Crafts, DIY, Parenting, Activites and More

Yummy Eats for Picky Kids

8/22/2016

I don't know about you but I have a VERY hard time finding something that my kids will eat at home other than plain spaghetti noodles. I don't really know how this happened to me. As babies I made my own baby food and always made sure they had balanced meal options but now, they won't even eat macaroni and cheese! Every time I make them a meal I feel like a horrible mom because I either branch out with something new that they won't eat or I serve them the same meal of plain noodles some fruit and a yogurt over and over again! So, I decided to brainstorm and utilize pinterest to get some inspiration. I've come up with a quick reference guide that I plan on taping inside my pantry door. This way, when I go to prepare them something I can mix it up a bit while keeping within their VERY limited range of acceptable options. Hopefully it will help all of us get through the daily horror that is dinner time!

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Mommy Camp Around the World: Spain

6/18/2016

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Week two of Mommy Camp focused on a country close to my heart, Spain! As a Spanish teacher and past visitor to the beautiful country, I was pretty excited to share a little of it's culture and color with my kids. We learned about bullfighting and flamenco. Got crafty with some culture based projects. Made some delicious food and got inspired by Picasso, Miró and Gaudí.

Before we could experience Spain we had to "fly" there first! We got the dramatic play airport items and travel stuff. The kids were issued new tickets from Brazil to Spain (Brazil was last week) and took a plane ride. It was just as fun this week as the first when we travelled to Brazil. You can see how I created all of the dramatic play airport items in this post.

Lilly was pretty excited about our pretend trip and ticket.

The security area with "x-ray" baggage check is very popular.

Arthur was the pilot this week!

Once we "landed" the kids were able to enter the area I set up to represent Spain. I created a mural of sorts using brown butcher paper and oil pastels. On their table I placed the books for the week, two Spanish fans, some fake euros and castanets. We also looked at the map to discuss where we travelled and the weather there versus the weather where we live. Then we watched this video about Madrid.

Once we had "landed" it was time for breakfast. We made magdalenas which are a very eggy lemon muffin that is popular in Barcelona. You can find the recipe in my original MC post that includes ALL of the recipes! (I had planned to make something different and save these for later when we focused on Barcelona but these were quick and we were hungry!) After eating we learned about Miró and his art, watched this video and created Miró inspired art by looking at google images.

Zesting a lemon for the Magdalena muffins.

Arthur had to help too.

Mixing the dough. I forgot to snap a picture of them when finished but, they just look like yellow muffins. :) They tasted nice.

Getting inspired by Miró.

Arthur just did a little scribbling. He get's really excited when he's given a marker.

Lilly's finished Miró inspired drawing.

After all of that fun we learned a little about bull fighting by reading the book "The Story of Ferdinand" and then watching the cartoon. We discussed how the practice of bull fighting is not nice even though it is a popular element in Spanish culture. Then we created a toilet paper tube bull using a free printable from crayola. We also watched a video of men in Spain doing the Corrida or bull fighting dance. Before nap we also had a blast playing a popular hand clapping game called "Mariposa" we literally spent at least 40 minutes doing this over and over again. They loved it!

Once we finished learning about bull fighting, we focused on flamenco. We started out by reading the book "Lola's Fandango". We also listened to it using the CD that came with the book. Then we played with some flamenco dancer finger puppets that I made, colored a worksheet, made castanets and Spanish fans and even attempted to learn a few flamenco steps using this video.

I sketched out these dancing figures onto a piece of cardboard that was leftover from the tambourine pie pans of Brazil week. Then I cut them out. Easy and fun!

Flamenco dancer finger puppet!

They were both proud of their flamenco coloring sheets.

Making castanets was SUPER easy! A piece of cardboard with two buttons hot glued and the cardboard folded in half. Voila!

Once they were made, they colored the outside portion of the cardboard.

Lilly posing like a flamenco dancer.

Making the fans was also very easy. All you need is construction paper, hot glue, two popsicle sticks and a small rubber band. I used a tiny hair elastic.

After they decorated their paper, we accordion folded it and got glued the popsicle sticks to both end. Then I wrapped the two sticks together with the hair elastic.

So silly! You'll have to excuse the mostly naked baby. This is how I roll.

Attempting to learn a few flamenco steps.

Arthur thought his fan was really fun...for hitting with. It was promptly taken away.

