Helping Kids Understand Their Emotions: The Power of Journaling

Understanding and expressing emotions can be a challenge for anyone — but for children, it’s often like learning a new language. They may feel big emotions like anger, sadness, fear, or excitement, but lack the vocabulary or confidence to talk about them. That’s where journaling comes in. A simple, age-appropriate journal can be a powerful tool to help children explore, understand, and regulate their emotions in a healthy way.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. See my Disclaimer page for more info. Thanks!

Why Emotions Matter

Emotions are at the heart of how we experience the world. For children, learning how to recognize and name their feelings is an essential part of emotional intelligence — a skill that influences everything from friendships to learning to resilience. When kids don't understand their emotions, they can become overwhelmed, anxious, or act out in frustration.

Helping children identify what they feel and why they feel it sets a strong foundation for empathy, self-awareness, and effective communication.

What Is a Feelings Journal?

A feelings journal is a dedicated space — whether it’s a notebook, a printable worksheet, or a digital app — where kids can write or draw about what they’re experiencing. It's a nonjudgmental outlet where they can reflect, process, and begin to understand the many emotions that come with growing up.

For younger kids, this might include:

• Drawing pictures of how they feel

• Using emojis or stickers to label moods

• Completing sentence starters like “Today I felt ___ because ___”

Older kids might write more detailed entries or answer guided prompts such as:

• “What happened today that made you feel proud?”

• “What’s something that made you feel nervous recently?”

• “If your feelings were a weather forecast, what would they be today?”

Benefits of Journaling for Children

1. Emotional Awareness
   Journaling encourages kids to pause and think about what they're feeling. This reflection helps them better understand their emotional patterns over time.

2. Stress Relief
   Writing or drawing can be a calming activity, especially during emotionally intense moments. Journaling gives kids a sense of control and helps reduce anxiety.

3. Problem Solving
   By reflecting on their experiences, children begin to see solutions or understand situations in new ways. Writing it down can help untangle thoughts and find perspective.

4. Communication Skills
   Journaling helps children find the words for their emotions, making it easier to talk to parents, teachers, or friends about how they feel.

5. Building a Healthy Habit
   Creating a daily or weekly journaling routine can become a lifelong tool for emotional wellness.

How to Get Started

• Choose the Right Format: Let your child pick a journal that excites them — whether it’s a notebook with their favorite characters, an emotions journal for kids, a journal that focuses on gratitude, a guided prompt journal or a simple 5 minute daily reflection journal. Some kids may prefer apps or voice memos instead of traditional writing.

• Create a Safe Space: Make sure your child knows their journal is private (unless they want to share). Feeling safe is crucial for honest self-expression.

• Set the Mood: Journaling works best when it's a low-pressure activity. Encourage your child to write whenever they feel like it, or suggest a gentle routine (like before bed).

• Use Prompts: If they’re unsure where to start, offer fun and reflective prompts like:

  • “What color was your day today, and why?”

  • “Who made you feel happy today?”

  • “What would you change about today if you could?”

• Model the Behavior: Journaling isn’t just for kids. If your child sees you reflecting or writing down your own thoughts, they’ll understand that it’s a healthy and normal habit.

Emotions Journal via Amazon

Helping children process their emotions doesn’t mean shielding them from tough feelings — it means giving them tools to navigate those feelings with confidence and care. A feelings journal is a gentle, powerful way to help kids understand that all emotions are valid, temporary, and worth exploring.

By offering this small but meaningful practice, we empower kids to be emotionally strong, self-aware, and better prepared for life’s ups and downs.

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Want to get started? Download a free printable feelings journal template or explore age-appropriate journals designed for emotional growth. Let’s give kids the space they need to feel, reflect, and thrive.

via: Amazon

10 Family-Friendly Movies To Watch on Amazon Video This Summer

Summertime is a great time to let the kids stay up a little later making for the perfect family movie nights! Winding down the day after lots of time outside can be challenging except when everyone is looking forward to a little time together watching a movie.

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information please see my Disclaimer page. Thanks!

