The Chaos and the Clutter

The Put Away Scavenger Hunt

boy in red shirt is delighted holding two chocolate bars

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Moms…you are going to love me after reading this! It’s so easy to do and costs nothing. No planning ahead required. The Put Away Scavenger Hunt is my go-to for turning grumpy days around. collage of photos of things being put back where they go. Text "the Put Away Scavenger Hunt"We have been doing put away scavenger hunts for at least a decade now and they never seem to get old. I usually just do them on an ordinary day with my own kids to change the mood, but I’ve also done them in place of an Easter Egg Hunt or as a birthday party game. It’s always a big hit.

Our family really enjoys scavenger hunts such as our photo scavenger hunt, sensory scavenger hunt, or Opposite Day scavenger hunt.

The Put Away Scavenger Hunt:

Supplies needed:

  • random items you already have around the house
  • a prize. This can be candy, a full Easter basket, party treat bags, or something like staying up an extra hour at bedtime or getting a free pass on chores.

How to play:

  1. To set things up, choose one item you will give your child to start with. In this example, it will be the spatulas. Set this item aside.
  2. In the place where this item should go, place another item that doesn’t belong there. (In this example, a fidget toy was in the drawer where the spatulas should be.) 
  3. Continue to do this with items around the house.
  4. In the place where the last item should go, put the prize.
  5. To play, hand your child (or children) the first item to put away. 
  6. When they discover something in that location that isn’t where it should be, have them put that away and so forth.
  7. In the last location, they will discover their prize.

collage of photos where one item in each picture is in the wrong place

To give you an idea of how this works, I’ve taken pictures of a sample Put Away Scavenger Hunt to walk you through.

  • spatulas handed to child
  • spatulas get put away in the kitchen drawer
  • fidget toy where spatulas should be
  • fidget toy put away in its place
  • keys where fidget toy should be
  • key ring put back on its hook
  • dishcloth where keys should be
  • dishcloth put in its drawer
  • decorative “R” shouldn’t be there
  • in the place where the “R” belongs, an expanding ball sits
  • expanding ball put where it goes
  • toilet paper discovered there

collage of photos of things where they don't belong

  • toilet paper put back in its cupboard
  • shoes discovered there
  • shoes replaced near shoe rack
  • decorative sailboat sits on the floor
  • sailboat replaced on dresser
  • remote control shouldn’t be there
  • remote placed back in the living room and some treats are discovered in its bowl!

boy in red shirt is delighted holding two chocolate barsPut Away Scavenger Hunt Tips:

  • For older kids, place items in a way that has them running all over. I put an item upstairs and the next one downstairs and the next outside and the next on the main floor and then next in the garage. That way, it’s more challenging, lasts longer, and gets in some exercise for them.
  • If you’re hiding large prizes like treat bags for a birthday party or Easter baskets, the dryer is a great place. Just put dryer balls in the second-last place and when the kids go put them away, they will find their prize. The garage is another area we’ve used to end the game if it was a larger prize. 
  • Add some humour. My kids think it’s hilarious if I put a pair of underwear in like a kitchen drawer or something. Be sure it’s clean underwear of course, but this always makes them roar with laughter!
  • Toothbrushes, books, kitchen utensils, photo frames, pencils, candles, and oven mitts all work great for this game. 
  • This scavenger hunt is a fantastic teaching tool as it helps kids learn where things belong and how to put things where they go. Think of this as a skills development activity for chores!
  • Kids can also participate in setting this up for siblings which helps with critical thinking as they plan ahead to which item will go where. 
  • Adult supervision should be used of course and your child’s age and abilities should be considered when you choose what to hide where.

Let me know how your family enjoy this. 

If you’re looking for similar activities, you can download our free printable Outdoor Scavenger Hunt. Just enter your email address below.

You may also be interested in:

Outdoor Sensory Scavenger Hunt

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Christmas Movie Bingo

green and white holiday bingo card

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Watching sappy, predictable holiday movies has long been a part of our Christmas traditions. Last year, we discovered that watching is even more fun if paired with Christmas Movie Bingo!red and white grid text reads "Christmas Movie Bingo FREE Printable Bingo Cards"My girls and I like to curl up in our pyjamas or our matching Christmas movie watching shirts in front of the TV. Add in some holiday baking or popcorn and hot chocolate and you have the recipe for a relaxing afternoon.

