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If you're anything like me, Barbie dolls were a staple in your childhood. My friends and I played Barbies a lot together. I won't name names, but we even got certain brothers in on the Barbie fun! I made a DIY cardboard Barbie house as a child and had so much fun cutting and gluing "decor", aka magazine clippings, into my house. From pictures of rugs to art, and even kitchen appliances, Barbie had her dream house decked out! Once I had my daughter, she had her own 3 story doll house. Barbie had her own private pool, jacuzzi horses, and a convertible! Almost all of it was that signature Barbie pink color! The new Barbie movie is a chance to dress up and bring back that nostalgic Barbie pink! We've rounded up some cute Barbie outfit inspiration to wear to the Barbie movie with friends, costume party, or even incorporate into your closet for everyday wear. Why not embrace our inner girlie girl?! Barbie says we can do/be anything, so let's embrace that attitude! Barbie Outfit Inspiration by Rows Retro Love Glasses, Pink Earrings Set, Pink Tulle Dress Pink Ruffle Dress , Tweed Dress Suit , Hot Pink Dress , Pink Romper Barbie Girl Shirt , Barbie Party Shirt , Pink Barbie Shirt , Barbie 90's Tank Square Neck Top, Bow Crop Top, Off Shoulder Top , Sequin Shorts Criss Cross Halter Top, Pink Feather Top , Sequin Skirt, Leg Warmers Set, Pink Converse Shoes, Metallic Skirt, Barbie Necklace How will you add pink to your outfit? See you at the movies!

This is our Hawaii Itinerary for 7 days, perfect for families! Let me start of by saying this was a 7-day trip for a family of four on the island of Oahu. Our kids are teen/tween age, and this trip was in July. Those things matter for planning based on weather and kids ages and interests. This is how we planned our trip. Hopefully, it can give you some ideas on how you can enjoy a family trip to Hawaii. Of course, feel free to tailor this itinerary to what suits your family best. I've shared some other fun ideas that we just didn't have time for on our trip at the bottom of the post. Feel free to use these links below to skip ahead to different parts of the trip: Hawaii Trip with Kids Highlights: Turtle Bay Surfing North Shore Food City Poke Bowls 7-11 Spam Musubi Island Soul Shaved Ice Kualoa Ranch Tour Byodo-In Temple Leonard's Bakery Hale Koa Luau Bishop Museum Lolani Palace Shark's Cove snorkeling Lanikai Beach and Kailua Beach Hawaiian Itinerary for Families Day 1 - Travel day, Waikiki beach Travel to Hawaii and get checked into your room. We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu. We had a few self-guided snorkel things planned for later that week, so we immediately went and bought snorkels for everyone and extra bottles of reef safe sunblock since Hawaii has strict regulations on reef safe sunblock to protect its marine life. We also stopped at 7-11 and got a Musubi snack because we heard it was amazing, and it was! We didn't want to go far since it had been a long travel day, but had a few hours so we headed down to Waikiki beach by our hotel to play in the surf and just unwind after a long travel day. Then we ordered food for dinner to take back to our room. The view of the saltwater lagoon was beautiful! Day 2 - Swim with Turtles and Poke on the Beach We started off our first full day with a boat ride out to Turtle Bay to swim with green sea turtles. We used the company Living Ocean Tours. One of our tour guides was great and swam down and got an awesome video of a turtle for us. In Hawaii, you can be fined for touching turtles, even by accident, so don't risk it and always be aware of your surroundings when snorkeling or swimming. We saw lots of pretty fish, green sea turtles, stingray, and even dolphins! If you aren't a fan of boats (I'm not really, don't worry we saw sea turtles and did lots of snorkeling to see fish so you could skip this if you want). Tip - Invest in swim shirts. We got sunburned badly on a snorkel trip in Belize, so now we always bring swim shirts when we're going out on the water, the extra SPF never hurts. Also, the water off the coast and boat ride was pretty choppy. If you are prone to getting seasick I recommend having Dramamine or seasick bands on hand. Then, we stopped for Poke at Foodland. Yes, it's grocery store but it is delicious and affordable poke. They have a deli style poke counter where you build your own bowl by choosing the rice, poke, and any add-ons you want. Seriously, so so amazing! I will never get over how fresh that tasted. You can get a poke bowl for as little as 7.99. We took our poke to Waimanalo Beach Park and ate under the shade of the trees by the beach. We spent the afternoon, reading, playing in the water, and snorkeling. Day 3 - North Shore - Surfing, Snorkeling, and more Turtles In the morning, we drove up to North Shore to take surfing lessons. We booked lessons through Fozzy's Surf School and had a blast learning to surf on Chun's Reef. We did a private small group lesson which was 2 hours and you get right out on the board after a quick tutorial of how to get up. It's much harder than it looks though and so exhausting. Our instructor was so nice and patient with us and made sure we each got some good waves to ride. We paid for the extra photo/video package, which was fun to look back on even though we fell a lot. After surfing we were all starving, so we drove up to Shark's Cove which is part of Pupukea Beach Park. There is a small sandy beach area but the water into the cove is very rocky. There are several food trucks set up across the street. There was a good variety of food ranging between garlic shrimp, burgers, tacos, and shaved ice. There were also shaded picnic tables to sit at and enjoy eating. Then, we spent the afternoon hoping around different beaches - snorkeling in Shark's Cove one of Oahu's best snorkeling spots and watching sea turtles and relaxing on Laniakea Beach also known as turtle beach. Day 4 - Kuoloa Ranch