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ShamROCK the Holiday with Fun St. Patrick’s Day Games
Irish or not, St. Patrick’s Day can be loads of fun for kids, and, since spring is right around the corner, it’s also a great time to get outside and explore. Check out these good-as-gold St. Patrick’s Day activities and games: follow the after-school schedule or choose the St. Patrick’s Day game your kids will like best! Go for GoldA St. Patrick’s Day game such as a scavenger hunt is a great way to burn off that after-school energy! Make a list of everyday objects you’ve hidden around the house or yard and challenge your child to find them. Add a twist by tasking the kids to find “something green” and “something gold”. Be sure to include the proverbial pot of gold (a pasta pot will do in a pinch, and yes, we know that’s a pot of silver) at the end of your search filled with a fun St. Paddy’s Day surprise—a few coins or candies. Arts & Crafts, Celtic StyleFor this St. Patrick’s Day game, search for a shamrock template online, print, and cut out a master. Then let the kids loose with green construction paper, glitter glue, and markers and watch as your home begins to sparkle like the Emerald Isles. Older kids can even make shamrock garlands! Once the shamrocks are dry, use them for shamrock hopscotch or a good old fashioned game of hot lava. Read All About ItYour local library is a great place to pick up some Irish folk tales or St. Paddy’s day stories. And while that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow may only live in fairytales, your kids will get a kick out of learning how real rainbows form. Take discovery to the next level and create your own rainbows using a prism at home. Unicorn & Leprechaun Hide & SeekTurn a traditional game of hide-and-seek green with Rainbow Prancers & leprechauns! Players start by choosing one “Rainbow Prancer” unicorn. (If you’ve got a Rainbow Prancer Puppet-on-a-Stick, be sure to give it to the unicorn player!) The unicorn hides and the rest of your little leprechauns search for him or her. (If your crew created shamrock art, pin one to each player’s shirt to identify them as leprechauns.) As each player finds the unicorn, they quietly join her and become unicorns, too! The St. Patrick’s Day game continues until the last leprechaun joins the herd of unicorns. Cheers to a St Patrick’s Day full of fun, luck & a little magic! 
Top 10 Stocking Stuffers and Small Gift Ideas
Finding a stocking filled with small surprises is one of the most exciting parts of the holidays! To help parents make the most of these tiny treasures, Experts at Play at Educational Insights are here with 10 small gift ideas guaranteed to bring big smiles, spark lasting joy, and keep kids’ interest well into the new year.
Playfoam Pals Holiday Ornaments – Give the gift of holiday spirit with this 2-in-1 craft set! Kids decorate the ornaments with the included stickers and hang them on the tree, then sculpt the Playfoam inside into the perfect pretend play props for the Snowy Pals figurine hidden in the Playfoam! When they’re done, squish the Playfoam flat and begin again—Playfoam never dries out, so the fun never ends!
Playfoam Build-a-Snowman – Kids can squish and squash these packs of Playfoam into their very own no-melt snowmen, then accessorize them with the included hat, scarf, carrot nose, arm branches, eyes, and buttons. This set of three kits is perfect for spreading across sibling stockings, too!
Playfoam Putty 4 Pack – Stimulate sensory play all season long with Playfoam Putty! A uniquely textured putty is perfect for squishing, squashing, and sculpting, and makes a crackle sound with every squeeze! Perfect for screen-free ASMR play. Plus, all that squeezing and squashing builds fine motor skills.
Playfoam Pals Snowy Friends – Inspire hours of pretend-play fun! Each special-edition snow globe pod contains a snowy mix of Playfoam perfect for sculpting a squishy, squashy, play world, and a hidden mystery Pal to play in it! Kids will want to collect them all!
Playfoam Shape & Learn 4 Pack – Slip some learning into their stockings! This pack contains four sets of sculptable Playfoam, each with a set of shape, letter, number, or counting cards. Kids shape the Playfoam to match the object on each card, practicing critical preschool skills the creative way!
PaperCraft Doll Fashion Party – Encourage creativity with this set of four PaperCraft booklets, each featuring extra-large, stick-on (and off, and on again) dolls and fashions for endless mix and match outfits and hours of creative play. And with four sets you can spread them across other sibling’s stockings or give as small gifts to other friends and family.
GeoSafari Jr. Dino Discovery – Turn Christmas day into a prehistoric party with a real dino dig packed with surprises! Kids scoop and dig in the reusable dino dirt to find and excavate Triceratops or T-Rex bones, then assemble the bones to create a complete skeleton. Kits also include fossil molds and a volcano carry case!
GeoSafari Jr. Kidnoculars – Kids can scope out everything from Santa’s sleigh to the first buds of spring with this set of focus-free binoculars featuring 2x magnification and extra-large eyepieces! Perfect for nature walks, sky gazing, and more.
Design & Drill Robot – Tis’ the season for STEM learning and this DIY robot is the perfect introduction for preschoolers! Kids snap the pieces together, then use the included screwdriver and colorful bolts to decorate their rockin’ robot pal. When they’re done, it’s time for robot-themed pretend play
Make the most of your stocking stuffers! The right small gifts for the holidays can surprise and delight kids for months to come.
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Celebrate St. Paddy’s with Five Fun Crafts!
St. Patrick’s Day is upon us! Even if you’re not making corned beef and cabbage for dinner or sipping sudsy green beer all day, you can still celebrate with five, fun, luck-o'-the-Irish-inspired crafts, courtesy of the little leprechauns at EI!