We ended the day with breakfast for dinner by making Spanish tortilla and churro waffles. Both recipes can be found at my original MC post. Let me say, those churro waffles were Ah-May-Zing! Lilly helped with making them and everyone had seconds!

Our final focus was on famous artists from Spain. First we discussed Picasso and looked at some of his art. Then we created our own Picasso inspired cubist portrait paper bag costumes inspired by this website. They literally spent at least 20 minutes walking around with paper bags on their heads and giggling whenever they ran into anything. It was hilarious! We also had a Spanish inspired lunch of bocadillos which is just a fun way of saying sandwiches. We ended our Spain week by learning about Antoní Gaudí. We watched this fantastic video for kids about him and then worked on our own mosaic animals. Lilian, however, got a bit bored with the detail required to complete it and ended up coloring a large portion of her unicorn yellow. She is only 5 so coloring any portion with "tiles" was good with me. Arthur wanted nothing to do with it and was promptly put down for a nap after writhing in the floor in protest.

And here are my horrible photoshopped pics of our trip!

We had a great time on our "visit" to Spain! Next week we're off to Italy! There'll be a dramatic play italian restaurant, lessons about the opera and so much more! I can't wait!

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Mommy Camp: Around the World - Brazil

5/31/2016

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We started our MC journey this summer by flying south to Brazil! You can see how I made all of the airplane dramatic play items in this post. Before our "trip" we learned about airplanes and read the book "The Noisy Airplane Ride". They showed me their plane tickets (I discuss how I made them here.) , went through airport security with their luggage (described here) and piloted the plane with this handy control panel. We even had an airplane themed treat! The flight there was fun but it was just beginning!

In preparation I created all of the dramatic play airplane stuff and you can read about it here. We also decorated our "suitcases". I had lots of different ideas for how we would create the suitcases but ended up buying two unpainted wooden boxes with hardware already attached from Hobby Lobby for about $6 each. I let Lillian choose her colors and we purchased fun, travel themed stickers for decorating. Then we painted them, let them dry and applied the stickers. I didn't realize how much of a hit these little boxes would be but, each kid carries them around all day. Arthur even wanted to sleep with his!

Once we landed, I stamped their passports (You can find the document for your own passport and stamps here.) and we discussed the journey by looking at a map. Then, we explored our new surroundings. I hung green streamers from the light fixture, added a plant, tropical themed stuffed animals and some green pillows on the floor, and hung a raffia door curtain with green streamers in the doorway. Then I placed safari hats, the books for the week about Brazil and binoculars on the table along with some fake Brazilian Reales, and the items from the Raiforest Toob. I also placed lizards around the room and placed Lilly's bug jar and plastic bugs on the table.

It was a pretty fun day and a great way to kick off our 2nd Annual Summer Mommy Camp. As always there were several things we didn't get to but, I'm sure I can work them in on a different day in the future. You can see my lesson plan including all of the things I didn't get to here. Have fun and thanks for visiting!

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Leaving on a Jet plane: PREPPIng for Mommy Camp

5/31/2016

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I always prep for each week of MC on the week leading up to it and/or the night before. It really depends on the amount of craziness I've decided to undertake as well as how tired I am after the craziness of each day. I kicked off MC today but, because we had friends over last night I didn't feel like doing anything once they left. So, I set it all up today during Arthur's nap. So, in the span of about two hours I created my pretend airplane, baggage check, plane control panel and transformed the dining room into a halfway Brazilian rainforest. Not too shabby! Below you can learn how I created the airplane dramatic play stuff and see the end result of it all!

To create the airplane I purchased 4 foam boards from the dollar store, utilized a sharpie and some clear packing tape. It was really easy and probably only took about 10 minutes! Plus, I designed it to be foldable! I plan on using it every week as the intro to each country by "flying" there and didn't want a gigantic airplane cut-out that had to be stored. So, with my design, you can simply fold it up and it takes up significantly less space.

First, I laid three of my foam boards on the table and sketched an airplane onto them using a pencil. Then I made sure I liked what I had and made any necessary corrections. Then, I traced over my pencil with a sharpie. After that, I spaced the panels about a centimeter apart and applied clear tape to each side, creating a hinge of sorts. I only placed tape in two places between each board so, I used eight small pieces of clear packing tape. I then made sure that you could actually fold it up.

