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December 15, 2017

How to Keep Kids Busy During Their Long Winter Break

Although you cherish every second you have with your precious children, you may need to have some fun kids’ winter-break activities in your box of tricks to keep them out of your hair while you relax or get some work done. These ideas will add a little wonder to your kids’ wintery days.

Pack a Winter Picnic

Although picnics often are reserved for summertime, it may be even more fun to make a hot lunch and get bundled up for an adventure in the winter wonderland. An insulated thermos makes sure your food stays warm.

Thermos Food Container
from Bed Bath & Beyond

Choose a Baking Project

Find a good reason to make cookies: for a neighbor, a sidewalk sale or an upcoming dinner party. Let the kids research a recipe and bake with independence (but safety supervision), and chalk up any less-than-tasty mistakes to the scientific process. You could even ask them to present their findings and make a plan to fix their blunder with the next batch. The gift of a chef’s kit will give them the authority in the kitchen that they love.

Curious Chef 11-Piece Boys’ Chef Kit
from Bed Bath & Beyond

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Send Them on a Wintertime Scavenger Hunt

Some winter-break ideas for kids just sound like work on your part, but sending your kids on a scavenger hunt will keep them occupied and won’t require you to clean up any messes. Make a list of activities for them to complete: take a picture in a still-scene reenactment of a favorite movie, shoot some video of their best dance moves or retrieve the “three blind mice” that are hiding around the house.

Felted Wool Santa Mouse Ornaments
from Cost Plus World Market

Spray-Painting in the Snow

When sledding and snowmen have lost their thrill, give your kids another reason to go outside for some fun activities. Spray bottles with a little watercolor paint or food-safe dye mixed with water could inspire their next great art project on the world’s most naturally white canvas. As long as there are a few rules, you shouldn’t have to clean up after them.

12-ounce Spray Bottle
from The Container Store

Karaoke Party

Have your kids create a playlist and let them become rock stars in the best karaoke party of the season. You might need this to happen behind a closed door.

Tzumi Pop Solo Microphone
from Walmart

July 14, 2017

4 Splash-Worthy Summer Activities Your Kids Will Love

Summer is a great time to relax and have outdoor play time, but it can be hard for kids who thrive on structure. Kids start complaining that they’re bored, and parents may feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of constantly entertaining them. Instead of feeling like you need to entertain your kids, you can facilitate fun activities they can do mostly on their own. Here are four fun outdoor activities for kids of all ages they’ll have a blast doing.

Water-Balloon Baseball

Summer is baseball season. Make it even more fun with water balloons.

What you need:

Plastic baseball bat
Rapid-fill water balloons
Something to mark bases if you are playing with a large group

Instructions:

Divide the kids into two teams, and have them play loosely by baseball’s rules. Each team gets a point for every balloon they pop. Switch up the batter after a couple of swings, and have the kids try to tag each other running from base to base.

Fun With Bubbles

Bubbles are fun for all ages, and they can be made even more fun with a few variations.

What you need:

Instructions:

Buy or make your own bubbles, and let your kids go to town with their wands and chase each other with bubble blasters.

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Making a Bird Feeder

This is an easy craft that will keep your kids outside for hours bird-watching.

What you need:

Toilet-paper roll
Sunflower butter
Bird seed
Popsicle sticks
Twine

Instructions:

Cover the outside of the toilet-paper roll with sunflower butter.
Roll the sunflower-butter-covered roll in bird seed until it is completely covered.
Thread a long piece of twine through the toilet-paper roll and tie a knot at the end.
Hang it on a tree branch where your kids can see the birds enjoying their treat.

DIY Slip ‘n’ Slide

An activity even adults will want to join in.

What you need:

Clear plastic sheeting
Tent pegs to hold down the plastic
Water from a hose
Dawn liquid soap

Instructions:

Spread out the plastic sheet on a grassy lawn, smoothing out any wrinkles with your hands. Make sure there is an incline.
Anchor the sides of the sheets with tent pegs.
Add some liquid soap down the center of the slide.
Spray the slide with water and, if possible, keep the hose running at the top of the slide.

February 15, 2017

The Best Rainy-Day Activities for Preschoolers

Rainy-day blues are the worst, especially for active little kids. Popping in a movie and curling up on the couch may be one of your favorite things to do on a rainy day, but your 4-year-old’s endless energy could put a damper on that plan. Check out these easy yet engaging rainy-day activities for preschoolers, and get helpful tips for keeping everyone sane until the sun comes out again. From rainy-day crafts supplies to stylish rain gear, you can shop through Ebates for everything you need to make the most of your day while earning Cash Back.