and Byodo Temple We decided to take a break from the beaches and do some sightseeing in the mountains. On this day we booked a jungle expedition tour at Kualoa Ranch. You can ride in open air jungle jeeps through the ranch and explore many scenic views as well as filming locations (Jurassic World, Kong Skull Island and Jumanji). There are other tours you can take if you're interested in seeing more of the film locations. There are a lot of Japanese immigrants in Hawaii. We were close to the Byodo-in Temple which is a stunning red Buddhist temple nestled at the bottom of the Ko’olau mountains. It is a replica of a 1,000 year old temple in Japan, and a beautiful place to worship, meditate, or just admire the beauty. Perfect for slowing down and recharging after a busy few days. Day 5 - Beach Bum Day - Windward Side (East) We started our morning off with donuts from Leonard's Bakery the home of delicious malasadas a Portuguese donuts. We took our donuts and went to find some beautiful beaches - Lanikai Beach and Kailua Beach. I wanted to spend as much time on the beautiful beaches as we could. We didn't want to leave for too long and we had loved the poke so much we did it again for lunch on the beach. After spending pretty much the whole day being beach bums, we headed back to our hotel for showers and then went out for homemade Udon at Marugame Udon in Honolulu. Day 6 - Resort Day - Hula lessons, Pool/Waikiki, and Dinner Luau We have learned we do best on busy vacations like this if we can have a day of rest somewhere along the way. A day we can sleep in, enjoy the hotel amenities and not have to drive anywhere. We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village which I would highly recommend. A beautiful resort with multiple pools, private lagoon, shopping, and right on the Waikiki Beach. My daughter and I took free Hula lessons offered at the resort (always check the activity calendar), did some shopping at the resort shops, and spent time enjoying the resort pools and poolside cafe. We ended the day by going to a Luau. We are military, so we got tickets to the Hale Koa Luau. We saw amazing dancers, roasting a pig, and got to our own make leis and leaf woven crowns. My daughter even volunteered to go on stage for Tahiti dancing lessons. The night ended with a performance from the fire knife champion Hale, and of course the food was amazing! We ended the night with the Friday night fireworks over Waikiki Beach. Every Friday, the Hilton Hawaiian Resort shoots off fireworks. Day 7 - History Day - Bishop Museum and Lolani Palace We decided to learn a little bit of Hawaiian culture on our last full day in Hawaii. We started at the Bishop Museum which is full of natural and cultural exhibits. The last original straw hut standing is preserved inside which was so cool. The Hawaiian Hall section is a three-story space full of Hawaii history. We especially enjoyed learning about the Hawaiian Gods. We grabbed some shaved ice at nearby Island Soul Shaved Ice to cool off. They had so many amazing flavors and my son enjoyed building his own shaved ice. Then, we took a tour of Lolani Palace, the former residence of the Hawaiian monarchy. It was also the first palace to have electricity, even before the White House! After the monarchy was overthrown, Queen Liliʻuokalani was imprisoned in one of the rooms for several months. You can take a guided tour to see the palace and the regalia it houses. Other things to do in Oahu: We had so many things on our list of things to do in Hawaii but we had to narrow it down. Here are some other spots that maybe you want to mix and match to make your own itinerary. Dole Plantation - Learn about Hawaii's pineapple growing tradition and of course enjoy some Dole Whip! Pearl Harbor - Remember the attack on Pearl Harbor and honor those who lost their lives during WWII. Manoa Falls - Hike to a 100 foot waterfall in the rainforest near Honolulu. Hanauma Bay - America's Best Beach, also Hawaii's deadliest beach, $25 fee per person to swim and it is recommended to reserve tickets online in advance. Diamond Head - Hawaii's most recognizable landmark with hiking trail and stunning views. Duke Kahanamoku Statue - Hawaii's most well-known and well-loved surfers Honolulu Zoo - another fun family activity, especially if you have younger kids. Polynesian Culture Center - I heard great things about this one stop type place but we didn't have a full day to dedicate to it and opted to do other local museums instead. Travel must-have items for Hawaii Swim shirt - we learned the hard way one year that on a boat and snorkeling you can very quickly get sunburnt and that makes for a less fun rest of the trip. This is a must have for our beach vacations now. Luau outfits - shop women/men/kids/matching family water shoes - a great addition for those beaches with rocks like Shark's Cove (above) snorkel gear - you can literally snorkel anywhere so take your own gear Reef-safe sunblock - Hawaii has strict regulations on sunscreens so make sure you are getting reef safe sunblock. Of course you can always buy more there but bringing your own is helpful. seasick bands - if you plan on taking any boat rides and are prone to getting seasick flip flops - I like the ones with arch support these or these phone dry bag - if you're on the beach, boat, or out snorkeling this is a great must have power bank - to keep your devices charged wherever you are on the island all day! compression bags - great for saving space in the suitcase sunglasses - protect your eyes with sunglasses for the whole family beach mat - oversized for the whole family aloe vera - if you do get a sunburn this is a lifesaver underwater camera - the kids loved these while snorkeling beach bag - you'll need something to carry all your stuff to the beach electrolyte powder - Stay hydrated after being out in the sun and heat all day You can see a lot of the places we visited or mentioned in this illustration by Asta Wu of Oahu Island.

