Mama Pea Pod

{Dolls From Your Kids' Art}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:25:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but I've had my eye on those kids' art rag dolls that are all over pinterest for ages now. You know, the ones where you take one of your kids' drawings and turn it into an actual 3D doll. They are just so darned adorable, and I can't imagine a sweeter keepsake for them for when they are older!

Unfortunately, my crafty skills do not extend to the needle and thread realm, so I've been looking around for someone to make one for me instead. And I came across Cryoow! Dolls. Inspired by the imagination of a 7 year old girl, Nora, Cryoow! turns your kids' drawings into the most beautiful and professional-looking dolls, but stay true to your child's original design. (Cryoow! is written with an exclamation mark because it is short for CReate YOur OWn! and is meant to be a call to kids to leave aside 'screen time' and instead create something out of their own imaginations - which, as regular readers will know, endears the company to me even more!)

All you have to do is email a photo of your child's drawing, and they send you the doll. It's so easy and quick, the turnaround time is very fast, and we experienced very helpful service. The dolls even have a little tag on the back for the kids to write their names on as the 'designers', which is a cute touch.

And just look at how gorgeous they are! My girls were absolutely THRILLED with theirs! They even managed to make Sweet Pea's ball-and-stick figure into a cuddly pillow-doll that she takes to bed with her.

We just love them to pieces!

For more pictures of their amazing work, check out the Cryoow! Dolls facebook page.

Sponsored post - in exchange for writing an unbiased review, I received compensation including these two dolls. As always, all opinions expressed are 100% my own, honest opinions.

{Sweet Summer Treat: Fruity Strawberry Banana Creamsicles}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Sat, 04 May 2013 14:42:00 +0000

These homemade fruity creamsicles are my kids' favourite summer treat and a great way to involve kids in 'cooking' in the kitchen! They're quick and easy to make (my 3 year old made these ones) and full of real fruit.

In a blender, simply mix some strawberries, a sliced banana, and a bit of ice-cream. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for a couple of hours.

A lovely treat to wake up to after a summer afternoon nap!

{Creative 'Toys' for Kids}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Nurturing kids' creativity and thinking skills is an important role for parents. The toys we give our kids to play with can either help or hinder their creative thinking.

Two important points to keep in mind when choosing toys for your kids:

1. A general rule of thumb for us is that if it requires batteries, it probably isn't going to be a creative toy (that's not always the case, but usually).

2. 'Toys' needn't include only store-bought items. There are lots of things that kids can play with that will help them develop their creative thinking skills.

***

Here are some of our favourite creative playthings for kids and how we play with them:

Cardboard boxes - Large and small, cardboard boxes make for wonderfully creative play tools! Make a Cardboard Box Puppet Theatre, or if you're not the artsy-craftsy type, all you really need is a cardboard box with a hole cut in the back, as pictured above. Try making a cardboard box aquarium, a shop, or even a cardboard city - perfect for imaginary play and small world play scenes.

For more creative cardboard box ideas, see:
Train Tunnel by Thrive 360 Living
Bird's Nest by Wildlife Fun 4 Kids
60 more box ideas at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

***

Expired rice or barley - They're super for sensory play; add some little figures for imaginary/small world play or cups and scoops for pouring. They're easy to dye if you want to make them colourful, but they're good plain, too. Try other kitchen staples such as lentils or dried beans.

***

Sewing kit - You can get kids' plastic sewing needles at hobby or toy shops. Pair them with some craft foam or felt for creative fine motor skills practice. Kids can sew lines, shapes, or draw their own picture to 'embroider'. After they have explored the materials, you might want to introduce some simple kids' sewing projects (from Teach Beside Me).

***

Paper dolls - Store bought or make your own. Kids love to make them to look like themselves. Even with the store bought kind, let them make their own clothes for them out of scraps of colourful paper or fabric (these fabric ones from Julia's Book Bag are beautiful!) This was my own personal favourite toy when I was a kid and it's still a winner! You could also make some simple stands for them, like Happy Hooligans did, so they can stand up during imaginary play.

***

Fairy houses - Help your child set up a fairy house for imaginary/small world play. You can make them in a corner of your garden, a large planting pot, a basket, or even an empty pumpkin! And it doesn't have to be girly fairies - you can take the same idea and make a dinosaur garden like Play, Create, Explore's, for example.

***

Dress-up costumes and accessories - All kids love to dress up and pretend to be something or someone else! And it's a great way for them to try on the roles of all different people. Make your own costumes, buy ready-made costumes, put together bits and pieces of old clothes and accessories, and add some props if you like - here's a lovely example from Here Come The Girls of how props added to a costume make for extended imaginary play.

***

Blocks - Building with blocks of any kind, from lego to foam to wooden blocks, even empty tissue boxes, helps children build their creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Again, go with their interests - if your child loves robots, get some robot-themed lego; if your child loves flowers and princesses, get some colourful, wooden, fairytale castle blocks; you get the idea. You can read more all about the benefits of blocks over at Picklebums, and get some superb ideas of how to extend blocks play from An Everyday Story. Why not try making some homemade natural wood blocks like these ones by Stir the Wonder to add to their block collection and stimulate their imaginations?

***

Nature items - Nuts, sticks, rocks, feathers - all make great playthings that stimulate the imagination. Use them as counters for math play, use them in a box for scooping and pouring, decorate them, or stack them - there are so many possibilities for creative play! Creative Star Learning Company has a marvellous list of creative play ideas using sticks.

***

Felt - Felt is a versatile material for a variety of creative play ideas. Make a threading game (either an elaborate one like this Very Hungry Caterpillar threading game if you're crafty, or a simple one with just squares of felt with slits cut in them), make a felt play board (or buy one already made) for kids to make play scenes, use it for crafts (it's easy for little hands to cut), for play food like this super simple pie set from The Pleasantest Thing, or for sewing practice.

***

Water - You really can't beat water play for lifting spirits on a cranky day, and it's a source of endless ways to play creatively. From bath time to the kitchen sink to outdoor play time, kids never tire of water play. Give them a tub to bathe their dolls, wash coins, clean their animal figures, make bubbles, pour and measure, paint the driveway, make hand/footprint art, wash your car, engage in small world/imaginary play ... your kids can find a hundred different, creative ways to play with water.

***

Sand - Like water, a sandbox provides a plethora of ways to play. A sandbox doesn't need to be big - if you only have a small outdoor space, even a balcony, you can make a mini sandbox in a plastic container or large plant pot.

***

Bottle caps - Another super versatile plaything! Stack them, use them as counters, label them with letters or numbers for word games or math games, or use them for craft projects.

***

Doll house - Endless hours are spent at the dollhouse in the Pea household, and it's where every visiting child (boy or girl) makes a beeline for whenever they come over. Refurbish a pre-loved dollhouse as we did, buy a new one, or make one out of boxes like Red Ted Art or even an old dresser.

***

Window crayons - For a change from drawing on paper, try window crayons. We find our kids' imaginations are sparked by the large, vertical 'canvas' before them. Kids of all ages can enjoy them - draw seasonal scenes, write messages, or just explore the feel of the soft crayons on the glass.

