christmas Archives - We're Parents

Santa HQ – A Family Experience

December 16, 2019 by Larisha Campbell Leave a Comment

Santa HQ is a fun and exciting immersive experience for the whole family to visit Santa Claus. Located at 15 malls throughout the US. Learn more by reading our experience.

Disclosure: This Santa HQ post is sponsored by HGTV. Thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

A few years ago, I didn’t even know if we were going to do Santa. Each year, I still question it in the back of my mind. I feel wrong to lie to them. However, the moments and memories that we’ve created around Santa have been completely worth it.

Both girls eyes light up, their little voices glee with happiness, and their laughter brings everyone so much joy. I know in those moments that it’s so worth it.

For the last 4 years, we have been going to Santa HQ over at our local mall. The mall, located in Deptford, NJ, teamed up with HGTV to bring locals “Santa HQ“.

It’s a super fun and exciting holiday experience that the whole family will enjoy in addition to the traditional visit with Santa Claus. *Bonus: Santa in Deptford has a real beard 😉

What is Santa HQ?

As soon as you walk into Santa HQ you are immersed in all things Christmas holidays. Santa HQ works by guiding visitors through an immersive, interactive holiday experience with the use of state-of-the-art digital technology.

You have to absorb everything and be careful not to miss anything, but HGTV has worked really hard to pack in as much of the holiday spirit as they can in this experience. The first thing that happens is you get checked in (it’s better to have reservations).

Then you have four stations:

Naughty or Nice Meter
Santa’s Workshop
Santa’s Observatory
Finally, Santa’s Sleigh (this is where the big guy is sitting)

Honestly, it’s just such a fun and unique way to enjoy Santa. I know growing up as a kid, I loved going to see Santa. However, I never wanted to stand in the mall lines. The Santa HQ experience not only is a fun way to get into the holiday spirit, but it’s also great for breaking up the line so parents aren’t waiting for an exorbitant amount of time. The elves (staff) and Santa are amazing with the kids and it’s truly just so great.

Plus, you have to see the innovative way that mobile apps, social-media-ready opportunities and augmented reality are woven into the Santa HQ experience.

See a few sneak peaks:

How much does it cost to do Santa HQ?

The Santa HQ experience is completely free of charge to go through the set-up and even speak with Santa. The only thing that you potentially have to pay for is photos and that is completely optional. (They are super cute to look back on every year).

Can I just walk in to Santa HQ or are reservations a must?

You can absolutely just walk in to Santa HQ. However, reservations to Santa HQ are preferred. Trust me, you want a reservation. Especially if the only time you can go is on a weekend, it can get quite crowded.

After all, Santa HQ is completely free. You only pay if you want to purchase pictures. So, it can fill up pretty quickly. Reservations are easily made at Santa HQ.

Also, you can even pre-pay for your photo package. Santa HQ is currently at 15 shopping locations in California, New Jersey, Chicago, NYC, DC, and more. See if there’s a location near here by visiting the Santa HQ site.

The Santa HQ Experience

After you check in with the concierge, you’ll head to meet your first elf. You’ll stand on the Naughty or Nice O’Meter and see if you’ve been naughty or nice (hint: it’s always nice!). The kids name will pop up onto the top of the list that shows they’ve been nice!

Next, they are invited to sit down at a holiday photo set-up at “The North Pole”. The elf taking the pictures stages your family to take some pretty adorably amazing photos at the North Pole before they head off to their next adventure.

Next, families are invited to visit Santa’s workshop where they will find Santa’s Elf Academy.

This year, each kid gets to make their own Elf ID card.

They put their face inside a little oval and then you have the option to mail yourself the ID Card right from Santa’s workshop. It’s fun to do this because of the end of the experience they get a set of Elf ID cards in the activity workbook from Santa HQ. Our girls loved having their own to go along with the “real ones” as they called them.

There’s also a Magic Mirror that they can play with that allows for them to look like an elf and change outfits.

Then it’s time for Santa’s Observatory.

Families head for a fun adventure to the Elf-Ray Vision Station where children use tablets to project elves working, Santa’s sleigh and more.

The tablets come alive and kids will be super intrigued at how it looks like nothing is on the wall but when you hold up the tablet, things are there. It’s pretty nifty actually.

