Children love to engage in all sorts of pretend play and imitating the role of a parent is certainly one of the most enjoyed. Washing, cleaning, preparing food are all experiences they are familiar with happening to them and so it’s often fun to reverse this role and have them take on some caring responsibilities. As many […]
Surviving the nappy change wriggles
It’s almost as soon as your child discovers the joy of their legs that nappy changing time can become a huge and upsetting struggle. Changing a nappy can be so difficult and some children just seem to simply not like their nappy changed. As a parent who has experienced this, I have a few tips to surviving the nappy […]
Quiet time glitter bottle
Unlike calming glitter bottles, a quiet time glitter bottle is designed for children who are just needing moments of rest and relaxation, rather than needing to reverse a feeling of anger or frustration. They are so simple to make and lovely for children to watch. The toddler years can be the time that grey hair […]
Decorating party hats
Children love to get creative using odd of bits and pieces found from around the home. Here is a simple activity in decorating party hats, which children as young as toddler age will have fun doing. Perfect and easy to set up for birthday parties or playgroup sessions. Possum (aged 2.5 years) loves to decorate […]
DIY simple paper plane for kids
We have been experiencing a few days of wild and windy weather where we live and they can sometimes keep us indoors. Determined to make the most of the wind, I decided to make a unique style of paper plane that your child could easily help make and have hours of fun playing with. What a […]
DIY zipper board for kids
I love making my own toys. My DIY Tugging Box and Sensory Board for Babies would have to be two of my most popular posts on Laughing Kids Learn. Don’t forget to check them out at the end of this post. Possum (aged 2.5 years) has very much entered the stage of independence and wanting to do […]
Bath Paints using 2 ingredients
Children love painting, especially on the smooth surfaces found in a bathroom. With this in mind I present to you a fabulous recipe for bath paints using only 2 ingredients. It’s quite amazing to me that I’ve not yet shared an activity that is for the bath! Well the time has come for me to […]
Guess the Objects covered in Tin Foil
Children love simple guessing games and so here is a quick and easy one for you to play with your toddler. All they are required to do is guess the object covered in tin foil. Object Permanence It’s quite incredible what children learn from objects that are out of their direct view. You may have heard me […]
Invitation to Play and Create
Here is an invitation for children to play and create. You can use common household items, various pieces purchased at a discount store and include some wonderful homemade play dough. Setting up an invitation to play and create for kids is a fabulous way to engage them in creative play and experimentation. Suggested age : 6 […]
Christmas playdough and cookie cutters
Christmas time is such a wonderful time of year and it’s nice to be able to break free a few seasonal cookie cutters that have been hiding at the back of my over packed cooking utensil draw. Each year I try and bake some cookies for friends and family but this year I […]
Exploring Tin Foil
Process vs product So what does that mean? It basically boils down to placing a greater value on the experience a child achieves rather than the actual finished product. We can often get caught in the trap of asking children to complete an activity in order to reach a final product. Instead, we […]
DIY tugging box for fine motor development
I’m thrilled to share with you my DIY tugging box for fine motor development. The concept came to me when I saw the strong urge my own child had to pull out items from a box or tug at things to remove them. This DIY tugging box taps into that. I hope you have a […]
DIY Sensory Activity with easy home set up
Here is a super simple activity that takes seconds to set up at home, is fun, engaging and brilliant for sensory awareness. Quite often sensory experiences are designed for children to use with their hands. I think it’s important not to forget that children can learn so much about sensory […]
DIY Nature Sensory Board
He is how to make your own sensory board using items found from nature. It’s an exciting time of year here in Australia as the seasons are really starting to change from winter to spring. It is times like these that our family seem to take more notice of our garden and what to be […]
Painting with Kitchen Scrubbers
I was visiting my local Daiso store where everything you see is $2.80. You can imagine how strangely thrilled I was to see a pack including three kitchen cleaners, which included a sponge, soap-free scourer and bristle brush for next to nothing in price. Sure, some people would use these in the […]
