Kid Activities

A flower garden sensory bin is a spring inspired activity that can be played with indoors or out.

My daughter has been asking to plant things lately. And she wants to plant everything!

If it is up to her, we will have a full vegetable garden, a bunch of fruit trees and a yard full of bedding plants.

Since we haven’t been able to get out and get flowers yet, I thought a sensory bin would be a fun way to practice planting.

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Flower Garden Sensory Bin

A flower garden sensory bin allows for imaginative and tactile play.

The kids can pretend to plant their seeds in soil, water the seeds and watch them grow into beautiful flowers. And once they grow, they can pick them of course!

Materials Needed For Flower Garden Bin

• Artificial Flowers
• Painted Chickpeas* (Acrylic paint and dried chickpeas)
• Dried Black Beans
• Mini Wooden Scoops
• Small Terra Cotta or tin planters
• Mini Watering Can (I got ours at Hobby Lobby)
• Large Container to hold all of the play items – This is my favorite bin, not too big, not too small & inexpensive.

Preparing the Flower Garden Sensory Bin

The first thing you want to do is paint your chickpeas. Simply put a little acrylic paint into a ziploc bag and drop in the desired number of dried chickpeas.

Seal the bag and shake, shake, shake. Remove from the bag and lie flat on some paper towels to dry. They dry pretty quickly.

Then dump enough dried black beans into the large container to cover the bottom. You want plenty of beans because this is your “potting soil.”

Next, cut apart your artificial flowers into individual stems. Scissors will work but wire cutters will be easier. Make sure you cut the wire close so that there is no chance for injury.

Now the best part – just dump all the rest of the items into the play bin. It is time to play!

Planting in the Flower Garden

My 2 and 6 year old kids both had fun gardening in their sensory bins.

For the toddler, lots of time was spent scooping beans. He transferred them from the big bin into the smaller planters.

With a little prompting, he did a little planting and playing with the flowers as well. But the beans were definitely the favorite.

My 6 year old used more imagination in her play. She took the painted chickpeas and planted them in the pots.

Pretended to water the pots and seeds to make the flowers grow.

Then she picked the flowers and made a bouquet for me! Sweet girl.

Learning Prompts:

• Identify the Colors of the Flowers
• Count the Flowers
• Discuss How Plants Grow (plant the seed, water, sunshine, grow)
• Demonstrate volume in a container (fill half way or 3/4)

What would you add to this gardening invitation to play activity?

More Sensory Bins?

Cookie Cereal Baking Bin

Apple Cinnamon Fall Sensory Bin

Vegetable Soup Water Table Play

Edible Infant Finger Paint

Tired of throwing away the cheap plastic toys that come in kid’s meals or birthday party favor bags?

Find new and fun things to do with fast food toys that will keep the kids engaged and having fun.

Does your house seem to pile up with little plastic trinket toys? Whether they are from school holiday parties, fast food toys or birthday parties, they appear and multiply.

My typical protocol was to let the kids play until they lost interest in these little junk toys. You know as well as me, that usually happens in 5 minutes or less.

Then I would throw the toys out because I couldn’t take anymore clutter in our playroom.

I felt joy in knowing that I was not adding to an overabundance of toys. But I also felt a little guilty. Especially if the toys came from a party bag.

Someone spent money on those little trinkets. And here I am throwing them out. So I decided to start finding creative ways to use them beyond the 5 minutes that the kids spend playing with something new.

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Things To Do With Fast Food Toys

Giving a new purpose to an old or cheap toy is the best way to get those toys played with.

The Collection Process

The first thing you need to do is save up these little toys.

I keep a big gallon ziplock bag in a cabinet. As the fast food toys come into my house, I simply collect them once they have been discarded by the kids and place them in my toy bag.

Do the same thing with party favor toys.

Once you have a good amount of toys in the bag, you can pull out just what you need for activities or just release the whole bag to the kids to play with.