Bake Together

The most fun rainy-day activities with kids are the ones that give you an opportunity for quality time. Baking is a fantastic idea if you’re looking for an indoor activity to do side by side. This Curious Chef set is perfect for little hands and comes with an adorable, just-their-size apron. Have your child collect all the needed materials they can reach, ask them to help measure and mix and then let them get creative decorating their confections. Then you get to the best part: eating!

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Game of Chores

Little kids can turn anything into a game — even keeping the house clean. Set a timer and have a laundry-folding race or show them how to mop the floor with their feet. (Just put a damp rag under each foot and scuttle across the floor.) Not only will they have a blast, but they’ll also love being a “good helper.”

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/253820128968934003/

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Color Hunt

Bonding activities are great, but sometimes we just need a break. Encouraging independent play is also very important for kids since it teaches them to be self-sufficient. Having a color hunt around the house is a perfect way to get your little one moving and learning on their own. Label bags by color, and then ask your child to collect and sort items within reach. You can set a timer and see how many items they collect, and they can try to break their record next time.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/181058847500834148/

Shape Match

All you need for this activity is wooden blocks of various shapes, a big piece of construction paper and a marker. Trace the shapes onto the paper, and then have your child match the shapes to their outlines. It’s an inexpensive DIY puzzle that actually challenges kids. You can get everything you need for these crafty activities at Michaels.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/11399805284624061/

Rain Splatter Art

Sometimes you just have to put on your rain boots and jacket and get out there and enjoy the rain. After a little puddle-stomping, create a unique work of art by putting a few drops of food coloring on a piece of paper and lying it out in the rain. Watch how the droplets create colorful splatters!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/119626933825045198/

Make Magic Puddles

All you need for this one is powder tempera paint and some glitter. Find a puddle in your yard and sprinkle the paint and glitter to create a magically colorful puddle! Warning: It may be too pretty to stomp.

February 8, 2017

How Many LEGO Would It Take to Build These Sci-Fi Megastructures?

With LEGO, it’s often said you can create your own universe, so to get your imagination running wild, we’ve decided to LEGO-fy some of science fiction’s most memorable icons. From hoverboards to Death Stars, here’s how many LEGO it would take to make just a few of the classics, along with a couple of real-world items to help put it all in perspective.

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We didn’t start with moon-sized star destroyers. We began with one of the smallest units of LEGO possible: the 15.8 mm by 3.2 mm brick. With two of these, a red one and a blue one, we were able to recreate one of the tiniest icons in all of sci-fi cinema: the pills offered to Keanu Reeves at the beginning of “The Matrix.” Of course, you probably don’t want to swallow either of these, since the only trip they’ll take you on is one to the emergency room. From there, we moved upwards, from 300 LEGO to build the 12th Doctor’s sonic screwdriver to 550 LEGO for our very own Baby Groot to 850 LEGO to build an Identity Disk from “Tron” to 940 LEGO to build Benny’s spaceship from “The LEGO Movie.” (We know that seems tiny, but Benny is a LEGO mini-fig, so his spaceship would be LEGO-sized too.) And for Marty McFly’s trip to the future year of 2015 in “Back to the Future Part II,” his Nike Air shoes would take 1,500 LEGO to build, and the Mattel Hoverboard would take 2,050 LEGO.

Jumping into slightly bigger structures, we started to turn to Matija Puzar, our certified LEGO expert, for help. Matija is a trusted business partner of The LEGO Group who has built some amazing scale models of the world’s most iconic landmarks. If there’s a guy who knows how LEGO and the real world intersect, Matija is your man. The first thing our LEGO expert alerted us to was that any LEGO structure of a certain size wouldn’t be all LEGO. “Larger models need both a steel structure and gluing of the bricks to prevent them from collapsing on their own weight. I’ve made a 1.5-by-1-by-1.5-meter model with no glue at all, although in retrospect I probably should have glued it.”

