Play Ideas & Craft Inspiration
Welcome to a collection of playful, hands-on ideas for little ones — from a first birthday celebration to Easter keepsakes, a cosy learning corner and a baby's very first painting session. Browse the posts below for inspiration you can recreate at home.
Lilly Turns One: A Shabby Vintage Birthday Party
Lilly's birthday celebration took place last weekend, and it was a truly lovely day shared with the people who adore her most. Weeks of preparation went by without a hitch — until the day before, when the to-do list suddenly felt enormous! With plenty of help from our families, every detail came together just as I had pictured it.
Where Our Party Goodies Came From
- Birthday banner and pom poms — $2 shop
- Mini pegs for photos — Typo
- Cake — made at home
- Cake topper — Little Paper Stand on Madeit
- Framed quote — designed by me
- Play dough tubs — The Reject Shop
- ONE letters — Spotlight
- ONE bunting on the highchair — made by me
- ONE signature board — made by me
- Lilly's party dress — Upsy Bling
- Headband — Spotlight and Upsy Bling
Tap the image above to download the printable quote for your own party.
Easter Craft Ideas for Little Hands
This year is flying by — Easter is only days away! I got together with a friend this week for some cheerful Easter crafting. First up were tiny carrot magnets for Lilly's loved ones: we pressed little footprints in orange non-toxic paint, then cut green paper strips for the carrot tops. Once dry, a dab from the hot glue gun attached a magnet to the back. They turned out so sweet!
Next we painted two circles on cardboard — one white for a rabbit face and one yellow for a chick. White footprints became bunny ears, and yellow handprints became chicken wings. Isn't the rabbit just the cutest? Finally, we made a little rabbit with a matching carrot from footprints. These are heading off to Picture Products to be turned into a plate for Lilly's Easter Bunny carrots and snacks next year — it will be lovely to see how much her feet have grown by then! I was nervous about spoiling the plate, so Lilly helped me draw the carrot tops, though I think she was more interested in nibbling my hand.
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Lilly's Learning Corner
Some of you may know that I'm a primary school teacher. I taught Prep/Kindergarten for two years before falling pregnant with Lilly, and I always loved making a difference in little people's lives. Now that I'm a stay-at-home mum, I design and create teaching products sold through Little Lifelong Learners. It began as a hobby, but I'm thinking about taking the leap and turning it into my own small business soon!
I made some cute alphabet posters, shrunk and laminated them for the home office where I spend much of my day. Once they were up, we decided to create a little learning corner for Lilly, since she spends part of her day in here with me. After the posters went on the wall, we picked up some wooden learning toys at Ikea — Lilly adores the abacus and swipes the beads across with a big grin. At Kmart we found the white bookshelf and little baskets, which Lilly honestly enjoys more than what's inside them. They're great for sensory play.
One basket holds her board books and touchy-feely books — just the right size for her to reach in and grab what she wants. Read my Books for Babies post to see our current favourites. The next basket is our sensory play and exploration basket, filled with balls of different textures; Lilly loves picking them up and throwing them, so it's no surprise a few have already vanished!
Last but not least are my sensory play bottles. The first holds cooking oil and coloured water — when Lilly shakes it, the two mix and then separate again. It's more fun for me right now, but I'm sure she'll appreciate it soon. Another is simply coloured rice: pop rice in a zip-lock bag with food colouring and a splash of white vinegar, shake until dyed, then spread on cooking paper in the sun to dry. So easy and effective! The rest are rainbow shakers filled with bits from my craft cupboard — feathers, paddle pop sticks, beads, pebbles, pipe cleaners and coloured pasta. If you don't have a stash, grab supplies from the $2 or junk shop. Cheap and lots of fun!
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Lilly's First Painting Experience
As many of you know, I'm a big supporter of sensory play for little ones. A friend painted with her bubba, which inspired me to paint with Lilly too! I headed to the $2 shop for bright, non-toxic paint (just in case) and some canvases. Back home, I laid an old sheet on the floor and dabbed paint onto the canvas, then wrapped it in cling wrap and set Lilly down for some painting fun. She loved smooshing the paint with her feet and fingers — though I think Mumma had even more fun! It's a lovely little craft activity, and the finished canvas now sits proudly in her learning nook.
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About Me
My name is Casey and I'm a new mumma to a gorgeous little girl named Lilly. This blog follows my journey into motherhood.