Ideas for Things To Do With Favor Toys

We have been sheltering in place for the last month due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The other day, I pulled out my plastic toy bag and handed it to the kids outside.

And do you know what happened? They played for quite a while with all these toys that they had lost interest in before. That I would have previously thrown out.

It was like found treasure. And they loved it.

Here are some ideas on things to do with fast food toys instead of discarding them:

• Take them to the Park – If one gets lost, no big deal.
• Play with them in water table or sand box
• Use as Slime or Play Doh toys
• Play in the Bath time – Since these toys aren’t really meant to be water toys, you may have to toss if they start to get gross but you were going to toss them anyway right?
• Keep A bag in the car for trips or unexpected traffic jams
• Use them at restaurants to keep kids busy while you wait on food
• Take them to Grandmas house for when the kids are visiting.
• Use them in Sensory Bins
• Set up in a doll house
• Build a Lego fort to house all the figurines
• Play hide the toys (an Easter Egg hunt of toys)
• Freeze the toys in water and use a dropper of water to free the toys
• Create a nature fort for the figurines (gather sticks, leaves and flowers and let the imagination go from there)
• Paint the toys with washable paint to give them a new look
• Cover the toys in shaving cream and let kids clean them with a cheap toothbrush or rag.
• Set up figurines in a bowling triangle and play a round of mini bowling using a bouncy ball

Check out these ideas from to stop sending in junk to class parties:

• No Junk Halloween Favors
• Unique Birthday Party Favors

How do you like to recycle trinkets into a fun activity that keeps kids busy?

A huge list of  50 kids birthday party venues in Memphis, TN to help you throw the best party for your child this year.

Recently I was trying to plan my child’s birthday party and the same 2 or 3 places came to mind. I was burned out on some of the usual spots and wanted something a little more unique. 

These party ideas really have something for everyone! Cooking parties, painting parties, active parties to get all those little wiggles out and so much more. 

Ready for the biggest list of kids birthday party venues in Memphis, TN? You are in the right spot. Wow your guests this year with a unique and special party. 

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Kids Birthday Party Venues In Memphis, TN

Here you will find a ton of different kids birthday party venues in Memphis, TN for every budget and interest. We will start with small businesses or locally owned franchisees that are in the Memphis area and finish with some chains that are always popular with kids. 

Cooking/Baking Parties

Crave Sweets – You can rent the bake shop out on Sunday’s for a cookie decorating experience for the kids.
Rental fee is $100 and then $15 per child. They will also send their “cookie lady” to your house and you can avoid the $100 fee and do your party on a Saturday instead of just on Sundays. 

Donut Hutt – We attended a party here this summer and it was really fun. The kids get to make their own donuts from start to finish. Rolling dough, cutting them out, frying them, adding icing and of course sprinkles! The minimum age is 4 for this party in order to ensure safety in the commercial kitchen. Parties start at $250 and include pizza, drinks, a donut cake and the kids get to take home the donuts they made. 

La Tea Da Tea Party (@ Frost Bake Shop) – You can choose between a Princess Tea Party or a glamour party. The girls will play dress up, do make up and nails and have a fancy tea party complete with Frost treats. The party costs starts at $335 for 8 girls. 

Frost Bake Shop – Kids will enjoy decorating mini cupcakes during this sweet party. They will frost, sprinkle and decorate their own mini pull apart cupcake cake. Parties start at $250 for 10 children.

Fino’s – We love Fino’s! And I had no idea that they did kid birthday parties! The kids will make their own pizzas for this fun and hands on party. My kids also love the big chalkboard wall to doodle on while they wait.  

Active Sports Parties

Sega Gymnastics – Enjoy active activities like trampoline, jumping into the foam pit, obstacle course and a huge inflatable. Cost is $130 for the party and $4 per child. I love this one because it is more affordable if you have a lot of people to invite (like a whole kindergarten class!). 

We did my daughter’s party at this location this year and were very impressed. The party is well structured with lots for the kids to do.

The staff at Sega was awesome and the helped with every step of the way (even offering to help carry food and presents to the car)! I would highly recommend a party here.

