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boy playing with a stuffed toy in his playroom. The room features a large window, ladder shelving, and a DIY tent.

7 Smart and Creative Playroom Ideas on a Budget

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boy sitting on blankets and pillows in a stylish playroom with a tent and a large window

We all want a perfect Pinterest playroom—a beautiful, well-organized play space for our kids to create, laugh, and be happy. But not many parents can justify buying 12 rattan baskets, three shelving units, and a plush ottoman all in one day. And that’s ok.

Your kids don’t care about the dollar value of their playroom decor. They care about having fun and being kids. The good news is that you don’t have to compromise your aesthetic tastes to create a playroom that’s fun and affordable. Here are some great DIY playroom ideas that make room for kids creative activities at home.

Playroom decorating ideas that don’t cost a fortune

1. Repurpose jars and bottles

From pickle jars to tiny spice bottles, wash them out and keep them. Not only to they make great storage containers for craft supplies like pens, paints, and beads—they also give the room an attractive, eclectic look. You can even turn your jars into craft projects with paint, markers, stickers, and more!

2. Up-cycle shoe boxes

Did you know that you can turn a shoebox into a beautiful storage basket in about fifteen minutes with a hot glue gun, an old pillow case, and some wrapping paper or twine? The colors, patterns, and options are nearly endless—and all of them are cheaper than buying a rattan basket.

3. DIY shelving for small spaces

Nine times out of ten, a piece of MDF and some wall fasteners are going to be cheaper than buying shelves. And they’re not hard to install, either! If you don’t already have tools on hand (screws, a level, a screwdriver), a friend or family member probably does. Try using shelves to create more storage space. Try placing shelves at low heights as an alternative to a table. It’s a great way to make room for kids activities in a small space. You can even paint them to blend with your walls—that’ll make the room look bigger.

4. Make your own wall stencils

You don’t have to be an artist to use this easy alternative to expensive wall decals. Just draw your pattern (stars, leaves, whatever your kid likes) on a piece of card stock, cut it out with an exact-o knife, and paint over the stencil. For bigger wall art, like trees and mountains, try using painter’s tape to create the outline on the wall, then paint.

5. Make comfy sitting areas on the floor

Sure, floating egg chairs and overstuffed armchairs are pretty. But if you’re like most people, you already have extra pillows and blankets on hand in a linen closet. Use these to create a super comfy “nest” in a corner of your play area. It makes a great book nook or nap spot. You can even use spare sheets to create a little tent.

6. Paint a wall with chalkboard paint

Not only does a chalkboard wall look striking, it also allows kids to create on a whim and use a huge canvas. Kids love drawing on the walls, and so do adults! A can of chalkboard paint won’t break the piggy bank, and one can will be more than enough. Check out this post for more chalkboard wall ideas.

7. Shop craft supplies from your recycling bin

Looking for affordable activities for kids? Try saving your cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, sheets of bubble wrap, and more. Paired with tape, paint, or markers, they’re the building blocks for an amazing fort, a pirate’s spyglass, and good old fashioned creative fun. Not only do recycled craft supplies save you money, they also give your child so many more opportunities to use their imagination and create their own craft ideas during playtime.

When you put love and effort into your kids room, it shows. Saving money is just icing on the cake of imaginative play, little giggles, and your child’s growing creativity. Making your own playroom decor? Share your great ideas with the hashtag #PlayRelay on Facebook or Instagram for a chance to be featured on our blog!

 

Top-Requested Features Coming Spring 2019

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Your ideas are coming to life this spring. We’ve listened as families using Relay have shared their experiences and let us know about features that would make Relay even more useful as a communication tool, family GPS tracker, and more—and we’ve been working to make them happen. Now they’re almost ready. Here’s a sneak peek into what you can expect.

Coming this Spring:

sos, direct chat, message history

Get SOS emergency alerts

This feature allows your child to send an emergency notification from their Relay to your smartphone. Along with the notification, you’ll also get a live update of their location so you can make sure they’re safe.

Listen to message history

Never miss a message. With this highly requested feature, you and your child will be able to listen to messages right as they arrive or hear them later with the press of a button. 