I mentioned before how much our whole family enjoyed reading Project Hail Mary! I decided to find other books that are similar to Project Hail Mary. Below are six books to read if you liked Project Hail Mary! Books To Read If You Liked Project Hail Mary The Martian by Andy Weir - Another book by the same author, featuring an astronaut who is stranded on a base on Mars and what he will do to get home. He has to use is engineering skills and wit to overcome impossible odds. The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu - A little heavier than Project Hail Mary, with a looming threat to humanity and big science ideas. Scientists discover a virtual reality game that is a bridge between humans and aliens. Here, the scientists have to solve problems to save each civilization. As the games unfold things get chaotic, scientists commit suicide, and players confront their moral beliefs and responsibilities. Seveneves by Neal Stephenson - If you liked the science part of Project Hail Mary. you'll enjoy this science fiction book. What if the moon blew up for no apparent reason? And all the nations of the world had to band together to try to save humanity in outer space. How do we prepare for the end of the world? Children of Time by Adran Tchaikovsky - As the last surviving humanity flees dying Earth the race is on to get to single terraformed planet. But, these are evolved aliens (spiders) that don't want the humans to land there. Yikes and yes please! Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid - A professor of astronomy and physics finds an advertisement seeking the first women scientist to join a NASA space shuttle team. For the STEM girlies who want to read about human connection and queer love while dealing with existential dread. About a woman finding her voice and her passion! All Systems Red by Martha Wells - The murderbot is half human, half AI, and has freed itself from the governing module. Uh oh... It despises humans and would rather binge watch videos all day. But, someone is hiding a secret that the Murderbot knows. How long can it keep the secret? A novella length story but the first in a series.

We have rounded up lots of Gifts for Mom in this shopping guide. Whether you're looking for Christmas gifts, birthday surprises, or a Mother's Day gift, we've got something for all the moms out there. Whether she's into travel, glam, or wants some self care, we've got lots of ideas! We know each mom is special and unique so we curated gifts for mom based on her likes and hobbies. Maybe she is a Swiftie mom or likes to garden? We have 9 different themed mini gift guides to shop with over 45 unique gift ideas, you're sure to find something you love for Mom this Mother's Day! Gifts for Moms Gifts for Moms Who Garden Garden tool kit - This 9-piece kit is great for moms who like to spend time out in the garden. Propagation Station - Look how cute this propagation station is! It can also double as a bud vase. Smart Bird Feeder - Birdfy has a few different bird feeders that can connect to your phone and provide video and photos as well as bird identification. Will mom like the bird feeder or hummingbird feeder? Window Herb Garden - If mom likes to cook and garden this is a great gift to combine them both. Mom can grow her own herbs to use in the kitchen. Butterfly Stakes - Three pretty butterflies to adore Mom's garden with this Spring/Summer. Sunhat - Keep mom cool and shaded in this wide-brimmed sunhat with SPF Gifts for Swiftie Moms Mom Era Shirt - Perfect for the Swiftie Mom! Taylor Made Eye Kit - Path McGrath released a Taylor Made Eye kit so you can do your eye makeup like Taylor. Also, check out their lip kit too! Record Car Freshener - How cute is this car freshener that looks like a record player with mini TS records?!! TV rug - It's true, in this house, we listen to Taylor's Version Taylor Affirmations- Give mom some positive affirmations straight from Taylor's lyrics For more like these, check out our Swiftie Gift Guide! Gifts for Disney Moms Disney Tumbler - Yes, it's dishwasher safe. You know Mom will ask. This Tumbler has all the things we love and it's Disney! Disney Fleece Lounge Hoodie - Keep mom cozy as she scrolls her Disney IG reels in this fleece lounge hoodie. Disney Drinks Recipe Book - Mom can make Disney-inspired drinks at home with this unofficial recipe book. Lego Stitch - Look at how cute Stitch is in this new Lego kit released this Spring! Minnie Earrings - These are cute for a day at the parks or