Movie Snacks & Drinks

Besides the fun of watching a movie, movie snacks, and drinks are also a must-have for family movie night! Popcorn is our #1 favorite family snack, but on a special family movie night, I like to grab a few boxes of candy just like you can get at the movie theater to share. 

These are our family's go-do choices for boxed candy:

• Mike & Ike
• Milk Duds
• Peanut M&M's
• Dots

Speaking of popcorn, check out my favorite popcorn recipes here:  

• World's Best Caramel Corn 
• Kettle Corn
• Gourmet Chocolate Popcorn

You will definitely want to make a batch or two before movie night - everyone will LOVE it!

Picking The Right Family Movie

Picking the right movie to watch that everyone will enjoy can be tricky! Our family has a 9-year age gap between our youngest and oldest which can make it hard to find a movie to watch all together. 

Today I'm going to share with you a list of 10 Family-Friendly movies you can stream directly from Amazon Prime Video. Most movies are free to stream however sometimes you have to pay a small rental fee to watch. Our family really enjoys the benefits of having Amazon Prime which includes Amazon Video. If you aren't a member yet you can sign up for a free 30-day trial to give it a try.

10 Family-Friendly Movies on Amazon Prime Video

G-rated movies your family will enjoy

1- MAYA THE BEE

A cute story about a little bee, Maya who chooses to go her own way and make friends with other bugs even though she has been warned not to trust other bugs. A fun, action-packed animated movie with a useful lesson for everyone to remember.

2 -  FREE WILLY

A heartwarming adventure between a troubled boy and an orca whale. Definitely, a movie everyone will enjoy watching on family movie night!

3 - THE SECRET GARDEN

This movie, based on the classic story about a little orphan girl who goes to live with her uncle in a forbidding English manor home, will soon become a family favorite. 

4 - BOLD EAGLES

Keeping the Eagles safe is a full-time job in Eagle Park especially when so many have gone missing suddenly. Eagle Park police are tasked with solving the mystery of the missing animals!

5 - BABE

This movie is about an eccentric little pig, raised by dogs to be a champion sheep herder. Full of adventure and action.

PG Rated Family Movies

6 - THE ADVENTURE OF MICKEY MATSON AND THE COPPERHEAD TREASURE

Unraveling a series of clues left behind by his grandfather, Mickey Matson, and his friends embark on a search of a mythical ancient device. The future of the country hanging in the balance, they must outrun an evil conspiracy that dates back to the Civil War.

7 - THE IRON GIANT

A young boy rescues a huge robot that has rocketed to Earth from space and tries to protect this friendly giant from a nosey government agent. 

8 - PADDINGTON

This movie had my family in stitches laughing throughout the entire film! Based on the beloved children's books, Paddington a young bear finds himself in a series of comic misadventures while trying to avoid a museum taxidermist. (Bonus - there is a second Paddington movie that is just as funny as the first!!)

9 - THE MIRACLE SEASON

Inspired by true-life drama, one girl leads her team and town to victory

10 - CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG

If you read these books to your children you know how a little red puppy grows into an enormous red dog. Follow along with Emily Elizabeth and Clifford, her big red dog through their many fun and exciting adventures. 

Tonight is the perfect night for a family movie night! Gather up your favorite throw blankets, pillows, and snacks, and get ready for a fun night chilling out together. 

What are some of your family's favorite movies? I am always looking for new flicks to add to our watchlist - please share your favorites in the comments!

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Amazing & Fun Science Experiments For Kids To Do This Summer

Are you looking for ways to get your kids excited about science? Sometimes all you need is a little extra help and a few amazing and fun experiments. 

One of the easiest, low-prep ways to accomplish this is by implementing your science lessons with a monthly science kit. These monthly kits contain ALL of the supplies and instructions so you don't have to do any special shopping or prepping beforehand. 

Disclosure: I am an affiliate for the Generation Genius science subscription kit and recently they sent me a kit to try out in our homeschool. Today I'm going to share with you what my 10-year-old 4th grader learned, what experiments he did, and his overall like/dislike of this kit. I did not receive any compensation, besides a free kit, and all opinions are mine.

MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION BOXES WE HAVE TRIED IN THE PAST:

We have tried many different subscription kits over the years in our homeschool. In many cases, the kits have been a great addition to our school days by adding a little excitement or newness to our daily routine. There have been some monthly kits we really loved and some that were just OK. Here is a list of the kits we have used so far:

• Kiwi Co - Kiwi Crate
• Kiwi Co - Doodle Crate
• Kiwi Co - Tinker Crate
• Kiwi Co - Maker Crate
• Kiwi Co - Eureka Crate
• Let's Make Art - Watercolor Painting
• Let's Make Art - Mixed Media
• Annie's Kit Club - Young Woodworkers Kit
• Raddish Kids Cooking Kit

Whew, that's a lot of kits! 

When the Generation Genius kit arrived I let my 10-year-old 4th grade son take a crack at it! I have to admit that at first, he was not very excited about a science kit because he thought it would be "baby-ish" and boring. Even though these were his initial feelings he still decided to open up the box and try it. 

After opening the box we found three separate and sealed individual experiments inside. Each experiment comes nicely labeled and ready to be used with all the supplies you need (except for tap water). 

Since my son is only 10 years old and still needs some help and adult supervision I fully expected to work on the kit alongside him. We pulled out experiment #1, cut open the bag, and got started. 

GETTING STARTED WITH THE GENERATION GENIUS SCIENCE KIT

I expected to find an instruction sheet inside the first bag like other kits we've done but there wasn't anything like that in the kit. After searching the rest of the box and its contents and not finding any instruction sheets I decided to check out the kit website to look for instructions. After a few minutes of searching, I discovered that instead of printed-out instructions Generation Genius uses video instructions taught by Dr. Jeff. 

After getting the video ready to play for experiment #1 my son was well on his way with the first experiment. 

Here are my thoughts on the Generation Genius Science Kit instruction video:

• The video is a professional production that thoroughly explains the kit contents in detail and at an age-appropriate level. 
• Dr. Jeff has a great teaching personality and does not "talk down" to his audience. He presents the scientific objectives of the experiment using real scientific terms and explains how the experiment student will see this lesson happen when they use the kit.
• The video has automatic pauses built in so that students can stay on track and follow along with the instructions at a reasonable pace. The experiments are meant to be done while the student watches the video 

Get your kit today!

GENERATION GENIUS SCIENCE KIT EXPERIMENTS

As I mentioned before, each box comes with three full experiments! The three experiments in our kit were:

1 - Liquid Worms

2 - Light Painting

3 - The Countdown Reaction

Without explaining all the scientific details each experiment taught - I'll leave that to Dr. Jeff, I think telling you what my son and I thought about each one would be more helpful if you are looking for an educational science kit. I will just highlight a few things for each experiment as well as give you my son's rating of the experiment on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 stars being the best.

LIQUID WORMS EXPERIMENT

This kit comes with this large, amazing, almost indestructible "splat" mat to keep any spills and messes contained and to protect the surface, a.k.a the kitchen table, from any potential harm. As a mom, this little detail within the kit was so very much appreciated! Honestly, none of the other types of kits we have tried had one of these protective mats included (bonus points for Generation Genius!!)

At this point, my son was still very skeptical at this point but willing to do the first experiment. This first experiment includes two different activities to try. In the first activity, the student created liquid art and in the second activity, the student made liquid worms.

The science lessons from this experiment were to see how a chemical reaction between two natural resources can form new synthetic materials as well as learn what viscosity is. One of the chemicals used in this kit was sodium alginate. This is a thick liquid chemical that actually comes from seaweed, a fact my son thought was so cool! The second chemical is calcium lactate gluconate which is found in calcium vitamins.

My skeptical student tried both activities and to our surprise, this experiment blew our minds! As the saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words", and I think from this picture you can see how amazed and excited my little guy was with the liquid worms. 

Pros of this experiment:

• unique - introduced something new!
• comes with all supplies you need
• has plenty of supplies to repeat this experiment over and over
• allows the child to use their imagination 
• splat mat keeps everything clean
• rubber gloves & safety goggles that are kid size
• included 2 activities
• the video explains real-world uses for the chemicals used

Cons:

• fairly messy (again, the splat mat is awesome)
• the liquid worms get discarded when you are all done (this is my son's only disappointment)

LIGHT PAINTING EXPERIMENT

On to the second experiment which was light painting. This experiment allowed my son to learn about light and how ultraviolet light differs from other light like red and green light. Inside the experiment bag, there were three different colored lights, two sheets of special paper, and a spinning wheel covered in a special paper. 