One-on-one chats made easy

The Relay app is getting a makeover! In the new app, direct chats will be set up automatically so you can easily reach everyone on your account without manually setting up channels or talking to the whole group.

Coming soon:

geofencing, app only accounts

App-Only Accounts

This will allow for someone without a Relay to create an account and communicate with Relay users by receiving an invitation from the account owner. It’s perfect for grandparents, cousins, and co-parents to stay connected with their families.

Geofencing

Take your kid tracker game to the next level. With geofencing technology, you’ll know when your child is leaving or entering a specific location area by receiving smart alerts that you have set up—without checking your Relay app every minute.

 

And we’re nowhere near finished! We will continue to offer additional improvements through our software updates, so make sure you’re the first to know about new features by tuning into our email updates. You can sign up below.

 

A tired mother, or mombie, sitting on the floor with her face in her hands

Mombie Self Care: Spring Cleaning for Your Routine

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Stressed out mom

You shuffle around the kitchen on a Monday morning, putting on a pot of coffee—only to realize you forgot to add the grounds. Or the water, or even the coffee pot. You might just be a mombie (mom + zombie,) and unless you like drinking plain hot water, something needs to change.

Though it’s not the kind of term a doctor would use, we mamas here at Relay have turned into full-blown mombies ourselves more than once. Some of us have new babies and toddlers (bye, sleep schedule!) Some of us have big kids involved in so many extracurriculars, sports, and clubs that we can’t keep our schedules straight. And some of us have both going on at once. So we try to be super mom, being attentive and supportive every minute of the day, no matter how much we need to sleep or relax. And, while it seems like we’re doing good, we’re only hurting ourselves and our kids by ignoring our own needs.

It’s not easy to get back up when you feel like you’re in a slump, and no single tip or trick will work for everybody, but it’s the season of change and new beginnings—and our self care routines could use some spring cleaning. So from us to you, here are some of the self care strategies that help keep us sane while momming.

How do you know if you’re a mombie? Look for these 5 signs

mombie definition

1. You’re so tired. All the time.

2. You often find it difficult to concentrate—your mind tends to wander.

3. Commitments, responsibilities, and even simple tasks keep slipping your mind.

4. You’re more irritable than you normally are.

5. This has been happening for a while now and it’s not getting better on its own.

 

These symptoms do NOT mean that anything is wrong with you. And being a mombie is not something to poke fun at. We’ve all been there, and it feels terrible. A lot of the symptoms mombies show boil down to two big causes: exhaustion and chronic stress.

Should you just power through it?

Please don’t. Pushing yourself when you’re mentally and physically exhausted leads to way more negative outcomes than positive ones. Here are some of the reasons why:

Sleep deprivation is unhealthy for you and your family

It makes everything from chopping vegetables to driving a car more dangerous. And it’s not just because you’re at risk of dozing off. Here are some other side effects of not getting your rest.

  • Exhaustion impairs your memory. You’re more likely to forget about items on your to-do list, work tasks, and even basic things like paying a bill or bringing the grocery list to the store. And with kids to care for, that’s far from ideal.
  • Your brain power is on low-battery mode. That means it’s difficult or impossible to make quick judgement calls and use critical thinking skills. It also means your physical reaction time is delayed. And that can be dangerous.

Some people also experience mood changes and decreased tolerance for BS when they’re tired. We get it, us too. We’ll get into strategies for more sleep later.

Chronic stress is unhealthy—even more than you’d expect

Maybe all the things slipping through the cracks these days makes you a stressed out mom. Maybe the responsibility of guiding your child on the path towards independent, functioning adulthood is daunting. Whatever the case, chronic stress leads to all sorts of undesirable outcomes.

  • Chronic stress is different than normal bad stress. When we’re stressed, our bodies produce cortisol. It’s a hormone that helps us get out of a bad situation in the short term, but kind of makes a mess of things when the cause of our stress (and the cortisol) stick around long-term. Everything from our mental state to the quality of our sleep to our blood pressure is fair game, so for the sake of your personal health, it’s best to find a way to deal with stress.
  • When you’re stressed, you are unable to be as empathetic or patient as you would normally be. And as moms, that’s pretty much what we’re expected to do day-in, day-out. Maybe it manifests in yelling when the kids are out of control. Maybe you are unkind to yourself when you are truly doing the best you can under the circumstances.