Those Hallmark Christmas movies can be a wee bit addictive! Often, before we know it, the whole day has slipped by.

The reason it’s so much more fun to watch with your bingo cards in hand is it makes the predictability of the movies even funnier. 

Hallmark Christmas Movie Bingo:

Supplies needed: 

Directions:

  1. Download and print out the bingo cards. 
  2. As you watch holiday movies, mark all the squares that apply.
  3. The winner is either the first person to fill five in a row OR you can just keep watching movies until you’re able to fill in every square on the cards.

So print off those bingo cards, pop some popcorn, get a mug of hot cocoa, and get ready to binge watch this season’s best!green and white holiday bingo card

Last year, my girls and I filled out all the squares on our cards.

That’s an awful lot of TV watching (!), but we sometimes made ornaments or iced cookies while we watched. One year, we rolled croquettes during the shows and the cheesy romance films were a great distraction for a tedious task. 

If you want to give prizes to the winner, you can choose holiday themed treats like candy canes or holiday baking. And instead of yelling out “Bingo”, you can choose a word more fitting to the theme like “Mistletoe”!

Sign up to receive your free Christmas Movie Bingo and you’ll also receive our email series 5 Secrets to Powerful Family Connection.

If you’re looking for other family holiday fun, you’ll want to check these out:

Christmas Minute to Win It Games

Christmas Printable Activities

Christmas Games for Kids

Stretchy Superhero Slime

hand presses into blue slime with coloured confetti in it

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This stretchy superhero slime is great for inspiring imagination. It can be used for sensory play or made as a party favour for a superhero themed birthday. child's hand presses down on blue slime. Text reads "Stretchy Superhero Slime"One of our daughters is a huge fan of all things superhero. She loves the Marvel and DC movies and comics. She is inspired by the thought of superpowers. We even had a DC themed birthday party for her last year.

hand pulling up blue slimeSo I guess it comes as no surprise that I’m talking about how to make superhero slime.

Superhero Slime Recipe:

Supplies needed:

Directions:

  1. Pour the blue glue into a medium-sized bowl.
  2. Use a fork to stir in 1/4 cup of warm water.
  3. Add 3 Tablespoons of liquid starch and stir well for 2 minutes.
  4. Test the slime. Add more water if too stiff, more liquid starch if it’s too sticky.
  5. Continue stirring until the slime forms into a ball, then knead for 2 minutes, adding more water or liquid starch as needed.
  6. Once the slime is stretchy and no longer sticky, knead in the superhero themed confetti.

collage of photos showing the process of making blue slime with added confettiAs kids play with their slime, they engage their visual, tactile, and proprioceptive sensory systems. Getting enough sensory input is important not only for brain development, but for emotional regulation. 

collage of photos of blue slime with confetti in itSlime can be stored in a resealable bag or airtight container when not being used.

As with any sensory play, adult supervision should be used both while making the slime and while interacting with it afterwards. Hands should be washed thoroughly after playing with this or any other slime.

Ideas for using this slime as a party favour:

hand presses into blue slime with coloured confetti in itAre you looking for other easy sensory play recipes to make at home? Join us for a five day email series on Sensory Activities and Solutions and get a free sample of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook.

Check out some of our other slime recipes:

Camo Slime

Unicorn Fluffy Slime

Textured Butter Slime

Lego Challenge for Kids

a pile of building blocks with some in a small bowl and printed instruction cards

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Lego offers so many learning opportunities. Playing with building blocks helps kids with math concepts, engineering, communication, as well as simpler things such as colours and shapes. Using Lego Challenge Cards is a great way to encourage this learning.building blocks scattered on the floor with a printed card. Text reads "LEGO Challenge Cards"Lego is something that I often incorporated in our homeschooling. Whether is was a tool for teaching how earthquakes work, practising letter recognition, including it in a sensory bottle, or just having the kids build and create with it while I read them their history lessons, it was a regular learning tool. We even occasionally had Lego shaped snacks!

