Getting the flu shot has been a struggle for our kids in the past. We’re talking running from the room screaming, having to be caught by nurses and brought back to the room level difficult.

But during these “learning experiences,” I’ve picked up a few tips to help make getting the flu shot easier for kids.

With flu season fast approaching, I wanted to start preparing myself, as well as any other mamas out there who may be thinking about getting their kids flu shots. Today I’m going to share how to make getting a flu shot easier for kids before the shot, during the shot, and after the shot!

How to Make Getting a Flu Shot Easier for Kids

Before the Shot

Don’t tell them very far in advance

If your child is prone to anxiety or worrying (like my oldest), don’t tell them days in advance that you’re taking him to get his flu shot. Be smart and don’t just spring it on them, but don’t give them a ton of time to dwell on what’s coming.

Talk about why we get flu shots

Some kids respond to logic better than others, so if explaining why we get flu shots will work for your kid, go for it! Even preschoolers can understand that when we get a flu shot, it helps prevent other people (like grandma and grandpa) from getting sick!

Get the flu shot somewhere they’re already comfortable with

It makes sense that kids would be more comfortable getting their flu shot done somewhere they’re familiar with, rather than some random pharmacy, right? Places like Target, Walmart, or even Costco offer flu shots, too!

Let them bring something, or someone, to help them be brave

That might be a picture of a family member, a favorite stuffed animal, or even Grandma and Grandpa!

Get your flu shot done first so they can see that it’s not scary

The expression “lead by example” definitely applies here. Getting your flu shot first shows your child that it’s not scary and isn’t something to cry about.

During the Shot

Have your child focus on you, not on the shot

When the shot is about to happen, make sure you talk to your child. Have them look in your eyes, not at the shot, and distract them by talking about something else, whether it’s what they want to do later in the day, their favorite movie, or what they are learning in school.

Depending on their age, let your child sit on your lap or hold your hand

My oldest is seven, and honestly, he’s probably going to be getting his flu shot on my lap again this year! Holding your child close, or even just holding their hand, reminds them you’re there with them and helps them feel more comfortable.

After the Shot

Bring a special bandage for when it’s over

Yup, it sounds kind of strange, but it’s helped my kids a lot to bring a bandage from home for after their shots. Pick one that is their favorite color or has their favorite character from a movie or TV show on it. They’ll be more excited to have a special bandage on than just a generic one they didn’t get to pick.

Get a treat

Hard things are always easier when you have a special treat or reward to look forward to when it’s done, right? So pick something, like an ice cream cone or a new book or toy, and let them have it when you’re done.

Getting a flu shot doesn’t have to be scary, and by using these tips, you can make getting a flu shot easier for kids. Help encourage them to be brave, be there by their side, and reward them when they’re done! And together, we can all contribute to a healthier community!

The post How to Make Getting a Flu Shot Easier for Kids appeared first on Life With My Littles.

You know those moments when you’re in the middle of it all, about to fall apart, and you realize that one day you’ll look back on these days and miss them? As my kids get bigger, I have those moments more and more.

Sometimes they happen when you’re wishing you could be done with a particular stage, and sometimes they happen when you’re enjoying a moment and suddenly realize you may not have many more like it.

They are moments you wish you could freeze forever. Moments that come and go quickly. Moments that as parents, we’ll all look back on and miss one day.

Having little kids is such a joyful, hilarious, exhausting, unique, and demanding time in our lives, and as much as I’m excited for my kids to grow up, it’s also really hard watching them get bigger.

I recently realized that our kids are out of the baby and toddler stages. Our youngest is three, and if I wasn’t homeschooling my other two kids, he’d be in preschool two days a week. I don’t change diapers anymore, I don’t breastfeed anymore, I don’t feel tiny kicks in my belly or have to wake up at night and rock my babies back to sleep. My kids are getting big, and there are a lot of things I’m really going to miss about having little kids.

I’m going to miss waking up early to a tiny face by the side of my bed whispering “I have to go potty.”

I’m going to miss sticky hands, faces, and tables.

I’m going to miss high pitched, squeaky voices talking non-stop and jabbering on about everything that pops into their little minds.

I’m going to miss being tired because I slept on the floor next to my baby’s crib.

I’m going to miss snuggling during naptime, when my littles would curl up and try to burrow deep into my arms.

I’m going to miss hot baby breath right in my face.

I’m going to miss playing Legos on the floor, digging through giant bins of Legos looking for exactly the right one for my kids.

I’m going to miss reading picture books and singing songs before bed.

I’m going to miss packing school lunches and sneaking in treats every once in a while to brighten my kids’ days.

I’m going to miss going through laundry, spraying stains from melting popsicles and rolling in the grass.

I’m going to miss brushing little teeth with tiny toothbrushes and bubble-gum flavored toothpaste.

I’m going to miss holding hands on walks, at the mall, at the store, and in parking lots.

I’m going to miss buckling little bodies into car seats, making sure they’re safe and secure before driving around town.

I’m going to miss the silliness, the laughs, the faces, and the goofy made-up jokes.

I’m going to miss that sweet, fresh, newborn smell.

I’m going to miss soft, fine hair and my kids letting me run my fingers through it when we sit together.

I’m going to miss getting endless gifts of flowers, leaves, and rocks.

I’m going to miss encouraging them to climb to the top of the slide and then catching them at the bottom after the slide down giggling.

I’m going to miss folding tiny clothes fresh out of the dryer.

I’m going to miss watching them run to me and excitedly exclaim “I did it!” when they do something new for the first time.

I’m going to miss making breakfast and lunch for them each day.

