Kids don’t need much to create their own real-life play scenes. With the simplest props and costumes, inspire them to create their own stories and experiment with being in someone else’s shoes.

 
After a Mothers Day gift or adding special finishing touches to your Mothers Day gift? Snap some precious photos of your kids playing Mum.

 
To help celebrate Mothers Day, here are some props to help your children play Mum. These props will also be useful for other play scenes.

• Board, pens, eraser
• Brushes, combs, mirror, hair pins, hair bands
• Play tools 
• Play food set 
• Play phone 
• Shop register set
• Toy laptop

 
To all the Mums out there, you’re simply amazing. Thank you!

The post Mothers Day: Playing Mum with Target by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.

Celebrating Mothers Day: 20 Fun Activities for Children

 

	← Tulip Painting by Blog Me Mom → Edible Sugar Flowers by Happy Whimsical Hearts
	← Mothers Day Gift Photos: by Lessons Learnt Journal → Blueberry Yogurt Cookies by Spoon Fork Bacon
	← Handprint flower bouquet craft by Splish Splash Splatter Art → DIY Heart Pendants by Play Trains
	← Paper Flowers by Lessons Learnt Journal → DIY Geometric Flower Pots by Hello Lidy
	← Eggshell Dolls by Pink Stripey Socks → DIY Vases for Mother's Day by Modern Parents Messy Kids
	← Coffee Filter Flowers by Like Mama Like Daughter → DIY Bracelets by Lessons Learnt Journal
	← Salt Dough Flowers by We Made That → DIY Mexican Folk Art Bowls by Inspired by Family Mag
	← DIY Mothers Day Necklace by La maison de Loulou → Rings Made Out of Caulk by Krystie's Creative Korner
	← Picnic Under a Tree by April's Homemaking → Tear Art Bookmarks by Buggy and Buddy
	← Bouquet for MOM by Krokotak → Spring Flowers by The Fairy and the Frog

 
Have you been featured this week? Please take our Featured at Lessons Learnt Journal badge.

 
Most of these ideas are from our Kids’ Co-Op. If you have a child focused post to share, be sure to come back and visit the Kids’ Co-Op link up here at Lessons Learnt Journal, (published every Thursday at 7PM CST).

The post Mothers Day: 20 Activities for Children by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.

DIY Bracelet: A Homemade Gift for Mothers Day from Kids

 
Mothers Day is about giving honour to mothers.

 
Each person will have their own way of expressing gratitude and honour to mothers, not just their own mothers but also mothers in general.

 
What sort of meaningful gifts do your children give? How do your kids show you that they love you? Hugs? Wanting to spend time with you? Loving words? Homemade gifts?

 
This DIY bracelet is a simple homemade gift for mothers that kids, as young as toddlers, can make to honour mothers.

 
To make your DIY bracelet, you’ll need some pipe cleaners and cheerios. Thread some cheerios through the pipe cleaner and wrap the pipe cleaners around to make a bracelet.

 
These DIY bracelets are cute. They’re something that young kids can realistically make. It’s a symbol of love and affirmation for mothers. It is meaningful, but honestly, these DIY bracelets, and any other gift can’t meet my deepest needs for affirmation.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a bah-hum-bug person.  I love and appreciate meaningful gifts.

 
However, these gifts do not satisfy my deepest needs for affirmation.  My heart echoes Wendy’s post mothers’ day reflections:

 
“[I] will happily receive from my family and friends what they imperfectly give [me], knowing it won’t meet my deepest needs for affirmation, because [I ]know the One who will.” (Practical Theology for Women)

 
As much as I fight this and try to fill it with other things, I can’t escape this truth:

 
“Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25-26 ESV)

More Activities for Preschoolers

Three to Five: Playful Preschool is stuffed to the brim with tried, tested and loved playful learning ideas for preschoolers. There are 25+ ideas for preschoolers, ten printable resources and additional links to over 50 more activities. A great resource for parents. Download your copy here.

The post DIY Bracelets: Mothers Day Gifts by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.

Scrolling through the many wonderful ideas linked up in last weeks’ Kids Co-op made me smile too. It’s not just the creative ideas and stories that impressed me, it’s the generosity of so many people willing to share their stories of how they work, rest and play with their children.

WORK
There are some old-school ideas that have stood the test of time.
Like a Pretty Petunia reminds us of Alphabet Beads.

REST
NurtureStore shares a lovely craft for Mothers’ Day, complete with an anti-paint smudging device.

The Kids’ Co-op is co-hosted by over 60 (and growing) fun kids’ blogs. Add your child-focused link here and we’ll share your idea across all of our child-focused blogs and pin the best to our popular Weekly Kids Co-op Pinterest board (which has over 212,000 followers). You can also follow the Kids Co-op on Facebook.

The post Weekly Kids’ Co-op: Work, Rest & Play by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.