This experiment requires your student to be in a dark room which for us is our pantry. After watching the video and then testing which of the three lights, red, green, or ultraviolet worked best on the special paper my son was ready to create his own designs with the UV light in our dark pantry. 

We taped both pieces of special paper to a wall in our pantry where he spent the next hour (yes, a full hour!) experimenting! He even cut out different shapes from a piece of paper, taped it to the special paper, and then used the UV light around the shape to create different prints. This experiment really encouraged him to use his imagination!

The second activity included a spinning disk covered in the special paper that when spun created amazing spiral patterns when the ultraviolet light tip was touched to the paper. 

Pros of this experiment:

• student can do this experiment over and over!
• good quality equipment is provided in the kit
• an engaging video that explained the differences in light in an easy-to-understand way
• allowed for imaginative discovery
• no mess at all

Cons:

• the special paper provided in the kit was small (8.5" x 11") - it would have been nice to have a larger size piece of paper to use
• once the student "drew" on the paper it took quite a while for the light image to fade

CHEMICAL CLOCK REACTIONS

The last experiment from this kit was the iodine chemical reaction countdown. 

The chemicals used:

• puffed starch 
• sodium iodide
• hydrogen peroxide
• vitamin c pellet
• destain

By the time my son got to this third experiment, he was a total fan of the Generation Genius science kit! Because this kit included chemicals (like the worm kit) he knew it was going to be cool before he even started it. There is just something cool about using chemicals so he opened up the bag, cued up the video, and got started. 

The main science lesson from this kit was about chemical clock reactions which is a process where a periodic change in color will be observed with the progress of a reaction. 

This kit really required the student to follow the directions exactly as Dr. Jeff explained to them so that it would work properly. As a parent, I appreciated the "following directions carefully" portion of this experiment since this seems to be a constant struggle with my ten-year-old. Because he was so into this science kit and he knew beforehand that he struggles with listening and following directions he suggested that we replay the video a few times so he could get everything right and not mess up the last experiment. (proud mom moment!!) 

There is plenty of chemicals supplied in this kit for the student to try this experiment over and over as well as allowing the student to try mixing the chemicals in different proportions and observe what happens. 

Oh, and did you see from the supply list that it included DESTAIN! Yep, Dr. Jeff thought of everything so dear ole mom doesn't need to scour the internet or even call Generation Genius to ask how to get the blue chemical stain out of your dear little one's favorite shirt! Thank you so much Generation Genius for covering all of the bases for us moms. And if you are wondering, yes, I did have to use a little destain on some of my son's clothing and yes, it did work!

Pros of this experiment:

• plenty of chemicals were supplied to allow for lots of experimentation 
• destain - need I say more!
• an interesting and engaging experiment that is age appropriate

Cons:

• a little messy but, again there is destain!

To say we are thrilled with Generation Genius is an understatement! My son absolutely loved this kit and is now begging for more. 

If you find teaching science in your homeschool a little lackluster consider adding the monthly Generation Genius science kit to help add some interest to your lessons! 

Generation Genius science kits can be used by individual students, in co-ops, public and private schools as well as a summer school option. Shipping is free with a 3-month subscription and the monthly price is very affordable too. To start your subscription or to just try out one month click here now! 

7 Fun Summer Activities Your Kids Will Love

Summer is here which means your kids have more time to play, craft, and enjoy some new activities. Keeping kids active is important but sometimes it can be hard to come up with new and exciting activities for them to do during summer break. 

Having a few ideas tucked into your back pocket that you can whip out at a moment's notice - rain or shine could save the day! To help you out I've put together a helpful list of 7 fun summer activities your kids will love.

This post was written in partnership with Zulily. Check out The Find by Zulily for more awesome crafts, recipes, and parenting tips to help out all busy moms! 

