Michaels is having another free family ”The Knack” event from 10 am-1pm this Saturday, April 18.  Kids will create their own bunny or spring chick for some sunny spring fun.  One page I read said that this was for all ages and another said that it was for ages 5-12.  Honestly, this looks like a very easy craft, so it may be for the younger ones too. 

You can stop by The Knack website for free printables.  There are over 200 to choose from.  There are also loads of project ideas.  Click on the spring project idea list and you’ll have plenty of ideas to keep your kids entertained and crafty.  This might come in handy during the Easter breaks from school.  The projects ideas helpfully tell the age range, messy level, and craft time.

Have fun!

image from michaels

Playing outside is one of my children’s favorite activities. Cuddlebug has some trucks that he received as gifts and some that were passed down. I also picked up a hand held shovel and rake at Dollar Tree and he has a great time digging in the sand.

What kinds of frugal activities do your children enjoy?

Some of you may not know this, but I also author Little Fun; Little Learning.  It’s a site geared towards preschool and kindergarten.  There are craft ideas, links to helpful websites, songs, fingerplays, games, and so much more.  I hope you’ll drop by and check out the fun!

Thank goodness for our church’s playground.  It’s not far from our home.

images are mine

This week, I stopped by Dollar Tree and I was pleased with the great stuff that I found.  Sometimes you can find some treasures in there.

If you’re looking for things to keep the kids busy this summer, you should stop by Dollar Tree first to see what they have.  The trip could save you some money. 

Here are some of the treasures I found during my visit.  There’s nothing like the convenience of having a digital camera in your purse. 

Check out these cute swim suits for infants and toddlers.  I bought some of these last year at Target on clearance.  These are swim pieces with a built in swim diaper.  You can’t beat $1 each.  What a great deal!  They also had sun hats to match.

Spiderman, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, and other kinds of swim rings and accessories, Nemo and Little Mermaid sand molds.  So much fun!

These tote bags are great for decorating.  If anyone is looking for a VBS craft, these would be great and the kids could carry home their week’s projects in their bags.

Aren’t these princess items so cute?  Check out the princess note pads, pens, paper, and cards.  Is anyone planning a princess themed party?  These would make great accessories to a party.

Have you stopped by Dollar Tree lately?  What kinds of items have you found?

images by Karen

Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks in My Dryer.

pictures by me

Remember when we were kids and we used to sit at the kitchen table and play with slime?  Nickelodeon does it to a much greater extent but it’s still fun none the less.  But have you priced it at the store lately?  And then once you play with it, it gets filthy!  YUCK!

So here is a recipe for slime that is sure to please your little ones.  It doesn’t store well so play with it the day you make it.  I can’t wait to try it.  My BFF gave it to me with a devious smile so it must be loads of fun.

1 c cornstarch

1/2 c water

several drops of food coloring

Mix ingredients in a large plastic bowl.  Once mixed, grab a  handful of goop and let it squish through your fingers.  You can change the feel of your goop by adding more water or cornstarch.

Have fun!

1st turkey - I know this one looks a little funny, but it was done by my daughter when she was only 16 months old.  We made our own patterns for this one.  We just drew the turkey body, cut out some feathers, and that little red gobbler thing under the turkey’s chin.  What is that thing called anyway?

Click to read more. Read more

I don’t know about you, but someone would have to give me a free trip to get me to go away for Memorial Day or the 4th of July.  I cannot even comprehend wanting to vacation during the busiest times of the year.  The prices of gas and hotels are inflated.  And if you go to the beach, you know how crowded it will be. 

If I were to plan a trip to the beach, I’d want to go in the spring or fall.  I grew up on the coast of NC and I still don’t care for the humidity.  Ok, some of you may be rolling your eyes at my quirkiness, so on to the point of this post.

Whether or not you have money to spend this holiday, there are lots of things you can do for free or with very little spending.  Today, our family drove around for hours shopping at yard sales.  We probably spent about $10-12 in gas, which normally I’d think was crazy, but I thought it was a thrifty alternative to going somewhere this weekend.

Deborah at Simply Thrifty has some great ideas for frugal Memorial Day fun.  Here are some of her ideas that I liked:

• Host a potluck barbeque.  (Great idea.  Everyone can contribute and have fun together.)
• Have a picnic.
• Camp in the backyard.  (I’ll leave this one to my hubby.)
• Pick out some movies from the library.
• Have a water balloon or hose fight to keep cool.  (We’re actually going to make our own slip-n-slide out of plastic.)

If I lived closer, I’d go visit my family this weekend.  What does your family usually do for Memorial Day?

Image from fireworks.com.