If reading about stress is stressing you out, don’t worry. We’re done talking about problems. Now, let’s talk solutions.

Have we convinced you that self-care is important yet?

We’ve covered all the reasons you should take care of yourself, so here are some ideas of how to actually get it done in between working and momming and the rest of your schedule. Every situation is different, but here are some strategies that have worked for the moms around here.

1. Ask for help. You have every right to

Your partner is just as responsible for watching the kids as you are, so if you don’t usually take them up on it, start to. If that’s not an option, ask a family member or a sitter. Have a spa day at home or enjoy an activity you find relaxing while they take the reigns for a few hours.

2. Practice good sleep hygiene

If your kids are making it through the night but you are still unable to get your 8 hours, try taking a look at your bedtime routine. Quick tips include limiting naps to 30 minutes, limiting caffeine in the evening, keeping your bedroom a quiet peaceful place that is for sleeping (and nothing else!) and sticking to a wind-down routine in the evenings. Cortisol, the stress hormone we talked about earlier, will keep you awake and give your mind plenty of opportunity to race while you should be sleeping—so winding down and de-stressing after a long day is essential.

3. With babies, take naps to keep up

If you’re losing sleep at night for reasons that can’t be avoided with sleep hygiene alone (like a new baby,) make up for it during the day. Try to nap while they nap until they can make it through the night. Exhaustion is no joke, and it’s way easier to be your best self when you get enough sleep.

4. Keep up with friends, family, hobbies, and relationships

You are everything you were before you became “mom,” and forgetting to make time for things you like to do can be distressing. So, with babysitter, partner, or grandparent on retainer, go out and do things you love doing. As well, having the love and support of important people in your life can significantly help with stress.

5. Take some time to think about the things that stress you out

Sometimes we are stressed out and can’t even put our finger on why. We can’t solve anything without knowing what to fix. And once you know what, if anything, is stressing you out, you will have way more power to fix it. Even little things like picking out clothes and planning meals in advance can take so much weight off your shoulders. Pro Tip: do your contemplating during the day—don’t let it keep you up at night!

It’s worth mentioning that if you are getting adequate sleep, dealing with your stress in positive ways and still feel zombie-like, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor for help.

What do you do when you feel like a mombie? Tell us in the comments!

 

soccer player with relay

Relay: The Best Solution for Sports Team Communication

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We love being a part of our community — and in Raleigh, NC we’ve been able to use Relay to help solve problems by giving the gift of safe, secure, and easy to use communication. We’ve found that Relay really shines in youth sports — where durability really matters and kids cell phone watches become limiting for team communication (not to mention cumbersome to use.) For example, take our partner NCFC Youth.

Relay is a fan of NCFC from Relay on Vimeo.

Check out this NCFC Youth exclusive offer for 10% off Relay!

“We believe it’s important to teach the girls about communication, and Relay has helped us to do that. The girls need to understand they can’t chat without thinking about how it will affect someone else that may be listening. Relay opens the door to teaching them about the value, and consequences, of verbal communication.” -NCFC parent

Team building activities for kids, featuring Relay

We love coming out to soccer games and meeting these active kids and their parents! And when talking to parents, we realized they had a problem we could solve: the kids didn’t have a good way to talk to each other when they weren’t at practice. Since a significant part of team building and deepening friendships happens off the field, we wanted to see if Relay could keep their teams and their families connected.

“One of the parents set up a group chat for the team. It has been fun to listen to the girls chat amongst themselves, everything from coordinating tournament day gear to where they’ll eat after the game.” -NCFC Parent

With the launch of our cross-account chat feature in December 2018, we were eager to see what kids and parents had to say now that they could talk to friends and teammates as well as parents and siblings. With the help of our friends at NCFC Youth, we were able to give a whole team of 9-10 yr old girls their very own Relays—and the response has been one of overwhelming fun! Have questions about Relay? Check out our FAQ page!

