Busy Toddler

Colored Ice

2011-04-16T13:30:00.001-05:00

Kids love playing with ice. It's slippery, wet, messy, and in this case colorful - what's not to love? Not only is this a great sensory activity, but it's also a way to explore the states of matter. Materials are in boldface.

For this activity, you start out with regular, colorless ice cubes. Sprinkle some salt on the ice, then show kids how to carefully drop food coloring a drop at a time on the ice cubes. Watch as the salt, ice, and color work together to create different textures and color patterns. You can use any kind of salt or a combination of different types. The salt makes the colors appear really vibrant. You could also try this without the salt.

At the end, the kids can use the colored ice to paint pictures. Or just have fun watching it melt!

Questions & concepts:

Did the salt make the ice melt slower or faster?

What happens when colors are mixed together?

What are some ways to speed up or slow down the melting process?

Discuss how water can be a solid or a liquid.

Disucss the ways in which water changes state (freezing & melting).

Recycling Bin Castle

2010-12-28T23:15:00.003-06:00

I haven't posted in awhile - over a year - but I've been thinking I'd like to get back to the blog. I came upon these pictures while looking at the past year and thought this project would make a good post.

Nicholas is fascinated with fairy tales, princesses, knights, and castles. I thought it would be neat to make a castle out of recyclables, which we always have on hand (much to Brian's chagrin). Finally, one long winter afternoon, inspiration hit and I did a google search to get further ideas. The Family Fun website had some great ideas for a castle made of boxes. http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/the-great-cardboard-castle-668698/

Some of the ideas we copied directly and others we improvised. Once we got going, it really took very little time. We attached the parts with masking tape, and so far it's held up after almost a year of frequent use. Once it was put together N painted it grey with acrylic paint. Then I cut a small rectangle out of a sponge, and N and I went to town painting on darker grey bricks to make it look a little more realistic.

Some of my favorite features are the dixie cup and egg carton balconies, the toilet paper tube turrets, and the drawbridge. The drawbridge is definitely N's favorite feature. To make the drawbridge stand out, I twisted up newspaper into a snake and taped it around the opening. It gives the effect of stone.

Once we had a castle, dolls were needed. I bought a set of Melissa & Doug Royal Family Dolls before realizing I really could have just used Playmobil figures. Any small figures would work: Little People, Imaginext, even action figures. Later on I bought a dragon at Michael's and a small witch doll, which have added to the fun.

The castle has a permanent spot in an out-of-the-way spot in our living room, and it gets played with several times a week, if not daily.

Materials:
shoebox
pasta box
2 cans
2 metal tea cannisters
2 toilet paper tubes
herbal tea box
egg carton

1 sheet of newspaper
grey acrylic paint
black acrylic paint
masking tape

Cotton Ball Ghosts

2009-10-23T18:31:00.002-05:00

This project is so simple it hardly qualifies as a project, but it makes a really quick and cute Halloween decoration.

All you do is gently pull apart cotton balls or batting. You can tell who made which ghosts - mine are a full cotton ball that's just been stretched, while N tore his into little pieces. Whoever said ghosts should all be the same size? Let your little one glue on the eyes, and voila, you have a ghost!

I really like how they turn out so wispy and, well, ghost-like. I also like that no matter what the little ones do to the cotton, they still resemble ghosts.

Spider in a Web Craft

2009-10-23T18:23:00.001-05:00

This is really two projects in one; one of them is perfect for toddlers, the other is great for older kids.

To make the spiders, have kids paint the outside of the cups of an egg carton black. Once dry, cut the cups apart and punch 8 holes around the bottom. Cut pipe cleaners into short segments and bend into V shapes, then put 4 pairs of legs through the 8 holes. For an extra touch, glue on googly eyes. Spiders can have 2, 4, 6, or, most commonly, 8 eyes.

To make the webs, cut out a circle or rectangle from a cereal box. Cut notches all around the edges. Then take a long piece of white string and wind around, securing the string into the notches. Older kids might wind the string randomly, or come up with a pattern.

Hook one leg around a piece of the string and your spiderweb is ready for some insects to fly by! (The little pieces of white paper are baby spiders that N cut out and wanted to add to the web.)

Skeleton Scavenger Hunt

2009-10-22T22:40:00.010-05:00

I'm hosting a Halloween party for a variety of ages, and I chose this activity for the grade-schoolers. I originally saw the idea in Family Fun magazine and then expanded on the idea a little bit. To create this scavenger hunt, you will need to print out a skeleton. One template can be found at this Halloween crafts website; another can be found at the Family Fun site.

Following are the clues to the locations of the bones. Once all the skeleton bones have been found, the kids will tape them up to the posterboard, where I've outlined the skeleton in chalk. Coming up with the clues is always the hardest part!

