You know those claw machines at the arcade that kids go crazy for? Fishing for ABCs is basically that game, but instead of spending $5 to (most likely) not get a toy, why not play this far more rewarding AND educational version using vocabulary words and letter tiles instead?

Kids decorate their own “fish bowl” using an ice cream carton or tissue box. Parents (or older kids) build a “fishing rod” using a wooden dowel and some magnets, and then fill the fish bowl with letters and early vocabulary words. Kids go “fishing” for letters to create words, or simply to practice saying the letters of the alphabet. Older kids can fish for words and create sentences. There are endless ways to play!

Especially in the early stages of learning, kids crave sensory play to help connect mind and body. Physically handling the fishing pole and fetching the letters keeps them engaged, while also practicing fine motor skills. This game is also great practice for letter recognition (I know this shape is a letter “L”) and letter sound correspondence (The letter “L” makes the /l/ sound).

Ayla (age 7) was excited to paint her fish bowl, fetch words to make sentences, and sort her letters by color (sorting is another awesome skill to flex in this game).

Lennon (age 3) had a great time spelling her name and winding up the fishing pole.

Did you try this activity out with your kids? Let us know how it went! Tag us on social media @mothergooseclub #ShowMeHow.

SHOW ME HOW!

Supplies:

• Cleaned ice cream carton, tissue box, or similar
• Paint in various colors, including white for priming
• Paint brushes
• Construction paper
• Marker
• Drinking straw or wooden dowel
• String
• Small magnet
• Paper clips
• Use our free printouts:
  • Fish printout
  • Shapes printout
  • Squares printout
  • Alphabet printout

Instructions:

Step 1: Prepare the fishing container: Find a suitable fishing container like an ice cream tub, a tissue box or a cake box.

Step 2: Cut a hole on the lid at least 3 inches in diameter at the center of the container’s lid.

Step 3: Prime the container by painting the outside with white acrylic paint. This layer of paint hides the print on the tub or box and prepares the surface for the final colors of paint.

Step 4: Paint the container: Once the layer of white paint dries, paint the container with various colors of tempera, poster paint or acrylic paint. You can make stripes, dots, swirls or other patterns. You can also paint an ocean theme or any design you like.

Step 5: Make paper squares or fishes: Cut out several 1-inch squares or small fish shapes from construction paper.

Create alphabet letters: Write a letter on each paper square or fish using colored markers or crayons. If you intend to level up to a spelling activity, make sure to add more vowel tiles. Put a metal paper clip on each of the letters. Put the letters in the fishbowl.

Tip: Make this activity a fun challenge by asking your kids to fish for the letters of their name.

Make a fishing pole: Cut string to a length of about 1½ to 2 feet. Tape one end of the string to a small magnet. Tie the opposite end to the tip of a drinking straw or wooden dowel.

Fish for letters: Finally, have kids use the fishing rod to catch alphabet letters inside the container. The magnet on the fishing rod will attract the metal paper clips on the letter squares. Have kids identify each letter they catch.

Level up! Spell some words: Fish for a few letters and see how many words you can spell. As a math activity, count all the letters caught or the words created. You can also incorporate shapes learning by making the letter tiles out of different shapes instead of just squares and using numbers.

Make it a game! Set a timer and see how many words your kids can form in 3 minutes. Winner gets to help clean the next ice cream carton

Short form videos are not just for kids! For this Father’s Day, why not think about creating your own TikTok or IG Reel videos? We have compiled a list of helpful tips and tricks to get you started on the road to loads of creative fun for your family.

Express yourself!

• There are some videos that just by the title alone make them hard to resist watching, choose your words wisely and keep it brief
• Showcase an engaging thumbnail that highlights the best moments of your video, such as emotional or funny facial expressions
• Use the first few seconds to grab your audience’s attention, no need for fade ins or slow music

No need to dive into the deep end.

• Start off with shorter, 15 second clips to begin with, and as your get more comfortable with making videos then move up to making longer clips
• Every video doesn’t have to an original masterpiece, many popular clips are different versions of other popular dances, skits or singing shorts
• If you aren’t entirely comfortable being in front of a camera, involve your family from the start! MGC Playhouse is popular because kids love watching other kids playing, singing and dancing.

Don’t neglect the basics.

