Beltway Bambinos

(re) discover Washington DC through the eyes of your children

Thanksgiving books, crafts, games and volunteer opportunities for families

Thanksgiving themed books-
Balloons Over Broadway
Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving
How To Catch A Turkey
The Great Thanksgiving Escape
The Story of Pilgrims
Would You Rather? Thanksgiving Edition
Thanksgiving on Thursday: Magic Treehouse
Thanksgiving Activity Book

Wreath of Plenty craft from Parents

Crafts & games-
We have added some fun activities and games to our Pinterest page to get your kids thinking about what they are grateful for. Our family will be creating a grateful tree and I love the idea of having them create a handprint runner and decorating it for our dinner on a long sheet of inside out wrapping paper. A few more of my favorites that are on our Pinterest page are:
-Disguise the Turkey
-Thankful Banner
-Gratitude Scavenger Hunt

Need last minute Thanksgiving decor? Check out Caravan Shoppe for downloadable (send to a local print shop) interactive decorations!

Volunteer opportunities are a bit different this year but nonetheless more important than ever.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Subscription boxes make a great gift for kids

I love giving my children (and to others as these subscription boxes make for a great gift!) experiences rather than another toy for the holiday. Especially since we are stuck at home so much now, these boxes are even more useful. Subscription boxes have become a great way for kids to make memories, stay busy creating something hands-on while having an experience where all of the necessary materials come delivered to their doorstep. Choose a topic that interests your child and order a box before committing to receiving one every month. Many of these subscription services offer first time sign-up deals as you visit the homepage which is an added bonus. We have personally tried the first 6 and highly recommend them- happy to answer any questions.

KiwiCo  believes that children learn by playing and doing and children are naturally curious and creative. KiwiCo was created to give children exposure to new materials, new tools, new techniques, and new concepts that encourage hands-on learning and fun. They are dedicated to inspiring these young scientists, artists, explorers. Below are the various crates they offer-

Panda Crate Explore & Discover (Ages 0-24mo)
Koala Crate Play & Learn (Ages 2-4)
Kiwi Crate Science, Art & More (Ages 5-8)
Atlas Crate Geography & Culture (Ages 6-11)
Doodle Crate Create & Craft (Ages 9-16+)
Tinker Crate Science & Engineering (Ages 9-16+)
Maker Crate Art & Design (Ages14-104)
Eureka Crate Engineering & Design (Ages 14-104)

Bookroo is a monthly subscription for kids ages 0-10 that helps them fall {even more} in love with reading by combining the excitement of opening a gift with the discovery of a new, wrapped, treasured book! The mission is to enable and empower parents to build their children’s book collections in an affordable and exciting way through curated monthly book deliveries. Bookroo believes in the power and impact of the written word in the life of a child and believe it’s never too early to start reading to children. Use this link to get 15% off your first order. We’ve raved about Bookroo before and here again and will continue to do so because literacy is so important and receiving books as a gift is sure to bring a smile to Bambinos faces. 

Bonus: Book of the Month for the adults in your life! They can choose from a variety of books each month to be delivered to their door.

Rosie Riveters
Rosie Riveters is a 501c3 nonprofit whose mission is to equip and empower girls ages 4-14 to be strong, confident, and competent in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by providing a fun space for to imagine, learn, build, and play. 

CookKitz
Cook Kitz delivers all inclusive, educational and delicious cooking projects to your doorstep in the DC area. What began as a way to keep your family deliciously occupied during quarantine, has now become a household staple- there’s always a reason to have a COOK KITZ on hand! Each KITZ focuses on a main recipe with “choose-your-own-adventure” elements to encourage culinary imagination and recipe versatility.

District Dabble Lab
District DabbleLab is a space that seeks to inspire imagination, develop skills, spark curiosity, and promote creativity. DabbleBox is a new subscription box for artsy craftsy kids, delivered monthly with four projects and Emily instructing your child step-by-step via videos!