***

Sensory tubs - Sensory tubs are great for little ones to explore and discover how the world works. And you can make them out of just about anything! They don't need to be fancy or themed. Just a simple box with even just one type of object in it, such as rice or cotton wool, will do the job.

***

Magnifying glass - Open up your children's minds and help them to develop keen observational skills by exploring the world around them with a magnifying glass. Better yet, send them outdoors to observe nature up close and wonder at the marvels before them!

***

Chalk - Indoors or outdoors, chalk is a definite favourite at our house. Drawing pictures on a chalkboard, sidewalk, or even trees like Dilly Dali Art's kids did, painting with wet chalk, exploring different ways to make marks, drawing out a hopscotch board - chalk is a standard gift here whenever there's a stocking to be stuffed or an Easter basket to be filled or a birthday loot bag to go home. Trying making some sidewalk chalk paint or even fizzy sidewalk paint like on Kids' Activities Blog, or draw a life-sized board game with chalk, like this one from True Aim Education.

***

Play dough - A classic, with endless possibilities for creating! Play dough is also great for developing fine motor skills and hand strength, important for early writing development. Try our classic play dough recipe, a sparkly fragrant version, or this salt-free oatmeal play dough for sensitive skin.

***

Craft foam - Great for crafts, cutting and sewing practice (easy for small hands to cut with scissors or poke through with a needle), and - our personal favourite use for it - window clings! Buy pre-cut foam shapes or cut your own.

***

Mirrors - A versatile 'toy' suitable for all ages! Put a mirror in front of your baby to see and learn about himself, a toddler to practice making different expressions, a preschooler to watch how her body moves as she dances and jumps, or an older kid to study their features and draw a self-portrait.

***

Paper and pencils/crayons/markers - I can't even tell you how many hours a week our two little ones spend simply drawing.

***

Finally, the most important thing necessary for kids to develop their creativity is unstructured time to play and entertain themselves in whatever creative way they come up with. Just have these items available, perhaps put one out as an invitation to play, and then let them be. You'll be amazed at how much more creatively kids play when left to their own devices.

{Fabric Maché Bowls}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 13:14:00 +0000

*I was thrilled to receive a copy of the book, Red Ted Art: Cute and Easy Crafts for Kids, in exchange for writing an unbiased review post. All opinions expressed in this post are completely and honestly mine.

We were so excited when we received our copy of the brand new Red Ted Art craft book for kids a couple of weeks ago, that the girls immediately set about picking out their favourite projects to try. First choice was the fabric maché bowls - and we are thrilled with how they turned out!

They were easy to make; even Sweet Pea, who just turned 3, was able to do her own by herself. I covered some small bowls with cling film, set out the glue and water mixture (2:1 ratio) and the ribbon and fabric scraps, and they did the rest themselves. Sweet Pea's has a few little holes in it where she missed some spots in her layers, but it still looks great.

Slimy, messy, sensory fun!

We deliberately chose fabric scraps in similar colours to get a 'red' bowl and a 'blue' bowl, but you could mix and match freely to get a really colourful creation! I also experimented with a tulle bowl, which didn't turn out as well as the others, but I think it could if I added more layers (I still might, I just haven't had time yet.) We left them to dry, popped out the bowls and peeled off the cling film, and then trimmed around the tops.

Aren't they lovely?

There are so many more wonderful ideas in the Red Ted Art: Cute and Easy Crafts for Kids book, too, and what I love best about them is that they are all made from everyday materials that we always have around the house anyway (or can be found easily outdoors.)

Some others we have done in the past are the beautiful bubble wrap tree paintings (which I adored!) and the upcycled sweater Christmas stockings (I used baby onesie pyjamas instead of a sweater - I think the sweater ones are much nicer, though.)

You can get your own copy of the book in Hardcover on Amazon here, or a Kindle version here. And if you haven't already (although I'm sure everybody must have!) be sure to check out the Red Ted Art website for loads more crafty ideas!

{DIY Window Cling Stickers}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

We are, obviously, huge fans of The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. Sweet Pea never tires of that story or its follow-up, The Gruffalo's Child. In The Gruffalo, a clever, little mouse manages to outwit all of the animals in the deep, dark wood that are trying to eat it by making up a tall tale that ends up surprising even the mouse. The mouse's quick wit and the author's hilarious and creative rhymes make for an instant family favourite that is quoted and retold endlessly.

For Sweet Pea's Gruffalo birthday last week, since her birthday presents didn't arrive in the mail in time, I thought I'd have a go at making her some Gruffalo DIY window cling stickers to use for retelling the story through play.

They were easy to make and actually work really well!

To make them, you just need a printer and some contact paper (sticky-backed clear paper). Find some images you want to use, print them out on regular paper, and cut out the shapes (you might want to use shapes that don't have too many small, fiddly edges to cut around. Ours had a lot of detail and I was in a hurry, so they aren't as neat as they could be.)

Then take a sheet of contact paper and place it on the table sticky-side-down, but with the backing paper still attached so it doesn't stick yet (tape the corners to hold it in place.) Lay all your cut out pictures face up on the non-sticky side of the contact paper.

Next get another sheet of contact paper and remove the backing paper from this one. Lay it sticky side down over the top of your cut out pictures so it sticks to them, sandwiching them between the two layers of contact paper (remember, both sheets of contact paper are facing the same way.)

Finally, cut out the shapes again, going through both layers of contact paper (including the backing paper on the bottom sheet.)

When you're ready to attach them to your window, just peel off the backing paper from the bottom sheet and apply to the glass. They easily peel off to reuse again and again, making them a great way for kids to make play scenes!

Ours are spread across our dining room window, retelling the story of The Gruffalo from beginning to end - what a fun way to enjoy some literacy play!

If you're looking for more Gruffalo things to make and do, you might be interested in these posts, too:

Gruffalo Birthday Party
Gruffalo Crumble Recipe
DIY Gruffalo Puppet Theatre

This post is part of the Virtual Book Club for Kids March edition featuring books by Julia Donaldson. For more great ideas to use with her books, check out the link below!

{Gruffalo Birthday Party}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:05:00 +0000

A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood...

Sweet Pea had her 3rd birthday last week, and since her absolute favourite story of all time is The Gruffalo, by Julia Donaldson, what could be better than a Gruffalo themed birthday party?

Now my tummy's beginning to rumble...

Naturally, we had a Gruffalo's feast menu:

Roasted Fox (sausage rolls)

Mouse on a Slice of Bread (turkey sandwiches)

Fruits of the Forest (strawberries)

Scrambled Snake (jello, set then scrambled)

and Gruffalo Crumble with Owl Ice-Cream on the Side

(you won't want to miss our super easy Gruffalo Crumble recipe!)

Cakes are definitely not my forte, so I made it easy on myself:

a simple chocolate cake with white chocolate frosting, and a store-bought, personalized, edible Gruffalo cake topper that I ordered here. All I had to do was peel it off the backing paper and lay it on top. Because I used butter cream frosting, I decided to make a marzipan backing for it in case the butter caused the topper colours to run (it's made of a very thin layer of icing, printed with food colouring). Then I just placed the whole thing on the top of the cake.

