Kids' Activities Archives – Page 15 of 19

Cheap & Easy Tips for an Epic End of Summer Playdate

December 31, 2022August 6, 2018 by Salty Jaymi

Throwing an end of summer playdate for your kids and their friends? Check out our tips on how to throw an epic end of summer party for kids (without breaking your budget!) We’ve even got a printable luau banner to help you celebrate the change of seasons in style.

We just finished up our last real week of summer, and we wanted to send it out with a bang. What better way to do it than with an end of summer playdate with some of our friends? We planned a kids’ luau for our end of summer party, and it went off without a hitch (or britches, in Izzie’s case, but that’s another story).

And even better- it didn’t cost an arm and a leg!

My daughter is OBSESSED with kids’ party planning. She makes lists, drawings, and diagrams in preparation. She plans menus. She shops for goodie bags. She visualizes the décor.

The only problem is? Then she wants me to carry out her vision. Which is no mean feat, as it turns out, especially when you are as big a cheapskate as I am.

So when she decided “she” was going to throw an end of summer party, I used my powers of persuasion to convince her to throw a kids’ Luau instead. This decision might have had something to do with the fact that I have a garage full of island décor from my sister’s baby shower, but she didn’t need to know that.

By reusing decorations, buying in-season fruit for the snacks, and keeping it simple, we found a way to throw an amazing end of summer playdate for my daughter and her friends.

And there were cocktails. Because of COURSE there were. Read on for the recipe for a perfect end of summer luau (and those cocktails. Because YUM).

Building the Perfect Sandcastle- A Create a Castle Review

March 22, 2019July 20, 2018 by thesaltymamas

Tired of frustrated kids that just can't make the perfect sandcastle? Check out this kit that will change everything about your beach days! #createacastle #sandcastle #howtobuildtheperfectsandcastle #snowcastles #howtobuildasandcastle #buildingsandcastles #professionalsandcastles #prosandcastles #beachday #bayday #sundayfunday #beachdays #beachdayeveryday #beachdayz #beachdaysarethebestdays #sandsculptures #sandart #beach #summer2018 #summerfun

Looking for the best way to take your beach game up a notch? If your kids get frustrated by their attempts at building a sandcastle, you’re going to want to check out this Create a Castle review. Does Create a Castle really work? Read on to see!

There are a few quintessential truths about summer. There will be lots of sticky kids covered in popsicle juice. We will eat our weight in watermelon. And we will spend loads of time at the beach. Having sworn to never take for granted how close we live to the ocean, we often load the car up with all the kids, chairs, snacks, and toys our SUV can hold for a day at the bay.

My kids each have their own favorite beach activities. Izzie loves to stand at the waters edge and jump and splash – before making a mad dash into the water to try to prove that she can swim. Evie is content to lay on her towel, surrounded by snacks enjoying the sun. And Cole? Cole begins each trip to the beach with his never-ending quest to finally build the perfect sandcastle.

Tragically, no matter how many buckets and shovels and sifters we take to the beach, there will be waves of disappointment when my son just. can’t. get it. right. Try as he, and we, might, we just have not figured out how to build the perfect sandcastle.

Which is why we maybe freaked out with excitement when we found Create A Castle.

What is Create a Castle?

Founder Kevin Lane was as frustrated as Cole with the traditional bucket and pail method of building a sandcastle. He decided to figure out a way to make it easier, more successful, and most importantly to us, more kid-friendly. And did he ever! Here’s our Create a Castle Review of the Pro Tower Kit.

Summer Learning Activities for Kindergarten & Preschool

June 6, 2021July 18, 2018 by Salty Jaymi

Keep their skills fresh this summer! Practice reading, math, and writing with these fun summer learning activiites at TheSaltyMamas.com. #summerlearningactivities #summerlearningloss #summerreading

Need to keep that brainpower up during summer break? Go for less stress (and more fun!) with these fun summer learning activities for kindergarten and preschool kids.

On a beautiful summer day, we were soaking up the sun while drawing in our backyard. My friend’s son, age 6, decided he was going to write a book. He casually asked Lila, age 5 and a recent TK graduate, if she knew how to spell the word “like.” “K….L…E…” she started, and then looked at me in a hot panic. “MOMMY!!! I don’t remember ANYTHING from TK!!”

I mean, she did, of course, and with some reminders to say the sounds in the word, her memory was jogged enough to produce the letters. But her fear of summer reading loss was real. And it reminded me that we should probably spend a little time on some summer learning activities for kindergarten.

So if you also find yourself with a child entering PreK, TK, Kindergarten, or First Grade, it’s worth putting just a little time into some fun summer learning activities for kindergarten or preschool readiness. Here are some fun ways to make it happen without stressing your kids (or you!) out.

How to Set Up a Lemonade Stand (With FREE Lemonade Stand Checklist!)

December 29, 2022June 25, 2018 by Salty Jaymi

Thinking of trying the classic lemonade stand with your kids this year? Here is a complete guide on how to set up a lemonade stand, including a FREE printable lemonade stand checklist for kids, to help you get started!

Lila turned five this year, and suddenly she has decided she’s an adult. She wants to be independent, and do things by herself, and even make her own money. We’re working on chores on how to handle money, but she wanted more (both responsibility AND money). So when came up with the idea to start her first lemonade stand, I decided to help her figure out how to set up a lemonade stand the right way..

Setting up a lemonade stand was a summer staple when I was a kid. A few neighborhood friends and I would haul a card table and pitchers of lemonade up the hill and set up shop. Sometimes we’d get creative, and sell friendship bracelets and painted rocks, too.

But most of all I remember laughing with friends, chatting with our neighbors, and stealing glasses of our icy cold lemonade in between customers. That is exactly the kind of childhood I want for my daughter, and I couldn’t wait to help her figure out how to set up a lemonade stand of her own.

Chuck E Cheese Hacks

December 31, 2022May 28, 2018 by thesaltymamas

Kids LOVE Chuck E. Cheese- but parents? Yeah, usually not. Hacks to make your visit easier (and cheaper!) from TheSaltyMamas.com.

Our kids love Chuck E. Cheese, but we don’t always love the cost. Fortunately, we’ve found a number of genius Chuck E Cheese hacks to save money over the years. Try one, or try them all, and you’ll find you reduce your Chuck E Cheese budget significantly.

Ohhh, Chuck E. Cheese. If you were a child in the 80s or 90s, you can likely remember the joy, the excitement, and the thrill of this place. They had pizza. They had tokens and games and tickets. And the prizes, good grief, THE PRIZES. It was like heaven for kids.

And now that I am on the other side of it, I know the dark, seedy side of the Chuck. Namely, that parents hate it as much as their kids love it.

Not everything is awful about Chuck E. Cheese, of course. Their pizza has improved greatly, and the ball pits only exist in the nightmares of germaphobes everywhere.

But as they have improved, we’ve noticed that their prices have crept slowly up. Which, if you’re trying to limit the amount of time you have to spend there, might be a good thing. But if you’re desperate to show your kids a good time, the cost of the place can be a problem.

Lucky for you, we’ve scoured the internet and our local CECs to find the best collection of Chuck E. Cheese hacks, money saving tips, and upgrades to help make your trip to Chuck E. Cheese a little more bearable- or at the very least, a little less expensive.