Author: Erica Loop

Erica Loop is a mom, freelance writer and educator with an MS in child development. Along with her own kids' activities blog, Mini Monets and Mommies, she's written for PBS Parents, Brit + Co, Scary Mommy, mom.me and plenty of other parenting sites. Follow Erica on Twitter @EricaLoop1 and on Instagram @minimonets.

Fill a Child in Need’s Christmas Wishlist with USPS’s Operation Santa

By Erica Loop
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The U.S. Postal Service is in on the best Secret Santa action ever! Through USPS Operation Santa, you can gift a child in need with something off their holiday wish list.

Every year children from across the country put pen to paper and write out a hopeful list of possible presents. While many of these would-be gifts end up under the Christmas tree, many go unanswered.

photo: Mike Arney via Unsplash

Low-income families who need money for necessities, such as rent or food, can’t always fill their kiddo’s Santa lists themselves. Here’s where the USPS and you can help. Through Operation Santa you can make a difference in a child’s life, giving them the Christmas of their dreams.

So how can you help a child this holiday season through the USPS? Visit the USPS Operation Santa website and browse letters from hopeful children. Choose a letter to adopt (or a few), fill the wishlist, wrap the gifts and bring them (plus the necessary postage) to a participating post office by December 18, so kids can receive them by Christmas.

Here’s a bit more info on how the program works: the USPS receives thousands of letters to Santa every year and scans them, with personal information hidden. Once they’re live on the website, people like you can adopt the letters and help Santa fulfill their wishes! The gifts are shipped on behalf of the North Pole so you can deliver holiday magic together.

—Erica Loop

 

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15 Thanksgiving Table Decor Ideas You Can Totally Pull Off

By Erica Loop
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Wondering about your Thanksgiving table decor this year? Let your creative kiddos take the lead. These super-simple crafts are the perfect touch to your tablescape, and they don’t take a lot of pre-planning to get done. So forget about those generic-looking store-bought turkeys in Pilgrim hats, and check out our favorite crafts that double as Thanksgiving table decor below.

Thankful Bin

Write prompts on crafts sticks that open up the table for a conversation about gratitude. You don't even have to add color. 

photo: Mini Monets and Mommies

Glitter Pumpkins

Add sparkle to the Thanksgiving table with this easy craft! Grab a few gourds or small-sized pumpkins, and let the kiddos paint them with glue. To make this glitter-iffic art activity even better, let the glue drip down the sides of the gourds/pumpkins. Sprinkle sparkles on top, shake off the excess, and let the tabletop displays dry before adding them as cool centerpieces. The best part is, you can completely customize this for any Thanksgiving table. Choose glitter colors that match your place settings to create a cohesive look.

photo: Fireflies and Mud Pies

Pine Cone Pumpkins

Sure, a basket of random gourds makes for a rustically chic centerpiece. But stacking pumpkins on top of various forms of squash isn't always the most creative way for your kiddo to spend Thanksgiving day. Instead, make your own with this pumpkin craft from Fireflies and Mud Pies!

photo: Little Bins for Little Hands

Thanksgiving Fluffy Slime

Sometimes sitting at the dinner table and patiently waiting for the grown-ups to finish just isn't fun for your tot. Scratch that, it's never fun for your tot. Well, this turkey-shaped fluffy slime idea from Little Bins for Little Hands solves the "Mommmmmmy, I'm sooooo bored" problem. Package this recipe into a cute little see-through cup to create cute holiday decor. As the kids finish eating, they can take the slime out and play with it—giving you time to actually eat your meal!

photo: Erica Loop

Thankful Tree

What is your family thankful for? Instead of waiting until dinner to ponder this question, start early in the day (heck, start the day before). Give each family member a leaf to write what they're thankful for. You can either have the kiddos craft paper leaves from fall-colored card stock or go with the real deal. Get extra-crafty and ask the kids to paint their leaves before adding what they're thankful for in marker. Gather a few sticks and push them into a foam base or secure them in a tall vase. Before the meal starts, collect the thankful leaves. Punch holes in the top and thread yard through them. During the holiday meal, each family member/guest can read what they're thankful for and hang the leaves on the "tree." 

photo: Mini Monets and Mommies

Recycled Napkin Rings

You'll get to recycle and reuse paper towel cardboard tubes with this craft. Cut them into pieces, and let the kids get to work painting them into cute little napkin rings. Want other ideas? Mini Monets and Mommies has plenty of other ways to transform cardboard into Thanksgiving table décor.

