Tagged with 'Crafts'

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.

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