• Most people will watch TikTok and IG videos on a mobile device, so make sure your video is filmed in a format with that in mind. Make it easy for viewers so they don’t have to zoom in or flip their device to optimize their viewing experience
• Take care that there is adequate lighting, camera stability and that there are no unwanted distractions in the background while filming
• Make yourself familiar with the rules associated with each platform so that you don’t ruffle any feathers of the social media powers that be

I hope these tips will help you have tons of fun this Father’s Day weekend. Just one last tip to add to the list, and probably the most important one at that. Don’t forget to promote your videos by sharing on other social media like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Most people have spent a lot more time indoors this past year than they would have liked. Now that we are all starting to slowly emerge into the sunlight again, this is the perfect time of year to show our planet all the appreciation it deserves. With that in mind, here are five super easy ways to have fun while making a difference this Earth Day.

1. Family trip

It’s been said that passion starts with education. Instead of just filling up that blue bin this week, load up your recyclables into your vehicle and drive on down to your local recycling center. Seeing the large bins that separate each type of material, physically depositing items into the bins with their own hands, and witnessing the entire community contributing to this effort will leave a lasting impression on your children.

2. Have a contest

Over an entire week or for just one day, have everyone in the family compete to see who can collect the most recyclable items. Old newspapers, plastic packaging, cardboard boxes are all fair game. Just make sure the little ones don’t collect things that are still being used. Also be prepared to reward the winner with an appropriate prize. In our house that would be ice cream.

3. One person’s trash

Many items that are commonly thrown away could be repurposed in creative ways. You can use old paper towel tubes and some paint to make a beautiful pencil holder. Cut the tops of some paper milk cartons and use them to plant some herbs for your kitchen. Gather some large cardboard boxes, some scissors and a paint brush to make an awesome secret fort for your kids. Every little bit of reused trash makes a difference.

4. Paper of plastic? Neither

If you are like our family you have lots of cardboard boxes that either take up space in the garage or get folded into stacks for recycling. The next time you go grocery shopping, take some medium sized boxes cut in half with you. Instead of getting grocery bags, place all of your items into the boxes. Not only will they be easy to carry, but they also won’t spill everywhere while you are driving.

5. Farm fresh

An inordinate amount of trash is produced from the packaging of food. Try visiting a local famer’s market once a week. Even purchasing some vegetables and fruits you would normally buy at a store will reduce a significant amount of waste packaging over time. Oh and a great way to transport all of your farmer’s market loot back home? Those boxes you made in #4.

I hope you and your family will try at least one of the ideas in this list. Let’s all strive to tell the world that we learned something, we had fun, and we made a difference. Happy Earth Day everyone! Don’t forget to share your Earth Day activities with us by posting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Celebrate Earth Day this year with this fantastic craft idea! The great thing about this activity is that it is just as much collecting the materials as it is putting them together. Simply find some basic household items, then lace up your sneakers to find the other items outdoors. It’s a great opportunity to get out into nature and explore while you search for the perfect natural decorations for your Earth Day project!

Materials:

• Paper grocery bag
• Construction paper
• Scissors
• School glue
• Leaves, flowers, small pebbles

Step 1 – Cut the bag

Use the scissors on the paper bag to make a bunch of thin strips. These will be used for the tree and flower stalks. Cut some larger pieces from the paper bag for the house, roof and chimney.

Step 2 – Place the paper pieces

Place some glue on the back of one of the longer strips from the paper bag and place it onto the construction paper, then add some smaller pieces for the branches. Glue some shorter strips for the flower stalks and then glue the house pieces beside the tree.

Step 3 – Decorate

Glue the largest leaves onto your tree. Place the flowers on top of the shorter stalks and smaller leaves on the sides. Any other leaves can be placed next to the house as shrubs or above the chimney as puffs of smoke. Glue the small pebbles along the bottom of the house as a final touch.

Share With Us!

Depending on the types of flowers and plants in your area, your final creation may look completely different from others. We’d love to see how yours turned out! Snap a photo and post it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Being a parent, you may notice that your children often are not simply watching videos of their favorite songs and rhymes. They love to sing along, sometimes even dance to the words and the music. Today’s crafting idea builds creativity, enhances future singalongs, and may even help develop hand eye coordination. To top it all off, you will be recycling items that were likely headed.

Materials:

Most of the materials can be found around your home. You can substitute the beans and glitter with any similar items as long as they make noise while looking pretty.

● Empty 8 oz. water bottle, with cap (make sure it’s dry)
● Toilet paper tube, or paper towel tube cut in half
● Scissors
● Electrical tape (best with multiple colors)
● Funnel (if you can’t find one, you can make a funnel by rolling up a piece of paper)
● Dry beans
● Glitter

Step 1 – Fill bottle

Place the funnel over the empty bottle, then fill it about ⅓ of the way with beans and glitter (or your fillings of choice).

