Kids & Family | Blog Category Archives | Meraki Lane

10 Easy Dice Games for Kids | If you're looking for portable travel games and/or need ideas for family game night, these dice games are family friendly and much fun. With options for 2 players as well as games you can play with a large group, we've included a mix of simple DIY dice games and classic store bought games you'll love. These make great camping activities, and are also perfect for road trips and those who need airplane activities for kids. Roll the dice and see what you think!

Family Game Night! 10 Fun and Easy Dice Games for Kids

31 Indoor and Outdoor Tween Activities | If you're a parent, caregiver, or teacher of tween boys and/or girls, and you need a list of fun ideas to keep them engaged and entertained in summer, fall, winter, and spring, this post is for you! We've curated our favorite boredom busters with a mixture of independent activities and family fun ideas that are perfect for to enjoy together on a rainy day, on a road trip, while camping with the fam, and on weekends and holidays.

31 Indoor and Outdoor Tween Activities to Beat Boredom Year-Round

9 Amigurumi Tutorials for Beginners and Beyond | If you're looking for step by step tutorials to teach you how to crochet and knit cute little stuffed animals, dolls, foods, etc., this post is for you! We're sharing everything you need to know - amigurumi basics, how to get started, tools and essentials to invest in, crocheting tips and hacks for beautiful designs, and lots of tutorials that include free patterns and instructions so you can make simple designs that are oh so adorable.

9 Step-by-Step Amigurumi Tutorials for Beginners (10 Free Patterns!)

8 Step-by-Step Embroidery Tutorials for Beginners | If you want to learn how to embroider, this collection of embroidery designs, patterns, and projects is just what you need. We've included a list of embroidery essentials, a tutorial to teach you basic embroidery stitches, and 8 hand embroidery ideas that are equal parts easy and beautiful. From flowers and leaves, to cursive letters and modern lettering designs, to hand border embroidery for clothing, this post has it all!

8 Step-by-Step Embroidery Tutorials for Beginners and Beyond

21 LEGO Challenges for Kids of All Ages | Before I became a mom, I didn't appreciate just how much you can do with LEGO outside of building houses and cars. The internet is FULL of ideas for kids in preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and even high school! Whether you're looking for something simple to build at home with your kids, or you're on the hunt for LEGO stem challenges and activities for the classroom, this post has lots of free ideas to inspire you!

Learning Through Play: 21 LEGO Challenges for Kids of All Ages

7 Easy Card Games for Kids | If you're looking for simple and fun family game night ideas, playing cards is always a great option. There are so many games you can play with a deck of cards, with single player, 2 player, and multiple player options for all levels. If you have kids in preschool or kindergarten, you've probably already tried the basics like memory, matching, and Uno. This post is a step above, and includes the best family card games for 2 or more players!

Family Game Night: 7 Easy Card Games for Kids

21 Duct Tape Crafts for Kids | From simple bookmarks and lanyards, to arm bands, bracelets, and belts, to hair bows and headbands, to wallets, purses, iPhone cases, and iPad covers, these duck tape crafts for kids are the perfect mix of cute, fun, and cool! If you're looking for easy DIY crafts kids can make, these easy creative ideas will not disappoint! These step by step instructions and tutorials will teach your kids how to make awesome things to give as gifts - and to sell - in minutes!

Crafting With Children: 21 Duct Tape Crafts for Kids

33 Among Us Birthday Party Ideas for Kids | Who is the imposter?! If you want to know how to plan the best Among Us party for boys or for girls, you're in luck! From Among Us theme decorations, party favors, and loot bags, to Among Us games, crafts, and activities, to easy Among Us cake ideas, cookies, snacks, and tons of other food related treats, this post is full of fabulous ideas. We've including a mix of fun DIY games and easy store bought baking and decorating ideas to help!

SUS: 33 Fun and Easy Among Us Birthday Party Ideas for Kids

14 Washi Tape Crafts for Kids | If you're looking for simple and easy DIY projects you can do with your kids after school and on weekends, these washi tape ideas will NOT disappoint! We've included tons of fun crafts for boys and girls, including personalized back to school supplies and notebooks, wall decoration inspiration and room decor ideas, art journals and scrapbooks, and tons of art projects that make great Christmas gifts and keepsakes for family and friends!

Craftiness is Happiness: 14 Washi Tape Crafts for Kids

21 Teacher Appreciation Week Gifts | If you're looking for a list of creative and meaningful ways to express your gratitude to an extra special teacher, this post has lots of fantastic ideas! Whether you're looking for DIY cards in which your child can write a message for their teacher, or a list of gifts kids can make themselves, we've got lots of crafts and activities to choose from. And if your child is learning remotely, we've included virtual teacher appreciation gift ideas as well!

