My family and I are seriously craving some sunshine and warmth after this brutal winter. We couldn’t be more excited about Spring. Constant thoughts of running in the grass and playing outside all day are seriously disrupting our productivity at work and school.
Spring, that beautiful fickle thing, also means lots of RAIN.
After spending a good 4-5 months inside with snow storms galore, we’ve maxed out our indoor activities. Week one had mommy putting together incredibly intricate projects that entertained for hours. By month 4, we were trying to figure out who could throw a toilet roll into the bathtub from the hallway. I was totally out of ideas and desperately wanted the sun to let me off the hook so badly.
But alas, rain is all over our poor backyard with no end in sight.
So what to do when you’ve literally ran out of every idea in the book and have resorted to throwing left over paper products into your tub?
Here are some fresh craft kits and creative toys & games from specialty toy brands that you can find at your neighborhood toy store. You know, the stores that you can walk down to on Main Street (hopefully when the sun is shining!) that are hard to find anywhere else.
Which means, you and your kids are basically going to be the coolest family on the block:
Paint your own Wooden Sailing Boat with GALT Toys: This super adorable kit contains everything you need to paint and build your own wooden sail boat. Follow the picture on the box or paint your own design with acrylic paints. Add stickers then brush with varnish for a shiny finish. Perfect to stick in the bath or take to the park when the weather clears up! We added my son’s favorite car colors on the sails and painted his name on the boat. He now wears a cap around the house and calls himself the Captain. Galt is the most well-known toy brand in the UK. So basically, just call yourself Duchess Catherine.
(Another suggestion: My young son is almost 2 and acts like he has ants in his pants most of the time. To help get some of that energy out, check out GALT’s Nursery Trampoline too :-)
Create your own Scent with My Perfume Maker by SentoSphère: I won’t lie: Not only did my family flip over this product but I did too. Created and produced in France, the My Perfume Maker uses the highest quality fragrances on the market to create your very own personalized “eau de toilette”. Eight natural essences from the world’s most beautiful sources allow children 7 and up to create scents that can be worn (I totally wear my own “Liza Scent” daily) or enjoyed in the bath. Not only are the products fun and interesting, but educational too. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the entire kit. I was worried it was going to smell like a tub of cotton candy landed on me, but to the contrary. It smells like a very expensive designer perfume. Easy to understand coming from the creator’s background: her former years were spent as a perfumer at Hermés and L’Oreal Paris. SentoSphère has a slew of other super cool products as well, including Aquarellum and Optical Mysteries.
Redecorate a Doll house with Lundby Dolls houses: Awhile ago we featured a post on Lundby’s Smaland dolls house (a treasured item in our house that is played with DAILY). You can imagine my awe and excitement when I discovered how many cool and creative ideas they’ve added to their web site to help REDECORATE our house. Printable wallpapers, guides on how to make your own pillows and curtains, even guest posts from professional interior decorators on how to repurpose the furniture. You and the kids can create a completely different house based on your own personal décor. Check out Lundby.com/en for some great ideas, and follow them on Pinterest where they feature their most favorite design makeovers as well as a pretty adorable “Day in the Life” of the Smaland doll family.
Play Dress up with Corolle: It’s no secret that we are obsessed with Corolle dolls in our house. My son won’t stop dragging his Paul doll (potty training advice post Coming Soon) around the house in his new Sky Blue Stroller so the brand has consistently shown its appeal to both genders. This year they’ve created a whole new line of Les Cheries dolls that are decked out in Parisian flair, from trench coats to party dresses to silver flats and sparkly tights. They even have a new Vanity Set to keep all of the accessories in place. We’re partial to Clara Sunny Days and Chloe Salon de Thé. Made with rooted hair that can be brushed and styled (even shampooed!) these beautiful dolls stand up to the hardest play date.
BONUS IDEA: For when the Sun decides to come out :-)
Have fun outdoors with Molkky by Tactic Games: Apparently this game is all the rage in Scandinavia with a history that spans hundreds of years. Based on a traditional throwing game called “kyykka”, Mölkky is a fun combination of chance and skill. Each player (ages 6+) takes turns to throw the Mölkky skittle to try and knock over various numbered pins. The aim of the game is to score exactly 50 points. But watch out, if you get more than 50, your score will be knocked back down to 25. Mölkky can be enjoyed in any outdoor space – from your back garden to the local park. Play one-on-one or get a team together. What we loved about this game was anyone in the family (all ages and fitness levels) were hooked. It’s also seriously addicting and the hubby and I played it with friends during one of our “grown-ups only” nights. Tactic also has a bunch of classic board games with some interesting twists. Check out iKNOW or Alias for some more grown-up games too.
Enjoy!