And it’s not just for kids — try the free app for parents

Don’t worry, you don’t have to buy a Relay for every member of the family to communicate. The Relay app is totally free and available for your iPhone or Android. Use the in-app walkie talkie function to contact your kid after practice, and get on-demand GPS updates so you know exactly where they are.

“We loved Relay so much, we bought a second one for my older son. Now we can reach both kids no matter where they are in the soccer complex.” -NCFC Parent

Through the Relay app, parents can set up family chat channels, chats for friends, and even chat channels to keep up with grandparents, cousins, and extended family. Plus, download music for those long tournament drives so everyone to listen to their favorite tracks. Get more info about all of our fun and kid-friendly channels here!

soccer player with relay

Making Relay even better for active families

One amazing gift NCFC has given us is real life feedback about how Relay works for their families. These parents and kids have real feedback, which we’re taking back to our product team to keep Relay getting better! Things like:

  • 5 channels isn’t enough to customize chat groups and use all the features

Done and done. Relay now has 25 fully customizable channels for group chat, 1:1 chat, and a host of fun features. And all features are set up and approved by parents, so you always know your child is safe.

  • Leaving a message for later

Stay tuned for a new feature that lets you leave your child a message. Soon you’ll be able to reach your child even when Relay has to stay on the bench during practice. Ready to get a Relay for your family? Check out this NCFC Youth exclusive offer!

kids walkie talkie in the grass

50 Fun and Creative Spring Activities for Kids

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When we were kids, playing outside was as natural as breathing. We’d fill our after school hours with play, siblings, friends, and imagination. But things are a little different now. Our kids have more options than we did. And, more often than we’d like, they choose to spend the most beautiful months of the year indoors playing video games, tapping a tablet screen, or watching YouTube—or they would if we let them.

With the first day of spring just around the corner, it’s up to us to help our children carry on our playtime traditions. This spring, you can share you favorite childhood crafts and activities with your kids and get the whole neighborhood off their tablets and outside enjoying the gorgeous spring weather. Here are 50 unplugged and super fun outdoor activities and craft ideas to get you started.

kids walkie talkie in the grass

Essential springtime ideas for kids

  1. Find the best climbing tree in the neighborhood
  2. Have a neighborhood scavenger hunt
  3. Be a superhero and save the neighborhood
  4. Build a top secret fort out of cardboard boxes
  5. Play 4-square in the driveway
  6. Visit a botanical garden and see the new flowers
  7. Chase fireflies in the evening
  8. Have a family picnic
  9. Make a backyard obstacle course
  10. Decorate the cul-de-sac with sidewalk chalk
  11. Learn how to walk on a slackline
  12. Build a blanket fort inside on a rainy day
  13. Play backyard hide and seek
  14. Make (but don’t eat) mud pies and potions with things you find outside
  15. Help out in the garden with digging, weeding, and watering
  16. Make art projects and have a not-so-silent auction
  17. Play kick the can with friends
  18. Have a campout in the backyard
  19. Play explorers and document the strange neighborhood wildlife (aka the neighbor’s cat)
  20. Learn to hang upside down on the monkey bars
  21. Pick wildflowers for mom and dad
  22. Learn which trees are which from their spring flowers (myrtles, dogwoods, pears, etc.)
  23. Splash around in mud puddles when it rains
  24. Learn how to whistle with an acorn cap or piece of grass
  25. Roller skate with friends or siblings
  26. Make flower crafts like a necklace/crown
  27. Catch (and release!) tadpoles and critters
  28. Find shapes in the clouds and tell stories about them
  29. Go on a fishing trip with parents and siblings
  30. Play red rover in the yard
  31. Rummage in the garage for hidden treasure
  32. Play street hockey
  33. Race bikes
  34. Build a bird feeder and watch the baby birds start to fly
  35. Go geocaching
  36. Organize your own olympics with the neighborhood kids
  37. Bury treasure and make a treasure map
  38. Look for pretty rocks and stones (bonus for identifying them!)
  39. Leave tiny snacks out for the fairies in the yard and garden (they love acorns!)
  40. Make friendship bracelets
  41. Go to the farmer’s market and try a fruit/veggie you’ve never had before
  42. Organize a game of cul-de-sac kickball
  43. Play spies and go on a secret undercover mission
  44. Decorate bikes for a spring-themed neighborhood parade
  45. Hunt for 4-leaf clovers
  46. Have a hula hoop contest
  47. Set up a lemonade stand
  48. Play freeze tag
  49. Be pretend warriors and defend the house from imaginary invaders
  50. Create your own game or art activity and play it with friends or sibling