Once I knew it folded like I had imagined, I used my fourth piece of foam board to sketch and cut out a wing and applied it to the rest of the plane using the same process with the clear packing tape as I did to hinge the three plane parts. An added bonus to the hinge effect is that it can also stand on it's own if you slightly bend the three sides! I'm sure you could go crazy with your airplane design and drawing wise but, I'm not going to. The kids actually loved it as is and I'm glad I didn't spend more time fussing over the details. Now just add a few chairs behind it and the super cool and easy control panel I detail below and you have yourself a pretty fantastic and cheap airplane!

Creating the airplane control panel was also pretty easy and basically free. I used a small box for the panel, cardboard and popsicle sticks for the steering wheel, puree/squeezie applesauce lids and pipe cleaners for the knobs and google eyes covered in silver ducttape for the buttons. I also added a few stickers for buttons and two mirrors from the dollar store (They came in one pack so, they were .50 each.) If you have cool looking tech stuff that can be sacrificed for the project you can make your panel even cooler with things like a calculator or light switch. I didn't want to buy anything extra but, my kids like it just fine.

I sketched a steering wheel onto a piece of cardboard and then cut it out using a rotary cutter. Afterwards, I spray painted it black along with the box I was using white. To make the steering wheel sturdy I added popsicle sticks to the back. Then, to make it able to rotate, I used a squeezie pouch top with a pipe cleaner woven through it. To make that work I simply wove a pipe cleaner through both sides and twisted it together. Then I pushed it through a hole in the box and put duct tape over it on the inside of the box to secure it. It works beautifully.

The buttons were made with googly eyes of varying sizes wrapped with silver duct tape and then hot glued to the box. It works nicely because they are pushable and make a unsound to boot!

To make the baggage check x-ray machine, I spray-painted a box black and then cut a portion out of each smaller side for the passage. Then I took silver duct tape and then taped two strips together creating a double sided silver strip. Then I cut each strip into two almost all the way and taped it into the inside of the box. Boom! Dramatic play security check-point. They really enjoyed this and ran their suitcases through several times each. To see how we made our suitcases you can check out my post about our first day of Mommy Camp! You can also read more about the activities and prep that we completed on day one of our Brazil week in the same post.

I hope you found my ideas helpful and inspiring. Until next time!

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Outdoor Chalkboard in less than 5 minutes

4/18/2016

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When roaming the isles of Home Depot, I found that you can buy sheets of chalkboard in the lumber section. This set my brain to work and I instantly thought it would be perfect for the backyard fence! We bought one sheet for about $10 and headed home. The sheet fit perfectly between the braces for the fence and we installed it with a few all-weather screws. Voila! In less than 5 minutes we had an outdoor chalkboard for the kids! Super easy, cheap and awesome!

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Easter Mommy Camp & My Spring Break

3/28/2016

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I had a busy and fun-filled spring break visiting with friends and family, participating in some free events, celebrating Easter and, of course, doing a little Mommy Camp - Easter Edition. However, we were having so much fun doing other things that we only managed to finish two of the four days I planned for Mommy Camp. I'm not worried as I'll have it for next year or if we get bored over the next few weeks.

We kicked off Spring Break by visiting some family out of town. Derek wanted to go hiking with some friends and I wasn't interested in taking the kids on an all day hike so we went to the Museum of Discovery with my Brother, his wife and my Mom. We had a really fun time and topped it off with some pizza and local ice-cream.

Monday

When we got home from our mini-trip we spent Monday focused on Mommy Camp. The theme was jelly beans and we did a ton of things including a jelly bean taste test (You can find the worksheet I made here.), learning how they're made, jelly bean math, science and art! Arthur wasn't as in to participating as Lilly except for eating the jelly beans.

Above you can see Arthur doing the "eat every jelly bean regardless of flavor" style of taste test. Then you can see Lillian analyzing each one. We judged them on their flavor, texture, smell, taste and color. She did not like the sweet tart jelly beans and like the jelly belly the best. I did kind of test Arthur and gave him a buttered popcorn and a cinnamon. He was not a fan of either.

After the taste test we did some jelly bean math and graphing. For the graphing we dumped out a random amount and then analyzed how many we had of each color as well as how many when certain colors were added to each other and an over all total. We also discussed which we had the most and the least of.

The science was pretty neat! We put beans in four different types of liquid: water, milk, vinegar and sparkling water. Before placing them in each bowl we hypothesized as to what we thought would happen to them in each different liquid. Then we dropped them in and watched. The reactions didn't take very long and it was interesting to see that the pink began to dissolve first and that the sparkling water caused them to dissolve the fastest.