Clue 1:

For the location of this bone, go up the stairs

This is the spot where we wash our hair. (bathtub)

Clue 2:

Next you will proceed down the hall;

Look behind something that's a sign of the fall. (pumpkin decoration)

Clue 3:

We watch this box with its lights and sound;

You might find a clue if you just look around. (on top of TV)

Clue 4:

This is the room where we go to dine -

Crawling on the floor will be just fine. (underneath dining room table)

Clue 5:
In this place where N goes to doze,

You will find the skeleton's toes. (underneath pillow on N's bed)

Clue 6:

In the room with the big white sink

A bone is hiding under a drink. (underneath lemonade container in kitchen)

Clue 7:

These bones come in pairs

You'll find them as you climb down the stairs. (basement stairs windowsill)

Party Favor Bags - Two Variations

2009-10-11T20:58:00.004-05:00

For N's recent third birthday, we had two parties: a kids party and a family-and-neighbors party. This meant two sets of favor bags for the Outer Space theme.

These alien favor bags were made using templates designed for making paper bag puppets. I just flipped the bag right-side-up and left the opening intact.

These Outer Space favor bags show one scene when they're put side-by-side. I taped all the bags together along the back using painter's tape, then flipped them over and drew a scene along the front. This idea could be used for any party theme. Originally I was going to paint the bags, but due to time constraints I used colored chalk dipped in water instead. Dipping the chalk in water makes the color extra vibrant.

If you pick up little things you see here and there that are on sale, you can put together great favor bags that don't cost too much. Here's what I put in the favor bags:

*outer space flashcards from the dollar section at Target

*crayons from the back-to-school sales

*homemade, personalized coloring book (see below for directions)

*twirly straws

*parachute guy

*mini foam rocket shooter

*pop rocks

To make the coloring book, I Googled outer space, robot, and alien coloring pages. Then I copied and pasted the images into Publisher, four per page. I made double-sided copies, changed the name on the cover for each child, and cut and bound the pages. Ideally I would have just stapled them, but we only have a small stapler that doesn't open, so I had to punch three holes along the spine and bind them with string. These were actually really simple to put together and cost very little to make.

Gadget Painting

2009-08-23T17:29:00.003-05:00

Painting is a very calm activity that will keep little ones occupied and engaged. This is a fun variation that allows kids to experiment and explore a little bit with items they may not normally come into contact with. N and his friend T were happily - and quietly - engaged for a good chunk of time while they worked on their painting; it's a nice and calming activity, even on a busy playdate. I got this idea from the show A Place of Our Own.

I recommend doing this activity on the kitchen floor or outside to make clean-up a bit easier.

Materials
paper - large butcher paper is fun, but any kind will work
4 paint pans (paper plates, recycled meat-type trays, pans, etc.)
paint
variety of kitchen utensils

Activity
Put the paper on the ground along with the paint trays. Either spread out the gadgets or place them in baskets. Do a quick demo of how to use the objects to make prints or paint, then allow let the kids have at it.

Teacher Store Finds Part I: Geoboards

2009-07-12T09:52:00.005-05:00

Teacher stores are a terrific place to find inexpensive, fun, educational activities. One of my favorites is Geoboards. They are plastic boards with pegs in rows or a circle, and kids use rubber bands to make shapes and designs. This activity will keep a child age 3 or up occupied for a good chunk of time; N at 2 1/2 enjoys playing with them as well, but doesn't stay engaged for quite as long.

For little ones like two-year-old N or 3-year-old G, I just put out the rubber bands and let them go to town. Just like with drawing, they randomly put down designs and then describe what they made.

Older kids like four-year-olds and up can be given challenges of making specific shapes or certain numbers of things (3 squares, 2 triangles, etc.). Or give challenges like, "Make a rocket." "Make a picture using a rectangle, square, and triangle."

At the end, talk about what you see. Have even the youngest of children identify shapes they see, and point out shapes they might not know. Count the shapes. Talk about the colors. Make new shapes to teach your kids: parallelogram, trapezoid, etc. The possibilities are really endless with this!

If you don't live near a teacher supply store, you can order these at classroomdirect.com. A double-sided geoboard with rows on one side and a circle on the other costs $2.19.

What is your child gaining from this activity?

shape recognition
color recognition
geometry concepts
relationships between shapes
spatial awareness
concentration skills
vocabulary
communication

Color Mixing + Car Painting

2009-06-26T09:45:00.003-05:00

Color mixing is a fun way to learn about primary and secondary colors. Just squirt two primary colors (red, blue, yellow) onto a paper plate. Kids can mix the colors together using their fingers, a brush, a sponge - anything.

Slowly we're seeing some green on the paper! What better way to learn that yellow + blue = green?

No activity happens without N begging to use cars, so we took it a step further and made a car painting. N drove his cars and trains through the newly-mixed green paint, then drove them across paper to make tracks. He had fun experimenting with different cars and trains and seeing the fun designs they made. If you're looking for a quick, simple art project, give this one a try!

