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Showing posts with label parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parenting. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

30 Days to Hands On Play: Build a Fort



Day 2 of the 30 Days to Hands on Play challenged us to build a fort.  I asked my son what type of fort he wanted to build and he said, "a Buzz Lightyear fort on my bed".  Michael and his sister often drape blankets over the bunk bed for tents, forts, and hideaways.  He's been doing this  when he has friends over as well, so I wasn't surprised he wanted to do it with me too.  Simplest fort I ever built! But it was the fun IN the fort that really matters....

Of course we had to have a flashlight...
 so I showed Michael how to make shadow puppets.
He loved it!  He began singing "Old McDonald" or as he calls it, "Ol' McDonald".  Then it was my turn so I sang "Little Bunny Foo Foo."  He thought it was funny to turn the light on and off while I sang.  
Then Michael became really silly, and, well, here's how it went...

At dinner time, all Michael could think of was getting back to that fort.  So after getting ready for bed, we crawled in to read stories.  He really wanted me to sleep in the fort with him, but my bed is oh, so much more comfortable (plus he kicks in his sleep!)  But....that didn't stop him from sleeping in it.  

      

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

It's Playtime: Make Your Own Fun

It's DIY time again at It's Playtime proving that making your own fun can be just as good, if not better, then the real thing!
Kinder Days created this cute Play Treehouse from an old plant stand and some natural wood elements.  The perfect home for little critters, fairies, or gnomes! 

 How about these great DIY Bean Bags from My Little Princess World?  No sewing involved!  Plus the beans and rice inside are reused from an old sensory project.  Add some foam stickers and buttons and these bean bags double as sensory bags!  

Are your daughter's dolls looking for some new, high fashion clothing?  Check out the latest Foil Fashion trend from Let Kids Create.  Bring out your child's inner fashion designer and allow her to decorate the foil herself.  And don't worry, her doll won't need a bigger closet; this clothing folds and fits nicely inside a recycled egg carton.    

Have a great DIY idea?  Don't forget to link it up!   

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


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!)
* Anna : The Imagination Tree
* Rachel : Quirky Momma
* Jamie : hands on : as we grow
* Jenny : Let the Children Play

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!


* 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.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Art in the Rain

On Labor Day, San Diego was given a special treat.  A rare, summer storm passed through our city bringing us thunder and rain.  Growing up, my parents and I spent many summer vacations in southern Texas where summer storms were common.  My great aunt and uncle have a house on the Guadeloupe River and my cousins and I would stare out the window over the river and watch the lighting.  When the lighting ceased, we would play in the warm rain, smelling the earthy smell that only rain can bring.  Here in San Diego, summer storms pass quickly bringing a couple rumbles of thunder, simply to announce it's arrival, and about 10 minuets of rain.  Our storm this past week lasted a little longer, mostly clouds and humidity, but a little rain on and off for about 24 hours.

The moment it started to rain, I checked for lighting, then grabbed my son and told him we were going to play outside; I knew we didn't have long.  Then the idea hit.  We would create art with the rain!  I'd seen rain painting on another blog months ago (I'm sorry, I don't remember whose it was) and had been waiting to try it.  I grabbed some white paper, dry Kool-Aid, and a popsicle holder, and ran outside to play.
We used the popsicle holder to house the various colors of Kool-Aid.  My son was able to grab pinches of the powder and sprinkle it onto his paper. 
Then he set the paper out in the rain.  The rain drops wet the powder creating a vibrant splatter pattern.  
Michel made a 2nd picture, this time he tried dumping the powder.  He was surprisingly careful.  
For the 3rd picture, we wet the paper first, then Michael finger painted with the Kool-Aid.  
 He dumped the remainder of the powder onto the paper which created little mounds for him to spread around.  
Now it's messy!
Of course he had to eat some of it!
Our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd paintings.

Michael became bored of painting and found some mud to enjoy.  So we turned that into art too!
I figured I might as well join him.
We made prints on the driveway as well.

As quickly as it appeared, the rain was gone.  But, we enjoyed a good 20 minuets outside together in the fresh, clean air.  Playing in the rain is good for the soul.

Also shared on:








GettingMessyWithMsJessi

Classified: Mom

Thursday, September 8, 2011

It's Playtime: Let's Get Silly!

This week on It's Playtime, I celebrate silliness!  Parents and teachers, admit it, some days we just want to scream!  It's those days you need to pull out fun ideas that will give you and your child (or classroom) a good laugh.  Sometimes only laughter can turn those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days around in an instant.      

What could possibly be more fun then googly eyes?  How about Magazine Googly Eye Faces?  Play Create Explore took a bag of assorted googly eyes and simply laid them on the faces in a magazine.  The picture above is what inspired my post today; you can't get much sillier!    
Beyond a hat, did you ever think newspaper could be silly?  Having Fun at Home found several ways to have Fun With Newspaper Inserts, including a newspaper shower!
Over at Mess for Less, little ones created their own silly version of Monsters vs. Aliens with some straws, feathers, and of course, googly eyes.  Creative, fun, and silly; my favorite combination!  

Need an instant giggle?  Check out Tiny Reader's Our Little Musicians.    

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


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!)
* Anna : The Imagination Tree
* Rachel : Quirky Momma
* Jamie : hands on : as we grow
* Jenny : Let the Children Play

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!

* 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.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Raising Kids is Tough: Ask the Experts


My friend and one of the It's Playtime co-hostesses, Jamie of hands on: as we grow, has put together a great series called Raising Kids is Tough.  She has gathered a list of experts available to answer questions regarding eating habits, unwanted behaviors, social skills, and more.  What you need to do is follow her link and ask your questions.  Each month she'll choose 5 questions of a specific topic for the experts to answer.  The topic each month will be based on your questions and what people want to know.  Additional, topic related questions, will be asked via the hands on: as we grow facebook fan page for the experts, as well as the fans, to answer.

I encourage you to visit and ask your tough questions regarding child rearing.  It's true what they say, "It takes a whole village to raise a child."  These experts and the facebook community are part of your village and are here to help!  

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

It's Playtime: Ice is Nice



For many of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the Dog Days of Summer have arrived and ice play is everywhere on the web as we attempt to stay cool.  Last weeks It's Playtime link party was our most popular to-date, and it seemed to me, ice play/art was a favorite topic for bloggers to share.  This week, I've chosen some of my favorite ice projects from last weeks play date.  Enjoy....and stay cool!

I loved this Artsy Ice Experiment from Creative Connections for Kids.  They blended science with art (color mixing) and had nature (the summer sun!) do all the dirty work for them.  A great summer experiment!

Pre-school Play shared with us that sometimes planned projects take on a life of their own when a preschooler becomes involved.  A typical ice cube painting project quickly turned to Ice Cube (Body) Painting when this little one decided to explore her medium.  I wish I could paint my body and people think it's cute!  

A Salt and Ice Extravaganza came from Praises of a Wife and Mommy.  Salt is great for creating crevices in ice chunks.  Add some color and you have an artistic chemical reaction!  

The Chocolate Muffin Tree took salt and ice exploration one step further and created some lovely, Colorful Ice Sculptures.  I love the giant blocks of ice the little cubes and the big cubes created once they melted together.  

Honorable Mentions: 
The Iowa Farmer's Wife: Ice Play  (perfect for toddlers!)
Dimples & Giggles: Painting with Colored Ice
Walnut Acre: Farm Animals in Ice

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




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!)
* Anna : The Imagination Tree
* Rachel : Quirky Momma
* Jamie : hands on : as we grow
* Jenny : Let the Children Play

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!


* 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.

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