This was a quick and fun art activity where you place jelly beans on paper and then squirt them with water. Then you can let it sit and dry or dump them off to create lines. It was a little messy but messy is fun! Arthur, of course, enjoyed eating the jelly beans more than the project.

This jelly bean art project was also very easy. Arthur was, again, more interested in eating them. After we finished I went to wash my hands and heard a cascade of beans hitting the floor. Arthur had attempted to pick his up but, not being dry, they all slid off of the paper. The kids cleaned it up and Arthur ended up with some interesting art.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, my Mom and Step-Dad decided to drive up to spend the day visiting and we went to the spring break activities at the nature center in town. The kids got to pet a tiny owl, learn about native animals, go on a short walk and do some art. I have to admit that I haven't taken the kids there very often in the past but neither was ready to leave and Lilly was somewhat upset that I didn't bring a picnic lunch like a few other families. I genuinely thought we would be lucky to be entertained for an hour but I was so very wrong. We actually went to the center two more times this week for other craft and animal activity events and each time the kids were not ready to leave!

Wednesday

Wednesday we spent the morning at the library for both of the kids story times and the afternoon just playing. We always attend the summer story times because I'm off for the summer but we don't go during the school year. So, this was the first time since summer that we've attended and it was a world of difference now that Arthur is two. He was engaged and participated in all of the activities and basically did everything Lilly did. It was adorable.

Thursday

Thursday we did our second day of Mommy Camp which was egg focused. We decorated pancakes to look like eggs for breakfast, dyed eggs, did "eggcercises" (They can be found here.), had egg spoon races, made egg prints, conducted egg "science" with baking soda and vinegar and made a cardboard egg ramp.

Egg shaped decorate yourself pancakes was a hit with Lillian. Arthur was less of a fan until I doused his pancake with whipped cream and strawberries for him.

Egg "science" was a big hit that kept them happy and playing for at least 40 minutes! Even after most of the baking soda had been covered with vinegar Lillian experimented with color mixing. It was an easy project to set up too! All you need is a muffin pan, plastic eggs, baking soda, vinegar and food coloring. Prep by putting the baking soda, eggs and food coloring in the muffin tin (I set it inside of a sheet pan to eliminate extra mess.) and give the kids eye droppers and cups of vinegar. Such fun!

Using plastic egg halves to create egg prints was a big success and yielded some pretty nice art! I also tried potato prints to make egg art but it didn't work out nearly as well. The potato was hard to grasp as well as pull away from the paper and the prints weren't very pretty. I think a sponge would work better for that. Not long after these pictures were taken, Arthur was pretty paint covered so, I ran a bath and carefully guided him through the house to get in. When I returned 2 minutes later to get Lilly for the bath I found her creating splatter art and a big mess! I told her that I appreciated her creativity but that we can only do splatter painting outside. Once they were clean it only took me about 10 minutes to clean up what I perceived as an enormous mess so, no harm done.

The cardboard egg ramp was really fun for both of the kids. They pretended they were working in a factory. I also gave Arthur a bowl filled with eggs and a large spoon for playing.

After they got bored with the ramp we did "eggsercises" and had a spoon race. For the "eggsercises" you just put different activities inside each egg and draw eggs one at a time. Then they do them. Lilly had a lot of fun with this one.

Friday

Friday morning was spent doing a little spring cleaning. We rearranged Lilly's room a little bit to make it more conductive to play and also cleaned out some of the toys she didn't play with to donate. In the afternoon, we visited the nature center again to participate in some snake themed fun. They provided us with gourds to paint to look like snakes and also had small wooden toy snakes for painting. Arthur got to pet a snake and spent a good majority of the time looking at them. We also met with some friends and enjoyed the other offerings at the center together.

Saturday

Saturday morning we tried a new local restaurant for breakfast and did a few errands. In the afternoon we went to a friends house for dinner and egg hunting. We also played beanboozled which was so much fun! If you haven't played I definitely recommend it! Even Arthur and Lilly played for over an hour! I'll warn you though, vomit flavor is as bad as you imagine and is definitely the worst! That night we planted some jelly beans for the Easter Bunny to magically turn to lollipops for Easter morning. It's a simple activity that is really magical for the kids.

BACON!

planting jelly beans

egg hunting with friends

playing beanboozled

Sunday

Sunday morning, the children awoke to find eggs hidden all over the house and their Easter baskets. Each got a book, a cape (Lilly had recently asked for one so it was perfect!) and a few cheap toys. As a side note, I found some bubble blowers at the dollar store that looked similar to the ones that gymboree sells and they are amazing! They make a ton of tiny bubbles and entertained both kids for at least 30 minutes.