Matija also alerted us to some real-life LEGO creations to help us with our equations. A man in Austin, Texas, actually built his own fully functional LEGO R2D2 using 16,000 bricks along with a steel frame and a motor from a remote control plane. We calculated that Johnny 5 from “Short Circuit” would take 17,450 LEGO to build. Our master builder also pointed us in the direction of an actual, working car that was built entirely out of LEGO. Although he was quick to remind us that the plastic LEGO bricks wouldn’t “fancy the temperatures around the engine,” that didn’t deter us! Using the real LEGO car as a basis of comparison, we were able to determine that it would take 573,314 LEGO to build and travel through time with the flying Delorean from “Back to the Future Part II.”

Our master builder also had a friend who built a life-size Tardis from “Doctor Who” with 150,000 LEGO. But, of course, that number would go way up if you built the inside to scale as well. (There are more LEGO on the inside.) A Light Cycle from “Tron” would take 120,217 LEGO to build, and a Groot from “Guardians of the Galaxy” would take 334,235. To build the Batsignal from “Batman,” it would take 226,851 LEGO. To bust ghosts in the Ghostbusters’ Ecto-1, it would take 955,200 LEGO.

As we took off for space, our LEGO numbers took off into the millions. An AT-AT from “Star Wars” would take 12.4 million LEGO to build, and an X-wing fighter would take 5.5 million LEGO. From “Avatar,” a Scorpion Gunship would take 3.2 million LEGO to build, and the Batmobile from “The LEGO Batman Movie” would take 340,000 LEGO. The Millennium Falcon would take 15.5 million LEGO to complete, and NASA’s space shuttle would take 58.3 million LEGO to build.

Matija even had some theories about how a LEGO starship would hold up when it jumped into hyperspace. “I am not sure how LEGO would survive the constant radiation and extreme temperatures. It would definitely be an interesting — albeit expensive — experiment to perform!” NASA has shown that plastics are, pound for pound, more effective at shielding against cosmic radiation than aluminum!

The S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier from “The Avengers” would take 81.7 million LEGO to build, the Discovery One from “2001: A Space Odyssey” would require 186.3 million LEGO, and the Heart of Gold from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” would take 162.1 million LEGO. Matija told us that “in space, it would be hard to keep track of pieces, in addition to the space suit making it difficult to grab the pieces and build precisely.”

Heading back down to Earth for a little bit, we also wanted to see how many LEGO it would take to build our favorite superhero homes. James May, a presenter from the British hit “Top Gear,” actually built his very own full-size LEGO house a few years ago as part of an art project. The house was two stories high, 20 feet tall and took 3.3 million bricks to complete. Using that as a basis of comparison, we determined that Superman’s Fortress of Solitude from the 1978 film would take 850 million LEGO, and Wayne Manor from “Batman” would take 840 million LEGO. The Mothership from “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” would take 999 million LEGO to build.

Batman’s secret headquarters, the Batcave, would take 1.18 billion LEGO to build. The NSEA Protector from “Galaxy Quest” would take 1.5 billion LEGO to build, and an effort would require Tony Stark to assemble 6.6 billion bricks to recreate the Avengers Tower in Manhattan. Matija commented that the “Avengers Tower would definitely be an interesting one to build! Definitely not a life-size one, but a nice scale model would be cool to do.” Which kind of disappointed us, as we were really looking forward to partying with a full-size LEGO Hulk in the full-size LEGO tower.

The iconic Starship Enterprise from “Star Trek” would take 13.5 billion LEGO to build. That’s still pretty small compared to some other ships, like the Dark Aster from “Guardians of the Galaxy.” According to its creators, this villainous starship measured as long as 11 Empire State Buildings laid on their sides, which we calculated would take 42.5 billion LEGO. The Axiom from “WALL-E” would take 463 billion LEGO, and the Borg Cube from “Star Trek” would take 255 billion LEGO. It would take 554 billion LEGO to build the Spaceball One, and 102 trillion LEGO to build the Halo Megastructure.

The Death Star, a moon-sized planet killer from “Star Wars,” would require 435 trillion bricks to complete (even more if you want to go the extra mile for safety and throw in a few guardrails!). Sadly, Matija didn’t see completing this model as entirely realistic. “It would be a really nice experiment to see how many bricks it takes before a structure collapses on itself due to its own gravity. A bit unfeasible, though, I’m afraid. The average 2×2 brick can withstand 950 pounds.”

But this is sci-fi, and who’s to say what isn’t possible today won’t be possible tomorrow! Could some brilliant hero create a new, stronger LEGO brick capable of withstanding the cold, hard realities of space? We sure hope so! Until then, we’re going to keep building, and we encourage you to do the same. Just please put your toys away when you’re done. Your mom isn’t going to be happy if she has to pick up a quadrillion LEGO off the living room floor.