7 Fun Summer Activities For Kids

Best Bubbles Ever

Blowing bubbles is the classic activity kids have been doing for years. Playing with bubbles doesn't have to be the old-school bottle of bubbles with a short wand we all had as a kid. Up your kids bubble-blowing experience with a few tweaks. 

• Snake bubbles are easy and fun!  Cut a small 16 oz plastic water or pop bottle in half then cover the large cut opening with an old sock securing it with duct tape. Dip the sock end into a mixture of 1 part dish soap + 1 part water + a few drops of food coloring then blow through the top of the bottle. Watch your snake bubble grow as you keep blowing! 

• Make your own unpoppable bubbles with this recipe: mix together 3 cups distilled water + 1 cup dish soap + 1/2 cup corn syrup. Use a bubble wand to blow your unpoppable bubbles!

Paper Mache Pinata

Summer is the perfect time to make a pinata since it can be a pretty messy craft - perfect for doing outside! A balloon covered in paste-coated strips of newspaper or wrapping paper makes the perfect pinata. Find several great homemade paper mache paste recipes here. 

For complete pinata-making instructions check out this post: How To Make A Paper Mache Pinata

Make-Your-Own Puzzles

My kids love putting together puzzles so when we made our own they were even more excited! I've got two kinds of puzzles to share with you that your kids can make:

• Cereal box puzzles only require three things - a pencil, scissors, and an empty cereal box. Cut open an empty cardboard cereal box, trimming around the side edges and flaps. Next, draw puzzle piece shapes on the blank cardboard side then cut out the shapes. Mix up the cutout pieces and try to solve your puzzle. Share your puzzle with friends and family then store the puzzles in large ziplock bags. Follow the tutorial here to make your own cereal box puzzle.

• Popsicle stick puzzles are easy to make for kids of any age. Grab some plain popsicle craft sticks, masking tape, and washable markers. Line up 6 to 8 popsicle sticks flat side down on a sturdy flat surface, then put a strip of tape along the back making sure the sticks are secured together. Flip the taped popsicle sticks over then color the untaped side with markers. Take the tape off of the craft sticks, mix them up and then try to solve the puzzle by putting them in order to re-create the picture you drew. It is harder than you think! (For younger kids I recommend numbering the back side of the craft sticks to help them solve the puzzle more easily)

Tie-Dye (Anything!)

Tie-dying is a popular summer camp activity that your kids can do at home too! Almost anything made from cotton material can be tie-dyed so let them use their imagination and go crazy finding something unique to tie-dye like socks, robes, pillowcases, and of course a t-shirt. 

Tie-dying socks is super simple and I know your kids will love doing it as much as mine do! Grab a pack of white cotton socks so your child can make their own tie-dye socks - a different tie-dyed colored pair for each day of the week! Learn how to tie-dye socks here.   

Wildflower Vase Display Board

Spring and summer yield a bounty of beautiful wildflowers. Kids love picking flowers so help them create a lovely wildflower vase display board to show off their pickings. With a little adult help and a few supplies, your kids will be ready to make their own wildflower vase in no time.  

To get started you need a piece of cardboard (roughly 10" x 12"), markers, and a sharpened pencil. On the cardboard freehand draw the outline of a vase then have your child color it any way they like. Take the sharp pencil then poke several holes along the top edge of the vase (adult supervision suggested). 

Now let your kids go crazy picking dandelions or whatever wildflowers they can find and insert the flower stems into the holes. 

Chalk Painting

Are you kids bored of plain old sidewalk chalk? Breathe new life into sidewalk chalk with this fun new twist - chalk painting! Chalk painting actually doesn't require chalk but the results look very similar to chalk. 

mommysuburbia.blogspot.com

• Using an empty metal muffin tin add 1 heaping tablespoon of cornstarch to each well 
• then add a few drops of food coloring into each (dissolved watercolor paint will work too!) 
• Add water almost to the top of each well then stir to mix everything together. 

Using a wide paintbrush or foam brush let your child paint their designs and pictures all over the sidewalk or driveway. Don't be discouraged if at first, the "painting" doesn't look very bold - just wait until it dries completely to see the painting come to life. 

