Kids & Family | Blog Category Archives | Meraki Lane

17 Independent Activities for Kids Who Are Stuck at Home | If you're looking for fun and engaging quiet activities your children can do by themselves on sick days, school holidays, and/or during an extended school closure, we're sharing 17 ideas that require little to no prep! Most of these are indoor activities for kids, but we've included some outdoor options for spring, summer, and fall! If you're trying to figure out how to work from home with kids, these ideas are perfect!

17 Independent Activities for Kids Who Are Stuck at Home

24 Easter Crafts for Kids of All Ages and Stages | Whether you're looking for simple Easter crafts for toddles and preschoolers, or easy fun projects for kids in elementary school that require a little more planning and creativity, this post will inspire you. From handprint chick crafts, to upcycled bunny crafts, to DIY Easter baskets and more, we've even included our favorite Easter traditions for kids to make the holiday extra special this year!

Easter Crafts for Kids: 24 Fun Ideas For All Ages and Stages

13 Autism Awareness Crafts for Kids | April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day, and if you're looking for crafts, projects, and activities you can use in your classroom to teach your students about autism, this post is a great place to start. From door signs, to puzzle piece crafts and jigsaw jewelry, to art projects that can be used as bulletin boards throughout the month of April, these ideas will inspire you to find unique ways to celebrate neurodiversity and promote inclusion!

Different, Not Less: 13 Meaningful Autism Awareness Crafts for Kids

49 Story Starters for Kids | If you're looking for creative writing prompts for kids, we're sharing 49 classroom ideas and activities to inspire you! Perfect for kids in elementary and middle school, we've included a mix of different narrative ideas, including journal prompts, personal essay prompts, and fun fiction writing prompts. We've also included tips to get kids excited about writing, and how to keep the momentum going!

How to Get Kids Excited About Creative Writing: 49 Story Starters for Kids

How to Make Hair Scrunchies with Your Kids | If you're looking for simple tutorials to teach you how to make 80s-inspired retro ponytail holders, we're sharing 5 step-by-step videos that are equal parts easy and stylish! Whether you use a sewing machine, sew by hand, or opt for the no sew options, there's a DIY scrunchie here for everyone! #scrunchie #scrunchies #DIYscrunchies

Retro Ponytail Holders: How to Make Hair Scrunchies with Your Kids

8 Social Filter Activities for Kids | If you're looking for social skills activities that help teach children how to filter their thoughts and learn whether they should think it or say it out loud, we're sharing 8 ideas that can be used for elementary school, for middle school, for high school, and for kids with special needs like autism and ADHD. These are great team building exercises and will help develop friendship and conversation skills. #socialskills #socialfilter #socialskillsactivities

Think It Or Say It Out Loud: 8 Social Filter Activities for Kids

22 Snow Day Activities for Kids | If you're looking for fun and easy activities for toddlers, for preschoolers and kindergarteners, or for kids in elementary school that will get them physically moving while also keeping their brains busy when cabin fever strikes, this is a great list of things to do! From indoor activities designed to burn energy, to independent art projects that will allow you a little time to decompress, these are great boredom busters! #snowday #snowdayactivities #boredkids

22 Indoor Snow Day Activities for Kids to Keep Your Children Entertained

27 DIY Googly Eye Crafts for Kids | If you’re looking for simple, easy, and fun ways to get creative with your kids, these awesome googly eye activities will NOT disappoint! We’ve included ideas for all ages - toddlers, kids in preschool and kindergarten, and elementary school aged children. From creepy spiders and googly eyed monsters that are perfect for Halloween, to peacocks, bumblebees, lions, and an adorable hippopotamus, these make great keepsakes! #googlyeyes #kidscrafts

Fun and Awesome: 27 Googly Eye Crafts for Kids They’ll Absolutely Love!

25 Construction Paper Crafts for Kids | If you’re looking for easy art projects for toddlers, kids in preschool and kindergarten, and elementary aged children, these kids activities develop fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, scissor skills, and more. With fall, winter, spring, and summer crafts, as well as holiday inspiration for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter, there are tons of fun step by step DIY projects here for every age and stage! #constructionpapercrafts

Fun At Home: 25 Construction Paper Crafts for Kids We Love

26 Paper Plate Crafts for Kids | If you’re looking for easy art projects for toddlers, kids in preschool and kindergarten, and elementary aged children, these crafts develop fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, scissor skills, and more. With fall, winter, spring, and summer crafts, as well as holiday inspiration for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter, there are tons of art projects here for every age and stage! #paperplatecrafts #upcyclecrafts

Upcycle Projects We Love: 26 Paper Plate Crafts for Kids

24 Screen Free Activities for Kids | If you’re looking for indoor activities for kids to get your children off their electronics, we’ve got ideas for kids in preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school! Perfect for warding off cabin fever on cold winter, rainy spring, or stinking hot summer days, these no screen activities will prove that parenting without screens IS possible. Going screen free for a week may be just the challenge your kids need! #screenfreeactivities #noscreenactivities

