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Mama Smiles

Joyful Parenting

MaryAnne at Mama Smiles Welcome to my blog! I'm MaryAnne, and I write about building a rewarding family life through mindful parenting, hands-on learning, and creative family activities. Learn more.

active play

The Best Educational Activities for Kinesthetic Learners

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Do you have kinesthetic learners? Kids who want to learn by building and through physically active play? Up! is an ebook of learning activities for kids who want to move and build. I've included links to three of our favorite kinesthetic learning activities at the end of this post. Today I am delighted to introduce Up! This ebook, created as a resource for parents and … [Read more...] about The Best Educational Activities for Kinesthetic Learners

Keeping Kids Active Indoors: The Best Gross Motor Toys for Kids

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Kids have so much energy!!! Keeping kids active is one of the easiest ways to keep them out of trouble. I am a huge advocate for making sure kids spend time outside, but sometimes they need to be indoors - especially if, like us, you don't have a yard. We had a huge yard in Massachusetts, but even there I found that having toys that would keep the kids active indoors was … [Read more...] about Keeping Kids Active Indoors: The Best Gross Motor Toys for Kids

Developing Balance and Coordination with Swingy

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Balance and coordination is a skill that can be hard for kids to develop if they aren't born with a natural affinity for it – especially for city kids like mine who don't have a back yard with a swing set or trampoline or trees to climb. So when I was asked if I wanted to try out Swingy – which is just launching on Kickstarter today – I was happy to agree! Developing Balance … [Read more...] about Developing Balance and Coordination with Swingy

Upcycled Functional Process Based Action Art for Kids

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We own and love a couple of educator MaryAnn Kohl's art books for kids, so I was thrilled to join the book tour for her newest book, Action Art. We were sent a copy, and my kids immediately marked all sorts of activities for us to try! I am sure your kids will love this book as well, so be sure to enter the giveaway for a copy at the end of this post (open worldwide; if a US … [Read more...] about Upcycled Functional Process Based Action Art for Kids

Yoga Spinner Game After School Fun

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We were sent a yoga spinner game to review a few weeks ago, and my kids have really enjoyed using this game to get active, stretch out, and destress after school! The game is very simple: spin, select a card, and complete the pose. The cards are cleverly stored inside the spinner when not in use. This post contains affiliate links. Items purchased through these links may … [Read more...] about Yoga Spinner Game After School Fun