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu1FXfnjjKJ/

Want to save this list for later? Click below for the free printable version. Frame it, cut it up and stick it in the bored box, or tack it to the fridge.

Whether running free in the neighborhood or making spring crafts with their siblings in the backyard, we love seeing our kids interact with the world around them and enjoy active play – especially when we know they’re safe. While some of these ideas are meant for the whole family, others are for kids to enjoy solo or with friends. Be sure to check out our tips for keeping kids safe and entertained during outdoor play with grab-and-go adventure packs.

Tell us in the comments: what games did you play when you were a kid? Do your kids play them, too?

 

playing outside in the springtime

How to Make an Adventure Kit for Your Tiny Explorer

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kids playing soccer in the springtime

 

New leaves are sprouting.

Pack up the heavy jackets.

The clock springs forward.

 

That was our springtime haiku—because the first day of spring is almost here! And it’s the perfect time for outdoor play, especially since you’re about to get an extra hour of daytime after school! (Thank you, daylight savings!)

And what better way to get your kid ready for outdoor adventures than making them a ready-to-roll adventure pack full of everything they need to have fun and stay safe in the neighborhood? No need to buy anything fancy, either. You can put this pack together using things you have around the house! Here’s what you’ll need:

Essential adventure kit supplies:

on-the-go bag for kids

1. Small backpack (a drawstring one is fine)

2. Sunscreen

3. Bug Spray

4. Relay

5. Water Bottle

6. Snackies

7. Play kit of the day

 

 

You can keep the sunscreen and bug spray at home to apply before leaving if you want, but they’re good to have around to avoid sunburn and keep away pesky mosquitoes as the weather gets warmer. With the loop case, Relay can be clipped to their bag so it stays close when you need to reach them.

Play kit ideas for outdoor adventures

We love pretend play—it’s one of the most magical parts of being a kid! It’s easy to put together a few props to create different themed play kits. If you put the props in a gallon-sized bag, your kid can easily grab it and throw it in their adventure pack before dashing out the door. And you don’t have to break the piggy bank to put these kits together. For our imaginative kids, everyday objects and things you make yourself are amazing playtime props. Here are our top 3 favorite play kit ideas and everything you’ll need to make them.

The super-sneaky detective kit

  • A magnifying glass (a toy one is fine and less breakable!)
  • A notebook and pen for recording clues
  • Disguises, like sunglasses and a fake mustache
  • Evidence bottles (Try washing out small spice jars!)
  • Tweezers (for picking up evidence like a professional)

The adventurous outdoor exploration kit

  • Binoculars (real or made of cardboard tubes and tape)
  • Disposable camera for snapping fantastic nature shots
  • Bird, bug, or plant book (to identify the mysterious wildlife)
  • Explorer’s hat and vest (optional!)
  • A map of the terrain (your drawing skills are good enough, I promise!)

The notorious pirate kit

  • A trusty cutlass (a foam one will do. Or a stick. Or an empty roll of wrapping paper.)
  • Bandana or pirate hat (look for great sales after halloween!)
  • Spyglass (try painting the cardboard tube from an empty paper towel roll!)
  • Pirate Treasure (anything shiny, like plastic coins, tumbled stones, etc.)
  • A treasure map (Again, your drawing skills are more than enough!)

We hope your kids have a blast this spring! And remember, when you refer your first friend to Relay, you get our on-the-go bag for free, with a drawstring bag, water bottle, and Relay sweatband. Just some food for thought. 😉

So let us know in the comments: what pretend games do your kids like to play? 

 

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