photo: The Nerd's Wife

Popsicle Pals

Yeah, kids are all about popsicles. Even in November. So put those sticks to use for this adorable table-top craft from The Nerd’s Wife. This recycle-and-reuse art activity is just as Earth-friendly as it is adorable!

photo: Mama Papa Bubba

Printable Placemats

The kids can create crafty placemats that show exactly what they’re thankful for. Mama Papa Bubba’s printable design provides plenty of opportunity for thinking about the holiday while getting creative and coloring.

photo: Mini Monets and Mommies

Top Turkeys

The kids need something to do at the Thanksgiving table. Of course, other than eat the fab feast that you’ve spent the day preparing. Cut out some craft felt shapes (you’ll need circles and ovals), add a few googley eyes, and let the kids go to town, pressing together craft felt turkey table toppers. They can puzzle together this project at the table or make them beforehand as place cards.

photo: Nikki Walsh

Gobble Gobble Tablecloth

Your grandma’s hand-sewn lace tablecloth is gorgeous. Just not with gravy and cranberry sauce on it. Pull double duty protecting the table and entertaining the kids with this turkey-time tablecloth. Spread out butcher paper, draw a few gobble gobblers, and let the kids get crafty with their crayons during dinner.

photo: Toddler Approved

Playful Pumpkins

Who says pumpkins are just for Halloween? Turkey up your mini pumpkins with this idea from Toddler Approved. Table perk: they're perfect place holders for the kiddos!

photo: Kersey Campbell via Momtastic

Thankful Placemat

What is your child thankful for? Learning about gratitude is kind of the name of the game on Thanksgiving Day. And your child thought the holiday was all about turkey and stuffing. Things are about to change with this crafty laminated placemat from Momtastic. It’s much more than simple holiday décor — it’s a thoughtful activity that will help the kids to think about why they should give thanks today!

photo: Design Improvised

Gorgeous Gourds

You need a Thanksgiving table centerpiece. So you pile on the gourds to add that decorative touch. But wait. Why not let the kids get creative and dress-up those plain ol’ gourds? Design Improvised can show you how to turn gourds into adorable little turkeys.

photo: Liz Stanley via Stay Yes

Pretty Placemat

A hand-drawn placemat takes the cake (okay, maybe the pumpkin pie) when it comes to your Thanksgiving table décor. Say Yes can show you how to make an elegant display that includes completely kid-made mats too!

photo: Little Bins for Little Hands

LEGO Tree Craft

Calling all LEGO lovers! Add this fun, fall-themed handprint craft to your art repertoire, right in time for Thanksgiving. We guarantee you already have all the supplies you need around the house. The simple steps are perfect for younger ages, plus you get a sweet keepsake of their tiny hands through the years. For the how-to details, visit Little Bins for Little Hands. 

— Erica Loop

Feature photo iStock 

 

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Do You Decorate Early for the Holidays? Psychologists Say It May Make You Happier

By Erica Loop
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Halloween is still more than one month away, but you’ve already got Christmas on the brain. If you find yourself sketching a green and red lighting design or dragging the plastic Santa’s out of storage, don’t worry—some experts say early decorating can actually make you happier.

The tree. The tinsel. The teeny tiny blinking lights that adorn your windows. Christmas decor is an annual reminder of the joy and excitement that jolly ol’ St. Nick brings.

photo: Debby Hudson via Unsplash

Psychoanalyst Steve McKeown spoke to the British website Unilad about the subject several years ago, saying, “Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement. So putting up those Christmas decorations early extend the excitement!”

Amy Morin, a psychotherapist and author, echoed this sentiment telling Unilad, “The holiday season stirs up a sense of nostalgia. Nostalgia helps link people to their personal past and it helps people understand their identity. For many putting up Christmas decorations early is a way for them to reconnect with their childhoods.”

Along with the sense of nostalgia for our childhoods, it’s also possible the early change from everyday outdoor decor to magical twinkling lights could add to the joy. Psychologist Deborah Serani told Today Home, “It does create that neurological shift that can produce happiness.” Serani added, “I think anything that takes us out of our normal habituation, the normal day in, day out … signals our senses, and then our senses measure if it’s pleasing or not.”