Sensory TheraPlay Box are toys to help develop important sensory motor skills and stimulate the senses. Engage your child in fun, silly sensory play! Items are therapeutic and can be calming or help manage anxiety. Curated for children with autism/ sensory needs in mind, but suitable for children of all abilities by a Pediatric OT. Each month’s box is carefully curated by a licensed occupational therapist and includes a description card inside.

Skip & Play is a monthly subscription boxes for babies, toddlers, and kids includes the very best, award-winning toys that encourage learning and development. Each month hand-selected toys will arrive which are matched up with the child’s age and stage of development. In the early years, there are toys including teething toys, a tummy time mat, bath toys, and other great items that your baby needs in their first year of growth. As they enter the second year the toys grow to match their curiosity, with shapes, colors, stackers, puzzles, and more. By ages 3, 4, and 5, there are pretend play sets, advanced puzzles, early writing tools, drawing pads, and more!

Bits Box provides monthly coding projects that teach elementary aged children how to program apps. Kids look through the materials and pick an app. Every box comes with dozens of coding projects, ranging from simple to more advanced. Kids type the app into the Bitsbox website and start with the code from the book, then change it to make it their own. Kids use and share their apps on any mobile device. Bitsbox apps run on any computer, tablet, or phone with a web browser.

Girls Can! Create inspires girls to BE and DO anything by introducing them to fearless women who made the world better. The company believes that real women make the very best heroes and every month, as a subscription service, they deliver them to girls 5-10 years old. Each crate or mini-mailer celebrates the life and work of one woman who changed the world through story, activities, play props, and more. Each month, meet a fearless woman who changed the world. Discover her in a 20-page book filled with games, fun and experiments. Explore her field with 2-3 fun science, engineering or art activities. Play props stickers and more.

Steve Spangler Science Club allows you to choose hands-on science kits. A new theme will be explored every month such as kitchen chemistry, glowing germs, the power of air or bubbling potions, electricity and more. Ideal for kids ages 5-12. Ignite the spark of science and creativity in your child. Learn the real science behind each amazing experiment.

Little Passports is a global adventure. They create award-winning subscriptions for kids that inspire them to learn about the world. Get 15% off all subscriptions using code: JOLLY

Early Explorers (Ages 3-5)
Science Junior (Ages 5-8)
World Edition (Ages 6-10)
USA Edition (Ages 7-12)
Science Expeditions (Ages 9+)

DIY Halloween fun at home with Kiwi Co

You’ve seen us post several times about our love for Kiwi Co and the amazing boxes we have ordered. You can order just one box and see which line you like best or subscribe to receive one each month. Boxes range from exciting STEM crafts to a doodle crate and everything in between. I love saving our Kiwi boxes for rainy or cold days. A few boxes my kids have loved are making soap and creating a paint pendulum. You can save $10 by using this link to place an order.

Count popula craft from Kiwi Co

Check out these fun at-home ideas for making Halloween crafts & experiments. My kids are eager to make the 3-D yarn spiderweb. Extend the at-home crafts with these Fall ideas too!

Related post:
Subscription boxes for children
Ultimate guide to Halloween
Fall foliage

Get in the spooky spirit with COOK KITZ

This Halloween season certainly is different and while some may be carrying on with traditional trick or treating others may not. We want to highlight a local business that can help you celebrate Halloween in the comfort of your home.

COOK KITZ

COOK KITZ was featured last month on our blog. We loved the curated box that arrived at our doorstep which had step by step directions for baking. This month you can get a Halloween themed box! This KITZ includes all the ingredients and supplies for the spider web cookies, edible slime and 3 interactive games. It does not include ingredients for the spooky lunch menu, however we share a grocery list + recipes if you choose to make this optional activity.

Prime day deals for families, kids and dogs

Today was day 1 of 2 for Amazon Prime Day. I’ve found some good deals as it relates to home, kids and dogs. Deals end tomorrow at 11:59est. Happy shopping!