I’m going to miss snuggles after bath time.

I’m going to miss taking selfies together, using silly filters and making goofy faces.

I’m going to miss having dance parties to loud, annoying songs that consequently get stuck in my head for days.

I’m going to miss helping my kids with their clothes, putting socks and shoes on in the day and pulling shirts over heads at night.

I’m going to miss being gifted pictures constantly.

I’m going to miss gumless smiles, first teeth coming in, and wiggly teeth falling out.

I’m going to miss holding hands up and down the stairs and walking slow so their tiny legs can keep up.

I’m going to miss watching kids’ sports games and dance recitals.

I’m going to miss the pure, carefree sound of belly laughs.

I’m going to miss tiny voices singing the wrong notes and wrong words to their favorite songs.

I’m going to miss soft baby skin.

I’m going to miss putting bandaids on scratched knees and being the one they run to when they get owies.

I’m going to miss tiny, flat bums.

I’m going to miss onesies.

I’m going to miss they way they run when they’re little, arms flapping, feet stomping, giggling wildly.

I’m going to miss having little kids.

Having little kids isn’t always easy. There are plenty of moments where I’ve been scared, felt inadequate, and hid in the bathroom to get a moment’s peace.

But having little kids is such a magical part of parenting, and while it’s easy to say you can’t wait for your kids to get bigger, you’ll quickly realize that you miss those days once they are bigger.

So I’m holding on to all those little moments, little things, and little hands. It’s not all cuddles and belly laughs, but I don’t want to forget a moment of what it’s like to have little kids.

The post Things I’ll Miss About Having Little Kids appeared first on Life With My Littles.

This at-home color hunt printable is a great way to keep kids busy and having fun while you’re stuck inside! Great for younger and older kids, and it comes in color or black and white!

After the initial desire to make this crazy time of our lives special by planning crafts and games and making new recipes each week wore off, I, like many other moms, felt burned out.

And unfortunately, that was weeks ago.

With the thought in mind that we have no idea how long this is going to last, I decided it was time to whip myself back into shape and make life at home a little more exciting.In an attempt to keep my kids away from screens and other media, I thought it’d be fun to do a color hunt at home! My kids are 3, 5, and 7, so I knew they could all do it at different levels. It was the perfect family activity!

I wanted to make our activity extra special, so I hopped onto Target.com and ordered a box of brand new crayons! We’re kind of crayon snobs over here, so Crayola is the only brand we buy. I picked up a 24 count box of Ultra-Clean Crayola Washable Crayons, along with a bottle of Dial® Kids Peachy Clean Body & Hair Wash for after (because when you have a three-year-old, you always have to wash up after any type of coloring activity!). We used Drive-Up so we could stay in our car and the sales associate brought our bag right out to the car!

When we got home I put together a cute little printable at-home color hunt worksheet and printed out three copies. It turned out so cute, and my kids were super excited to get started!

I wanted to make it work when printed in color and black and white, and I also wanted it to be easy to identify what color each box was, so even my three-year-old could understand what he was supposed to do.

I put the basic colors on the front of the worksheet and then added some colors that might be a little bit more challenging on the back. I also added a bonus question for older kids!

We set off on our hunt through the house for things of each color, and after we found them all, we brought them back downstairs to draw them on the worksheets!

I loved seeing how each of my kids drew and colored each item. My oldest son loves to draw, my daughter loves to color, and my younger son has (mostly) stopped scribbling wildly all over his paper, so it was the perfect activity.

And of course, as I expected, my youngest son ended up coloring on himself. Luckily, we used washable crayons, but we also had our bottle of Dial® Kids Peachy Clean Body + Hair Wash to scrub him off after!

We love Dial® Kids Body + Hair Wash because it’s developed with the help of Pediatric Dermatologists, it’s tear-free, hypoallergenic, pH balanced specifically for kids’ skin, and doesn’t have any artificial dyes. It’s gentle enough for my little ones and I love it! And bonus, right now you can get $1 off one Dial® Body Wash or 10-Bar+ (excludes trial/travel sizes) while supplies last!

We did this two days ago, and my kids are already asking me to print out more copies of the color hunt so they can do it again!

I’ve included printable downloads of our at-home color hunt so you can keep your kids busy while you’re stuck inside, too!

Just click below to download and print your own color hunt. Remember, it’s double-sided, so don’t forget to adjust your settings when you print it!

Printable At-Home Color Hunt in Black & White
Printable At-Home Color Hunt in Color

I hope everyone is staying safe and staying busy while we’re all at home! And until we can get out again, I hope this fun at-home color hunt can keep you busy for a while!

The post Printable At-Home Color Hunt appeared first on Life With My Littles.

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Growing up, I loved playing with chalk. Chalk can be fun for for everybody (why else would people have chalk art festivals?), whether you’re two or thirty-five.

And in case you’re not on board with sidewalk chalk, let me point out that chalk is incredibly easy to wash off hands, clothes, and driveways (so don’t let that prevent you from letting your kids play with chalk).

The best part about sidewalk chalk is that there are so many fun things to do with sidewalk chalk, and it’s a great way to encourage kids to play outside! Sure, you can draw pictures on the driveway or sidewalk, but there are so many other things you can do besides just draw pictures!

I’ve put together a list of 19 fun and creative things to do with sidewalk chalk (plus 1 bonus idea when you’re down to broken bits and pieces) to last you and your kiddos all summer long!

But before I get into that, I want to let you in on a little secret: the kind of chalk you buy makes a big difference.