a day driving kids around to school and activities! Looking for more? We shared a Gifts for Disney Lovers gift guide! Gifts to Pamper Mom Face Sculpting Tool - This seven-in-one face massager has red light therapy and can help pamper mom's face. Reduce puffiness, clear pores, and soothe your face as you give yourself a mini facial! Smart Goggles - These Bluetooth eye goggles help reduce migraines and promote better sleep. With its heated eye pads and face massager this is sure to help mom relax and reset. Loungewear - There is nothing like taking off your "outside" clothes and slipping into something cozy. This loungewear set screams "comfy". Bathbomb set - Help mom melt away her worries with this cute set of scented bath bombs. Heated Back Massager - Pamper mom with this cordless back massager. Pamper Kit - This kit has everything mom will need to pamper herself for at least 15 minutes. Gifts for Quality Time with Mom Pickleball set - Learn a new sport with Mom this year. Gift mom a pickleball set and sign you and her up for lessons to spend time together. Things to do with mom cards - These scratch-off cards are a fun way to spend quality time with mom! Mystery Board Game - Death by Chocolate sounds like a fun mystery board game to play with older kiddos. Candle-Making Kit - Do a fun craft or activity together. Mom may like making candles with you. She will think of you every time she burns it Thoughtful Gifts for Mom Smartphone printer - This mini printer can print directly from iOS or Android. Perfect for the moms who want physical copies of photos to frame and not just in their phones. Memory Journal - Only one line a day, perfect for busy moms who are in the thick of it but want to remember the sweet little moments. Bracelet - This is more than just a simple bracelet, this bracelet contains a picture of you and Mom doing something fun. Capture a memory and preserve it in this custom bracelet for mom to wear! What I love about Mom Book - This book is a thoughtful way to tell Mom all the ways you love her! Another thoughtful gift idea is our DIY Book Bouquet. Perfect for the mom who likes to read in her free time. Gifts for the Glam Mom Kendra Scott Layered Opal Necklace - This is a beautiful piece of jewelry with a pretty opal stone. Wave Bracelet - We all know that sometimes parenting is hard and we have to roll with the ebbs and flows of motherhood. This sweet wave bracelet reminds Mom that we love that she is there for all of it. Chanel perfume - Chanel No 5 is one of the most iconic and beloved perfumes out there and for good reason. Lange Hair Tool - This 2 in 1 tool is a straightener and curling iron in one with cooling air vents that lock in the style for all-day wear! Ray Ban Sunglasses - She'll be the coolest mom at the school pickup line in her new sunnies! Gifts for the Busy Moms Smart Ring - Take mom's fitness tracking to the next level with this rose gold Oura smart ring. It monitors over 20 different biometrics while she's on the go. Skylight Calendar - Help mom stay organized with this Skylight smart calendar with a touch screen and interactive display. Audible Subscription - If you're like me you want to read but just don't have the time to sit down and read a physical book as often as I would like. Massage Giftcard - Busy moms get tired and don't always make time for themselves but I bet if you gift mom with a massage she WILL use it! Gourmet Coffee of the Month Club - Keep mom fueled up for her busy life with this coffee club that delivers gourmet coffee right to her door. Gifts for Moms Who Travel Passport Holder - This can hold passports, important documents, change, and even her phone! Weekend Travel Bag Set - This bag and toiletry bag are perfect for weekend getaways. It comes in a variety of fun colors! Might as well get one for yourself too! Travel Pillow - Unless you get upgraded on flights it can be hard to sleep. This is one of the highest-rated travel pillows out there! Travel Map - This deluxe travel map helps you keep track of places you've been or want to go! Portable Charger - Perfect for any kind of travel, this portable charger can go with you and keep you connected. We like that it can even be charged by the sun! Jewelry case - Get this personalized jewelry case so mom can keep her jewelry organized on her trip. Don't want to spend a lot, you can always make Mom breakfast or cook dinner for her! Want to plan ahead for Father's Day? Be sure to check out our Father's Day Gift Guide for tons of ideas!