My favorite quarantine purchases–
Steam mop: Eliminates 99.9 percent of germs and bacteria with the natural power of steam. I add essential oils, a bit of olive oil and sometimes a light cleaning product from Branch Basics into my water.

iRobot Roomba: Seriously don’t know why I didn’t get this sooner. The vacuum intelligently maps & cleans an entire level of your home- set it and go!

Instant Pot: Worth the hype comes in various sizes.

Air purifier: 3-part filtration system that captures 99% of common airborne pm 2.5 pollutants such as allergens, odors, smoke, mold spores, dust mites and pet dander.

Powerbeats wireless earphones: Up to 9 hours of listening time with secure ear fit. Apple Airpods are another good option!

For the kids–
Blue light blocking glasses: Non-prescription glasses for daily use when kids use a computer, iPad or smart phone. AHXLL kids blue light glasses can cut harmful blue light, reduce eyestrain and headache while protecting children’s eyesight.

Osmo starter kit: Children interact with actual hand held pieces & an iPad, bringing a child’s game pieces & actions to life (No WiFi necessary for game play).

Arts/Crafts-
Playhouse: Doodle & decorate a cardboard haunted house and more designs.

3-D printing pen: The first in a 3D printing device. 

Light-up tracing pad: Various designs featuring 1 graphite pencil, 12 short colored pencils, 10 tracing sheets, 10 blank sheets, and 1 graphite pencil.

Art case: Comes with everything your budding artist needs and you can keep it all in the carrying case.

Dogs- We recently welcomed a puppy to our family so have stocked up on some essentials during Prime Day!
Furbo dog camera & treat dispenser: Livestream video, dispense treats, 2-way audio and more.

Metal dog crate: Various sizes

Travel water bottle: Fill it up and go.

Bully sticks: If you know, you know!

Back seat cover protector: Waterproof and easy to clean.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

COOK KITZ delivers weekly themed cooking boxes to your doorstep

COOK KITZ delivers all-inclusive, educational and delicious family cooking projects to your doorstep for all ages. What began as a way to keep your family deliciously occupied during quarantine, has now become a household staple- there’s always a reason to have a COOK KITZ on hand!

Each themed KITZ provides “choose-your-own-adventure” elements that teach basic cooking techniques paired with culinary imagination and recipe versatility! This service provides a fun, family activity that does not require any pre-planning and is fully curated, scripted and totally flexible for when you need something to do!

Each delivery includes all pantry and fridge ingredients, detailed instructions and overviews for each recipe and any specialty tools or equipment needed for the project. You also have the option to pickup the kits.

Past KITZ have included; Go Crazy for Cookie Dough, Popsicle Party, “Grow’ Your Own Focaccia Garden and more.

This fall, COOK KITZ launched their first 4-in-1 KITZ series in partnership with Creative Enrichment. The series gives kid chefs an inside look at the baking process and how using different ingredients impacts rise, taste and texture of baked goods. Click here to purchase a kit!!

My kids made the current KITZ which is biscuits + strawberries + cream. What I loved about this box was that there were instructions for each age group. My nine year old could make the recipe by himself while reading through it with his younger sister who also was a part of the cooking. The instructions are age appropriate and easy to follow with just the right amount of information. We will definitely be ordering from COOK KITZ as a way to intertwine math, reading, cooking and togetherness this school year. The best part is, I get to reap the benefits of this tasty new service.

Bookroo delivers books to your doorstep + DISCOUNT

I have shared my love of reading on the blog before. As a former teacher with a background in reading, literacy plays an important part in our house. Bookroo approached me to share their services with readers a few years ago and you can find those posts here and here. The mission of Bookroo is to enable and empower parents to build their children’s book collections in an affordable and exciting way through curated monthly book deliveries. They believe in the power and impact of the written word in the life of a child, and believe it’s never too early to start reading to children! Book boxes are geared for ages 0-10. This month’s curated box for our fourth grader can be seen below.

