It's Raining on It's Playtime

Some of you have snow right now but here on It's Playtime, we have rain.  This weeks features were both inspired by the book The Rain Came Down by David Shannon.

Inspiration Laboratories created and shared Drip Paintings.  

Train Up a Child was inspired to create some bathtub Wash and Learn games.  

If you were featured this week, don't forget to grab your special "featured button."

<a href="http://messypreschoolers.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEYKQj4S7oHoLKfsA3PoeXgaNMJ5dxkdUxIphbmwXOlbFg78Gwl73-rT8AdMTgmqYmIJZrkJRYOqOEItkCbR_exui4YhZqLlwZaBHXhC5slGyqPScnxvq-zrQezw9-MdIUiecgW3fxKg/s1600/featured-messykids.jpg" width="150/" /></a>

These activities plus more can be found over on the It's Playtime Pinterest Board.  Happy Pinning! 

Now, on to this weeks play date! 
It's Playtime is a community and Thursday link-up hosted by:

* Rachele : Messy Kids (That's me!)
* Rachel & Holly : Quirky Momma
* Jillian: A Mom With a Lesson Plan

How to Play :

* Link up a post about a playful learning experience enjoyed by kids.

* Give us love and pop a button into your post/blog. Invite your readers to the weekly play date!

<a href="http://messypreschoolers.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VWLA7lm_Fqc/TaNHGpGSuVI/AAAAAAAAEX0/DGSvqIT7fyU/s320/RED-itplaytime.jpg" width="150" /></a>

* Stop by one of our blogs every Thursday and add your link about play. Your link will show up on each of the blogs in the It's Playtime community.

* Each week the playtime hosts will choose favorite posts to feature. (By linking you are giving us permission to use an image and link to you, if featured.)

* Be sure to visit some of the links that catch your eye. Commenting on posts that you find interesting or inspiring is a wonderful way to develop your own playful community.

By linking up you give us permission to grab a picture and feature you here, on a site we write for, on FB or Pinterest.   If we share your link, we will always credit you, send people to your original post and use only ONE photo.

Mommy and Me Book Club: Ocean Theme

It's been a long while since I've posted something other then It's Playtime.  It's not that we haven't done anything, but between preschool, being pregnant, and the other things that life tends to throw at me, I've  been a bit absent.  So I'm going to try and go back to some of our favorite activities over the past couple of months and blog about them.  Then, hopefully, I can start working on some newer ideas.

Last month (June) we had our monthly Mommy & Me Book Club at the house.  It seems to be a popular activity with my regular moms which pleases me.  The theme in June was The Ocean.  Here are the activities I made available.

  I made some Sand Playdough inspired by Timeless Adventures.  I provided some shells and floral stones (both purchased at the dollar store) along with some ocean characters.  The kids enjoyed creating different scenes and and experiencing the variety of textures.

We also created Octopuses from T.P. tubes like those found at Mommy with Selective Memory.  All you do is cut 8 strips, leaving room at the top for the "head".  I'm running low on paint, plus I have a lot of little guys, so we used markers to decorate the tubes.  Then the kids glued on google eyes.

For snack I used the recipe for Cinnamon Snowflakes I found on Come Together Kids but made a slight variation.  I used a fish cookie cutter create little tortilla fish.  Then I followed the directions on the original recipe, creating crispy, yummy, cinnamon fish.  These went fast!  


And what's a book club without books?!  We all came together and read:
  

Would you like to start a Mommy & Me Book Club with your friends?  Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

The Heart Project: Sharing Our Hearts For the AHA

I've learned over the past year that blogging can create community.  And when you have a community, great things can happen.  The Heart Project is a great thing.

The Heart Project is a collaborative project created by Jamie @ hands on: as we grow  in support of her husband's 4 year old cousin, Ellie (read her story here), and realized by over 70+ bloggers from all over the world.

What is The Heart Project?

The Heart Project is a beautiful book of over 100 heart photos relating to projects with children in mind.  These projects were either developed for kids, created by kids, or made for kids and cover a wide range of subjects including art, crafts, cooking, and home decore.