For the sides, I printed some pictures of the Gruffalo and stuck them onto a piece of green construction paper. Then I stuck the paper onto a backing of baking paper the same length and width, wrapped it around the cake, and taped it together in the back.

His eyes are orange, his tongue is black,

He has purple prickles all over his back.

For games and activities, we made Gruffalo masks that I printed from here, read The Gruffalo story while huddled in the Gruffalo's cave (I placed all our large houseplants in a semicircle around one corner of the living room to make a den and we sat in the middle), we had Gruffalo hunts (taking turns hiding Sweet Pea's little toy Gruffalo), and played pin the parts on the Gruffalo with this large, felt Gruffalo I made (which we can use as a Gruffalo felt play board afterwards).

I had originally planned to also use our DIY Gruffalo Puppet Theatre, but in the end we didn't.

I also made some DIY Gruffalo window clings to decorate and play with (separate post to follow).

Oh help! Oh no!

It's a Gruffalo!

And I made some attempt to turn our kiddie table and stools into toadstools - though I ran out of time to attach them better, so they ended up being a rush job.

And for her birthday present, we got some Gruffalo t-shirts made for her at our local t-shirt printing store. She LOVES them - definitely her favourite gift!

In the party favour bag were some bubbles, a little toy, and some Gruffalo printables from here (in addition to the masks, we included the DIY finger puppets, colouring sheets, and mazes).

She had so much fun, and was soooo excited to be having a Gruffalo party!

Happy birthday, big girl!

If you're interested in throwing a Gruffalo party, I also ordered these items and highly recommend them:

{Gruffalo Crumble Recipe}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 20:29:00 +0000

Sweet Pea turned 3 this weekend!

We celebrated with a Gruffalo birthday party! Details to come, but right now I have to share the recipe for the Gruffalo Crumble we served for dessert (naturally, with owl ice-cream on the side).

This recipe was so easy and quick, I think it could easily become a weeknight dessert at our house. And definitely one that the kids can make. And soooo delicious - for once, something that the whole family agrees on!

Gruffalo Crumble

You will need:
5 bananas (peeled and sliced thickly)
350g (12 oz) frozen (or fresh) berries (I used mixed red berries)
250g (9 oz) cookie crumbs (I used plain digestives smashed up, but graham crumbs would work; I think gingersnaps would be good to try, too!)
140g (5 oz) brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
140g (5 oz) melted butter

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
Stir the butter and cinnamon into the crumbs until well coated.
Lay the bananas and berries in a shallow casserole dish and top with the crumb mixture.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until it starts to brown.
Let stand at least 10 minutes, then serve with owl ice-cream ;-)

"Now my tummy's beginning to rumble!"

If you're looking for Gruffalo things to make and do, you might also be interested in these posts:

DIY Gruffalo Window Cling Stickers
Gruffalo Birthday Party
DIY Gruffalo Puppet Theatre

Amazon.com Widgets

{Easter Craft for Kids: Fluffy Chicks}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:03:00 +0000

A cute and easy Easter craft for kids!

***

Make these fluffy chicks in just a few minutes with some basic supplies you probably have already.

All you need are some pompoms, some googly eyes, some felt, and some glue.

***

1. Stick two pompoms one on top of the other.

2. Stick some googly eyes on the top pompom.

3. Cut the felt to make the base with feet and a tiny triangle beak and glue those on, too.

***

That's it!

If you cut the felt for them, even toddlers can make this craft easily.

For preschoolers, try drawing the felt shapes and letting them try cutting the felt themselves.

{Creative Cardboard Box City}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:12:00 +0000

We've been having a 'staycation' for February break and have been spending lots of time engaged in creative play. Our big project for the week has been creating this cardboard box city to play with.

We got this City Blocks set from VillaCarton and it's an ingenious idea combining kids' love for cardboard boxes with imaginary play and creativity. It comes flat with the city buildings printed on all sides in black and white - you simply fold the boxes together and then let the kids colour and decorate them the way they like! Once completed, it makes a fun city playscape for imaginary play!

We've been colouring parts with markers, painting parts, and adding our own touches such as flowers and cats on windowsills and nests on the roof tiles. We've been working on it bit by bit all week and it still isn't quite finished. (But that hasn't stopped the kids from playing with it already!) We still plan to add some stickers (maybe a dog walking down the sidewalk or a teddy bear in a fire truck?), and perhaps some touches of 'sparkle' with some glitter paint. We are also having a debate as to whether or not to cut open some of the windows or doors with an exacto knife - one pea says yes, the other says no ;-)

The set we got is a fire station on one side and a hospital on the other, but there are all sorts of brilliantly creative cardboard box toys available from VillaCarton, including a play kitchen, play houses and even costumes.

My kids (and admittedly I - who doesn't love colouring, right?) have been absolutely loving this! We love that we have a 'framework' for our creation already set up, but can still enjoy using our own creativity to decorate it the way we like. It creates an exciting small world scene for fostering some wonderful imaginary play. It will fold flat one day when we decide to put it away (hasn't happened yet as it's getting daily use!) And we even made our own shop out of the box it came in ;-) Highly recommend!

SEE THE COLLECTION: www.villacarton.com

LIKE VILLACARTON ON FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/VillaCartonOriginal

FOLLOW VILLACARTON ON TWITTER: www.twitter.com/villacarton

*Please note that while we received this cardboard city block set from VillaCarton to test out in exchange for writing this review, the opinions expressed here are 100% ours.
*Thanks to Petra of Bag of Pretty for turning me on to VillaCarton in the first place :-)

{Rainbow Sensory Play}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 00:14:00 +0000

We made some beautiful rainbow barley this week!

I found a full box of expired barley in the back of the cupboard, and using the same method we used when we made our rainbow dyed pasta necklaces, we turned it into this fun, sensory play bin

in happy 'spring' colours (wishful thinking on our part

as it turned out - we've had snow twice more since!)

I set out a few figures to go along with it, and left Sweet Pea to her own devices

- which turned out to be a rainbow jacuzzi for her little friends

and hide and seek :-)

Try it with rice, pasta, or lentils, too.

For more rainbow fun see our Rainbow Party and Rainbow Blog Hop.

{Simple Book Word Sort Game}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Princess Pea started kindergarten in January, for the first time. Although she's always been a book-lover and grand story-teller, she wasn't actually reading words yet (in fact, she was only just learning lowercase letters), but in the past three weeks she has gone from being a 'picture reader' to reading and decoding words all on her own. To help her along, I made this game from a book we were reading together this weekend. It's the sort of thing we do at school all the time, but this is the first time I did this for my own child - and it was quite exciting!

After reading the book, there were a couple of 'puzzle pages' at the end. I decided to make it into a more hands-on activity instead. I took CVC words (words that follow a simple Consonant-Vowel-Consonant pattern) from the book and wrote them on little strips of paper. I used three cupcake cases and labelled them with the vowels 'o', 'i', and 'u'. Then I let her sort the words into the appropriate cup. Good practice for beginning decoders, and because the words came from the book, they weren't just random out-of-context words. As a follow-up, you could have your child go back and find the words (and/or pictures of the objects) in the book, too, but we got caught up in other things by then. Next time.

