your kids are in school, put a fun outfit together the night before. If you’ll be spending the day at home, get a little goofy with it and challenge each other to put on as many green items as you can. Read all about St. Patty’s Day We love this list of Irish-themed kids books from A Teachable Teacher. If you don’t want to spend money on new books, odds are your local library has some fun kids’ books that feature St. Patrick’s Day, Ireland, or leprechauns. If they’re all checked out, check out National Geographic Kids’ quick facts on St. Patrick’s Day. Make Irish Soda Bread If your child is old enough to help in the kitchen, whip up a loaf of Irish soda bread together. Don’t be intimidated by the idea of making bread – Irish soda bread comes together easily, doesn’t need any yeast or special flours, and can be baked on a regular old baking sheet. Make fizzy shamrocks This fizzy shamrock activity is equal parts craft and science experiment. It’s a simple St. Patty’s Day-themed take on the classic baking soda and vinegar experiment. A little green food coloring and some paper are the only other materials you need, making it the perfect activity if you don’t want to shop for new craft supplies. Serve something green While you’ve got that green food coloring on hand, put it to good use by surprising your kiddo with a green snack or drink. Even something as simple as green milk in the morning is enough to put a smile on their face! Do a leprechaun photoshoot Image from The Crafting ChicksLeprechaun hats and beards make the perfect photo booth props. Craft your own, download and print some, or find a set online or at a party store near you. Craft shamrock window hangings Image from A Little Pinch of PerfectYou have a ton of options when it comes to shamrock crafts, but we’re partial to these colorful tissue paper shamrocks. They look lovely in the sunlight, and they’re perfect if you have a variety of ages. Older kids will have fun designing their “stain glass” cutouts, and preschoolers and toddlers will just love the chance to use a glue stick! Lucky Leprechaun Scavenger Hunt We love this easy St. Patrick’s Day game from Play Party Plan. All you need for the Lucky Leprechaun Scavenger Hunt are common household items and the free printable checklist. Once your little one has checked off the list, extend the game by asking them to hide their “treasure” like a leprechaun and play “Hot or Cold” as you search for the items!
5 Easy Recipes for Kids to Facilitate Learning in the Kitchen
Your house is already equipped with one of the best teaching tools around your kitchen! Helping out in the kitchen provides kids with a variety of sensory experiences, a sense of independence, practical life skills, cultural awareness, early math skills, and rich daily experiences to fuel their dramatic play. And no worries if you’re not much of a cook yourself – kids don’t need complicated recipes to learn in the kitchen! Here are 6 easy recipes for kids to help facilitate learning Gluten-free Cheese Crackers Image from The Big Man’s WorldThis cheese cracker/ chip recipe may be from The Big Man’s World, but it’s the perfect easy snack for little hands to make! These healthy take on cheese crackers have just a few ingredients and can be baked to your desired texture. Bake slightly less than the recipe recommends for a softer texture, or bake for the full time for a crisp, chip-like texture.Kids will love all the fun tools they get to use with this recipe: big spoons or whisk to mix the melted cheese and almond flour, rolling pin to roll out the cheesy dough, and pizza slicer or cookie cutter to cut their crackers. Show them how they can cut the dough into different shapes and sizes, naming each shape as you go! (Just be sure the melted cheese isn’t too hot before you let them handle it!) Cinnamon Apple Crisps Image from Healthy Little FoodiesA healthy kid-friendly snack with just two ingredients? Yes, please. These cinnamon apple crisps are a perfect treat for any time but especially for cozy fall days. Young kids can help sprinkle the cinnamon and arrange slices on the baking sheet, and older kids can help cut the slices. (Just be sure to core the apples first to make them easier to manage, and of course, supervise their use of knives and slicers). Use a variety of apples to teach kids about colors and plant varieties. Equip them with descriptive language for each type of apple: “The green ones are tart and crisp, and these yellow ones are juicy and sweet!” For a fun mini-geography lesson, use a map to show older kids where each type of apple is grown. Tortilla Pizza Image from Healthy Little FoodiesThis easy approach to homemade pizza is another kid-friendly gem from Healthy Little Foodies. This easy lunch idea is perfect for homes with multiple picky eaters because each kid has full reign on their own personal-sized pizza. They can spread their sauce, sprinkle the cheese, and add their favorite toppings. They’ll be having so much fun, they won’t even notice that you’re sneaking in a lesson