Goodbye, Wondertime Magazine

2009-06-07T10:54:00.006-05:00

I began subscribing to Wondertime Magazine when I was pregnant. It blew me away from the start: Here was a magazine geared towards intelligent adults who happened to have children. The articles were long and well-written, examining topics from world travel to preschool humor in a thought-out, intelligent manner. Articles about getting kids to eat broccoli were hilarious, and the product recommendations were for toys that were out-of the ordinary, promoting creativity or enchantment or learning that isn't shoved down a child's throat.

Unfortunately, Wondertime didn't make it; this spring, publication ceased. This magazine was a Disney production, though completely un-Disnified, and archives can still be found on the website of their sister publication, Family Fun. I hope you'll check out their archives - you might just find an inpsiring idea or two.

http://wondertime.go.com/

Here are a few articles worth looking at:

5 Ways to Help Kids Love Books

Look Sharp: A Sharpie Chromatography T-Shirt Project

Stuff We Love

Dad On A Lark Blog

One Terrific Counting Book

2009-05-24T14:21:00.006-05:00

One Duck Stuck: A Mucky Ducky Counting Book
by Phyllis Root and Jane Chapman
$6.99 on Amazon.com + free shipping on orders over $25

This book has it all! While it is first and foremost a counting book, it is also a book filled with rich language: rhyme, Onomatopoeia, alliteration, and predictive text. It has fun with language, and kids pick up on that. It's refreshing to read a children's book, let alone a counting book, that is so much fun to read. I also like that it includes animals we don't see as often in children's books, like moose, snails, and opossums.

Excerpt:

Four crickets

chirping in the thickets

leap to the duck.

Pleep, pleep.

No luck.

The duck stays stuck

deep in the muck

down by the pricky, sticky marsh.

Help! Help! Who can help?

Busy Toddler's Favorite Things

2009-05-24T13:48:00.006-05:00

I've added an Amazon store to the Busy Toddler blog. These are a collection of our favorite things, all in one spot on the Amazon website. I'll occaisionally add new things to it. Happy browsing!

http://astore.amazon.com/busytodd-20

Favorite Travel Toys

2009-05-17T21:52:00.004-05:00

As promised a few weeks back, here are some of our favorite airplane toys. I've arranged them in order from easiest to schlep along to hardest. We generally bring only one carry-on for simplicity; either a small duffel bag or a backpack. All of the toys mentioned here fit, along with snacks and the items mentioned in my previous travel post.

Keep in mind these toys were brought along for a 9 hour flight plus 4 hour layover. We've found that for shorter flights, all you really need is one or two small toys to entertain your little one. Any of these are good picks.

I have to apologize for how boy-centered this list is! I'll try to gather some recommendations geared towards girls for a future post.

Stickers

Stickers are generally favorites with toddlers. The great thing is they can be stuck on anything - the tray, airline magazine, barf bag, or anywhere else. (I recommend removing them if you opt for the tray!) I up the entertainment factor by drawing a simple scene on a piece of paper. Tip: Remove the white part around the stickers until your little one gets proficient at removing stickers from the sheet, making it easier to peel of stickers.

Matchbox Cars

Ok, so this one is pretty specific to my kid, but give N two or three matchbox cars, and he's good to go for the next hour or so. I give him the minimum he'll accept (usually three) and he has fun driving them around his seat (and ours).

Mini Board Books

The more detailed the pictures are, the better. These are great for little ones to look at on their own, or together. Good ones include Dr. Seuss's ABC, Are You My Mother?, and Big Red Barn.

Sticker Activity Book

There are a variety of these; our collection includes Elmo, trucks, and an Usborne version. These books have stickers that go on specific activity pages. They are great books because they get kids to think a little bit, can be looked at independently or together with a parent, and keep your kids occupied for awhile.

Matchbox Cars Playset

Pictured above, this little playset has gone on every airplane trip with us. While I haven't seen this line in stores anymore (and it's now expensive on Amazon), they sell similar ones at Target for around $12. With just enough moving parts to engage car-loving kids, this will fill many hours - and help your child make friends on layovers, we discovered.

Melissa & Doug Maze Puzzle

This puzzle is flat, so it's really just a matter of how tall and wide your bag is. They're all around 10"x13", and come in a variety of themes: transportation, farm, colors, and shapes. There is also a numbers version in which one uses a magnetic pen to guide little balls around the maze. The best part of these is they have no removable parts, which means no scrunching down to find dropped items on the airplane floor. N essentially uses the transportation maze puzzle as a playset, telling elaborate stories about why the different vehicles are going to the different buildings.

If you have any recommended travel toys, I would love to hear about them! Bon voyage!

Handprint Frame

2009-05-09T17:16:00.003-05:00

This craft makes an adorable keepsake. You will need:

4 popsicle sticks, 1 sheet of white cardstock or paper, paint, glue, and markers or decorations (sequins, buttons, glitter, etc.)

1. Glue popsicle sticks together to make a frame.

2. Print out the poem below. Have your child dip their hand in paint, then put handprint on paper underneath poem (it can cover poem a little).