Source List
http://www.matija.no/
http://www.wikia.com/
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/19gal5dbd9klpjpg.jpg
https://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1472/901/1600/Stratoposeidon%20-%20small.jpg
http://beyondthemarquee.com/15970
https://cdn.instructables.com/FBA/B3KC/HH2VY2JP/FBAB3KCHH2VY2JP.LARGE.jpg
https://cdn.silodrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Batmobile-Blueprints-1200×717.jpg
http://www.spaceflight101.com/soyuz-spacecraft-information.html
https://media-3.web.britannica.com/eb-media/89/159589-004-233CA187.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/14-Fantastic-Guardians-Galaxy-Facts…
http://dirkloechel.deviantart.com/art/Size-Comparison-Science-Fiction-Spaceships-398790051

December 21, 2016

5 Holiday Games Any Family Can Play

So much time is spent during the holiday season cooking lavish feasts and shopping for perfect gifts that making time to have simple fun with the family can fall off your list of priorities. Show your kids there is more to the season than one big day of unwrapping presents with these five family games! No matter how you celebrate, these holiday games have you covered. A little DIY magic and Cash Back at Ebates is all it takes to make your holidays that much happier.

What’s in Santa’s Hat?

This simple guessing game is great for school-age children. Fill a Santa hat or Christmas stocking with small objects from around the house, such as dice, Legos or magnets. Give each player a pencil and a piece of paper. Pass around the hat and have each player guess what’s inside by feeling the outside of the hat without looking or reaching inside. The players write down their guesses, and the person with the most correct guesses wins.

Hanukkah Bingo

This picture-based bingo game will keep it simple for preschoolers who are still learning their numbers and letters. The best part? It’s available for instant download, and you can print it out in minutes. Etsy has a ton of cute printable games for all occasions. Keep your eye out for a promo code from your favorite Etsy maker to save big on holiday games and goods.

White Elephant

Part gift-giving, part straight-up thievery, this game is perfect for households with teenagers since they’re old enough to buy their own small gifts. Stores like Michaels and Cost Plus have a great variety of stocking stuffers. To play, place all wrapped gifts in the center of the room and choose someone to kick off the game by unwrapping one of the presents. The following players can either steal an unwrapped gift from another person or choose a new gift from the pile. Each gift can be stolen only three times. The game is over when everyone has a gift.

Mancala

For those celebrating Kwanzaa, there is a variety of games to play with African roots. Mancala, however, may be the most popular here in the United States. Mancala is actually a category of count-and-capture games, but the version Americans know best is the wooden-board-and-glass-marble variety. Each player picks up a section of marbles and distributes them one by one into the sequential sections, including their own “pot.” The turn is over when you place your final marble in a space with no other marbles. The game is over when all the marbles make it into the players’ pots. This is a two-player game, so make sure to get enough boards for everyone to play at once.

Match the Bells

Chocoholics of any age will love this one. Simply take a black marker and write a number, letter or symbol on the bottoms of two wrapped chocolate kisses and repeat until you have enough pairs to play a game of match. Unlike regular match games, you eat your pairs once the game is complete. Everyone wins!

August 12, 2016

How to Stay Sane While Flying With Kids

As a parent, traveling becomes a labor of love if it means flying with the kids. Even if your children are usually perfect angels, spending an extended period of time at the airport, waiting in lines or cooped up on a plane can test the limits of any parent’s sanity. Whether you’ve flown with your kids a dozen times or this will be your first flight with a new baby, a little planning can go a long way when it comes to keeping everyone happy. If you’re booking a flight with your kids, you’ve come to the right place! Check out this handy list of tips to help you plan and handle your next family flight like a pro. As an added perk, you’ll get Cash Back at Ebates at each of the stores mentioned to help give your travel budget a welcomed boost.

1. Plan Ahead

Planning ahead for your trip with the kids is the most important tool in your arsenal. You know your kids better than anyone, which means you can anticipate their needs and pack and plan accordingly. Plan your flight around the time that your kids would ordinarily be taking a nap to increase the chances that they’ll sleep on the flight. To make sure you avoid any surprises at the airport, understand what documentation and IDs you’ll need for the trip and what you’re allowed to bring on before you head to the airport. It may also be helpful to walk your kids through the process before the day of your trip so they know what to expect and how to handle it. You probably already know that getting to and through the airport is no piece of cake with little ones. Flying with kids can test even the most patient family’s limits so you may want to ease the trip-related stress with a fun suitcase that your kids can ride along on or sit on while you’re waiting in line. Check out the riding suitcases at Bed Bath and Beyond and travel in style while you add a touch of fun to your airport adventures.