Believe Gymnastics (Formerly River City) – Jump, balance and climb during this exciting birthday party. Parties start at $250 for 10 kids. 

Collierville Arts Academy – They have several different options for active and pretend parties that will please a variety of kids. Options include a tutu cute ballerina party, Disco Dazzle party, Jedi Adventure and a Pirate Party! Prices start at $250 for 16 kids. 

Cordova Skating Center – Take it back old school! Skating parties are fun and a great way to wear those elementary school kids out! This is another one that is pretty affordable. Parties start at $129.90 for 10 guests. 

Ballet on Wheels – A one hour dance lesson is taught to up to ten kids before enjoying refreshments that you bring. Parties start at $165. 

Little Gym – An instructor will lead the kids through a fun party at the Little Gym! Prices start at $260.

YMCA Millington – Choose and indoor or outdoor swim party! We have been to an outdoor party here and they have a pretty cool slide and the party has lifeguards as well which is nice for your piece of mind because birthday parties are always a little hectic. Parties start at $200 for 24 people.

Bartlett Rec Center – Rent the indoor pool for swimming and then get access to the party room for food and cake that you can bring. A fun option for a winter birthday when the kids still want to swim! 

Kroc Center Memphis – Enjoy a fun swim party at the Kroc Center. 

Germantown Athletic Club – You can choose between the indoor or outdoor pool or a party in the gym on the basketball court. Parties start at $225 for members. 

Golf & Games – Putt Putt golf, arcade games, pizza and drinks are included and parties start at $152 for 8 kids. 

ATA Karate Memphis – Enjoy a lesson in Martial arts! Parties start at $249 for 40 kids! So if you have a big party, this might be the way to go!

Creation Station – The ultimate indoor play place! This party is only available to Bellevue Baptist members and the rental fee is $100. But if you are not a member, don’t forget that you can just go and play for free anytime. Check out everything you need to know about this free play space here. 

Atoka Railroad Station – So this is right outside of Memphis but still close enough and super cool so it had to be included. Mini golf, train, ferris wheel, rock wall, bumper cars and bounce houses! Parties start at $209.

Creative Parties

Bricks and Minifigs – This lego themed party is a lego lovers dream. The kids will build their own cities with the Legos and race cars on the special track. Weekend parties start at $160. 

The Art Project – A unique and fun art free play experience. Kids create and have fun with glitter, paint, play dough and more. You can say yes because you leave the mess! Check out our fun day at the Art Project here to see what it is all about! Parties start at $265 for 12 kids. 

Little Studio on the Square – Kids will create their own 11×14 painting during this guided instruction class. You can choose the painting theme that best fits your child’s personal interests. The party also includes professional photography and a digital library. Pricing starts at $300 for 12 kids. 

Seize the Clay – Choose a pottery piece, paint and party. Parties start at $200 for 8 kids.

Pinot’s Palette – Choose your favorite painting and the instructor will teach the kids how to paint it, step by step. 

Pigtails and Crewcuts – Choose between girly spa and princess parties or pirate and superhero parties! Parties start at $299. 

Jumpin’ Jellybeans – My kids love this place. The biggest ball pit you have probably ever seen and tons of spots for creative and pretend play. And mama loves how clean it is! Parties start at$600 on Saturdays. 

Rec Room – A great option for older kids. A space full of arcade games and video games. 

Unique Memphis Locations

There are kids birthday party venues in Memphis, TN and then there are parties that you literally could only have in Memphis! These are unique and special venues specific to the Bluff City for a one of a kind celebration.

The Memphis Zoo – Enjoy seeing all of your favorite animals with your friends and then use the party room to have snacks/cake and open gifts. Prices start at $375 for Zoo members. 

The Children’s Museum of Memphis – CMOM is such a fun spot for kids to not only play but also to learn. Parties start at $300 for members and can vary depending on if you would like to include carousel rides or the splash pad in your party. Be sure to check out the 7 insider CMOM tips before you go. 