Maybe it's too hot or too cold to play outside. Maybe the parents don't want to deal with the rainy weather and muddy boots. Or you just can't make it to the park today. These indoor toys are great for development, whatever the weather. Play is such an important part of children's learning and development; while these toys are just suggestions, you know your child and their abilities the best. Most of all, have fun exploring, learning, and playing! Best Indoor Toys for Development Indoor Adventures Move your body in a big way with these indoor adventure toys. Great for sensory input , being creative, and calming your nervous system . It depends on your space but could be a fun addition. This pod swing , glowing fort , and climbing toy are great fun! Play tables Explore with your hands with these fun indoor tables. All are great for fine motor skill s and problem solving ! Engage your senses with this sensory table , spark your imagination with this train table , or create a masterpiece with this lego table that can be stored under the sofa! Cuddle toys + Puppets These soft dolls are great for toddlers and can inspire empathy , provide comfort, and help build social emotional skills. Puppets inspire creativity and help with communication by encouraging language and listening skills when they are used to tell stories. I really like these emotion puppets ! This Pet Vet playset helps kids develop empathy and build fine motor skills as they work on the pets. Books + Blocks Reading books helps with verbal skills , communication , and fine motor skills with holding and turning the pages. There are so many books to choose from but you can't go wrong with a first book set . Blocks help with problem-solving and fine motor skills to stack and build different shapes. We like these chunky building blocks and these magnetic blocks Ride on Toys Move your body with these fun toys! Ride-on toys promote coordination, vestibular sense (balance) and gross motor development! Teeter popper , wiggle cars , and ride and push cars like this little classic car will be oh so much fun! Bouncing, Hoping, Jumping Help kids build those gross motor skills , and promote body awareness , core stability , and balance ! Stepping stones , hopping horse , and toddler trampolines are great for getting that extra energy out around the house. Pretend Play Pretend and imitation play helps build those social-emotional connections, role-playing, and problem-solving as they navigate play together! These are some fun finds - This play kitchen blows us away with lights, sounds, a working faucet, and color-changing accessories! And it's literally a steal at under $75! This kids' workbench is a must-have for your little worker! It's interactive and comes with 45 accessories! Kids love playing store with this kids cash register . They can learn names of items as well as count money and of course all the buttons and scanning. Playing store is always a huge hit with kids. Active Learning Throwing games like this space dart board help kids with spacial awareness while they learn about space and science. Boost those cognitive skills with this extra large and extra fun math floor game. These yoga dice help build flexibility, gross motor skills , and body awareness as they build mindfulness. Creative Fun Let kids explore with these creative toys. We love a good art easel for letting kids explore their creativity and imagination and build fine motor skills through painting or drawing. If you need more structured creative play, older kids will enjoy art kits.This walking robot kit from Kiwi Crate, and sewing kit are fun ones for problem solving and fine motor skills . Looking for more toy ideas, check out our Best Toys for Outdoor Play that help development.

Now that Fall weather is starting to roll in, it is a great time to encourage outdoor play with your kiddos. Little ones enjoy getting sunshine and fresh air and these outdoor toys make outdoor play time even better. I have a huge passion for child development and I thought it would be fun to share some of my top picks for the best toys for outdoor play that help development. However, remember these are just suggestions. You know your child best, and what is developmentally appropriate for their current stage. All play should be supervised to ensure child safety. Be aware of sun safety (sunscreen & shade) and be sure to stay hydrated while playing outdoors, but most importantly of all, have fun! Best Toys for Outdoor Play Toys that Help with Development Sandbox This is a childhood classic! The sandbox is good for sensory development. Sand offers a tactile sensory experience and is a good way to work on fine motor skills by scooping and creating shapes in the sand. even helps with gross motor skills when kids balance or walk on sand. Remember to keep sand out of their mouth though. It can be really tempting for little ones. (For indoor sensory fun, try our DIY Moon Sand) Sandbox with umbrella // sand box toys with dinos // ice cream sand box toys Sidewalk Chalk Drawing and writing with chalk is so much fun. Help kids develop those fine motor skills and creative thinking by drawing letters, shapes, and artwork. Kids will experience their proprioceptive sense by learning how hard to press down to write with the chalk. Work on communication skills by asking "What letter is this" or taking turns naming and drawing different shapes or animals. Take your chalk to the next level by making our Puffy Sidewalk Chalk Paint. Sidewalk Chalk // Chalk holders // Ice cream chalk Outdoor Swings Swings are great for a full-body sensory experience. While swinging, kids are learning balance and body awareness which are both important senses for core strength and staying upright. The repetitive motion of swinging can provide some social-emotional benefits as well, that help calm the nervous system. Be sure to use an age-appropriate swing (especially with babies) as well as one that is