play time Archives — What's up Fagans?

2019’s Top Baking Kits and Cooking Subscription Boxes for Kids

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Looking for a kid baking kit or a kids cooking subscription? This is THE list with the best food making kits for kids available in 2019.I love my parents, but there is something they didn't do well for me as a kid....They didn't really teach me how to cook.Now, this isn't necessarily their fault... neither one was a great chef or ...

The Perfect Christmas Gifts for 8-Year-Old Girls in 2018

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If you need a gift for 8 year-old-girl, then you'll love all of these Christmas and birthday gifts for an 8 year-old girl, no matter if it's your daughter, granddaughter, or another girl you care for. I have twin 8-year-old girls and they were definitely consulted on this list! Enjoy!There is something so fun about kids getting older and bigger. ...

KiwiCo Atlas Crate Review: A Cool Way to Learn Geography in Your Homeschool

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Read my Atlas Crate review and discover how we're using this KiwiCo Atlas Crate to learn geography in our homeschool! It helps kids learn culture and world citizenship.I always enjoyed learning geography as a kid and was pretty close to competing in our elementary school's Geography Bee (or whatever it was called).As an adult, I'm not ...

8 Best Educational Subscription Boxes According to a Homeschooler

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Looking for an educational subscription box for kids? The following are among the best and most popular options out there today! One of the greatest things my dad did was send me postcards in the mail.My dad was an over-the-road truck driver. He was gone the majority of the week, and occasionally for multiple weeks at a time.Receiving a ...

Bunchems – Creative Play Without the Mess

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I'll be the first to tell you that I do not really enjoy crafting, and unfortunately it seems like kids love crafting. But, the mess kids make while crafting and creating stresses me out! It's why we eventually did preschool without crafts last year (or without nearly as many as outlined in our curriculum).There's other problems I have with ...

How Taking Play On-the-Go Just Got Easier

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Summer time is in full swing. Living in Texas now and being pregnant for the first time in the summer, has left me very aware of several things. One, that I am tired, hot, and sweaty all the time. And two, I don't have a lot of energy to keep up with my kids or keep them entertained. So, it's never been more important to me to have toys that are ...

Screen Free Quiet Time Ideas that Encourage Independent Play

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We made it a long time. We really did. But, my daughter Lisa, at four and a half years old, is officially done with taking a nap during the day. I am now presented with the new challenge of what to do with a preschooler for 2-3 hours while my other two children are (hopefully) taking a nap at that same time. I need to come up with some great quiet ...

15 of the Best Parenting Tips and Articles from 2014

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This year, 2014, has been a great year for me and the ole blog. Today I'm sharing my best parenting tips (in order or most traffic received according to my Google Analytics) that I've written and share in blog posts in 2014. So, if you are a new reader, I hope you'll enjoy checking them out, and getting a better feel for who I am and my parenting ...

55 Ways to Be the Silly, Fun, Playful Parent You’ve Always Wanted to Be

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We all have at least one characteristic about our mothering that would have many calling us a Super Mom. It could be your constantly cheery disposition even in the face of epic meltdowns, or your ability to potty train your child in a day, or getting your kids to eat their vegetables with a smile on their face. I tend to feel like a super mom for ...

25 Things That Will Instantly Improve Your Mood

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Maybe you had a bad day. In fact, maybe you tried to go to the gym, but then you had to go home because the child care center was full, and then you sat and watched in horror while your two year old pooped his pants, and then you had to hose him down. And then you were nursing a baby and he bit you, full force, with his razor baby teeth. And you ...

All Work and No Play – 8 Tips for Overcoming Your Inner Work-a-holic

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Work, work, work all the time! When your "work" is your passion, your hobby, and something you want to do all the time, something you think about constantly, it is really hard to step back and make sure things really are balanced correctly in your life. This is especially true for work at home moms, like me.I am a blogger over at What's up ...

How to Encourage Imaginative Play in Your Child

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I have twin four year-olds who know how to play and imagine. And I absolutely love it. It is such an important part of childhood. Acting out different situations, expressing different emotions, trying to empathize, and doing bigger and awesomer things. And there are definitely somethings you can do, as a parent, grandparent, or caregiver, to ...