I've said it before and I'll say it again, Christmas isn't Christmas without a great puzzle to work on! It's been a family tradition for decades, and now on both sides of the Atlantic - nothing can stop us from Christmas puzzles! This year we're working on a What If? puzzle, and all is not as it seems. This post may contain affiliate links through which I may receive a small commission. Ravensburger kindly sent us a copy of WHAT IF? No.20 Christmas Lights to put together; and we've ... read more
60+ (Non-Sugar) Stocking Stuffers For The Whole Family!
Do you have a Christmas stocking hung in the living room each year? Or is it a sock at the end of the bed? I love planning what we'll put in the stockings, and then the nervous excitement of filling them without having the children wake up and catch me in the act! Have you started planning what you'll be placing into your family's Christmas stocking this year? I don't like to fill our family's stockings with candy and chocolate. There's already too much indulgence around the holidays ... read more
10 Things to Do in Belfast in December With Kids
I first arrived in Northern Ireland the last week of November 15 years ago. Oh how the city has changed! And I've been fortunate to have seen these changes up close and personal my first 3 years when I lived in South Belfast. Like any city, it really comes to life for Christmas and there's lots to see in Belfast in December with kids. Belfast really is shining this December, after the shocking Primark Fire in August. It's now open again for business, and I'm loving the community feel ... read more
Suki’s Kimono Origami Decoration, Gift Tags, and Bookmarks
We're all about Christmas this year...we even have 95% of our shopping done! The tree will go up over the weekend, and the gifts will be wrapped before Christmas Eve for the first time in forever! This means that we will have even more time than usual to dedicate to making home-made kid-made Christmas crafts-woohoo! This year our first tree decoration also doubles as a gift tag or bookmark, too! All the better as it's a book that has inspired this decoration; Suki's Kimono by Chieri ... read more
Emily: Champion of Rainforest Animals In Need CKCBH 64
I'm a little late this month in getting this post up; it's been hectic here and things don't look like they'll be letting up until January. Speaking of January, this month's linky will be open until then as we are taking December off to help lighten the load, so don't forget to link up your multicultural posts straight through until then! Welcome to the Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop! The Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop is a place where bloggers can share multicultural activities, crafts, ... read more
Create Wearable Technology With Girls That Make
We've previously reviewed Creation Crate, an electronic subscription box for children, and Tristan had so much fun with it that we couldn't resist reviewing their new subscription, Girls That Make. Girls That Make introduces girls to cool tech and coding in a cool new way. Girls That Make kindly sent us the first box of the subscription to try out (the subscription can run for 1, 3, 6, or 12 months) . Kallista was 7 at the time, and is 8 now, and although she is interested in STEM and ... read more
DIY Japanese Book Cover : Pretty and Practical
When I was living in Japan, it was a unique experience to visit a bookshop, other than the fact that there were very few English books available outside of Tokyo or Kyoto. The reason for this experience was the way in which the people working in the shops presented your new book to you; it was covered in the perfect-sized book cover! This post may contain affiliate links through which I may receive a small commission. The counter had a stack of paper with the shop's logo imprinted on ... read more
Chinese Myths and Legends
Out just this year is Chinese Myths and Legends: The Monkey King and Other Adventures from Tuttle Publishing, who have kindly sent us a copy for review. Find out what our family thinks of this book below. There are 7 main stories in Chinese Myths and Legends; however, many of the stories are broken down into 5-12 sections/chapters, which makes for easier reading and thus it doesn't seem as daunting to younger readers. The stories are: Pan Gu and the Creation of the World Nu Wo, ... read more
Make ‘N Break ‘N Repeat For Fun
Games that are a mix of both skill and chance are a great way to level the playing field between players of differing abilities...add in some team play and a unique way to add up the points, and you have Ravensburger's Make 'N Break! This post may contain affiliate links through which I may receive a small commission. Ravensburger kindly sent us a copy of Make 'N Break to try out and the kids are having fun with it! It's aimed at people aged between 8 and 99 and can accommodate ... read more
Gift Ideas For Inquisitive Detectives Of All Ages
Do your children love solving mysteries? It's a great way to introduce them to forensics and logic while also sneaking in some math and science at the same time! Who can complain with that, when it's also so much fun to play the detective? If you have a detective-in-training on your gift list, check out these awesome detective gifts! We have all sorts of detective kits and books in our home! The kids love to solve cases (have you seen our review of Something Fishy at Lake ... read more