{Ten Children's Books We Love, About Love}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 21:56:00 +0000

Our top ten kids books for settling down for a snuggle together

(and perfect for Valentine's Day):

Plant a Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Watch what happens when you plant the seed of love - see it grow and sparkle!

(with actual sparkles!)

The Giant Hug by Sandra Horning

Owen wants to send his granny a giant hug through the mail,

and the hug brings happiness to everyone along its journey.

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

A classic! Little Nutbrown Hare wants to show Big Nutbrown Hare

just how much love he has - but he's got some competition!

I Love It When You Smile by Sam McBratney

Mama loves me even when I'm feeling on the grumpy side!

What can mama do to make little kangaroo smile?

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

Little Chester doesn't want to leave his mama to go school, so mama finds a way for Chester to take her love with him everywhere he goes. Perfect for kids experiencing separation anxiety, preparing to start preschool, or for mama returning to work.

Somebody Loves You, Mr Hatch by Eileen Spinelli

See the difference it makes when somebody loves you!

Mr Hatch transforms from a grouch to a thoughtful friend with a little love.

Mama Loves You by Caroline Stutson

Sweet rhyming prose. Every mama loves her baby.

One of our absolute favourite books of all!

I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt

Your mama loves you, no matter what!

I Love You, Too by Eve Bunting

All the little animals bring special gifts for their mamas

to show how much they love them -

and their mamas shower them with love, too!

Those last 3 can also be bought together in a compendium,

along with other sweet mama-love stories,

called I Love You: A Keepsake Storybook Collection,

which is what we have.

{ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas - Party Themes from U to Z}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 06:41:00 +0000

The 5th and final part of the ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas post! Here are U to Z of the Best Kids' Party Theme Ideas from real parents!

Under the Sea Party - Sugar Snips threw a cute under the sea party for her preschooler, and you'll also find inspiration for your under the sea theme here and here.

Very Hungry Caterpillar Party - Learn With Play at Home threw a beautiful Very Hungry Caterpillar Party for her tot!

You'll find more super ideas at this Very Hungry Caterpillar Party by Living Life Intentionally, and even more Very Hungry Caterpillar Party ideas on my Parties Pinterest board.

Valentine's Party - Why not throw a Valentine's Party for your little ones? Take inspiration from our Heart-Themed Party, and be sure to check out the Valentine's Ideas blog hop and my Valentine's Pinterest board for loads more Valentine-themed party inspiration.

Willy Wonka Sweet Factory Party - Another whimsical party theme from The Imagination Tree!

Watermelon Party - For Princess Pea's first birthday, we threw a watermelon party for her because it was her favourite food. We even had a watermelon instead of cake - complete with candle in it! This watermelon picnic party from Connecting Family and Seoul is a great way to celebrate a summer birthday or family get-together.

Xmas Pyjama Party - A perfect way to celebrate the end of term with a class party! Teach Preschool shows us how. For more ideas, see under 'Christmas Party' here.

Yellow Party -I love this idea from Sellabit Mum to choose a colour as a party theme! She threw a yellow party for her daughter, but, of course, these ideas could be adapted to your child's favourite colour.

Zoo Party - What kid doesn't love animals? Mama Guru threw such a fun zoo party for her son!

You can find more Zoo Party ideas at Dirt and Boogers. Or, if you have a real zoo nearby, why not see if they do birthday party programs? Some friends of ours had their son's birthday at our local Zoo a few years ago, and it came with a party/play room, hosts, and live animals to touch and learn about!

Well, whew! That concludes the ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas! From A to Z! All of the posts in the series are now linked up in the ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas main page here, so be sure to go there and bookmark or pin that page for future reference. You can also find more ideas for Kids' Parties on my Parties Pinterest board.

Be sure to check out the other posts in the "Kid Blogger Network's ABCs of..." series. There are all sorts of topics related to kids, from Mama Tips and Tricks (see below), to School Activities, to Learning Through Play, to Literacy, to Arts and Crafts!

MAMA TIPS & TRICKS - The ABCs of ...

Being a Hands On Mom - Hands On: As We Grow

Connecting With Your Kids - One Perfect Day

Fun, Healthy Snacks for Kids - Juggling with Kids

Kids' Party Ideas - Mama Pea Pod

Mama Survival - The Dizzy Mom

Printables - Mama Miss

Raising a Healthy Kid - Living Life Intentionally

Raising a Thinking Child - The Outlaw Mom

Raising a World Citizen - All Done Monkey

Raising Boys - Boy Mama Teacher Mama

Raising Eco-Friendly Kids - Kitchen Counter Chronicles

Raising Girls - Mess For Less

Raising Toddlers - Home Learning Journey

Simply Celebrating Holidays as a Family - Inspired by Family Magazine

Teaching Kids About Money - Carrots are Orange

The Family Dinner Table - Connecting Family and Seoul

The Organized Home - Mamas Like Me

Trying a New Experience With Your Children - 52 Brand New

Values For Children (Character Development) - True Aim Education

{ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas - Party Themes from P to T}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 05:00:00 +0000

The best kids' party themes by real moms! The ABCs of ... Kids' Party Ideas from P-T is below. To see ideas from A-O, see the main ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas page.

Pirate Party - There are plenty of really brilliant pirate parties thrown by real moms to inspire you! This Pirate Party by Rainy Day Mum had pirate-themed play stations, perfect for the younger crowd who aren't yet old enough for structured party games.

This Pirate Party by Living Life Intentionally featured some fantastic, piratey food fare!

Adventures at Home With Mum incorporated some authentic plank-walking into their Pirate Party!

And how perfect are these Pirate Party message-in-a-bottle invitations by Frog, Goose and Bear?

Princess Party - another favourite with plenty of ideas to choose from! Living Life Intentionally threw a Princess Party for her daughter with plenty of princess-y treats to eat.

Mom With a Lesson Plan's Princess Party included some super princess-themed party games!

And Frog, Goose and Bear, as always, has all the perfect details for making a party fit for a Princess!

And watch for our Princess and the Pea Party coming in June on Mama Pea Pod - see my Parties Pinterest board, where I've already begun collecting ideas for inspiration.

Quick Party - Sometimes you just don't have time to plan ahead. Or sometimes, you just want to be spontaneous! Our Quick, Last Minute Kids' Party we threw for New Year's Eve last year shows that it isn't hard to throw together a kids' party, even at the last minute!

Quiet Party (Games) - Ok, so it's unlikely that you are going to actually have a quiet kids' party, but you *are* likely to want to incorporate some quiet party games to calm your excited guests down at some point. My own mother's favourite quiet party game that we played at every birthday party from my childhood was 'Sleeping Lions'. Play some slow music and all the children have to walk around on all fours like lions. Then the music fades out and all the lions have to go to sleep. If anyone is caught moving or making a noise, they are out. (Sneaky parent trick!) Another one we used to play is the Memory Tray game - put several objects on a tray for the children to study and remember. Then take one or two away and they have to figure out which one is missing. You could also try this Dress-Up Memory Game version. At our house, the Broken Telephone game is always popular - you know, the one where everyone has to pass on a whispered message around the circle.

Quirky Party - Who says your theme has to be conventional? I love that The Golden Gleam went the extra mile to throw this Goat Party because her daughter wanted it! With a little creative thinking, anything your child is interested in could become a party theme!

