homemade games and toys Archives - Happy Hooligans

How to Make a Homemade Light Box

Jackie Currie — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 13:25:00 +0000

Hey Lovely!

Have you ever wished for a lightbox or a light table in your daycare, playroom or classroom?

They're so expensive to buy, right?

Well, I'm going to show you how to make one for under 10 bucks using a plastic container and an inexpensive LED light.

It will provide your kids with hours of fun and learning for under 10 bucks!

Click the link below for the easy instructions!

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Homemade Mitten Matching Activity for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Jackie Currie — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 19:26:59 +0000

I have a super-cute, super-easy homemade activity to share with you today.

This mitten matching activity is really easy to make, and it's great great for helping toddlers and preschoolers develop their matching skills and their fine motor skills.

My 2 and 3 year olds LOVE matching the colours and patterns and pinning the little mitts together with mini clothespins.

This will be an activity that your kids will go to time and time again this winter.

Click the link below to check it out.

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Fun and Easy Homemade Fishing Game for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Jackie Currie — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 12:30:39 +0000

Ok, this little activity is so much fun for toddlers and preschoolers.

It's a homemade fishing game!

It starts with an easy art activity that has the kids making their fish (and other adorable sea creatures), and you end up with a game that the kids will love!

It's great for strengthening hand-eye coordination and concentration skills, and the kids just love it when they "make a catch"!

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Craft Stick Dominoes that Kids can Make

Katie Chiavarone — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 05:02:46 +0000

Got popsicle sticks? Check out these fun homemade matching game!

Make a set of homemade dominoes out of craft sticks! They're great for teaching little ones colour and pattern recognition and matching!

They're fun to make too. Bet your older kids would even want to get in on the "making" part!

Click the link below to see how to make 'em and how to play with them.

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Colour Scavenger Hunt for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Jackie Currie — Sat, 24 Mar 2018 09:50:52 +0000

Here's a fantastic colour activity that toddlers can do solo or in a group.

It's a rainbow scavenger hunt that you can do in your play room or classroom.

It will help kids learn colours, colour order, and it's a whole lot of fun because they'll turn their treasures into a beautiful rainbow.

A round of applause and a big thanks goes out to our follower Kirstin for sharing this fabulous activity with us!

Doesn't it look gorgeous and so inviting?

Click the link below to check it out!

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70+ {Awesome} Homemade Toys You Can Make for Your Kids

Jackie Currie — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 07:22:40 +0000

Whether you're sticking to a strict budget or just like to give hand-made at Christmas, making homemade toys and games for your kids, grand-kids or students is the best!

From dollhouses and homemade block sets to puzzles, playfood and games, here are 70+ ideas to get your creative juices flowing!

Click the link below to see them all.

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16 Awesome Outdoor Party Games Kids

Jackie Currie — Thu, 25 May 2017 07:02:53 +0000

If you're holding a backyard party for your kids this summer, we've gathered the best outdoor party games and activities to please kids of all ages!

Some are classics and some are new and really creative ideas that will make your party a ton of fun for your family and all of your guests.

Check them out!!

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Easy Homemade Braiding Board – Learn How To Braid the Fun Way!

Jackie Currie — Mon, 01 May 2017 03:36:21 +0000

Teach kids how to braid with a homemade braiding board!

The 7 year old learned how to braid in minutes with hers, and the older kids loved practicing their braiding skills!

They're so easy to make! Click the link below to check them out!

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Easy Easter Finger Puppets for Kids

Jackie Currie — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 09:18:25 +0000

Ok, are you ready for the cutest thing you'll see today?

Honestly, these guys are RIDICULOUSLY cute Just wait to you see them looking up at you. They'll totally melt your heart.

How crazy is it that a pipe cleaner and a pompom can look so stinkin' cute?!

It's the eyes. It's totally the eyes.

And isn't it awesome how easy they are to make? You can whip up a bunch of these in minutes, and your kids will play and play.

I make them every year because the hooligans love them so much.

You know what just occurred to me though? We've never made a lamb! Wouldn't a lamb be the perfect addition to this little gang?

I think I know what I'll be crafting up later this morning.

Ok, go, go! Grab your pipe cleaners and cotton balls, and click the link below for a big ol' dose of ADORABLE!

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Pringles Can Binoculars Craft for Preschoolers

Jackie Currie — Mon, 30 May 2016 20:28:45 +0000

Here's a really fun and easy craft for your preschoolers to make this week.

