My children are ‘outdoor kids’, large motor machines. They need to get outside in order to keep their spirits in balance-I need that too. Thankfully summer fun with kids provides a multitude of outdoor time for fun-and learning. Having children in multiple age groups allows me the challenge to adapt activities for different skill levels. Some summer climates limit how … [Read more...]
DIY Magnetic Felt Board for the Fridge
This post contains affiliate links. Please view my disclosure. Dinner time in our house is a bit hectic. I often have the twins pulling at my legs while trying to navigate my way through main dish, sides and filling up milk cups. It can get tricky (and a bit overwhelming) when everyone is so hungry that calm seems to be lost. I needed a way to distract the kids in the kitchen … [Read more...]
Make Your Own Bean Bags
I have been wanting to buy my children bean bags for a while and never got to it. DIY bean bags turned out to fit my budget and they were pretty easy to make. I have a CD of bean bag toss songs that teach following directions that I used with my own preschool classes when I was teaching. It was a great indoor activity in the heat of Summer, rainy days or the cold of … [Read more...]
DIY Car Wash Toy for Kids
For any child who is a car lover, the imagination is limitless about where the cars drive and what they do. My son used to think cars got cold and needed a blanket...in his imagination, of course! He acted out the Cars movie (and Cars 2) while watching. This boy has loved them since he was 13 months old, and they are still not old yet. He is amazing at creating play … [Read more...]
Books on CD Recorded by You
My husband deployed for a year back when my oldest son was 6 months old. It was a job of mine to teach my son about his dad. Without the daily interactions of a parent and an infant, that memory of "dad" would not be established. It is a reality for families whose breadwinner travels a lot. Our solution was to do a few things to keep my husband present in our daily life and one … [Read more...]
DIY Sensory Bottles from Baby Bottles
{This activity was previously shared on the Infant Activities page in October 2011.} I was first introduced to DIY sensory bottles when I worked in a daycare center. These sensory toys are very easy to make, are great for older kids to help make, and can be made in a variety of sizes. If you do not drink bottled water, you can use baby bottles. I have both … [Read more...]
DIY Puzzles
Need to add something new into today's activities? Make a puzzle. It will take you 10 minutes, I promise! Puzzles are wonderful tools for enhancing spatial reasoning skills and memory. It is very easy to make a puzzle and you have everything you need at home. … [Read more...]