Fun Activity for Kids using Wool
Here is a fun activity for kids using wool! It will work with kids of any age. In the past I’ve used contact paper and leaves, as well as contact and tissue paper but here is something a little different but just as much fun if not more! It was in my local craft store that […]
Mess Free Painting with Kids
I absolutely love painting with Possum but, lets face it, the thought of cleaning it all up can be a little off putting at times. So here is a great activity that is mess free painting with kids, which is easy for you to set up and your children will absolutely love! Materials […]
Shredded Paper for Sensory Play
I love it when common materials become these engaging play activities for children. This was the case when I received a delivery that was full of shredded paper! Normally I would have tossed it into the trash, however, without a thought Possum was instantly attracted to all these amazing white strands and quickly […]
Lemon Scented Play Dough
As a child I always loved things that had a beautiful scent. Give me smelly stickers any day!!! There are lots of great scented play dough on the net but I decided to present mine to look like a real lemon as well as smell amazing. This recipe is super simple because it involves […]
Baby Collage
The weather is start to change where I live and I am finding myself preparing Possum more activities to do indoors. Of course this activity isn’t restricted to indoors (or babies) but it helps keep children busy on such days. Let’s get our children doing some collage! There are many learning […]
DIY Strawberry Scented Play dough
Once you’ve tried this gorgeous DIY strawberry scented play dough, you’ll make it again and again! As a child I always loved things that smelt great. Strawberry was a favourite, I remember. Now, there are lots of great scented play dough recipes on the Internet but I decided to share with you my fabulous recipe. […]
DIY Baby Play Ideas
Here is my wonderful collection of simple DIY baby play ideas. Sometimes we can find ourselves feeling like there is very little that babies can do, especially since they are still mastering basic skills. In actual fact there is lot we can do with babies. There little brains are absorbing their surroundings and experiences 24/7. Here are […]
The Disappearing Act
Here is a fun way of playing with your baby and it is much like peek-a-boo, which they all know and love. I like to call it the disappearing act as they see an object appear and disappear in a container. It taps into developing their understanding of object permanence, so the object hasn’t actually […]
Soapy Sludge
Many children over the age of about 2 or 3 years old would love this activity because playing with soapy sludge gives them a great sensory experience. I also love that it requires very few ingredients and it’s easy to whip together. RECIPE 2 cups LUX Pure Soap Flakes 1-2 cup hot […]
Rice Play
Using rice for sensory play is fun and educational. Rice play can help children develop their many senses and it teaches them lots about the world they live in. Babies especially love it and it is usually a product that is found at the back of the pantry! […]
Squeezy Ball
A squeezy ball is a small object that is squeezed in the hand and manipulated by the fingers. It can be the object to grab when you’re feeling like you need a little stress relief. Adults AND children can greatly benefit from making and owning their own squeezy ball. Many doctors and therapists […]
Foot Prints
Time pass too quickly and I’m holding on to every moment for as long as I can. This Christmas I decided to give family members a gift that would allow them to look back and remember how small Possum was when they received the gift. What better way than with foot prints. You will […]
2012 Highlights
As the year comes to a close I start to reflect on all the great activities and ideas that I’ve been able to post to you in 2012. It was tough to whittle it down to a select few. What has been a favourite for you? Colouring Rice http://laughingkidslearn.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/colouring-rice.html Milk Bottle http://laughingkidslearn.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/milk-bottle-rackets.html Cold Spaghetti http://laughingkidslearn.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/cold-spaghetti.html […]
Birthday Cake
Since pink was a running theme for the day I decided to make shades of the colour and hoped it would be effective when cut on the day. It was either going to make me sink or swim. Fortunately it was a massive hit and I’m glad I did it. I basically baked three cakes. […]
Ice Painting
It’s so exciting that the weather where we live is warming up. On days like this I start thinking about all the things we can do outdoors. Possum enjoys using finger paint, however, I thought I’d try freezing coloured water blocks and allow her to paint with those. This is a great activity because it […]