Change the medium

If your kids always want to help with the dog food and this is what happens...

Change the medium!

Great play. Lots of fun. Doesn't feel so gross or wasteful!

SO glad it's nice enough out for OUTSIDE sensory bins! I've been wanting them to be able to do this for so long but have been unwilling to deal with the mess I was sure would result!

Mmmmmm spaghetti

In and Out

Easy, simple, fun!
Pom Pom balls and a grape tomato container.

Working side by side

This was Alivia's first time with dot markers. FUN!

Enough of a mess that I think we'll wait to introduce regular paint until it's diaper only weather on the patio!

This is what happens

When you say...
"No hitting! Kisses!"

What a difference a year makes....

It is hard to believe that this little girl...

Has already grown into this walking, babbling, giggling, playful, melt-your-heart-with-a-smile BIG girl!

Happy 1st Birthday!

A rainbow cake experiment...

YUM!"Hey, this cake eating business is messy stuff!"

Trying to decide which is more fun - the tissue paper in the package or what might be lying beneath in the bag!

The rocking horse is a HUGE hit!

(of course, within 5 minutes she has already learned to climb on forwards, backwards, and ride standing up! eeek!!!)

I think I might be going through a "my baby is growing up" crisis! I know, she's only ONE....but...how did she stop being a BABY so fast?!!?!??!?!

Can of Worms

I got this idea from this wonderful blog

Pulling "worms" out of a can with tweezers.

It was kind of tough with the tweezers and WAY too easy with the fingers. So, despite high hopes, this activity lasted about 5 minutes. But, it cost about TWO CENTS (if that) so it doesn't really matter.

I think I would try this with a younger child (18-24 months) and forget the tweezers. It all depends on your child's development AND their willingness to follow rules like "ONLY with the tweezers!"

What you Need:

- an empty plastic container with lid

- a scissors or something to cut holes in the top

- pieces of yarn with knots tied in the top

- a tweezers

New Games

I saw this idea on another blog and thought Jaden might like it too.

I traced the outline of some kitchen utensils (although I wished I had larger paper) and set him to matching.

He LOVED an excuse to play with the things mommy cooks with!
Don't ask me what the black thing is though! I just found it in the drawer and it fit on the paper. Any ideas?

I've also been trying to be a bit more deliberate about transferring activities.
Beans have been a favorite.
I put out rice yesterday. He had fun with that too - until he tried to eat some. For some who have commented on how their kids would eat things like that.....

Well, we talked about how it wasn't cooked so we couldn't eat it. And, I knew it wouldn't injure him if he tried it. He played with it off and on most of the day before he tried to eat some. And....he realized QUICKLY that it doesn't taste good!

I guess this falls under the idea of letting your kids make decisions when the consequences are "affordable" (a book I'm reading) or allowing them opportunity to discover without trying to protect them from everything. (a reading/discussion blog I'm following).

Higher Higher

Jaden has a favorite song on the Watoto Children's Choir CD - Higher Higher. He watches the video at Grandma H's all the time so we've been working on the actions. Actually, he's teaching me how to do them right.

First of all, I just think it's funny that he's sitting in this laundry basket WITH a giant beach ball. I thought he'd get mad at the ball once he got in but I guess he just wanted to be a sardine.

And here's the dancing