Yes, you could buy the cheap sidewalk chalk from the dollar store or wherever, but the thick, bright Crayola chalk that comes in a wide variety of colors is BY FAR the best sidewalk chalk out there. You can get it pretty much anywhere (even on the Crayola website), in 12 count boxes, 24 count boxes, 36 count boxes, 48 count boxes, and even giant 64-count boxes. Yes, it’s a little more expensive, but it’s absolutely worth the price.

Things to Do With Sidewalk Chalk

Outline and Color Yourself In

This was something I LOVED doing as a child. My mom would outline us and we would draw our faces, hair, and clothes. I showed my kids how to do this last week and they thought it was the coolest thing ever!

Create a Scene to Take a Picture On

I love seeing these on Instagram. I’m not a great artist, but I know my kids would think it’s fun to see themselves in a scene as simple as swimming in the ocean or flying through space!

Hopscotch

A classic! You can write numbers in each box, play the original version by throwing a rock and hopping to the spot, or even write your child’s name in the boxes to help them learn the letters! When I was little, my sister and I just loved making super long designs to jump on. There are lots of potential chalk ideas with hopscotch!

Four Square

Another classic game from the elementary school playground. Obviously this might be a challenge with younger kids, but older kids will have a blast learning how to play!

Twister

Draw a Twister board on the ground and make your own spinner. You can even choose your own colors! This post from Delineate Your Dwelling has great tips on how to make your own Twister spinner.

Giant Board Game

How fun would it be to make your own life-size chalk board game? Or do a giant version of a classic that you have at home (so you could use the cards from the actual game). Maybe try creating Monopoly or Life, Candyland or Chutes and Ladders!

Play Pictionary

An easy thing to do with sidewalk chalk is play Pictionary! Just write down or print off a bunch of words, have your kids (or family) split into two teams, and get drawing!

Water Plants

Draw some flowers or plants and then have your kids “water” them. Give them little watering cans or spray bottles and have them water away your plants! Amazon has cheap ones, or you can try dollar stores, too!

Make a Zoo

Draw enclosures or little food stands on the ground and let your kids put toy animals inside! Or of course they can draw animals inside, too! Add pools and trees and visit your very own zoo!

Draw a Race Track for Bikes

Make a starting line, draw a track around your neighborhood or the park, and race! Bikes, scooters, ride-on toys, or even on foot! What kid doesn’t love racing!

Draw a City to Drive Cars Around

My kids love their little car rug we have, and this idea just plays on that! Draw a big city with a school, police station, supermarket, hospital, and street signs on your driveway. Kids can drive toy cars or remote control cars all over it!

Play a Follow the Line Game

Depending on how old your child is, you can do a straight line, a waved line, or even a twisty, intertwined line! Tell them they have to stay on the line and follow it from the beginning to end. If they step off, they have to start from the beginning again!

Long Jump

See how far you and your kiddos can jump by drawing a line for the starting point and marking how far you can jump past it.

Wet Your Driveway and Draw

Was I the only one who loved doing this as a child? When your driveway is wet, the colors are so much more vibrant!

Create a Mosaic with Painters’ Tape

Someone in our neighborhood did this and I thought it was awesome! Tape down a big square (or circle, or whatever shape you want) and then make a pattern or just random shapes with your painters’ tape. Color in each spot and then remove the tape for a beautiful mosaic! If you can’t quite picture it, check out this post with more details on how to make a sidewalk chalk mosaic.

Write Positive Messages

Write them on the sidewalk, on your friends’ driveways, on park trails, anywhere you can think of! At our old house there was a trail that backed up to a neighborhood and one of the houses always left out a bucket of chalk for people to write things on the sidewalk. I always loved reading the kind, uplifting messages!

Create a Shape Maze

I can’t take credit for this idea, but I think it’s so fun! Draw a driveway shape maze and challenge your kids to step on only one shape to get to the other side. I love that you can do simple shapes or complex shapes, so it can be adapted for any age!

Outline Shadows and Turn Them into Pictures

This requires two people, but one of you stands on the driveway or sidewalk and makes a funny pose and the other person outlines the pose on the ground. Then you have to turn that pose into a person doing something creative! They might be surfing, lifting a huge weight, or walking a dog. There are so many things you can draw!

Draw Life-Size Animals

This would probably require a little research and the use of the road, but how fun would it be to draw a life-size blue whale, elephant, or t-rex!? I know my kids would sure get a kick out of it!

There are so many fun things to do with sidewalk chalk beyond just dumping it on the driveway and letting your kids draw pictures.

And the fun doesn’t stop once you’ve used up your chalk! When you’re left with just bits and pieces, you can crush them up, mix the powder with water, and use it as sidewalk paint!

If you want more fun outdoor activities, check out this post of backyard activities for toddlers or my free printable nature scavenger hunt!

The post Things to Do With Sidewalk Chalk appeared first on Life With My Littles.

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Happy Star Wars Day!

If you aren’t a Star Wars fan and have no idea what I’m talking about, May 4th is Star Wars Day because May the FOURTH (instead of force) be with you! Get it? Yeah, it’s clever!

Anyway, I’ve been planning this post for a long time, since all three of my kiddos are big Star Wars fans. My oldest son has tons of Star Wars LEGO sets, my daughter has a Princess Leia costume and a Star Wars blanket, and my youngest son has a bunch of Chewbacca stuffed animals and loves Yoda and stormtroopers. It’s adorable. And since my kids love choosing their own books, it only makes sense that we’ve read a lot of books based on the Star Wars world (or should I say galaxy?).

