FREE DOWNLOADABLE DR. SEUSS ACTIVITY BOOK

Education.com is currently offering a free downloadable 20 page Dr. Seuss Activity Book that would be a great boredom buster for pre-schoolers-early elementary age children on a rainy day.

It has short word/letter recognition, simple addition and mental sorting games with different lovable Dr. Seuss characters.

For the link, click here

"Chronicles of Narnia" Playroom

This fantastical Chronicle of Narnia's playroom is accessed through a wardrobe, just like in the movie.

This would be a fun project to make for a child that is a fan.  Although it would seem you would need to own a home with an available room next to the child's and some construction skills, a workaround might be using or foam board (this was a popular option many people used when I was in college to create separate spaces in dorm rooms) and easy to take down when the child outgrows it.  

Rainbow Rice

Source: shareandremember.blogspot.com via Julanne on Pinterest

The above colorful rainbow of colored rice idea is from Share and Remember.

Although St. Patrick's Day is over, this would be a fun kids activity for next year or even for a birthday party as a "make and take craft" .  You could layer in clear plastic or glass jars similar to sand art and put a lid on it, or leave it open and stick plastic flowers and use it as a vase.

All you need is rice, food coloring or liquid water colors and rubbing alcohol.

For further instructions click here

The "Everything" Play Table - a fabulous low cost DIY present for a child!

This "Everything Table"  was created by Craftser user leighi123 (and the winner of the Handmade Holiday Gifts for Kids 2 challenge) that she crafted for her 4 year old son for Christmas using an old shoe rack, wood and felt and integrating a few other items and toys.

Not only could this be made at a minimal cost, it also takes up minimal space (see last picture).

Cars

Racetrack



Dinosaurs

Moon and Earth



Farm

Beach

Undersea Cave

Pirate Island

Under the Sea

Pirate Cave

Angry Birds

Monkeys

Bugs

Slingshot

All of this stores in bins and baskets below the table so it takes up minimal space

Wizard of Oz

For posting on Craftster click here

Training Dresser

This dresser is by product designer Peter Bristol and is called a "Training Dresser".  He describes the concept for it below:

"Like Dr. Suess and Pixar, the Training Dresser is for more than one audience.

The informative drawers create an engaging dresser for kids and an iconic furniture piece for parents.

Well considered and well made. The dresser is hand crafted and packaged with care in Eastern Washington by the crew Mountain View Cabinetry.

The cabinet is made from ¾” ULDF and finished with conversion varnish. The drawers are 9 ply ½” maple plywood, dovetailed and finished with clear catalyzed lacquer. All cabinet and drawer components are cut, drilled and dadoed on a CNC table router. Assembled with a combination of screws, pins, staples, glue, and Pacific Northwest fresh air.".

Wonder if it would work on teenagers and adult men?

Photos: Peter Bristol

TRAIN BED

What a fun kid's bed!  My son would have loved something like this when he was young.  Something like this is not just a decorative bed - it is lifetime memory maker for a child.

This was made by Instructables user kevconard if you are handy working with wood ,or could barter to trade services with someone who is if you are not) and there are instructions to make your own here.

Building a Better Mousetrap...Making It Into A Mousetrap Car

 
Our Mouse Trap Car from Michelle Mitton at Scribbit on Vimeo.

I am not a fan of mousetraps per se as they seem inhumane, but the use of this mousetrap, along with 4 old CDs, 2 pens, 2 bolts, string and 6 balloons to make a mousetrap car is so McGuyerish that it rocks.
link

Felt Toolbox

(Picture by Serving Pink Lemonade)



I was excited to see the above felt toolbox with a tutorial on how to make your own over at Serving Pink Lemonade which would be perfect for a toddler.

My son's father is a plumber by trade and when my son was very young he wanted a toy toolbox and tools just like his Daddy and I could not find any that were age appropriate for a 2 year old because they all had small plastic parts.  My son is now 16 and uses real tools to work on the car, but I plan on making this and putting in my "Grandma Box" for a future grandchild(ren) in about 10 years or so when he is out of college and hopefully meets the right girl and settles down.


If you want to make your own too check out the tutorial at Serving Pink Lemonade and in the coming week she will be posting on how to make the tools too be sure to check back.

Halloween Videos To Rent For Kids and Tweens

These are likely available for rent at your local video store,  might be available to check out from  local library, or on Youtube.

YOUNGER CHILDREN

Monsters, Inc.

Something adults as well as children can enjoy; it has different worlds colliding, development of a relationship, friendships and corporate greed.  

Monstropolis is powered by the screams that the monsters bottle up by going through children's closet doors in the middle of the night, but find out what happens when a loveable little girl follows top scarer Sully back in to Monsters, Inc.

Wallace and Gromit in 
"The Curse of the Were-rabbit"

British claymation at its best and once again Wallace's inventions getting them into trouble and Gromit coming to the rescue.  This is a movie that the whole family can enjoy watching.

Its The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

A non-scary Halloween classic the whole family can enjoy.  This was something we looked forward to watching every year when I was kid back in the olden days when there were only 3 TV channel and no VCRs, DVD or TIVO.

Garfield's Halloween Adventure

Another non-scary story with Amercia's favorite lovable sarcastic cat, Garfield.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0279830/

TWEENS AND OLDER

The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It

From the creator of the "Goosebumps" series that stars Emily Osment from Hanna Montana and Tobin Bell, who plays Jigsaw in the "Saw" movies.   While my son enjoyed the "Goosebumps" series when he was younger, I usually didn't like watching them, but we both enjoyed watching this movie

HOCUS POCUS

Sort of like a milder version of the 3 Stooges, except with witches.

TV Series on DVD sets:

• Goosebumps
• Eerie, Indiana
• Scooby Doo
• Casper the Friendly Ghost