Nod Fun Pages designed by Michelle Romo
Break out the markers and celebrate our presidents with this coloring page. You can download the full size printable coloring page HERE.
Share the finished product on Instagram (use hashtag #landofnod) or our Facebook page and we may feature it!
Nod Fun Pages designed by Michelle Romo
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with your sweet little ones with this adorable printable coloring page. Download the full size printable HERE.
Share the finished product on Instagram (use hashtag #landofnod) or our Facebook page and we may feature it!
Looking for more free printable coloring pages? Check out all our other Nod Printable Coloring Pages!
Post by Rebecca of Not-So-SAHM
I love to put together special little packages for my kiddos for Valentine’s Day, but I try to keep it relatively simple. I usually do one small present, one store-bought candy, and a homemade treat. Nothing over the top, just a little extra “We Love You!” from mom and dad. And these two-ingredient super, super simple candies are the perfect fit! No candy thermometer, no real skill involved. Just a little lovin’.
p.s. my kiddos love a peanut butter + chocolate combo and we have no nut allergies, so I used peanut butter. You can use whatever butter works for you and your kiddos — almond, sunflower seed, whatever.
Marbled Valentine Candies
Ingredients:
Directions:
Rebecca is a mom to two young kiddos and, in her spare time (ha!), likes to pretend she’s a back-up dancer, craft cocktails, and run long distances. A relatively recent SAHM, she blogs family-friendly activities, DIYs and celebration fun at Not-So-SAHM.
Post by Christina of Christina Williams Blog
It’s that time again! Class parties are back in full swing this week. I’ve put it off until the last minute, as usual, and now I’m kicking it into high gear to pull off an awesome Valentine’s Day Class Party on a tiny budget. If you’re in the same boat, don’t worry! I’ve got a plan for you right here; and most of these activities are inexpensive. If you remember my recipe for a class Halloween party, the format is the same. Divide the class into small groups, and rotate to different stations to fill the time. Depending on how your teacher wants to do the Valentine exchange, you’ll have to factor that into your plans. I’ve included the “ingredients” for each party game so you can choose each activity you want and add the items to your shopping list.
Valentine Bingo
Always a hit, and always easy to prepare. I’ve got this free Valentine Bingo printable over on my blog…so head over there to grab the bingo cards. Just grab some small candies to use as markers; or simply cut out some red/pink paper squares if you want to eliminate one more expense, and one more candy consumption for the day. Also make sure to print out an extra board and cut the squares apart so you’ve got calling cards.
Secret Message Valentines
This is fun as a simple craft where the kids write the messages with white crayon and then paint over it with watercolors to reveal the secret message. I’ve also done a fun variation where the parents wrote on the hearts and the kids discovered their love notes when they got to class. Any way you do it, this project is always memorable; and since it requires just a few basic supplies that are usually found at school, it’s practically free.
Valentines Matching Game
Memory games are always easy and fun, too. And this set of single-digit multiplication matching cards involves a little learning, too. You can get them here for free. One part is the equation, and the match is the answer. You can also make your own matching game using the same concept and anything your students are currently learning in class. For younger kids, just cut apart two bingo cards to make a quick, free matching game. I did this with my preschooler this week and she loved it!
Valentines Scroll Letters
Cut a roll of calculator paper into long strips. The kids can make a love note for someone at home….or just draw a bunch of hearts. The length of these papers is perfect for a “10 Things I Love About You” list; or even better, to encourage good self-esteem, have the kids write “10 Things I Love About Myself.” Or use them as Photo Booth props like I did here. No matter how you use them, the novelty of a long piece of paper is always a hit.
Just print off these little game boards, or have the kids draw their own. Then grab some candy and a partner and play tic tac toe. Easy peasy.
Post by Michelle of Avery & Augustine
These Valentine’s Day Weavings were inspired by these fantastic woven place cards made by The Land of Nod’s own Michelle Kohanzo & Danielle Kurtz!
I cut slits at the top and bottom of a piece of card stock (3.5”H x 2.75”W) and wound twine around the card from left to right, through each slit, taping the loose ends to the back of the card. Then, I tied one end of the yarn to the top of the first strand of twine, making a knot. Using a yarn needle, Avery and I took turns weaving the yarn over and under each strand of twine from left to right, working top to bottom until the weaving was done. I tied the yarn to the bottom of the last strand of twine, making a knot, to secure the weaving.
We tucked in patterned hearts made from an old Paper Source wall art calendar, to finish off our valentines. You can also use plain solid-colored hearts with a little Valentine’s greeting written on them, or small letterpress cards, like these from Dolce Press.