Fun Without Electronics: 24 Screen Free Activities For Kids

13 Stress Relief Activities for Kids | If your little one suffers from feelings of overwhelm, stress, and/or anxiety and you’re looking for coping skills you can teach him or her, we’re sharing 13 simple yet effective activities that help calm the mind and body. From mindful breathing and yoga, to coloring, art therapy, and journaling, these ideas work for all ages and stages and offer a great way to spend quality time with your kids to boot! #calmingactivities #calmingactivitiesforkids

Calm and Collected: 13 Stress Relief Activities for Kids

24 Marble Activities for Kids | If you’re looking for boredom busters that also help develop a child’s fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills, these marble activities will not disappoint! With fun and easy DIY marble run and marble maze ideas for kids in preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school, these STEM challenges will keep your little ones entertained for hours using simple materials like cardboard, paper plates, paper towel rolls, and pool noodles. #marblerun #marblemaze

Fun at Home: 24 Marble Activities For Kids To Beat Cabin Fever

26 Popsicle Stick Crafts for Kids | If you’re looking for easy and fun art projects to do with the boys and girls in your life when you’re stuck inside the house, we’re sharing 26 craft stick projects for kids of all ages. Perfect for toddlers in preschool and kids in kindergarten and elementary school, we’ve curated ideas for spring, summer, fall, and winter, as well as exciting DIY Halloween and Christmas themed projects! #popsiclestickcrafts #popsiclestickprojects #craftstickcrafts

Crafting Made Fun: 26 Popsicle Stick Crafts for Kids

20 Self-Care Activities for Kids We Love | If you’re looking for ideas to help the children in your life learn how to relax and unwind when they are feeling stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed, this collection of parenting tips and ideas is a great place to start! We’ve got stress-busting ideas for toddlers, children in elementary school, and even tweens and teens. Use these at home with your kids or with your students in the classroom! #selfcareactivities #selfcareforkids

Put Yourself First: 20 Self-Care Activities for Kids We Love

30 Simple Weaving Crafts for Kids | Teach your kids how to weave with materials you already have lying around the house, like paper, straws, yarn, cardboard, a bag, fabric, and popsicle sticks. With step by step tutorials, these ideas are perfect for beginners, and we’ve included ideas for kids in preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school. These make great DIY gifts kids can make, and double as fabulous fine motor and hand strengthening activities. #weavingcrafts #weavingcraftsforkids

30 Simple Weaving Crafts for Kids You’ll Wish You Tried Sooner

17 Coding Activities for Kids | If you’re looking for fun activities to help foster an interest in computer programming in your kids, we’re sharing 17 ideas to inspire you. With tons of unplugged activities to choose from, these STEM inspired ideas can be used in the classroom and at home to teach kids how to write binary code, how to debug code, how to program a robot, how to make their own video games, and how to build their own website! #codingactivitiesforkids #codinggames #codingforkids

Learning Made Fun: 17 Coding Activities for Kids Of All Ages

28 Simple and Fun Clothespin Crafts for Kids | If you want to know how to make crafts out of clothespins, this post has tons of great ideas for kids in preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school. These art projects can be enjoyed at home, in the classroom, and even in Sunday school, and are sure to keep your little ones entertained for hours. #clothespin #clothespincraft #clothespins #closepincrafts

Fun At Home: 28 Simple and Fun Clothespin Crafts for Kids

27 Fleece Projects for Kids Of All Ages | There are so many easy, no sew art projects you can make with your kids, and these fleece-inspired ideas are perfect for cold winter days. Whether you want to learn how to make hats, scarves, and backpacks with your little one, or want something a little more creative, like puppets, pillows, and rugs, these ideas make great gifts! #fleeceprojects #nosewfleece #nosewprojects

Crafting at Home: 27 Fleece Projects for Kids Of All Ages

24 Pom Pom Crafts for Kids | If you’re looking for easy DIY projects you can enjoy with your children that double as cute gifts and fun decoration ideas for the holidays, these art projects will inspire you! We’ve included easier options for kids in preschool and kindergarten who are fine tuning their motor skills, and great ideas (and tutorials) to teach older kids how to make pom poms and transform them into their own adorable creations! #pompomcrafts #pompomactivities #pompomcraftideas

Hands On Fun: 24 Pom Pom Crafts for Kids We Love

24 Pipe Cleaner Crafts for Kids | Whether you’re looking for easy toddler activities to try at home, or more involved crafts you can enjoy in the classroom and/or on weekends, these piper cleaner crafts will not disappoint! We’ve included simple ideas for spring, summer, fall, and winter, along with DIY step by step options for older kids. We’re even sharing how to make pipe cleaner dream catchers! #pipecleanercrafts #pipecleaneractivities #kidscrafts

Crafting Made Fun: 24 Pipe Cleaner Crafts for Kids