Meaningful Mama

It's gonna be a fun week of ideas because we are exploring science lab ideas for kids. With the right resources and ingredients, your kitchen can go from making food to making thinkers. It's fun to explore God's world through hands-on science activities. Character Building Science Object Lesson About Forgiveness I hope you know about my character-building series. If not, a quick description is that we work on living out and understanding 52 different character traits, one for each week of the...

...we all scream for ice cream. A lot has changed over the years. The picture above is of my kids visiting their cousins in Bellingham, WA. For reference, my son (center) is now 15, and my daughter (far right) is 17. I am sure you have figured out that today's theme is ice cream - that delectable treat that shouts summer and has you racing against time and gravity as you lick away at the sides before a rogue drip makes a run for your elbow. The resources I provide today help celebrate this...

Let the sunshine...let the sunshine in...the sunshine in. Let's celebrate that big yellow ball in the sky today. I hope you enjoy the crafts and activities I have collected for you. Sun-Themed Crafts & Activities for Kids You Are My Sunshine Birthday Party More Resources From Around the Web: Rocking Sun Craft Cardboard Sun Craft With Printable Heart Suncatcher Craft Printable Paper Sun Craft Glowing Sunset Tissue Paper Craft Rainbow Sun Wall Art with Template Sunflower Craft Free Printable...

Today we did our annual mud walk. Below is a picture of my son and one of his closest friends. What's a mud walk, you ask? We have a spot on the Puget Sound we go to wait for low tide. Then, we trek out in the mud and muck to explore all of the fun creatures that have uncovered themselves. We hunt for gooey duck, pick up starfish, and uncover rocks to find crabs. There's a mess along the way, but it is always a fun time. There's a competition for who can find the most interesting man-made...

Quick Thoughts on AI I've been using AI to create these header images for you on my newsletter (see above). It's crazy what can be created. Just a little insight into my thought process: I'm trying to brainstorm how to best use AI. I want to always remain authentic in my approach. I don't want my blog to be written by AI. That said, I recognize that AI can be a great help in updating my old content. So, I am working to brainstorm the best and smartest use of this tool while still keeping...

The title of the newsletter may have clued you into the theme for today. I decided to highlight ocean and beach ideas for kids. The image above came from a little help from AI. I shared with it some of the images from the sites I will be linking to today, and it created this image for me. See if you can figure out which ones lead to which sites. Beach and Ocean Crafts and Activities Water Bottle Fish Craft How to Make Beach Memory Jars Beach Scavenger Hunt Learning About the Layers of the...

School is coming to a close, bringing more sunshine and more time to get outdoors with kids. I am hoping that the activities I share today provide some inspiration for meaningful engagement and fun. Outdoor Activities with Kids Tape Nature Bracelet Spring Outdoor Activities The Best Outdoor Games for Families Spring Outdoor Activities Colorful Sidewalk Chalk Paint Recipe Outdoor Tactile Sensory Finger Painting 15 Science Activities To Do Outside Shadow Names STEM in the Wild Free Printable...

Today's newsletter is going to be a little different because I thought the blogging life might be interesting to some. For those who want a peek behind the Meaningful Mama curtain, keep reading. If you are just wanting good resources, skip ahead to the bottom where I will link to some of my favorite recipes and activities of all time. A Peek Behind the Curtain A quick synopsis of how it all began is this: Right before the beginning of 2012, I found myself struggling. I wasn't the mom I...

Creepy Crawly that is. Anyone's house welcoming little creepy crawly things? We just sprayed our home defense to try and keep the spiders at bay. While they might be creepy when found unexpected, they are awfully cute when crafted. Beyond that, insects are very interesting and so important to the life cycle in our world. I hope you enjoy this episode of my newsletter where I provide resources that won't bug you. Insects and Butterflies Ladybug Pretzels Free Butterfly Lapbook Lifecycle of a...