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Laughing Kids Learn

Where learning is made fun

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Weather lacing cards

June 1, 2020 by Kate 2 Comments

These themed weather lacing cards are not only gorgeous, but they help develop fine motor skills and interest. Ideal teaching tool for teachers and parents to use with their children. Weather lacing cards When I was teaching in the classroom I would always look forward to our topic investigation on ‘weather’. What is your favourite […]

Filed Under: 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, activities for preschoolers, activities for toddlers, Autumn / Fall, Craft, Fine Motor, Outdoor Activity, Printable, Spring, Winter Tagged With: fine motor, fine motor skills, lacing cards

20 kitchen scraps you can grow with kids

May 29, 2020 by Kate 3 Comments

Inspire the green thumb in your child with this collection of 20 kitchen scraps you can grow with kids at home. You’ll be amazed. 20 kitchen scraps you can grow with kids Children can so easily have a very false sense of where food comes from. They come with us to the grocery store, watch […]

Filed Under: 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, activities for preschoolers, activities for toddlers, Cook, Growing, Indoor play, Messy Play, Outdoor Activity, Science Tagged With: cooking, garden

dinosaur activities for children of all ages.

23 dinosaur activities toddlers will love

November 6, 2019 by Kate Leave a Comment

Dinosaurs roamed the earth around 232 million years ago, yet they remain so popular with children even today. Just because they are so awesome, here are 23 dinosaur activities toddlers will love. Of course, older children are sure to enjoy them too. Share with me below what your child likes about dinosaurs. If you have […]

Filed Under: 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, activities for children, activities for preschoolers, activities for toddlers, Craft, Making, Messy Play, Outdoor Activity, Play, Playdough, Sensory Play

sand slime kids fingers for sensory play

2 ingredient sand slime

September 9, 2018 by Kate 7 Comments

I don’t know about you, but I love pretty much any play recipe that only has 2 ingredients. Brace yourselves my friends because I’m coming at you with 2 ingredient sand slime, or 2 ingredient sand foam for those who want to get technical. It’s all sorts of awesome.  Boo and I had our usual […]

Filed Under: 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, activities for children, activities for preschoolers, Outdoor Activity, Play, Recipes, Sensory Play Tagged With: 2 ingredients, recipe, sensory, slime

kids making wombat stew

Fun making Wombat Stew with your kids

January 28, 2018 by Kate 3 Comments

Have you ever had fun making Wombat Stew with your kids? The girls and I love reading the Australian classic children’s picture story book. It makes us laugh, learn and fortunately no wombats are harmed at any point in the book.  I love Australia Day. It happens once a year and I look forward to […]

Filed Under: 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, activities for children, activities for preschoolers, activities for toddlers, Literacy, Outdoor Activity, Play, Pretend Play, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: books, literacy, outdoor, pretend

Decorating and adding nature to paper activity

Cut and paste nature art activity

January 14, 2018 by Kate 3 Comments

If your looking for a quick set up activity that will engage and entertain children of all ages, then get them to do this cut and paste nature art activity. It’s a wonderful way to get them outdoors, into nature and thinking creatively.   It’s holidays at the moment *ahhhh* and whilst I love the […]

Filed Under: activities for preschoolers, activities for toddlers, Art, Growing, Natural Materials, Outdoor Activity, Uncategorized

Painting gift wrapping paper for christmas gifts

Painting Christmas gift wrapping paper

November 22, 2017 by Kate 1 Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission from any purchases made.  Christmas is a time for giving and our family loved to go to the effort of painting Christmas gift wrapping paper. It’s so simple and children as young as toddler age can do it.  I was at the store […]

Filed Under: 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, activities for children, activities for preschoolers, activities for toddlers, Art, Christmas, Messy Play, Outdoor Activity, Paint Tagged With: Christmas, paint

drawing and painting with chalk and water

Drawing with wet chalk

November 20, 2017 by Kate Leave a Comment

When your children are starting to really lose the plot and you’re looking for a quick and simple activity then ask them to do some drawing with wet chalk! Your children will think you come up with the best ideas and you might even have time for a coffee as they play!  Don’t get me […]

Filed Under: 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, activities for preschoolers, Art, Outdoor Activity, Uncategorized Tagged With: chalk, drawing

nature scavenger hunt for kids to use outdoors

Toddler nature scavenger hunt with a free illustrated printable

October 16, 2017 by Kate 6 Comments

It’s important for children to get outdoors and enjoy their environment. With this in mind, I have for you a wonderful toddler nature scavenger hunt with a free illustrated printable. It’s illustrated so that little ones can complete the scavenger hunt independently and work on reading illustrations.  We love getting outdoors during any weather, Boo […]

Filed Under: 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, activities for preschoolers, activities for toddlers, Natural Materials, Outdoor Activity, Printable Tagged With: nature, outdoors, preschooler, printable, toddler