Bookroo is offering a huge discount for you for the month of September– 20% off any 3-month subscription! Use code: KEEPCALM

The code cannot be combined with any other offers or used more than once per household. Valid Sept. 1, (12:01 am ET) – Sept. 30 (11:59 pm PT).

Keep Calm & Read On, 20% off

A message from Bookroo:
Last spring, school was a challenge for many of us, and many of us are still facing a lot of uncertainty, anxiety and worry about this school year being any better. Bookroo has a simple suggestion to help: Keep Calm & Read On!

Too often we overlook the power of reading as a teaching resource. Reading is one of the best tools we have to keep our kids (and ourselves!) happy and productive this school year.

The American Academy of Pediatricians has said, “reading regularly with young children stimulates optimal patterns of brain development, strengthens parent-child relationships at a critical time in child development, which, in turn, builds language, literacy, and social-emotional skills that last a lifetime.”

Brain development, social-emotional skills, relationship building? Doesn’t that sum up what we hope our kids gain from school? And it’s all possible with an activity so simple and enjoyable.

So this fall, don’t lose hope, give up or panic. Instead, in the good moments, and especially the difficult ones, keep calm and reach for a book! If all we manage to do this year is spend a lot of time reading, we’re all going to be okay.

Toys and games worth buying that are actually educational

Over the past 56 days we have started to discover toys and games that have been buried in drawers or sitting on shelves. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite things. Leave us a comment with what your Bambinos have been playing with.

Weaving loom
The Melissa & Doug Wooden Multi-Craft Weaving Loom includes everything kids need, including adjustable wooden loom, oversize wooden needle, craft materials, illustrated design booklet, and 91 yards of rainbow yarn.

Wooden Digital Rod Counting rods Number Cards and Counting Rods with Box
Includes 5 math signs and 19 numbers 0 to 9 and 52 counting rods.

Simple Sewing Kit
Includes everything you’ll need for 2 cardstock practice projects and 3 final projects.

Snap Circuits Jr
Build over 130 different electronics circuit projects with 30+ electronic parts! Construct working models of a photo sensor, a flashing light, an Adjustable-Volume siren using parts such as glow-in-the-dark flying propeller, phototransistor, LEDs, resistors, a DC motor and much more!

Rush Hour Traffic Jam Logic Game
Rush Hour is the classic traffic jam logic game and one of the all-time most popular STEM toys and gifts for boys and girls ages 8 and up Contains 40 challenges from beginner to expert, a game grid, cars, and a game-go storage bag.

Fashion Plates
Just place your sketch paper, pass the rubbing tool over and transfer your design easily. Includes 15 fashion plates, 20 sheets of paper, 8 colored pencils, 2 rubbing crayons, 1 crayon holder, 1 drawing tablet, 1 fashion carrying case and 1 fashion folio idea guide.

Light Up Tracing
Includes Coloring Board, Graphite Pencil, 12 Short Colored Pencils, 10 Tracing Sheets, and 10 Blank Sheets. 3 AA batteries required – sold separately. Various themes to choose from.

5 Second Rule
Pick a card, read the seemingly easy topic, then start the timer! With only 5 seconds to name 3 things that fit the topic, it doesn’t seem so easy!

Below are previously linked items from this blog post of resources and games that definitely worth having on hand–
Kumon Workbooks
Kumon Workbooks
Scavenger Hunt for Kids ages 6+
Flash Cards
Brain Boosters choose an age
Guess in 10 Game ages 6+
Treasure Hunt Game ages 3+
Brain Quest Cards comes in each grade level
Boredom Busters ages 3-6
Educational Placemats
Mind Challenge ages 6+
Tabletop Magnetic Whiteboard

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

logo design courtesy of New Leaf Design