3. While handprint is drying, have your child decorate the popsicle stick frame.

4. When everything is dry, glue paper to frame. Be sure to put the date somewhere!

Poem:

Ten tiny fingers that always want to play,

That never stop exploring the wonder of today.

Ten tiny fingers that from the very start

Will reach out for tomorrow, yet always hold your heart.

Simple Handprint Craft for Mother's Day

2009-05-09T16:54:00.001-05:00

This simple handprint craft is sure to brighten Mother's Day! Here are directions; materials are boldfaced.

To make it, trace both hands on construction paper or wrapping paper. Write your child's name and today's date on the hand. Next cut out a few leaves from green paper. Twist together and tape around a straw. As an added touch, you can fold a pipe cleaner in half, twirl the ends, and insert into the straw. (That part is optional.) Finish off with this poem:

This isn’t just a flower, as you can plainly see.
I made it with my hand which is a part of me.
It comes with lots of love, especially to say,
I hope you have a very Happy Mother’s Day!

Mother's Day Interview

2009-05-09T16:28:00.003-05:00

Every mother likes something from her little ones on Mother's Day, but often dads are at a loss for what to do. Here is a simple idea that can be turned into a sweet keepsake for Mom.

Someone (preferably other than Mom) asks the kids questions about Mom and records the answers. It can be turned into a card, or just left as a sheet of paper to go in the scrapbook or baby book. Depending on how little your child is, the answers might not make too much sense, but that's part of what makes it special!

*Disclosure: I borrowed these questions from a Facebook note going around.

Here are some questions to get you started:

Mother’s Day Interview

1. What is something Mommy always says?

2. What makes Mommy happy?

3. What makes Mommy sad?

4. What does Mommy do that’s funny?

5. What was Mommy like as a little girl?

6. How old is Mommy?

7. What is Mommy’s favorite thing to do?

8. What is your favorite thing to do?

9. What does Mommy do when you’re not around?

10. What is Mommy really good at?

11. What is Mommy not very good at?

12. What does Mommy like to eat?

13. What makes Mommy proud of you?

14. What do you and Mommy do together?

15. What does Mommy like best about Daddy?

16. Where is Mommy’s favorite place to go?

Spring Toy Wash

2009-05-03T15:42:00.001-05:00

Now that spring is here, spring cleaning is needed - inside and out. Since Nick's outdoor toys were in dire need of cleaning, we set up a carwash-style toy wash. Nick was very proud of himself for doing the whole process on his own, from filling the bucket to scrubbing the toys to wringing out the sponge (undoubtedly his favorite part). Of course he was soaked by the end, but that's where the fun lies, right?

Tips for Traveling with Toddlers

2009-04-26T13:02:00.002-05:00

We recently returned from a trip to Budapest. This involved an 8 hour flight, a four hour layover, and another 2 hour flight. Here are some things we've learned over the years of traveling with Nick:

Preboarding can be a curse rather than a blessing. Imagine you are about to sit on a plane for a 4 or 8 hour flight. Would you rather A) Preboard and have an extra half hour of sitting still while you watch all the other passengers file on, or B) Have your child run, jump, and otherwise exert themselves in an effort to get rid of as much energy as possible before boarding? For us, the answer is almost always a resounding "B" - and Nicholas is usually quite ready to sit by the time we're on the plane.

For a longer flight, we travel with 2 sippy cups that we won't be upset to lose. We fill one and leave the other empty. Most airport security lines will allow a filled sippy cup onboard, but occasionally we've been asked to ditch one. I also regretted not having an empty sippy on a long flight when the milk soured, causing me to need to clean a cup in-flight. This was quite annoying. However, they do make bottle sanitizer wipes which can be handy to have along and can help in these situations. If, due to space, you can only bring one cup, you might want to wait until you are on the flight to fill it.

We use plastic baggies to organize our carry-on and bring a few empty ones as well. Snacks, small toys, a changing kit, and a change of clothes each get their own baggie. (The gallon-baggie changing kit removes the need to lug a diaper bag into a tight airplane bathroom.) Empty baggies get used for trash, keepsakes, dirty clothes, etc.

A note about the bulkhead: At times sitting here is desirable, at other times it's not the best place to be. If you are on a short flight or traveling with a lap child, the extra space provided by the bulkhead is wonderful. When I flew home alone from Germany on a full flight with Nicholas as a lap child, I was thankful to have floor space for him to play. Unfortunately, the armrests cannot be raised in the bulkhead, making it impossible for a sleeping toddler to stretch out on a long flight. We hated to trade our legroomy seats on our international flight for a middle row, but when Nicholas stretched out and slept for 6 hours of the flight, we knew we had made the right decision.

Still to come...
Favorite travel toys
Handy airplane snacks

Junk Art!

2009-04-22T06:45:00.000-05:00

This project is perfect for Earth Day. Except for the tape, it requires no new materials.