For breakfast I made bunny butt pancakes and we spent the morning playing before heading to Derek's parents house for lunch, family time, bubble blowing and a few egg hunts.

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10 easy kid crafts & Activities for St. Patrick's Day

3/9/2016

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10 easy kid crafts and activities for St. Patrick's Day

Here are some of my favorite ideas for getting crafty on St. Patty's Day! All of them take very little prep and will definitely be fun for any age!

1. Leprechaun Paper plate mask

All you need is construction paper, paint, a paper plate and a popsicle stick to give your kids a great dramatic play prop. Visit ABC Creative Learning to get the full tutorial.

2. painted shamrock

In only a few moments your kids can create an adorable shamrock using paint, a pencil and paper. See the details at Embracing
Creativity.

3. St. Patrick's Day Slime

Kids love to play with anything texturally interesting. This themed slime recipe will keep them entertained and mesmerized! Head over to Little Bins for Little Hands for the recipe.

4. St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt

This adorable idea will be a ton of fun and takes very little time to set up. Plus, it can be re-used over and over again! Read about how to set it up at Moonfrye.

5. erupting Rainbow

When you mix baking soda and vinegar it's always fun! Check out this twist on a fun chemical reaction at She Knows.

6. Pinch Proof Onesie

Ensure that your child survives the day pinch free with this adorable idea! Head over to Food Fun Family for the full tutorial.

7. Popsicle Stick Bracelets

Your kids can create any design they like on these cheap and easy bracelets made using simple popsicle sticks! Find out how at Momtastic.

8. Lucky Rainbow necklace

Colorful cereal, a chocolate coin, thread or twine and glue are all you'll need to make this adorable and edible necklace. See the full tutorial at HelloBee.

9.Fingerprint rainbow pot of Gold

Fingerprinting and gold glitter help make this craft extra fun for the little ones. Head over to Crafty Morning to see the how-to.

10. Handprint Clover

Any opportunity for kids to cover themselves with paint is always fun! Read about how to make these adorable clovers at Fun Home Things.

I hope you have as much fun with these crafts as my kiddos and I did! Enjoy!

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Mommy Camp - Easter edition

3/1/2016

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mommy camp easter theme - a week of lessons focusing on easter for kids with free printables!

Spring break is only a few weeks away! That means it's time for another Mommy Camp! Since the break this year falls right before Easter I've made it Easter themed! You can read about a few of the specific activities we'll be doing and download some printables I created, including the lesson plan below.

Theme One: Jelly Beans
The first focus is on jelly beans. We'll be conducting experiments, participating in a taste test, learning how they are made, making necklaces and more! (A list and links to all of the activities can be found in the lesson plan download.)

Conduct jelly bean experiments at Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tail.

Make jelly bean necklaces at Two Sisters Crafting.

See the inspiration for my jelly bean taste test printable at Childhood 101.

Theme Two: Eggs
This is a very fun-filled theme that includes egg science, growing "egg heads", paint-filled egg bomb painting, a glowing egg hunt and "egg-ing" the neighbors. Plus a ton of other fantastic activities focusing on math, reading and sensory experiences. (A list and links to all of the activities can be found in the lesson plan download.)

Learn how to grow "Egg Heads" at Nurture Store.

Go on a glow hunt at Indulgy.

"Egg" the neighbors at The Dating Divas.

Theme Three: Bunnies
In the bunnies focus we will learn about rabbits, do the bunny pokey, learn how to draw a bunny, dig for sight word carrots and make bunny handprint art along with some fun math, reading and cooking. (A list and links to all of the activities can be found in the lesson plan download.)

Learn how to draw a bunny at Cakespy.

See the inspiration for my printable at The Imagination Tree.

Make an adorable bunny handprint at Crafty Morning.

Theme Four: Peeps
Everyone loves peeps! Delicious, sugary marshmallows! In this section we will conduct some peep experiments, learn how they are made, create puffy paint peeps and make peep play dough along with doing some reading and math. (A list and links to all of the activities can be found in the lesson plan download.)

Learn how to make puffy paint peeps at Crafty Morning.

Conduct some peep-speriments at Schooling Monkey.

Make peep play dough at Growing a Jeweled Rose.