Rainbow Party - Princess Pea requested a rainbow party for her 3rd birthday. At the time, I had no idea what that might mean! This was before rainbow parties were all over the blogosphere, so I had to come up with all my own ideas - and it was SO much fun! Now, of course, there are loads of rainbow-themed ideas out there to choose from - try this Rainbow blog hop for inspiration!

Rocket Party - for your little astronaut, by Frog, Goose and Bear

Superhero Party - One of the most memorable kids' parties my kids got invited to was a superhero training camp party! Critters & Crayons shares tons of 'super' ideas for a superhero party!

And Frog, Goose and Bear has an adorable Pink SuperGirl Party!

Sledding Party - Another great idea for a winter/Christmas birthday! Check out this 'cool' sledding party by Kitchen Counter Chronicles.

Soccer/Football Party - If you've got a soccer/football fan on your hands, you'll definitely want to check out this fantastic soccer party that Giggleberry Creations threw for her son.

Tea Party - Always popular with dainty young ladies! Try some of these ideas from A Mom With a Lesson Plan (spread over several posts)

Or try this Tea Party for Moms and Kids Together (Creative With Kids)

Truck Party (by Buttons by Lou Lou)

Stay tuned for the final post of this series tomorrow! Brought to you as part of

MAMA TIPS & TRICKS - The ABCs of ...

Being a Hands On Mom - Hands On: As We Grow

Connecting With Your Kids - One Perfect Day

Fun, Healthy Snacks for Kids - Juggling with Kids

Kids' Party Ideas - Mama Pea Pod

Mama Survival - The Dizzy Mom

Printables - Mama Miss

Raising a Healthy Kid - Living Life Intentionally

Raising a Thinking Child - The Outlaw Mom

Raising a World Citizen - All Done Monkey

Raising Boys - Boy Mama Teacher Mama

Raising Eco-Friendly Kids - Kitchen Counter Chronicles

Raising Girls - Mess For Less

Raising Toddlers - Home Learning Journey

Simply Celebrating Holidays as a Family - Inspired by Family Magazine

Teaching Kids About Money - Carrots are Orange

The Family Dinner Table - Connecting Family and Seoul

The Organized Home - Mamas Like Me

Trying a New Experience With Your Children - 52 Brand New

Values For Children (Character Development) - True Aim Education

{ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas - Party Themes from K to O}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 05:00:00 +0000

This is part 3 of the ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas series, a collection of the BEST ideas for KIDS PARTIES from K to O. To see the previous posts in this series, go to the ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas main page.

Kite Party - Frog, Goose and Bear shares a wonderful Kite themed party - perfect for a spring or fall birthday!

Lorax Outdoor Movie Party - Housing a Forest had a Lorax movie night, with a twist - they made it an outdoor movie showing in their back garden! This reminds me of going to the drive-in theatre on summer nights as a kid! How fun! With the addition of some Lorax-themed props and treats, they turned movie night into a real party! This theme could be adapted for any movie.

Mermaid Party - For my daughter's 5th birthday party last summer, we threw her a magical under-the-sea mermaid party (with some pirates thrown in for our boy guest). It was such a fun theme to plan and prepare for! Find more ideas for a mermaid party here.

Mothers' Day Tea Party - This Mothers' Day class tea party by Teach Preschool has lots of great tips for class parties in general as well as some lovely ideas specific that could be adapted for a family Mother's Day celebration. (Looking for gift ideas the kids can make for their mothers? Look here and here.)

Mickey Mouse Party - For your little Mouseketeer by Living Life Intentionally

Monster Party - This one from The Iowa Farmer's Wife was done with pink for a girl, but obviously monsters can come in any colour - just pick your child's favourite.

Movie Star Dress-Up Party - Frog, Goose and Bear had a fun movie star-themed dress-up party for the whole family to participate in!

Mud Party - Another fun and MESSY party idea from Growing a Jeweled Rose for play date parties or any time!

Music Party - A super idea for your budding musician's next party, from East Coast Mommy.

Ninja Party - You'll officially be a super cool mom (or dad) if you throw a Ninja Training Party like Blogging With Boys did!

Origami Party -This Origami Party by Critters & Crayons cost only $50 to throw and is absolutely stunning!

Owl Party - The Iowa Farmer's Wife threw this adorable Owl Party for her daughter.

Olympics Party - This Olympics Party by KC Edventures would make a great birthday party for your little athlete or sports enthusiast, or could even be a fun way to celebrate sports day!

Check back tomorrow for the next part of this series! Brought to you as part of

MAMA TIPS & TRICKS - The ABCs of ...

Being a Hands On Mom - Hands On: As We Grow

Connecting With Your Kids - One Perfect Day

Fun, Healthy Snacks for Kids - Juggling with Kids

Kids' Party Ideas - Mama Pea Pod

Mama Survival - The Dizzy Mom

Printables - Mama Miss

Raising a Healthy Kid - Living Life Intentionally

Raising a Thinking Child - The Outlaw Mom

Raising a World Citizen - All Done Monkey

Raising Boys - Boy Mama Teacher Mama

Raising Eco-Friendly Kids - Kitchen Counter Chronicles

Raising Girls - Mess For Less

Raising Toddlers - Home Learning Journey

Simply Celebrating Holidays as a Family - Inspired by Family Magazine

Teaching Kids About Money - Carrots are Orange

The Family Dinner Table - Connecting Family and Seoul

The Organized Home - Mamas Like Me

Trying a New Experience With Your Children - 52 Brand New

Values For Children (Character Development) - True Aim Education

{ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas - Party Themes from F to J}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Today as part of the ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas series, I bring you the BEST ideas for KIDS PARTIES from F to J.

To see the rest of the best kids' party theme ideas, see the ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas main page.

First Birthday Party - There's no need for an over-the-top party for babies (who is the party really for?). This First Birthday Party post has loads of helpful tips and ideas for planning a baby-friendly first birthday party for your little one.

Farm Party - by Frog, Goose and Bear - love the scarecrow!

Fairy Party - Sweet enchantment from The Imagination Tree

Flower Party - Flower garden party by The Imagination Tree

Gingerbread Party - If you've got a December birthday in your family, it can be awkward separating birthday from Christmas celebrations. I love the idea that Housing a Forest came up with - having a Gingerbread-themed birthday party! (This idea could also work as a Christmas party if you don't have December birthdays.)

Glow in the Dark Party - Growing a Jeweled Rose has some fantastically fun ideas for a glow-in-the-dark party! This kind of party could be for birthdays, Halloween, playdates, or just any old excuse to have a party for your little ones! (But be warned - Growing a Jeweled Rose likes her playdates MESSY!)

Gruffalo Party - Sweet Pea loves The Gruffalo stories by Julia Donaldson and requested a Gruffalo Party for her 3rd birthday. One of the cutest party themes ever, in my opinion! Also see my Gruffalo Fun pinterest board.

Heart Party - We threw this pink and red heart-themed party for Sweet Pea's birthday last year, but it could easily be adapted to a Valentine's Day Party! I had so much fun crafting all the little details for this party - some much-needed, quality 'Time for Mama'! You can find loads more heart-themed ideas here and here.