The junk-art bin is one of my favorite items in the craft cabinet. Into this bin go the egg cartons, yogurt cups, cardboard packaging, and other recyclables that seem like they have potenontial to be something else. Sometimes they get turned into a specific project. But sometimes on a rainy day, they just get put on the table because it's Junk Art time!

Kids are infinitely creative. Put out some recyclables and masking tape, and you will be amazed at what they come up with. (Or you might be baffled at how they see anything in their sculptures!) T & G created a "spaceship" and a "dinosaur house". T was immediately engrossed in the activity and worked slowly and carefully. A few times he needed encouragement and help when his sculpture wasn't turning out as planned, but at the end he was thrilled with his creation.

G needed a little help as well because he was so eager to build that he smashed his creation a few times. Again, a few tears followed, but after I stepped in just enough to get back on track, he managed to create something he was excited about as well. They were both really proud of what they had created, and had fun playing with their creations. At the end, only one project went home; the other, alas, fell back into its origins - a pile of recyclables.

Junk Art Tips:

before starting, tear 10 or 20 strips of tape of different sizes and stick them to the edge of the table

resist the temptation to label their projects

step in when it seems like they are struggling, then step back again

praise the process as much as the final product

April Showers Craft

2009-04-03T20:55:00.001-05:00

"April Showers Bring May Flowers"

Materials - feel free to substitute materials freely!
construction paper - white + one other color
scissors (for grown-up)
cotton balls
sequins
small amount of blue paint mixed with a little water
straw or paintbrush
tissue paper scraps

First we created the rain: Drip a little bit of blue paint on the white paper and blow it around with the straw. For some reason, Nick did not want to do this, but he thought it was funny watching me do it. Alternatively, you could splatter paint with a paintbrush.

Next, Nick glued sequins onto the umbrella. If your kids have the motor skills already, allow them to do the glue - it's ok if it gets messy (wihin limits!). Glue the finished umbrella onto your paper.

Put more glue along the top of the paper. Have your little one tear up cotton balls, and glue them onto the paper.

Finally, show your little one how to ball up tissue paper or construction paper to make the flowers.

Tip: I keep tissue paper scraps leftover from projects and gifts in a quart-sized baggie. That way we don't waste new tissue paper when it's not necessary.

Cariboo Review

2009-04-02T21:29:00.001-05:00

Cariboo by Cranium

around $17 at Target.com

This is hands-down the favorite game in our household - and has been since Nick was about a year old. Back then, as now, he loved putting the key in the holes and looking for the balls. (Note: This is not a game for mouthers, as the balls are potentially chokeable!) Now we are actually able to play the game almost as described in the rules.

The rules:

Children choose a card that has a color, number, shape, or letter on it. They find a door with a corresponding picture and open it using the key. The players will find balls underneath some of the doors, which they put into the "tumbling tidepool". Once all six balls have been found, the treasure chest opens. There are two levels of play: numbers 1-4 and letters A, B, C for younger players; numbers 1-10 and the full alphabet for older players.

Our variation:

We play only with the color and shape cards. We take turns, but whenever we find a ball, we drop it right back into the gameboard. This has two advantages: it keeps the chance of finding a ball high, and it keeps gameplay going indefinitely.

Skills:

color, shape, number, and letter recognition
fine motor skills
turn taking

The Good:

engages children
good method for practicing concepts
it's not your ordinary board game
kids of different levels can play together

The Bad:

the pictures inside the shapes can be hard to recognize

Cookie Cutter Painting

2009-03-29T23:01:00.000-05:00

This art project is great because it is easy, and it works well for any holiday or season. All you need is paint, cookie cutters, paper, and a flat dish for the paint. In the past I have used styrofoam trays from the grocery and tupperware lids. Here we're using jewelry trays from the recycling center.

This project was just for fun, so I let Nicholas have at it. In the end you couldn't really recognize the shapes, but he's still proud of his painting. We also did this for Valentine's Day to send to family, and I helped make sure only a few hearts made it onto each card so they were actually recognizable.

The paint washes off the trays easily, but for added washability you can add a squirt of dish soap. It's also best to use colors that will still look good when mixed together. We normally do this at Nick's high chair or little table, but he has been obsessed with being in the kitchen lately. (Something his future wife will no doubt appreciate!)

Flour Fun

2009-03-24T16:37:00.003-05:00

This morning we baked cupcakes. Because Nicholas was helping measure out the ingredients, there was a lot of spillage. I dumped the spilled flour into a glass pan, added some small tractors and animals, and voila: Nicholas had a winter farm (actually, he called it a zoo). Playing with the "snow" kept him occupied while I cleaned up the entire kitchen. You could also use a cookie sheet. It is amazing how something so simple allows kids to be so imaginitive.

