Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

8 Snooze-Proof Birthday Ideas That’ll Blow Your Kid’s Mind

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8 Snooze-Proof Birthday Ideas That’ll Blow Your Kid’s Mind
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Kids look forward to their birthday all year long, which can make it hard for the big day to actually live up to the hype. Finding quality kids birthday party entertainment is the key to making your child’s next party a hit. To help you plan an epic event, we’ve rounded up eight snooze-proof birthday party ideas that are sure to entertain and delight your child and their friends.

1. Medieval Times

Medieval times
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Medieval Times is a popular option for kids’ birthday party entertainment, but you may not live near one of their locations. If you can’t make it there, you can put on your own rendition in the backyard. You can find inflatable jousting games and foam swords and shields online, which provide hours of fun. Renting a pony will make your little one feel like a real knight and only costs about $300 for one hour. If that isn’t in the budget, set up medieval games instead like apple bobbing or Nine Men’s Morris, an ancient strategy game. 

2. Trampoline Park

Trampoline park
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Trampoline parks have been a huge hit with kids over the past few years. Most medium and large cities have facilities that you can rent for your child’s next party. Bouncing entertains little ones for hours and helps them burn off excess energy. But if you don’t have a trampoline park nearby, renting a bounce house is a great alternative. It provides a similar experience in the comfort of your own backyard. 

3. Science Museum

Sience museum
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If your child is curious and inquisitive, they may enjoy going to the local science museum for their birthday. Planetariums and children’s science centers usually offer birthday packages that provide an unforgettable experience. You may get private access to the interactive exhibits or undivided attention from a docent, helping enhance your museum visit. 

Unfortunately, some towns don’t have science museums. If there isn’t one nearby, you could help birthday guests learn about science by doing some experiments, such as building and launching a model rocket. 

4. Amusement Park

Amusement Park
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Kids love rollercoasters, so it’s no surprise that amusement parks are a popular option for kids’ birthday party entertainment. Admission can be pricey, but luckily many theme and water parks (such as Cedar Point) offer discounted group tickets or birthday packages. Discount sites like Groupon and warehouse stores like Sam’s Club also sell discounted tickets. However, if a theme park isn’t in the budget, you may be able to find a local carnival or festival that offers more affordable admission without skimping on games, rides, or fun! 

5. Host a British Tea Party

English tea party
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If your child doesn’t enjoy thrilling rides, they may prefer the slower pace of a British tea party. It’s easy to host afternoon tea at home on a budget. If you don’t have any china, you can usually find pretty ceramic plates and cups at the thrift store. Even if you aren’t much of a baker, British treats like finger sandwiches and scones are easy to make. You can also find English snacks like Jaffa cakes and Walkers crisps in the international aisle of many grocery stores. 

For games, consider purchasing a children’s croquet set or play tea bag toss. You can also research fun facts about tea and create a fun trivia game. 

6. Aquarium or Zoo

Zoo or aquarium
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Kids of all ages love going to the aquarium or zoo to learn about and marvel at all the animals. Aquariums and zoos almost always have event rental space for children’s birthday parties. These packages include admission so your whole group can get in and see the exhibits. If you don’t live near a zoo, you may be able to find a local farm with a petting area. 

7. The Circus

Circus
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The circus is a classic choice for kids’ birthday party entertainment. You can find tickets on StubHub or Ticketmaster. However, if the circus doesn’t come to your town, it’s easy to throw a similar event at your home by booking local entertainers. You can find skilled clowns, magicians, and face painters on sites like GigSalad or Bark.com. You could even dress up as a clown yourself to save money! 

8. A Car Show

Car Show
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A car show is a low-cost kids birthday party entertainment option for little boys who love classic rides. Major car shows are special events that only happen once or twice a year in specific locations, so you might have to travel to get there. However, your local group of car enthusiasts may have smaller, more frequent meetups. 

Reach out and see if they’d be open to sharing their love of cars with a group of youngsters. Since these events are often hosted in parking lots, ask if you can bring some foldable tables and chairs and set up a little picnic.

What are your favorite children’s birthday party ideas? Let us know in the comments!

9 Surprisingly Simple DIY Crafts to Keep Your Kids Entertained for Hours

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9 Surprisingly Simple DIY Crafts to Keep Your Kids Entertained for Hours
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Finding affordable DIY kids’ crafts that will actually keep your kids entertained can be a challenge. If you want to encourage your kids to put down their devices and get creative, check out our list of 9 simple art projects below. These DIY kids’ crafts don’t require tons of materials or an art degree to pull off. And even though they’re shockingly simple, they have a big payoff, giving your kids hours of amusement or a new toy to enjoy. 