I also used this great post at Art Bar Blog as a reference. Thanks to The Land of Nod for sending us a set of suitcases for this post.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all!
You can see Michelle’s work and read about her two young children and their first forays in cooking, art and everything in between at Avery and Augustine.
Post by Corri McFadden of Glitter & Bubbles
Instead of buying candy hearts from the store this year, make your own yummy version! Homemade Valentines Candy Hearts are best way to capture the spirit of Valentine’s Day and it’s much more fun creating your own.
Ingredients
How to Make Homemade Valentines Candy Hearts
1. Start by combining the soda and powdered gelatin in a mixing bowl. Stand by for approximately 5 minutes to allow the gelatin to dissolve into the soda.
2. Next, microwave on high for 30 seconds, this will melt the gelatin entirely so you won’t see any grainy pieces
3. With a hand mixer, add the powdered sugar slowly, ¼ cup at a time. Continue to add the powdered sugar until the dough is stiff. It will be a little sticky, but if it’s extremely sticky, don’t be afraid to add a bit more powdered sugar.
4. Next, dust powdered sugar on a clean surface and being rolling out the dough. Cut the dough into sections according to how many color you want to use.
5. Once you’ve sectioned out your dough, sprinkle it with your choice of food coloring and peppermint extract.
6. Knead the dough until the flavors and colors are fully combined.
7. Roll out the dough so it is about ¼ inch thick, then cut out the shapes using mini heart cookie cutters.
8. After you have cut out the hearts, place them on a piece of parchment paper and allow them to dry 48 hours, flipping them over every so often.
These candy hearts make delicious treats all on their own or as a festive garnish for your Valentine’s Day cupcakes!
Corri McFadden is the owner and founder of eDrop-Off Luxury Consignment. As a Style Expert and successful blogger, she hosts a weekly fashion segment on Chicago’s “You and Me This Morning”, and features “Style Recipes”, videos and Fashion “Must Haves” on her self-titled lifestyle website Corri McFadden. Most recently, she launched Glitter and Bubbles, a modern day moms guide for those looking for inspiration through fashion, food and décor.
Written by Becca of CAKE. | events + design
One of my favorite ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with kids is to invite a few of their friends over to make crafty handmade Valentines. It’s as simple as putting some pillows or poufs on the floor around the coffee table and setting out heart stickers, markers, doilies and other art supplies (think about what you already have on hand!), with a few examples on display. I find it always helps to have a theme for events, no matter how small. In this case I was inspired by the colors of the Every Beat of My Wall Art print to dream up a sweet and modern ‘Love is in the Air’ theme.
No need for classic pink and red at this Valentines gathering- brighten up your palette with modern colors like black + white, or toss in a pop of silver sparkles. Let the kids craft among the clouds… Land of Nod even has cloud corkboards you can use to hang up everyone’s finished Valentines for display. Serve up a few sweets + fluffy treats like whipped cream and fresh berries for snack… and when everyone starts to get sugar high, just pull out a bin of balloons and let a little chaos commence! I swear, balloons are a mom’s best friend in a pinch, and in this case they’re totally on theme.
If you need some help getting your party started – download this free printable I designed. There’s one to use as an invitation and one that makes a pretty swell Valentines card. So go ahead and share the love – happy heart day!
1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8
Color Palette: Pink // Black // White // Aqua
Free Printable Valentines Card/Invite: available here
The Party On series offers inspiration for family friendly parties, featuring items from The Land of Nod that can be practically incorporated into both your event and your home.
Becca Gorski lives in the SF Bay Area, is a working mother of two, and moonlights as an occasional designer / blogger / celebration maker. You can find her creative ideas on CAKE. | events + design, and her line of merry happy party printables on Etsy.
You’ve probably noticed that gallery walls are popping up everywhere you turn, but there’s more than one way to fill a large wall with a mix of artful pieces. When putting together the living room in the Nod Family Home, I created a more flexible version of the popular gallery wall using photo ledges.The great thing about this concept is that it can evolve and change easily to showcase different art, photos and ephemera from your life. Have a new vacation photo? Add it in. Find a great piece of art at a local art fair, prop it up on the ledge. It’s a great way to showcase everything that’s beautiful to you in the moment, without worrying about framing, measuring and wall anchors (man, I hate wall anchors!).Here are some elements I’d recommend adding to your art wall.