Shelby Farms – You can rent a party room to use to celebrate at Shelby Farms. You can purchase a party room and splash pad party package. And since it is a public park, you could also just play at the amazing playground and have a fun picnic party! Prices for the private room start at $180. 

Memphis Botanical Gardens – Play at My Big Backyard for a one of a kind birthday experience. This is one of our favorite play spots in the Memphis area. Parties under a Canopy rental start at $275. 

Memphis Fire Museum – The Memphis Fire Department holds a special spot in the heart of our family! My Dad, Grandfather and uncles were all MFD. And my little boy loves to dress up like a firefighter so we might have to try this out for his 3rd birthday. The children’s area of the museum has a spot where the kids can pretend to drive a fire truck, slide the fire pole and play simulations in the arcade. Parties start at $225. 

Lichterman Nature Center – Choose 2 live animals to see during your instructor led guided activities. After the party, you and your guests are welcome to stay and explore even more. Prices start at $220. 

Memphis Redbirds – If you have a birthday during baseball season, you can spend your birthday at the field! The party includes hot dogs and drinks and of course the baseball game. They will even announce your child’s birthday during the game! How cool. Prices start at $225 for ten people. 

Memphis Grizzlies – Want to enjoy your favorite NBA team for your birthday? I thought this was a different idea for a party! Prices are per person and start at $17 and vary by game. 

Farm Animal Parties 

Priddy Farms – Only available during the month of October. Enjoy the pumpkin patch, hayrides, petting zoo, bounce houses, haunted woods (young kid friendly), and train rides. Pricing is $10 per kid and $2 per adults plus a $50 flat fee. You can bring in whatever food you would like making this an affordable option if you have an October kiddo. 

Maple Grove Farm – Petting farm, moon bounce, climbing wall, hay rides and horse back rides will entertain the kids at this party. Packages start at $325. 

Menagerie Farms – All the regular farm activities plus fun additional activities like milking a goat, gem mining and special characters. 

Happy Times Farms – Travelling petting zoo, rides and games. 

Travelling Parties 

Kids birthday party venues in Memphis, TN that will travel to your location for the celebration. 

Game Truck Memphis – They bring the TV’s, Xbox, PlayStation and Ninetendo Switch consoles to your home for this travelling video game party. 

Magic Mr. Nick – A magician that will come to you! What a fun and unique birthday experience. 

Popular Chain Party Locations 

Chuck E. Cheese – Chuck E. Cheese can be a fairly affordable option for a child’s birthday party. Check out these 4 ways to save on a party here. 

Pump It Up – A night full of jumping and climbing in these big inflatables. Prices start at $279.

Main Event  – Games, bowling and pizza make this a party that is great for kids of all ages. 

Urban Air – I like this spot because they have a good mix of things for older kids to do but also have a nice sized area that works well for toddlers. Prices start at $225 for 10 children. 

Incredible Pizza – Packages starting at 14.99 per person. 

Dave & Busters – Food, games and fun make this a great spot for a birthday party. 

Jumping World – A trampoline party is always a great option to wear the kiddos out! The weekend packages start at $250 and include drinks and pizza for the party. 

Malco Theatres – Enjoy a movie with your friends and then time in the party room for treats and gifts. Room rental is $50 and then $12 per person which includes a drink and popcorn if you have the party before 3 pm. 10 guest minimum.  

Autobahn Speedway – Race on the indoor speedway for a fast paced birthday celebration. Packages start at $495 for 10 racers. 

Hopefully these kids birthday party venues in Memphis, TN and surrounding areas help you to plan the perfect party this year for your child! Check out this cool, no junk party favor idea too!

Have you had an awesome kids party in Memphis? Do you own a small business that offers parties for children? Let me know in the comments so I can add you to the list! 

Treat your kids to a day at the witch spa – a fun book accompaniment to the Boo-La-La Witch Spa Book. 