Easy DIY Kids Crafts 

1. Homemade Playdough 

Homemade Playdough
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Do you know that you can make homemade playdough out of common pantry staples? This easy recipe uses flour, salt, cream of tartar, water, and vegetable oil to form a basic dough. Then you can mix in a few drops of food coloring to create vibrant colors. 

if you store it in an airtight container, it will stay soft and pliable for up to three months. Although your kids can simply shape the dough with their hands, they may enjoy using a set of mini cookie cutters to take their creations to the next level. 

2. Sock Puppet 

Sock Puppet
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Making a sock puppet is still one of the most popular DIY kids’ crafts because it’s cheap, easy, and fun. All you need are a couple of pairs of clean socks, scissors, hot glue, and a multicolor pack of felt. Googly eyes and yarn are also welcome additions if you have them! 

But even with basic supplies, you can create some super cute creatures, like a dragon with scales or a dog with floppy felt ears. If you have a cardboard box lying around, you can use it to create a puppet theater so your kids can put on a show.

3. Tissue Paper Pom Poms 

Tissue Paper Pom Poms
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One of the best DIY kids’ crafts for little girls is these tissue paper pom poms. Your daughter will have a blast pretending to be a cheerleader with her very own set of colorful pom poms. All you need to make them is a pair of scissors, some tape, and colorful tissue paper. 

Simply help your child fold a few pieces of tissue paper in half. Then cut the sheets into thin strips, being careful to stop a few centimeters from the fold. Divide each sheet in two by cutting along the fold, and roll up all your sheets into one conical pom pom, securing the bottom with tape. This is a great way to use up leftover tissue paper from the holidays instead of throwing it in the trash. 

4. Windsock 

Windsock
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Get your kids involved in decorating the porch by making windsocks together. This project is simple—all you have to do is form a piece of construction paper into a cylinder and tape it together. Then attach some strips of tissue or crepe paper to the bottom, which will blow in the breeze. 

To hang it, you can fashion a hook out of a piece of string. Your kids can embellish the construction paper using markers, stickers, or glitter to further customize their windsock.

5. Junk Journal

Junk Journals are eco-friendly DIY kids crafts
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One of the best DIY kids crafts for children and adults alike is junk journaling. This activity involves making collages out of recycled or found materials instead of using expensive scrapbooking paper. 

First, you’ll need to start saving random scraps of paper, such as receipts, food packaging, junk mail, ticket stubs, or even your child’s homework. You can also collect and dry natural materials from outside like leaves and flowers. Craft odds and ends such as ribbons and buttons can also be fun additions to a junk journal. 

Then all you have to do is help your kids arrange and paste the items you’ve collected on blank journal pages. You can also add hand-drawn text and illustrations to enhance your recycled collages. 

6. Paper Mache Hot Air Balloon

Paper Mache Hot Air Balloons are interactive DIY kids crafts
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There are few crafts as easy as paper mache. What’s best is you don’t need any wacky supplies, just watered-down glue, strips of newspaper, and something to use as a form. Martha Stewert did a fun DIY for a paper mache hot air balloon. While her instructions are for a purely decorative balloon, there are also plans available for a functional, flying hot air balloon using a small tealight. 

7. Newspaper Origami 

Newspaper Origami
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Origami is a very fun DIY craft for kids, but some younger children who are still developing motor skills may have trouble folding very small pages. This is why we recommend using bigger sheets of newspaper for origami. Plus, you probably have some old newspaper lying around, making this activity budget-friendly. There are many tutorials online to teach you how to make a variety of projects, including newspaper cranes, hats, functional garbage bins, and more. 

8. Cardboard Boomerang

Cardboard Boomerangs are educational DIY kids crafts
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Boomerangs provide endless fun and a great excuse to get outside. While there are plenty of options for sale, did you know you and your kids can make boomerangs at home? Whether you use paper, cardboard, foam, or wood, there are plenty of options and designs available for free on WikiHow. This craft is also educational, offering you an opportunity to teach your kids about aerodynamics and how a plane’s wings work. 

9. Sidewalk Paint

Sidewalk Paint is one of the best DIY kids crafts
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If you’re looking for DIY kids’ crafts that don’t require lots of supplies, check out this sidewalk paint recipe. It uses just two common household ingredients: cornstarch and food coloring. You’ll also need some water to thin the cornstarch slurry into a spreadable paint. We appreciate that this paint recipe is nontoxic and provides hours of outdoor fun for kids of all ages!

What are your favorite DIY kids’ crafts? Share your ideas in the comments! 

Insurance While Traveling Abroad

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You are all ready for your European vacation. You have packed your passport, clothing, snacks for the plane ride, and games for the kids. You may have forgotten something important, though. Did you remember to pack your insurance?

Before traveling outside of the United States, it is important to check your insurance policies to make sure you are covered for any unforeseen accidents or injuries.