We’ve checked out a LOT of Star Wars books from the library, and there are several that we just love. So whether you’re headed to the library soon, or want to build your home library, I’ve got you covered! Today, to celebrate Star Wars Day, I wanted to share our favorite Star Wars books for kids!

Star Wars Books for Kids

Chewie and the Porgs

This book is so cute! We got it from the library and had to renew it several times before my youngest would let us return it!

Check it out

ABC-3PO

A Star Wars ABC book! Each page has little poems about the subject of each letter, and we love it!

Check it out

OBI-123

Star Wars counting book! It goes up to 20.

Check it out

Search Your Feelings

A book all about different feelings (shown with characters from the movies!)

Check it out

Creatures Big & Small

A Star Wars animals book!

Check it out

Star Wars Block

This cute little block has 100 Star Wars words to learn!

Check it out

BB-8 on the Run

This one was actually recently read by Daisy Ridley on the Disney IG page

Check it out

The Galaxy Needs You

A cute book that follows Rey and teaches kids about how unique and special they are!

Check it out

Goodnight Darth Vader

This is one in a series of books by Jeffrey Brown that envision what Darth Vader would've been like as a dad raising a young Luke and Leia. It's hilarious!

Check it out

Darth Vader and Son

Another in the Jeffrey Brown series

Check it out

Vader's Little Princess

Another in the Jeffrey Brown series

Check it out

Darth Vader and Friends

Another in the Jeffrey Brown series

Check it out

Rey and Pals

Another in the Jeffrey Brown series

Check it out

I Am a Sith

We love these "I Am A..." Star Wars books from Little Golden Books! They're so fun!

Check it out

I Am a Jedi

Another in the "I Am A..." Star Wars series from Little Golden Books

Check it out

I Am a Stormtrooper

Another in the "I Am A..." Star Wars series from Little Golden Books

Check it out

I Am a Wookiee

Another in the "I Am A..." Star Wars series from Little Golden Books

Check it out

I Am a Hero

Another in the "I Am A..." Star Wars series from Little Golden Books

Check it out

I Am a Pilot

Another in the "I Am A..." Star Wars series from Little Golden Books

Check it out

I Am a Padawan

Another in the "I Am A..." Star Wars series from Little Golden Books

Check it out

I Am a Princess

Another in the "I Am A..." Star Wars series from Little Golden Books. We actually have this one and my daughter loves it! It shows Leia and all the ways she was a role model throughout her life!

Check it out

I Am a Droid

Another in the "I Am A..." Star Wars series from Little Golden Books

Check it out

Are You Scared, Darth Vader?

This one is so funny! We checked it out from the library and had a good laugh! It's also a fun one to read using different voices!

Check it out

5-Minute Star Wars Stories

These 5-Minute Stories make great bedtime stories!

Check it out

Obviously there are a lot more Star Wars books for kids out there, but these are just some of our favorites. I tried to include books that were geared towards kids of all ages, and it was honestly hard to narrow down our favorites because there are so many!

Whether you’re a fan looking to introduce your kids to the Star Wars world, or you just want some Star Wars books for yourself (no shame!), these 24 books are the books you’re looking for!

The post Star Wars Books for Kids appeared first on Life With My Littles.

This whole distance learning combined with social distancing and staying home thing has been kicking my butt.

I meant to get a bunch of posts up in this “Stuck at Home” series before we moved, but like I said, things have been complicated lately.

But today I’m finally posting another resource (better late than never!) full of fun things to watch at home with your kids while you’re stuck there. Sometimes it can get repetitive watching the same TV shows or movies over and over, and these videos are a great way to mix things up while we’re all confined to our houses!

Live Videos

The author of Pete the Cat, James Dean, does Instagram Live videos every weekday, and they are so fun! He teaches kids to draw characters from his books, talks about art, and reads one of his books. He’s affectionately nicknamed his following the “Pete the Cat Club” and we love it!

The Cincinnati Zoo hosts home safaris on their Facebook Lives every day at 3pm EDT. They highlight one of their animals in the videos, and then suggest a fun activity for you to do at home!

Ocean’s Initiative has been hosting a Virtual Marine Biology Camp on Facebook Live twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays at 2pm EDT. They’ve done episodes about seals, dolphins, whales, and even sounds in the ocean! If your child is interested in marine life, it’s a great educational resource!

YouTube Videos

National Geographic Kids has an awesome channel with a few different video series. They have series like “Weird, but True,” “Explorer Academy,” “Destination World,” “Best Job Ever,” and “Are We There Yet.” If you are in the mood to learn something new, check out NatGeo Kids!

Dude Perfect isn’t an educational channel, but my kids LOVE their videos! They’re a bunch of guys who started off doing crazy trick shots and now they have all kinds of fun videos, including funny stereotypes (that are always spot on), battles, and a show called “Overtime.”

DoleTube is one of my new favorites because we’ve been able to learn about some of our favorite fruits, how they grow, and how they make it to our stores! I wouldn’t recommend all the videos, but the ones about bananas are so cool!

Exercise Videos

You may be living under a rock if you’ve never heard of Cosmic Kids Yoga. The videos feature yoga, mindfulness, and guided relaxation, and are designed specially for kids aged 3 and up. My kids’ favorite is the Frozen yoga video. She goes through the story and they do yoga moves along with her! A lot better than sitting on the couch!

Disney Family has a series of exercise videos on YouTube called “Get Moving with Disney Family” where, similar to Cosmic Kids yoga videos, you do exercises that go along with different Disney movies. There’s Peter Pan, Moana, The Jungle Book, The Incredibles, The Lion King, and Mulan.