Finally, it’s time to see the big jolly guy and families end the experience with the traditional Santa Claus photo-op.

Just like the shopping mall Santa experience when you were little, this is the best part. You get to see and speak with Santa and afterwards you get a little activity book.

Ready? If you want to spend less time in line, then you will want to purchase a Fast Pass today! Visit Deptford, NJ’s Santa HQ, to make reservations, grab your fast pass and pre-purchase a photo package.

Book your Santa HQ Reservations Now!

Santa HQ in Deptford, NJ is open 9am-9pm and Christmas Eve 9am-6pm.

Don’t worry, if you didn’t snag a fast pass, there are still kiosks available for you to purchase photos that day too!

Here’s some photos from the last two years. We love that it’s the same Santa Claus, so they can have a similar memory!

Holiday Giving with Santa HQ

Also, when heading over to Santa HQ consider bringing a toy to donate. Visitors at Santa HQ, in conjunction with HGTV’s Help Through Holiday Giving Drive, are encouraged to donate a new, unwrapped toy. Toys go to benefit local organizations like Toys for Tots, Salvation Army Angel Tree, Forgotten Angel Tree and more. However, this is not required.

Check Out Even More By Watching the Video Below:

Book your Santa HQ Reservations Now!

A Co-Sleeping, Breastfeeding Holiday Tune

December 10, 2018 by Larisha Campbell Leave a Comment

Everyone is in super holiday overdrive at this point in the year. No matter what holiday you celebrate, you are either exhausted from already celebrating or exhausted from the preparations of celebrating. While we, as breastfeeding mothers, often use our little ones as a way to excuse ourselves from the holiday festivities when we feel like we’ve had a little too much of drunk Aunt Sammie’s chatter, nothing quite makes you more exhausted after the holidays than a middle of the night gym-nurse-tics session.

Worried about being around unsupportive family for the holidays? Check out our post about “How to Respond when Someone Asks are you STILL breastfeeding?“

When this little gem came across my eyes in one of my breastfeeding support groups on Facebook, I knew immediately that I had to reach out and ask permission if we could share it. Every breastfeeding mom on the planet will giggle to this one! We can all relate to the crazy antics that we have to put up with when nursing our little kiddos.

Of course, this is meant to be humorous.

Thanks again to Arielle for letting us share this Co-Sleeping, Breastfeeding Holiday Tune! We hope you enjoyyyy!!! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from us!

We hope you enjoyed this little jam! Arielle stated that she found the inspiration for writing the song during a 2am nursing session with her little one. She surely made us giggle with this co-sleeping, breastfeeding tune and we’re hoping to hear more from her in the future. I really don’t know that I can ever sing Jingle Bells the same again!

Happy Holidays everyone!

If you like this post, please share it with other and in your favorite breastfeeding hangout spots on the internet.

Are you looking for parenting tips? Check out some of our best posts!

Get our winter car seat travel tips!

Check out 25 Tips for Working Moms who want to Breastfeed

Get tips for beating the “booby” traps. 50+ Breastfeeding myths put to rest!

This post was originally published on 12/19/15. It has since been updated.

Simple Last Minute Gift Idea

December 22, 2016 by Larisha Campbell Leave a Comment

Super hard to buy for friend.

Invited last minute for a party, need a hostess gift.

Extra guest unexpectedly just arrived at your house and you didn’t have a gift for them.

You forgot someone that was supposed to be on your list.

Someone went out of their way for you during the holidays and you just want to do something special for them.

No matter the reason, you are likely freaking out if you are reading this and it’s just days from Christmas or any other holiday you may celebrate. You need something for someone and you are lost. Don’t worry, I’m here to save you! This super simple gift won’t break your budget either. It’s a win/win for everyone.

Materials

A bottle of sparkling cider or wine
A pair of super soft socks (dress socks if gifting to a man) [[*These should be new socks*]]
holiday treat bag
Festive sticker
Bath Bombs

Directions

Take one sock and place bottle of cider or wine inside.
Take other sock and tie it around the neck of the bottle.
Place bath bombs inside the treat bag and tie bag.
Place festive sticker on bag.
Place bag through the tied sock.
Tie sock as tight as possible (Can also use ribbon to tie bag around sock).
Gift!