—Erica Loop

 

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OREO’s Chocolate Cookie House Is Holiday Goals

By Erica Loop
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Forget about gingerbread, OREO’s Holiday Chocolate Cookie House is this Christmas’s new must-have sweet treat activity.

Instead of the typical gingerbread walls, OREO’s holiday house has chocolate cookie pieces. The kid-friendly kit also comes with pre-made icing, OREO Cookies, OREO Mini Cookies, candy jewels and fruit-flavored gummies.

The only thing your fam needs to bring to a house-making session is imagination. Decorate this cookie-covered house with icing-drawn shingles, stripes, patterns, or a full-on candy door. The holiday house also comes in a mini version, too! The smaller-sized 8.5-ounce kit comes with pre-baked cookie sheets, pre-made icing, candy jewels and mini OREOs.

If you can’t wait until Christmas Eve to decorate a candy-covered house, you can find the full-sized edible OREO cookie house at Walmart for for $13

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Walmart

 

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15 Awesome Slime Videos for Kids

By Erica Loop
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It wiggles, jiggles, and entertains your kiddos endlessly. It’s slime—and your child can’t get enough of this ooey, gooey sensory material. From the basic building blocks and rad recipes to awesome explorations that glow, puff, fluff and more, check out the slime videos your science-loving littles will watch over and over again!

Super-Easy Slime

Is this your first time making slime? Don’t stress over the recipe. You don’t have to figure out ratios of ingredients or mixing times by yourself. Check out this easy peasy slime video tutorial from Courtney Wohl—and it’s for beginners!

Basic Slime with Add-Ins

WhatsUpMoms brings you a Borax-free slime recipe that you can add almost anything into. This slime seriously stretches and is completely easy to customize.

Giant Slime

Mary and Izzy of Life with Brothers have more glue than you could imagine. Watch and see what happens when these two creative kids mix every bottle and jug they have in arm’s reach.

Non-Toxic Slime

While your kiddos can’t eat this ooey-gooey recipe, it is safer to play with. Crazy Kool’s video recipe details the entire process, including the not-so-toxic materials you’ll need.

More Borax-Free Slime

If you don’t feel comfortable adding this cleaning product into your slime recipe, check out this pantry pick-packed option!

Mystery Wheel of Slime

Yes, this video is exactly what the name sounds like. EvanTube HD’s mystery wheel of slime challenge shows what happens when you add random ingredients to a fave slime recipe. Along with plenty of glitter glue, this duo also mixes in cereal, popcorn, and more.

Make Slime in the Microwave

AmazingStuff’s microwave slime uses kitchen-friendly picks. This recipe is ideal for sensory explorations or if you have concerns about slime safety.

Fluffy Slime

Gillian Bower’s Borax-packed slime is like a dreamy little cloud. This video can help you to make fluffy, puffy slime in a rainbow of colors. You can also learn how to make a textured fluffy slime that feels as amazingly awesome as it looks.

Glow-in-the-Dark Slime

Mister C from Learning Science Is Fun gives a detailed description of how to make glowing slime! This Borax recipe is an awesome exploration for older kids and tweens.

More Glowing Slime

Gross Science’s glow paint slime video can help older kids learn more about the science behind this type of rad recipe.

Let SIRI Pick the Slime

Karina and Ronald of Sis vs Bro let SIRI pick the ingredients for their latest batch of slime. While you might not want to dry the exact recipe in the clip, the SIRI challenge will give your kiddos the giggles!

Glitter Slime

Get ready to sparkle! Melissa Swigart’s glitter slime recipe can help you to whip up batches of shining fun—and you’ll only need to use three ingredients. To ding out what the big three mix-ins are, check out the YouTube tutorial.

The Wrong Milk

Is it milk or glue? This hilarious challenge from Life with Brothers gives Mary and Izzy choices that may, or may not, make their slime recipes better.

Unicorn Slime

Your littles are into everything unicorn. Don’t let the rainbow-filled fun stop now. Amy Locurto’s rainbow unicorn slime is everything your kids could imagine and so much more.

Blindfolded Slime Challenge

What would happen if your kiddos tried to mix a batch of slime blindfolded? In this hilarious clip, you’ll get an answer. 