Book accompaniments are something that I have always seen on Pinterest but never actually done with my kids, until now. Another blogger that is in one of the social groups that I belong to posted the other day that her girls had been loving this book. 

So of course I had to get it and read it to my kids. My daughter and I love a good book, especially if it has to do with Halloween. 

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays. We like to make tons of no bake treats like these mummy snack cakes, pumpkin cupcakes and spooky ghost bagels.

After reading this book once, we knew that a Boo-La-La witch spa book activity was in order. It was a really easy and inexpensive way to bring the book to life and my 5 year old had tons of fun getting to participate in these witchy spa treatments. 

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Boo-La-La Witch Spa Book Activity 

The book is basically about a witch that is overworked and stressed after a busy Halloween night (sounds like a mama I know after a Monday). It is a really cute book with nice illustrations. 

We had lots of giggles and fun by acting out some of the fun experiences that the main character did during her spa day. 

Dollar Tree Supplies 

I spent about $5 getting the supplies for this Boo-La-La Witch Spa Book Activity from the Dollar Tree. It is awesome because you can find tons of stuff that you already have at home to make this witchy spa day more fun. 

Here is the list of things that I used. Some of these were bought & some we had already. 

• Black Nail Polish 
• Bag of Candy Corn
• A 4 pack of Pudding Cups
• Blue Hair Highlight Kit  
• A can of pumpkin
• Candles
• Makeup Brush 
• Plastic Spiders

Witch Spa Activities 

To start this boo-la-la witch spa book activity, we got our copy of the Boo-La-La Witch Spa. We decided to read through the book do our activities as the little witch in the book did them. Here are some ideas for things that we did. 

Set the Witchy Spa Mood

We lit candles to help us start to relax and give us some mood lighting. 

A Candy Bar

I set out a little dish of candy corn and pumpkins that we snacked on. 

Spa Activities

My daughter wore her witch costume from last Halloween for her day at the spa. But she also put on her bath robe to be a little more festive! 

Next we had some spooky tea (apple cider). 

A broom facial with a makeup brush. 

The pumpkin mask did not go over well. You know when you go to a cute Pinterest inspired birthday party and all of the food is named to go with the theme? Well, she is not eating anything that sounds weird. Same thing for this mask. She let me dab it on and then she wanted it off. And fast. 

We used the plastic spiders that I got at the Dollar Tree to do a head rub. 

A spooky sauna was created in our bathroom thanks to the help of shower steam. 

A yummy candy corn dessert was a nice way to break up our spa day. We used a vanilla pudding cup and candy corn. Even little brother joined in on this part!

I even found a highlight kit at Dollar Tree so she got some temporary highlights! (They washed right out)

Our last spa event was at our in home nail salon. I painted her nails black and we added silver glitter for the “Stars.” 

 

An easy set up cookie cereal sensory bin to encourage fine motor skill development and imaginative play to keep kids busy.

Sensory bins are such a fun way to engage with your children outside of traditional toys. 

My favorite types of sensory bins for toddlers are the grab and dump kind. You know, grab a few things, throw them in a bin and call it a sensory bin. That is pretty much how this cookie cereal sensory bin was born. 

A few simple items from the pantry and the kitchen is all the you need to get this activity ready for play. 

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Cookie Cereal Sensory Bin

“I hungee (hungry)” is a phrase that I sometimes feel like is said 3,000 times a day by my toddler. So this day was no different. He was walking around, shouting his favorite phrase.

He saw the cookie cereal in the pantry and wanted some for snack. I was about to get him a little cup of dry cereal when I had an idea.

I could combine play time and snack time in a fun sensory bin. Here is what I did for the cookie cereal sensory bin. It is so easy!

Cookie Cereal Baking Sensory Bin Materials

Cookie Shaped Cereal

Baby Spoon or Larger spoon depending on the child’s motor skills

Silicone Muffin Liner Or Paper Muffin cups 

Lid to Tupperware for a “baking sheet” 

Cookie Cutter 

Play Prompts for Cookie Cereal Sensory Bin 

Pretend Baking

My little guy is turning two in a few months, so his imagination is not developed like my 5 year olds. Nevertheless we still worked on some ideas to play pretend in order to help him develop those skills.

