Car Track, and Other Things We Do

Today I let my kids do something that I don't think many other parents would allow. It was a nice day, after a few cold and rainy weeks. The ground in our small strip of a backyard was still muddy, but I gave the boys some trucks and cups and spoons to have some old fashioned fun playing in the dirt. It actually was a lot better than I thought it would be. The only mess I'm left with is two pairs of very muddy shoes. Other than that, things stayed pretty clean. So for all those of you thinking of doing something as crazy as this, it may not be as bad as you expect! We plan on fixing up the backyard, but maybe I should leave a patch of earth for future digging adventures... you never know! On second thought, I'll probably just buy a sandbox!

On a different note, we spent one afternoon driving cars around the living room with this fun activity. The kids helped me make a track with masking tape, and they came up with lots of different things to add, like tunnels, traffic lights, and a parking lot. Notice the cool ramp going on to the couch!

Underwater Sensory Bin

I like themed sensory bins, in theory, but it takes a lot of work to prepare them if you want them to really be good. I don't have that much time and foresight to plan a theme and have everything on hand for it, and besides, I don't really think the kids appreciate it. This time I happened to have some ocean things and I put them together to make this sensory bin. It kept them busy for about 10 minutes, till they started dumping out the water! I used plastic fish, watering cans, a toy boat, glass marbles, leaves, and a blue sponge (just because I felt like it needed something else to make it fun). Blue water made it so cool!

Fun with Foam

Who ever thought that such a simple thing as foam could have so much potential? When foam gets wet it sticks to the wall. One of those "I knew that" ideas, but I never would have thought of it on my own. Here I cut up shapes so the kids could make faces on the windows, but this could be done with any shape. We actually did this activity in the bath a whole bunch of times, using the plain rectangles from the package that I bought. The boys had so much fun even with that. In a way it might have even been better, because they got really creative with decorating the bathtub walls. I think this is great - a cheap way for the kids to be entertained, be creative, and have fun with water, and to top it off, the mess is minimal!

Marshmallow Structures

Here's a great activity we did one day, using marshmallows and toothpicks.

I gave them each a pile of marshmallows to use, and I was prepared for them to eat them all before even starting. (It's always best to expect the worst!) But they actually worked hard and made some really creative things! They had a great time doing it, and I got a few minutes without refereeing their fights!

My demonstration:

What they added:

Getting more complex:

At the end they ate their fill of course! But that's all part of the fun. I like giving my kids things to play with that they are not usually allowed to touch, or that they think are special or interesting, and toothpicks and marshmallows fit into that category. I think it's even good for their sensory skills, because soft marshmallows are fun to touch and play with, and fine motor skills as well.

Note: This can also be done with grapes for a healthier version, but it might become very messy.

Really Messy Play

Cornstarch and water... Need I say more? Plain messy mush that we're allowed to stick our hands into! Squeeze it and it turns hard, let go and it gets runny again. Dries into dust so no worries about getting it off clothing or hands. This was by far their favorite activity ever, and the kids were asking me to do it again for days afterwards. It didn't last so long- they spilled it out after about 15 or 20 minutes, but I would definitely give it another try some other time.

We've "Bean" Busy

My boys are very sensory, as I think most kids are. When we're baking they love touching the flour, play dough is a real favorite, and they'd enjoy nothing more than playing in the dirt all day. They'll run to anything that they can stick their hands into and dig with, without thinking of the consequences or what Mommy will say! I try to give them opportunities to have sensory experiences. There are so many ways to do that. I remember a long time ago when Big Brother Jr. was a baby, and I poured a kilo of flour into a bowl and let them play with it. I had flour all over my house for days, but they had so much fun! It lasted for a long time- I just kept sweeping it up into a pile so they could dig into it again. These activities inevitably end up all over, despite my warnings and precautions to keep it in the bin/bowl/pan/box. There are endless themed sensory bins that you can create, encouraging imagination as well as addressing the sensory aspect.

Here we have a simple sensory bin made of black beans, popcorn kernels, and a few kidney beans for color. It's what I had in the house at that time, and since then we've enjoyed many afternoons with these beans. I give them different equipment to use- cups and spoons, pots and pans, trucks, or an assortment. I have to be constantly alert to make sure to sweep it up when it gets out of hand, otherwise I'll have a serious mess to deal with, instead of just a major mess. I have to admit, it is a challenge for me to remain calm while they play with the beans because they do end up scattered from one corner to the other. But I take them out every so often anyway, because the entertainment it provides for them is still worth it.

Peanut Butter Play Dough

Not much to do on a semi-rainy day like today, so here is something that I put together. Most ideas I have on Pinterest require a well-stocked house with various supplies, which I lack, so this was what I ended up with. Not the greatest activity, but fun (and yummy) nonetheless and impressive under the circumstances. I found a few recipes for peanut butter play dough, and then I did what I generally do: improvise! I put in some peanut butter and sugar, and then added flour till it reached a consistency I was happy with. I added food coloring to some of it, I could've done more but I figured that the kids just mush all the colors together anyway, and colored peanut butter is not very appealing.

Thank you Aunt T for all your help and input!I hope the kids don't end up with stomachaches...