Playfully Ever After Blog

Gone are the days of late-night partying — today’s youngsters are all about staying in and crafting. It’s no secret that Gen Z and millennials have turned crafting nights into the new going out, bonding over “junk journaling” and tiny trinket-making like it’s a competitive sport. As a result, social media is flooded with clips of friends huddled around hot glue guns, proving nothing brings people together faster than creating cute clutter. It seems to be not only an inexpensive hobby, but it also serves as an escape from mind-numbing social media scrolling and the stresses of everyday life. With...

"The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" is an ancient Japanese folktale about supernatural beings taking over the night. At an art museum in Boston, artist Masako Miki is bringing the tale into a colorful and even cuddly present-day. Jared Bowen of GBH Boston takes us there for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.Watch the full video at https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/artist-masako-miki-crafts-modern-take-on-ancient-japanese-folklore

Every small business has a story, and ours begins in a garage. Since March 2012, Playfully Ever After has been a family-owned business with a simple goal: create high-quality products that bring creativity and joy to families, classrooms, and homes across the country. Founded by John and Adrienne Burger, what started as a small e-commerce business has grown into a family operation that has proudly fulfilled more than 700,000 orders (as of July 2026). Along the way, it has truly become a family effort. Over the years, our children and John's parents have all pitched in to help cut felt,...

Walk into almost any elementary classroom, preschool, or daycare, and you'll probably find stacks of construction paper ready for the next art project. Construction paper has been a classroom staple for decades—but more and more teachers are discovering a versatile alternative that saves time, reduces waste, and inspires creativity: felt. From bulletin boards and learning centers to art projects and hands-on activities, felt is becoming a favorite classroom material because it's durable, reusable, and incredibly easy for children to use. If you're looking for classroom supplies that will last all year instead of just one afternoon, here's why felt deserves a...

Why Open-Ended Crafts Are One of the Best Ways to Build Creativity in Children In a world filled with screens, schedules, and step-by-step activities, one of the greatest gifts we can give children is the freedom to create. Open-ended crafts—activities without strict instructions or a "right" answer—allow children to imagine, experiment, solve problems, and express themselves in ways that structured projects simply can't. Whether you're a parent, teacher, homeschool family, librarian, or childcare provider, encouraging creative play through simple craft materials can help children develop skills that last a lifetime. What Is an Open-Ended Craft? An open-ended craft is any...