My own kids’ enjoyment and learning thanks to creating with blocks is what led me to want to create this activity for other families to enjoy. These can be used as a boredom buster at home or to enhance skills in the classroom.

Lego Challenge Cards:

Supplies needed:

Directions:

  1. Download and print off the Lego Challenge Cards. 
  2. Cut them out.
  3. Kids can then follow the prompts on the cards to create things using the building blocks. collage of photos of building blocks and creations made with those blocks

I kept some of the cards open ended in order to inspire creativity. There are also ideas included to foster team work and communication and to encourage thinking outside the box.

Examples of some of the challenges:

  • Build a boat that floats.
  • Build your name in LEGO.
  • Build something blindfolded.
  • Build something in one minute.
  • Build something using 5 different sized LEGO.
  • Build a LEGO pizza.
  • Build a small tower and balance it on your head.
  • Build something by following the instructions of a partner.
  • Build something with just one hand.

There are a total of 24 challenge cards in this printable set. Each one is designed to keep kids engaged and thinking. green tower built of Lego with other coloured building blocks in the background

Learning Opportunities from using Lego Challenge Cards:

    • following instructions
    • reading comprehension
    • colours 
    • shapes
    • geometry
    • building
    • math
    • engineering concepts (balance, gravity, weight distribution)
    • fine motor
    • hand eye coordination
    • cooperation and communication (if playing with others)

a pile of building blocks with some in a small bowl and printed instruction cardsSign up to receive the complete set of LEGO Challenge Cards free and be entered in our 5 Secrets to Powerful Connection email series.

Check out some of our other LEGO themed activities:

LEGO Sensory Bottle

Earthquake Science Experiment

LEGO Letter Practise Activity

Opposite Day Ideas

clothes backwards, shoes on wrong feet, printed pages, and egg muffin breakfast

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Opposite Day or Backwards Day is a fun theme idea to do with your kids or in your school or classroom. I wanted to share with you ideas of activities, food, and even some hidden learning opportunities for your theme day.photos of shoes on wrong feet, clothes on backwards, bingo. Text reads "Opposite Day ideas"The official Opposite Day is January 25, but you can celebrate it just for fun any day you wish. Some people choose April 1st (April Fools Day) to celebrate.

My kids have loved our Backwards Days. In fact, sometimes when they were younger, if everyone was super grouchy, I would just declare it was Backwards Day and the mood immediately shifted.

There are so many silly things you can do. Even small changes like having spaghetti for breakfast and pancakes for supper is something kids find so fun.clothes backwards, shoes on wrong feet, printed pages, and egg muffin breakfast

Opposite Day Ideas:

  • Have supper for breakfast and breakfast for supper.
  • Wear your clothes inside out or backwards.
  • Wear your shoes on the opposite feet.
  • Put socks on your hands instead of your feet.
  • Wear pyjamas during the day and day clothes to bed.
  • Have an Opposite Day Scavenger Hunt.
  • Play Opposite Day Bingo.colourful Bingo and scavenger hunt sheets
  • Speak in opposites (“bad” for “good”, “yes” for “no”, etc.)
  • Eat dessert first.
  • Walk backwards.
  • Do everything with your non-dominant hand so lefties use their right hand and righties use their left hand. 
  • Write your name backwards.
  • Draw upside down.
  • Try a role reversal where the teacher gets to be the student for awhile the parent gets to be the child once in awhile. 
  • Sing song backwards.
  • Say the alphabet from Z to A.
  • Read a book backwards starting from the back to the front. 
  • Hang pictures or artwork upside down. 
  • Practise some mirror writing.
  • Call people by their last name first.
  • Any type of play backwards like backwards skipping, skating, or soccer.
  • Do an egg and spoon race or three-legged race but walking backwards.
  • Play backwards limbo (jump over the stick rather than going under).
  • Take pictures with the subject’s back to the camera.girl in pink hoodie and jeans facing away from the camera
  • Make upside down cupcakes with icing on the bottom. 
  • Place an ice cream scoop on a plate and a cone on top of that to create an upside down ice cream cone.
  • Make sandwiches with the bread or bun on the inside.
  • Talk about antonyms. 
  • Write a poem using antonyms.
  • Teach the kids palindromes. 
  • Sleep with your head at the foot of the bed.