Little Sports is another channel that has a bunch of exercise videos for kids. They’re animated, and not all of them are great, but they have them for all body types and they can keep your kiddos active while at home!

Okay, so KidzBop isn’t necessarily “exercise” but their channel has tons of dance-along videos for kids to watch and dance along to! They also have “Daily Dance Breaks” every day at 3pm EDT.

Books Being Read by Authors and Celebrities

Storylineonline.net is a website with a bunch of videos of celebrities reading books out loud. There are TONS of books to listen to, and even one with the child actors from This Is Us! Adorable!

The Instagram account @savewithstories has more videos of celebrities reading books. The best part is that there’s a great mission behind the account, too! In partnership with Save the Children and No Kid Hungry, they offering stories to provide fun and education to kids and parents stuck at home during the coronavirus outbreak. It’s free, but you can also donate to help make sure schools and community programs have the support they need to keep brains and bellies full. You’re also supporting our important work to meet the health, education and nutrition needs of kids in other countries impacted by coronavirus. How cool is that?!

The hashtag #operationstorytime also has lots of videos on Instagram of authors and other celebrities reading books. Maybe you can find your child’s favorite book!

Cooking Shows

There are lots of great shows about cooking, both that you can just watch and enjoy, and that you can cook along with at home. My kids love Kids’ Baking Championship, Cupcake Wars, and Girl Scout Cookie Championship. Taste Buds Kitchen started a free at-home cooking club you can sign up for that features videos of easy recipes with simple ingredients you probably already have, every Tuesday and Thursday at 2pm EST. And for every sign up, they donate $1 to No Kid Hungry!

GoNoodle

GoNoodle is an app, a website, and a YouTube channel, but I’m giving it its own category because it offers so many different things. Your child likely has had experience with GoNoodle in their classroom, so they can probably tell you about it! They have lots of different options for active screen time, from dance parties, yoga sessions, mindfulness activities, and game sessions. We have the app on our Roku and the kids love doing the videos!

Competition Shows

I know I already had two competition shows listed in my cooking show section, but I have more to tell you about! LEGO Masters is one my first-grader especially loves, and of course American Ninja Warrior is always fun to watch!

Your Favorite Movies and TV Shows From When You Were a Kid

Now I can’t promise they’ll all be as good as you remember, or that they’ll all be as innocent as you remember, and there’s a chance your kids won’t like every movie or TV show you show them, but now’s the time to watch those classics you’ve always wanted to show your kids! If you don’t have a subscription to a streaming service that features a lot of old movies and shows (like Disney+ or Amazon Prime), you can usually rent movies and TV shows online for a few dollars!

Drawing Videos

Mo Willems, author of the Elephant and Piggie series, is the Education Artist-in-Residence at the Kennedy Center, and for three weeks he hosted “Lunch Doodles” where he showed kids how to draw! There are 15 episodes and you can watch them all on the Kennedy Center website.

Joe Wos is a cartoonist who has a YouTube channel called “How To Toon” where he shares all kinds of video tutorials to teach kids how to draw cartoons! He’s been doing daily live streams that you can check out on his channel. If your kid likes to draw, they might enjoy his videos!

My kids also love Art for Kids Hub on YouTube. They have hundreds of drawing videos, from preschool-level to advanced.

Animal Shows

Disneynature has some great animal movies. We just watched Dolphin Reef, and are in the middle of Diving with Dolphins. There’s also Elephants, Penguins, Bears, Chimpanzee, African Cats, and several others. They are fun to watch because the footage is incredible and you get to learn about animals!

The series Planet Earth is great for learning about animals, too! If you don’t have a copy, you can watch it on Discovery!

Our Planet is a show similar to Planet Earth that’s available on Netflix and is narrated by the same person as Planet Earth. It’s like, the streamable version of Planet Earth!

If you’re burned out from watching too many episodes of My Little Pony or Mickey and the Roadster Racers, hopefully you can turn to one of these fun things to watch with kids while you’re stuck at home!

Remember, this social distancing madness won’t last forever, and things will go back to normal. If you’re spending a lot of time in front of the TV, don’t feel too guilty about it. We’re all just in survival mode right now, and doing what we have to to make it through the day! You’ve got this, mama!

Check out the other posts in my Stuck at Home series here:

• 36 Things to Do With Kids
• 35 Things to Cook With Kids
• Working From Home With Kids
• 7 Ways to Stay Connected With Friends and Family

The post Stuck at Home: 10 Things to Watch with Kids appeared first on Life With My Littles.

Has anyone else been stress-baking recently? We have made so many different baked goods since being stuck at home that I’ve lost track of everything we’ve made! I can tell you that it’s all been delicious and every time we make something it’s eaten within 48 hours.

Hopefully I’m not the only one baking and cooking up a storm over here. Baking and cooking with kids can be a lot of work, but it can also be really fun if you pick the right recipes!

Since everyone is stuck at home right now with their kiddos home, I thought it’d be helpful to put together a list of easy recipes that your kids can help you bake or cook! Often times recipes are so complicated or have so many ingredients that you have to do most of the work, but with these, your kids can really take the lead!

I’ve split all these things to cook with kids into two sections. First, recipes with five ingredients or less. Most of them have three ingredients, but some of them have four or five. Second, recipes that are no-bake! Kids + the oven just doesn’t sound like a good idea to me, so I wanted to find some good recipes that didn’t require any time in the oven.