on circles and fractions as you slice the pizzas together! Kid-friendly Sushi Image from Mindful MommaCooking is a chance to introduce your kids to flavors and cooking practices from around the world! These kid-friendly sushi wraps are a great intro to the salty and umami flavors of soy sauce and nori. Plus, sushi rice is so fun to play, er… “cook,” with! If you’re up for a little mess and creativity, let kids mold the rice into different 3D shapes before adding their desired veggie toppings and wrapping with nori strips. It may not be traditional, but it sure is fun! Fruit Rainbow Image from Two Healthy KitchensEat the rainbow, learn the rainbow! And get in a little protein and healthy fats while you're at it with the “pot of gold” egg! This super simple recipe is a yummy way to help kids learn the colors of the rainbow and why it’s healthy to eat foods of all different colors. This one is simple enough that kids can proudly prepare it in their play kitchen all by themselves! Just provide the cut fruit and watch them get to work! (Make sure to cut grapes and other choking hazards well and always supervise!)Don’t be surprised if your kids want to keep the cooking fun going all day long! While you may not be able to spend all day with them in the real kitchen, a play kitchen and a few realistic accessories are great developmental toys to help them explore that interest through dramatic play!
6 Ideas to Break Up Kids' Tech Time
If your child’s screen time is starting to feel out of hand, you are so not alone. Managing screen time is always a challenge, but these days, it’s extra tough. Virtual learning is adding hours of screen time to kids’ days and cutting out extracurriculars and playtime with peers, leaving kids even more prone to turning to tech for entertainment. So what’s a busy parent to do? First, let go of any parental guilt – this season is tough. Second, try to work a few of these back-to-basics ideas into your kids’ daily routine to get them moving, creating, and using their imaginations! Cook Something Even if “cook” just means “spread-peanut-butter-on-toast” for your kid, giving them something to do in the kitchen is a great sensory and fine motor activity. Scooping and measuring build math skills, and kids are more likely to try food they helped create. For a few ideas, check out these kid-friendly recipes you can make together! Craft Something Craft areas and maker spaces don’t have to be fancy or expensive to be effective. And you don’t have to plan out Pinterest-worthy crafts. In fact, there are real benefits to open-ended art projects that let kids take the lead. With a few basics, kids are great at coming up with their own ideas. Stock your craft station with a few age appropriate supplies like safety scissors, glue sticks, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, paper towel rolls, craft pom poms, metal brads, and construction paper. (Of course, adjust according to the age of your kids!) Build Something Constructive play with things like blocks, building bricks, magnetic tiles, train sets, or play dough is engaging and brain-boosting. If your kids lose interest in building quickly, play with them to model how you can create and come up with your own ideas. Before long, they’ll be constructing their own masterpieces. Get Outside Making outdoor time a priority might be the single most important thing we can do to reduce our kids’ screen time and help them stay healthy and active. Investing in outdoor toys like playhouses, sandboxes, and swing sets is a great way to make the backyard more enticing. Walks, nature scavenger hunts, bike rides, trips to the park, and a backyard garden are other ideas that can become an easy, fun part of your regular routine. Make Reading Fun We all know how great reading is for kids. But if we force them to shut off their favorite app and pick up a book, reading can start to feel like a punishment instead of something fun – and what a shame that would be! To raise lifelong readers, try keep reading time fun, kid-led, and low pressure. Keep their bookshelf fresh with weekly visits to your local library (or weekly pickup if your library is closed). Read together with your best voices. Let them see you reading books that you really enjoy. Set up a cozy reading nook and let them decorate it with their own art and favorite pillows, blankets, and plushies. Offer special treats like herbal teas or frothed milk to make reading time even cozier and happier. Use Tech to Inspire Play If your kiddos are still clinging tightly to their TV time, use that interest to your advantage with pretend play inspired by their favorite characters. If they’ve been playing Netflix’s Over the Moon on repeat, “bake” some of those famous mooncakes together in their play kitchen. If they’re all about the princess category on Disney+, princess-themed dolls and dollhouses are sure to be a hit. Whatever they’re into, use it to re-spark interest in roleplay, pretend play, and open-ended toys. Hang in there, parents! You’re doing great.