—Erica Loop

Featured image: Jaime Harrington via Pixabay

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10 Totally Cool Dry Ice Experiments

By Erica Loop
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Experimenting with ice is cool. But dry ice experiments are even cooler! Frozen carbon dioxide, a.k.a. dry ice, is frozen at a temperature of negative 109 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike the ice cubes in your freezer, dry ice doesn’t melt into liquid. Instead, these blocks sublimate, which means instead of transforming from a solid to a liquid, dry ice goes from a solid to a gas. With the proper precautions, this type of science experiment for kids is safe—so grab gloves and tongs, open a window or take the CO2 outdoors, follow these guidelines from the National Weather Service and check out these awesome dry ice experiments. 

photo: Science Kiddo

Blow Up a Balloon

The air from your lungs isn’t the only way to blow up a balloon. This chilly experiment from Science Kiddo helps your budding scientist explore the properties of dry ice. 

 

photo: Life with Moore Learning

Build a Volcano

Check out this awesome overflowing dry ice volcano experiment from Life with Moore Learning! As if this isn’t enough fun, you'll also get a step-by-step guide to help your kids compare regular ice with dry ice and other freezing explorations.

photo: Cottonbro via Pexels

Plan a Potion

Whether you want to make a witch’s brew for your family's Halloween monster bash or you just want to mix up a cool (literally) concoction, Our Best Bite’s Mad Scientist Potion has everything you need to make a mocktail that’s overflowing with fog.

photo: Jeff Kingma via Unsplash

Find Fog—Magically

Make your own at-home outdoor fog machine with two ingredients—dry ice and hot water. Remember, dry ice doesn’t melt into a liquid. Instead, it sublimates or turns into a vapor. Place blocks of dry ice into a glass or bucket of hot water and then stand back and watch as the fog pours across your yard!

photo: Snapwire via Pexels

Put Out a Candle

Can dry ice help extinguish a candle quickly? Your littles can easily blow out their bday cake candles, but have they ever used dry ice to make a flame go away? Head over to Life with Moore Learning for the how-to steps to this easy science exploration.

photo: Johannes Plenio via Pexels

Make a Bubble Ball

How can your kids make a crystal ball? Gather a few pieces or pellets of dry ice, a bowl, dish soap and a kitchen towel. Put the dry ice into the bowl, add hot water and watch the fog show begin. Even though this is exciting, it’s not where the experiment ends. Dip the dish towel into a soapy solution, and spread it around the rim of the bowl. Gently pull the soap-soaked towel across the bowl and watch as a ball-like bubble emerges in front of your eyes. 

photo: Erica Loop

Compare and Contrast

How does dry ice melt? The answer isn't regular ice. While you might already know this, your child doesn’t. Freeze water, juice, soda, milk and any other liquid you want. Put the frozen liquid cubes on plates and create a comparison plate with dry ice. Watch each ice option carefully. Your child can jot down what happens to each piece of ice and when. 

photo: Diana Polekhina via Unsplash

Inflate a Glove

If you have boxes of plastic or latex gloves hanging around your home, forget about cleaning. It’s time to put these gloves to scientific use, as they are a great substitute for balloons. Drop a shred of dry ice into the glove, tie the end and watch it magically grow. Hint: Don’t use too much dry ice for this experiment. A pellet will do. Overdoing it with the frozen CO2 might create too much gas, causing the glove to burst.

photo: Cristian Palmer via Unsplash

Bubbles and More Bubbles

You’ve covered dry ice with water and watched it fog. But what happens if you put the frozen CO2 into a bath of bubbles? Use your kiddo’s paddling pool or fill the sand table with a water and bubble solution or dish soap mix. Ask your child to predict what will happen as the dry ice sublimates. Observe the bubbles as the CO2 gas fills the water and moves into suds.

photo: Enrique Zafra

Magical Disappearing Ice

When regular ice melts it leaves behind a puddle, but the same isn't true for dry ice. Again, the sublimation process causes it to turn into a gas state. Help your child learn more about the states of matter with easy observation-based science exploration. Place a piece of dry ice in a bowl outside on a warm day or in the sun. Ask your child to predict what they think will happen to the dry ice. Go back later in the day and take a look at the bowl. Like magic, the ice is gone, and nothing is left behind. Discuss what happened. Your child can hypothesize where the ice went and why there is no water in the bowl. 