Tissue Paper Easter Egg

2009-03-23T09:34:00.007-05:00

With a little under three weeks until Easter, I'll be devoting some of the posts in the next few weeks to Easter projects. I have always loved decorating Easter eggs, especially in new and interesting ways. This project is fun to do with toddlers on up - grade schoolers will even add their own twist and make pretty eggs this way

Materials:

eggs

tissue paper cut into small piece

glue

paint brushes or q-tips

jar lids

Boil the eggs first. Pour a little glue into the jar lids, and add a few drops of water to thin the glue. Kids should paint their eggs with glue using the brush or q-tip, and then place tissue paper on the egg. Preschoolers and older kids should smooth the tissue paper on the egg; toddlers will most likely just leave it sticking on in clumps - that's fine too! Show your little ones how to put more glue and tissue paper on the white spots. These eggs are really colorful and pretty when done!

Alternately, kids can dip the tissue paper into the glue and smooth onto the eggs. Also, older children can cut shapes and designs out of the tissue paper to glue on. Older children could also blow the eggs out first for more lasting designs.

Toddler Chopsticks How-To

2009-03-18T18:23:00.004-05:00

Whenever we eat Chinese food, Nicholas begs to use chopsticks too. I finally came up with a super simple way to rig the chopsticks so he could use them. All you need is a short crayon and a rubber band. The trick to getting the chopsticks to work correctly lies in how you attach the rubber band: it must be twisted both above and below the crayon.

Place the crayon about an inch and a half from the top of the chopsticks. Wind the rubberband around both chopsticks and crayon, alternating right above the crayon and right below the crayon. Wrap around the top a few extra times to get the chopsticks to stay in the open position. Wrap rubber band until tight. Hand to your little ones and watch how proud they feel using chopsticks all by themselves!

Detail of hinge:

Breakfast Bars

2009-03-13T08:21:00.004-05:00

These healthy breakfast bars are the perfect treat to make together with your toddler. If you feel your toddler is steady enough to stand on a chair, they can help you make this in the kitchen. Otherwise, s/he can sit in a highchair or at a table. Your little one will have fun helping measure out the dry ingredients and dumping them into the bowl. If you don't want any spillage, you can help dump ingredients - little ones still feel proud of helping.

Many thanks to my friend Liz for passing along this recipe!

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 375; Cook time = 30 minutes; Serves = 14 bars

2 Cups Oats

1.5 Cup Whole wheat flour

.25 Cup Wheat germ

1 Cup Dried fruit (craisins or dried apricots are good choices)

.75 tsp Cinnamon

6 Tbsp Brown sugar

.5 tsp Salt

1 Cup Apple or other juice

.5 Cup Mashed Banana (fat substitute...you could get creative and use pureed pears etc)

Directions: Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick spray. Mix all ingredients, pat thinly on bottom of pan. Sprinkle with extra cinnamon and bake. Bake for 25-30 minutes and remove from oven when still a little sticky in center for softer bars. WAIT TO COOL before removing or they will crumble.

Paper Plate Aquariums

2009-03-10T21:46:00.007-05:00

This is a cute and super simple art project. I did this with a group of about 15 toddlers and preschoolers, and they did a great job with only minimal help. Since I was leading I couldn't help Nick, and he ended up grabbing a glue bottle and completing it all on his own. He was 21 months old at the time, to give you an idea of how little kids can be to do this.

Materials - feel free to substitute or improvise freely

blue paper or plastic plate
glue
goldfish crackers
uncooked pasta shells
Swedish fish (only if your child is allowed to eat them!)
gummi worms (same as above)
pretzels
sand or crumbled-up crackers
small pebbles
green yarn
optional: clear or blue cling wrap

You or your child will squirt glue in little blobs around the plate, then let your child glue down the materials you set out. Their hands will get a little messy, but glue cleans up easily with a wipe, or peels off when dry. To really make it look like an aquarium, wrap with cling wrap at the end. This project is great for giving little ones a sense of accomplishment.

Books that go along with this project:

Swimmy by Leo Lionni
Mr. Seahorse by Eric Carle
A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
One Lonely Seahorse by Joost Elffers and Saxton Freymann
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

Sensory Play

2009-03-09T15:37:00.010-05:00

The benefits of sensory play include:

helps children make sense of the world around them
builds connections in the brain
allows children to experience cause and effect
allows for creative exploration
develops problem-solving skills
provides practice with fine-motor skills
develops math concepts like volume & equivalency
can be calming for hyperactive children
and finally, it promotes language development and vocabulary

For examples of sensory activities, click on the "sensory" link on the left.

Sand and Water Table....Minus the Sand and Water

2009-03-09T14:10:00.009-05:00

When we first got our water table, I happily set it up in the kitchen, filled it with water and toys, and sent Nicholas to play. Boy, was that a mistake! The kitchen was swimming in water and my husband got in a big "I told you so".

Luckily there are plenty of other materials that will keep kids occupied at the sand and water table inside. While they still produce a mess, it is a mess that is easily swept up. (I just finished sweeping the kitchen, and one would never know what was going on in there this morning!)

Clean the water table. Our water table spent the past week outside. It has rained several times in that period, and it looked pretty dirty. Cleaning things is the perfect activity for little ones. Armed with a little non-toxic spray that I helped with (you could use dish soap and water as well) and a sponge, Nicholas had a blast spraying and scrubbing the table, then drying it out with a dishtowel.