Things to Cook with Kids That Have 5 Ingredients or Less

Photo Credit: Joy Food Sunshine

Puppy Chow

Get Recipe

Photo Credit: www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Get Recipe

Photo Credit: Frugal Fanatic

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Get Recipe

Photo Credit: Momadvice

Watermelon Granita

Get Recipe

Photo Credit: The Space Between

Hummus

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Photo Credit: Tasty

Mac & Cheese

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Banana Oat Smoothie

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Teriyaki Chicken

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Photo Credit: Cafe Delites

Breakfast Cookies

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Photo Credit: Spend With Pennies

Pigs in a Blanket

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Pancakes

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Pita Bread

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Mini Meringue Cookies

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Chocolate Banana Smoothie

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Chocolate Nut Clusters

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Shortbread Cookies

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Chocolate Mousse

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And now, on to the no-bake recipes!

No-Bake Recipes to Make With Kids

Photo Credit: Live Well Bake Often

Easy No-Bake Fudge

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No-Bake Monster Cookie Granola Bites

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Photo Credit: Two Sisters Crafting

Best Ever Rice Krispie Treat Recipe

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Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

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Oreo Balls Recipe

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Photo Credit: Cookies and Cups

No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe

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Healthy Trail Mix

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Photo Credit: Shari Barnes

Oreo Dirt Cups

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Banana Split Pops

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Apple Nachos

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No-Bake Chocolate Candy Cookies

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Golden Grahams S’mores Bars

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No-Bake Chocolate Tart

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies

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No-Bake Scotcheroos

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No-Churn Graham Cracker Ice Cream

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Homemade Crunch Bars

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Funfetti Dip

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Have you found at least five or more recipes to make with your kids? I hope you have, because just putting this together has made me crave something sweet!

Cooking with kids can be really rewarding, and there’s no better time to teach them than now! Have fun!

Check out the other posts in my Stuck at Home series here:

• 36 Things to Do With Kids
• 10 Things to Watch With Kids
• Working From Home With Kids
• 7 Ways to Stay Connected With Friends and Family

The post Stuck at Home: 35 Things to Cook with Kids appeared first on Life With My Littles.

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We’ve been stuck at home for almost three weeks now, and things are getting kind of boring. Sure, we’re also in the middle of moving and we’re trying to learn how to do distance learning, but when we aren’t busy with that, I often hear “I’m bored!”

I’m going to guess that you’re in a similar boat. Let’s name the boat USS Social Distancing Survival. Because for reals, we’re all just on survival mode right now!

And since everything I do with Life With My Littles is to help other moms not only survive motherhood, but enjoy it, I really wanted to put together a few posts to help out! That’s how this “Stuck at Home” series was born!

I’ve got a few posts coming your way (hopefully soon, but again, we move in two days!) that will give you lots of ideas of things to do, cook, watch, and learn with your kids. I tried to keep them simple and make pick things that I’d actually want to do, too, so I’m hoping that all you mama friends out there will want to do them, too!

Let’s jump right in (because I know the real reason you’re here) and kick off this series!

36 Things to do with Kids at Home

1. Scavenger hunts
2. Puzzles
3. Read aloud or audio books
4. LEGO challenges (build the tallest tower, the fastest car, etc.)
5. Bake or cook with your kids
6. Play card games or board games
7. Make cards for people in nursing homes
8. Go through toys and clothes and pick things to donate
9. Build a fort
10. Karaoke
11. Camp indoors (set up your tent, toast marshmallows over the stove)
12. Let your kids do YOUR hair and makeup
13. Sensory bin
14. Paper airplane contest
15. Paint pet rocks
16. Obstacle course
17. Draw portraits of each other
18. Perler beads
19. Let your kids have a fashion show with your clothes
20. Make sock puppets or paper bag puppets and put on a puppet show
21. Tape up a big piece of butcher paper (or the back of wrapping paper) and let your kids create a mural
22. DIY laser maze
23. Create a masking tape car track on the carpet or sofa
24. Write inspirational messages on sidewalks, trails, or driveways
25. Watch family videos or a photo slideshow
26. Indoor fishing
27. Make something out of a cardboard box
28. Play with water beads
29. Melt down broken crayons to make new ones using silicone molds
30. Dress up fancy and have a photoshoot
31. Make an indoor volcano
32. Try to learn a magic trick
33. Stack cups
34. Make a toy car wash
35. Make a DIY no-sew crash mat
36. Homemade playdough

There are so many things you can do at home, but it can be hard to come up with ideas when you’re burned out because you’ve already been stuck at home for weeks. I hope this list of things to do with kids while you’re stuck at home will help you out! We’re all in this together, mama!

Check out the other posts in my Stuck at Home series:

• 35 Things to Cook with Kids
• 10 Things to Watch With Kids
• Working From Home With Kids
• 7 Ways to Stay Connected With Friends and Family

The post Stuck at Home: 36 Things to Do with Kids appeared first on Life With My Littles.

I’ve been working from home with kids around ever since I started my blog almost seven years ago. I started when I had a five-month-old baby, worked through having another baby (18-months apart from my first), and then worked through having a third baby two-and-a-half years later.

It’s hard finding time to sit down at my computer and work when I’ve got three young kids who need a lot of attention and care. But it’s something I’ve had to figure out in order to help support our family.

With schools closing for who knows how long, I know a lot of working moms are suddenly finding themselves having to manage working from home while taking care of their kids. No matter how old your kids are, this can be a struggle.

I wanted to share some of my tips for working from home with kids for all those mamas who are feeling overwhelmed with everything that’s going on right now. Hopefully some of what I’ve learned can help ease this weird, difficult situation we’re all in right now!