—Erica Loop

 

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13 Art Activities That You Can Set Up in Minutes

By Erica Loop
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We’re always on the hunt for quick and easy art activities. The less mess (and the more fun), the better! Your budding artists will love these activities and you’ll love that they require few materials and minimal setup. Keep reading to check them out.

photo: Color Made Happy

Rock Painting

Gather up some rocks from your backyard or hiking trail, then let your little artists go to town with rock painting. There are lots of different ways to paint rocks, and Color Made Happy runs down all the different materials you can use, from acrylic paint to pastels to pens.

photo: One Little Project

Cupcake Liner Flowers

How cute are these homemade flowers from One Little Project? Cupcake liners and popsicle sticks come together to make a quick craft that won’t make a mess. Kids can make a few to turn into a mini garden.

photo: Little Bins for Little Hands

Tie Dye Coffee Filter Art

Making tie dye shirts is a multi-day process, so this activity from Little Bins for Little Hands incorporates all the fun of tie dying without the hassle. Coffee filters are the perfect canvas to watch colors spread and combine, and they dry out pretty quickly too.

photo: Happiness Is Homemade

Streamer Rainbows

Bring some color into your space with this super sweet idea from Happiness Is Homemade. Kids can practice their fine motor skills as they glue rainbow streamers and fluffy cotton balls onto a paper plate.

photo: Mini Monets and Mommies

Pipe Cleaners and Peg Dolls

Peg dolls are a super-easy crafts for kids to make. And they get to play with them too. Yay! All you need are markers, modeling clay and a few pipe cleaners to turn blank pegs into fab little friends. Check out how Mini Monets and Mommies made interchangeable clay wigs and pipe cleaner clothes.

Double-Sided Tape Art

No glue required. Sprinkle glitter, craft sand or sequins over double-sided tape. Kids can create shapes, letters, words or abstract designs.

photo: S. Massey

Ziploc Finger Painting

It doesn't get any easier than this, friends. With nothing but a ziplock baggie and paint, you've set your pint-sized Picasso (and yourself) up for endless fun. Another option: Try taping the bag to a window or a door so you can see light filter through the designs, or add glitter to bags for an extra sparkle.

Clay Finger Paint

You want your creative kid to go wild with rainbow finger paints. Um, but you’re not into the idea of spending your Monday night cleaning Jackson Pollock-esque splatters from the walls. Swap in soft modeling clay for the actual paints. Pull it into pieces and “paint” it onto cardboard. It’s a totally low-mess art activity that lets your little one create a textured "painting."

Recycled Texture Collage

Reuse those old worksheets, tissue paper and anything else in a collage. Glue these onto a cardboard base, creating textures and patterns. Kids can practice scissor skills, explore through their senses and create collages that are either abstract or look like “something” real.

Felt Patterns

Cut shapes out of craft felt in different colors. Your child can press the shapes against a full felt sheet to create patterns. Oh, and this one is reusable too.

photo: Mini Monets and Mommies

Frozen Chalk Paint

Make this one ahead of time or get your science on and have the kids explore states of matter changes (liquid to solid and solid to liquid transformations). Oh, and this is also ideal if you have loads of those teeny tiny chalk nubs hanging around the bottom of your art bin. Grind them up, add some water, freeze and let your child draw her afternoon away.

photo: Hands On As We Grow

Paint with Nature

Paintbrushes, who needs them? Not your child. Get some fresh air after school and gather a few natural items. When your child has plenty of pinecones, stems, sticks and other nature-y items ready, paint like Hands On As We Grow did!

Foam Prints

Reuse Styrofoam plates or trays. Use a craft stick to ‘draw’ a design, add tempera and press onto a piece of construction paper. Wash the plates and reuse them, making as many prints as your child wants—in different colors. When the prints are dry, add onto them with paint, chalk or markers.

—Susie Foresman & Erica Loop

 

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21 Halloween Costumes You Can Make with Amazon Boxes

By Erica Loop
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It’s that time of year! The weather has that autumn chill, everything is pumpkin flavored and the kids are buzzing with costume ideas. Instead of breaking your budget on a store-bought costume, why not reuse those Amazon boxes you have stashed away? Called “boxtumes,” with just a little crafty inspiration and your child’s imagination, you can create any number of cardboard box costumes that will definitely make for a happy Halloween. Check out our favorite ideas below.

