At Project Kid we spend so much time thinking of meaningful ways to spend time with kids—creative ways, playful ways…collecting and inventing activities that will help your kids see the world with bigger eyes and more possibility. We love this challenge and we love inspiring families to unplug and create.
But there is always something in the back of my mind that tells me that I need to infuse the real challenges of our world as parents and as global citizens into this conversation. And it’s not just the fact that there are billions of kids without a fancy set of markers and a stocked craft closet, because frankly, you can exercise your imagination with rocks, string, and scrap newspaper. But rather, it’s about the families, both old and young, that are struggling on a wide spectrum of issues. The far right end of that spectrum is the current situation at our Southern borders—families who are coming into our country seeking asylum from gang violence, abuse, and sex slavery who are being met with more division, an extreme lack of empathy, and frankly, soullessness.
There is so much to read and so much confusion on what our best course of action should be—I feel this close to flying down to Texas to parade separated children in front of detained parents. But that is clearly not happening. I found this article on Cup of Jo to be clear and concise, with great actionable items for ways to help. (There’s a follow-up article here since Trump’s executive order to stop the separation of families.)
I know I am not changing the world with this post, nor am I carrying a child on my hip, helping him find his parents at a Walmart detention center. But I’m recognizing that KIDS are our PROJECTS…families are works in progress and we are all responsible for one another. Life can feel really overwhelming…health, money stress, relationships and school worries are real and can loom large when they are hovering in your life. But, as the voice behind Project Kid, if I don’t take the time to join in on these conversations, then the fun stuff—the crafts, parties and beauty—feel meaningless and empty.
I’ve felt nervous to tackle these topics here because I’m not a reporter and I know the trolls of the cyber world can be cruel, but I hope as I start to talk more about bigger issues—and I swear they won’t all be political—I hope you will join in on the conversation with advice for my audience and also for me.
Dads do their best to be role models year round, so this Sunday give them a free pass to satisfy their sweet tooth with a homemade treat. Whether Dad is a candy fan or prefers pasties, we’ve collected ten ideas that will disappear faster than you can post pictures. Sharing sets a good example, but we wouldn’t blame him if he were tempted to keep these sweets to himself.
1. Fitting Dad’s birthday candles may be a tough squeeze these days but a cake of any size will support Oh Happy Day‘s twizzler topper, above. Let Dad have his cake and eat it too.
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It’s early, Dad hasn’t had his coffee yet, but if you spell out your love in pop tarts, he’ll be sure to get the message! Whether you fill these home made pastries with fruit or Nutella, they’re guaranteed to be 100 times tastier than a card. (via Studio DIY)
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Another festive way to make your feelings clear, frost these rad dad cookies from Tell Love and Party. Use your V cookie cutter upside down for a modern typeface designy dads will appreciate.
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For a slightly subtler way to show you care, whip up these delicious vanilla waffles that will secretly give Pops his protein. Lovely Indeed includes vanilla protein powder and superfood chocolate, but Dad will be too busy licking his plate to notice.
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Paper and Stitch‘s maple bacon popcorn donuts take a little time but they’re well worth the effort. With maple glaze and bacon baked into the dough, after a bite of these Dad may swear off Dunkin Donuts for good.
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Dad’s always ahead of the curve right? At least let him think that by serving him the trendy food mash up of funnel cake ice cream sandwiches. My Recipes makes suggestions but leaves the true innovation of ice cream/candy combo up to you!
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Make dad’s his childhood wishes come true with a massive chipwich. Two rolls of cookie dough, a tub of ice cream, and some chocolate chips (plus freezer space) are all you need to construct this larger than life ice cream dream. (via Delish)
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Another treat that screams summer without the heat is this upside down s’mores cake from Good Housekeeping. The king of campfire desserts might be willing to share his crown once he gets a taste of this cake.
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Reward your Pops with a lollipop award. Though the sweet will soon disappear, he can hang his ribbon proudly for all to see. The House that Lars Built shares the how-to.
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And finally, father’s day wouldn’t be father’s day without a pun, or 12. If dad’s on a roll, ketchup to him with these tricky treats. He’ll be sure to relish Handmade Charlotte‘s hot dog eclairs and hamburger cream puffs.
