Hey — We're Emma & Nate 🎨
A preschool teacher and a stay-at-home dad who believe the best screen-free moments start with a simple idea and a messy table.
How Little Hands Started
Emma had been teaching preschool for seven years when she noticed something: the activities kids loved most weren't the fancy, Pinterest-perfect ones — they were the messy, simple, "grab what you have" projects. Shaving cream painting. Baking soda volcanoes. Paper plate animals. The simpler the setup, the more creative the kids got.
Nate, at home with their two kids (ages 3 and 6), was constantly searching for "easy activities for kids" and drowning in content that required 15 specialty supplies and looked nothing like the photos. He started adapting Emma's classroom ideas for home use. When other parents at the playground kept asking "where do you find all these ideas?" they realized there was a real need. Little Hands was born.
Meet Emma
Emma is a licensed early childhood educator with a master's in child development from the University of Minnesota. She designs the activities, writes the learning extensions, and provides the age-adaptation tips. She knows exactly how long a 3-year-old's attention span lasts (shorter than you think) and builds every activity around that reality. Her superpower is turning everyday objects into magical experiences. Outside of Little Hands, she still teaches part-time, runs a community playgroup on weekends, and has strong opinions about the correct consistency of homemade playdough.
Meet Nate
Nate is the at-home testing lab. As a stay-at-home dad, he runs every single activity with their own kids before it goes on the site. If it's too complicated, too messy (yes, there's a line), or just not fun — he'll flag it. He handles the photography, the step-by-step instructions, and the "real talk" notes about what actually happened during testing. His writing style is honest and funny because parenting is both of those things. Off-duty, he coaches a pee-wee soccer team, builds blanket forts of architectural complexity, and makes the best grilled cheese in the neighborhood (the kids' words).
What We Promise
- Tested by real kids. Not staged for photos. Every activity is done by actual children and documented honestly — mess and all.
- Simple supplies. If it needs 10+ specialty items, it's not going on the site. We keep it accessible.
- Age-appropriate. Clear age ranges and adaptation tips so you're not setting up a project that's way too hard (or way too easy).
- Fun comes first. Learning is baked in, but we never sacrifice joy for educational objectives. If kids aren't laughing, we're not done.
Family Time
Emma, Nate, and their two kids live in Minneapolis, surrounded by parks, lakes, and an art supply store that knows them by name. They spend weekends at nature centers, children's museums, and the backyard where most Little Hands activities get their first test run. They also volunteer at a family shelter, bringing art supplies and running craft sessions for kids who need a creative outlet.
Have an activity idea, a parenting question, or just want to share what your kids made?
We’d love to hear from you on our Contact page! 🌈