Here is a fun sticker matching activity for kids. It’s great to do with children who are beginning to recognise similarities and differences and making connections between objects and pictures. It’s wonderfully easy to set up too! Possum (almost 3 years) has quite an obsession with stickers! Are your children the same? It’s an obsession […]
Homemade edible finger paint recipe
Here is a homemade edible finger paint recipe using 2 ingredients. Your children will love the silky sheen this paint leaves behind and the fact that it’s edible adds to the fun of finger painting with it. My little Possum (aged 2.5 years) loves to paint and spreading lots of colour over a blank page makes her day. This […]
How to fly a kite
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 […]
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 no sew princess castle
Possum absolutely loves all forms of pretend play and one of her absolute favourite roles is being a princess. This will always see her grabbing a fluffy dress, tiara and her pair of pink sparkly shoes that seem to refuse to stay on. I always try hard as her parent to encourage and engage in her love of […]
Allergy Awareness Week 2014
Allergy Awareness Week 2014 kicks off today and so it is with great pleasure that I share this post with you and highlight a company that has been of great help to me. Does your child suffer from anaphylaxis, have a food allergy or related medical condition? Read on and be sure to enter our giveaway. […]
Easter activities for kids 2014
I have looked all over the internet with a fine tooth comb to bring you a wonderful collection of Easter activities for kids 2014. My focus was to find activities that you could do with your children at home that would be fun, flexible and use materials commonly found at this time of year. Wishing […]
Water Beads
Have you ever heard of water beads? It recently found out how wonderful they are for sensory play. After finding a packet in a local craft store I began posting a few images of Possum playing with them on the Laughing Kids Learn Facebook page, I became inundated with emails and messages from people wanting to […]
Easter Egg Suncatcher
Easter is just around the corner and Possum and I have been having fun making this Easter egg suncatcher! It was so much fun for her to make and right now it’s hanging proudly on our window at home receiving lots of comments from visitors. Recommended Age: 3+ years To make an Easter egg suncatcher […]
Moon Sand
Brace yourselves because this is an awesome activity that your kids will love to play with. It’s called moon sand and it’s wonderful for sensory learning. What I also love is that it is super quick to make, you can even get the kids involved. Recommended age – 3 years + (always provide active supervision during play) Moon […]
Sorting between big and small
Toddlers love being given simple little roles of responsibility and it gives them a great sense of achievement when they complete a given task. That is why I thought I’d tap into that and have Possum (2.2 years) engage in a simple activity that would have her sorting between big and small objects. Great activity to […]
Homemade puzzles for toddlers using paper plates
Here are some terrific homemade puzzles for toddlers using paper plates! They are so easy to make and their level of difficulty can be easily adjusted to suit the individual needs of the child. Possum (aged 2.2 years) has shown a keen interest lately in learning about colours. Maybe it’s a toddler thing. Whilst she […]
How to make a string bowl with kids
Here are the instructions on how to make a string bowl with kids. It’s a great craft activity that is great for developing fine motor skills, especially in older children. I find it really rewarding to transform simple items into something useful. My husband has almost stopped rolling his eyes at the moments his found […]
Silky and stretchy playdough
I’m very excited to share with you how to make silky and stretchy playdough. It’s wonderfully soft, much like touching a cloud, and can be super stretchy for added fun for the kids. You also only need to use 2 ingredients to make it so it’s really easy. Possum (aged 2.2 years) loves playdough and will often request […]
Zero to Two: The Book of Play
It’s with great excitement that I announce the launch of Zero to Two: Book of Play. This ebook is a fabulous downloadable resource for all those who have babies and toddlers and are looking to engage them in fun play-based learning activities. Zero to Two: Book of Play The first few years of a child’s […]
How to make paper weaving placemats
I have such great memories of weaving paper placemats when I was young at school. Making them again for this blog post reminded me how fabulous they are as an indoor activity and how few materials it requires. It is also great for developing fine motor skills and creativity. Age – 3+ (This activity is open to […]