If you had to guess what’s on someone’s mind, how would you break it into seven categories? That’s what the 19th century study of Phrenology was—the belief that different areas of the brain controlled different character traits, thoughts, and emotions. Over the years, this belief has been debunked, but you may recognize famous posters like this one that hold a certain kitschy appeal.
For this last-minute Father’s Day craft, let the kids predict what is on Daddy’s mind with this super-fast craft that uses father-phrenology-project-kid-fill and self-adhesive laminating sheets that allow you to use dry-erase markers. Since daddy’s mind changes day to day, you can easily erase a section and change it!
Say “Happy Father’s Day” and give the gift of helping Dad make up his mind!
Print out the free template and lave the kids color in the “head space.” The pdf has a fillable field at the top to add his name.
Laminate the front and back and trim around the edges.
Glue the corners of the phrenology chart to the felt.
Glue the dowels to the top and bottom edge.
Tie twine or string to the top edges of the dowel and knot or glue to secure.
(Optional) To give it that old-school science poster feel, glue a piece twine tied to the wooden ring to the bottom. You can also use a key ring if you don’t have a wood ring handy.
Golf, neckties, BBQ, and fishing. You know what those four things have in common. Someone once decided that all fathers around the country are represented by these categories. While I love a good rib and some kicked-back fly fishing, I kind of refuse to make this holiday, and the DIY gifts, all about these cliches.
What it’s really about is kids, love, and the appreciation of the men in their lives. With some help from our friends at Kid Made Modern, we made these very simple photo holders, using materials from the Metal Mash-Up Craft Kit and some stones from the backyard.
Set it up with some of your favorite photos and leave it on his desk or bookshelf, or switch out the inserts from time to time with notes, homemade coupons, or new photos.
1. Cut out 2 semi-circles and a triangle, about 1 1/2-inches tall, from the adhesive-backed metallic paper. The semi-circles are upper-case Ds and the triangle is the A…all to spell DAD! Set these aside.
2. Cut a 12-inch piece of wire and wrap it 2 to 3 times around the rock. Twist the end tightly to secure. Use a pencil to make a small coil at the opposite end.
3. Trace the Ds and A onto scrap paper. Peel off the backing of the adhesive-backed metallic paper and adhere it to the wire. Use the scrap paper letters to help hold the letters onto the wire by sticking them on the back.
4. Insert notes or photos into the small coils and surprise dad with a beautiful display next to his Sunday morning coffee!
This post was sponsored by the always fabulous Kid Made Modern.
I think we can all agree that the best Mother’s Day gift is the handmade kind (or a professional massage). I love writing about Mom’s Day craft projects because, if you didn’t know, I’m a mom. And there is SO much beyond the macaroni necklace in the craft space these days. Of course I will wear anything and hang anything proudly, but we can’t keep it all. Eventually I snap a pic and the object either goes to recycling or, if it’s super sweet and my nostalgia gets the best of me, it gets put in a drawer to look at when my kids are heartless teenagers.
So basically, Moms, I have your back. That’s all I’m saying here. And I think we can all agree that a painted basket purse throwing it back to the 1960’s would make the cut.
This basket comes from the brand-spanking-new Paint-a-Picnic Craft Kit by Kid Made Modern. The kit comes with a wooden picnic basket, wooden picnic food, paint, brushes, glitter, and a sweet gingham bandana to use as a picnic blanket. The sweetest sentiment about this project is that you can literally share this with your kids. You can carry it to a springtime barbecue and they can use it to play picnic on the floor of your living room.
We added one special twist to this basket that makes it so right for moms everywhere…a place to put a flower. Because honestly, who doesn’t want to carry a fresh flower on their handbag?
1. Paint your basket. We took a photo of the basket and printed it out so we could try out different designs. Once your basket is painted, you can stop here and be done or keep going to step 2.
2. Paint your beads or use ones in the color that you need. Hot-glue them onto the basket following your pattern (a grown-up should most definitely do this).
3. Dip an eraser in paint and add polka dots if desired!
4. Add some colorful tape stripes to an upcycled plastic bead or button tube and hot glue to the side of the basket as the vase.
This post was sponsored by the always fabulous Kid Made Modern.