Step 2 – Put on lid

Place the cap on the filled bottle, making sure that it is on securely.

Step 3 – Cut the tube

Use the scissors to cut in a straight line down the side of the tube.

Step 4 – Wrap tube

Take the tube that was cut and wrap it around the mouth of the water bottle. Hold the tube tightly and use the electrical tape to secure the tube along the length of the cut.

Step 5 – Tape tube to bottle

Use the tape to fasten the bottom of the tube to the plastic of the bottle. Make sure to go completely around the tube. Use two or three layers of tape and make sure that the tube is not loose afterwards.

Step 6 – Decorate

Use different colors of tape to really make your shaker stand out. Combine your favorite colors, and try using the scissors to cut out small shapes from the tape that you can place on the handle or bottle.

Share With Us!
Try this craft with your kids at home! Show us pictures or short video clips of your family shaking along with your favorite Mother Goose Club songs by posting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Cardboard boxes can be extremely helpful in the development of a child’s creativity. The versatility alone of a large object children can sit inside or hide inside of lead to endless possibilities for playing together with others. Motor skills can also be developed by decorating the box or cutting openings into the sides. Here are some great crafting ideas that are easy to make and will provide hours of fun for your little ones.

Materials:

You can often find suitable cardboard boxes around your home, but if you don’t have any there are some other places you can obtain some for free. Try searching on Craigslist or ask your local shop owner if they have any spare cardboard boxes. Convenience stores, beverage stores and coffee shops are great places to ask for boxes.

• Large cardboard box (ideally at least 30 inches wide, large enough for a child to crawl into)
• Small cardboard boxes, useful for building a house or making a robot
• School glue
• Crayons
• Scissors

Idea 1 – Cardboard car

The box used for a car shouldn’t be much larger than 30 inches by 30 inches, as it will be harder to push around. Simply tape up the bottom of the box to prevent the flaps from catching, provide a frisbee or a paper plate as a steering wheel for the driver, and you are ready to go! As a fun side activity, use crayons to draw headlights on the front and some tires on the sides.

Idea 2 – Cardboard house

For a cardboard house, a larger box might work better if you have more than one child. Place the box on its side so that the open flaps on top swing outward like doors. Use scissors to cut windows onto one of the ‘doors’ as well as the sides. Smaller boxes can be placed inside the large box to be used as a table. Having an open flap on the opposite side of the box as a backdoor can also add to the fun. This is also a great way to tell stories involving a house such as The Three Little Pigs.

Idea 3 – The boat

Similar to the cardboard car, a boat ride can stimulate a child’s sense of discovery. Being on the open seas your kids will encounter rolling waves, secret messages in bottles, and may even run into a whale or a dolphin. Incorporate stuffed animals or bath toys to make the journey even more fun. Simply provide a steering wheel for the captain, cut portholes into the sides, and decorate your cardboard vessel with a name.

Idea 4 – The robot

The cardboard robot will require a box that is large enough to fit on a child but small enough that isn’t burdensome. Simply cut  a large enough hole on the bottom of the box for the head and holes on the sides of the box for the arms. Use crayons to draw colorful lights and wires on the chest. If you have a smaller box for a helmet, cut two small hoes to see out of and your robot suit is ready to go! 

Share With Us!

Let us know how your cardboard box creations turned out! Show us how much fun your children had with their imaginations by posting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

This Valentine’s Day, try this fun-filled craft with your children. Create your very own holiday heart with your favorite colors and may even include a special message to the recipient. These simple creations are great for giving to classmates, teachers, and family members. 

Materials:

You might find most of these items already in your home, but you should be able to find the rest at a craft store. Either cardboard toilet paper tubes or paper towel tubes cut in pieces can be used for making the heart prints.

• Construction paper (varying colors)
• Paper plates (substitute anything else that can hold small amounts of paint)
• Cardboard toilet paper tubes
• Paint (varying colors)
• Pencil
• Scissors

Step 1 – Fold paper

Fold a sheet of construction paper with the longer side facing you. Make sure the corners are matched up so that the halves are equal.

Step 2 – Draw heart

Starting from the side where the fold is, draw half of a heart shape. Use a pencil in case you need to erase and redraw the shape.

Step 3 – Cut out the heart shape

Use the scissors to cut out the heart shape, then unfold your paper and lay it flat on the table.