secure and can't tip over. If you don't have space for your own swing, many local parks have swings. Saucer Swing // Baby and Toddler Swing // Surfer Swing Water Tables Water tables are especially popular on warm days. Kids can cool off in the water while playing safely. Pouring water, measuring, and watching water paths and droplets are all fun ways to play with water. You can even add a few drops of dishwashing soap and have kids wash all their little figurine toys in the bubbles. Water play promotes fine motor skills while standing at the water table and moving around it helps with gross motor skills. Water Table with 2 Levels // Water Tower // Water Table with River Path Imitation Toys Help promote executive function with imitation toys for "grown-up " outdoor activities. Toys like gardening sets, playhouses, push lawnmowers, and bug-catching kits help promote problem-solving and mental flexibility. You can help kids build their social-emotional connection by playing with them like working in the garden or building a container fairy garden. Garden play set // Play House // Push Bubble Mower // Bug Catching Kit Bubbles I love bubbles, especially for toddlers! I often give bubble machines as gifts because toddlers love making and chasing bubbles so much. Following bubbles helps strengthen their visual and tracking skills as well as attention. Running after, catching, or stomping bubbles helps those gross and fine motor skills. If kids are using a wand and creating their own bubbles that's even better because they have to figure out what angle and how much to blow to make the bubbles. Discourage tasting or eating bubbles though because while bubbles are minimally toxic, they can cause stomach upset if ingested. CocoMelon Bubble Machine // Mess Free Bubble Blower // Bubble Gun Wheeled Toys As kids get bigger and more steady on their feet, they can start adding wheeled toys to their outdoor play. Scooters, wagons, play cars, and tricycles are great for vestibular sense (balance) as well as motor development and strength. Learning a new skill like riding a tricycle can sometimes require some problem solving which is great for executive function. Always remember to wear a helmet and other safety gear while riding a wheeled toy. Little Tikes Car // Little wagon // 2-in-1 Trike and Scooter Balls Different sizes and shapes of balls can provide a variety of entertainment for outdoor play. Beach balls are a fun option for babies. They are lightweight, so they are easy to hold and toss with both hands. They can roll them around and crawl after them. Other balls such as tennis balls are good for as kids get older. Test skills like, can they throw them overhanded? Can they catch a beach ball with 2 hands? Even yoga balls and hopper balls can be fun to roll around or bounce on in the grass. Promotes stretching and can increase core stability by bouncing and balancing on it. Overall, balls promote body awareness and motor skills. Rainbow Playground Balls // Hopper Balls // Beach Balls Sports Equipment Kids can start getting introduced to sports equipment at a young age and start learning the basics while having fun. Providing small, child-friendly sports equipment can be fun for both parents and kids. Things like basketball hoops, soccer balls, lawn bowling, and a baseball bat and tee set, are all great things to help with so many types of development. From motor skills, vestibular (balance), as well as executive skills by learning how to play a game. Kids oftentimes will even expand their vocabulary by learning new words and phrases used during sports. Lawn bowling // Basketball Hoop // Tball set No toys? No worries! Always remember unstructured play outdoors is great too! Just running around a park or exploring a nature trail, encourages kids to use their imagination and creativity while they play! Have fun playing and exploring the great outdoors! Looking for more toys? Check out our post of Best Toys for Indoor Play that help development!

We love Jellycats and ever since my daughter was like 3 years old, we've gotten a few bunnies and characters over the past 14 years. I think the first few we got were for their Easter Baskets. I thought it would be fun to assign different Jellycats to different Taylor Swift albums. Each album has an entire collection of Taylor Swift inspired Jellycats, which I think goes perfectly for that album. Taylor Swift inspired Jellycats Bloosom Sage Bunny // Beatrice Butterfly // Fleury Daisy // Horse // Flowers // Smudge Lamb // Little Horse // Bluebell Butterfly Fearless Taylor's Version Jellycats Sun Crossbody Bag // Yellow Duck // Lemon // Brynlee Bee // Fuddlewuddle Lion // Little Dragon Speak Now Taylor's Version Jellycats Lavandar Dragon // Wedding Cake // Diamond Ring // Maya Octopus // Bashful Pegasus // Bashful Lilac Bunny Red Taylor's Version Jellycats Scarlett Bunny // Cheri Cake // LouLou Lovebug // Red Heart Bunny // Heart Crossbody // Bashful Winter Puppy 1989 Taylor's Version Jellycats Birdling Seagull // Bashful Blue Bunny // Ice cream cone // Fluffly Whale // Dusky Blue Bunny // Sandcastle Reputation Jellycats Onyx Dragon // Little snake // Miff Mothman // Storm cloud // Cizi Snake // Ooky Bat // Lover Jellycats Tulip Pink Bunny // Marshmallows // Rainbow Cake // Bashful Flamingo // Love Locks // Sky Dragon // Bashful Unicorn // Folklore Jellycats Disco ball // Bashful Silver Bunny // Snowflake // Christmas Tree Bunny // Silver Bunny Cream Jumper // Hibernating Mole Evermore Jellycats Little Fox // Acorn // Bartholomew Bear // Forest Bear // To Go Coffee // Toffee pupp y // Campfire Midnights Jellycats Stardust bunny // Coffee Cup // Gold Star // Gray kitten // Moon // Snoozling Owl TTPD Jellycats Pippa Black Labrador // Blossom Silver Bunny // Cream Heart // Snow Dragon // Bashful Black and Cream Puppy // Evelyn Swan TLOAS Jellycats Diamond Ring // Bouquet // Basketball // You may also like some of our other Taylor themed posts .