Harry Potter Party - for your budding wizard by Maxabella Loves

Ice-Cream Party - Another simple, summer party idea - an Ice Cream Party! This one by Frog, Goose and Bear with lots of printables looks amazing but surprisingly easy to pull off. An ice-cream bar is, of course, essential. You can find more ice-cream themed ideas here.

Japanese Themed Party - If you're looking for something truly original, Frog, Goose and Bear threw a sweet Japanese-themed party for their young Japanophile, with real Japanese games and activities.

Stay tuned for the next instalment tomorrow! Brought to you as part of:

MAMA TIPS & TRICKS - The ABCs of ...

Being a Hands On Mom - Hands On: As We Grow

Connecting With Your Kids - One Perfect Day

Fun, Healthy Snacks for Kids - Juggling with Kids

Kids' Party Ideas - Mama Pea Pod

Mama Survival - The Dizzy Mom

Printables - Mama Miss

Raising a Healthy Kid - Living Life Intentionally

Raising a Thinking Child - The Outlaw Mom

Raising a World Citizen - All Done Monkey

Raising Boys - Boy Mama Teacher Mama

Raising Eco-Friendly Kids - Kitchen Counter Chronicles

Raising Girls - Mess For Less

Raising Toddlers - Home Learning Journey

Simply Celebrating Holidays as a Family - Inspired by Family Magazine

Teaching Kids About Money - Carrots are Orange

The Family Dinner Table - Connecting Family and Seoul

The Organized Home - Mamas Like Me

Trying a New Experience With Your Children - 52 Brand New

Values For Children (Character Development) - True Aim Education

{ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas - Party Themes from A to E}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 05:00:00 +0000

ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas - real parties by real moms, like you and me!

In case you missed the intro post for the ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas series, you'll probably want to start there. In a nutshell, the Kid Blogger Network is producing an "ABCs of ..." series this week, covering just about every kid-related topic you can imagine from A-Z! And I'm doing my part by sharing the best kids' party theme ideas by real moms from around the blogosphere! Because there are SO MANY fab ideas to share, I'm splitting them up over the week. At the end of the week, they will all be linked up to the main ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas page.

For more party ideas, cake ideas, and party tips, see my 'Parties' board on Pinterest!

Today's post brings you Kids' Party Theme Ideas from A-E:

Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter Tea Party (from Nurturestore) - What a fun, quirky party theme! You can also find more Alice in Wonderland party ideas here and here.

Art Party - This Art Party from Housing a Forest is great inspiration.

Airplane Party - I love the cute clothespin and candy airplanes that Inspiration Laboratories made for their Airplane Party. If you are feeling a little more adventurous, you can find more lovely airplane party ideas here.

Batman Party - I love the fun themed games at this Batman Party thrown by Coffee Cups and Crayons! If you're looking for something super easy to put together, Mama Smiles has a simple Batman Party, too.

Beach Party - This beach party from Growing a Jeweled Rose looks perfect for a summer birthday!

Circus Carnival Party I love the simplicity of this Circus Carnival Party from East Coast Mommy!

Cars Party - What kid wouldn't love these fun car-themed party games from the ever-creative Red Ted Art?

Cluedo Party - This Cluedo Party from Shiny Happy Art is perfect for preteens who like a little mystery and adventure!

Christmas Party - Parties aren't just for birthdays! My good friend Kathy hosts an annual Christmas party for families, which is always a hit! The highlight is the hot chocolate bar where kids (and adults) can add their own toppings - crushed candy canes, sprinkles, marshmallows, whipped cream, and cinnamon... mmmm. Decorate with some snowflake garland, have the kids make some easy homemade candy canes at the party to take home as favours, and be sure to have a Christmas carol singalong!

Dog Party - Living Life Intentionally shares a brilliant party with different dog-themed 'stations' set up for their dog party.

Dinosaur Party - from 3 Dinosaurs (of course!). For a slightly younger crowd, try this Dinosaur Party by Life Frosting.

Easter Egg Hunt Party - Our annual Easter Egg Hunt Party (2012 is here; 2011 is here) has become hugely popular - dare I say 'legendary' - around here!

Stay tuned for the next instalment tomorrow! Brought to you as part of:

See more like this from this series:

MAMA TIPS & TRICKS - The ABCs of ...

Being a Hands On Mom - Hands On: As We Grow

Connecting With Your Kids - One Perfect Day

Fun, Healthy Snacks for Kids - Juggling with Kids

Kids' Party Ideas - Mama Pea Pod

Mama Survival - The Dizzy Mom

Printables - Mama Miss

Raising a Healthy Kid - Living Life Intentionally

Raising a Thinking Child - The Outlaw Mom

Raising a World Citizen - All Done Monkey

Raising Boys - Boy Mama Teacher Mama

Raising Eco-Friendly Kids - Kitchen Counter Chronicles

Raising Girls - Mess For Less

Raising Toddlers - Home Learning Journey

Simply Celebrating Holidays as a Family - Inspired by Family Magazine

Teaching Kids About Money - Carrots are Orange

The Family Dinner Table - Connecting Family and Seoul

The Organized Home - Mamas Like Me

Trying a New Experience With Your Children - 52 Brand New

Values For Children (Character Development) - True Aim Education

{Pink and Red Heart Party: Invitations and Favor Bags}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 22:25:00 +0000

Pink and red stamped and embossed party invitations.

(I made the envelopes out of scrapbooking paper, too)

I made more of these woven paper heart baskets to use as favour bags for guests.

*Oops! Just found this post stuck in my 'drafts' folder, unfinished! Posting it now, anyway, as part of the Pink and Red Heart Party series of posts!

{The Very Best Kids Activities of 2012 from the Kid Blogger Network}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 23:01:00 +0000

What was your favourite blog post of 2012? Is there something that you remember reading somewhere that really stuck with you? Or maybe something that you immediately pinned and thought, "I MUST remember that!"

I have a few that were really memorable for me as a reader, which I will share in a moment. First, let me introduce to you the KBN Best of 2012 blog hop! Over 100 of your favourite Kid Bloggers are sharing their 'Best of 2012' posts and inviting other bloggers to link up your own 'best' post of the year, too.

For readers, this is a superb opportunity to find ALL the best kid related posts of 2012 in one spot! If you're a blogger, take advantage of this opportunity to get your 'best' kid-related post seen - it might be your personal favourite or your most popular or most pinned post. Just please link up only ONE post.

I'm sharing my most popular post of 2012 - 5 Tips for Telling your Preschooler How Babies Are Made. The response to it was quite overwhelming - thank you all! And if you missed it, now is your chance to catch up.

The runners up included 'Toddler Chores for Little Helpers'

and my 'Alternative Painting 38 Different Ways' round-up.

So, what was my favourite post as a reader? It's hard to choose just one, but my creative side loved +NurtureStore's Garden Tile Art, and the mother in me was touched and inspired by Pink Dryer Lint's Why I Never Criticize My Appearance post (ok, so that one was really a repost from the previous year, but I just read it this time around).