2. Pack Activities

Start packing early to make sure you don’t forget any of the essentials you need for flying with children. A dedicated plane bag full of things to do on airplane rides is a great way to stay organized and have all the items you’ll need on hand for keeping the kids busy and happy. Organize your packing list by the items you’ll need for activities for each of your kids while on the airplane. It may be helpful to block off periods of time with new activities every twenty to thirty minutes to fight the boredom that can lead to less-than-stellar behavior while in the air. An upcoming flight is a great time to invest in a tablet because it means you can predetermine an entertainment playlist that you know will hold your kids’ attention for the duration of the flight. For slightly older kids, game apps are a fabulous way to keep them busy and happy on flights of any length. Out of consideration for your fellow passengers and airport patrons, be sure to pack headphones that you can get from Toys R Us for whatever app or TV show your kids end up watching.

3. Maintain a Snack Supply

Another important step on the list of tips for flying with kids is to keep your gang from becoming a hangry mess by maintaining an adequate supply of ready-to-go snacks. There will obviously be food at the airport but that probably also means waiting in lines, which might not be a no-go for an already stressed out family. Keep a supply of kid-approved snacks on hand in your flight-dedicated travel bag that will help preserve the peace. Stock up on airplane snacks for toddlers or tweens that you know they will love. Now is not the time to obsess about how many vegetables your kids eat – it’s the time to get your family from point A to B while maintaining the illusion that family flights are a fun time for everyone. For younger kids, you may want to consider giving them a small treat for every 30 minutes that they are well behaved to help them focus on surviving small increments of time quietly. Snack cups from Walgreens can help keep the crumbs at bay and the portions just the right size.

4. Stay Clean & Comfortable

When it comes to tips for flying with a baby, keeping your little one clean and comfortable is paramount. In reality, keeping up with sticky messes and keeping hands clean also applies equally to the whole family. Flying with baby or even a tween means you’ll want to pick up a travel pack of wipes available online at drugstore.com to help keep your pack clean and healthy. Keep an eye out for an awesome travel pack promo code to stock up on wipes and other essentials pre-flight.

5. Keep a Wild Card

In case of an emergency meltdown, keep a wild card up your sleeve that you know will catch your kids’ interest and redirect their attention away from that tantrum that everyone fears on an airplane. Air travel with kids means pulling out all the stops to keep your kids calm and happy for the benefit of your travel experience and that of the other passengers around you. Download some new apps from the App Store to add to your travel fund when you shop for the best apps for long flights. If you’re still worried about how your kids may handle the flight, consider packing small Ziploc care-packages with a note for the passengers around you with things like earplugs, Advil and a treat to let them know how much you appreciate their patience.

August 11, 2016

DIY Home Projects Under $500 To Entertain Your Kids This Summer

School’s out and summer’s here. Along with the more relaxed routine and the warmer weather, many families are finding that they have a lot of time on their hands right about now. If you’re looking for something to do with the kids, why not tackle a few projects around the home? Not only can you keep the kids entertained, you can improve your property values, and make your home more comfortable for everyone at the same time. Best of all, each of these projects is budget friendly and can be done for under $500.

1. Create Homemade Stepping Stones

If you have a garden path, outdoor patio or eating area, consider making some homemade stepping stones with your kids. Stepping stones can enhance the whole area, and you and your kids can customize them to make a personal statement around your yard.

Budget

You can make stepping stones for around $20 a piece depending on the types of embellishments you use.

Money Saving Tips

Make molds out of things you already have in the house such as pie tins, pizza boxes, and bucket lids.
Buy your embellishments in bulk and use them again and again throughout the stones.

Helpful DIY Tips

Mix up only enough concrete for one stone at a time.
Get your mold and embellishments totally ready before mixing your concrete to avoid it beginning to set too soon.

2. Build a Brick BBQ

If your kids are handy with Legos and other building blocks, why not give them a real challenge to build this summer, and take on a family brick barbecue. A brick BBQ is actually not too difficult to build, provided you take your time, and it costs a lot less than some top-of-the-line grills. Best of all, it’s sure to become a point of pride for the whole family for years to come.