Watch us make it!

We personally make our bath bombs for a cheaper and more personal gifting experience, but if you are really short on time you can go to your favorite bath and beauty store or order them via Amazon (buying will definitely increase cost of the gift).

That’s it guys! So super simple. We love keeping extra socks and bottles on hand because you never know last minute! We hope you have a joyous and merry holiday season and get and give everything you desire!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours <3

DIY Ornaments for Kids

December 22, 2016 by Larisha Campbell Leave a Comment

Crafting with kids as a parents can either be super joyful for the parent or a complete nightmare. There is typically no in between. Sallt dough ornaments are typically the rage this time of year, but let’s be honest…typically flour or salt is spilled everywhere, your child keeps trying to eat the dough which freaks you out because of the sodium content, and there’s just a lot of slow turning gray hair happening. You’re left with a huge mess and half broken ornaments. Oh joy. <– sarcasm.

I knew when I saw clear ornaments at the dollar store that I needed to pick them up. This had to be a win. The ornament part was already done technically, so all I needed to do was find things to stuff them with. Walking around the store, I grabbed pom poms and had ideas for a few other things at home.

Here’s the DIY Ornaments for Kids that we created:

Materials

#1 – Pom Pom DIY Ornament

Super simple. Grab various colors of pom poms and stuff ornament until filled. If you are looking for a specific Christmas or other holiday theme, you can pick out certain colors only if you wish.

#2 – Present Stuffing DIY Ornament

Gift baskets or gift boxes typically come filled with this recycled paper present stuffing. I have started saving this stuffing for various projects around the house. I knew we had white and silver glittered mix stuffing and thought it’d make a super cute ornament.

#3 – Snowman DIY Ornament

Snowman are like the go to holiday ornament because of how easy it is to make usually. This was no different. Fill with cotton balls and use a sharpie to draw on a face. Super cute.

#4 – Paint DIY Ornament

Okay, I had to add one ornament that has the potential for a mess. Use paint that has a squeezable tube and have them squeeze directly into ornament. Add 1/4 tsp of water and swirl around. Add more paint and more water until you have the desired effect on your ornament. Let dry completely inside before adding the top back on.

Watch us make them!

We hope you enjoyed these DIY ornaments for kids that we created today. Looking for even more fun for kids? Check out our kids YouTube page here!

How to Make Slime (Christmas Slime)

December 15, 2016 by Larisha Campbell Leave a Comment

As a mom, I’m obsessed with anything that is going to keep at least one of my kids busy for an extended amount of time. Recently, the big one saw a video on YouTube kids where they were playing with slime. She has relentlessly asked me for slime ever since. (yay). I remember making slime in science class in grade school, so I knew it was something possible for us to do together. To make me even happier, it was ridiculously simple to make after a little tweaking.

As soon as we were done making it, she played with it for what seemed like forever. (PARENTING WIN). Not only that, but she has continued to ask to play with it every day since. We’ve added some cookie cutters and various molds into the equation and insert endless fun.

On a side note….slime is actually an amazing stress reliever. It has been so much fun for me to play with as well. There’s something just so relaxing about doing things that make you relate to the fun times of your childhood. So go on, play with it alongside your littles! There’s no judging going on here. 🙂

Materials

Water
2oz (half regular size bottle) of school glue
1 tsp borax
food coloring

Directions

In one bowl, mix 1/4 cup water with glue and mix together until well combined. Add 10 drops of desired food coloring.
In a separate bowl mix 1/4 cup water with borax until dissolved.
Slowly mix the glue mixture into the borax mixture.
Once both bowl are combined, mix really fast to make ingredients react creating slime.
Repeat directions for additional colors. We did red and green to make Christmas inspired slime.
Store slime in an air tight container in the fridge.

**Tip: for a goopy slime (like the green one in the video) add an additional 1/4 cup of water to the glue mixture bowl before combining with the borax mixture.

Watch our video of us making it, then grab your ingredients and make your own!

DIY Christmas Tree Ornament

December 12, 2016 by Larisha Campbell Leave a Comment

Since we started homeschooling this year, I’ve found us doing more and more craft activities. Obviously it’s fun for both of our girls, but at the same time, I also know if I hand Skibs a bottle of glue, some paper, markers, and a bowl of pom poms, that I’ve guaranteed myself at least 30 minutes of silence, sometimes even an hour. Win/win in the parenting world. Art is such a brain boosting, sensory stimulating activity too that I don’t even mind.