Enjoy browsing the best posts of 2012 from over 100 kid bloggers below! Participating KBN bloggers include:

52 Brand New ~ Adventures in Mommydom ~ angeliquefelix.com - The Magic Of Play ~ At home with Ali ~ B-Inspired Mama ~ Blog Me Mom ~Boy Mama Teacher Mama ~ Busy Kids = Happy Mom ~ Carrots Are Orange ~ Caution! Twins at Play ~ Coffee Cups and Crayons ~ Confessions of a Montessori Mom ~ Connecting Family and Seoul ~ Craft To Art ~ Creative Family Fun ~ Creative Kid Snacks ~ Creative Learning Fun ~ Creative Playhouse ~ Creative with Kids ~ Cute and Peculiar ~ De tout et de rien: Activités pour le Préscolaire ~ Dirt And Boogers ~ Edventures with Kids ~ Enchanted Homeschooling Mom ~ The Good Long Road ~ Frogs and snails and puppy dog tails ~ Glittering Muffins ~ Go Kid Yourself ~ Growing A Jeweled Rose ~ hands on : as we grow ~ Here Come the Girls ~ Home Learning Journey ~ Housing A Forest ~ Mama Smiles ~ In Lieu of Preschool ~ Inspiration Laboratories ~ Inspired by Family ~ It's A Long Story ~ JDaniel4's Mom ~ Kids Creative Chaos ~ Kid World Citizen ~ Kindergarten & Preschool for Parents & Teachers ~ Kitchen Counter Chronicles ~ Laughing Kids Learn ~ Learn with Play at home ~ Lessons Learnt Journal ~ Life At The Zoo ~ Little Artists ~ Living Life Intentionally ~ Living Montessori Now ~ Love, Play, Learn ~ Loving My Nest ~ Mama Pea Pod ~ mama miss ~ Mamas Like Me ~ Mess For Less ~ Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas ~ Momma's Fun World ~ Montessori Tidbits ~ My Buddies and I ~ My Little Bookcase ~ My Nearest and Dearest ~ No Twiddle Twaddle ~ Nurturestore ~ Octavia and Vicky ~ One Perfect Day ~ ourfeminist{play}school ~ Picklebums ~ Play Activities ~ Playdough to Plato ~ PlayDrMom ~ playful learners ~ playing with words 365 ~ PragmaticMom ~ Putti'sWorld ~ RainbowsWithinReach ~ Rainy Day Mum ~ Raising Playful Tots ~ Reading Confetti ~ Red Ted Art ~ Royal Baloo ~ Science Sparks ~ Scribble Doodle and Draw ~ Small Potatoes ~ Smiling like Sunshine ~ Sun Hats & Wellie Boots ~ Sun Scholars ~ Teach Preschool ~ The Educators' Spin On It ~ The Fairy and The Frog ~ The Freckled Homeschooler ~ The Golden Gleam ~ The Imagination Tree ~ The Iowa Farmer's Wife ~ The Outlaw Mom Blog ~ The Pleasantest Thing ~ This Reading Mama ~ Toddler Approved ~ Train Up a Child ~ True Aim ~ Two Big Two Little ~ What Do We Do All Day?

And if that's still not enough for you, there's plenty more brilliant ideas still on the KBN Best of 2011 blog hop!

Special thanks to Cerys of Rainy Day Mum and Angelique of The Magic of Play for organizing us all!

{Quick, Last Minute New Year's Eve Party for Kids}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 00:38:00 +0000

Last year was the first year we celebrated New Year's Eve with the kids (though not as late as midnight!). We decided to have a spontaneous party and knocked on doors to invite all our neighbours with kids (8 adults and 6 kids in all, ranging in age from 1 1/2 to 7 years old).

In Hungary, New Year's Eve (called Szilveszter in Hungarian), is often celebrated with a large dinner of pork and stuffed cabbage for good luck. (Read more about Hungarian New Year's traditions in my guest post over at Red Ted Art.) Since we decided at around 6pm that night to have a party (after all the shops were shut), we didn't have any stuffed cabbage on hand. Instead, we raided the pantry for whatever we did have and came up with crackers and cheese, cookies, a box of brownie mix, various sweet treats from Christmas, and some frozen meatballs - pork!

Szilveszter is also a time of superstitions, to ensure good luck for the coming year. In an effort to scare away evil spirits, people make as much noise as they can. Kazoos, paper horns, and other noisemakers keep the spirits away. People often wear silly hats, masks, and accessories, and buy noise-makers, fireworks, and sparklers. Earlier in the day, we had bought some noise-makers and sparklers for our own kids - and we always have lots of silly accessories in our dress-up box!

So after our snacks and drinks, some free play, and a spontaneous 'talent show' put on by the kids in our living room, we bundled the children up in their snowsuits and took them out to the garden to light up the sparklers (fortunately we had enough for everyone to share). They all had a wonderful time waving them around in the dark (with very close adult supervision, of course*), and blowing paper horns and those noisemakers that roll out, making as much noise as they could!

It was such fun, and the kids were all SO excited! Even though we had prepared nothing, it was one of the most fun parties that our kids remember, and they've been asking for months now to do it again this year!

*It goes without saying, really, but children should be supervised carefully whenever they are around sparklers or fireworks, should be shown how to safely hold a sparkler near the end away from the sparks, and should never pick up a sparkler that has burnt out as it remains hot for some time. We also had a designated place to put the burnt out sparklers, to avoid anyone stepping on them or picking them up. Also, please ensure that children are spaced far enough apart to avoid bumping one another with their sparklers.

Boldog Új Évet Kivánok! I wish you a happy New Year!

{ABCs of Kids' Party Ideas: Kids' Party Themes from A-Z}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 22:44:00 +0000

Looking for ideas for kids' party themes that are actually 'do-able' by REAL parents? Look no further!

Coming soon: As part of the Kid Blogger Network's ABCs of ... Series, I've compiled an extensive list of fun Kids' Party Ideas from A-Z! All of the parties linked here were thrown by real parents with varying degrees of 'craftiness' and time on their hands - parents just like you and me (in fact, some of these parties were thrown by me!)

Because there are SO MANY brilliant party ideas to share, I've organized them over 5 posts as follows:

Kids' Party Ideas A-E (goes live on January 7th)

Kids' Party Ideas F-J (goes live on January 8th)

Kids' Party Ideas K-O (goes live on January 9th)

Kids' Party Ideas P-T (goes live on January 10th)

Kids' Party Ideas U-Z (goes live on January 11th)

When all of the posts are live, I will link them all up here, so bookmark or pin this page as your overall party ideas reference list.

You can also find more ideas, cakes, and party throwing tips on my Parties Pinterest board. And while you're busy planning all your fabulous party ideas, be sure to print out these free printable party planning lists from Delicate Construction!

There are over 70 bloggers participating in the KBN's ABCs of Series, sharing all sorts of topics related to kids. There are sure to be some super resources there that you will want to save for future reference. You might want to start with the rest of the 'Mama Tips and Tricks' category below, or you may want to browse through the entire series.

MAMA TIPS & TRICKS - The ABCs of ...

