The Secret Garden. I love nothing more than receiving an email asking me if I would be interested in featuring a real, New Zealand based, homegrown party.
There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home… Check out this amazing Wizard of Oz inspired party theme.
If you go out in the woods today. How delightful would a stroll in the woods be if you came across this? Be surprised by little Annabell’s Enchanted…
This activity is inspired by a session I ran with my afterschool art class. The kids were aged 8 to 13 and they had a wonderful time exploring…
Scandi style is taking over our living rooms, so why not let it take over our kids parties too? An amazing party set up from Thetis of Little Sooti,…
Paper Mãché Volcanoes are such a fun activity for children of all ages to make. But they’re especially fun for young kids, who’ll love playing with the goop…
I don’t think painting stones and rocks will ever get boring! There’s just something fun about painting on a surface that isn’t paper and is found in nature. These…
With Matariki readying itself to re-enter our skies, I thought it was timely to make some lanterns. These upcycled tin can lanterns with LED lights are easy for…
I’ve been wanting to try out acrylic pours with my kids for a while now. So with Matariki about to enter our skies I thought it would be fun to make…
Toilet rolls are a crafty way for kids to make a French knitting loom. It’s also a great way to introduce your kids to knitting and getting them…
My daughter has been interested in mermaids lately, so for these school holidays we decided to make a mermaid peg doll. They are super-simple to make and kids…
I’ve started running art classes for kids and decided to give puppet making a go with my 5 – 7 year olds. I was looking for something economical…
Supporting kids isn’t just about cheering from the sidelines, it’s also about making sure they’ve got the right gear to back up their active lifestyles. The sports that…
Today we spotted a fire engine parked up at the supermarket. The kids were so excited we headed over to get a closer look at it and take…
This faux cactus stone garden is a great project to do with your kids, whatever their age. They are just perfect to brighten up an empty windowsill in your home.…
If you’re looking for a super-quirky Christmas decoration project, this one is for you. These candy cane wooden Santa’s are so much fun. You can just rest them…
Over the past few weeks I’ve been creating and making fun Christmas decorations to make my home feel more festive. With the right tools these whimsical wooden Christmas…
Using air drying clay to make Christmas decorations is so easy, and so much fun! It really is an activity the whole family can join in on. Here’s…
This year I decided to starting decorating my home early with Christmas decorations. You see for the past 2 years we haven’t had the tree and decorations up…
With Halloween just around the corner my mind has been on creating fun and spooky crafts. You’ll love these upcycled Halloween craft ideas.
We love working on Halloween crafts at this time of the year, it really gets us into the festive spirit of it all. Here’s how to make a…
It’s Spring, the flowers are starting to bloom, the birds are singing and the butterflies have begun fluttering! With the welcoming of Spring, I decided to create these…
Well it’s Spring the perfect time to bring the birds into the garden. And what better way than with a bird bath. Here’s how to make one from…
I know I went a little against the grain with this one. In a time where very structured dessert buffets are at the height of fashion, I mixed…
Holy-quacamole Father’s Day has crept up on me fast this year! I truely feel like it was just yesterday that it was the 1st of August. Time just seems…
From toddlers to teenagers, every parent knows that not getting enough sleep can make our kids grumpy and prone to tantrums. But what’s less well known is that…
The kids and I love heading to the beach to go scavenging, and always bring home a bag full of beach treasure. Find out how we turned our floatsome…
I got the inspiration for this great little family craft project from my school, where the kids were making something similar for wood-working. These bright and colourful bird…
Eve Gordon, from The Dust Palace Circus School, gives us some insight into the world of circus.