Budget

The average cost to build a brick BBQ is around $500, including the concrete pad, bricks, mortar, and other tools necessary to build.

Money Saving Tips

Look for reclaimed bricks or pavers to build your BBQ with. Many can be found for free or low cost at salvage sites.
Rent equipment rather than buying it to save money on set up costs.

Helpful DIY Tips

Pour a level concrete pad that you can build on for stability first.
Hose off your bricks about 30 minutes before you start. This will prevent them from absorbing too much moisture from the mortar.
Remember that you can turn your bricks 90 degrees every so often to create a pattern in the sides of the walls.

3. Install a Fire Pit

Does your family love to entertain in the outdoors? If so, you may want to consider installing a fire pit near your patio for everyone to enjoy. Fire pits can be large and imposing or something simple and minimal, so it’s possible to find something that will fit your landscaping and your family’s needs. Your kids will find that stacking the stone is as easy and fun as creating a block structure indoors.

Budget

The average cost of a 5’ x 5’ stone fire pit is around $500. The total costs for this project range from $200 for a DIY pit to $1400 for a decorative, granite fire pit.

Money Saving Tips

Look for reclaimed bricks or pavers to build your fire pit with
Buy things like crushed stone to fill the surrounding area with in bulk to save money

Helpful DIY Tips

Use fire bricks or stones meant for this purpose to ensure they will contain the fire safely.
Use curved bricks or blocks for a round pit that doesn’t require any cutting.
Dig out the area around the pit and fill it with crushed stone to prevent fires from stray sparks, and to increase the visibility of the project.

4. Paint Your Front Door

Summertime has everyone running in and out the front door, which can mean that it starts to get a little battered over time. Adding to this, is the impact that your front door has on your curb appeal. Break out the paint and have your kids help you paint the front door to revitalize the entire area.

Budget

The average cost of painting a door is around $100, including the cost of paint and supplies for the whole entryway.

Money Saving Tips

Ask to see odd paint at the hardware store – this is paint that was mixed, but wasn’t sold. Often you can get several cans of high quality paint much more cheaply this way.

Helpful DIY Tips

Use an angle brush around the edges of the door, then roll the paint through the center.
Plan on applying at least two coats of paint for the best coverage.

5. Build a Waterfall

If you have a pool, garden, or small pond in your yard, and you want to enhance your landscaping, consider building a waterfall feature with your kids. Waterfalls add a tranquil, soothing atmosphere to your yard, and can be a real draw for everyone on the property. Best of all, DIY kits are available that allow you to build the waterfall out of lightweight composite materials – perfect for putting together with your kids one hot afternoon.

Budget

DIY a waterfall kits are available for around $450.

Money Saving Tips

Save money by installing your waterfall someplace you already have water flowing like a pool or pond. While you can buy waterfalls without current sources, they cost more money to run when you need to add water to the set up.

Helpful DIY Tips

Purchase a kit with lightweight material that doesn’t require cutting; just follow the stacking and mortar instructions as if you were putting together a block kit with your kids.

Summer can feel endless without enough to do. These five projects will keep everyone busy, and will help enhance your enjoyment of your property this summer. Take on any of these DIY, budget friendly projects with your kids under $500 this summer and beat the summertime blues in style. To find out more about what things cost, be sure to visit Fixr’s Cost Guides.

Get everything you need for these home improvement projects with Cash Back at Ebates here: Ace Hardware, Build.com and Lowe’s.

July 15, 2016

How to Keep Your Kids Active on Summer Break

Now that summer break is in full swing, how are your kids spending their time? With the kids out of school on summer vacation, keeping them out of trouble and off the couch all summer can seem like a full time job. Searching for inspiration on how to keep kids active in summer? Look no further! Get their minds and bodies moving plus get Cash Back at Ebates with these awesome tips, tricks and ideas for helping your family make the most of their summer vacation.

Summer Crafts

Learning a new craft is one of those quintessential summer activities for kids. Keep your kids’ minds busy and happy by setting them up with a mini studio space somewhere in your home. Providing them with a selection of arts and crafts supplies can help to keep them content and happily working on projects rather than turning into a mobile device zombie. Depending on their age and interests, you can find a number of great arts and crafts projects and get supply list inspiration on sites like Pinterest. Once you’ve picked out a line up of summer arts and crafts projects, head online to hunt down an awesome art project promo code from Ebates. Plus, when you shop our top craft stores like Michaels, you’ll get Cash Back at Ebates with each summer crafts project purchase.