Health Insurance

Nobody wants to get hurt or ill on vacation. Unfortunately, accidents do happen, and exposure to unfamiliar foods or environments can lead to illness. A trip to a foreign doctor, dentist, or hospital can be very expensive. Many health insurance policies, including Medicare, do not cover medical treatment outside of the United States. Make sure to check your insurance policy before you travel. If it does not cover you outside the country, consider purchasing a separate travel insurance policy that covers emergency medical treatment and medical evacuation so you can return home to recover after an accident.

Auto Insurance

Most automobile insurance policies cover policyholders as a driver or passenger in any automobile, even rental cars, within the United States. Some policies also cover travel to Mexico and Canada, but it is likely that you will not be covered in other countries. As any injury lawyer will tell you, even a minor accident can lead to  significant liability claims. You may need to opt for the liability insurance coverage offered by the rental car agency if you are renting a car in a foreign country. To supplement that, look into a personal umbrella policy. Umbrella policies cover you for any losses over and above those covered by other insurance, so you may be able to opt for a less expensive option from the rental car agency if you have umbrella coverage. Always check with your insurance agent to make sure the umbrella policy covers you in the areas you are planning to travel.

Travel Insurance

Chances are, you have purchased non-refundable airline tickets, or placed non-refundable deposits on hotels for your trip. If an unexpected event delays your trip or forces you to cancel altogether, a travel insurance policy can reimburse you for those losses. Travel insurance policies may also cover lost luggage, meals, travel inconvenience if you miss part, but not all, of your trip,  and may also cover emergency medical treatment. Most travel insurance policies are relatively inexpensive, but can save you thousands of dollars. Just make sure you do some research and choose a reputable insurer. Read the policy benefits and limitations before you purchase so you understand exactly what you are getting before you have to make a claim.

Weekend Family Fun On A Budget

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Weekend family trips and activities can be really expensive depending on your choice of activities and places you are visiting. However, this is necessarily always the case. Here is a list of fun things to do on the weekend that won’t break the budget:

1.   Visit The Planetarium

If you are lucky to live close by, a visit to the planetarium can be a lot of fun for the whole family and tickets gaining access are not very expensive. A trip to the planetarium for a family of four can easily cost under $100. You can bring along snacks and the kids will be blown away by the show! It is also very informative and can spark creative ideas for the kids when they get home to build toy rockets out of a toy? blocks or create their own universes with cardboard, glitter, paint, and glue.

2.   Breakfast Buffet

With a little bit of research, you can find an affordable buffet in the area with enough food to satiate anyone’s appetite. It’s a lovely Sunday morning outing and at least you won’t need to worry about cooking. Try to get there around 10.30/11am and the only meal you will need to prepare later will be dinner. Usually, the breakfast menu is cheaper than lunch or dinnertime menus.

If you feel the breakfast didn’t provide enough healthy nutrients you can always keep supplements or vitamins in your bag and give it to the family at the table. Research Verified reviews like this will guide you to the most potent strength products for your family with the highest level of nutritional benefit.

3.   Hit The Beach

On a hot day or even mild-weather temperatures can call for visits to the beach. The sand, in essence, is a giant sandpit and your children will have hours of fun. It doesn’t cost you anything to relax by the beach. Just bring a bag with towels, spades and buckets, a good book, some sandwiches, mineral water and wet wipes.

If you live in a city without a beach visit the local public swimming pool for a relaxed afternoon with your kids in the water. Bring along hot dogs and juice and just remind your kids not to swim straight after eating.

4.   Series-Binge

Get the popcorn ready and begin a new series together that is family friendly (obviously no Game Of Thrones type series). Fun series to watch together are ‘Glow’ or ‘Grimm’ (if your kids are 16 plus), Marvel-inspired series like ‘Iron Fist’ and ‘Defenders’. This is a great activity that is fun to do but only once in a while. (The series mentioned can all be found on Netflix)

5.   Go Camping

Pack the tents and get ready to rough it out in the wild. Go to a safe camping site, possibly near a river for rafting and have fun in the wild. Make it a no-tech zone and put yours and your family’s cell phones away. Enjoy the peace and it will do a world of good for your children.

6.   Bake Day

Have fun exploring a new recipe together and get the whole family in on baking new delicious delights. They can take these baked goods during the week to eat at school and can be proud when they tell their friends that they helped make them. It’s also a great activity as it teaches them new skills.

7.   Paint Clothes

This is a super fun activity where the whole family gets to be creative and express their unique individuality. All you need are some clothes, a paper towel, a cup of water, the newspaper, fabric paint and you are good to go!

So there you go. You need not stress about weekends that could cost an arm and a leg. With enough careful planning, weekends can be an event that the whole family looks forward to. With so many inexpensive things to do in the city and at home there is no limit to the choices you and your family can have! Go have fun together!