This post was sponsored by Tobacco Free New York State as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. All opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Nothing warms my heart more than when my healthy, active kids, now 6 and 7 years old, ask “what’s that awful smell?” when referring to cigarette smoke. My super-smeller son Oliver, who can smell a fresh chocolate-chip cookie baking from a mile away, is especially sensitive to it.
As a child of the 80’s, smoking was so normal to me and candy cigarettes were a common site in the candy aisle of our favorite stores. (We used to love to puff away at them, blowing out the powdered sugar like smoke.) Even though I knew tobacco was unhealthy and my parents said not to do it, there were so many people in my life that actually did—uncles, aunts, cousins, my parents’ friends, and even our babysitter! So I grew up with a curiosity about it more than a revulsion to it. (Full disclosure…I smoked from high school and into my twenties.) But my kids have never seen anyone that that they know with a cigarette in his or her hand, and rarely see smoking in our health-conscious Brooklyn neighborhood.
When I read that the average age of a new smoker in New York is 13, and that 11.9% of high school students in the state of New York smoke, I immediately assume, well not my kids. But that kind of thinking is so naive, as I’m sure my parents thought the same exact thing. Tobacco companies spend so much effort specifically focusing on how to market to kids and how to get kids to take notice of their products with bright colors and compelling imagery. How crazy is it that 52% of pharmacies—retail operations that are considered healthcare facilities—continue to sell cigarettes behind the counter?
It’s so, so, so important to talk to your kids about the dangers of smoking early—at age 5, they can understand what it means to be unhealthy, so start the conversation now!
Take action and sign the Seen Enough Tobacco pledge to make New York a healthier place to live, work, and play.
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, May 13th, and at Project Kid we are obviously fans of handmade gifts! But while moms will always love anything their child makes for them, some things are more, er, loveable than others. Rather than presents that will only take up space, we’ve collected ideas for fun and functional crafts. For all the dads out there who want to help their kids make something that mom will not only love but use too, this post’s for you.
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When jewelry is stashed away, it’s easy to forget it exists! Kids can help form and decorate clay dishes to keep mom’s trinkets in sight and organized. Follow directions from the Project Kid blog to craft a colorful set, like the one above.
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Bouquets are beautiful but house plants will last long after mother’s day. These tiny clay cones from Frankie will add cheer to whichever corner they’re hung in.
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For the mom who loves flowers too much to leave them behind, turn the above vase idea into a mini-vase necklace! She’ll smell sweetness everywhere she goes. Via Hello Wonderful
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Dish duty should be shared by all, but when it’s mom’s turn, make it a little more enjoyable with this cute cactus print tea towel from SAY YES. The secret stamping tool is fingerling potatoes on solid white tea towels! A printed scarf could be a cute option too, don’t you think?
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Another way to bring brightness to the kitchen is by color-blocking cooking utensils. Mom will surely smile when using a painted set, like these from Earnest Home Co, which couldn’t be easier to craft.
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Little STEM experts will have as much fun making these speakers as mom will have using them. Your kids will be amazed when you show them how cardboard and cups can amplify sound, then let them personalize with paint to add patterns and colors mom will love. Follow instructions from Pink Stripey Socks.
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Moms who are shutterbugs deserve a camera strap as stylish as they are. The House That Lars Built shares instructions for swapping the standard strap with a scarf. For double DIY points, try stamping a plain scarf – perhaps with a cactus pattern?
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Protect mom’s favorite sunglasses from scratches with this soft case from I SPY DIY. Beginning sewers can practice their blanket stitch around the sweet shape which will show mom love every time she uses it.
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Cut out the chemicals and make mom a custom scent with DIY perfume. Flowers, water and essential oil will look as pretty as they smell in clear bottles with handmade tags. Via Hello Wonderful
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Even moms who are bad at taking “me time”, will slow down to use a DIY bath soak. The Kitchy Kitchen shares recipes for Soothing Lavender Oatmeal and Rosy Coconut Sea Salt Soaks, which both work as natural exfoliants.
March 20th was the official first day of spring, though it certainly doesn’t feel that way! But even if you’re seeing more snowflakes than flowers right now, you don’t have to wait till it’s warm to embrace the new season. This year, try thinking about spring cleaning less as a to-do list item and more as a self care strategy for the whole family. Starting from the inside and working out, changes the way you experience the world. Help your home feel fresh and make space for new things to blossom.
