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Missing Loved Ones? Send Your Love with a Letter!
- EI Editor Posted On May 30, 2020 | UnpluggedPlay
We have all been missing our loved ones. We bet your kiddos are really missing their friends too! These free printable greeting cards have been created especially for you to make it easy to let them know you are thinking of them.[caption id="attachment_6083" align="alignnone" width="680"]
Click image to download: HUGS Card[/caption]National Best Friends Day is June 8 and this is a great way for your little ones to show their love and learn the value of good ol' fashioned snail mail! In a time when we all need love, support, and encouragement more than ever before, these adorable, downloadable, mailable cards are an easy way to spread the love.[caption id="attachment_6079" align="alignnone" width="680"]
Click image to download: Full-Color Frankie[/caption][caption id="attachment_6081" align="alignnone" width="680"]
Click image to download: DIY Frankie Coloring Card[/caption]Start with a list of friends and family near and far – don’t forget the grandparents! Then let your child choose the right card for each person on their list. Print, color (if you’ve chosen a color-in-card), then write a sweet note or draw a fun picture on the inside, sign, and send![caption id="attachment_6085" align="alignnone" width="680"]
Click image to download: PLAY card[/caption][caption id="attachment_6089" align="alignnone" width="680"]
Click image to download: Sneaky Snacky DIY Coloring Card[/caption][caption id="attachment_6087" align="alignnone" width="680"]
Click image to download: Sneaky Snacky Full Color Card[/caption]After all, who doesn’t love getting mail? Spread the love! ????
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Posted on Sep 9, 2020
Step Away from the Desk: 8 No-Screen After-School Activity Ideas
Whether your kiddo is spending their school day sitting at a desk at home, or they’re back in the classroom, masked, working hard to follow social distancing, hand washing, and no-contact play rules, they are going to be ready for a break once the school day is done. But that doesn’t have to mean screen time! Below are some of our favorite screen-free, take-a-break activities designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and imagination through good old-fashioned PLAY!1. Get the Wiggles Out!Little ones weren’t built to sit still for extended periods of time. Turn on some tunes and throw a crazy dance party or get those Kindergarten crazies out with the Magic Moves® Electronic Wand! This amazing electronic wand features 90 fun, physical commands, twinkling light shows, and 26 different musical tunes. Your kids will be stomping like dinosaurs, soaring like eagles, and so much more, all the while building their vocabularies and practicing following directions.
2. Set Up a Scavenger Hunt!Make a list of 10 things to find in your home or your backyard and let your little one loose! Early readers can practice sounding out the items they’re searching for – then let them make a list of things for you to find, to practice their writing and spelling skills. Take a twist on traditional scavenger hunts by having your kiddos search for items that are specific colors (check out the smarties at iheartcraftythings.com), or for objects that start with each letter of the alphabet.
Photo credit: iheartcraftythings.com3. Go Creepy Crawly!Speaking of outdoor activities, kids can soak up a little vitamin D – and some serious science skills! – with the GeoSafari® Jr. Bugnoculars. Little scientists can catch and observe critters, leaves, flowers, and more in this bug-friendly, kid-cool, transparent container. It's perfect for STEM learning! Bonus points if kids sketch their finds in a notebook, give their friends names, or write silly stories about them![caption id="attachment_6915" align="alignnone" width="840"]
GeoSafari® Jr. Bugnoculars[/caption]4. Rock On!Rock painting does double activity duty – first a walk to search for your “canvasses”, followed by an arts and crafts session to paint them! Use acrylic paints to create free form designs, seasonal objects (think pumpkins, turkeys, or snowflakes), or quotes. We love the kind and crafty ideas on the Curious Doodle blog! In addition to bolstering creativity, painting is also a great way to build those fine motor skills.
Photo credit: curiousdoodle.com5. Get Strategic!If your sweetie just needs some space after a long day of schooling, settle them down with Kanoodle®! This best-selling, award-winning solo play game is a great way to lose yourself for a little while. Place the puzzle pieces as shown, then figure out how to fit the remaining pieces to solve the puzzle, building strategic thinking and problem-solving skills as they do. And with 200 puzzles to solve, your kids will be busy for hours. As you know, educational toys and games are our specialty. Check our more brain teasers and brain games here.[caption id="attachment_6888" align="alignnone" width="840"]
EI Strategy Games & Brain Teasers[/caption]6. Chalk It Up!Chalk art had a moment during the pandemic – you may have seen the trendy designs around your own neighborhood. Your kids can make their own chalk masterpieces – and get some hands-on practice with shapes and colors – following the super simple instructions at TheIdeaRoom.net.