Learning a New Sport or Activity

Summer is an awesome time for the kids to get out and head off to the pool, the park or the local taekwondo studio to learn a new skill. Taking lessons during the summer is a great way to keep the kiddos active and engaged while giving them a chance to make new friends. While summer lessons can really add up, especially if you have a couple kids, check out any available deals online at Groupon to find the best prices on summer activities and lessons in your local area. Groupon is also a great source for a class or lesson promo code on the already awesome local deals. Don’t forget that you can save even more when you get fabulous Cash Back at Ebates with each Groupon purchase.

Supply Your Kids With Kits and Guides

Even if your kids aren’t into taking lessons, that doesn’t mean they can’t learn something new. Set them up for learning and fun with a great kit or project that will keep their minds active and growing. Check out cool tech kits at Rakuten.com and earn Cash Back at Ebates all while giving your child’s natural curiosity a healthy boost. Have a great backyard? Send the kids outside to explore and learn with this super cool bug catching kit from Brookstone. Kits and guides can help foster kids interest in independent learning and important subjects that their school might not cover, like robotics! You can even find simple cooking projects from the great books at The Book Depository that can help your kids have fun and learn long after the summer vacation comes to an end.

Outdoor Summer Activities

With all the electronics luring kids into becoming couch potatoes over the break, it can be tough to keep kids active during summer time off. Take some time and shop around online at Dick’s Sporting Goods to help get the gear and games that your kids need to stay active this summer. Invest in the equipment they’ll need for lessons or even to play informal games with friends from the neighborhood to help keep them active.

If your kids aren’t old enough to go off to a park with just friends, you can turn your outdoor space into that yard that all the kids want to come to for summer fun. Help your kids enjoy a summer of play outside right in your own backyard when you find a perfect play set that will encourage them to spend their time outdoors. Set their imaginations free and pick out an awesome play house or swing set combo online at Lowe’s. You’ll get Cash Back from Ebates and if you stay tuned for a summer play set promo code, you could save some serious cash when it comes to prepping your family for a summer break filled with outdoor play. Just make sure you stock up on sunscreen, too!

Summer Vacation Ideas

Taking a summer vacation with kids requires some serious planning but the reward will be memories that last a lifetime. Head to discount travel sites like Travelocity and browse for family friendly summer vacation ideas to book a getaway that the kids will love. As an added bonus, booking online at Travelocity means you’ll be earning Cash Back at Ebates to help your summer budget go even further. Not sure you can afford a multi-day getaway? Consider taking a few day trips to keep your kids active and engaged throughout the summer. Check for activity tickets or even a museum pass promo code online to plan out your day trip summer activities.

What are your favorite ways to keep the kids active during summer vacation? Tell us in the comments below!

June 22, 2016

The Complete Family Road Trip Packing Checklist

The kids are out of school and summer vacation is upon us. Road trip season is in full swing. But before you pile everyone into the vehicle for the excursion, there are a few road trip essentials you should make sure you have on hand. This checklist of what to bring on a road trip will make the trip much easier. So take your trusty vehicle in for routine maintenance and make any necessary arrangements so you can get started on packing all of the road trip must haves. Best of all, you can save with a promo code on your necessities and earn Cash Back at Ebates on your purchases from our easy road trip packing checklist.