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Mixtape & Rock Star

We love this sibling costume idea that has you cutting a mixtape and guitar out of boxes. Bonus: your kids can wear comfy clothes for the rest of the costume which means you'll definitely be winning at Halloween. 

photo: Rachael Burgess

X-Ray

How cute is this little x-ray costume? Not is the skeleton totally on point for Halloween, but have a sibling or a parent dress up as a doctor and boom—it's a family costume. Find out how to make one with your Amazon box by heading over to Rachael Burgess. 

photo: Kate Loweth

A Kid in a Box

This illusion costume is super fun and easy to build. Just use a mask from last year and a hoodie to create the creature who is carrying you. Then you get to be carried in the box. Super fun! 

photo: Mandy Beyeler via Sugar Bee Crafts

A Pair of Dice

Try your luck at making a set of dice this Halloween. Perfect for twins or BFFs, one of the best things about this costume is that it doesn't take a ton of supplies to make. Get the tutorial over at Sugar Bee Crafts. 

photo: Christy Palmer via Thrifty and Thriving

Vending Machine

This is an easy, and great idea for using up all those boxes from Amazon! Just be warned— this cool costume could have other trick or treaters trying to get the candy to dispense. A Slinky, paint and a few other items are all you’ll need to make your own version of this tasty get-up. Head over to Thrifty and Thriving to get the entire tutorial.

 

photo: Kate Loweth

DJ

Snag a shirt from your favorite band, some headphones and some chains and you'll be on your way to building a fantastic DJ costume. Use your box to make the turntable and grab a record from Goodwill. Super easy! 

photo: Liska Meyers via Adventure in a Box

A Daring Dino

Go Jurassic this Halloween with an adorable dinosaur boxtume. Your kiddo can fit inside the box, making it easy to wear (in other words, no tight suits or itchy head coverings that your tot will surely refuse to even touch). And bonus, your kiddos can paint their dino any way they want. Get the full instructions from Adventure In a Box.

 

Alien

Get yourself some foil and craft a UFO out of those cardboard boxes for an out-of-this-world costume! 

photo: Studio DIY

An Envelope

Someone has mail. No, not email—a real letter that’s actually made from paper. Okay, so the letter isn’t exactly all paper and pen marks. It’s cardboard! With a box and some creativity, your child can craft an airmail outfit that’s completely cute. With this costume, your child won’t be just another fairy princess, witch or that popular cartoon character. Make this costume with help from Studio DIY.

 

photo: Cassie May via Little Red Window

Thomas the Train

Your preschooler can’t stop going on and on about his favorite little blue engine. He's totally into Thomas the Train and is begging (like every 30 seconds) for a costume that features his fave. Well, here’s where this costume from Little Red Window comes in. It’s artsy, fun and something you can DIY at home.

 

Paper Dolls

We love this creative option that would be super easy to cut out and decorate this Halloween! 

photo: courtesy Desert Chica

Airplane

You’ve seen Disney’s Planes something like a trillion times. And now your child wants to play one of the roles. For Halloween, that is. Don’t worry about finding a ready-made L’il Dipper costume at the mall (or online). Check out this cardboard box version from Desert Chica.

 

photo: courtesy A Joyful Riot

Carousel Horse

Those carousel horses don’t have to stay on the merry-go-round. Okay, yes they do. But this horse doesn’t have to stay at the amusement park. Learn how to recycle your cardboard boxes into a colorful carousel cutie from A Joyful Riot.

 

photo: Jen Allyson via The Project Girl

An Order of Fries

Yum! A fab nod at fast food, this French fry costume is purely adorable. Seriously. It goes from plain ol’ cardboard to cool costume with just a few artsy steps. Get the full how-to from The Project Girl.

photo: Studio DIY

A Macaron

Oui, oui, your child is a fabulously French macaron. This scrumptious costume looks good enough to eat. Sadly, you can't, but it’s fun to create and your child will get a kick out of being their favorite dessert. Check out the design from Studio DIY.

 

photo: The Sweetest Occasion

Cardboard Wings

Whether it’s princesses, fairies or butterflies that interest your child, this cardboard costume is absolutely everything. It’s super simple, but still artsy enough to get your creative kid into the crafty creation process. Learn how to turn your old boxes into a crown and beautiful butterfly wings over at The Sweetest Occasion.