21 Teacher Appreciation Week Gifts For Virtual & In-Person Learning

18 Step-By-Step Crochet Tutorials For Beginners | If you're looking for beginner crochet projects, this post is for you! We're sharing everything you need to get started, including crochet essentials and step-by-step video tutorials to teach you how to make simple items like blankets, scarves, and baskets, as well as simple animal patterns. Learning how to crochet is easy with these crochet projects, and we've included ideas for kids to boot!

18 Step-By-Step Crochet Tutorials For Beginners And Beyond

13 Pencil Shaving Art Projects | If you're looking for craft ideas you can do on your own or with kids, pencil shaving art is perfect for both beginner and advanced artists. Recycled crafts are cheap and fit for any budget, and many of these can be turned into greeting cards and homemade gifts for family and friends. And if drawing isn't one of your skills, you can use printable coloring pages! From flowers and fish, to peacocks and a dancing princesses, these upcycling art ideas are beautiful!

Creative Crafting: 13 Pencil Shaving Art Projects We Love

21 Earth Day Activities and Crafts for Kids | Perfect for toddlers, for preschoolers, for kindergarten, and for kids in elementary and middle school, we've curated tons of easy Earth Day projects you can enjoy with your kids and students both at home and in the classroom. With a mix of art projects, crafts, science experiments, and outdoor activities, these ideas make teaching kids about climate change, global warming, and environmental protection fun and interesting!

Save the Planet: 21 Earth Day Activities and Crafts for Kids

9 Bottle Painting Projects for Beginners | If you're looking for simple, easy, and beautiful bottle painting ideas, grab your empty wine, beer, and water bottles plus your acrylics and give these DIY designs a try! We've included tips and techniques for beginners to help you get started, with bottle painting designs for both glass and plastic bottles. These make beautiful homemade gifts, and many of these are suitable for kids to do!

Crafting At Home: 9 Gorgeous Bottle Painting Projects To Try

15 Finger Print Art Projects For Kids | If you're on the hunt for easy crafts for kids of all ages, these fingerprint art ideas will inspire you! Whether you're crafting with toddlers or looking for homemade gifts kids can make, these easy kids activities will not disappoint. From thumbprint dandelions, to alphabet art, to flowers and butterflies, to autumn trees and more, this list of fingerprint crafts for kids has something for every age and stage.

Crafting with Kids: 15 Finger Print Art Projects We Love

11 April Fool's Day Pranks for Kids | If you're looking for fun and easy practical jokes to play on your kids or students - or for your kids or students to play on their parents, siblings, friends, or teachers - this post has lots of great ideas to inspire you! Most of these work as last minute pranks, and they offer a bit of light-hearted humor without being mean-spirited. We have options for groups and for families, and you may even use some of these for work - they are really funny!

Gotcha! 11 Fun and Easy April Fool’s Day Pranks for Kids

14 Outdoor Snow Day Activities for Kids | While it can be tempting to stay indoors all day long on bad weather days, anyone with young kids knows that being cooped up inside for hours on end can be a recipe for disaster. If schools are closed due to snow and you're looking for things to do outside to help your kids burn off energy, these outdoor winter activities will inspire you! This list of simple and easy ideas has options for toddlers, kindergarteners, and kids in elementary school.

Cabin Fever? 14 Outdoor Snow Day Activities for Kids

14 Easy Origami Tutorials for Kids | If you're looking for simple step by step origami for beginners, we've got you covered! From flowers, to stars, to hearts, to animals, to finger puppets, to holiday origami ideas and more, these origami videos are a fun way to craft with your kids. Origami offers a great way to develop a child's fine motor skills, and these art projects double as beautiful DIY gifts kids can make. Grab your origami paper and give some of these ideas a try!

Origami For Kids: 42 Simple Step-By-Step Tutorials for Beginners

16 Super Bowl Games For All Ages | If you're looking for activities and games to play on Super Bowl Sunday, this post has tons of fun family-friendly ideas to inspire you! From minute to win it games, to free printable bingo board play cards, to prize ideas everyone will love, this collection of Super Bowl Sunday activities for kids and adults is your ticket to hosting a party that will be enjoyed by all ages and stages!

Football Is Family: 16 Super Bowl Games For All Ages

21 Engineering Activities for Kids | If you're looking fun, easy, and creative ways to get your kids or students excited about STEM learning, these engineering focused STEM challenges, projects, and activities are a great place to start! Whether you're looking for an excuse to learn outside in the spring or summer, need indoor activities for the classroom for the fall and winter months, these ideas are an awesome way to compliment learning at home too!

STEM Learning: 21 Fun and Educational Engineering Activities for Kids

Virtual Brain Breaks for Kids of All Ages | If your child struggles with focus and concentration, distance learning can be particularly tricky. Thankfully, the internet is full of quick and easy brain breaks for virtual learning that teachers can do with students on Zoom, and fun brain breaks parents can incorporate into their virtual learning routine at home. Whether you have a child in preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, or middle school, this post has tons of ideas to inspire you!

Rest and Reset: 17 Virtual Brain Breaks for Kids of All Ages