Creative Kidstuff

Little Golden Books

Little Golden Books is one of the most memorable children’s book lines in history and this line has a connection to the Midwest! The books were first published in 1941, during a time when most children’s books cost between $2 and $3. However, this was quite expensive for most families given that the US involvement in World War II was just starting. A man by the name of George Duplaix developed an idea to sell a line of durable and affordable children’s stories.

In September 1942, the first 12 Little Golden Book titles were published. The original stories included favorites such as The Pokey Little Puppy, The Golden Book of Fairy Tales, and The Little Red Hen. Each book sold for approximately 25 cents each! The original publisher, Simon & Schuster, had the books printed at Western Printing and Lithographing Company in Racine, Wisconsin.

Many famous authors have been involved with the creation of Little Golden Books, most notably Margaret Wise Brown (Goodnight Moon), Garth Williams (Stuart Little), and Richard Scarry (Busy, Busy Town).

Random House, the current publisher, estimates that as of 2002, over 2 billion Little Golden Books have been printed- enough to reach the moon! 15 million copies of The Pokey Little Puppy have been sold! The series is such an important part of American history, the Smithsonian Institution includes Little Golden Books and artwork in its Division of Cultural History!

You may visit the Random House website to print coloring pages featuring your favorite Little Golden Book characters!

What is your favorite Little Golden Book and why? Tell us in the comments!

Great Minnesota Outings!

Looking for fun activities but don’t have the budget to jet set to a warmer climate? February is a cold month and many families are feeling the need for any escape. Many of us don’t have the time or the budget to jump on a plane to Mexico so we searched the area and found some great family favorites to cast the winter blues away!

A trip to the Como Park Conservatory lets you breath in the smell of tropical plants and warms your bones in the sunken gardens. Children never get tired of watching the fish or finding the plant that grows chocolate! Mark you calendars for the Spring Fling weekend beginning March 21!

The Minnesota Zoo and the warm tropics trail is a wonderful winter escape. We are patiently awaiting the arrival of Allie’s baby! Allie is a bottle nose dolphin. Click to read her pregnancy blog. A Minnesota Zoo favorite event is the arrival of the new Farm Babies- a sure sign that spring is just around the corner. Visit the Zoo on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 10am-4pm from March 27- April 12 to visit the babies!

Minnesota is home to a wonderful collection of state parks and as the weather begins to warm up the freeze/thaw cycle helps the sap begin to flow! Visit your local state park for one of the many Maple Syrup Events.

The Minnesota landscape Arboretum is a great place to explore and see buds beginning to appear! Visit on Thursdays from Nov. 24 to April 24 and receive free admission!

A hidden Minnesota gem is the Edinborough Play Park. This park features over 1 acre of parkland to explore and one of the largest indoor play structures in the country. Give your kids a chance to run, play and explore in a beautiful enclosed sunny environment. It’s a great way to chase the winter blahs and use up some built up energy. You can purchase a season pass to use all winter long. They also cater to group outings as well as birthday parties!

Please share your “Winter Escapes” with your Creative Kidstuff friends in the comments section!

President’s Day Weekend Fun!

With a long President’s Day weekend ahead, you may be looking for some fun outdoor and indoor activities! Here in Minnesota sledding, snowshoeing and tubing are all great family activities. There are a ton of great places in and around the Twin Cities to play outside! Some of our favorites are the Columbia Golf Course, Theordore Wirth Park, and Carver Park.

If you’d prefer to stay inside this weekend, why not quiz each other on Presidential Trivia? Stump your family with such facts as: Which President had a pony named Macaroni? Who was the shortest President? Which President was the first to be born a US citizen? See answers below. Other fun trivia activities are What Happened Here? and Can You Name Them All?.

Don’t forget to check out the First Ever Family Game Show Night at our Galleria location. If you can’t make it, why not pick up a great game from our fabulous selection? Games are 20% off Thursday, February 12 through Sunday, February 15th. For school groups, try our Traveling Game Trunk!

Comment below with your favorite sledding spots, Presidential trivia, or favorite games!

Presidential Trivia Answers: President Kennedy (1961-1963), President Madison (1809-1817), 5 feet 4 inches, President Van Buren (1837-1841), born in 1782.

Fun Valentine’s Day Crafts!

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, and a great way to show your Valentine you care is by creating a homemade craft or making a delicious Valentine treat! Here are a few great ideas to help celebrate Valentine’s Day!

Create the perfect card for your Valentine with the Valentine’s Greetings kit from Roylco. It comes with everything need to create beautiful handmade cards- you just add the imagination! You can also create a fun Valentine card holder to store all the cards: decorate an envelope or paper bag with pieces of Valentine craft paper cut into holiday specific shapes!

Make a heart shaped necklace for your sweetie using salt dough!
Take about 1 cup salt and dissolve it in about 1 1/4 cup water (or a little more). Then stir in about 3 cups flour ( one cup at a time), until it’s a nice soft dough. Shape it or cut it out with cookie cutters. To make the heart necklace, be sure to poke a hole through the salt dough. Let it harden or bake it at 200 degree F until hard, then paint with regular acrylic paint. Use a red string to bead everything together!

Make a sweet treat with the Chocolate Kiss Cupcakes!
All you need is boxed cake mix, muffin liners, unwrapped chocolate candy kisses, and frosting! Make cake mix according to the directions. Place muffin liners in muffin pan. Pour dough into each cup and place an unwrapped chocolate kiss in the middle of each cupcake. Bake according to directions. Allow to cool and frost. Your valentine will find a yummy hidden kiss inside their cupcake.
*Fun Tip! Use white frosting and add red food coloring for different shades of red and pink*

If you don’t have time to bake this year, be sure to order a Valentine Cookie!

Happy Valentine’s Day! How are you celebrating this year?