With Christmas right around the corner, we’ve been doing a lot of fun, holiday inspired activities. I saw a lot of different Christmas tree ornament activities on Pinterest, but ultimately came up with this idea based on the items that we already had on hand (ain’t nobody got time to be running all over the place).

If you have an older kid or are in a rush to get this to dry faster (super last minute), then we suggest you use a hot glue gun instead of school glue.

Watch the full video of us making one, then you can grab the material list and instructions below.

Materials:

3 Large Green Popsicle Sticks
1 regular popsicle stick
1 gold pipe cleaner
2 green pipe cleaners (cut into 3 pieces sized: 2.5″, 3.5″ and 4.5″ )
Variety of colored pom poms
Brown or Copper colors marker

Instructions:

Glue together the 3 green popsicle sticks into a triangle.
Starting at the top, from smallest to largest, glue cut green pipe cleaners from left to right on the triangle.
Using your brown marker, color one side of your regular popsicle stick.
Glue the popsicle stick to the back of the bottom of the triangle.
Glue pom poms onto the green pipe cleaners.
Twist ends of gold pipe cleaner together.
Glue twisted ends onto the back of the top of the triangle.
Let dry overnight.
Hang on tree as an ornament.

Another option would be to hang this on a door as a door hanger. It’s large enough to do so!

Don’t forget to write the name, date, and age of who did it so you don’t forget!

We hope you enjoyed this craft!

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Teaching Knife Skills + Banana Santa Snacks

December 2, 2016 by Larisha Campbell Leave a Comment

The Seasoned Kids

Lesson 9: Teaching Knife Skills

Knife skills. It’s the part of teaching kids cooking skills that make parents cringe. They always seem to go for the sharpest, biggest knife around. I’m hear to tell you that you can put all those sharp knives away because we have the perfect solution for you. Regardless of how you feel about your kid using a knife, it’s an integral part of teaching independence in the kitchen. Put your fears aside, read our tips, and get them chopping up everything.

How to Start

To start, put the sharp knives away. Butter knives are the way to start by cutting small things. Kids can cut their sandwiches, cut bananas, or soft (warm not hot) potatoes. Unfortunately for your sanity, they will quickly want to move away from using a butter knife and they will want to use those sharp knives. But wait! There are kid friendly options in between using a butter knife and those sharp knives (see tips below). When moving on from butter knives, keep cutting to single slices before you move onto chopping skills. Once you get more comfortable, there’s nothing you can’t let them do! Just continuously remind them of safety.

Tips for teaching your kids knife skills

Use a learning tower to get them stable at the counter
- Standing on a stool or sitting on the counter, doesn’t stabilize kids as much as a tower will
Ergonomically designed nylon knives, cutting gloves, and finger guards are options for in between the butter knife and sharp knife stages.
Teach them how to hold the knife with one hand, hold object with other hand, and slowly move the holding hand as you as cutting
You are more than likely to cut fingers with a dull knife rather than a sharp one so avoid giving them a dull knife
If you want to start teaching knife skills but this makes you nervous, use the nylon knives to cut clay or play-doh before working with food!

Recipe Time!

These Banana Santa Snacks are perfect for after school snacks or snacks for holiday playdates. Watch the video, then grab the full recipe below!

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Teaching Knife Skills + Banana Santa Snacks

Servings: 2 banana santa snacks

Author: Larisha Campbell

Ingredients

1 banana
1 large marshmallow
2 mini marshmallows
2 fresh cranberries
2 fresh strawberries
4 chocolate chips
4 chocolate sprinkles
coconut flakes
optional: 2 pretzel sticks

Instructions

Peel banana.
Cut it in half.
Push cranberry into center of each banana piece.
Add two chocolate chips for eyes and two sprinkles for eyebrows above the cranberry on each banana.
Tear big marshmallow in half. Using a skewer or toothpick, push one half onto the top of the banana.
Cut top of strawberries and add one strawberry, skinny side up, to the top of the marshmallow.
Top with a mini marshmallow.
Push on a small handful of coconut flakes for the beard.
If desired, push a pretzel stick into the bottom of the bottom for a stick.
Enjoy!

