3 DIY PROJECTS TO KEEP KIDS HAPPY ALL SUMMER LONG

It's June and we're on the cusp of summer. The warm days and extra hours of sunshine mean summer days drift slowly and easily into summer nights on the patio or in the backyard. The kids are staying up later and us parents are settling into keeping everyone happy a little longer each day. One of the things I love most is creating places or opportunities for the kids to spend hours happily playing without needing constant attention. These three DIY summer projects for kids are sure to do just that.

We've done over these DIYs over the past few years and they have bought us hours and hours of endless fun and memories. The kids are already asking to do another lemonade / street stand this year!

If you're thinking of doing any of these projects in time for the holidays, NOW is the perfect time to start!

PLAYHOUSE DIY

A couple of summers ago, we took a standard playhouse and gave it a little all over update. Nothing prepared me for how popular this little playhouse would become, both online and at home in our backyard! It has been the centre of our playdates for the past couple of years and more cookies, milkshakes and ice cream scoops have been served up in the playhouse than in our real kitchen!

I detailed the entire playhouse project when we first completed it and I can't recommend this project enough. It's been SO worth the many cans of paint and hours it took as I know our children will have memories of this little house long after it's gone.

IKEA HACK LEMONADE STAND

Last summer our kids decided that they HAD to have a lemonade stand before the end of summer. On the last weekend of the holidays, we built this little lemonade stand using two IKEA Latt tables, a few extra pieces of wood and we made the lemonade sign using card stock and stickers. This one was a big win for quick and easy and turned into a full afternoon impromptu neighbourhood party. It was pure fun and the kids have ideas of a flower sale or veggie sale from our garden this summer. Wish me luck ;)

KIDS ART SPACE

Wanting a way to whittle away the hours when the sun is too hot or a baby is napping? Creating a kids art space is the perfect thing! While the room may not stay as tidy and styled as it looks here, the fun and creativity that stems from having a place solely dedicated to art is worth every drop of paint and sticky mess you'll be cleaning up. Free-for-all paint may not work for every parent and every family home but I love the adventure it brings when kids get to decide exactly what they want to make with the supplies provided. 

These are my favourite three home projects we've done so far that will create lasting childhood memories while keeping the kids entertained for endless hours. What other ways do you keep your kids busy in creative and imaginative ways over the summer? I'd love to hear in the comments below!

Happy Friday everyone!

SEE THE FULL PROJECT POSTS...

PLAYHOUSE

KIDS ART STUDIO

LEMONADE STAND

IN THE GARDEN WITH KIDS

Our kids looove the garden. They spend hours outside digging, watering, collecting treasures, picking, eating and generally just being very, very happy. While fresh air and sunshine are obviously an incredible feeling for us all, I also think having a little piece of dirt to play with is just plain fun. Whether you live in an apartment, or have a small outdoor area (us!) or have a sprawling backyard, a simple garden can bring kids SO MUCH JOY!

Most people know our backyard because of our little playhouse. On the other side along a fence, we have a small garden bed where we grow vegetables. This year, the kids were fully onboard with it all, from choosing the plants to planting them!

With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to share a bit about our garden this season as we are novice gardeners and the outcome is FUN more than whether the plants actually grow.

We started with simple things - herbs (parsley, cilantro, still need to plant chives), lettuce and kale and the bean plant that Xavier brought home from preschool. These are sure to produce at least something. I also let the kids pick out plants that they wanted (zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli), which we have never grown before. We have had success with tomatoes in the past (and our kids gobble them up like candy) so put in five different tomato plants this year to test out colour and variety (and also put one in a pot next to the garden instead of in the garden bed to test which plants were happier). Like I said, we aren't looking for an amazing garden; it's all more of an experiment!

This is an ongoing project that I thought I would keep you posted on over the summer. I am happy to share anything about the garden in hopes that it might inspire you to start one of your own! Just leave me a comment and I'll answer it as quickly as possible.

There are some key items that we love to have nearby for the kids to use. Below I'm sharing our favourite tools for gardening with kids, including our favourite slide, which is perfect for times when everyone just needs a break, ha!

I'd love to know...do you grow plants with your kids? 

01. // Garden tools; 02. // Magnifying glass; 03. // Watering can; 04. // Gardening gloves; 05. // Flower press; 06. // Plant labels; 07. // Garden book; 08. // Water shoes; 09. // Outdoor slide; 10. // Plant buggy. 