Overall, don’t forget to have fun with your art wall. Embrace the playfulness of childhood, and incorporate things that have a bit of that sass. For this wall, we used a handful of mini chalkboards and wrote the words, “sleep, eat, play, repeat,” a little wink at the fun, yet sometimes monotonous routine of a young family. Look at this as an opportunity to showcase little touches of your family that make you smile, and I guarantee it’ll be lovely.
Any cupcake covered in sprinkles is the perfect snack to send out with your little one for Valentine’s Day! Sweet frosting covered with pink hearts is not only irresistible but immediately conveys your message of “I Love You” and your tummy is about to love me back!To create these super cute Valentine’s Day Cupcakes you need cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, water, frosting, and red and pink sprinkles.
Combine the cake mix, vegetable oil, water, and eggs together to create the batter.
Place the cupcake liners in the tins and fill with about ¾ of the way with cake mix. Make sure to leave room at the top! Pop them in the oven and bake with the corresponding time on the cake mix box.
After the cupcakes are done baking, allow them to cool completely before frosting. Frost the cupcakes as preferred, top with a fun assortment of sprinkles, and serve!
Corri McFadden is the owner and founder of eDrop-Off Luxury Consignment. As a style expert and successful blogger, she hosts a weekly fashion segment on Chicago’s “You and Me This Morning” and features more tips and tricks on her website and her site for Mom, Glitter and Bubbles.
Post by Rae Ann of RaeAnnKelly.com
As a graphic designer and mom of 5, my favorite kind of room is one that is layered with function and comfort, but also amazing style, fun patterns, and loads of personality (which is why I heart The Land of Nod so much!). Today’s super-easy DIY is a great example of that philosophy because I’m going to show you how I add a simple cover (in playful patterns you can download) to a light switch. And what’s more functional than a light switch, right!?
You’ll Need:
Here’s How to Make a Light Switch Cover DIY :
Rae Ann blogs at Rae Ann Kelly and is a kid wrangler, graphic designer, food & craft nut. Her blog features little tidbits about her day to day life & design projects, tutorials for DIY’s, free downloads, yummy recipes, lots of kid friendly ideas and outfit inspiration.
Post by Rebecca of Not-So-SAHM
We are incredibly excited for Valentine’s Day this year as it’s the first year Kane gets to hand out valentines at school! I vividly remember making valentines each year for my class and getting so excited to give them to every child — tucking them into whatever little special box or bag we’d made at school for the occasion. But since Valentine’s Day is inevitably chock full of sweetness, we wanted to make a non-candy valentine for all of his friends. I found some really cute mini heart mazes and we set ourselves up with a little early holiday party to make a special package for them. The kids used The Land of Nod’s gorgeous Little Paint Pod Watercolors to paint a teensy-tiny bag. After they dry, we’ll slip a maze inside, and seal it up with a “You’re an aMAZEing Friend!” sticker I made. A perfect non-candy, friendship valentine!
After we’d painted all our valentines, we obviously needed to add in a little sweetness for ourselves. I decorated our work table with the beautiful Heartstring Garland (love that it’s hearts without extra pink!) and Nod’s super sparkly Toot Sweet Party Garland. I’m always incredibly impressed with the durability and thought put into The Land of Nod’s party supplies — they are easy to assemble, store, and re-use in so many different ways. I’m thinking these garlands will find a second home in Cameron’s new big-girl room!
I put out a few sweets for them, including our homemade strawberry marshmallows; some vintage Valentines candies (with hysterical new sayings!); and our Valentines mocktail with pomegranate heart ice. Toot Sweet’s Pretty Birdies Cupcake Kit worked perfectly for our strawberry marshmallows — putting shiny little love birds on top. Just enough treats for a really sweet party.
p.s. Cam is rarely without a gaggle of stuffed animals these days (is that the correct term for a group of stuffies?!), so we set up her favorites at the party in a comfy bed in Ashley Goldberg for Nod’s Lovestruck Organic Floor Bin. Party animals!
Rebecca is a mom to two young kiddos and, in her spare time (ha!), likes to pretend she’s a back-up dancer, craft cocktails, and run long distances. A relatively recent SAHM, she blogs family-friendly activities, DIYs and celebration fun at Not-So-SAHM.
Post by Michelle of Avery & Augustine
Today I’m sharing Nate’s DIY Valentine’s Day Cards . He was super excited to make Valentine’s Day cards this year!
Nate started his Valentines by drawing on pieces of card stock with this set of double-sided Dieco markers. I used a heart-shaped paper punch to make hearts, which we adhered to pieces of turquoise card stock (approximately 3.5”H x 2.75”W) using a tape runner (like this one). I used a white gelly roll pen to write a simple message on each one.