Adding garden sparkle products to the fairy garden

How to make an edible herb fairy garden at home with kids

April 11, 2017 by Kate 13 Comments

Thanks to Garden Sparkle, we created another special little magical outdoor space that isn’t just gorgeous and perfect for imaginative play, it’s actually edible! Let me share with you how to make an edible herb fairy garden at home with kids.  Sponsored by Garden Sparkle If you’ve been following me for a little while, you’d know how […]

Filed Under: 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, activities for preschoolers, activities for toddlers, Growing, Outdoor Activity, Sponsored Post Tagged With: edible, fairy, garden, outoor

Australian Natural Pyrethrins

Insect Nature Art inspired by Australian Natural Pyrethrins

March 7, 2017 by Kate 21 Comments

Brought to you by Australian Natural Pyrethrins Let’s be honest, in Australia we have a wide variety of insects that often like to spoil our fun. They hover around our food when we eat, buzz around our ears when we sleep, and often surprise us by appearing when we least expect it! My two girls, Possum (aged 5 years) […]

Filed Under: 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, Outdoor Activity, Sponsored Post

Pom Pom Popper or Shooter fun using plastic cup and balloon

Pom Pom Popper using plastic cup and balloons

January 11, 2017 by Kate 16 Comments

Here is an idea your kids will absolutely love. It’s a simple pom pom popper using a plastic cup and a balloon. It’s great for those times when the kids are stuck indoors and your looking for safe entertainment for them.  You’ve no doubt seen these fabulous little poppers over on Pinterest, they are seriously […]

Filed Under: 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, activities for preschoolers, activities for toddlers, Craft, featured, Indoor play, Outdoor Activity, Play Tagged With: all ages, balloons, plastic cups

Juggling balls using balloons and rice

How to make juggling balls using rice and balloons

October 18, 2016 by Kate 10 Comments

Do you know how to make juggling balls using rice and balloons? It’s so very easy for children to make and juggling is a great skill to learn as it develops physical co-ordination, concentration and eye tracking. These juggling balls are cheap and simple to make, which makes them also great to sell at preschool […]

Filed Under: 5 - 10 years, activities for preschoolers, Art, Art & Craft, Craft, featured, Gift Idea, Outdoor Activity, Video Tagged With: balloons, gift idea

Do you want to build a frozen snowman with kids. Here is how to do it.

How to build a snowman with kids

August 18, 2016 by Kate 16 Comments

Do you want to build a snowman? *joke* Well Frozen aside, in this post I share with you how to build a snowman with kids. Playing in snow is lots of fun and provides a fabulous sensory experience for all those who are privileged enough to be able to enjoy it and so getting children to […]

Filed Under: 0 - 12 months, 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, activities for children, activities for preschoolers, activities for toddlers, Outdoor Activity, Sensory Play Tagged With: family, outdoors, snow

friendship fairies

How to make a small world mobile fairy garden for indoor and outdoor use

June 20, 2016 by Kate 89 Comments

Sometimes the weather changes and changes often, in which case I thought I’d show you how to make a small world mobile fairy garden for indoor and outdoor use. Children just love fairy gardens because there are no rules to constructing them, they ignite creativity and are so great for imaginative play. Fairy gardens are also wonderfully open-ended […]

Filed Under: 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, activities for preschoolers, Outdoor Activity, Play, Sensory Play, Sponsored Post

making an Autumn or Fall sensory bin

Exploring and learning about nature in Autumn

May 13, 2016 by Kate 3 Comments

Children love a good treasure hunt and exploring and learning about nature in Autumn. It is a wonderful season for discovering and a great way to have your child connect to their natural environment and recognise the significant changes that can come about from one season to the next. We made a wonderful sensory bin full […]

Filed Under: 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, activities for babies, activities for preschoolers, activities for toddlers, Autumn / Fall, Natural Materials, Outdoor Activity, Sensory Play Tagged With: all ages, Autumn, Fall, natural materials, outdoors, sensory bin

jar of fairy dandelion wishes

Dandelion wishes in a Jar

November 11, 2015 by Kate 4 Comments

These beautiful dandelion puffs are so beautiful. Do you have any in your garden? They can be a lovely decoration when placed in a jar, investigated individually under a microscope or loving offered to a child who might like to make a special wish. Who wouldn’t want some dandelion wishes in a jar?  Okay, so my garden […]

Filed Under: 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, Growing, Outdoor Activity, Parenting Tagged With: investigation, nature

Paint with water activity for kids who are bored or wanting to be creative outdoors.

Painting with Water

October 19, 2015 by Kate 10 Comments

Painting with water is one of those activities that kids absolutely love and can spend hours doing over and over again. It helps build their creativity and confidence to experiment and develop early writing skills. And all you need is a bit of sunshine, brush and water!    I remember as a child painting with water on the […]

Filed Under: 0 - 12 months, 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, Outdoor Activity, Writing Tagged With: drawing, outdoor activity, water, writing

How to make beautiful rainbow dancing rings with ribbons are lots of fun for kids to play with.

