Privacy Policy

Last updated

Effective October 7, 2026

The quick version: Puddles & Play collects basic visit data automatically, plus your email if you sign up for something. We use cookies for analytics, ads and affiliate tracking. We don't collect information from kids, we don't sell your email, and you can ask us to delete your data anytime.

The full answers are below. Using puddlesandplay.com means you agree to this policy. If you don't, please stop using the site.

Is this site for kids?

No. Puddles & Play is for the adults who play with kids: parents, caregivers, teachers and homeschoolers. Our activities and printables are meant to be used with children, under adult supervision, but the site itself is not directed to children under 13.

We don't knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, in line with the U.S. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Kids shouldn't sign up for our emails or send us messages. If you think a child has shared information with us, email [email protected] and we'll delete it right away.

If you send us photos of your kids' crafts, please crop out faces and names first. We won't publish a child's face or full name.

What do you collect?

When you sign up, email or buy:

  • your email address, and first name if you give it, when you request the activity pack or join our list
  • anything you include in an email to us
  • name, email and billing details at checkout for paid printables (card details are handled by our payment processor, and we never see the full number)

Automatically, when you visit:

  • IP address and approximate location (city or region)
  • browser, device type, operating system and internet provider
  • pages viewed, time on page, and the site that sent you (often Pinterest)
  • date and time of your visit, recorded in standard server logs by our host

What do you do with it?

  • run the site and keep it secure
  • figure out which activities people actually use
  • send the downloads and emails you asked for
  • answer your messages
  • show ads that keep the free content free
  • get credit when you buy through our affiliate links
  • stop spam, fraud and abuse
  • follow the law

Do you use cookies?

Yes. Cookies are small files your browser stores so a site can recognize your device later. Puddles & Play and our partners use cookies plus similar tools (pixels, tags, scripts, local storage and web beacons) for analytics, ads, affiliate tracking and basic features like remembering that you closed a pop-up.

You can block or clear cookies in your browser settings. The site still works, but a few features might not. If the law where you live requires consent for non-essential cookies, we'll ask first, and you can change your answer later.

Do you use analytics?

Yes, Google Analytics 4. It tells us which pages are visited, how long people stay and where they come from. It uses cookies and processes technical details about your visit; Google says GA4 does not log or store IP addresses. We look at the totals, not at individuals. More in Google's privacy policy. To opt out, use the Google Analytics opt-out add-on.

Do you show ads?

Yes. Display ads help pay for free activities and printables. We work with, or may work with in the future, third-party ad partners who place ads on the site. They and their advertisers may use cookies, pixels and similar tech to collect info about your visits here and on other sites (device details, pages viewed, ad clicks) to show more relevant ads and measure how they perform.

We don't choose individual ads, and an ad on our site isn't an endorsement. To opt out of interest-based ads:

You'll still see ads, just not personalized ones.

Some links to craft supplies, toys and books are affiliate links, including Amazon links through the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Clicking one lets the retailer set a cookie that shows we sent you, so we may earn a commission if you buy. It doesn't change your price. Retailers handle your order under their own policies. We only see which items sold, never who bought them. More on our disclosure page.

What does the Pinterest button do?

Our pages load Pinterest's Save button script so you can save activities to your boards. When it loads, Pinterest may receive your IP address, browser details and the page you're on, and may set cookies, even if you never click Save. If you're logged in to Pinterest, it may tie that to your account. See Pinterest's privacy policy.

What about videos and other embeds?

Embedded videos or content from other sites act just like a visit to those sites. They may collect data, set cookies and track how you interact with them.

How does the email list work?

Sign up for the activity pack or our newsletter and you'll get the download, then emails with new activities, seasonal ideas before holidays, and sometimes offers for our printables. Our emails may track opens and clicks so we know what's helpful. Every email has an unsubscribe link that works right away, plus our mailing address, as the CAN-SPAM Act requires. Your email is stored by our email service and hosting providers, who use it only for us.

Who gets my information?

We never sell, rent or trade our email list. We only share personal info:

  • with service providers that host the site, send email, measure traffic, process payments or block abuse, under terms that limit what they can do with it
  • with ad and affiliate partners, as explained above
  • when the law requires it, or to protect the safety and rights of our readers, ourselves or others
  • with a new owner if Puddles & Play is ever sold or merged, who would have to honor this policy for that data

How long do you keep it?

  • Email list: until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete it
  • Emails you send us: as long as we need to reply and follow up, then deleted on a regular basis
  • Analytics: up to 14 months
  • Server logs: a short time, for security

Is my data secure?

The site uses HTTPS, our accounts are access-limited, and we use providers with solid security practices. No system is 100% secure, though, so we can't guarantee it.

What are my rights if I'm in the EU, EEA, UK or Switzerland?

You can:

  • see the personal data we hold about you
  • fix anything that's wrong or incomplete
  • have your data deleted
  • limit how we use it
  • object to how we use it, including for marketing
  • get a portable copy
  • withdraw consent anytime (this doesn't undo past processing)
  • complain to your local data protection authority

We rely on your consent for the email list and non-essential cookies, legitimate interests for running and securing the site, and contract for purchases. We reply within one month.

What about California and other U.S. states?

Under the CCPA, as amended by the CPRA, California residents can:

  • know what personal info we collect, use, disclose, sell or share
  • delete personal info we collected from them
  • correct inaccurate personal info
  • opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal info
  • use these rights without being treated differently

We don't sell personal info for money. But ad and analytics cookies may count as a "sale" or "sharing" under California law. To opt out, use the "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link in our footer when it's shown, or email us with that phrase as the subject. We honor Global Privacy Control signals as opt-outs for that browser when our tools can detect them. We answer verified requests within 45 days.

Live in Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Texas or another state with a privacy law? Email us the same way to make a request.

Do you have comments?

Not right now. If you tag us on Pinterest or another platform, that platform's policy covers your post.

Their privacy policies apply there, not ours.

Will this policy change?

Probably, as our tools and the law change. We'll post updates here and change the date at the top. Using the site after an update means you accept it.

How do I reach you?

[email protected] (subject: "Privacy request")

Puddles & Play Mailing address available on request by email