Tips for Working from Home with Kids

Accept that you’re going to be busy

The life of a work-at-home mom is a busy one. You have to be efficient about your time if you’re going to get everything done. Downtime you usually use for watching TV might need to be used for work, and that’s okay. This is a weird, new thing we’re trying to figure out, and routines are going to be interrupted for a while.

Sit at the table and work while your kids color or do school work

Depending on your workload and profession, you may have to fit in work whenever you can. Sometimes that means working with your kids around you while they do something quiet, and the dining table is a great place to gather and work together!

Schedule when you’re going to work

If you have a set time scheduled to work, it’s easier to follow through and enjoy the rest of your day. Schedule a few hours after lunch to get work in, or a few hours in the morning while kids play. Scheduling the time you’re going to work helps you feel more committed and makes it easier to actually work when the time comes.

Work when your kids are sleeping

If you’re a morning person, get some work done before the kids are up. If you’re more of a night owl, stay up after the kids are in bed and work. And if your kids still nap, work during nap time! I don’t wake up early or stay up late unless I have a lot of work to catch up on, and I usually only stay up at night because I am not a morning person, but if this will work for you, take advantage of it!

Set up a work space

If you don’t have a home office, set up a designated space for work. A space where you don’t have to clean up all you’re working on every time you take a break, where you can have some privacy and focus on your work instead of what the kids are watching on TV. We’ve used one of our bedrooms as an office for the last few years and it’s made a big difference in my productivity.

Remember this won’t be forever

This is just a temporary situation. No one can say how long it will last, but it’s going to get better one day. Kids will go back to school, parents will go back to work. Do what you have to to make it work.

Remember you aren’t alone

Nothing like this has ever happened in our lifetimes, so we’re all feeling the same way. We’re all just trying to do our best to make things as normal as possible for our kids while keeping them and us safe and still doing our jobs, whether that be full-time mommin’ or working from home for the first time. It sucks a little bit, but we’re all going through this together, and there are lots of other mamas you can reach out to who can relate.

Utilize quiet time

Quiet time is still a struggle for me with my oldest, but we’re working on it! Set a timer for quiet time when you work so kids can see how much time they have left, and then check in on them a few times. Quiet time doesn’t have to be super elaborate or full of pre-planned, themed activities. It can be as simple as doing some mazes, word searches, or color-by-numbers, playing a puzzle game, doing an actual puzzle, reading, or building a town with LEGOs. If you have younger ones, I’ve also put together some great ideas for quiet time with toddlers.

Give yourself grace

It’s okay if your kids watch a lot of TV so you can get your work done and support your family. It’s okay if everyone stays in their pajamas all day and you have cereal for dinner. You’re doing what you have to right now, and nobody can tell you the right way or the wrong way to get through this. Be patient with yourself, and if you have a rough day, the good news is that you can try again tomorrow! You’ve got this!

Set up a rewards system

When your kids are good at playing on their own (especially during quiet time), reward them. It can be something as simple as an extra snack or an extra episode of their favorite TV show. You can come up with a different rewards system for each kid, or stick with the same thing. I’m all about bribes and sometimes there’s no way I can have time to work without them.

Put on a movie and lock the door when you have calls to make

Remember that video that circulated a while ago of the guy on TV who was working from home and his kids burst in during an interview? Don’t be that guy! If you have conference calls or video calls or team calls, put a movie on for your kids and then make sure there’s a locked door in between you and your kids. That way you won’t have any interruptions.

This last week has been the weirdest week of my life. Regular things are so completely different, and it’s been hard for me to adjust. Fortunately, my kids are adjusting to being home just fine! They’re so resilient!

If you’re among the many moms who are now working from home instead of in an office, I hope these tips will be helpful. Working from home with kids can be a challenge, but it’s one that you can absolutely overcome. Figure out what works for you and cling to that. Stay positive, look for the good, and don’t falter. You’re awesome, amazing, and you’re going to get through this!

Check out the other posts in my Stuck at Home series here:

• 36 Things to Do With Kids
• 10 Things to Watch With Kids
• 35 Things to Cook With Kids
• 7 Ways to Stay Connected With Friends and Family

The post Working From Home with Kids appeared first on Life With My Littles.

This post contains affiliate links.

Up until last week, we hadn’t even mentioned what was going on around the world to our kids. We live in Minnesota, and life hadn’t really been affected here. Our kids had no idea there was a virus spreading around the globe, making people sick, shutting down cities, and causing a mad rush to stock up on toilet paper.

But then one of our favorite NBA players tested positive for the virus, the entire NBA season was postponed, Disneyland decided to close its gates, and our church leaders announced that church meetings would temporarily be suspended worldwide, all within a period of 24 hours.

Things suddenly felt a lot more real.

In the last few days, our entire country has started taking this seriously. That means cancelling events, postponing movie releases, and even shutting down entire school districts.

I’m glad people are taking precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. Social distancing, while it may be difficult, is the best way to slow the spread of this disease. Sure, it sucks that we didn’t get to go to Disney on Ice last week and that lots of people had to cancel their spring break trips, but it’s for the overall health of the world, and that’s why it’s okay.

Like I said, we hadn’t talked to our kids about what was going on until a few days ago. But even they have noticed that something’s off right now. We didn’t go to the gym, we’re not going to church tomorrow, and we’re staying home on a Saturday, a day we usually try to get out of the house and do something fun.

Our kids are seven, five, and three. I know not everyone’s kids will notice something’s going on, especially if you regularly stay home with your kids and they don’t go to school yet.

But if you’re in the large group of mamas who suddenly finds herself stuck at home with her school-aged kids, you might be stressing about how to keep them occupied and how to prevent total chaos and madness in your house.