1. Squishy Squashy Shamrocks – Playfoam® is the perfect St. Paddy’s day substance! Use it to craft a shamrock, pot of gold, top hat, horseshoe, Irish flag, or even a leprechaun! Younger kids might need a template – draw an outline on a sheet of 8.5x11 paper, have them color it in, and then overlay the matching colors of Playfoam on the paper. Lucky for you, non-toxic Playfoam never dries out, no matter how you store it, so the sculpting fun will last through Easter and beyond.
1. Paper Bowl Leprechaun – Follow the instructions from our friends at iheartcraftythings.com to create a paper bowl leprechaun! You’ll need a paper bowl (duh), acrylic paint, construction paper, and markers to create this lucky little cutie. Add some double-sided tape to the back and stick him around the house for a springtime version of Elf on the Shelf!
3. Paddy’s Sensory Bin Treasure Hunt – Turn St. Patrick’s Day into a treasure hunt with Playfoam Pluffle™! Fill a bin with bright green Pluffle, add sparkly bits like gold coins, beads, and shamrock glitter, and let your little leprechaun dig in. Supply a spoon and kid-safe tweezers and see if they can extract the goodies, sort them into piles by type/size/color, practice counting the pieces they’ve pulled, and more.
4. Leprechaun-Noculars – Add some suspense to your St. Paddy’s day – and get some fresh air, too – with adorable, DIY, leprechaun-spotting binoculars! Simply paint two TP tubes (or cover them in construction paper), glue or staple them together, then add sparkly embellishments like glitter, pipe cleaners, and pompoms (the creative crafters at viewsfromastepstool.com have some great ideas!) to attract the leprechauns. Take them out on a walk and see if you can spot one of those sneaky little suckers or scour the house to find your hidden paper bowl leprechaun!
5. Playfoam Rainbow Color Match – Make your own luck with a lil’ rainbow Playfoam craft! Just cut a cloud shape out of white construction paper, draw a face, tape five craft sticks to the bottom, and draw a different colored dot above each. Now challenge your pint-sized Paddy to squish, squash, and roll out a strip of Playfoam and press it onto the craft stick beneath the matching color dot. Check out this video for step-by-step instructions
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Holiday Gifts for 7- and 8-Year-Olds That Build Self-Confidence
Your elementary-aged kiddo is growing by leaps and bounds! These years are some of the most exciting in your child’s development, as they’re making noticeable advances in language development, social emotional development, and the mastery of academic concepts.
One of the biggest factors impacting your child’s happiness, health, and success is self-confidence. Confident kids are better equipped to deal with frustration, failure, and peer pressure, and to overcome challenges that come their way. You can help boost your kiddo’s self-confidence by choosing holiday gifts that nurture your child’s sense of self-worth. As the holidays approach, the Experts in Play are sharing some of their favorite, confidence-building holiday toys for 7- and 8-year-olds, including:
Artie Max – Build your child’s confidence, encourage creativity, and introduce the wonderful world of coding with this year’s must-have holiday gift! Artie Max, teaches kids to code amazing works of art in five different coding languages, beginning simply and building on what kids learn to tackle more advanced languages. Perfect for who love robots, computers, video games, art, and creating, Artie Max features crystal-clear, step-by-step instructions to engage kids in the wonderful world of coding while building STEM confidence.
Dice of Fury – Build math skills—and math confidence—with this furiously fast, whole-family dice game! Flip a challenge card and all players start rolling (and re-rolling), placing their die in their die holder one by one until they match the card. Players add, subtract, think even and odd, and complete mental math challenges as they play, building math confidence and creating a solid math skills foundation.
Circuit Explorer Deluxe Base Space Station – Help build your space-loving child’s focus and attention with a circuit building construction set they can assemble themselves! Kids follow a series of symbols to assemble the pieces and connect various circuits, activating lights, movement, and sound. When complete, the pieces are perfect for space-themed, imagination-building pretend play.
Kanoodle – Encourage problem solving and critical thinking skills, increase your child’s attention span, and provide opportunities for success with this best-selling, brain-twisting puzzle game. Place the pieces shown in the challenge book, then use your noggin to fit the rest. There are hundreds of possible combinations, but only one completes the puzzle correctly. With 200 challenges to complete, Kanoodle will keep your 7- or 8-year-old engaged all season long.
BrainBolt® Game – It takes focus and attentiveness to remember the order of the flashing light sequence and follow along without breaking the pattern in this mind-melding light-up memory game perfect for holidays at home or holiday travel! With both solo and two-player modes, kids can challenge friends and family to see who can remember the longest sequence.
Nancy B's Science Club Microscope and Activity Journal – Take hands-on exploration to the next level this holiday season! This kid-friendly microscope and activity journal set provides experience with a real, scientific tool and builds scientific confidence that transfers to the classroom. With a 400x zoom microscope, 26-piece scientific tool set, and 22-page activity journal, kids will be building STEM skills that last for years to come.
Nancy B’s Science Club® MoonScope™ & Sky Gazer's Activity Journal – Broaden your budding astronomer’s scope and build their scientific confidence with this 90x magnification stargazing MoonScope and 22 page activity journal packed with engaging activities. Specifically designed to get kids outside to explore the world and stay curious, this MoonScope will make an out-of-this world holiday gift for the special space-lover in your life.
Confidence is one of the biggest gifts a care giver can give a child. This holiday season, choose gifts that do double duty, delighting your big kids AND building the self-esteem and confidence they need to grow and thrive.
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