BLUSH, SILVER + WHITE 7th BIRTHDAY PARTY

I can't believe our twin girls are 7!!! Over the past few years, I've shared Kaia and Noelle's birthday parties with all of you. Their 5th birthday with fairy crowns and a nature walk, their 6th birthday at a local art studio and this year, for their 7th birthday, they wanted something at home. So...with just a few friends and some pretty decorations (as well as an incredible magician!), we had a party that not only celebrated another year of having our joyful children in the world but also ticked the box as "the best birthday party we've ever had Mama!".

I've learned over the years to keep the decorations to one spot that is well lit. We opted to use our everyday console table and throw a white tablecloth on it. Using three cake stands (that we use for so many occassions), we filled the brown paper bags with popcorn and the cake took its' prized position in the centre. We added a few flowers in jars (I love eucalyptus and baby's breath) and picked up a few blush coloured roses to match the balloons. 

While the girls waited at the window for their friends to arrive, I filled simple paper bags with party favours. 

Once the kids arrived, we had a magician come to the house for a magic show, which was great fun and lots of laughs. The kids were even taught a trick of their own at the end. After all, parties are all about the fun, which this day was full of.

A big thank you to my sister Amanda from Amanda Haddow Photography for capturing these photos perfectly.

SHOP THIS POST

HAPPY FRIDAY + BE YOU!

Yesterday, Noelle (6 years old) came home from school and told me a story that made my heart burst. At school choir she was singing along but felt the need to move so she swung her arms out and did a full twirl. As she turned around, she noticed "about 7 boys staring at me". I asked, "how did that make you feel?". Her reply, "I didn't mind, I was so happy I just wanted to dance!". Her quiet confidence amazes me. Children have an impressive ability to remind us that it really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks...what creates inner joy is to just BE YOU!

Have an amazing weekend friends!

KIDS CREATIVE ART STUDIO

It's here!!! I am SO excited to share our children's art space for many reasons. This creative room is such a labour of love and really has taken way too long to complete as clients always come before my own home. I'm sure I started telling you this post was going to happen two years ago! Although it has been one of the most used spaces in our house over the last 18+ months, it has not been ready to photograph or share in a styled way until now!

The idea for this room started when my husband broke his hip (freak casual bike accident) and I knew we'd be home more than usual. I started scrolling other art rooms and saving my favourite art room ideas on Pinterest. All three of our kids love creating...drawing, painting, building, pasting, imagining, designing, etc. and after our dining table started to be constantly full of art supplies, I began thinking of an alternate space we could use.

This space is different than most I share as it is a rough place in our basement that we literally scraped together to give the kids somewhere to make a mess, create in whatever way they want, explore different materials, textures and give their brains a place that they can come when they first wake up or when they get home from school or when they feel they need some time away that is different than anywhere else. I grew up creating, drawing, painting, sewing, making things whenever I could and I dreamed of having a space in our home for our kids to do the same. 

SHOP THE LOOK:

When we started, this room was literally full of boxes and the space we would just throw stuff to be sorted later (we don't have a garage) but realistically we needed to deal with the junk and use the space.

Once the boxes were removed, we had drywall put up and lighting installed. I painted the entire space in Simply White by Benjamin Moore and then the rest was decor. I used porch and floor enamel to paint the concrete floor and although the entire space is still pretty rough, it is totally fine if paint drips, glitter drops, etc. I quickly painted the floor before photographing this room to make it bright and fresh again, but day to day, it isn't quite like this. I didn't need this room to be perfect; I wanted the kids to be able to be free to explore in here, to get the paint out for themselves and learn how to take, use and put away materials on their own. The only way to learn is to practice, right?

The side of the wall with the paint easels was so bare so we added these cute irregular dot decals in light grey to add a little interest. They are fun and the kids love them! We use old t-shirts as paint smocks, small jars for paint and large clothes pegs to hang wet art. It's not fancy, but it works!

I love how focused and involved the kids are when they are here. The hours of conversation, creations that they come up with and frustrations that turn into proud moments are just a snapshot of what happens in an art space for kids. These three negotiate in here, have another way to release emotion, and show determination with projects that carry on for days. Creating a space for kids to let their creative side run wild is so worth it!

I love how so many of the little details turned out but am definitely most proud of the pegboard wall!!! I could use one in every room. Having everything accessible is great and items, such as the dustpan and brush, at a low height allows an opportunity for the kids to access things easily and help with cleanup. 

It's been such a long time coming and it's finally here...I'd love to know what you think!!!

*A huge thank you to my sister Amanda from Amanda Haddow Photography for photographing this space.