Packing peanuts. Nicholas loves playing with packing peanuts in the water table. He spent the morning pouring, measuring, and scooping the peanuts, as well as driving his cars and boats through the peanuts. They are super easy to sweep up at the end.

Rice. As with the packing peanuts, your little peanut will love using all kinds of kitchen tools to play with the rice. This material is more fun to pour and measure, but the rice spreads a little farther than the packing peanuts do.

Ice. Ice is fascinating to toddlers. The day before, fill up some bowls of different sizes with water and freeze. Put the ice shapes into the table along with some toys - dolls, cars, anything. Kids will have fun playing with the ice and watching it melt. You can also give them a little cup of warm water to see how it speeds the process along.

Shaving cream. Squirt a good amount of shaving cream into the table, and let your toddler have at it. A smock or old t-shirt is good for this activity! For added fun and experimentation, squirt different colors of food coloring here and there and let your little one see what happens when the colors are squished together. You can also add kitchen tools to the table - measuring cups, mixing spoons, and rubber spatulas would be especially fun.

A few tips to make things go smoothly:

Introduce the water table with an activity that is easy to clean up, like packing peanuts or ice. That way you can establish the guidelines before moving on to something like shaving cream or rice.
When it seems like they've had enough, steer them towards a different activity or room. At first they will likely be absorbed in the activity. But the point will come when they are ready to move on, and they will likely show you this by throwing the contents of the table.

Discovery Bottles

2009-03-08T15:35:00.009-05:00

Discovery bottles are simple to make, and can be used for babies up to early elementary schoolers. They can entertain, soothe, and teach. These bottles are especially useful on car trips. You will want to clean the bottle first and remove the label. These bottles are limited only by your imagination, but here are some ieas to get you started:

Find it! Bottle

Use a funnel to fill a bottle about 1/2 full with sand or rice. Then add small objects to the bottle: buttons, buttons, large beads, golf tees, toy jewelry, keys, and small toys, for example. Put the cap back on and secure with duct tape.

Nick loves turning and shaking the bottle to find the objects. For older children, provide lists of items to find, or ask them to find numbers of things or items that begin with a certain letter.

Bubble Bottle

Pour water, dish soap, and a little food coloring in the bottle. Babies and toddlers will have fun shaking it and watching the colored bubbles pile up. I made mine almost a year ago, and it still works!

Alphabet Bottle

Pour corn syrup into the bottle, about a half inch deep. Add alphabet beads. Preschoolers and kindergarteners will have fun finding the letters in their names; older children can make words.

Serenity Bottle

I used this bottle when I taught Kindergarten as a time-out tool. Pour 1/2 inch of corn syrup into bottle and add food coloring (optional). Add items such as glitter, beads, buttons, googly eyes, etc. Secure cap firmly with tape. Little ones will be mesmerized by the slowly-flowing liquid and objects.

Magnet Bottle
Fill a bottle 1/3 full of sand or salt. Add small, metallic objects such as paper clips, fridge magnets, and keys. Secure cap with duct tape. Then tie a strong magnet to the outside of the bottle, and teach little ones how to "fish" for the objects with the magnet.

Color Bottle
Ask for the kids' help on this one! Find small objects all over the house in a certain color to add to a bottle.

Collection Bottle
A wide-mouthed bottle like a Gatorade bottle is best for this one. It is especially well-suited to vacation, but works just as well in your backyard or park. Give the bottle to your child, and have them put in anything that captures their interest: small twigs, stones, seashells, leaves - anything! Later on, ask your child to tell you all about what they found.

Ocean in a Bottle
Fill a bottle halfway with vegetable oil, then top off with water. You can add blue food coloring, if you like. As always, seal cap with duct tape. It is fascinating to watch the waves as you roll the bottle around, and kids love watching the liquids separate again after shaking the bottle. If you have any lightweight, floating objects, they are great to add. I tried adding some tin foil, but it didn't work out - Nick asked me why I added garbage to the bottle!

** If there is a lot of residue from the label, you can try rubbing vegetable oil on the sticky part to remove it.

Books and Music that Get Kids Moving

2009-03-07T05:11:00.003-06:00

From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
Eric Carle's trademark cut-paper illustrations are always charming, and children will have fun with the text. After bending their necks like giraffes, arching their backs like cats, and kicking like donkeys, they will have gotten a little workout!

Caps for Sale by Ephyr Slobodkina
In this funny story, some naughty monkeys steal the caps right off a peddlar's head! It is through having his movements imitated that the peddlar gets back his caps. Naturally, kids will not be able to resist imitating the movements as well.