Photo credit: TheIdeaRoom.net7. Squish the Stress Away!Squishy, squashy Playfoam® is perfect for sculpting! Squish it into shape, smash it down, and start again – this non-toxic substance never dries out so kids can use it again and again. Sculpt cats, dogs, snowmen, or butterflies, or use it to create letters and spell your child’s name! Playfoam also offers endless ways to learn through play! You'll love these learning activity ideas for solo play and even more creative fun![caption id="attachment_6856" align="alignnone" width="595"]
Photo credit: @mayra_valdez[/caption]8. Go Fly a Kite!Flying a kite is a science lesson unto itself – and so is making one! Follow the simple instructions on this video from EasyArtyCrafty to create your own flying machine, then take it for a test spin. If your kids love being outside, you can find other great outdoor activity ideas on our blog!Relaxing time doesn’t have to mean screen time. Give these ideas a go, then find other fun ideas for screen-free learning activities here!
READ MORE
Step Away from the Desk: 8 No-Screen After-School Activity Ideas
Whether your kiddo is spending their school day sitting at a desk at home, or they’re back in the classroom, masked, working hard to follow social distancing, hand washing, and no-contact play rules, they are going to be ready for a break once the school day is done. But that doesn’t have to mean screen time! Below are some of our favorite screen-free, take-a-break activities designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and imagination through good old-fashioned PLAY!1. Get the Wiggles Out!Little ones weren’t built to sit still for extended periods of time. Turn on some tunes and throw a crazy dance party or get those Kindergarten crazies out with the Magic Moves® Electronic Wand! This amazing electronic wand features 90 fun, physical commands, twinkling light shows, and 26 different musical tunes. Your kids will be stomping like dinosaurs, soaring like eagles, and so much more, all the while building their vocabularies and practicing following directions.2. Set Up a Scavenger Hunt!Make a list of 10 things to find in your home or your backyard and let your little one loose! Early readers can practice sounding out the items they’re searching for – then let them make a list of things for you to find, to practice their writing and spelling skills. Take a twist on traditional scavenger hunts by having your kiddos search for items that are specific colors (check out the smarties at iheartcraftythings.com), or for objects that start with each letter of the alphabet.Photo credit: iheartcraftythings.com3. Go Creepy Crawly!Speaking of outdoor activities, kids can soak up a little vitamin D – and some serious science skills! – with the GeoSafari® Jr. Bugnoculars. Little scientists can catch and observe critters, leaves, flowers, and more in this bug-friendly, kid-cool, transparent container. It's perfect for STEM learning! Bonus points if kids sketch their finds in a notebook, give their friends names, or write silly stories about them![caption id="attachment_6915" align="alignnone" width="840"] GeoSafari® Jr. Bugnoculars[/caption]4. Rock On!Rock painting does double activity duty – first a walk to search for your “canvasses”, followed by an arts and crafts session to paint them! Use acrylic paints to create free form designs, seasonal objects (think pumpkins, turkeys, or snowflakes), or quotes. We love the kind and crafty ideas on the Curious Doodle blog! In addition to bolstering creativity, painting is also a great way to build those fine motor skills.Photo credit: curiousdoodle.com5. Get Strategic!If your sweetie just needs some space after a long day of schooling, settle them down with Kanoodle®! This best-selling, award-winning solo play game is a great way to lose yourself for a little while. Place the puzzle pieces as shown, then figure out how to fit the remaining pieces to solve the puzzle, building strategic thinking and problem-solving skills as they do. And with 200 puzzles to solve, your kids will be busy for hours. As you know, educational toys and games are our specialty. Check our more brain teasers and brain games here.[caption id="attachment_6888" align="alignnone" width="840"] EI Strategy Games & Brain Teasers[/caption]6. Chalk It Up!Chalk art had a moment during the pandemic – you may have seen the trendy designs around your own neighborhood. Your kids can make their own chalk masterpieces – and get some hands-on practice with shapes and colors – following the super simple instructions at TheIdeaRoom.net.Photo credit: TheIdeaRoom.net7. Squish the Stress Away!Squishy, squashy Playfoam® is perfect for sculpting! Squish it into shape, smash it down, and start again – this non-toxic substance never dries out so kids can use it again and again. Sculpt cats, dogs, snowmen, or butterflies, or use it to create letters and spell your child’s name! Playfoam also offers endless ways to learn through play! You'll love these learning activity ideas for solo play and even more creative fun![caption id="attachment_6856" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo credit: @mayra_valdez[/caption]8. Go Fly a Kite!Flying a kite is a science lesson unto itself – and so is making one! Follow the simple instructions on this video from EasyArtyCrafty to create your own flying machine, then take it for a test spin. If your kids love being outside, you can find other great outdoor activity ideas on our blog!Relaxing time doesn’t have to mean screen time. Give these ideas a go, then find other fun ideas for screen-free learning activities here! READ MORE
Posted on Aug 25, 2020
Home's Cool Learning Activity With Simple Science: How to Make a Rubber Egg
Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Michael Sheridan, one of our EI Product Managers!Ages: 5+Grades: K+Supplies:• Egg• White vinegar• Glass jar with lid
Procedure:1. Gently place the egg in a glass jar.
