Best of … kindergarten crafts ideas

Contributed by Jennifer Andrews, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru

Kindergarten may arguably be one of the best years of grade school for kids everywhere.
Read more

Top 10 Winter Outfits for Kids

Contributed by Tim Brugger, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru

It’s cold, with winter break fast approaching there will be free time a plenty; so their winter outfits need to not just look good they have to be functional too.

Read more

Top 10 Craft Ideas for Kids

Contributed by Aurora LaJambre, Catalogs.com Info Guru

There’s a universal secret about crafts that children are not meant to know. If there are children around, please guard this secret with all of your might and main: crafts are educational.

Read more

Top 10 Life Lessons for Kids

Contributed by Bridget Wright, Catalogs.com Info Guru

When parents bestow their wisdom upon their kids in their formative years, their hopes hinge on their children listening to them and avoiding costly life mistakes.

Read more

Top 10 Jobs for Stay at Home Moms

Contributed by Rosemary O’Brien, Catalogs.com Info Guru

If you are a woman who wants to stay at home with your children, but still need an income, you are not alone.

Even the strongest-minded career women turn to mush when they meet their new baby. It can be done, but you have to proceed with caution. There are tons of scams out there for unsuspecting moms who are doing their best to juggle motherhood with a career, and the internet makes them very easy prey. With that being said, there are many positions that can be done from home, especially with the renewed interest in outsourcing.
Read more

Top 10 U.S. Summer Family Vacation Destinations

Contributed by Sara Shea, Catalogs.com Info Guru

The best way to truly enjoy your summer vacation is to put the time and energy into researching destinations that the whole family will enjoy. Once you have decided on a location, finding family hotel rates, discounted airfare, and other specials is only a question of online research.
Read more

Top 5 Funny Messy Activities with Kids

Have you ever had one of those days, when the kids are driving you – and each other – completely crazy? Every smart parent should know some funny messy activities they can do with their kids to combat boredom. The following 5 funny messy activities will make you “cool mom” or “cool dad” in your kids’ eyes.

1.    Build an exploding volcano

Supplies:

Dirt or playdough
35 mm film canister
White vinegar
Red and yellow food coloring
Baking soda
Liquid dishwashing soap

Instructions:

This is one of the best funny messy activities with kids – emphasize on the messy. It’s a great activity to do outside in order to keep clean-up easy.

First, build a volcano by either mounding up dirt into a mountain shape, or forming a mountain out of playdough. If you want to make it lifelike, you can stick in some twigs and leaves to look like trees on the mountainside.

Press the film canister into the peak of your volcano.

Put two heaping spoonfuls of baking soda into the film canister, followed by a spoonful of liquid dishwashing soap. Add a few drops of red and yellow food coloring.

Next, pour in 1/8 cup white vinegar – and then stand back and watch your volcano erupt!

2.    Paint your face with homemade face paint

Supplies:

Cornstarch
Flour
Light corn syrup
Food coloring – the liquid kind

Instructions:

First, mix 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl.

Next, stir in ¾ cup light corn syrup and ¼ cup water until the mixture is smooth.

Divide the mixture into small containers like baby food jars. Add different colors of food coloring, leaving one plain for white face paint.

Use small child-size paintbrushes to decorate each other’s faces.

3.    Make homemade finger paint and paint your masterpiece

Supplies:

Sugar
Cornstarch
Liquid dishwashing soap
Food coloring

Instructions:

First, put 1/3 cup cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of sugar into a small saucepan. Stir in 2 cups of cold water.

Heat the mixture over low heat for five minutes, constantly stirring. You should have a gel-like mixture.

After the mixture cools, add ¼ cup liquid dishwashing soap and mix thoroughly.

Divide into empty baby food jars and add food coloring until you get the colors you want.

Paint away!

4.    Make Flubber   http://www.omsi.edu/visit/playground/activities.cfm

Flubber is a polymer resulting from a chemical reaction. Visit the above link for complete instructions and information on why Flubber reacts the way it does.

5.    Diet Coke and Mentos experiment

Supplies:

Diet Coke
Mentos

Instructions:

You’ll definitely want to do this one outside! All you need to do is drop a few Mentos into a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke, and watch the fun. You can see a video of the original experiment at YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKoB0MHVBvM

These funny messy activities are perfect for keeping the dreaded “I’m bored” out of your kids’ vocabulary.