Here is an official sneak peak:

See those waffles?  I am thrilled to be a part of this project!

So, What Can I Do?

You can donate of course!  The ebook is available with a $5 donation to the American Heart Association (AHA).  

You'll have these wonderful projects right on your computer and can feel good you contributed to a worthy cause.  But you must hurry, this book is only available for donation through the month of February!  


Bonus Donation!!!!
For every book sold this month, craftprojectideas.com will donate $1 (up to $500).  So for your $5 donation, craftprojectideascom will also donate $1.  Isn't that awesome?  Don't forget to leave them a thank you note on their Facebook page!

BUT Maybe you'd rather have a printed copy of the book.  A book to share with your co-workers, family, friends, etc.  A book you can place on your coffee table and feel good about.  For $20 (+ $3.59 S/H) your can receive a beautifully printed, full color, 8.5"x 8.5" edition for your home, office, school, etc.  $5 of every book sold will be donated to the AHA. But you must hurry, this book is only available for donation through the month of February!  

US $20.00

Order the Printed Version

Of course, you can also make a donation without purchasing the book.  

And There is More!
Auctions and giveaways galore.  We want to thank Melissa & Doug as well as Fudoo Boards for the wonderful sponsorship!

Fundraiser Auctions:

♥  All proceeds of each auction will go to the AHA  ♥

Melissa & Doug -  4 Trunki with Teddy Bear Auctions!

1. Trunki with Teddy Bear, ends Feb 10
2. Trunki with Teddy Bear, ends Feb 10
3. Trunki with Teddy Bear, ends Feb 10
4. Trunki with Teddy Bear, ends Feb 10

Fudoo Boards - 3 Fudoo Board Kits for Auction!

1. Fudoo Board Kit, ends Feb 10
2. Fudoo Board Kit, ends Feb 10
3. Fudoo Board Kit, ends Feb 10

And check out these great daily giveaways!

Heart Project Participants

hands on : as we grow	♥	A Little Learning for Two	♥	Among Many Blessings
Angelique Felix	♥	At Home with Ali	♥	Broken Treasures
Busy at Home	♥	Busy Kids Happy Mom	♥	Carrie Saindon's Photo Journey
Child Central Station	♥	Classified: Mom	♥	Classroom Magic
Creative with Kids	♥	Creativity My Passion	♥	Critters and Crayons
De Tout et de Rien	♥	Dilly-Dali Art	♥	Dinosaurs & Octopuses
Excited 2 Learn	♥	Hand Over the Cookies	♥	Handprint & Footprint Art
Happy Hooligans	♥	Heart Journey	♥	Imagination Soup
Jamie's Jumble	♥	Kitchen Counter Chronicles	♥	Kreative Resources
Let Kids Create	♥	Little Illuminationss	♥	Living Montessori Now
Loudness of the Lambs	♥	Love and Lollipops	♥	Mama, hocemo nesto da pravimo
Mama Pea Pod	♥	Mama Smiles	♥	MemeTales
Messy Kids	♥	Mindful Meanderings	♥	Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
Mommy Labs	♥	Mommy Perks	♥	Mum Paints Lives
Mummy Mummy Mum	♥	My Creative Family	♥	NurtureStore
One Artsy Mama	♥	Peace Love & Rainbows	♥	Play Dr Mom
Putti Prapancha	♥	Rainbows within Reach	♥	Reading Confetti
Ready. Set. Read!	♥	Red Ted Art	♥	Sense of Wonder
Share & Remember	♥	Stacy Molter	♥	Sun Hats & Wellie Boots
Teach Preschool	♥	The Artful Child	♥	The Chocolate Muffin Tree
The Craft Barn	♥	The Educators' Spin on It	♥	The Golden Gleam
The Imagination Tree	♥	The Iowa Farmer's Wife	♥	The Joy of My Life
The Kids Fun Review	♥	The Outlaw Mom Blog	♥	The Preschool Toolbox
The Seeds Network	♥	Toddler Approved

Our group goal is $1000!  Help us reach that!