games

Water Balloon Fun: Kaos Portable Pumping Station Review

I've written about my kids love for water balloons before. The kids have a blast tossing them around, throwing them at each other and playing lots of other water balloon games too. But, if you've ever filled water balloons for your kids, you know that it takes a long time to fill them up and mere seconds for them to burst!  The other day, my 5 year old picked out a Imperial Toy Kaos Portable Pumping Station in the store.  I was reluctant to buy it, because I wasn't sure that it would actually work, but it was worth every penny and I want to show you why.

The Kaos Portable Pumping Station, which has great reviews on Amazon, is described like this:

"Easy, easy operation: First, fill the container with water Next, attach a balloon to the nozzle Press the pump to fill the balloon with water Wrap the filled balloon around the Tie-Not tool, slip the end through the notch Ta-Da! - pull off a perfectly tied balloon Tie-Not Portable Water Balloon Pump Portable water pump that fills balloons and ties them with ease! Encourages gross and fine motor skills Promotes teamwork..."

I have to agree with this 110%! I couldn't have said it any better myself.

My sons are 5 and 7 years old.  They don't know how to tie balloons by themselves and they have never made water balloons independently, but it only took them minutes to learn how with the Kaos Pumping Station.

I was in awe.  As I peered through the window, they were making water balloons all by themselves. They were playing catch with their balloons and having so much fun!  Making the balloons was actually part of the fun.  They were working together and it growing their fine motor skills too!  

Here's a video of my 5 year old making a water balloon all by himself!

It's so much fun to watch my kids master new skills, even if it is something as silly as making water balloons.  The Kaos Portable Pumping Station totally lives up to the hype!  If you want one, please check out my affiliate link through Amazon!

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Water Balloon Games and Activities for Kids

Note: I was not compensated in any way for this post. All Opinions are my own.  Affiliate links are included in this post.

Sand & Water Activities for Kids

Looking for fun ways for your kids to play with sand and water? I've got you covered.  I recently wrote a post about all of the fun ways to help keep your kids cool with water play, and now Spoonful.com by Disney shows us fun ideas for playing with sand as well!  In the article below, Spoonful featured my Sand and Shell Keepsakes in their collection, and other unique ideas such as: Framed Sand Footprints, DIY Moon Sand, and Sand Greeting Cards.

Click on the image below to see the full articles.

 

Older kids may also like these Water Balloon Games.

Do you have any other fun ideas for playing with sand or water?  Leave a comment below.

10 Preschool Summer Water Activities

 

It can be hard to keep a preschooler busy during the summer.  It's the age where nap-time seems to disappear, but they still want A LOT of attention.  With warmer months ahead, it can be fun to incorporate water activities into your summer routine.  Water play for preschoolers gives kids a chance to get wet, use their senses and play. What could be better for a 3-5 year old?

I've done some research and found 10 Fun and Easy Water Activities for preschoolers.  Here they are:

1. Water Wall from Frogs Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

2. Soap Boat from I Heart Naptime

3. Over 15 Ideas for Water Balloon Games for Kids

4. Water Blob Tutorial from Clumsy Crafter

5. DIY Spash Balls from Mom Endeavors

6. Homemade Slip & Slide from Inner Child Fun

7. Sponge Brigade from Spoonful

8. Front Yard River from Camo and Bows

9. Water Limbo from Go Go Squeez

10. Kiddie Car Wash from Mom Endeavors

Over the summer, I'll be sharing more wet n' wild ways for kids to have fun and stay cool, so be sure to come back!  If you have any creative ideas for preschool or big kid water play, leave a comment below or send me an email.  I may feature your idea in an upcoming blog post! 

Now, onto this week's Kid's Co-op! 

Kid's Crafts and Activities for Valentine's Day

Welcome back to Day 2 of the ABC's of Valentine's Day. Once again, I'll be highlighting different kid-friendly crafts, recipes and activities for toddlers, preschool and elementary school age kids.  Let's get started with letter K!

K is for Krispie - As if Rice Krispie treats weren't good enough... when you put them on a stick, cover them in chocolate and add Valentine sprinkles they get even better! Continue here for Valentine Rice Krispie Pops 

L is for Love - Show your love to someone special buy making a mobile of Translucent Hanging Hearts by MarthaStewart.com (Image Credit: MarthaStewart.com)  

M is for Memories - Footprint and Handprint crafts always seem to be treasured by Moms.  Make new memories by turning your child's thumb print into a 'Thumb body loves you' Valentine by Brown Paper Packages

N is for Nature - Upcycle toilet paper rolls into adorable Valentine Butterflies - via Kaboose

O is for Oh so fun! - Valentine's Day wouldn't be complete without some chocolate. Heidi's Recipes shares a Chocolate Play Dough Recipe that looks good enough to eat. Continue here for Heidi's recipe.

P is for Printables - My friend Meredith from That's My Kind of Party has gathered 18 ideas for FREE Valentine's Cards that you can print at home. With 18 ideas, how could you not find something for your child's class? Continue here for Valentine Printables.

Q is for Questions - Turn a simple 'Twenty Questions' game into Valentine fun via Baby Center

R is for Recyle - Turn your old crayons into new heart shaped Valentine Crayon Hearts - via Disney Family Fun

S is for Sculpt - Mold Sculpey Clay to make Fingerprint Heart Pendants - via A Girl and a Glue Gun

Stop by tomorrow when I highlight T for Treats. It will be a collection of Valentine treats and heart healthy recipes that you won't want to miss!