December 17, 2018December 18, 2018 - Fun Is Better Than Perfect 2 Comments

Beautiful Books For Kids

Tis the season for being overwhelmed by all the things! Rediscover the joy of gifting by giving beautiful, meaningful books to your tiny human. My little one (almost 4!) and I have compiled this list of all of our favorite books. A trip to your local bookstore is always fun this time of year and such a nice change from the frenzy of the mall:) I hope you find some new favorite beautiful books for kids from this list!

*I’ve included affiliate links for convenience and research purposes, which helps support the costs of running this site. If you have time to purchase these from your local bookstore though I encourage you to do that! Or check them out from your local library:)*

October 19, 2018November 13, 2018 - Fun Is Better Than Perfect Leave a comment

Witches Brew! A Not So Spooky Halloween Activity For Kids

Get into the Halloween spirit with this Witches Brew! A not so spooky Halloween activity for kids. Having a preschooler makes the holidays so much more fun! Halloween can be a tricky one, though, as the little ones are not quite ready for the spookier side of the holiday. Trying to get in the spirit of the season I decided to take an old classic and add a bit of Halloween cheer to it! Read on for the simple ingredients and how to’s… Read more

October 4, 2018October 5, 2018 - Fun Is Better Than Perfect Leave a comment

Apple Picking Game For Preschoolers, DIY

apple spice playdough, board game diy, preschool apple picking game, counting

Apple pie playdough, apple picking, apple pie making, we’ve been on an apple kick around here! While pondering new ways to use our delicious smelling apple pie playdough, I came up with the idea to create our own board game. Honestly it’s just a rip-off of the old High Ho Cherry Oh game we saw in a thrift store the other day, but the little is super excited so it’s a win:) We’ve had a ton of fun playing the game, practicing counting, and picking the delicious ‘apples’ on our game! Read on for a quick tutorial on how you can create your own!

September 14, 2018October 4, 2018 - Fun Is Better Than Perfect Leave a comment

Fall Playdough Recipes: All the deliciousness of pie without ruining their dinner!

fall playdough, apple pie, pumpkin spice, vanilla cinnamon — All the cozy scents of the season!

At the risk of inundating you with posts about my love of play-dough, here are some ideas on how I bring our favorite activity into the fall season! Read on for pumpkin spice, apple pie and even an Horchata inspired fall playdough because here in San Jose it’s likely to be 80 degrees in the fall and an icy glass of horchata goes great with this vanilla cinnamon playdough!

August 23, 2018September 4, 2018 - Fun Is Better Than Perfect Leave a comment

Simple fall toddler activities! From pumpkin spice play-dough to apple prints, get cozy and creative this fall!

You all know those people who start dreaming about pumpkins and sweaters and halloween costumes in July? Not ashamed to admit I am one of them! I do try and keep it in check until at least September for those summer lovers out there:) As a blogger it works in my favor though! I can secretly dream of all things fall while compiling this post of fall toddler activities. Ready for you whenever you’re ready to embrace the *best* season!

July 15, 2018August 27, 2018 - Fun Is Better Than Perfect Leave a comment

Toddler Supplies – Stock Your Shelf For Hours Of Play!

toddler supplies, stock your shelf for hours of fun, toddler activities, preschool materials

Days with a toddler or preschooler can be loooong! For me it’s always the 2-5pm window where I’ve used up my energy on the mornings outing and the little one is growing restless but the thought of playing dress up for another hour is like nails on a chalkboard. I love playing with my daughter, and I give her plenty of time for self directed play as well, but sometimes I want an activity I can set up that I know will buy me 30 minutes at least of engaged play where I have to expend a minimum of energy! These materials have taken us from pre-toddler to preschooler and they are the open ended, versatile toddler supplies we’ve found to be best for hours of fun!

June 10, 2018October 5, 2018 - Fun Is Better Than Perfect Leave a comment

41 Toddler Activities Using Just 10 Ingredients!

41 activities with just 10 ingredients, toddler steam, toddler science, sensory play

If you are needing to fill those long summer days with some fun and simple activities, read on for a list of 41 Toddler Activities Using Just 10 Ingredients!

*Affiliate links are included in this post, thanks for supporting this blog! Full disclosure policy here.*

When we had my daughter, our first child, we totally fell into the trap of thinking we needed to BUY ALL THE THINGS… We were gifted so many great toys and baby items as well. In retrospect, I realize the baby merch market totally keyed in on our ‘New Parent Anxiety’ and we ended up with so many things that were barely used! Now that we have a better handle on how to keep her healthy and *sometimes* happy (she’s 3, so…;) I’ve started to look at clearing out our home clutter and providing open ended activities, rather than toys. It feels so good to minimize the clutter and not feel the need to buy her every toy we see at friends houses.

May 31, 2018July 13, 2018 - Fun Is Better Than Perfect 14 Comments

10 Toy Free Activities For The Minimalist Toddler Parent

This post contains exactly one affiliate link because…well…minimalism;) See our full privacy policy here;)

Before I was a parent I had no idea the amount of STUFF I would accumulate just by virtue of having a tiny human in the house! I am by no means an expert at minimalist parenting just yet, but we are making our way there and I’ve learned a lot along the way. If you are feeling overwhelmed by toys and are looking to simplify, here are my top 10 toy free activities for the minimalist toddler parent!

non toy activities for toddlers and minimalist parents — Babies and Toddlers don’t need all the things!

Despite our best intentions, 3 years into Parenthood we seem to have acquired an amount of plastic toys, stuffed animals and play equipment that is beyond belief. We didn’t set out to buy all the things, but somehow ended up with more toys than the little could possibly play with in a year. There seems to be a growing movement of young families towards minimalism, however, and it is a really refreshing concept! There has long been a school of thought that children need fewer toys and more opportunities to use their imaginations, the Montessori and Waldorf methods of education to name a few. There was even a nursery in Germany that took away every. single. toy. and the children thrived!

May 22, 2018May 23, 2018 - Fun Is Better Than Perfect 14 Comments

10 Plants Anyone Can Grow With Kids

10 best plants to grow with kids this summer

Affiliate links may be included in this post, thank you for supporting our site!

Whether you have a green thumb or not (and I’m guessing not since you are reading this post;) gardening with kids is such a rewarding activity! Besides the obvious benefits of being outside rather than glued to a screen, gardening can teach both parents and kids so much. It can be overwhelming to start if you have never grown anything on your own, but this list will get you started off small and simple! I have personally tested out each of these plants, (and my plants tend to survive despite me rather than because of me,) so I know anyone can grow them! If you have decided you want to get your hands dirty, read on for the 10 Plants Anyone Can Grow With Kids…

May 3, 2018May 10, 2018 - Fun Is Better Than Perfect Leave a comment

The Best Gear To Get Your Family Camping This Summer!

coffee pot, best gear for family camping, outdoor adventures

So I admit I have a problem… working at an outdoor retailer for the past 8 years has turned me into a bit of a gear junkie. To your advantage though because it has allowed me to compile this list of the best family camping gear!