Terri Thompson

Water Balloon Activities for Kids

August 20, 2019 By Terri Thompson

Splash!

Let’s have some fun with these awesome water balloon activities for kids!

You’ll learn a little with some fun math and science ideas. But, most of all, you’ll get a little wet and have a lot of fun.

Go outside and have some fun fun with these awesome water balloon activities for kids!

So, grab the kids, find an idea, and go outside and play!

Are you ready?

Water Balloon Activities for Kids

Cool off and have some fun this summer with these awesome water balloon activities. You can learn, have fun, and definitely get wet!

Water Balloon Parachute

Photo Credit: www.fantasticfunandlearning.com

Make a water balloon parachute with this easy STEM activity for summer.

Build a Water Balloon Launcher that the Whole Family will LOVE!

Photo Credit: frugalfun4boys.com

Get out the tools to build a fun water balloon launcher with this fun family project. Once it's made, the kids can play with all summer long!

$Water Balloon Game { Learning After School} - No Time For Flash Cards$

Water Balloon Game { Learning After School} - No Time For Flash Cards

Photo Credit: www.notimeforflashcards.com

Use your water balloon for learning with this simple math game.

Water Balloon Science Experiment

Photo Credit: www.123homeschool4me.com

Use water balloons to do some fun density science experiments.

Water Balloon Towel Toss Game

Photo Credit: loveplayandlearn.com

This water balloon towel toss game would be a great family fun activity! Get ready to get a little wet!

Forces and Motion - Water Balloon Splatter Patterns

Photo Credit: www.science-sparks.com

Experiment with speed and motion when you explore the splatter patterns left by water balloons with this fun science activity.

Mixing Colors with Water Balloons

Photo Credit: www.icanteachmychild.com

Experiment with color mixing with this fun outdoor activity.

How to make a water balloon sink

Photo Credit: www.science-sparks.com

Can you make a water balloon sink? Science Sparks shows you how.

Mouse Paint: Water Balloon Painting

Photo Credit: www.pre-kpages.com

Paint with your water balloons with this fun art idea.

Water Balloon Pinatas

Photo Credit: thekennedyadventures.com

Burst a water balloon pinata with this fun family activity!

We're Going on a Water Balloon Hunt

Photo Credit: www.messforless.net

Go on a water balloon hunt with this fun - and wet - scavenger hunt idea.

Water Balloon Sensory Bin - Simple Fun for Kids

Photo Credit: www.simplefunforkids.com

Have a little fun with a water balloon sensory bin.

Which one of these fun water balloon activities are you going to try with your kids?

I want to try them all!

Go outside and have some fun fun with these awesome water balloon activities for kids! Find science ideas, learning ideas, and tons of fun.

More outdoor activities you’ll love

10 Fun Walk Ideas for Families

Shape Hopscotch Outdoor Game

Outdoor Math Games

Driveway ABC Game

Must-have water balloon resources

You’ll need a few supplies before you try any of these water balloon activities. Here are a few resources to help you:

Spend more quality time with your family

Join our fun Facebook community, Creative Family Fun for Busy Families, for daily activities that are great for kids and families. We’ll chat, share, and have fun. It’s a safe and private place to share ideas for family and kids activities.

I’d love for you to join me! Just click the link below, request to join, and answer the questions (they’re easy, I promise). Come join the fun! Join the Creative Family Fun for Busy Families community here.

Family Word Scramble

August 14, 2019 By Terri Thompson

If you’re looking for a fun & simple paper game to help celebrate families, just grab a copy of this Family Word Scramble.

It’s fun to solve and perfect for anyone who likes word games.

And, if you love these puzzles you can find a fun assortment of word scrambles for kids here.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

Family Word Scramble

What is a word scramble?

It’s a fun puzzle game where you need to unscramble a set of letters to make a word, usually related to a theme.

The words in this word scramble game are all related to families.

Find words such as: parents, cousin, uncle, brother, sister, etc.

Can you solve them all?

Are you ready to solve the puzzles?

It’s simple. Just click on the links below to download and then print. For your convenience, I’ve also included an answer key.

Download and print your word scramble here.