Snacks: No road trip is complete without a nice supply of snacks. Just steer clear of chocolate and other meltables that may be destroyed during pit stops.
Water: Keep some extra bottles of water on hand for when stopping isn’t an option.
First Aid: Don’t forget to pack a first aid kit that includes supplies for any number of situations. Be prepared with everything from anti-nausea medicine to band-aids for scrapped knees from roadside adventures.
Hand Sanitizer: This miracle concoction will not only rescue you from questionable bathroom selections but will also help clear up any sticky residue left behind from snacks.
Tissues, Napkins & Baby Wipes: Baby wipes aren’t just for babies. Baby wipes, tissues and napkins are handy for cleaning up messes from the kiddos or from the adults.
Small Cooler: Keep your beverages and other goods cool with a small cooler and a steady refill of ice.
Sandwich Supplies: Ditch the fast food joints and create your own roadside picnics instead. You’ll save money and be able to take in the local scenery at the same time.
Sunscreen: Wherever you end up, you’re going to need broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30. Don’t forget to reapply often for proper protection.
Sunglasses: Protect your peepers with the proper eyewear so you can take in all of the sights for years to come.
Auto Documents: Make sure you’re prepared with copies of your registration, insurance and roadside assistance contact information.
Hat: Protect yourself from the sun with a hat that provides a nice amount of shade.
Empty Bags & Baggies: Keep trash off your floorboards and protect your valuables from splashes with a good stock of empty bags.
Tickets & Confirmations: Bring along printed copies of all of your tickets and confirmation pages in case there are any mixups.
Coin Purse & Change: There might be many toll roads in your future so plan accordingly. It also doesn’t hurt to have a few extras for smashed penny souvenirs.
Poncho or Umbrella: Plan for the unexpected with rain gear for the whole family. An umbrella can also double as additional sun protection.
Jacket: Account for cooler nights or unexpected cool fronts with jackets for all of your passengers.
Headphones: Headphones allow each passenger to enjoy their own road trip entertainment while the driver can maintain control of the main radio.
Device Cords & Batteries: Your electronic devices are only as good as their battery supply if you forget the power cords. Spare batteries allow you to keep non-rechargeable devices going as well.
Travel Games: Quell boredom with travel-friendly games for the backseat crew.
Children’s Lovies: Pack your children’s favorite toys to fend off complete meltdowns far away from home, especially around bedtime.
Travel Pillow: Enjoy a mobile nap with a comfy travel pillow that will allow you to rest while on the go.
Earplugs & Eye Mask: Whether it’s to curb the sounds of other passengers during a nap or to fend off unfamiliar sights and sounds at your destinations, these items can be very handy.
GPS navigation unit: Don’t rely on cellular reception that can be spotty during road trips. Pick up a stand-alone GPS navigation unit with traffic updates and lifetime maps.
Roadside Safety Kit: Don’t get caught in a difficult situation. An emergency roadside safety kit should definitely make it onto your road trip packing list.
Books: Ditch the digital and grab some old-fashioned bound books for everyone to enjoy.
Music: Your streaming service may not work everywhere and radio selection can be questionable. Bring along some downloaded music or CDs so you can jam out wherever you are.
Camera: Capture all of those memories on a rugged camera that can stand up to all of your adventures.
DVD Player: Fight boredom with a DVD player and some household favorite movies.
Footwear: Whether you’re hiking mountain trails or sandy beaches, make sure you have the proper footwear for the occasion.
Bug Spray: Get rid of pests like mosquitos with bug spray so you can truly enjoy your adventures.
Beach Gear: Last but not least for our road trip list, if you’re hitting the beach, be sure to pack swimsuits, towels and sand toys to enjoy.

Editor’s Picks

June 1, 2016

#ICYMI: Our Top May Blog Posts

With spring in full swing and temperatures rising, we used May to focus on summer essentials from stylish espadrilles to must-have drugstore makeup. Tips on how to save at your favorite stores like Walmart and Expedia also showed you how to get a bigger bang for your buck while racking up Cash Back at Ebates. But these four blog posts really take the cake on featuring products that ranged from practical to downright magical. Take a look at these top blog posts from May to make sure you didn’t miss out on your next favorite wishlist item, shopping tip or time-saving checklist to make this the best spring and summer yet.

Floral Accessories to Brighten Your Look

Top off your spring OOTDs with festively floral accessories from bracelets to bags and everything in between. Read more >

The Ultimate Summer Camp Packing Checklist

Before the big send-off to summer camp, make sure you have everything your kids need for safe fun and adventure in the great outdoors. Read more >

11 Remakes of 90s Toys That Prove Your Childhood was Magic

Take a trip back in time with these amazing remakes of your favorite 90s toys. Grab one for your kids (or yourself) with Cash Back. Read more >

9 Cash Back Retailers That Price Match

Find the best price every time you shop at these retailers that price match and also offer Cash Back at Ebates. Read more >

Be sure to stay tuned for more to come in May. We’re always discovering new trends, adding new stores and coupons, and rounding up more ways to get paid to shop for the things you love. Whether you’re into fashion, tech, home and garden, travel or sports, we have the inside scoop on the best products and deals online and in-store. If you’re not an Ebates member, join today to free for access to thousands of coupons and promo codes in addition to Cash Back. Then download the Ebates App and add the Cash Back Button to your browser so you never miss out on Cash Back again. Ebates is where it pays to shop!