How Kids Make Millions On Youtube: The Kan and Aki Youtube Channel Income Report

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kan and aki youtube channel incomeEver click on a video with millions of views and wonder how much money that channel is making? Many people, like Justin Beiber, have even risen to celebrity status as a result of Youtube. Others haven’t walked the red carpet but are still raking in millions from their videos. Even kids. That’s why today we’re going to look at a great example: The Kan and Aki Youtube channel income report.

Kids & Youtube: The Kan and Aki Youtube channel income summary

Who are Kan and Aki?

Since social media has spread to every corner of the world, it means new celebrities are popping up all over the grid. Take Japan, for example. Two young sisters named Kan and Aki have starred in more than 730 videos since 2010. The Japanese children jump around, dance, sing along to lively music, and dress in fun costumes along with their other two siblings. Most notably, however, the two sit at a table and open toys to describe and review.

Recommended Reading: “The Best Way to Raise Money-Savvy Kids”

This has become one of the more popular ideas since tablets and phones enable children to watch more Youtube. For whatever reason, kids love watching people open new toys and showcase them one at a time. Like Christmas all year long – except they keep none of it. My own two kids lock their eyes on the screen when they see a video that unveils a new toy.

For Kan and Aki’s family, these popular videos have generated some serious cash. Let’s break down how that works on Youtube.

How to Make Money On Youtube

Your most precious commodity on Youtube is views. Not only is your message reaching more people, but you’re getting paid for it. According to Investopedia, once users sign up for AdSense on their account, they earn an average of $7.60 per 1,000 views as of 2013. For example, earning several hundred views for your review of LuLaRoe leggings might earn you $5 in ad revenue. Taylor Swift’s music video “Shake It Off” has over two billion views and has earned at least $17 million.

Other ways to monetize your Youtube channel are:

  • Affiliate income
  • Sponsored reviews
  • Selling your own products
  • Marketing your own services

Now, let’s take a closer look at Kan and Aki’s channel to find out how they’ve done financially. It will be impossible for me to calculate exactly what they’ve earned since I don’t know if companies have sponsored them to review their products (it’s likely). We’ll just speculate their ad revenue.

This Kan and Aki Youtube channel income report shows statistics as of July 2017:

  • Subscribers: 1,665,621
  • Uploaded Videos: 731
  • Total Views: 3,813,037,956

Out of curiosity, I calculated how much money nearly four billion views would earn. According the average, that’s $28,978,800 in seven years.

Not bad for kids.

Or anyone, for that matter.

Want to see an example from the Kan and Aki Youtube channel? This video of Kan and Aki reviewing a cooking set for kids currently has been viewed more than 121 million times:

It’s interesting to take a look at families like this who have such a unique income stream, but most kids don’t earn back their cost of living. Therefore, we put together a list of 35 ways for parents to save money. Be sure to check that out before you go!

What are your thoughts on kids making money on Youtube? Would you ever let your children create videos someday? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Are you a stay-at-home mom? Make sure you bookmark or pin some of these resources for later!

Free Comic Book Day this Saturday

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Free comic book dayI have mentioned in previous posts that I have been a life long comic book fan.  My cousin introduced them to me when I was in 3rd grade or so and it blossomed into I cherish.  It taught me to love reading and worked my imagination to it’s fullest.

Every year, the comic book industry puts on a special event called Free Comic Book Day.  Most comic stores participate.  This one time every year the comic stores can purchase a specific selection of comic books for very cheap (pennies on the dollar) as long as they give them away for free on free comic book day.  Comic stores typically have events surrounding the day with other giveaways going away and comic creators showing up to sign books and meet their fans.   This year, Free Comic Book Day is this coming Saturday (May 7, 2011).

How to find stores participating in Free Comic Book Day

It’s a great event for families looking for something cheap and different.   If you aren’t sure where the closest comic book store is, use the Comic Book Store Locator Service to see if there is one near you that is participating in this event.  If you can find a store close by, take the kids, have some fun, introduce them to the wonderful, creative world of comic books for Free!

You can read more about it at FreeComicBookDay.com

Do you read comic books? Have you gone to a Free Comic Book Day event in the past?

Get a Free Movie from Amazon on Demand

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Amazon has a new On Demand serviceNetflix has the majority of the market when it comes to movies on demand but Amazon wants to change that. They know that if they are going to take customers away from Netflix, they are going to need to make it easy for you to try them out and that is exactly what they have done. New customers of Amazon on Demand get to start out with a $5.oo credit which will allow you to get more than 1 free movie streamed directly to your PC. Most movies cost $0.99 with new releases at $2.99 so $5.00 will get you a nice bit of entertainment at no cost.

With Amazon on Demand, you can watch a movie on your computer without having to download any special software. Just like iTunes and Netflix they offer both movies and TV shows. With the huge economic power of Amazon behind the service they have a great selection so give them a try. New customers can get a free movie at Amazon on Demand by going to the Amazon on Demand New Customer page.

Have you tried Amazon on Demand? What do you think of it?