These shadow puppets kept the kids at Gardening Without Skills entertained for TWO hours! Go here for the how-to and make puppets to suit your own kids’ interest!

I’ve been seeing alot of science going on around the web and it makes me so happy. I’m not exactly scientifically inclined, so I love finding ideas that that others have done that I can try out with my own kids. Recently, Roots and Wings Co. shared some fossil-making fun that they had at a birthday party. I can certainly see why this would be hit with kids of all ages. Check out the site for a very nice explanation of how to make your own dinosaur fossils.

Gather ’round the children for a lesson on rain!  I can’t wait to try this weather experiment with my own kiddos.  Check out My Little Gems for the specs and some rainy book recommendations! (via Blissful Kids)

Homemade By Jill is on page 3 of a 10 page quiet book that she’s working on. It’s coming along beautifully and I can’t wait to see the finished product! Here are links to pages 1, 2, and 3.

Pepper Paints shares another DIY paint project. Click here to learn how to make your own poster paints!

Here’s another great counting activity for ya! Katie, from A Listmaker’s Life shares this game that incorporates counting and hopping…both of which my kids love. And if you’re not into bunnies, just substitute a frog or kangaroo or any other hoppy critter! Click here for the details! (via ABC & 123)

This outdoor counting game from Teach Mama is a great way to nurture your child’s enthusiasm for nature while sneaking in a little counting lesson. I think it would be great to do this throughout the year and compare the different seasons (you could keep a photo as a reminder). Click here to read more!

Frugal Family Blog has a great idea for field guides that are easy to make and super-handy to take along! Click here for the details!

This easy-to-make activity is a matching game and buttoning exercise all rolled into one! Check out The Wonder Years for this and many more Montessori-inspired activities.

With just a few supplies, you can make a homemade compass for you and your children to  marvel over.  If Only I Had Superpowers has the details!

These quill pencils from The Write Start look like so much fun and are sure to spark some interest in your young writer. Although, I think if I got my hands on one I’d be doing more tickling than writing. Check out the how-to here!

My two-year-old has been obsessed with learning how to spell her name for a while now. But, with 9 letters in all, she has quite a task in front of her. I think this fun game from Instructables user otterhop.com might be just what we need to help make it stick. Check it out here.

Take a look at this treasure hunt activity posted at No Time For Flashcards. I know my kids would love doing this…repeatedly! And now that the weather is warming up, this would be a perfect activity for outside. No sandy mess to clean-up!

The Artful Parent shares a Spring Fun Box that she made with her daughter. What a great way to keep all of your boredom busters right at your fingertips! Splash in a puddle, go smell a flower, visit a farm to get a glimpse of some newborn farm animals. Spring has so much to offer! Make sure you include some indoor activities, too, for those rainy Spring days!  Also, be sure to check out her “31 Activities to Do with Young Children” for a load of great ideas!

I remember hearing the term, “teachable moments” in some early childhood classes I took years ago. Yep…that’s what this is. Exactly. Click here to see how Mountain Pulse made learning about germs relevant, fun, and memorable for her 4 year old daughter. Wonderful idea to keep in your back pocket for when you have a sick one at home.

I’m always on the look-out for homemade Montessori inspired activities. They’re usually very simple and inexpensive to recreate, and this hammering activity from Chasing Cheerios is no exception. Love it!

Montessori Mama made this beautiful Four Season’s Mat for a 3-year-old’s birthday. Click over to learn a “four seasons” song and birthday tradition to go along with it!

Here’s a fun way to help your kids learn which lowercase letters go with which uppercase letters. Flipflops & Applesauce has the details on the matching game they made *plus* a printable alphabet to get you started on your own!

This dyed pasta came out beautiful and can be used for so many things: pasta necklaces, sorting, counting, play food, etc. Simply Radiant shares how she got the colors to turn out so vibrantly. Click.

Here are a few ways to have some fun with the kiddos this St. Patrick’s Day:

Make a delicious “pot-o-gold” snack (Her Cup Overfloweth)

Put together some rainbow ornaments using colorful beads and gold sequins (Everything Except the Grill)

These shamrock tees are adorable! (She Knows)

Hang a rainbow in a doorway (Ramblings of a Crazy Woman)

Recreate this “Lucky Gold Hunt” counting game for your own little leprechaun (No Time for Flashcards)

Here are two takes on turning a terra-cotta pot into a pot of gold!

From Craftster

and Make and Takes

Happy crafting!

You can find a ton of fabulous ideas for young writers at The Write Start, including how to make a name slate for your child to practice writing his or her name! Check it out here!

A Foothill Home Companion recently made up a game with her kids using a large egg carton and some scrapbooking dots. The game looks like a fun challenge for preschoolers  and young children and is very simple to put together on the fly. Click here for the details!

I LOVE Party Perfect’s version of a child’s first word book. The simple photography paired with the Scrabble tile words is just perfect! She had her book printed and bound, but a more affordable option could be to have your photos printed at a photo lab (or on a home photo printer) and use a small photo album to hold the pics!

This is such an awesome idea from The Toby Show. She took an inexpensive tackle box, added a variety of craft supplies to it…and viola! The perfect gift for a budding young artist! Click here for more details!

Katie’s Nesting Spot shares a fabulous way to take the felt board idea on-the-go! I will definitely be making one of these for my own little ones to pull out in those “Gee, it sure would be nice to have a quiet activity” kind of moments…restaurant, church, doctor’s office, etc. Check out her tutorial here!