Click the link below each image to download the printables that I've created as well as the lesson plan. Enjoy!

Mommy camp lesson plan

mommy_camp_-_easter.pdf
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digging for sight words

jelly bean taste test

jelly_bean_taste_test.pdf
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egg matching

digging_for_sight_words.pdf
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egg-cersices

eggsercise.pdf
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plastic_egg_matching.pdf
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Roar! - it's a dino party!

2/22/2016

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My son just turned two and while he doesn't say much, one thing he loves to say is "ROAR"! So, it was only fitting that he have a dinosaur themed birthday party this year. I had a lot of fun preparing for this party and I hope you find some inspiration!

When guests arrived they saw gigantic dino footprints down our front sidewalk to our door. I had my brother draw them because he's a graphic designer and I figured he'd have fun with it. He did. He decided that he wanted to morph the dinosaur prints into tiny Arthur prints as they got closer to the door. It was stinking adorable.

I used my silhouette to create the Arthur banner (it slipped and went a little crooked in this photo. Oops) as well as the 3D pterodactyls. I used plastic dinosaurs to make the food items fun and created a cute menu using canva.com. The "dinosaur eggs" were supposed to look super cute and have colored outsides but, the peeling process was a disaster and many looked slightly ragged. They tasted good though.

I made the cake using this paleo coconut cake recipe. It was soooooo good! Everyone enjoyed it! i added toasted coconut to the top and slivered almonds around the sides to make it a little prettier. Then I added a dinosaur and a speech bubble that said "RAWR" for the dino. I think it turned out pretty great!

For fun, the kids had a dino fossil dig area and a cardboard "volcano" for pretend play. We were really lucky to have 60 degree weather in February so we had all of the fun in the backyard. The kids also had the opportunity to jump on the trampoline, swing and play in the playhouse. Once gifts were opened, they also had fun with some really cool chalk stencil sets that were gifted (My mother-in-law said she got them at Wal-Mart.).

I made the volcano with three cardboard boxes, brown craft paper, red streamers, a knife and some tape. I cut a big opening at the bottom of the biggest, center box and then folded the sides in on the smaller boxes but left them open on both ends to create tunnels. Then I taped all three boxes together and covered them with crinkled paper and streamers at the top. I taped the sign to the swing set which was in front of the volcano. The kids actually played quite a bit with it and it only cost about three dollars!

The dig site was a water table we already had filled with play sand and plaster of paris dino bones. I bought the molds from amazon and made the bones the night before. They popped out pretty easily and looked really great! Then I threw in a few sand tools like a shovel and a bucket and a few chunky paint brushes for dusting the fossils and taped a sign to the side. This was a big hit with everyone!

I made all four of us adorable dino themed shirts too. Lilly had a girl walking a pet dinosaur in glitter, Arthur had a t-rex holding the number two and wearing a party hat, I had a shirt that said "RAWR" and Derek had a dinosir, a t-rex with a top hat, bow tie and monocle. I didn't manage to snap a pic of Derek with his shirt and Arthur was NOT into photos so these are the best I could do. I created all of them using my silhouette and iron-on vinyl.

We also had a photo booth area set up. I hung a plastic table cloth on the wall and provided a few props and a selfie-stick to encourage guests to take a pic. We got some pretty cute ones. I made the signs with my silhouette and craft. Threw in some feather boas, dino masks and a safari hat for good measure. The kids all got to take home goodie bags with mini dinosaurs, masks and a craft activity from amazon that was dinosaur themed.

Arthur had a good time and really enjoyed the watermelon and cake. The adults were able to visit because the kids were having so much fun and no one got hurt or threw up. I call it a success!

Oh, and when Arthur went to blow out the candle, he started as soon as it was lit...across the room. It was adorable to watch him blowing at the candle for the entirety of the Happy Birthday Song.

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10 Awesome, easy & edible Sensory Activities for kids

2/17/2016

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I don't know about you but, my two year old loves to put everything in his mouth. When I want to give him something fun to do that my 5 year old will also enjoy I love whipping up a batch of edible sensory material. It's even better when the recipe only calls for a few common ingredients and takes less than 15 minutes to create! Check out my list of 10 fantastically simple and edible sensory recipes that will leave you with a few minutes to go to the bathroom alone without the fear of your toddler chomping on something undesirable.

1. Slippery Fish

These slimy fellas will entertain your kids and won't leave them with a sugar high! Find the recipe and directions at TwoDaloo!