This post is a part of our “The Seasoned Kids”, kid’s cooking series. Learn more about The Seasoned Kids here.

Previous Lessons!

Week 1: Teaching Importance of Washing Fruits and Vegetables + Berry Parfait Recipe
Week 2: Learning to Stir + Cranberry Coconut Energy Bites
Week 3: 3 Ways to Mash + Overnight Oats Recipe 3 Ways
Week 4: Spreading + Peanut Butter and Jelly Spider Sandwiches
Week 5: Tearing + Bugs on a Log
Week 6: Pouring + Chocolate Peanut Butter Yogurt Popsicles
Week 7: Measuring & Weighing + Holiday Pudding Cups
Week 8: Sifting + Snowball Bites

PIN IT!!!!

The Ultimate Gift Guide for Kid Chefs

December 1, 2016 by Larisha Campbell Leave a Comment

*Disclosure: All links in our Ultimate Gift Guide for Kid Chefs goes to Amazon. You shop like normal, but we receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting our family. Prices are as of publishing date and subject to change. We have not used all of products in our list.

Being in the kitchen not only brings us joy, but it makes our girls’ eyes sparkle with delight. Their series, The Seasoned Kids has been one of our absolutely favorite things we’ve done to date. So much so that our 4 year old has even asked for some cooking and our baking things on her wishlist. Add to that, our friends asking for recommendations for kid’s cooking products and we were bound to create the Ultimate Gift Guide for Kid Chefs.

There’s no toys, no products you can’t actually cook with, just real products, designed with kids in mind. Food brings families together, so check out these products and grab some for your kiddos this year to teach them invaluable life skills that will stay with their for the rest of their lives!

*Gift ideas in order by price high to low.

1- Guidecraft Learning Tower – Helps kids safely and easily stand at counter level to help in the kitchen. Made from wood, no assembly required, 3 heigh adjustments, and folds for storage. Price $109.99

2- The Curious Chef 30-piece Caddy Collection – Dishwasher safe, BPA free products including rolling pin, pizza cutter, whisk, measuring cups, spoons, knife and more! Price $69.99

3- 11 piece Magic Bullet Blender Set – Chop, mix, blend, and more. Top shelf dishwasher safe. Includes Recipe Book. Price $31.49

4 – Handstand Kid’s Stars and Planets Chef Kit – Includes Apron, Mitt, and Chef’s Hat. 100% Cotton and Machine Washable. Price $29.93

5- Cuisinart Mini Food Processor. 21-ounce work bowl with 2 speeds. Some parts are dishwasher safe. Recipe book included. Price $29.71

6- Handstand Kids Milk & Cookies Kid’s Apron with Matching 18″ Doll Apron Set. 100% Cotton and Machine Washable. Price $24.89. Matching Chefs hat and oven mitt also available for purchase.

7- 37 piece Ultimate Baking Starter Set comes with all the tools, mixes, frosting, and decorations to make cupcakes. Some fun tools include no spill bowls with unique suction-lock to make for easy mixing and the easy Egg cracker to let kids crack eggs without a mess! Price $19.99

8 – OXO 7-Piece Mini Measuring Beaker Set. Set includes 1-cup, 2/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/4 cup, 1/8 cup, 1 tbsp, and 1 tsp beakers. Top rack dishwasher safe. Price $19.99.

9- The Curious Chef 17-piece Measure and Prep Kit is Dishwasher Safe and BPA Free and includes 6 piece measuring spoons and cups set, large poly spoon, a kitchen timer, 3 piece prep bowl, and more. Price $17.50

10 – Zoku’s Ice Pop Molds. Classic Shape. Make 6 pops at a time. BPA Free. Dishwasher safe. Price $15.38. Additional shapes available for additional cost.

11- Silicone Gorilla Grip Set of 2 Oven Mitts – Soft and Flexible set of oven mits with 100% cotton lining and 100% polyester fill. Resists heat up to 446 degrees. Made with 100% FDA Approved food safe silicone. Comes with a 10 year guarantee. Comes in choice of red, blue, green, gray, or black. Price $14.99

12- Green Toys Indoor Gardening Kit – comes with three pots, a tray holder, trowel, three soil discs, and three packs of organic seeds.Made from recycled milk containers. Price $14.03

13- Curious Chef Decorating Kit – Dishwasher Safe, easy to clean. Includes 6 different decorating tips to create designs on cookies, cakes, and more. Price $12.45. A different 9 piece set also available.