Being a Hands On Mom - Hands On: As We Grow

Connecting With Your Kids - One Perfect Day

Fun, Healthy Snacks for Kids - Juggling with Kids

Kids' Party Ideas - Mama Pea Pod

Mama Survival - The Dizzy Mom

Printables - Mama Miss

Raising a Healthy Kid - Living Life Intentionally

Raising a Thinking Child - The Outlaw Mom

Raising a World Citizen - All Done Monkey

Raising Boys - Boy Mama Teacher Mama

Raising Eco-Friendly Kids - Kitchen Counter Chronicles

Raising Girls - Mess For Less

Raising Toddlers - Home Learning Journey

Simply Celebrating Holidays as a Family - Inspired by Family Magazine

Teaching Kids About Money - Carrots are Orange

The Family Dinner Table - Connecting Family and Seoul

The Organized Home - Mamas Like Me

Trying a New Experience With Your Children - 52 Brand New

Values For Children (Character Development) - True Aim Education

{Merry Christmas from the Peas}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 21:25:00 +0000

Merry Christmas from the Pea Family!

Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy holiday!

{Christmas Around the World - Hungary}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Gingerbread

"Boldog Karácsonyt!" (pronounced more or less like Bowl-dog Car-ah-chont) is "Merry Christmas" in Hungarian.

One of the things that makes our family's Christmases a little more interesting (and a lot more complicated!) is that we celebrate a mix of English and Hungarian Christmas traditions. Our children are half Hungarian and we live in Budapest, the capital city of Hungary. Hungary is located in central Europe, bordering Austria, Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, Slovenia, and the Ukraine.

In Hungary, there is no Santa Claus that comes on Christmas Eve. Instead, Szent Mikulás (Saint Nicholas) comes on the night of December 5th, filling children's newly polished boots on the windowsills with chocolate, tangerines, nuts, and small gifts. You can read more about the Mikulás tradition here.

Walnut and Poppy Seed Beigli

Christmas itself is celebrated on December 24th, not the 25th. On Christmas Eve, families enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner of carp soup, stuffed cabbage, and possibly some other meat (could be pork, chicken, or turkey - likely as breaded and deep-fried cutlets known as ránttot hús), followed by beigli, a sweet pastry roll filled with walnut paste or poppy seed paste.

Száloncukor candies to hang on the tree

After dinner, children often go out for a walk or some other such distraction with their grandparents. While they are out, Baby Jesus comes to the house and delivers presents and a fully-decorated Christmas tree. Trees usually have száloncukor candies hanging on them - chocolate covered candies with various fillings (marzipan, jelly, nougat, etc.), and it's not unusual for there to be real candles on the tree instead of lights. Children come home from their walk to this magical sight and open their presents.

Budapest Christmas Market

One of the highlights of Christmas in Budapest is the Christmas markets. They are a great place to find some special, handcrafted gifts, including beautiful locally made pottery and elaborately decorated gingerbread cookies. Or just wander around drinking forralt bor (mulled wine) or hot apple cider from your special Christmas market mug and eating Hungarian specialties such as mangalica sausages, stuffed cabbage, and roasted chestnuts. Nighttime at the market is especially magical, with all the Christmas lights twinkling.

Stuffed Cabbage

Ummm....rooster testicles stew, anyone??

Some of the challenges for us celebrating a multicultural Christmas here include getting a Christmas tree earlier in the month (although they are becoming more popular and easier to find now), since most Hungarians don't put up their tree until Christmas Eve; and buying a whole turkey to roast for our Christmas dinner - we have to pre-order one specifically from a butcher as you can't buy them in supermarkets. And, of course, 'keeping the story straight' for all the various relatives from each culture can be very complicated and confusing!

Despite the challenges, celebrating a mix of cultural Christmas traditions makes our Christmas special, and reflects who we are as a family. We love that our children are growing up bilingually and biculturally!

If you want to get into the spirit of a Hungarian Christmas, why not try this beigli recipe, or have a go at making some of these lovely decorations made from dried fruits and spices? They smell divine! (Follow these instructions for drying oranges)

Hanging decorations made from dried oranges and limes,
cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves

How do you celebrate Christmas where you live?

This post is part of the Christmas Around the World series from Living Life Intentionally. Catch up on previous posts in the series to learn about how the holiday is celebrated in other countries! And be sure to get your free Christmas Around the World ebook to accompany the series.

Happy holidays to you, wherever and however you celebrate!

{Christmas Angel Tree Topper}

noreply@blogger.com (Mama Pea Pod) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 06:00:00 +0000

I remember as a teenager being perfectly mortified when friends would come over to our house at Christmas and see all the homemade decorations on our tree that my mum had kept from when we were little! From the cotton ball snowmen to the gold macaroni tree, I tried in vain to convince her to throw them away. In fact, she still puts them on her tree every year, even though we now range in age from 29-37! (I won't tell you where I fall in there!) But now, as a mom, I totally get it! Nothing makes me smile more than seeing my kids' handiwork decorating our house at Christmas time. ♥

Now, Daddy Pea and I had been searching and searching for the perfect Christmas tree topper for several years, and every year our tree top was bare in waiting. But last year Princess Pea made this adorable angel for the top of our Christmas tree. I just love her! No need to look any further for that perfect tree topper for our family - we've found it and will be using it again and again! What could be better than a tree topper made by your child?

We found the inspiration in the Usborne Christmas Fun book of crafts for the preschool/early elementary-aged crowd, which we LOVE (we are huge fans of Usborne books. I've included links to some of their Christmas books at the bottom of this post).

Making her was really easy and we had such a nice, cozy time creating together - one of my favourite parts of the Christmas holidays at our house is making Christmas crafts together!

To make one, the directions are really simple:

1. Draw around a plate to get a circle out of coloured paper or cardstock (or you could use old gift wrap, or even white paper that the kids have painted. The thicker it is, the sturdier the angel will be and the longer it will last).

2. Cut the circle in half. One half is used to make a cone shape for the angel's body, while the other piece is folded in half again and trimmed to make the wings shape.

3. Cut out a small paper circle for the head and glue on some hair out of yarn or embroidery thread or whatever you have.

4. Unfold and attach the wings and the head to the body with tape or glue.

5. Decorate with glue and glitter or glitter glue to add a sparkly holiday touch to it.

Isn't she beautiful? And I can't tell you how proud it makes Princess Pea to see her angel on the top of our Christmas tree!

This post is part of the Creative Christmas Countdown hosted by Creative With Kids and Red Ted Art, and featuring 24 of your favourite Kid Bloggers! Catch up with the rest of the creative advent activities over at the Creative Christmas Countdown 2012 main page.

You might also be interested in:

Paper Curl Christmas Trees (inspired by Usborne's 50 Christmas Things to Make and Do!)

Paper Christmas Tree Forest

Christmas Tradition: Saint Mikulás

Preschool Christmas Crafts

Standing Paper Christmas Trees

Sparkling Star of David Kids' Craft

Amazon.com Widgets

Note that this post contains links to Amazon through my Affiliates link.

{New Year's Eve in Hungary: Guest Post}

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Mamapeapod) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:47:00 +0000

Hi folks, hope you're having a happy holiday season so far. Today you can find me over at Red Ted Art guest posting as part of their New Year's Eve Traditions Around the World series about how we celebrate New Year's Eve (with kids!) here in Hungary.

Hope to see you there! Would love some comments over there :-)