This little art project is super simple and easy to re-create. Your kids will love making this Matariki and Southern Lights-inspired art piece. You could start this project but…
This recycled bangle pencil holder is a neat little project for your older kids to make. One that not only looks cool, but is super-useful in keeping the study…
My 4 year old has just discovered the joys of puppetry. She’s really into it. So I thought what a great idea to create a shoe box theatre for…
I’ve just discovered the joy of making my own DIY bottle necklace. The initial idea to make one was because I was thinking about creating some more craft…
Toilet Roll craft is so inexpensive and easy to create for all ages. The kids and I spent half a day building toilet roll rocket ships with all…
If you’re looking for a fun, and easy, Easter craft to do with your kids, try this out. This Easter bunny silhouette craft is suitable for all ages.…
With Easter just around the corner, I thought it was time to focus my attention on some fun and cute Easter crafts. I couldn’t go past this idea…
I don’t know about you but we are always losing my daughters hair clips! So in a vain attempt to create some organisation I decided to make this…
This is a great little growing experiment that you can do with children of all ages. It’s lots of fun for a rainy day activity, there’s lots of tending…
The shaving cream rain cloud is a great little experiment, that takes no time at all to set up. It’s a simple way to teach kids about clouds…
I thought it was well overdue for my preschooler and I to get on the slime band wagon! I’ve been meaning to make slime for so long. I’ve…
I’ve always loved making robots with kids. As a school teacher I used to love letting my kids go crazy with a bunch of recycled items to create like…
Both my children love flowers! There isn’t a walk we can go on without them stopping to pick a flower. Anything with an interesting looking leaf, or simply…
I’ve been wanting to do some peg craft for a while now. Since December’s just around the corner, what better idea than peg craft Christmas decorations.
This craft is a great one for all ages. All you really need to do is lay out a bunch of materials and let your child’s imagination run…
If your kids are into painted rocks, find out how to make a painted rock photo holder. The painted rocks craze has made painting on rocks pretty popular…
Howling cats and big black spider, Flying Bats, some doughnuts and cider, Smiling pumpkins can be seen; The time is here for Halloween. – Karen McGuigan Brothers
I was having a look on Pinterest the other day to come up with some toilet roll craft ideas, when I saw toilet roll wool wrapped monsters. This inspired…
The other day my daughter and I made a butterfly toilet roll craft. Today my daughter decided our butterflies needed some flowers! So we created this cool toilet roll…
The itsy bitsy spider climbed up to give me a fright…
Toilet rolls have to be one of the best crafting materials around. The endless possibilities with the humble toilet roll never cease to amaze me and they’re free.…
Here’s a super-simple and effective craft idea. The DIY jewellery hanger on painted driftwood is perfect for your teenager’s, or older kid’s room, to organise all that jewellery…
With Matariki having just entered our skies the thoughts in our household have all been pointed toward space. So with thoughts focused on planets and stars, of course…
If your household is anything like ours, you’ll accumulate toilet rolls at an alarming rate! But before you throw out that next toilet roll, consider adding it to your…
In response to a reader comment on our What is eczema article, Kiwi Families reached out to our wonderful Facebook community for advice. We had such a great…
We really can’t cope without our Mums can we? They’re always there for us, when we need a shoulder to cry on, or an ear to bend. And…
If you have a child who finds it difficult to pay attention, you must first consider how the brain functions. This plays a vital role in the reasons your…
I’d just been thinking about making a cool decorative wall clock, when I was going through the aisle at Spotlight, only to see all the elements I need to make and…
I love concrete planters and I’ve been meaning to make some for a while now. So with Mother’s Day just around the corner, I thought what a great…
Play dough has to be one of the best inventions for children! We use the easiest no cook play dough recipe you’re likely to find on the internet. Our…
This year, I made it my mission to start creating a set of quality dress up’s for my kids that don’t cost the earth. We have a special…
We’re really loving painting on rocks at the moment and after creating our 3 little pig story stones little miss 3 decided we should make the 5 little ducks…
I love this paint art project for kids, as it’s suitable for all ages. I did this art project with a class of 5 and 6 year olds…
I discovered story stones a little while back and decided it was time to share them with the Kiwi Families community. These story stones are inexpensive to make…
I have to admit I’m pretty addicted to Pinterest! I can waste many an hour scrolling through, looking for fun and fresh crafts to do with my kids…
W-sitting is a position in which you are sitting on your bottom, with knees bent, legs splayed out to each side, and inside of the foot pressing on…
In my experience of being a teacher and raising children of my own, I’ve discovered that kids love painting on all types of objects. In fact my daughter prefers…
I just had to share this great craft that’s so easy to make with your kids. And you can find most of the things you need for it…
My daughter loves to challenge me. Last week she had me making her a rainbow shelf and this week it’s a pompom cactus. I’d been looking online for some…
I just love this little activity because it’s a fantastic activity for so many ages. I’ve done this with 3 year olds, right up to 8 year olds.…
Here’s a couple of the easiest Christmas decorations anyone can make up. They don’t take too long to make and look great hanging on the tree. They also make…
It must be that time of year because at the moment I’m surrounded by school galas, kindy craft fairs and kids’ enterprise days at school.