1.Start with Mental Spring Cleaning
Before you get to work on your house, spend some time on yourself! After long winter months cobwebs can form in your mind as well as your closets. As Darling Magazine says, “In the same way we fall into messy physical habits that need to be cleaned up, we can just as easily fall into habits of thought that leave our mental well-being neglected and in need of some extra care.” To find new focus, first take inventory of your mental blocks so that you can move past them.
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Make De-cluttering a Family Affair
You’re not the only one with excess stuff. Rather than trying to sneak old items out of your kids room, introduce your kids to the KonMari method. Cleaning guru Marie Kondo suggests helping them purge by thinking in reverse.
“Don’t decide what to get rid of, only decide what to keep. You and your family should only save items that spark joy. Children as young as 3 years old can decide what gives them joy and the key principle is that each person should be making the decisions for themselves. If a parent or a spouse ever tries to ‘force’ another family member to tidy, not only will it not work, it could even have a negative effect.”
Kondo recommends creating a “Hall of Fame” for favorite books that you return to again and again. “When we are overloaded with books or other objects, our ability to receive and appreciate new information is dulled. The space in your home that you create after you tidy your books allows more information to come to you at just the right time”.
Entice your kids to clean out their closets by making an event out of it. Education.com recommends encouraging your kids to put on a fashion show. They’ll have a blast modeling their favorite pieces and will have no trouble deciding which ones are “so last season”.
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Roll up the Rugs
It’s a simple idea that can make a big impact. When it’s cold there’s nothing cozier than warm rugs but as Houzz points outs “Bare floors can be a treat to toes after the heavy socks and woolen carpets of winter.” Plus, carpet-less floors are much easier to keep clean!
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DIY Cleaning Products
Once you’ve decluttered and cleared surfaces, keep things fresh with chemical-free cleaners. Live Simply has experimented with all types of homemade recipes and shares her favorites for vinegar and castile soap all purpose cleaners. You can whip up both in much less time than a grocery store run.
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Make Cleaning Fun
If you do it right, family cleaning night doesn’t have to feel so different from family game night! Try out a few of these ideas and watch your kids act much more cheerful about chores.
Go Skating for Dust Bunnies: Have your children wear old pairs of socks and “skate” around the house collecting dust bunnies with their feet. See who can accumulate the largest dust bunny. Be sure to collect all of your dust bunnies in a trash bag as you go along so they don’t hop back onto the floor! Kids love this silly and energizing game that gets their hearts pumping and promotes agility and muscle fitness. (via Education.com) To really get in the game, buy a family set of mop slippers, above.
Musical Chores: Give your kids a specific task to get done by the end of a song. If they finish beforehand they can use the extra time to dance! (via Parents)
Follow the Leader: Give each child an apron and tuck an old rag or towel and a squirt bottle filled with a non-toxic cleaning fluid into the pockets. The designated leader must walk through the house and make multiple stops to clean or put away an object and the rest of the group must follow suit. Switch leaders every five minutes. (via Education.com)
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Organize with Matching Bins
After clearing and cleaning, bring visual coherence to your space with a set of cute containers. Each kid can have their own pattern and each room it’s own type to make clear where items live. Practice what you preach by returning things to their rightful place and your kids will learn to do the same.
Wake up your senses with a fresh fragrance. A coconut candle is all you need to make winter will feel like forever ago. Candles from Target
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Bring Greenery Indoors
Flowers are always nice but planting an herb garden with your kids is a real growth opportunity. Reann Kelly’s tin can herb garden is stylish yet simple to make and you can easily add to it if your kids want to expand their plant collection. Once the herbs get going, you can teach your little ones how to use them in simple recipes, or even about their medicinal values. Check out Learning Herbs for lots of great info.
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Do Some Birdwatching
Offer a feast to feathered friends by hanging a bird feeder outside of your kitchen window. Your kids can practice their observation skills and learn about seasonal migration by keeping an eye on which birds visit. A cleaned nut can is easily upcycled with the addition of a twig and some twine. Find the how to in our book, Project Kid: 100 Ingenious Crafts for Family Fun.
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Make Space to Daydream
Designate an area for new ideas to enter by building an A-frame tent. This sweet design from Cakies functions indoors and out. You’ll be ready for the first “real” day of spring, and in the meantime your kids can enjoy some living room camping.