How to make dancing ribbon rings

August 17, 2015 by Kate 18 Comments

Dancing ribbon rings are beautiful when used by children. They simply hold the ring with the ribbons attached and move about with them. They promote physical exercise and ignight imagination and play. It’s so easy to learn how to make dancing ribbon rings too. You only need a couple of materials and you suddenly have a […]

Filed Under: 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, activities for preschoolers, activities for toddlers, Art & Craft, Craft, Gift Idea, Outdoor Activity, Play Tagged With: colours, exercise, gross motor skills, imagination

pretty twirling ribbon wands

Simple twirling ribbon wands

June 11, 2015 by Kate 2 Comments

These beautiful and simple twirling ribbon wands are great fun for kids. Perfect way to get them moving their body and possibly incorporating a little imaginary play too! They are so easy to make but will give your children hours of fun.  I was recently browsing our local haberdashery store when I came across their huge […]

Filed Under: 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, activities for children, activities for preschoolers, activities for toddlers, Craft, Outdoor Activity, Play, Pretend Play

Science experiment using shaving cream to make a rain cloud

Rain cloud science experiment

May 25, 2015 by Kate 34 Comments

Here is a super simple science experiment that teaches children about clouds and rain. It’s great fun to do at home or in the classroom and this rain cloud science experiment only uses commonly found ingredients.  The weather is changing where we live and we are seeing a lot more clouds appearing and rain falling. I often find myself […]

Filed Under: 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, Outdoor Activity, Science Tagged With: experiment, food colouring, outdoor, science

Gorgeous and simple fairy garden

How to make a fairy garden

May 7, 2015 by Kate 20 Comments

Children love fairy gardens, they are magical and great for imaginative play. Surprisingly to some, they are actually really very easy to make and don’t have to cost a fortune. They can vary in sizes, shapes and look however your child dreams. Here I share with you how to make a fairy garden for your […]

Filed Under: 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, Making, Outdoor Activity, Play Tagged With: imaginative play, outdoors

Giveaway of the garden classroom

‘The Garden Classroom’ book review and giveaway

April 14, 2015 by Kate 29 Comments

Cathy James, UK creator of blog NurtureStore, has just launched her wonderful book called, ‘The Garden Classroom‘. Aimed at children aged 4-8, it includes pages and pages of fun and creative ways to use the garden for learning.  I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a copy of Cathy’s new book and I expected it […]

Filed Under: 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, Giveaway, Growing, Outdoor Activity, Review Tagged With: book, giveaway, review

float or sink activity

Sink or float experiment with nature

October 13, 2014 by Kate 21 Comments

There seems a natural curiosity for kids to add things to water. A sink and float experiment with nature is always lots of fun and a great way to teach them about  predicting and testing ideas. It’s also a delight watching their face react to the surprise of the expected and unexpected. 🙂  Whilst a sink or float experiment […]

Filed Under: 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, Outdoor Activity, Science Tagged With: experimenting, nature, outdoors, science

how to fly a kite tutorial for a windy day

How to fly a kite

September 7, 2014 by Kate 5 Comments

Do you know how to fly a kite? There are a few simple steps you can do to make flying a kite with your children successful and lots of fun.  We have recently enjoyed a coastal holiday on Australia’s north eastern beaches. The weather can be relied upon to be perfectly warm, however, we did experience […]

Filed Under: 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, Outdoor Activity, Play, Uncategorized, Video Tagged With: how to, outdoor activity

playing with homemade glittery oobleck goo

Glittery Goo

August 18, 2014 by Kate 20 Comments

This glittery goo was so very easy to make and can be whipped together using only 3 ingredients. Often called ‘oobleck’, this sparkly oozy recipe is great fun for children to play with independently or as a group.  This type of activity is wonderful for children of all ages to engage in and great for their sensory development. The oozy goo […]

Filed Under: 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, Messy Play, Outdoor Activity, Recipes, Sensory Play Tagged With: all ages, messy play, recipe, sensory

diy mud kitchen for learning and fun

How to make a simple DIY mud kitchen

June 24, 2014 by Kate 68 Comments

  Mud, glorious mud! Making a super simple mud kitchen for Possum (aged 2.5 years) and her older cousins has been my dream for quite awhile. My hesitation has never been whether they would enjoy the tactile and messy experience or not, but I wasn’t sure how to set it up so it was simple, temporary […]

Filed Under: 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, Messy Play, Outdoor Activity, Sensory Play Tagged With: all ages, messy play, outdoor activity, sensory, sponsored post

Learning difference between colours

Learning colours with chalk and water

June 23, 2014 by Kate 2 Comments

Does your child have a favourite colour? Possum (2.5 years) absolutely loves talking about colours and engaging in any activity that involves chalk. We have done a number of colour activities to help develop her understanding of all the different colours (see below) and also made chalk, drawn with it using a rake and even […]

Filed Under: 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, Outdoor Activity Tagged With: chalk, colours, preschoolers, toddlers

Welcome
Hello and welcome!
My name is Kate and I am a mum to two little girls, Possum and Boo. We have lots of fun together learning with play at home and are pleased to share some of what we do with you.
Read my about page to find out more.

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