2. Pudding paint

A great twist on the idea of pudding! Add some colored ice cubes and let the mess begin! Find the how-to at Learn Play Imagine!

3. Edible Sculptures

Here's another great recipe that doesn't involve sweets! Whip up some mashed potatoes and grab the parmesan for this clever recipe! Head over to True Aim Education for the spud-tactic directions!

4. ice cream playdough

My kids loved this and created some pretty darn realistic looking treats! You can find the recipe and directions at Smart School House!

5. Edible Sand

This is a quick and colorful recipe that kids will love! Plus, it only has TWO ingredients! Visit 123 Homeschool 4 Me for more info!

6. Edible finger paint

You only need a few ingredients for this quick and vibrant paint recipe! You can find the specifics and some truly adorable photos at Must Have Mom!

7. Edible Sensory Balls

These look SO FUN! I can't wait to try them with my kids! Jell-o is just so versatile! See the how-to over at The Mud Kitchen!

8. Safe edible NON-COOKABLE mini water beads

Water beads are super fun but not always edible. These mini water beads are made using basil seeds! Find the directions and amazing images at Fun at Home with Kids!

9. Hot Chocolate Cloud dough

I've made cloud dough that was inedible before and my daughter played with it forever! I bet this recipe smells amazing and will be even more fun! Check it out at Sow Sprout Play!

10. oats

This isn't a recipe per se but, kids love to play with just about anything if it feels interesting and is easy to manipulate. This idea is great for those days when you just don't have the energy to whip something up or you're in a rush. Just give them a bag of oats! See more ideas for your oats over at Fun A Day!

I hope you have fun with these recipes! I know my kids will! Thanks for visiting!

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Mommy Camp - Thanksgiving

12/7/2015

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So....This is a little late but, we had a ton of fun with mommy camp for Thanksgiving! We did some experiments with corn, conducted an apple taste test, made a mini mayflower and did some painting! Check it out!

First we learned about the pilgrims and how they came to America. Then we made Mayflower handprint art and mini Mayflowers out of apple sauce cups inspired by this blog. However, our boats did not float. It was disappointing.

After we discussed the Mayflower and the pilgrims arrival, we learned about how they lived once they arrived and talked about the differences in how they lived then versus how we live today. I showed her this video about life as a pilgrim and she really enjoyed it even though it is a little long. I even had time to give her brother a bath while she watched it! Once she finished the video we made butter! I used the directions and printable labels found here. It was really easy and super delicious. We have made it many times since.

DIY Butter:
- heavy whipping cream
- lidded glass jar
- 1 marble
- sugar, salt, cinnamon, sugar (optional)
1. Fill jar 2/3 full with heavy whipping cream.
2. Add desired seasonings. (We added a little of each listed above to make cinnamon sugar butter. Yum!)
3. Add marble to jar.
4. Shake!
5. It only takes a few minutes and you will end up with a whipped cream consistency. Once you refrigerate it the consistency firms a little and is more like spreadable butter. Great for toast!

After learning about the Pilgrims and the reason for Thanksgiving we needed to make an apple pie, a classic dish for the holiday. So we first conducted an apple taste test. I found the free printables here. Lilly really enjoyed this activity and it was great for her to practice writing. Plus, I know which apples she will be most happy with.

Popcorn was our next science activity! First we analyzed the unpeopled kernels and the popped ones and formed hypotheses on why they looked so different and also the reasons for their differences. Then we watched a super cool slow-mo video of a kernel popping and applied the information to our understanding of the differences between popped vs. un-popped.

After that we formed a sink or float hypothesis about both versions and conducted our experiment. Lilly was upset that she was incorrect about which would float and which would sink as seen in the below photos. We finished up by simply playing with the kernels. I gave them funnels and cups and mini shovel toys and both of them had a blast. We did this part outside btw. Arthur cannot be trusted with anything that could potentially make a disastrous mess.

We, of course, did a few math and reading worksheets that had a Thanksgiving theme. I found both at education.com. They have great worksheets for free!

We learned about corn and apples so we HAD to learn about cranberries! We started out by talking about cranberries and if we liked them. We looked at one and cut it open. I even got her to try a raw one. She wasn't a fan. Then we watched a video about how cranberries are grown. After that, I made her a mini cranberry bog in a dish pan inspired by this blog and let her manipulate the cranberries for a bit. Finally, we made cranberry muffins and she helped by grating the orange and counting the cranberries for each muffin. We decided 6 was a good number.