Books and Bakes Book  - Project Haily Mary  by Andy Weir Bake  - Star Crunch About the Book Book  - Project Haily Mary  by Andy Weir This book is a great blend of science and fiction. It's a fast-paced space adventure. Each person in my family read it in only a few days. The Earth is in peril, and our lone astronaut Ryland Grace has to try to save all of humanity. As a middle school science teacher, Grace is an unconventional hero and in the beginning, he can't even remember who he is and what he is doing in space. There are two timelines we follow as we join Grace to try to piece together the past and figure out if he can save the future. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but it's got a good balance of humor and danger. This book speaks to the fragility of humanity, the power of friendship, and has emotional storytelling. Amaze, amaze, amaze! About the Bake Bake  - Star Crunch To be fair, this series is called books and bakes, but today, I'm sharing a no-bake recipe. I thought that Star Crunch was the perfect treat to pair with this space adventure book. Not only is it no-bake, which allows it to come together quickly (like this book is fast paced), it also reminded me of being in the stars and kind of seems like a piece of rocky meteorite or something. I enjoy the rich blend of caramel and chocolate and the crunch of the rice crispy treat! For more books and baked goods pairings, check out our past Books and Bakes posts.

Who doesn't love Star Crunch cookies. They feel like nostalgia and childhood. It's like a caramel and chocolate rice crispy treat! I'm the kind of person that will create a theme for anything. Having a star gazing night? Let's have Star Crunch and milk, ya, know for the milky way. I made my own copycat star crunch recipe! I decided these were probably easy enough to give them a go on a day when I wanted to make a sweet treat but didn't want to "bake" anything. I'm sharing my recipe for homemade Star Crunch. Copycat Star Crunch 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup caramel chips 4 cups mini marshmallows 4 cups rice crispy cereal In double boiler over medium low heat, melt together the butter, chocolate chips, and caramel chips. As soon as it's almost completely melted, add in the mini marshmallows and stir to fully melt and incorporated together. Remove from the heat and mix in the rice crispy cereal until coated well and combined. Let cool for about 5 mins. Spray your hands lightly with non-stick spray and form about 1/4 cup balls, flatten slightly into a disk shape. Leave to cool completely on parchment paper. This makes about 12 Star Crunch treats. Store in airtight container and enjoy!

If you are the mom of a tween or teen, you know that the older they get the harder they are to shop for. Their interests get a little more specific and they have their own opinions. You have to be a little more deliberate with your gifts, and that's fine. Easter baskets are still something that I love to do for my tween (is 10 a tween, it still feels like a kid) and teen. Easter basket fillers for tweens and teens can still be fun and creative and aimed toward their likes and current trends. Our Easter Basket Filler guide for tweens and teens has some fun ideas that won't break the bank. I usually do two or three fun things, maybe a book, and of course candy! Dragon Eggs - These are fun fidget toys. The dragon egg shape is perfect for Easter. Gloss nail strips - These nail strips are cute and don't require an LED light. Story Cubes - These fun cubes are great for mixing and matching and creating fun stories together. Waterproof speaker - If your teen likes to jam out during long showers then a waterproof speaker will elevate their shower jam session! Tamagotchi - Bring back this retro trendy game with the classic Tamagotchi! As a millennial mom, this one brings back memories and is for sure going in our baskets this year! Jellybeans candy - A go-to Easter candy for sure! Cute packaging too! Origami kit - traditional Japanese patterns and over 300 papers to create with. Hydrating face mist - For the skin care goddess these hydrating facial mists come in pretty colors and smell so good! Bunny slippers - These bunny slippers are so cozy and cute! Crochet kit - This bunny and chick kits from Woobles are great for beginners who want to get into crochet. Pocket-Sized Game Controller - This mini controller works with Android, switch and Raspberry Pi! Zip string - this rope launcher fidget toy was featured on Shark Tank! Butterfly claw clips - These cute clips are very on-trend! Food Squishmallows - They may be teens and you think stuffed animals are a thing of the past but Squishmallows have a GRIP on all the tweens/teens I know! They are obsessed with these food-themed ones - takeout noodles , ice cream sandwich , avocado , or grilled cheese ! Peel-off lip stain - if your tween or teen is on social media they've probably seen these peel-off lip stains are trending. They look super fun to do. Flying orb ball - This ball is fun to fly around the house or backyard! Birth Flower Layered Necklace - Layered necklaces are so pretty and these birth flower one feels personalized and looks very pretty for tweens and teens. StikBot Stopmotion Animation Kit - This starter kit has 8 posable sticky bots and a tripod to allow you to create fun stop-motion videos!

