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Views From a Step Stool

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No-Mess Caramel Apple Popcorn

No-Mess Caramel Apple Popcorn

October 25, 2016 By Katie Chiavarone Leave a Comment

My favorite Fall food (if you consider it that) is caramel apples. YUM. It also happens to be one of my favorite things to eat in Disney World…have you seen all of the fun character apples they make?! We have started doing family movie night at home, and as part

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Filed Under: Fall, Recipes

Semi-Homemade Lion Guard Cupcake Cake 

Semi-Homemade Lion Guard Cupcake Cake 

October 19, 2016 By Katie Chiavarone 1 Comment

My kids love the new Lion Guard show on Disney Junior. Zuka Zama! I have this thing about homemade cakes for birthdays. I recognize that a store-bought cake would most likely better match the desires of my kids on their birthday, but my mom always made us a homemade birthday

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Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: birthday cake, birthday party, cake, disney, party, semi-homemade

Haystacks Snack for Kids: Farm Themed and Kid Made

Haystacks Snack for Kids: Farm Themed and Kid Made

October 10, 2016 By Katie Chiavarone 6 Comments

This adorable haystacks snack is the perfect farm themed treat for kids! Perfect for a farm-themed activity with the book ‘Little Blue Truck’.   The book Little Blue Truck is perfect for young kids. The animal and truck sounds are catchy amidst the wonderful story about friendship and teamwork. All

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Filed Under: Learn Through Play, Recipes

Homemade Finger Paint Recipe: Gentle on the Skin

Homemade Finger Paint Recipe: Gentle on the Skin

July 21, 2016 By Katie Chiavarone Leave a Comment

Have you seen the new Ghostbusters movie yet? My oldest son loves the old movies and anything Ghostbuster related. So, we decided to finger paint some ghosts! This homemade finger paint was the perfect recipe for some fun, outdoor summer sensory play and art. And, easy to make and gentle

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Filed Under: Arts & Crafts, Babies, Elementary, Learn Through Play, Outdoors, Preschool Arts& Crafts, Preschoolers, Recipes, Sensory, Summer, Toddler Arts & Crafts, Toddlers, Uncategorized Tagged With: art, diy, gentle, Homemade, kids, paint, play, preschoolers, Sensory, toddler

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Brownie Bites

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Brownie Bites

February 10, 2016 By Katie Chiavarone 10 Comments

These strawberry cheesecake brownie bites are DELICIOUS and will take you less than 10 minutes to whip them up! They make the perfect last-minute party treat! These treats are semi-homemade because we just took the Entenmann’s Little Bites fudge brownies as our base, made some no-bake cheesecake, and topped them

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Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized, Valentine's Day Tagged With: baking, cooking, dessert, no-bake, treats, valentines day

Simple Ways to Nourish Your Child’s Imagination

Simple Ways to Nourish Your Child’s Imagination

January 15, 2016 By Katie Chiavarone 6 Comments

Imagination and creativity are integral components of play in children. As we get older, we tend to focus less on imagination and more on reality. That is, until you have children of your own. They plant you right in the middle of a tea party with stuffed animals, take you

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Filed Under: Edible Sensory Play, Preschool Science, Recipes, Sensory, Sponsored Work Tagged With: breakfast, healthy, imagination, minerals, moms, nesquik, preschoolers, pretend play, toddlers, vitamins

Christmas Tree Brownies: Kid-Made Holiday Treats

Christmas Tree Brownies: Kid-Made Holiday Treats

December 22, 2015 By Katie Chiavarone Leave a Comment

Are you looking for a super quick Christmas dessert that you can make with your kids? Look no further! These Christmas tree brownies are SUCH an easy treat and can be made completely homemade, or from a box (in our case). We were inspired by these from One Little Project. My

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Filed Under: Christmas, Holidays, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: baking, brownies, christmas, christmas tree, goodies, kids activities, party food, treats

Homemade Puff Paint from Pantry Items 

Homemade Puff Paint from Pantry Items 

December 10, 2015 By Katie Chiavarone 2 Comments

Christmas is quickly approaching which means time off from school and spent at home with the family…this can leave a lot of moms with that overwhelming of feeling of “how do I keep them busy and entertained??”, especially once Christmas is over, and you have those few days before the New

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Filed Under: Arts & Crafts, Preschool Arts& Crafts, Recipes, Toddler Arts & Crafts, Uncategorized Tagged With: boredom buster, kids art, paint, stay at home mom

7 Sweet Treats for a Kids Holiday Party!

7 Sweet Treats for a Kids Holiday Party!

December 4, 2015 By Katie Chiavarone 2 Comments

One of my favorite parts of any holiday is the opportunity for a super fun kid’s party. My son loves to get together with a few of his friends and celebrate. I always enjoy planning some activities, like renting a minion jumping castle melbourne for extra excitement, but I especially love

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Filed Under: Christmas, Holidays, Recipes Tagged With: christmas, desserts, Holidays, kids parties, kids treats, party, treats

Homemade Almond Milk

Homemade Almond Milk

August 27, 2015 By Katie Chiavarone Leave a Comment

  My 4 year old loves to experiment with different milks. He is currently on a goat milk kick right now 🙂 I had the opportunity to try out the Everyday Select Nut Milk Bag (found on Amazon) to make our own almond milk! You can actually use the bag

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Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: Recipe

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Welcome to Views From a Step Stool!

Welcome to Views From a Step Stool!

I am a mom to three little ones and love to create and explore every day with them! We have open minds and messy hands, come join in our adventures!

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What’s New

  • 12 Snowman Crafts for Kids
  • 10 Elf on the Shelf Printables to Download
  • 12 Elf on the Shelf Ideas
  • Candy Corn Sensory Bin
  • Emotions Sensory Bag
  • 10 Thanksgiving Handprint Crafts

What’s New:

  • 12 Snowman Crafts for Kids
  • 10 Elf on the Shelf Printables to Download
  • 12 Elf on the Shelf Ideas
  • Candy Corn Sensory Bin
  • Emotions Sensory Bag
  • 10 Thanksgiving Handprint Crafts
  • Build a Jack-o-Lantern Sensory Craft
  • Breakfast Smoothies for Kids with BlendJet Portable Blender
  • 12 Outdoor Painting Ideas for Kids
  • Educational Sensory Bin Ideas
  • 12 Animal Sensory Bin Ideas for Kids
  • 10 Insect Themed Sensory Bins
  • 12 Bee Crafts for Kids
  • 15 Easter Chick Crafts for Kids
  • 15+ Earth Day Crafts for Kids
  • St. Patrick’s Day Emotion Cut and Paste Printable Activity
  • Valentine’s Day Charades Words
  • Printable Color by Number Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids
  • Valentine’s Day Kindness Countdown Calendar: Free Printable
  • Valentine’s Day Pixel Art Color by Number: Free Printables

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