These Valentine cards and little treats can be packaged in little envelopes, glassine bags, cello bags or your favorite packaging. I love how when we look back at these cards in the future, they’ll be a reminder of Nate as a three-year-old, in his current stage of scribbling, learning to draw and experimenting with markers. Stay tuned for one more Valentine’s idea coming up in the next couple of weeks!
You can see similar cards that Avery made when she was a toddler here. Both sets of Valentines were inspired by this post by Lovely Design, one of my favorite artists/bloggers of all time.
Thanks to The Land of Nod for providing us with garlands and the elephant friend for our Valentine-crafting session!
You can see Michelle’s work and read about her two young children and their first forays in cooking, art and everything in between at Avery and Augustine.
Post by Rebecca of Not-So-SAHM 
I know that lots of people out there are over Valentine’s Day, and I get that we don’t need a holiday to tell people we love them. But I love to take a little extra time on this holiday to show my kiddos just how special we think they are. It can’t hurt, right?! And nothing says celebration more to my loves than a kiddie Valentine’s Day mocktail — they think instant party! So I came up with an easy, not too sweet, Valentine’s Heart Mocktail. It technically even has fruit in it (and those pretty pomegranate seeds rise up and down with the bubbles, making for an even more fun treat).
Valentine’s Day Mocktail
Ingredients:
Directions:
Rebecca is a mom to two young kiddos and, in her spare time (ha!), likes to pretend she’s a back-up dancer, craft cocktails, and run long distances. A relatively recent SAHM, she blogs family-friendly activities, DIYs and celebration fun at Not-So-SAHM.
Post by Giulia Doyle, photographer and blogger at Audrey’s
Right now we are in the messy trenches of transforming our unfinished basement into extra living space and guest quarters. While the dust is flying and we can’t see over the stacks of drywall, Danielle, Creative Director at The Land of Nod, and I were brainstorming how this space could look like down the road. I had nautical intentions for the space and pinned beautiful beach side inspired interiors on Pinterest, with lots of nautical blue.
Danielle helped me add a little ‘oomph’ to my ideas by adding bits of modern and unexpected punches of color. In addition to shades of blue, black and white we also added some pink and mustard yellow/gold. We ended up with a Modern Nautical Glam Basement that I’m sure will transform the space into something comfortable, fun and relaxing.
The room is about 600 square feet and I already own most of the large furniture pieces, such as white storage closets, a large white sofa, white bed, white dresser and black and white striped rug. Our goal is to use all of the existing neutral elements and to tie the room together with a bunch of fun Land of Nod accessories – many of them just launched last week!
This is what we’re thinking:
Wood Rock Lamp with Black Shade /Anchor Hook / Ahmaze Quilt / Swiss Dot Sheets / Wallpaper / Small Wood Cubby Shelf / Abstract / Ice Cream Art / Half Tone Basket / Sunburst Mirror / Geo Throw Pillow / Hello Pillow / Abstract Pillow / Patina Rug
So, along with a couple of planned DIYs and the amazing help from The Land of Nod, I think our Modern Nautical Glam Basement transformation will be a success. Stay tuned for a big reveal once we complete the whole project!
I absolutely love this super ball art DIY for two reasons. First, if you can hammer a nail and place an order on amazon, then you can create this very playful art piece for your home, it’s truly that easy. Second, I love taking something ordinary and using it in mass in a way that creates something unexpected. When you first see this, it just looks like a graphic art piece, but upon further inspection, you realize it’s ordinary rubber super balls. I love the challenge of making something extraordinary out of the ordinary, plus it’s just silly, which I also love.
So, here’s the how to for making this super ball art DIY:
Post by Christina of Christina Williams Blog 
So many day I find myself worked into a tizzy because I’m doing some of the same jobs over and over and over. Things that my kids could easily help out with if I took the time to show them how to do it; or encourage (yell at) them to help. Usually when my first request for help goes ignored, though, I take the easier road and just do the work myself. It’s usually just not a battle I want to fight for the day. But if I don’t teach my kids how to clean, who will?
I came up with these cute little Cleaning Passports which take a fun spin on kids cleaning checklists. These will help motivate everyone (including me) to stay up on our cleaning tasks. The tutorial and free printable are over on my blog…so go grab them. Here’s how it works: Each kid has his/her own passport. The passports have a page for each room in the house. The kids earn a stamp for doing a chore in that particular room. Once everyone fills up their passports, we earn a trip to the zoo, a movie night, or some other fun family activity. 