It’s totally old news that we are big fans of mixing elements of nature into crafts with kids—sticks, rocks, pinecones…they are so sturdy, beautiful, and free! As a kid I used to explore the woods behind my house and pretend I was building nature’s fantasy world to shelter my toy animals and dolls.
When I saw this beautiful Animal Menagerie Craft Kit from Kid Made Modern, I knew I was destined to give it a home. Once your kids have finished coloring in the beautifully designed wood pieces, they can easily assemble the menagerie and start collecting Mother Nature’s craft supplies for the house. We mixed in some fun colored supplies from the Bright Bundle Craft Kit to add a little pop!
You can build this in so many different ways, but here’s a little detailed exploration of what we did here at Project Kid:
What you’ll need:
1. Use the fuzzy sticks in the Bright Bundle Craft Kit to bind the corners of the house together. You can add a dab of hot glue underneath for extra security if your sticks are on the wonky side. Carefully remove the caps from acorns and glue pom-poms in place of the nut. We used ours to top the main legs of the party house.
2. The pinecone is now nature’s chandelier! Glue the beads from the Bright Bundle Craft Kit to the ends of the pinecone’s scales. Use the colorful string to hang it from criss-crossed sticks above.
3. Cut leaf shapes out of the neon stickers sheets and attach them to the bottoms of the four side posts. We wrapped skinny duct tape around the base of the legs, and set some painted rocks around.
5. It’s always a party with this animal menagerie, so we folded the duct tape around the nylon cord and cut it into flag shapes.
6. No animal can resist a party hat. Make some for this crew out of duct tape and pom-poms.
I truly love planning my kids’ birthday parties—taking their theme of choice and running with it. But then it comes to the favor part and I am confronted with a personal conundrum—to give plastic junk or to not give plastic junk. I want to be known as the mom who gives killer goody bags, but I hate the idea of sending kids home with junk that’s bound for the land fill. I’ve tried so many work arounds (such that I could write a weekly column on this topic) and I feel there’s an economical, valuable solution for every single party.
We did some brainstorming and googling to find these ten goody bag alternatives that will thrill beyond the car ride home.
This post contains affiliate links!
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Art Bar knows how to keep the fun going after a crafty birthday with a bag full of supplies. Include materials to make a specific project, or a random assortment to encourage creativity. For an added bonus, give the supplies in a muslin bag that can be decorated too!
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Kids may not be excited about soap but they’ll be eager to reach the prize inside! Homemade soap is a great way to incentivize hand washing, plus you can include toys to match any party theme. Follow the easy how to from Super Make It.
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For a cooking birthday buy kid sized aprons in bulk that can be used during and after the party. You can also send guests home with a jar of ingredients for a favorite treat – just don’t forget to tie on a recipe card! Image via Today’s Parent
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Though we take photos all the time, a printed picture feels likes a prize. Set up a silly photo booth, like this one from Mood Kids, and use a mini printer, such as an instax, for photos. For a more finished feel, slip photos into colorful frames, or have guests decorate frames as a craft activity.
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Form a twelve piece orchestra by giving each guest their own instrument. It may take a while before they make beautiful music together, but they’ll have a lot of fun trying! These instruments can be bought as a set from Amazon.
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No matter the theme of the party, a book is a favor both kids and parents will appreciate. To find affordable options, check the discount bin of your local bookstore, buy a set of classics and break them up, or browse bookoutlet.com
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Encourage growing green thumbs with a plant kit – the opposite of a throw-away favor! These hairy examples from Today’s Parent include a mini pot, seedlings, a bag of soil, and of course eye stickers.
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A scavenger hunt is the perfect pick for a nature themed party. A treasure hunt, like this one from Nellie Design, doesn’t have to involve toys, kids can use a checklist to mark observations and collect outdoor items.
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All mini magicians should be equipped with their own deck of cards. Or split a big box of classic tricks, like these from Becky and Me Toys, and let the party goers practice on each other.
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For a truly favor free birthday, share the money you would have spent on goody bags with a charity instead. Let the birthday kid choose a cause they feel strongly about, like a local animal shelter, or consider an organization like The Birthday Party Project, which throws parties for homeless youth. All the party guests can sign a card together.