2. Fill the jar ¾ full of white vinegar.3. Watch the bubbles form on the eggshell. This is carbon dioxide gas (like in soda) and is just the beginning of the chemical reactions you’ll observe!
4. Put the lid on the jar and let it set for a few days, or even a week.5. Check the jar every day to see if you need to add more vinegar to keep the jar ¾ full.6. After a week, CAREFULLY remove the egg from the jar. Gently wash the egg and rub off the remaining parts of the shell. You’ll be left with a shell-less egg that’s rubbery. Be careful not to squeeze too hard or else the egg might burst!7. Drop the rubber egg from a low height (about 1-2”) to see it bounce and jiggle like a water balloon. Again, be careful not to be too rough or the egg may burst.8. When you’re done with this experiment, you can compost your egg. We strongly advise that you do NOT eat the egg since it has been out at room temperature for a week or more.Explanation:Vinegar contains acetic acid, which is an acid. Eggshells contain calcium carbonate, which is a base.Other experiments:• What happens if you soak the shell-less egg in corn syrup?• After soaking the shell-less egg in corn syrup and seeing the result, what happens when you put the egg back in a jar of water? Try adding some food coloring to the water and see what happens!
EI Product Manager Michael Sheridan is a jack of all trades! An avid surfer and former international soccer competitor, this outdoor and sporting enthusiast also has a degree in Astrophysics from UCLA and eight years of product development experience in a variety of industries. Prior to helping build EI's science products and brain game lines, Michael developed everything from folding chairs to electric scooters and skateboards!
READ MORE
Home's Cool Learning Activity With Simple Science: How to Make a Rubber Egg
Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Michael Sheridan, one of our EI Product Managers!Ages: 5+Grades: K+Supplies:• Egg• White vinegar• Glass jar with lid
Procedure:1. Gently place the egg in a glass jar.
2. Fill the jar ¾ full of white vinegar.3. Watch the bubbles form on the eggshell. This is carbon dioxide gas (like in soda) and is just the beginning of the chemical reactions you’ll observe!
4. Put the lid on the jar and let it set for a few days, or even a week.5. Check the jar every day to see if you need to add more vinegar to keep the jar ¾ full.6. After a week, CAREFULLY remove the egg from the jar. Gently wash the egg and rub off the remaining parts of the shell. You’ll be left with a shell-less egg that’s rubbery. Be careful not to squeeze too hard or else the egg might burst!7. Drop the rubber egg from a low height (about 1-2”) to see it bounce and jiggle like a water balloon. Again, be careful not to be too rough or the egg may burst.8. When you’re done with this experiment, you can compost your egg. We strongly advise that you do NOT eat the egg since it has been out at room temperature for a week or more.Explanation:Vinegar contains acetic acid, which is an acid. Eggshells contain calcium carbonate, which is a base.Other experiments:• What happens if you soak the shell-less egg in corn syrup?• After soaking the shell-less egg in corn syrup and seeing the result, what happens when you put the egg back in a jar of water? Try adding some food coloring to the water and see what happens!
EI Product Manager Michael Sheridan is a jack of all trades! An avid surfer and former international soccer competitor, this outdoor and sporting enthusiast also has a degree in Astrophysics from UCLA and eight years of product development experience in a variety of industries. Prior to helping build EI's science products and brain game lines, Michael developed everything from folding chairs to electric scooters and skateboards! READ MORE
