Best Kids and Parenting Posts of 2016

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Happy new year!

Every year at around this time, I like to look back on how Danya Banya went for the year prior, and see which posts were the most popular. It’s always interesting, for me anyway, to see which posts top this list – they are not always the ones that I would have predicted…

Best kids and parenting posts of 2016 on Danya Banya

 

Best Kids and Parenting Posts from 2016

  1. How to Play: Gross Motor Games for Five Year Olds – Wow, I’m surprised this made number 1! It’s actually a sponsored post, about the active games my daughter liked to play in Kindergarten.
  2. TP Roll Monsters! – these are super cute and easy to make! They’d be great for a monster party!
  3. Bottlebrush Flower Art – we tried out a new art technique inspired by these stunning native Australian flowers.
  4. Warnings: How to Discipline Good Kids – this is a parenting post about a new disciplinary system we’ve adopted that has really improved our kids’ behaviour .
  5. Nature Cuffs – I’m so pleased to see this post in the top 10, as we had so much fun making them!
  6. Field of Poppies Art for Kids – we did this for Anzac Day, but it’s perfect for Remembrance Day or Veterens’ Day too.
  7. Clay Echidna – with cute little twig spines!
  8. Healthy Eating Tips for Kids – sharing how we encourage our kids to try (and eat) a wide variety of healthy foods.
  9. Fruit Mummies – we made these as a healthy snack for JJ’s Halloween-themed 6th birthday party.
  10. Jingle Sticks – percussion instrument craft for kids – music that kids can make!

If you missed any of these posts and are looking for a fun activity to do with the kids, pop over and check them out.

 

I also thought it would be fun to look back and see which of my older posts are still doing well.

 

The Top 10 Posts of All Time

These posts, written in previous years, continued to be super popular in 2016.

  1. Two Ingredient Slime that GLOWS! – anything that glows is awesome.
  2. Easy Fireworks Painting for Kids – this one tends to pick up before Fourth of July, Guy Fawkes Night (Bonfire Night), and of course, New Years Eve.
  3. 17 Dice Games for Kids – that teach early maths skills.
  4. DIY Rain Sticks – another percussion instrument kids can make!
  5. Paper Plate Sheep Mask – that toddlers can make. Plus it makes for super cute pics!
  6. 8 Battles I’m Letting My Toddler Win – this is a parenting post about letting go, so I could focus on what’s really important… I don’t have a toddler any more, but I’m still choosing my battles carefully, to make sure they really align with our family values and not societal expectations.
  7. Baby Activity Box – for older babies that love to post! (I can’t believe this post is continuing to do well, all these years later!)
  8. DIY Light Table – this is a good one to try before you pack your Christmas lights away…
  9. Edible Peanut Butter Play Dough – our recipe is lower in sugar, but still VERY addictive delicious.
  10. Glitter Party Poppers – we did this for New Years Eve one year, but they’re great for kids’ parties too.

 

And, in case you’re curious, here are our previous ‘best of’ lists from the last few years.

 

Looking back, I have to admit I’ve felt a little distracted this year. I feel like I’ve had blogging ADHD, being pulled in too many directions without being able to focus well on any one thing, especially with the whole running a second blog thing. We did many (many!) more activities than I’ve managed to find time to write up, which means we’ve been having lots of creative fun! I still have the photos, and I’m always hopeful I’ll find time to write about them. (Maybe one day). In the meantime, I’m content that whatever I can manage, is all I can manage. I started this blog with the intention to motivate me to do more fun activities with my kids, and it’s working! We’re still achieving that goal, even if I only manage to share half the activities here….

How about you? How did your 2016 shape up? Have you been doing some awesome creative activities too? And do you have the magical answer to the ‘not enough time’ question?

xx Danya

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