We took a couple of Pringles cans, and turned them into binoculars!

These are so much better than your regular toilet paper roll binoculars.

For starters, they're very sturdy, so they're easy for little hands to hold, and they'll stand up to lots and lots of play.

Secondly, they're nice and big, so you get a nice, big view of everything.

And thirdly, because we left the lids on, when you look through these binoculars, you get the sense that you're looking through actual lenses.

Oh, and they were a whole lot of fun to decorate too!

Great for scavenger hunts, pretend play, I Spy etc...

Click the link below to see all the fun we had with ours!

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Homemade Paper Bag Kite with Winder Handle

Jackie Currie — Tue, 24 May 2016 19:38:31 +0000

Looking for a fun and easy craft AND activity for your preschooler to do on a windy day? Make a paper bag kite! This easy paper bag craft is made with just 3 supplies. Your child will have fun decorating it, and even more fun taking it outside on a blustery day to see if...

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5 Homemade Puzzles for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Jackie Currie — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 13:00:15 +0000

For National Puzzle Day today, I’m going to show you some fun and easy homemade puzzles for toddlers and preschoolers, and we’ll talk a bit about why puzzles are so good for a child’s mental and physical development. Most young children love doing puzzles. As toddlers they usually start out with wooden shape puzzles. Then...

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Pin-Up Christmas Tree Decorating Activity for Toddlers

Jackie Currie — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 06:12:31 +0000

If you have toddlers and preschoolers who love decorating the Christmas tree, this Pin-Up Christmas Tree Decorating Activity is a great way to let them do that without them rearranging your real Christmas tree. It’s a great Christmas party activity for preschoolers and toddlers, and a wonderful December activity for the daycare or preschool classroom. It’s easy, inexpensive, and will...

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Tin Can Stilts – Classic Childhood Activity

Jackie Currie — Sat, 14 Jun 2014 04:59:58 +0000

Make a set of tin can stilts with a couple of coffee cans and some rope. The kids will have fun walking around the yard on them, just like you did when you were a kid. Who remembers clomping around on a pair of tin can stilts when they were a kid? Remember how fun...

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Painted Cardboard Name Puzzle

Jackie Currie — Sat, 07 Jun 2014 14:49:28 +0000

Here’s a fun way to help your child learn to spell his name? It’s an easy, colourful homemade name puzzle made with painted cardboard cut-outs! I love making homemade puzzles for my daycare kids. In fact, one of my favourite ways to teach a child how to spell their name is with a homemade name puzzle. It’s...

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Homemade Cereal Box Puzzles to Make for Kids

Jackie Currie — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 03:37:44 +0000

Homemade cereal box puzzles are easy to make, and great for keeping the kids entertained and learning quietly. Doing a puzzle is so beneficial for a child. Puzzles get kids thinking, planning and problem solving, they’re great for fine motor skills, and a child feels a real sense of accomplishment when they complete a puzzle...

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Homemade Paper Dolls

Jackie Currie — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 11:38:02 +0000

Make a set of Homemade Paper Dolls out of a cereal box, fabric scraps, buttons and ribbons. They’re fun for preschoolers to decorate and play with and a great way to use up the scraps of material in your craft cupboard. The hooligans and I have been working on an ongoing project for the past week or...

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6 Ways to Make Homemade Stamps for Kids

Jackie Currie — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:36:46 +0000

6 ways to make a set of custom homemade stamps for your kids, using common household items! Does your child love stamping and making prints? Most kids do! There’s something so fun about dipping a stamp in a puddle of paint, or pounding a stamp back and forth between stamp pad and paper, making...

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Things to Play With On a Light Box

Jackie Currie — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 11:17:16 +0000

Colourful and inexpensive DIY Light Box Play Ideas using every-day, household items. Now that I’ve shown you an easy and inexpensive way to make a lightbox for your preschoolers, you’re probably looking around your house for things your kids can play with on their lightbox. I thought I’d share some of the things that we’ve...

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Fine Motor Drop Box – Activity for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Jackie Currie — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:47:31 +0000

Turn an ordinary cardboard box into a fine motor drop box for toddlers and preschoolers. This is a great homemade activity for teaching kids colours, numbers, letters, shapes, and it’s a fun way for strengthening fine , motor skills. Of all the homemade toys and activities I’ve made for my daycare, our fine motor drop box, made...

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