When I do this with younger kids, I just give them ideas about how to play pretend. Typically the child will them mimic your actions even if they can’t come up with it on their own. 

We pretended to make cookies. We placed cookie cereal on the lid to “bake” the cookies. We stirred the “cookie dough.” 

Scooping and Transferring 

Starting when your child is still a baby and all the way to elementary school you will hear about the importance of fine motor skills. 

Fine motor skills work to develop those little muscles in your child’s hands and fingers. This development will help them to do things along the way like write their name, feed themselves and manipulate buttons and zippers on their clothing. 

It is so important to develop these skills early on. Thankfully, you can do this through play so that your kiddo won’t even know they are “working.”

In order to work on these fine motor skills while playing with the cookie cereal baking sensory bin, we practice scooping and transferring the cereal. 

I encouraged my toddler to scoop cereal using a spoon and then to transfer that into a small bowl. We also picked cereal up using our fingers and placed it on the lid of the tupperware container that we were pretending was a baking sheet. 

Communication and Language

If you have read the post on sensory activities with low effort, you know that communicating with your baby is on the top of my priority list. 

Since my oldest was an infant, my husband has always commented about the way that I communicate with my children. I start talking to them like they are tiny little adults when they are babies. 

Now that doesn’t mean that I don’t adapt to their childhood needs. However, in general I just talk to them like they can understand even when they are infants. 

I detail out our day or activity as I am doing it. For example, while doing the dishes, I might say something like this:

“Right now Mommy is washing the dishes. I am rinsing the dishes with water. Now I scrub, scrub, scrub with soap and this white brush. Next, I will place these dishes into the dishwasher. Push the button to turn it on.”

I could go on but you get the point. I try to incorporate colors, shapes and other age appropriate details that they will need to start learning. This is a great way to start talking to your kids, regardless of their age. 

So this cookie cereal sensory bin is no different. I talked about the shape of the cereal, the texture, and the color. I gave directions for my child to try and follow and then asked him what he wanted to do with the activity. Mostly he wanted to eat! 

Tasting 

Sensory bins that are edible or taste safe are the best for young kids! My daughter literally never put anything that she shouldn’t in her mouth.

And my son makes me crazy daily by putting things in that don’t belong. 

It is funny how kids can be so different. Anyway, this cookie cereal baking sensory bin is perfectly taste safe. 

My toddler had a great time snacking on his baking creations throughout the play time. 

Big Kid Play

When my daughter came home from school, she saw our sensory bin activity on the counter and asked about it. 

I gave her a brief overview of what we did earlier in the day and put it on the table for her. She encouraged my toddler to engage in the sensory bin again. 

They played pretend. They scooped and transferred. Snacked. And then she “sold” lots of cookies to my husband and myself. It gave us a chance to pay her some pretend money and to go over the currency lesson that she has been learning at school.

We did all of this just by playing! 

Where to Play

For sensory bin activities that are not super messy, I like to set them up on the kitchen table or in my office. It is nice to be able to watch your child play but still be able to get something else done. 

I will often times get dinner started, clean the kitchen or get some computer work done while my child enjoys a sensory experience. 

It is easy to encourage, discuss and monitor the play time while knocking tasks off your to do list. 

Mess Meter

Overall, this activity should be a fairly low mess and easy cleanup. Just don’t follow my lead. I literally walked out of the room for 3o seconds. 

Why do the bad things always happen in the 10 seconds you are gone? I guess my baby didn’t want me missing out on all of this fun. 

He picked up the cookie cereal sensory bin, tripped and dumped the entire bin into the floor on his way to find me. 

At least it gave us some time to discuss the importance of picking up your messes! 

Other Fun Sensory Bin Activities:

Vegetable Soup Water Table Activity 

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Activity Bin