Sometimes these days can feel like all work and no play… for you AND your kids! Help your kids escape the screens and stress of at-home learning and get back to the business of play with these awesome, hands-on, activity ideas perfect for after-school playtime!Hands-On Fun for Big KidsThere’s a reason recess is built into the school day – big kids’ brains need a break! Hands-on play improves behavior, develops imagination and creativity, helps kids express their emotions, and so much more.Busy builders can blast into hands-on, building play fun (with a circuit-building STEM twist!) with EI’s brand-new Circuit Explorer sets! Kids follow the arrows to connect the pieces, at the same time connecting circuits that activate lights, sounds, and moving pieces. Get started with the Rocket set, complete with light-up nose cone and nozzles, Space Rover with light-up headlights, and Landing Pad with color-changing lights. Progress to the Rover set and build a Communications Station with a rotating Radar Dish, Power Station with Rover Charger, Powered Space Rover and Freewheeling Space Rover, both with light-up headlights. Then surprise your 3-D, circuit-building sweetie with the Deluxe Base Station, a Deluxe Base Station with circuit-powered Towers, Spinning Diner Sign, Planetarium with color-changing dome light, Voice Synthesizer Station with 10 space sounds, Communication Station with rotating Radar Dish, a Powered Space Rover and a freewheeling Space Rover both with light-up headlights. The perfect holiday gifts, the pieces in each set work with the others for a totally interconnected circuit system, and each set includes pretend play figures perfect for imaginative play. The only circuit-building set with buildable, 3-D pieces, Circuit Explorers are available exclusively on Amazon.com.Puppet shows are another great way to light up your kids’ imaginations! Put those cardboard delivery boxes to use and create a homemade puppet theater following the simple instructions at AskaGranny. Let your big kid decorate the theater using paints and markers, then pull out your puppet collection – or make your own sock puppets or tube puppets -  and act out your kiddo’s favorite book or let them freestyle with a story of their own making. Also, for the ultimate time-saving way to have fun, check out this super simple creative video featuring ways to make puppets out of regular household items and foods! They'll never look at their orange the same way again!Hands-On Fun for PreschoolersUnplugged, hands-on playtime is a must in every preschooler’s day. Hands-on play engages all of a preschooler’s senses, building critical fine motor skills, and exercising problem-solving skills.Design & Drill® Bolt Buddies™ are perfect for hands-on preschool playtime! Kids use snap-together pieces to build the bodies of a Rocket, Racecar, or Recycling Truck, then use a real, working, kid-friendly drill to bolt them together. When the hands-on construction fun is done, use the included driver and pal figurines to play out various pretend play scenarios, encouraging creativity and imagination, too!Slime is also a great hands-on activity for preschoolers! Perfect for sensory stimulation, slime is calming, promotes mindfulness and focus, encourages independent play, and helps build fine motor skills. Find all kinds of easy slime recipes, including MomDot.com’s edible slime, sand slime, rainbow explosion slime, and more, on our Easy SlimeTime Pinterest Board! Or create a homemade batch of party slime to give as an adorable birthday gift or party favor! Add glitter, Playfoam, pool noodles or whatever you fancy to make your batch colorful and textured!Photo credit: MomDot.comHands-On Fun for ToddlersEven though they’re not in school, toddlers are clocking more screen time than ever during this unusual year at home. Hands-on play is a great way to practice basic concepts including shapes, colors, letters, and numbers, develop language skills, and introduce early math concepts like bigger and smaller, shorter and taller, counting, sorting, and matching.The hands-on fun really stacks up with EI’s Bright Basics Nest & Stack Cubes! Kids as young as two can build a 3-foot tall tower by stacking 10 cubes featuring animals, shapes, numerals, quantities, and sweet starry scenes. When they’re done stacking, toddlers can nest each cube inside the next, building visual discrimination, spatial reasoning, fine motor, and early math skills as they play.Sidewalk chalk is a highly-satisfying, hands-on activity perfect for toddlers. Let them choose the colors, then go to town designing their own outdoor works of art. You can join in the fun, drawing everything from rainbows to hopscotch courts, cats, and clouds. Sidewalk paint is a slippery twist on sidewalk chalk and you can make your own! See how at our Home's Cool video tutorial.