How to Set Up A Playroom for Toddlers
You hear the clatter of tons of toys being dumped out of a box, followed by “Mama! Mama! MAMAAA!,” and finally the patter of little feet coming to find you. Sound familiar? While toddlers do need plenty of play time with parents and other caregivers (and no complaints here because those cuddles and giggles are life), independent play is also an important skill for your toddler to develop. We can set them up for success by providing a toddler-friendly play space that meets them where they’re at developmentally, but with so many differing opinions about what’s best for kids, doing that is easier said than done! We’re here to cut through the confusion with three super simple tips you can implement to set up the perfect playroom for your toddler. Stock quality toys and activities First, let’s tackle the types of toys you keep in your toddler’s playroom. According to the official Toy Buying Tips for Babies & Young Children from the American Academy of Pediatrics, simple is often best. They break down their recommendations into the following categories: Symbolic and pretend play Simple toys that encourage dramatic play are perfect for encouraging growing imaginations. These don’t have to be elaborate, fantasy-based toys. Toys that mimic everyday objects and activities are great for toddlers. The AAP recommends things like “toy characters (such as dolls, animals, and action figures) and toy objects (like food, utensils, cars, planes, and buildings)”. Simple play kitchens and kitchen accessories, baby dolls, dollhouses, and playsets based on real-life all fit the bill. Fine motor/ adaptive/ manipulative The AAP recommends “‘traditional favorites’ (like blocks, shapes, puzzles, and trains)” to help your toddler develop their fine motor skills, problem solving skills, and language and brain development. Art Again, simple works. An art space with a few basics like crayons, stickers, and coloring books, is a great starting point for toddlers. Language / concepts Books are one of the best language-developing tools you can give your child, and they definitely deserve a spot in your playroom! Gross motor / physical It’s no secret that toddlers crave challenging ways to move. Balls, climbers, push wagons, pull toys, and riding toys will help your toddler get enough physical activity and develop their gross motor skills.As far as what not to buy, the AAP cautions against toys that are built to replace human interaction (such books that read for you), excessive screen time, and too many “sensory-stimulating noise and light toys.” They also encourage giving kids a wide variety of toys to avoid gender stereotypes – remember that play kitchens and dolls aren’t just for girls, and action figures and trains aren’t just for boys. Display toys and books at your toddler’s level Now, how do you actually get them to play with those perfect toys? First, make sure your toddler can actually see and reach them easily. Closed off storage and high shelves are not your friend here. Whenever possible, go for low, open shelves and open displays. Forward-facing bookshelves are perfect for toddlers because they allow them to see the covers as they choose a book. Don’t overwhelm them with choices We can’t talk about displaying toys without talking about how many toys you display. Toddlers are easily overwhelmed by clutter, so providing just a few options at a time will help them focus and play for longer. Keep out 1-3 toys from each of the categories above, and put the rest away in a closet. Then, rotate toys in and out of the playroom to keep your toddler’s interest. We also love the Montessori-inspired principle of displaying each toy separately. For open shelves, make sure there’s plenty of space between each toy, and for open bins and cubes shelves, only display one toy or activity per unit bin / cube. These three simple principles – quality toys; low, open displays; minimal clutter – work whether toddler’s play space is in the living room, their bedroom, or a dedicated playroom. You’ll have a toddler-friendly space to encourage plenty of play and reading time together and gradually more and more independent play (hallelujah!).