I hope your kids or students enjoy the silliness of this day as much as my kids always have!

Find other fun theme day ideas to use in your home or school.

Check out some other fun games and activities for kids:

Minute to Win It Games

The Flour Game

The Bag Game

Basic Homemade Playdough Recipe

balls of playdough in 6 colours stacked on top of each other

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Homemade playdough is so much better than store bought. It’s softer, less crumbly, easier to play with, and it lasts far longer. Making your own is easier than you might expect. 6 different colours of playdough balls stacked on top of each other. Text reads "Homemade Playdough Recipe"When I was growing up, my mom made homemade playdough. For some reason, our playdough was always green. I’m not sure why she never made it another colour, but when I think of homemade playdough, a certain shade of green is what comes to mind!

My mom used a recipe she got from my Auntie Barb. When I became a mom myself,  I started with that same recipe. 

I’ve adapted it slightly, but this is essentially just a good old-fashioned homemade playdough recipe.

Of course, when I discovered that playdough could be made in the KitchenAid and I could avoid sore arms from all the stirring, I never went back to the stovetop method again. 

I’m including instructions for both the KitchenAid and stovetop methods below, but if you have a KitchenAid, that’s the method I recommend. 

<h2″>Basic Homemade Playdough Recipe using a KitchenAid:

Supplies needed:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 2 Tbsp. cream of tartar
  • 1 Tbsp. cooking oil
  • food gel or food colouring 
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • optional: glitter

Directions:

  1. Put dry ingredients (flour, salt, and cream of tartar) in the KitchenAid mixer. 
  2. Add the oil and food colour and begin mixing using the flat beater. 
  3. As it is mixing on the lowest setting, pour in the boiling water. 
  4. If you want to add glitter, add it at this point.
  5. Continue mixing until the playdough forms a ball and is the right texture.
  6. It is now ready to be played with. When not in use, store in a resealable bag or airtight container.collage of photos of child playing with playdough

Basic Homemade Playdough Stovetop Recipe: 

Supplies needed:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 2 Tbsp. cream of tartar
  • 1 Tbsp. cooking oil
  • food gel or food colouring 
  • 1 cup water
  • optional: glitter

Directions:

  1. Mix the dry ingredients together with the oil, food colour, and water in a pot on the stovetop.
  2. Stir over medium heat with a wooden spoon.
  3. Scrape the sides and bottom, stirring constantly.
  4. Keep stirring!
  5. Cook until the dough forms a ball.
  6. Remove from heat. 
  7. Place the dough on a piece of wax paper. 
  8. Knead. If you’re adding glitter, mix it in at this point.
  9. Allow to cool.
  10. When playdough isn’t being played with, store in an airtight container or resealable bag.

As with all sensory play activities, adult supervision should be used. Consuming large quantities of salt is dangerous for children so this playdough should not be eaten. balls of playdough in 6 colours stacked on top of each other

How to scent playdough:

There are several ways that you can add smell to playdough. You can add a few drops of essential oil, spices, or extracts. Scents are either alerting or calming, so you’ll want to choose a scent accordingly.

If you’re wanting to add it to a calm down kit, you’ll want to choose a calming scent whereas if you’re making playdough for a learning activity, you’ll want to add an alerting scent.

Essential oils to add:

Extracts to add:

  • vanilla
  • peppermint
  • almond
  • caramel
  • coconut

Spices to add:

Add only one type of scent to each batch of playdough. Be sure to be mindful of allergies. 

There are so many ways to play with playdough that go so far beyond play. Kids can work on their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, communication, shapes, colours, sensory input, and cognitive skills. child's hands press a dog bone shaped cookie cutter into blue playdough

Ways to play with playdough:

child's hands press a star shaped cookie cutter into purple playdoughGet an entire set of printable transportation alphabet playdough mats free by entering your email address below. You’ll also be signed up to receive our email series Sensory Activities and Solutions.