This would be such a fun project to do with your kids!  Plus every year that you hang it on the tree, it will bring back the memories of all the fun you had making it!  Here is the link to the tutorial.

The Holidays often provide the perfect setting for enjoying some quality playful time with the kids.  One of our favorite things to do as a family is build gingerbread houses.  The kids have a blast, and I love having a personal touch to decorate with.  We always use the kits equipped with pre-made gingerbread, the royal icing, a stand to place the house on, and candy to decorate with.  I am not much of a gourmet baker so I have never even attempted baking the stuff on my own.  However, if you are more inclined to do the baking yourself, I have found a great tutorial here.  Otherwise, the kits can be found at many retail locations, and online.

Get messy, get involved, and have a great time!

Children of all ages love dressing up.  Why not dress up for this year’s Thanksgiving Feast?  Spend some time with you children making great pilgrim or indian hats, and have a ball!  Not only will it add a little history to the traditional feast, it may just add some high style too!

Here are some tutorials I found for making pilgrim hats:

I got this one from about.com

H. Marie explains how to make a girl’s pilgrim bonnet using a piece of paper and a few other supplies.

• Age Guideline: 5 Years and Up
• Time Required: 15 minutes (Does not include drying time)

The above age and time guidelines are estimates. This project can be modified to suit other ages and may take more or less time depending on your circumstances.

Materials Needed:

• 12 x 18 Piece of White Paper 

Paper Pilgrim Bonnet Pattern

• White Ribbon
• Stapler
• Scissors

Instructions:
Fold the piece of paper in half the long way, then unfold it so you can see the crease. Now fold up one side of the paper so the edge is even with the crease (folded up along the dotted line on the image). On the other side of the crease, cut two slits, evenly spaced as shown in the image, going almost all the way to the center crease.

Now poke a hole on each end of the folded half of the paper portrayed by the dots on the image. Cut 2 pieces of ribbon, about 15-inches long, and tie one end of each ribbon to the hole you poked. The folded section will be the front/brim area of the hat and the ribbons can be tied under the chin or left hanging at the side of the head.

Notice the “+” I made on the 3 ‘flaps’ created by the slits you cut in the other half of the paper? The 2 outside flaps are brought together under the middle flap – imagine lining up all the +’s in the image. Staple these 3 together and this will form your finished bonnet!

Wear and enjoy!

This one came from Kaboose:

What you’ll need:

• 10×13″ Black construction paper
• 9×12″ Gray construction paper
• Tape
• Pen or pencil
• Scissors
• Glue

How to make it:

1. Cut an oval out of the black construction paper the full size of the paper.
2. Cut a strip of paper to make a band to put around the boy’s head, tape it. Put that circle (slightly oval) on the paper to trace the inner circle. Then draw a circle around it. Leave about a 2″ brim on 3 sides and about 4″ on the “front”.
3. Draw the trapezoid, and cut out the gray parts. (see photo)
4. Cut out a band and band and buckle out of gray paper.
5. Glue the hat band on the hat and then the buckle on top of the band.
6. Bend the hat piece up and try on the child.
7. You may need to adjust the opening to fit the individual child’s head.
8. On the underneath side, apply tape to the two points where the hat bends. This will help reinforce the stress point, and hopefully prevent tearing.

Tips:

This hat could probably also be made out of felt. I would suggest cutting 2 hats out of black, and gluing the two together to give the hat stability.

So have fun, look the part, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I think that it is a common misconception among parents that they have to go out and “do” something with their kids in order to spend quality time.  That thought couldn’t be further from the truth.  There are SO many things that can be done at home without costing a dime.  Here is one of my all time favorite activities, The Blanket Fort

There is nothing better than a homemade fort.  I mean, who could resist.  Forts of this sort seem to inspire endless creativity and opportunities for play. 

There are so many places you could go from here.  You could pile the fort high with pillows and blankets, turn off the lights, and read stories in the glow of a flashlight. You could make shadow puppets, play games, or even use the fort as a “safe spot” in a game of tag.

The possibilities are endless.  The remarkable thing is that they all begin with a few blankets and chairs!

Play is one of the most essential and prominent aspects of a child’s life.  They use play to explore the world around them, and to try to make sense of the world as they see it.  Which is precisely why play should be important to the entire family.  One of the best ways a parent can connect to their child is through joining them in their world, and in a sense, becoming a kid again.  That’s not to say put friendship before parenting and discard all rules and boundries.  I’m just saying that taking time to connect with your kids, their style, just may bring  you closer than you may realize.  I could go on and on about the importance and benefits of being a playful parent, but that’s not the only thing this blog is about.  I’m going to skip the appetizer and go straight to the meat and potatoes.  I am going to provide you with a few good ideas to help you become a playful parent. 

Okay, first things first. I have found that there have been times when I’ve taken oodles of time planning and preparing a great activity that the kids were sure to love.  I cut, clipped, colored, and crimped, all to have my activity completely tank!  They just weren’t that interested in the activity, and it ended up feeling more like an assignment than a good time.

That’s why I would suggest to start out by asking your kids what they want to do.  Most of the time their suggestions are nothing elaborate, they seem to simply enjoy playing.  My kids LOVE to play hide and go seek.  The prep time is non existent and it provides hours of fun (especially if you’ve got some good hiders).

If you do need a little jump start, or a creative spark, here is a fun idea that the kids just might love.

I found this game on Disney’s Family Fun website:

What You Need

• Paper, 1 piece per player
• Pen

• Tape

Instructions

1. To get started: Write a type of animal on each piece of paper. Place the papers in a bowl, then have each person pick one and tape it to another player’s forehead without showing that player what it says (you might want to cover your mirrors to prevent peeking!).
2. To play: Each person asks the others yes-or-no questions (“Do I have fur?” “Do I have horns?”) in an effort to figure out his animal. Keep playing until everyone guesses his identity.