14 – Scientific Explorer Tasty Science Kit – Learn about food science like why soda fizzes and why cakes rise. Set includes baking soda, citric acid, fruit flavorings, food coloring, sprinkles, vials, test tubes, and more. Price $11.46

15 – Silicone Kitchen Baking Bundle. Kit contains 12 muffin pan, 12 cupcake holders, 2 molds, and more. Price $9.99

16- Curious Chef 3 piece Nylon Knife Set includes 1 small, 1 medium, and 1 large nylon knife with serrated cutting edges and ergonomic handles. Dishwasher safe and won’t cut your littles. Price $8.86

17- 5-pack flexible plastic cutting boards. Each board is 15×11″ and come in Blue, Red, Yellow, Green, and White. Price $7.64

18- Set of 24 Reusable Silicone Non-Stick Baking Cups. Comes in Fun assorted colors and perfect for baking cupcakes, breakfast cups, or lasagna cups. Can also be used as prep ramekins. Price $7.49

19- 5-piece Measuring Spoon Set. Sizes include 1/4 tsp, 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1/2 tbsp, and 1 tbsp. Dishwasher safe. Price $5.25

20- 8-Tray Silicone Animal Mold – Use food ice cubes, chocolate, gummies, and more. The possibilities are endless. Dishwasher Safe. Price $3.00

We hope you enjoyed our Ultimate Gift Guide for Kid Chefs! Did we forget something? Let us know!

Make sure you our following our kid’s cooking show YouTube channel here.

5 Minute Santa DIY Advent Calendar

November 30, 2016 by Larisha Campbell 2 Comments

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This holiday season took me by complete surprise. It’s always been my favorite time of the year, personally, and I have loved the last 3 years of making it fun for Skibbles, but she never really understood what was going on then. Fast forward to this year and she suddenly gets it. It has made it so much more fun the last few days and inevitably the next few weeks. Every time I turn around she’s asking about Santa, singing Jingle Bells, or wondering why there isn’t snow falling on the ground.

Truth Moment — I didn’t know until this year if we were going to “do Santa”. I have some reservations about it, but Andrew is pretty insistent on it. After seeing her reaction this year and the fact that Andrew’s never really asked to do anything parenting wise until this, I’m going with it. And really happy we have!

So last night when a friend from high school, who is also a nanny, posted this idea for a Santa DIY Advent Calendar that she’s been doing with her nanny family for 5 years, I knew that I needed to make one for us. We do have a Melissa and Doug Advent Calendar, but this one is simply too cute not to do also. Skibbles is super into crafting right now so it’s great. And best of all it literally took about 5 minutes.

I wrote out the little poem my friend shared on one page, then freehand drew on Santa’s face on another page with the numbers 1-24 representing the days before Santa comes in December. Then we taped the page together, glued on a cotton ball to Santa’s hat and VOILA! You’re done! It’s literally that simple. I taped it up to the wall, along with a bucket of cotton balls and we will do it every morning!

I’m so excited, and so is she to do this and I can’t wait to see what other fun things we come up with this holiday season!

If you love this craft, we’d love for you to share it on Pinterest with your friends! Just hover over the image and you’ll see the Pinterest button! Feel free to share on other social media sites too! Merry Christmas!

What you need for this project:

GRAB THE PRINTABLE!!!

Parenting is already hard enough! Don’t stress trying to draw this yourself! Grab some red paper (or keep it white and let your kid color it)! Grab the printable here.

Sifting + Snowball Bites

November 25, 2016 by Larisha Campbell Leave a Comment

The Seasoned Kids

Lesson 8: Sifting

I have to admit, growing up one of my favorite things to do was to sift, sieve, or strain anything that I was allowed too. It’s such a fun activity as a child to watch. As our girl is getting older, we have been letting her do these things as well and she has the same excitement as I did. Watching things separate when straining is a great lesson for science activities with kids too!