Leaf Rubbings

Introduce a little botany (science) and learning into those long summer days while your kids are out of school with this fun activity. Plan some short nature hikes or even walks through your neighborhood or favorite park to collect leaves from different trees. Once home, give your child a notebook with blank pages and a box of crayons. Place a leaf under one page in the notebook then rub over the paper with the long side of a crayon to create a leaf rubbing. 

Remember to PIN this leaf journal printable for later!

Leaf Journal Printable Page

With your guidance help your child identify the type of tree the leaf came from so they can write it down in their leaf journal.  Your local library is a great place to find books that will help your child with their leaf identification project. 

Make this a summer-long project that they can even do while on vacation! They will be so proud of their leaf journal and all they learned throughout the summer.

Have an amazing summer! Check back here often for more activity ideas, crafts, and tasty recipes. 

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The Ultimate Camping Scavenger Hunt For Kids

The Ultimate Camping Scavenger Hunt For Kids

Camping is the perfect family vacation especially if you are trying to leave the busyness of life behind and reconnect as a family. One way you can reconnect with your kids while camping is through activities like a family scavenger hunt. Whether you pair up in teams or search for the items on the scavenger hunt individually this activity is perfect to do on your next camping trip. 

This post was written in partnership with Zulily. Make sure to check out the Camping Essentials Checklist For Beginners as well as many other great ideas at The Find By Zulily.

Camping Scavenger Hunt For Kids

Since camping happens in the great outdoors it makes sense that this scavenger hunt should include outdoor treasures as well as camping-specific items too! To keep your job easy I've put together a great family scavenger hunt you can take along with you on your next camping trip. Invite other campers to join in with the fun too. 

Scavenger hunts are fun because they encourage those participating to look more closely at the surrounding area while they hunt for the items on the list. They can also be quite competitive (especially in my family), so consider offering a prize for the first person to complete the scavenger hunt - like an ice cream cone or an extra s'more for dessert. 

Lastly, scavenger hunts are great for any age to participate which is why it is the perfect activity to do while camping with your family or a big group.

Here is the printable link for this cool camping scavenger hunt!

Ultimate Camping Checklist For A New Camper

If you are new to camping it might seem a bit overwhelming to know what to bring when you go on your first camping trip. No need to stress - I've got you covered with this post I wrote The Ultimate Checklist For A New Camper for The Find by Zulily. Click to get the full checklist before you adventure out on your first camping trip.  

What's For Dinner?

Now that you have a great activity planned for the family the next thing to figure out is what to serve for dinner! Don't worry I've provided you with 5 Easy Meals To Make On Your Next Camping Trip so you don't have to stress about dinner while on vacation! 

Winter Scavenger Hunt For Kids Printable

Winter can sometimes feel like it drags on one cold day after another but it doesn't have to be this way. Instead of dreading this cold, snowy season why not embrace some of the unique activities you can only do in the winter. 

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information please see my Disclaimer page. Thanks!

Cabin fever can quickly set in if you aren't prepared. Having a list of fun winter activities for kids can really help keep the winter blahs away. Since my kid's ages vary from elementary age to high school I find it helpful to have a variety of age-appropriate activities on my list. I really try to get all of my kids, including the high schoolers outside every day. A dose of fresh air is good for everyone - including mom! 

Winter Scavenger Hunt For Kids (of all ages)

Today I wanted to share with you a fun outdoor winter scavenger hunt that kids of all ages will love. Put on those warm winter boots and get outside to explore the winter wonderland with this fun scavenger hunt!  

There are a total of 30 scavenger hunt items listed on this printable  If you have younger kids, feel free to pick the items you think will be most interesting (and easy) for them to find. Or consider breaking up this scavenger hunt over a few days by challenging your kids to complete one row per day. Prizes like a cup of hot chocolate or a short sled ride after completing the hunt are always a bonus. 

Here is the link to the free printable and the embedded version of it too. 

Winter Scavenger Hunt Printable

After you complete the scavenger hunt check out these other fun winter activities! Here are 5 Fun Winter Activities to do with your kids this winter:

Read More Here

Get outside and enjoy the beauty of winter while it is here! What winter activities do you and your kids love to do? I'm always looking for more great outdoor activities - share your ideas in the comments.