 

photo: Jen Pinkston via The Effortless Chic

Pac-Man

It’s totally tubular dude. This throw-back to the '80s is still current enough to keep your kids knowing they’re completely cool. Add in a few pieces of pixelated fruit and you’re good to go. Get the details on this awesome arcade art activity at The Effortless Chic.

 

photo: courtesy MayDae

Candy Boxes

So sweet! Kind of literally. Hey, the candy in your little one’s pumpkin-shaped caddy isn’t the only treats on Halloween night. Reuse an old box, magically transforming it into a cute candy costume. Head on over to Maydae for the how-to.

 

photo: Repeat Crafter Me

Fire Truck

You don’t have to keep the cardboard for the costume itself. This sweet firefighter outfit is easy to make—you can probably pick plenty of items from the dress-up bin to use. Here’s where the cardboard comes in. Use it to create the cutest fire truck wagon ever! Get the details from Repeat Crafter Me.

 

Minecraft

Your little ones will love painting these Minecraft heads for their Halloween costumes this year. 

photo: Lovebugs & Postcards

Milk and Cookies

The best part about a boxtume is you can be creative as you like! We love this adorable milk and cookies combo from Lovebugs & Postcards. You can get the tutorial by clicking here. 

—Kate Loweth & Erica Loop

 

RELATED STORIES

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27 Family Halloween Costume Ideas to Copy This Year

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All the Amazon Prime Perks You Need to Know About

By Erica Loop
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Who doesn’t love Amazon Prime? While some stores may claim to have comparable deals, the benefits you’ll get with your Amazon Prime membership are pretty unparalleled. Two-hour grocery delivery, movies you can watch for free anytime, even subscription boxes for the kids—being an Amazon Prime member comes with some legit perks you just can’t get anywhere else. Whether you’re a long-time member or new to the awesomeness that is Amazon Prime, check out all the Prime perks that you absolutely, positively NEED to know about.

photo: Courtesy of Amazon

Alexa Voice Shopping

If you have an Alexa-enabled device such as an Amazon Echo or Dot, you can order just by asking! This handy—or rather, hands-free—perk is only available to Prime members.

 

photo: li tzuni via Unsplash

Amazon Family

Babies need a lot of "stuff"—and any new parent knows how much all that stuff can add up. Amazon Prime members can save 20% on diapers, baby food (excluding formula) and more by subscribing via Amazon Family. Subscribe to five or more products arriving on the same recurring delivery day to the same address to score your 20% discount. 

 

photo: Courtesy Whole Foods

Whole Foods Grocery Delivery via Prime Now

Ever since Amazon bought Whole Foods in 2017, Prime members have enjoyed all sorts of perks when shopping in-store. Perhaps one of the most popular and best perks? Same-day grocery delivery from Whole Foods, courtesy of Amazon Prime Now. Orders over $35 qualify for free delivery and many cities offer delivery in as little as two hours.

 

photo: Amazon

Amazon Kids+

Chock that Amazon Fire Kids Edition Tablet full of content by subscribing to Amazon Kids +. You'll get unlimited access to thousands of kid-friendly goodies that include games, shows, books, movies, TV shows, educational apps and premium kid’s skills for just $2.99 per month.

Another bonus? Amazon Kids+ is not just for the Kids Edition tablet. It works on compatible Amazon Fire tablets, Android, iOS, Fire TV, Kindle and Echo devices, too! 

You'll also find easy-to-use parental controls that let you personalize screen time limits, set educational goals, filter age-appropriate content and even manage web browsing.

photo: Courtesy Whole Foods

Whole Foods Sales & Deals Just for Prime Members

Amazon Prime members get an extra 10% off items marked with yellow signs at your local Whole Foods store. Shop blue sign deals to save even more, as these deals are exclusively just for Prime members.