Fortunately, this is happening at a time when most people have access to the internet. It’s starting to warm up so kids can play in the backyard in most states. Lots of restaurants and fast food places have drive-thru or deliver options. We can order groceries online and have them delivered, or go to the store and stay in our cars while they’re loaded into the trunk.

Social distancing sucks, but it’s only temporary, and we can get through it.

In an effort to prevent mamas everywhere from losing their minds, here are some things to do with kids when you’re stuck at home.

Things to Do With Kids When You’re Stuck at Home

Exercise

There are tons of exercise videos on YouTube, and so many of them cater to kids! My kids love the Get Moving series from Disney Family. You can also try GoNoodle or Cosmic Kids Yoga.

Cook or Bake

My kids always love helping out in the kitchen (especially in their aprons!), and of course our favorite part is always eating what we make! We’re going to try out homemade soft pretzels finally and maybe some Rice Krispie treats later this week!

Tour Something on Google Maps

If you were really set on that vacation you had to cancel, there’s a way you can still (sort of) enjoy the place you were going to go! Tour it on Google Maps! From a desktop, go to Google Maps and type in a location you want to tour. Then drag the little orange person at the bottom right of your screen to the place. It should bring up pictures of that location and you can tour it! I know it works for Disney Parks, historic monuments (Stonehenge!), and even the White House. This has quickly become one of our favorites, and I’m sure it will be one of your favorite things to do with kids when you’re stuck at home, too!

Do a Science Experiment

My kids love doing science experiments, and I love doing easy ones that don’t require a bunch of extra materials I have to buy. We got out son the Everything Kids’ Science Experiments Book for Christmas and we’ve had fun doing a bunch of the experiments in that.

“Ride” Rides at Theme Parks

In this day of the smart phone, it’s very popular to take videos of theme park rides and post them online. Which is nice when you can’t go anywhere, because even if you aren’t really going up and down with the roller coaster hills, you still kind of get the experience! For kids, it’s enough, especially if they aren’t tall enough to go on the ride anyway! So head to YouTube and watch videos of rides at places like Disneyland, Six Flags, Sea World, or Universal Studios!

Color or Draw

My daughter could (and does) color for hours. My older two especially love making little story books and stapling them together. Just give your kids some paper and crayons and let them at it! You can even print coloring sheets online (my oldest LOVES color by number pages!).

Play Outside

If it’s warm enough to play outside, send your kids out for thirty minutes. It helps to break up the day and they can get some of their energy out!

Go for a Walk or Bike Ride

Walk around your neighborhood, at a regional park, or on a local trail. It’s another way to get your body moving and get some much-needed fresh air!

Plant Something

We’re going to be inside for a few weeks, so you might as well make it worth it! If you have seeds, plant them in little yogurt cups, or if you have beans, you can grow them in a plastic bag in the window. It’s always fun to check on your plants every day and see if they’ve grown!

Take a Virtual Field Trip

Did you know that there are museums that offer virtual tours? Did you know you can visit National Parks, farms, and even the Space Center without leaving your couch? Check this list of 50+ virtual field trips you can take with your kids to get some ideas.

Watch Facebook or Instagram Live Videos

In the last few days I’ve seen lots of places hosting Live videos on Facebook or Instagram. The Cincinnati Zoo has daily “safaris” you can watch on Facebook and James Dean, the author of Pete the Cat, started hosting Live story time on his Instagram page today. It’s a fun way to participate in something live while still at home!

Word Searches

If your kids are old enough, print them out a word search! It will keep them busy for a while and there are tons of free ones available online (just google “printable word searches” and you’ll find a ton!). Amazon also has lots of cheap word search books (my oldest really likes the “My First Word Searches” book).

Have a Building Competition

The best way to do this would be to use LEGO bricks, but you could also use blocks, pillows, boxes, or anything else you can stack. Give your kids 30 minutes and see who can build the tallest or fanciest tower and offer a reward to whoever wins.

Play Card or Board Games

My friend Britni just put together an awesome post of the 25 best board games for kids, which is a great resource when you’re stuck at home! And here’s a post of 10 kid-friendly card games you can play!

Read Aloud

No matter how old your kids are, reading aloud together can be a great family activity. I remember my parents reading chapters of books to us every night before bed and how special that was. Read one of the books on this list of first novels to read aloud, or if you have a favorite book from childhood, now’s the time to start it!

Do a Scavenger or Treasure Hunt

What kid doesn’t love following a set of clues or a map to find something special? You can try this nature scavenger hunt or make your own! It’s really easy to set up, and you can adjust it to their ages of your kids! You can find more scavenger hunt ideas from Play Party Plan.

Listen to a Podcast

Podcasts aren’t just for adults anymore! There are so many great kid-friendly podcasts out there. I know not every kid will be able to sit and listen to a podcast for more than a few minutes, but if your child is older and has a longer attention span, they might love listening to podcasts! This list of podcasts for kids from Common Sense Media has some great ones!

There are plenty of screen-free things to do with kids when you’re stuck at home. Yes, it can be hard, and yes, you need to make sure you get some quiet time during the day, but if you stay busy and refuse to let it get you down, being stuck at home can actually be a memorable, fun thing!

Since we don’t know how long this crazy pandemic is going to last, we’re just taking it one day at a time. Hopefully these fun things to do with kids when you’re stuck at home will help you stay sane and prevent everyone from losing their minds while we’re quarantined!

The post Things to Do with Kids When You’re Stuck at Home appeared first on Life With My Littles.