We were so excited when we found our first painted rock. Our 4 year old daughter found one randomly in a park in Whanganui when we were on…
This is a great kid’s painting idea that will have your kids coming back for more. My little miss 3 just loved pouring and exploring with the paint.…
Halloween is just around the corner, which means it’s a great time to get your spook on. Trying out some kids halloween crafts gives you a great excuse to pull…
Good weather and school holidays are just the excuse you’ve been looking for to get out on your bikes. What better way to wear out your kids, get outdoors…
Children who refuse to eat certain things (or in some cases, most things) can be extremely frustrating for parents who want to ensure their little ones are getting…
The first spring flower craft idea I created was with my class during art and I thought what a great craft to share with our Kiwi Families community. They’re super simple to…
I love invitations to play they are such a neat way to inspire our children. I first stumbled upon the idea of invitation to play when I was teaching…
After reading What Could it Be? Exploring the Imaginative World of Shapes to my 3 year old daughter, I was inspired to make our own shape stamps to…
Pompoms are an all time favourite of mine, I used to make them all the time when I was a child. There’s just so many great craft projects…
Find out all you need to know about stuttering in children, the signs and underlying causes, and more importantly find out what you can do about stuttering, and…
So, you’ve decided to take the plunge and home educate your kids. You’ve thought long and hard, weighing up the different options, and think that homeschooling is probably…
Children dealing with sensory issues can find everyday activities and situations challenging. Find out what treatments for children with sensory issues are available.
Sometimes children’s behaviour can be totally perplexing. Do you find yourself asking questions like: ‘What IS her problem with getting her face wet – can’t we just have…
One of the hardest decisions we ever had to make as a family was to withdraw our 8 year old daughter from school and embark on our adventure…
Te Reo Māori is one of New Zealand’s three official languages (the other is New Zealand Sign Language) and Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori is a great opportunity to…
A beam of sunlight projects through the window and across the bathroom. You notice the dust dancing in the golden light. You can’t see it, but floating in that…
Bullying is repetitive, deliberate, and hurtful behaviour, aimed at causing harm to another person. If your child is being bullied, they may not tell you. Find out how…
Matariki is a small group of stars – the constellation Pleiades – that reappear in the sky in winter (in late May or early June) and, through the…
Wondering how to get your kids to eat more vegetables? Don’t worry, you are definitely not alone! In fact almost all parents we’ve spoken to wish their children…
The holidays are on and so is the mess in our lounge. I have got a great way to keep the kids busy and inspired and the mess,…
45,000 children report being bullied each week in New Zealand, could it be happening to your child? If so, what could you do to help? This is one…
“They are not airplanes!!,” my six year old yelled. Followed by, “They are not pteradactyls.” And a fit of giggles. He knows he’s funny. Isaac is happily wiggling…
This is easy to make, looks fun and would make a great gift. Peppermint oil works well but you could use whatever oil you like the smell of…
Resilience is about our ability to cope with the ups and downs of life. Children need to learn to bounce back from disappointment. As they grow, they need…
Biking to school can be a great way for kids to get exercise, develop confidence and learn to share the road safely with other cyclists and motorists. But…
As a parent, sometimes it’s hard to know how to choose safe children’s products and you’ll want to make sure the children’s products you buy and use are…
There are several reasons why New Zealanders have a higher risk for developing skin cancers – including a high proportion of the population with fair skin, our low ozone…
This craft activity is one to get the children involved with. Ask young children to draw something to do with Christmas: Santa, baby Jesus, an angel etc. Older…
While lack of sleep for babies is a much discussed topic, sleep problems for school age children can also cause considerable stress! Insufficient sleep can cause a wide…