Similar to the cardboard car, a boat ride can stimulate a child’s sense of discovery. Being on the open seas your kids will encounter rolling waves, secret messages in bottles, and may even run into a whale or a dolphin. Incorporate stuffed animals or bath toys to make the journey even more fun. Simply provide a steering wheel for the captain, cut portholes into the sides, and decorate your cardboard vessel with a name.

Step 4 – Make stamp

Press the cardboard tube flat, then make a fold on one side of it so that when looking through the tube you see a heart shape. Dip each end in a different color paint and make your prints on the heart made of construction paper. Take another tube and simple press it flat, then dip it in paint and use it to make the petals of a flower.

Share With Us!

Let your child experiment by trying different shapes with their tubes. Show us your unique Valentine’s Day hearts by posting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Watch now!

Play dough has a special place in the hearts of kids of all ages. Did you know that play dough is not only tons of fun, but it also encourages creativity, helps hand-eye coordination, and develops fine motor skills. Play dough is also great for building social interaction skills with other children. Using the food coloring of your child’s choosing will provide them with hours of fun with their friends!

Materials:

You may need to find a nearby craft store for the watercolor kit and a small paintbrush. You’ll want to have a good variety of crayon colors around but will need a white one for the outlined letters. Watercolor paper is ideal, but regular paper will also work.

● Small sauce pan
● Wooden spoon
● Measuring cups and spoons
● Dinner plate
● Flour
● Water
● Salt
● Vegetable oil
● Cream of tartar
● Food coloring
● Glitter (optional)

Step 1 – Mix
Combine the following into the saucepan:

1 cup of flour
1 cup of water
¼ cup of salt
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
2 teaspoons of cream tartar
5-10 drops of food coloring

Stir everything together with the wooden spoon until the lumps are gone.

Step 2 – Heat

The adult should take over at this point while the kids watch from a safe distance. Place the smooth mixture on the stove over medium heat. Continue stirring until it forms into one large, lumpy mass.

Step 3 – Be cool

Turn off the stove and place dough onto a plate. Let it cool for a few minutes.

Step 4 – Knead

Once cool, press and knead the dough until it is well mixed. Children can join you in this step. If you have any glitter, you can now mix some into the dough while you are kneading. You are now ready to play!

Share With Us!

What kind of colorful, glittery, play dough did your family come up with? Share your masterpiece with the world by posting images on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

It’s December 23rd, and you suddenly realize you have not done a single bit of Holiday shopping all year. Instead of panicking, take a deep breath, be thankful we live in an age of technology, and keep reading! There are more options today than there ever were for the last minute shopper. Before getting into some gift ideas, let’s go over some of the best ways you can approach your last minute shopping list.

Option #1: Local bookstore

Although they are harder to find these days, locally-owned bookstores are great places to find quick gifts for children. Not only will you be supporting an independent business but you can often find books you may not find at other large retailers. Pick up a copy of one of your favorite childhood paperbacks, or select one from NPR’s 100 Favorite Books for young readers. Suggested item: This Old Truck $17.95

Option #2: Local toy store

Independent toy stores are ideally suited for the last minute shopper. Their selections are just as good if not better than what you can find at any superstore chain, but also offer some things you won’t find anywhere else. Many offer unique handmade products made by local craftsmen as well as rare toys that are difficult to find elsewhere. The best reasons to visit a local toy store though, are the holiday decorations and music playing inside that remind us of what the season is really all about.

Option #3: Physical gift cards

One of the best choices for gifts this year is a gift card. Local pharmacies offer a wide variety of gift cards that can be used at online retailers, specialty stores and even restaurants. With so many families spending more time at home this year, giving the recipient the choice of what movies to watch or what winter sweater to order may be the perfect gift. Make sure to check store hours as many locations will close early on Christmas Eve.

Option #4: You can’t go wrong with something yummy

Sometimes the best last minute gift is not a traditional one. Does your child have a favorite pastry or cake? Maybe there is a custard pie with their name on it at your local bakery. If you are like me, you know of at least one little one in your family who would easily choose a present that goes into their belly rather than under a tree.

Option #5: Surprise, it’s December 25th!

For those that woke up in a cold sweat at 6am on Christmas Day wondering if a frozen burrito from the local gas station would pass as a last minute gift, you still have options! Last but definitely not least on the list are electronic gifts. In less than 5 minutes, you can hop on a computer and email a gift card or purchase a subscription for your family streaming service or app. We recommend the Hellosaurus: Interactive Shows app on the Apple App Store $17.99 (3 month subscription)

If you have any last minute gift shopping tips, we’d love to hear from you. Post your suggestions on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using #mothergooseclub. Have a safe and happy holiday season!