Decorating Fans for Chinese New Year
Craft activity for kids in decorating fans for Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year is an important Chinese holiday the begins on January 31st and runs over many days. I’m sad to say that I’ve never experienced the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations, although it is on my list of things to do. Splashes of […]
Learning about States & Territories of Australia
Australia Day is approaching and so I thought I’d take the opportunity to share a fun (and edible) way of learning the Australian states and territories. Great mapping lesson for kids! I was never very good at geography at school. It’s still something that I know I should be better at, however, I’m sure if […]
Blue-Ringed Octopus craft for kids
Here is a craft that will have children learning more about the Blue-Ringed Octopus. For those who have visited or heard the rumours, in Australia you can find some very dangerous animals. One of the most deadly (and attractive) marine animal, mainly found off our east coast, is called the blue ringed octopus. Here is […]
Aussie scented sensory rice
Australia Day is my national day of celebration and it takes place on 26th January of every year. It is on this day that many ‘Aussies’ get together with friends and family, usually over a friendly BBQ or casual game of backyard cricket, to reflect on what they love about our country and show their pride by displaying […]
Most popular posts from 2013
It’s hard to believe that another year is drawing to a close and 2014 is steam rolling around so quickly. Where does the time go? Possum is another year older and certainly much wiser and I take the time to reflect on what has been a terrific year of learning together on Laughing Kids […]
Simple Santa Decoration using a plastic cup
Here is a simple Santa craft that school aged children would be capable of making themselves. It’s a decoration that can be made to sit on a mantle or even of top of a Christmas tree! Materials Plastic Cup Paste Cotton Balls Red Felt (rectangular shape) Stapler or sticky tape Black pen […]
Share It Saturday activity link up
Share It Saturday Share It Saturday is a weekly linky party which allows other bloggers to add creative crafts and education based posts to Laughing Kids Learn. It is a wonderful way that I can share the terrific ideas circling the web and hopefully highlight the existence of other blogs, allowing them to receive greater […]
Share It Saturday – 5 matching activities for kids
As a mum and a teacher to young children I love activities that require children to match and make connections for learning. Matching type activities allows children to check and confirm what they believe to be correct and feel supported at the same time. Here are a few great matching activities I noticed linked up this week. Check […]
Share It Saturday – Nature Activities for Kids
‘Share It Saturday’ presents a collection of nature activities for kids! Getting children involved in their natural world can often be overlooked and somewhat forgotten. The good news is there are so many wonderful ways we can get children engaging their environment and use it to assist with building creativity and developing other important […]
Share It Saturday – Hands on Activities to get Kids Messy
Children love hands-on activities and if they are messy then it’s even better! Messy play is something that most children absolutely love! Unfortunately it can be the type of play that parents shudder at the thought of and avoid because it can be unpredictable and seen as a challenge to clean up. Why […]
Share It Saturday – Simple Activities for Little Fingers
It was very difficult deciding which links to include in this weeks ‘Share It Saturday’ post. Thank you to each and every one of you who contributed. It highlights what incredible talent you all have. Hopefully you will be featured very soon. _____________________ With little people in mind, I decided to focus on activities that […]
Sensory Learning using Wax
Sensory learning is fascinating to me! Researchers are really discovering it’s benefits to improving the way children make connections in the brain and so I think it’s worth considering when it comes to teaching our children. This post is about learning through our sense of touch. Here I am creating a fun way […]
Brauer Baby Products and Giveaway
Being a mum is a seriously hard job and we really can only do our best with what we know. With that in mind, I thought I’d share with you some brilliant natural bath products that I’ve become quite obsessed with of late and use on Possum during bath time each night. […]
Shaving Cream Fun
Let’s face it, who could really resist not smooshing their hand into a pile of shaving cream? The sprinkles on top just add to the temptation. When I asked my mum if we could use her glass table I just accidentally (on purpose) forgot to mention we were going to get my niece and nephew […]