Download and print your answer key here.

You are welcome to print as many copies as you need for home or classroom use only. Please do not distribute for free or pay on your own website or business. Please do not include as part of a paid product. If you would like to use this for any purpose beyond classroom or home, please contact me here.

Unscramble words related to families with this fun and simple Family Word Scramble printable for kids. Just print and enjoy!

You may also enjoy one of these word games:

School Supplies Word Scramble

DIY Sight Word Memory Game

Stacking Rhyming Words Game

Cardboard Word Puzzles at Teach Me Mommy

Fun Books About Families

Enjoy one of these fun books about families to go along with your Family Word Scramble activity. Use as either a read-aloud or an independent read.

Do More Activities With Your Family

Printable Family Summer Bucket List

June 3, 2019 By Terri Thompson

I must have blinked. That’s the only explanation.

One day I was taking first day of school pictures. And the next… my kids are bringing home backpacks full of all their stuff from school. Yep. It’s time for summer.

And guess what, I have no idea what we’re going to do!

So, it’s time to create our family summer bucket list.

Plan your family summer bucket list with this fun printable. Use your own ideas or use some of our suggestions for summer fun!

Why should you create a summer bucket list?

There are a few reasons why I love creating a bucket list for summer. First, it’s a great resource for ideas. That brainstorming session you had to create your list is so useful when everyone is sitting around bored. Don’t know what to do? Check your list!

Plus, it gives everyone a chance to provide input. Maybe your kids were hoping for some specific activities this summer. This gives them a chance to tell you their wishes for summer fun. And you can record them and make sure everyone gets to do something they were wishing for.

I always think of our bucket list as a source of inspiration for the summer. It’s not a requirement at all. In fact, I don’t think we’ve ever had a year where we crossed off everything on the list!

Family Summer Bucket List Ideas

So what are you going to add to your bucket list?

Here are a few ideas:

Go to the beach
Make a blanket fort
Have a picnic
Go camping
Make root beer floats
Build a photo album
Catch fireflies
Have a water balloon fight
Tie dye shirts
Plant a garden
Make s’mores
Feed the ducks. But, don’t feed them bread! Here’s a better option for duck food at Playground Park Bench.
Watch fireworks
Go fishing
Go to a drive in movie
Roller blade
Make ice cream
Ride a ferris wheel
Build a sandcastle
Go on a hike
Make suncatchers, like these easy painted suncatchers!
Bury a time capsule
Volunteer (Here are some great ideas if you want to help your local animal shelter).
Go on a boat ride
Run a 5K
Visit a museum

And if that’s not enough ideas. Here are 200 more fun ideas for your summer bucket list!

Record Your Summer Bucket List Ideas

Now that you’ve come up with your fun summer ideas, you need to write them down.

I’ve got just the thing for you, a cute watermelon-themed summer bucket list printable.

Just save and print. You’ll find space to record 10 ideas and also a printable with all the ideas I listed above. If you have more than 10 ideas, just print multiple copies!

Get your Watermelon Summer Bucket List here.

Are you ready for some summer fun? We are!

Awesome summer fun resources:

In addition to all the fun ideas listed above, you could also add one of these fun outdoor activities to your list. Play ring toss, ladder toss, laws darts or more! So much fun!

Get more family fun ideas here:

Melting Crayon Science Experiment

May 22, 2019 By Terri Thompson

Will crayons melt in the sun? If so, how long will it take?

We set out to find the answer to that question one day with a melting crayon science experiment.

It took a bit of patience and some problem solving. But, in the end, our science brains found an answer.

Will crayons melt in the sun? Find the answer to this question with a fun melting crayon science experiment. It's a perfect summer science project.

Gather your supplies for your crayon melting experiment

Broken bits of crayons
Muffin tin or mold (silicon ones work best)
My Science Experiment page
A sunny day

If you don’t want to use a muffin tin, you can also use an ice cube tray or even several small disposable bathroom cups.

First, ask a few questions

We began our melting crayon science experiment by gathering supplies and asking a few questions.

The experiment itself was fun, but I wanted to challenge my girls to think like scientists during our experiment.