I also made a quick felt turkey for our felt board. They had fun with it and it only took a few minutes to cut out a bunch of different colored feathers, a round body, head and top hat. I did hot glue the beak, hat and feet on so they wouldn't get lost.

I had a few other activities that we just didn't get to but I'll save them for next year! Now it's time for Mommy Camp - Christmas!

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3 Ingredient DIY Soap Dough

11/8/2015

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My kids LOVE baths. They will spend so long in a bath that the water gets ice cold and, their hands are merely wrinkly representations of what used to be hands. I'm always thinking of new, fun ways to spice up bath time and, my DIY bath dough was a MAJOR hit! It costs mere pennies and only a few minutes to make too!

Ingredients:
- corn starch
- liquid soap (I used suave for kids)
- food coloring

Directions:
- Mix 2 cups cornstarch with 1/4 cup soap and about 4-8 drops of coloring in a large bowl
- Depending on the soap you may have to add more soap or cornstarch to get a doughy consistency you mix with s spoon for s big but you will need to use your hands towards the end.
- You will know it's the right consistency when it does not stick to your hands and can be manipulated like playdough. It should have a very silly and soft texture.

There you have it! Quick, cheap and easy! My kids played with this forever. They molded it into shapes, stuck it on the side of the tub and created images, enjoyed simply manipulating it and , even washed themselves!

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A Quick & Easy Baby Toy

6/22/2015

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While trying to spend a little time with my older child to practice writing and reading I needed to give my little one something to do. So, I grabbed a few items I had laying around and whipped up this quick toy. It might not look like much but babies aren't too worried about aesthetics and he played with it for at least 20 minutes. So I call that a win!

DIY Toddler Toy
Materials:
- plastic berry container
- craft pom poms
- random scarf/fabric strips
- scissors

Directions:
1. Cut a hole in the top of the container.
2. Stuff the container with your other items.

He enjoyed dumping/pulling the items out and putting them back in which is great since that's what this toy is all about! There are plenty of other versions of this same toy but I think that his ability to see the items inside was intriguing and he also enjoyed the sound the container made. Hopefully your toddler will enjoy it too!

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diy back massage shirt for dad

6/20/2015

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Father's Day is tomorrow! Are you in need of a thoughtful and quick gift that the kids can help with? This DIY back massage t-shirt is a fun project for you to try that only needs a few times to be completed!

Materials:
- t-shirt
- fabric markers
- city template (we just free-handed it but this blog has a great, free printable for the less artistically inclined.)
You can find the template here: http://thebluebasket.blogspot.com/2011/09/tutorial-car-shirt.html?m=1

Directions:
1. Print out the template or take your chances with freehand.
2. Use your fabric markers to begin drawing your town.
3. Depending on the age of your kids hey might draw it entirely by themselves. I let my 4 year old color in the picture once the base was drawn.

Add a couple toy cars to the mix and now you have a fun gift that will allow Dad to both relax and play with the kids at the same time!

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send a hug

6/17/2015

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Do you have a father or grandfather that you won't get to see on Father's Day? Then send them a hug with this easy and inexpensive project!
Materials:
-crayon/pen/marker
-brown butcher paper (found at the dollar store)
-scissors
Directions:
1. Lay the paper out on the floor. It is helpful to weigh it down on the corners so you can complete the project.

2. Have your child (or whomever wants to send the hug) lay down on the paper with their arms stretched out.

3. Draw an outline around the person on the paper. Then you can let your child decorate their outline. We also added a speech bubble and a note. We basically used it like a giant card.

4. When it's done roll it up and mail it! You can generally find poster tubes at the post office or you could fold it and mail it in a large envelope.
We know our loved one's will really enjoy this unique present and we hope yours do too!

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Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

1. Leprechaun Paper plate mask

2. painted shamrock

3. St. Patrick's Day Slime

4. St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt

5. erupting Rainbow

6. Pinch Proof Onesie

7. Popsicle Stick Bracelets

8. Lucky Rainbow necklace

9.Fingerprint rainbow pot of Gold

10. Handprint Clover

Mommy camp lesson plan

digging for sight words

jelly bean taste test

egg matching

egg-cersices

1. Slippery Fish

2. Pudding paint

3. Edible Sculptures

4. ice cream playdough

5. Edible Sand

7. Edible Sensory Balls

8. Safe edible NON-COOKABLE mini water beads

10. oats

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