As the holidays approach, many families are looking for ways to teach the joy of giving. At the same time, we’re all looking for ways to feel more connected with our community, even though we can’t get together in the same ways we used to. Below are a few of our favorite ideas for introducing the spirit of giving and community!Donate ThingsExplain to your kids that some parents in your area have not been able to go to work because of Coronavirus and may not have the money they need to make the holidays special for their families. One way your kids can help is to donate some of the clothing and toys they’re not using anymore so that those parents can give them to their kids. Both The Salvation Army and Goodwill are accepting donations again – visit their websites to find your local drop off location.Ditto food items! Feeding America can help you locate your nearest food pantry. Help your kids choose a few favorite, unopened items from the cupboard and perhaps supplement with a few picks from the grocery store, then deliver your donation. Explain to your kids that some families are having a really hard time and don’t have enough money to buy food, but that your donation will help feed those families for free!Books also make great donation items, particularly since many libraries are still closed. Have your kids choose a few they’re finished with, give the covers a quick once over with an antibacterial wipe, then wash your hands, put on your mask, and walk them over to your nearest neighborhood Little Free Library.Photo credit: littlefreelibrary.orgDonate TimeSome neighbors, particularly the elderly or those with compromised immune systems, may be reluctant to go out these days. Your family can help by offering to pick up groceries or prescriptions. Depending on your kids’ ages, they may also be able to help with things like mowing lawns, weeding, bringing trash cans in/out, and dog walking.Your family can also volunteer time unloading trucks and stocking shelves at your local food bank or even create your own neighborhood pop-up pantry. This can range from a cardboard box on your curb with a homemade sign saying “Help Yourself” to a permanent fixture like the Little Free Library that’s stocked with non-perishable canned and boxed goods. Follow @LittleFreePantry on Instagram for some great ideas and inspiration.Photo credit: littlefreepantryIf you aren't sure how to choose the best option for your family, check out Project Giving Kids, a non-profit whose core mission is to help teach empathy and social responsibility to young people. They connect families to high-quality, age-appropriate volunteer activities with a network of charitable partners across the country!  How cool is that? You can also sign-up for a special Create the Change Week (November 7-15, 2020) that provides free virtual activities for kids and families to give back!Your kids can also easily brighten your neighbors’ days with a chalk drawing or positive statement on the sidewalk, a coloring sheet in a neighbor’s mailbox, or a smile on an evening walk. Download our free greeting cards for loved ones here. Or our adorable birthday greeting cards to make someone feel extra special on their day!Donate MoneyAn easy rule of thumb is that kids should save about 20% of what they earn, spend about 70%, and give 10% to charity. Even the littlest kids can earn a bit of money helping with simple chores like emptying trash cans and feeding pets, while older kids may have more complex chores or earn money outside the home with paper routes or mowing lawns. Encourage them to set some of their earnings aside to help those in need – then offer to match what they’re willing to donate.Charity Navigator has lots of options ranging from national to local charities. Work with your child to decide who should receive your donation. Read the charity’s description to your kids and talk about how much the recipients of their donations will appreciate their help.Or maybe they’d like to contribute locally, via a small bonus and thank you card for your mail carrier, street sweeper, or waste management crew. If your kids aren’t aware of the hard workers that come together to ensure your mail deliveries, empty trash cans, trimmed trees, and clean streets, play is a great way to teach them! EI’s Design & Drill® Bolt Buddies™ Recycle Truck is great for pretend play.Kids are natural givers and caring by nature. Set them down the road to giving and they’ll likely continue to do so as adults!

This pandemic has touched every corner of our lives, from work to school to home – and now it’s messing with some of our most favorite holidays! Since many cities across the country may not be allowing trick-or-treating, we’re sharing some spooky ideas (six to be exact) for celebrating Halloween at home. Whether you’re gathering your small, COVID-careful pod of people together to party in your backyard or keeping the fun to family only, check out these ghoulishly great activities and make this Halloween one to remember!1. Carve A Pumpkin (or just decorate it)!Nothing says Halloween quite like carving a pumpkin. Younger kids can paint a spooky face using non-toxic tempera or acrylic paint or try a totally awesome drip design using glow-in-the-dark paint!  Older kids and grown-ups can use stencils, cookie cutters, lemon zesters, and pumpkin carving knives to carefully carve their own creepy creations. Need some inspiration? Check out these ideas for no-carve pumpkins or carving pumpkins– extra points if your pumpkin is wearing a mask!2. Bake Some Scary Snacks!Your kids may not be bringing home pillowcases of candy, but you can still make the day super sweet with Halloween-themed nummies including voodoo doll cookies, cupcake witches, Halloween candy bark, and more! We especially love these simple chocolate chip spider cookies ???? For more fun, check out these delicious Halloween spooky snack ideas on our Pinterest board.Photo credit: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/3. Play Some Ghoulish Games!Have an in-home scavenger hunt (find free, printable clues on PlayPartyPlan.com!), set up your own spider-and-straw races, and make a Witch Pitch out of goodies from the Dollar Store, and get gaming! Find tons of great Halloween-themed games to make and play at home, on our Pinterest board.Photo credit: onecrazyhouse.com4. Make Some Creepy Crafts!Crafts are perfect for a Halloween party! Set up a table with construction paper and paint and make handprint vampires and witches, make vanishing ghosts out of biodegradable packing peanuts, or construct your own haunted house out of toilet paper tubes. Or, for a less messy but totally tactile Halloween activity that doubles as a great guest gift, grab a 24-pack of Playfoam® Pals™ Surprise Party or a case of 64 Playfoam^® pods from educationalinsights.com. Order now and SAVE 50% for a limited time! WOW!  Each pod includes squishy, squashy Playfoam – perfect for sculpting everything from pumpkins to black cats, as well as a surprise, neon-colored Pal, and mystery party backdrop.Click to shop & SAVE 50%!5. Take It on Parade!Just because you’re not trick-or-treating doesn’t mean you can’t get out and about. Spread the word in your neighborhood that the kids are going to be on parade, dress them up as their favorite celeb or superhero (you can find some super fun DIY costume ideas on our blog and some fun make-your-own mask printables on our Pinterest board!), wait till dusk, then hit the sidewalk! Keep a socially distant six feet between families and leave an adult at home to wave and holler as the parade goes by.Photo credit: gigglesgalore.net6. Watch Some (Not-So) Scary Movies!Wrap up your Halloween-at-Home with some not-so-scary movies (and Halloween popcorn balls, of course!). Toddlers will love Room on the Broom; Toy Story of Terror and Goosebumps are good scary fun for little ones, while in-betweeners might be ready for Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark or The House With a Clock in Its Walls. Click for Good Housekeeping’s list of 40 Halloween Movies That Won’t Keep Them Up All Night.