I created our My Science Experiment page to help us record our observations.

If you want to do this experiment too, please download and print your own science experiment page at this link.

We asked our question, do crayons melt in the sun?

We then made our predictions. The girls thought they would melt.

We also talked a bit about the things that would help the crayons melt. We determined that we needed to put our crayons out in the bright sunlight.

Set up your melting crayon science activity

We found all of our broken bits of crayons and put them in a silicon muffin tin. I found the silicon works the best, because it is easy to pop the crayons out of later.

Once we had our muffin cups filled, we took it all outside and found one of the sunniest spots in our yard.

We left the crayons bits outside for about two hours before we checked on them for the first time.

The main reason we waited that long was because while it was sunny, the temperature was only around 80 degrees F.

The crayons would melt, but slowly.

If you’re doing this on a hotter day, check it sooner! I’d recommend checking after the first 30 minutes and then every 30 minutes after.

We had some melting after 2 hours, then started checking every hour.

We recorded each of our observations on our science experiment recording sheet.

After several hours, we had partially melted crayons and we wanted to try to speed up the process.

We did some brainstorming and decided to put our crayons in our car which was sitting in the sun.

The hot car did the trick and our crayons finished melting. Make sure you have an adult and oven mitts to remove your muffin tin from the car. It’s as hot as an oven!

Our conclusion

We took our melted crayons inside and let them cool.

In the meantime, we wrote our conclusion. Yes, crayons did melt in the sun. The higher the temperature, the quicker they will melt.

After the crayons cooled and hardened, we popped them out of the muffin tray and tried them out. Our melting crayons science activity was a success!

Yield: 1 experiment

Melting Crayon Science Experiment

Can you melt crayons in the sun? Find out with this fun melting crayon science experiment that explores heat, the sun, and changing states of matter.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Active Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 25 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost Under $5 (depending on the supplies you already have on hand)

Materials

Tools

My Science Experiment recording sheet

Instructions

Print out your recording sheet and make your prediction. Will crayons melt in the sun? How long do you think it will take?
Peel all the paper off your broken crayons. Break them into smaller pieces if needed to fit in your mini muffin pan.
Add 5 to 6 pieces of crayon into each cup. Mix the colors up or keep similar colors together.
Bring the crayons outside on a hot, sunny day. Make sure to set them someplace where they will get a lot of sunshine.
Check back after 30 minutes. Have they started to melt? Record your observations.
Keep checking every half hour. Record your observations each time.
Once your crayons have fully melted, record your time. How long did it take?
Bring your crayons to a cooler place to cool and harden again. Once you pop them out of the muffin cups, you'll have some fun new muffin tin crayons!

Notes

If you don't have a mini muffin tray, you could also use an ice cube tray or even small bathroom cups to hold your crayons.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

My favorite resource for science at home

Have you ever tried Green Kid Craft kids? We’ve got a yearly subscription and absolutely love it. Each month we get a box with everything we need for 3-4 themed STEM projects (plus a booklet with even more projects you can). Our last shipment was full of chemistry projects!

Green Kid Crafts is a great way to have science projects ready to go. You can get a subscription like we have or buy single boxes.

Get a subscription here.

Find other themed boxes here.

You can find even more fun projects for your 2nd grader by visiting the rest of the team. You’ll find math, reading, writing, and more.

Free Addition Facts Game from Live Over C’s

Number Ordering Activity from Sallie Borrink Learning

Interest Based Learning Project from Still Playing School

Free Back to School Noun Practice from Look! We’re Learning!

What I Love About School Art Project from Planet Smarty Pants

All About Me Flag Project from School Time Snippets

Getting to Know You Back to School Game from Preschool Powol Packets

Free All About Me Worksheets (LEGO Style) at 124 Homeschool 4 Me

Me Llamo – Simple Spanish Game from Rainy Day Mum

Setting Up a Homework Station at Crafty Kids at Home

Get more STEM projects delivered to your inbox

Wouldn’t it be so much fun to get STEAM family activities delivered to your inbox? I think so! That’s why I’ve created this fun series, STEAM Family Fun, to be delivered to your inbox. After going through all the letters in STEAM each week with a fun activity devoted to each, you’ll start receiving a fun STEAM activity once a month. (And I’ll also pop up in your inbox occasionally if I’ve got other fun things to share.)