Kids in Motion: Songs for Creative Movement by Greg & Steve
I have yet to hear a better CD for getting kids dancing and moving. With songs like "Animal Action," "The Freeze," and "Body Part Rock," even kids who are timid will join in the fun. Most of the songs give directions for the kids to follow and also leave a little space for free movement; a few songs allow kids to dance however they want. This is perfect for the days when you're stuck inside and want the kids to move a little bit. You can't go wrong with any CD by Greg & Steve.

Rice!

2009-03-01T12:36:00.013-06:00

There are times, the fifth day of indoor weather, for example, when I will resort to just about anything to keep the little ones busy - even if it means creating a royal mess. This is an activity for those days. Luckily it is a dry mess, so it can easily be swept up.

This activity is as simple as filling several bowls and pots with uncooked rice. The kids will have a ball sifting pouring, and measuring the rice with any kitchen tools you provide for them: measuring cups and spoons, strainers, funnels, whisks, cooking spoons, and anything else you might find hiding in your drawers.

You might be surprised how long this activity keeps toddlers and preschoolers busy. If you want to up the entertainment factor a notch, try this: add surprises to the bowls before adding the rice. When I did this with T & G, I added "dinosaur eggs," a.k.a. "Magic Grow" capsules that you put in water until they release a spongy dinosaur. You could add any small toys.

If you are feeling especially brave, you can let the little ones assist in cleanup afterwards. This has real mess potential (or at least wetness), but on days I'm feeling especially desperate - or generous - I go for it. There are times when controlled mess is better than uncontained chaos!

Now, you don't necessarily want to share this with the kids, but as with every activity that engages kids, they are practicing valuable skills:

math skills like volume & equivalency
sensory activities help boost brain development
fine motor skills are needed to pour, sift, etc.
stimulates imagination
calming for hyperactive children
as always, if you talk about this activity later, it promotes language development & vocabulary

March Lion and Lamb Craft

2009-02-26T17:25:00.008-06:00

This craft makes a nice memento or card for the grandparents. It is also a meaningful way to introduce the saying, "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb". Talk about what lions and lambs are like, and what the poem might be saying about the weather in March.

Materials

construction paper
white or black and orange or yellow paint
cotton balls
pipe cleaners or yarn in red, yellow, and/or orange
glue
black marker
optional: squirt of dishwashing liquid in the paint to facilitate cleanup

Paint one hand in each color and make handprints on the paper. Turn the paper so that handprints are upside-down. When dry, put glue on the handprints, and have kids add cotton balls and pipecleaners or yarn. Add the poem and see if your kids can repeat it!

A Toddler-Friendly Take on Classic Memory

2009-02-23T13:18:00.027-06:00

Neighborhood Memory Game by Cranium Bloom
approx. $7.99 at Target
This is a fun and creative take on traditional memory games. Like most games we play, it is rated ages 3+, but we've adapted the game play so that Nicholas can play.

The rules:
This is basically a memory game. Only instead of finding two identical pictures, the pairs are made by finding the pieces that interlock to make a picture.

Our variation:
I put all the frame pieces on one side of our play space, and all the center pieces on the other side, all face up. Then we either take turns or just Nicholas finds the matches. Like I said, there isn't much of a game component, but it entertains Nick.

Skills:

visual discrimination
logic
concentration
fine motor skills
turn taking and memory, depending on how you play

The Good:

a creative take on puzzles and memory games
beautiful artwork
kids can grow into the game
game takes just long enough to keep a toddler's attention

The Bad:

nothing much, except the box has a window cut out of it that is only useful while sitting on the shelf

Playing Games with a Two-Year-Old

2009-02-21T18:51:00.011-06:00

Playing games is one of my favorite activities to do with Nicholas. It's a great way to interact with him in a way that's entertaining for me as well as him. As much as I love that Nick is entertained by his toys, the entertainment factor is significantly lower for me.

This morning we played three games because Nick kept wanting to play more. We only play for as long as he seems interested, because there's no point in forcing him to keep playing. I also adapt the rules to his ability, and we allow for some creative rule enforcement if it will keep the game moving. The point of playing is to do something together and learn the dynamics of game play.

Here's a link to a segment about playing games with toddlers from the early childhood show "A Place of Our Own": http://aplaceofourown.org/question_detail.php?id=595

In the following posts, I'm going to review a few of the games Nicholas and I enjoy playing. In the meantime, here is a quick rundown of my favorites. If you have any recommendations for good games, please write about them in the Comments section.

Let's Play Neighborhood Memory Game by Cranium Bloom
Shapes & Colors by Ravensburger
Brown Bear - Panda Bear, What Do You See? Game by University Games
Cariboo by Cranium
4 First Games by Ravensburger
Let's Play Neighborhood Sounds Bingo by Cranium Bloom

Well looking at this list it's pretty obvious what my favorite brands are. Cranium and Ravensburger are both companies that think about what toddlers are like and what their interests are when they create games. Their games also aren't too expensive. However, there are many other great game companies out there; if you know of any, please share!

Benefits of playing games together:

promotes language & communication skills
learn turn-taking
practice concepts
improves concentration
builds social skills
challenge kids
build confidence