Father’s Day is Sunday, June 21, so we’re sharing some our favorite ideas for fun family activities, homemade gifts, and other ways to make dad feel like the superhero he is!

1. Nom Nom Nom – Start the day off right by making some of dad’s favorite dishes! Let the kids help -toddlers can press the button on the blender and help whip up a smoothie (this one’s our fave!); preschoolers can use a butter knife to slice a banana for oatmeal topping.[caption id="attachment_6163" align="alignnone" width="517"] Food Network: Frozen Fruit Smoothies[/caption]

2. Head Out for a Ride – Gather the scooters, bikes, and trikes and make the most of the gorgeous June weather! Take a trip around the block, to the park, or along the shore. Don’t forget your helmets![caption id="" align="alignnone" width="766"] Photo credit: parentmap.com[/caption]

3. Get Your Giggle On – Let your kids take turns filling out lines on this fun, Father’s Day mad lib,  then read it to dad together. Looking for more serious feels? Have each of your kids answer these 10 questions about dad, then share their responses.

4. Play a Game – Does dad love chess? Checkers? I she a sports lover? Let him choose a game to while away the afternoon! May we suggest this rowdy word game that is guaranteed family fun: Blurt!^® Sports Game!

5. Make a Print – Pick up a canvas and some paints, take off your kids’ socks and shoes, and make some prints! Find adorable ideas for toddler hand and footprint Father’s Day art on our Father’s Day Pinterest board, like this perfect-for-handy-dads footprint painting.

6. Color Him Happy –Older kids can color their own Father’s Day greeting cards using these free, downloadable templates from EI! Choose a card featuring one of your kiddo’s favorite EI characters in full-color or choose a DIY coloring card and let them get creative. There are even cards for Grandpa!  simply click images to print or visit our website for  more cute printable cards![caption id="attachment_6171" align="alignnone" width="1440"] [/caption]

7. Give a Gift – Your Father’s Day gift doesn’t need to be extravagant. A Mason jar filled with dad’s favorite nuts and a sweet, homemade tag, a hand-painted wooden spatula for the grill, or a boxed-up batch of his very favorite, ooey-gooey fudge brownies are enough to show dad how much you care.

8. Hit the Park – Grab the balls, bats, and a frisbee and head out to the park for an afternoon of family fun in the sun. Pack a picnic and take a break in the shade when you’ve worn all your wiggles out.[caption id="attachment_6179" align="alignnone" width="748"] Photo credit: Muse Academy[/caption]

9. Shoot for the Stars – Set up a telescope, like the GeoSafari® Omega Refractor, and soak up a stellar night of starry skies, complete with s'mores! Find four easy fire-free ways to cook up these sweet treats, here.[caption id="attachment_6180" align="alignnone" width="842"] GeoSafari® Omega Refractor Telescope[/caption]

10. Snuggle – Grab the blankets and pillows, let dad pick his favorite movie, and end this special day with a whole family snuggle fest![caption id="attachment_6181" align="alignnone" width="774"] Photo credit: https://www.lifehack.org[/caption]

No matter how you choose to celebrate dad, a day filled with family will always feel special!