Ready to save even more? If you have an Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, you can also get an additional five percent back on all your purchases at Whole Foods.

photo: Courtesy of Amazon

Prime Wardrobe

Amazon understands that buying clothes online can be tricky: will it fit? How's the material feel? What's the color really look like? Prime Wardrobe is a try-before-you-buy service similar to StitchFix that allows you to choose the items you like, filling your box with up to three picks. You get a seven-day try-on period to decide what you do and don't like. Pay for what you want and send what you don't like back! 

photo: Justin Aiken via Unsplash

Two-Hour Alcohol Delivery

Getting your groceries delivered is great and all, but what about beer and wine? You can get beer and wine delivered via Prime Now in select cities. Prime members can get beer and wine delivered for free in two hours—but if you're really crunched for that bottle of bubbly for your weekend mimosas, pay $8 to get your booze delivered in under an hour.

photo: PxHere

Prime Pantry

The name pretty much says it all: stock your pantry with everyday household essentials and more with Prime Pantry. Prime members can get free delivery on all Prime Pantry orders over $25, or pay $5.99 for smaller orders.

photo: Courtesy of Amazon

First Reads & Prime Reading

Exclusively for Prime members, Amazon First Reads allows you to choose from one of six early-access new Kindle titles each month, for free. You'll also have access to Amazon Original Stories, which are short reads you can download for free. With Prime Reading, Prime Members can also access over a thousand titles for free anytime on any device, from kids books to cookbooks and even select magazine titles, too.

photo: mentatdgt via Pexels

Prime Book Box

Remember when Amazon only just sold books? Prime Book Box is Amazon's subscription book service that takes us all back to the early days of the now-massive online retailer—and it's only for Prime members. Each box contains either two hardcover books or four board books and boxes are available for kids ages 0 to 2 years, 3 to 5 years, 6 to 8 years and 9 to 12 years. Pick a delivery schedule to get books every one, two or three months and save up to 40 percent off of the list price on books hand-picked for your kiddos—each box is just $19.99.

photo: PourquaiPas via Pixabay

Amazon Music

Stream the playlist of your dreams—or just ask Alexa to play that song your kid's been singing all day. Prime members can listen to a growing library of over 2 million hand-curated songs for free from Amazon Music. For an extra fee, upgrade your music experience to Amazon Music Unlimited to access Amazon's complete library of over 50 million songs. Not sure about upgrading? You can try Amazon Music Unlimited for free for 30 days.

photo: Courtesy of Amazon

Prime Video

The stellar streaming service is home to thousands of TV shows, movies and original programming for the whole fam—and it's all free. You can also purchase additional premium channels (for an extra charge) from third-party networks such as HBO, Starz, Showtime and Lifetime Movie Club. Prime members are typically eligible for a 30-day free trial, depending on the network. Check out all the Kids and Family picks included with Prime Video.

photo: Rawpixel via Unsplash

Prime Photos

Amazon Prime members get unlimited storage with Prime Photos, which is great when trying to figure out where to keep all those digital photos and videos. Better still? Go ahead and bundle your best shots into photo books, turn them into holiday cards or even create wall art, right from Amazon Prints. Amazon Prime members can enjoy free delivery with Amazon Prints, too.

photo: Jessica Lewis via Pexels

Streaming Video Games with Prime Gaming

Your little gamer will flip for free games, courtesy of Prime. Prime Gaming is included with every Prime membership and entitles gamers to a selection of free games every month, free in-game content for popular titles and also includes a Prime-exclusive chat badge as you watch your favorite Twitch streams. Prime members just need to connect their Twitch account to get started.

photo: Bruce Mars via Pexels

Early Access to Big Savings

Prime members can enjoy early access to Lightning Deals before anyone else. Just look for "Prime Early Access" on the product page.

photo: Courtesy of Amazon

Share Your Account with the Whole Fam

Create an Amazon Household account to share select Prime benefits and digital content with other adults, teens or kids in your home. You can share the following Prime benefits with Amazon Household: 

  • Free Prime Delivery benefits
  • Streaming access to Prime Video
  • Free books with Prime Reading
  • Earn 2% rewards on Prime Reload
  • Prime Photos and album sharing
  • Free books with Amazon First Reads
  • Unlimited listening on Audible Channels
  • Early access to Amazon Lightning Deals

—Erica Loop with Keiko Zoll

Featured photo: iStock 

 

RELATED STORIES:

Amazon Will Deliver to Your Garage to Fend Off Would-Be Package Thieves

Up to 3,000 More Amazon Go Stores Could Arrive in the Next 3 Years

The Ultimate List of Things Your Kids Can Ask Amazon Alexa

Amazon Might Be Coming to Your Local Airport

Search more like this
  • music
  • free delivery
  • grocery delivery
  • wine
  • free games
  • baby food
  • board books
  • easy to use
  • free trial
  • kid friendly
  • screen time
  • streaming service
  • video games
  • pantry

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