Fill out the form below to start receiving STEAM Family Fun in your inbox.

Panda Reading Pointer Craft

May 20, 2019 By Terri Thompson

A reading pointer is a great tool for beginning readers. It helps them track the words on a page and trains the eyes to follow along.

You can grab any sort of reading pointer, but if you’ve got a kid that loves animals, they’re going to definitely love this fun panda reading pointer.

Use a craft stick to make this simple panda reading pointer for kids. It's a fun tool for beginning readers and animal lovers!

Also, CraftProjectIdeas.com sent me some of the supplies used on this project. All ideas are my own.

Supplies needed for your panda reading pointer

Jumbo craft stick
White craft paint
Black craft paint
Black felt
Glue
Small googly eyes

How to make your panda bear reading pointer

First, paint the entire front and back of your craft stick with white paint. Allow it to dry completely.

While your paint is drying, cut two small circles from your black felt to use as your ears.

Once your white paint is dry, add your details with the black craft paint. Add too ovals for the eyes and a small circles underneath for the nose. Draw your simple mouth details. Finally, add two half circles under your face for your paws. Let all your black paint dry.

If you need something to do while your waiting for paint to dry, read a great book about pandas! Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas by Natasha Yim is a fun choice. It’s a Chinese American retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

After your paint is dry, glue your felt ears to the back of the top of your craft stick.

Attach your googly eyes on your eye ovals. I found that using self-sticking googly eyes made this step really easy!

Once your glue is dry, your reading pointer is ready to use! Let this cute panda help your child practice reading.

Make this simple panda bear reading pointer for your beginning readers.

Yield: 1 Reading Pointer

Panda Reading Pointer

Make this simple panda reading pointer out of a craft stick. It's a great tool for your beginning reader.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Active Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost Under $5 (depending on the supplies you already have on hand)

Materials

Tools

Instructions

Paint your entire craft stick with the white paint. Let dry.
While your paint dries, cut two small circles out of your black felt for your panda's ears.
Once the paint is dry, add details with your black paint. Add two ovals for your eyes and a small circle for the nose. Add a simple mouth and two half circles for your paws. Let dry.
Once your black paint is dry. Glue your two ears to the back of the craft stick at the top.
Add your two small eyes to the black ovals.

Notes

If you don't have any black felt you can use craft foam or black card stock instead.

Terri Thompson

Water Balloon Parachute

Build a Water Balloon Launcher that the Whole Family will LOVE!

Water Balloon Game { Learning After School} - No Time For Flash Cards

Water Balloon Science Experiment

Water Balloon Towel Toss Game

Forces and Motion - Water Balloon Splatter Patterns

Mixing Colors with Water Balloons

How to make a water balloon sink

Mouse Paint: Water Balloon Painting

Water Balloon Pinatas

We're Going on a Water Balloon Hunt

Water Balloon Sensory Bin - Simple Fun for Kids

More outdoor activities you’ll love

Must-have water balloon resources

Spend more quality time with your family

Family Word Scramble

You may also enjoy one of these word games:

Fun Books About Families

Do More Activities With Your Family

Why should you create a summer bucket list?

Family Summer Bucket List Ideas

Record Your Summer Bucket List Ideas

You may also like one of these summer fun ideas:

Awesome summer fun resources:

Get more family fun ideas here:

Gather your supplies for your crayon melting experiment

First, ask a few questions

Set up your melting crayon science activity

Our conclusion

Materials

Tools

Instructions

Notes

Recommended Products

You may also like one of these science experiments:

My favorite resource for science at home

You can find even more fun projects for your 2nd grader by visiting the rest of the team. You’ll find math, reading, writing, and more.

Get more STEM projects delivered to your inbox

Supplies needed for your panda reading pointer

How to make your panda bear reading pointer

Materials

Tools

Instructions

Notes

Recommended Products

You may also like one of these animal crafts

Use your panda bear reading pointer with one of these great books:

Do you want to do more activities with your kids?

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