When my youngest kiddo had a Harry Potter themed 11th birthday party, I knew I wanted to make mandrakes that really screamed when pulled out of their pots for Herbology Class. Our Harry Potter party was a journey to Hogwarts where the kids "attended classes" and did activities for each class. These DIY Screaming Mandrakes are moderately easy to make and yes, actually scream when removed from their pots. The shock on the kids' faces when they pulled the mandrakes up and they started screaming was hilarious! DIY Screaming Mandrake Supplies: air dry clay aluminum foil fake leaves twine craft paint - different shades of brown and green paint brushes light sensor recordable sound chip fake moss Hot glue gun and glue ceramic pots Mandrake labels Brown crinkle paper filler (as the soil) A "mandrake" sound - I used this free mandrake screaming sound Additional supplies - printer, scissors, Elmer's glue, computer to download onto sound chip Instructions: Using the aluminum foil, scrunch it up to make a body shape with a head, torso, arms and legs. When you're creating the arms and legs, you can add a few strands of the twine as "root hands/feet". Just scrunch it into the aluminum foil ends. These are just the base, they do not have to be perfect or even the same. I made mine slightly different as mandrakes would be slightly different. Next, roll out your air dry clay into sheets almost and start layering it on your aluminum form. This takes a little bit of finesse to get them to cover and smoosh together al over the body. Be sure to leave out the arms and legs. 3. When you get to the head, you can add in some leaves to the top of his head. My kiddo decided this baby mandrake needed a booty but it ends up getting covered up later but it did give some giggles during the creation process. 4. On the front of your mandrake you can create a face out of clay. Add some expression, different mouth shapes, furrowed brows. Just play around with it. We made three mandrakes, and each one was slightly different. They all had closed eyes though, because I imagined they were sleepy baby mandrakes and didn't want to bother trying to make eyes. Let your mandrakes dry fully. They you can go in with some craft paint to make them look more like a plant stump or whatever a mandrake is. We used different shades of brown and green to give it some dimension and color. Once the paint is dry, you're going to hook up your sound chip to your computer and download the screaming mandrake sound on it. The chip comes with instructions. If you don't want your mandrake to actually scream when removed from his pot, skip this step, he will still be a cute decoration or party activity. Using hot glue, carefully glue the sound chip to the back of your mandrake. You don't want to glue any of the sensitive parts down but do your best. I used the fake moss to cover the sound chip so that you couldn't see it, but the light sensor part (that triggers the screaming) and the switch to turn it on and off were still accessible. Below you can see the front and back of them at different stages. Print, size, cut out and glue the mandrake labels onto the front of your pots. I just used Elmer's school glue for this one. Activate your mandrake and put him in the pot. Fill in the areas with the crinkle filler paper as "dirt". We had other bigger pots to "move" the mandrake too with a burlap bag filled with extra "dirt" so that they could re-pot the mandrakes into bigger pots. Here's how it goes. The baby mandrakes are all cozy in their little pots. The kids pull them out, which triggers the light sensor and they start screaming, laughter ensues. The kids then have to rush to repot them into the bigger pots and fill the areas around them with the "dirt" to trigger the sensor to stop the mandrake crying sound. We had the kids work in pairs. It was so hilarious! If you wanted to go an extra step you could have fluffy ear muffs for the kids to put on during the herbology class like they do in the movie. Check back later for future links on how we created all our classes! Care of Magical Creatures Muggle Studies Potions Class Herbology History of Magic Ancient Runes For more Harry Potter fun, check out our Butterbeer Cookies, DIY wand holder, Butterbeer Milkshakes, and Madeye Moody Meatballs and Gillyweed Pasta posts!

The Summer can be soo hot here in Arizona. We like to spend the hottest part of the day indoors. One of our favorite ways to hide from the blazing sun, during the middle of the day, is with a stack of books from the library to read. Since we read a lot during our summer break, we made a DIY bookworm library bag to carry our books in and the kids love carrying their books in it! For this craft, we jazzed up a simple canvas bag with some pom pom “bookworms” for our little bookworm. Bookworm Library Bag Craft Supplies: canvas bag pom poms fabric paint (and foam brush) puffy paint googly eyes reusable letter stencil stickers glue (fabric or hot glue) Directions: This DIY Bookworm Library Bag is pretty easy to make but younger kids will need some help. 1. Use stencils and fabric paint to spell out their name, or spell out the word “bookworm” along the top of the bag like we did. 2. Draw a squiggly line of fabric glue and let the kids create a body for their bookworms. If you’re using hot glue, only add one dot of glue as you glue down each pom pom to prevent the glue from drying to fast. Add a larger pom-pom for the head of the bookworm. We found these cute rainbow-colored pom-poms, that were a fun addition to this craft! 3. Lastly, glue on some googly eyes and add puffy paint legs and then let it dry overnight. Take to the library and let your little bookworms fill their new DIY library bag with as many books as they can carry! Now head over to your local library and sign up for their summer reading program!