I have a big list of chores (I started with this one) and added to it to fit our needs. The kids can choose jobs, or I assign them, depending on how it’s going. Sometimes I can’t think of age-appropriate chores for my kids, so having a list is quite helpful.
I’ve also got some bonus pages for those overachievers out there. I think it might be a good way for my son to earn extra screen time. The best part is that you can completely customize the passports to suit your needs.
I’ve also rounded up a few more ideas to make cleaning more fun for everyone:
Here are a few of my favorite kids’ cleaning activities from around the web.
So how do you get your kids motivated to help out around the house?
Post by Michelle Sterling of Avery & Augustine
We always like to get a head start on our Valentines since we have many to make and pass out! Our Valentine-crafting session was made festive with these sweet garlands and an adorable elephant friend. This year, Avery and I collaborated and decided to make a Valentine’s Day craft of heart necklaces.
To make the necklaces, we used the thick edge of these great double-sided Djeco markers to make vertical lines on a strip of card stock, repeating the pattern from one edge of the card stock to the other. I used a heart-shaped paper punch to cut out hearts, punched a hole at the top with this tool and strung some yarn through to complete the necklace.
These Valentine necklaces along with little treats can be packaged in glassine bags, cello bags or your favorite packaging. They can also be given out on their own. Can’t wait to see everyone’s Valentine ideas! Dreaming up our Valentine’s cards and crafting them is one of our favorite times of the year. Happy Valentine-making!
Thanks to The Land of Nod for providing us with garlands and the elephant friend for our Valentine’s Day craft session!
You can see Michelle’s work and read about her two young children and their first forays in cooking, art and everything in between at Avery and Augustine.
By Sara Polacek, Interiors & Event Design Manager
When we set out to transform a formal dining room into a playroom for our Nod Family Home, we wanted to keep the overall layout of the dining room so the space could still be used for large family gatherings. This meant floating the play tables in the middle of the room. In a traditional dining room, you’d hang a chandelier above the table, but this room had plenty of other light, so we opted for something more playful. Also, since the room was mostly white, we wanted to add a colorful focal point to bring the look together.
We won’t lie, this isn’t a DIY you can complete in one naptime, but with a few hours of work and a fraction of the cost of a chandelier, you’ll have a beautiful conversation piece for your home. If you don’t need a piece of this size, this DIY would also work well scaled down as a small mobile.
Dowel Rod Chandelier DIY Supply List:
Dowel Rod Chandelier DIY Directions:
Step 1. Wrap/paint dowel rods
Step 2. Make frame.
Step 3. Installation.
Voila! You have a beautiful and playful focal point for your space. For more details about turning your dining room into a playroom and other helpful hints, check out our Design Workshop.
Our Design Services team offers free one-on-one design advice, mood boards and space planning. You have a room to decorate? They’d love to hear from you.
Our new Spring collection is here – and it’s full of products that highlight the joy and playfulness of childhood. Shop the full collection of new kids and baby furniture, bedding, kids rugs and so much more.
Springwood Rocking Chair / Springwood Crib / Springwood Dresser with Changing Table Topper / Well Nested Baby Quilt / Well Nested Crib Sheet / Well Nested Crib Skirt / Aqua Woven Laundry Hamper / Color Fusion Rug
White Jenny Lind Daybed / Dream Sheet Set / Grey Everyday Chic Duvet Cover / Donut Shop Rug / Chalkboard it Up Wall Decals / Bamboo Wall Clock / Pink Antoinette Chair / Bright Letter Throw Pillow / Rainbow Pillow / Kitty Girl Throw Pillow / Triangle Throw Pillow / Typeset Throw Pillow / Plush Unicorns
Mint Metalwork Desk / Acrylic Desk Chair / Mixed Media Table Lamp / Circle Polka Corkboard / Purple Felt Quartz Cube Bin / Knit Blanket
Post written by Rachel, our PR & Social Media Lead
We’re wishing away the cold this month and focusing on Valentine’s Day. We love Shop Sweet Lulu’s idea for a Valentine’s crafternoon. 
Here’s a few more links that are inspiring us this month:
Ever wonder who’s behind The Land of Nod social media accounts? That’s Rachel! When she’s not telling anyone who will listen that she’s not meant to live in cold, snowy Chicago, you will probably find Rachel binge-watching Netflix, reading blogs or in her kitchen making guacamole. Or starting crafting projects that never get finished.
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