Fun with Mixing Bowls
Who needs a fancy new toy when there is something bright, shiny and equally as appealing to a baby already tucked away in your cupboards?!?! Just get a few bowls and some small toys. Practice new vocabulary “in” and “out”….
Apple Theme Sensory Tub
We had a great time with this sensory tub this morning. The oatmeal is a great texture! Big Brother, who typically flitters from one thing to another every 5 minutes, spent 40 minutes just playing with the sensory tub! And the only reason…
Dinosaurumpus!
We had our very own “Dinosaurumpus” today! Combining gross-motor with pretend play, we had ourselves a grand-ol’ time! And the best part is…the only thing you need is your imagination. T-Rex Caleb A dinosaur who walks on four legs…(a Stegosaurus…
Sensory Tub with Shredded Paper
I recently had a reader e-mail me with the question, “What exactly is a sensory tub?” I don’t have an actual definition but from my experience, a sensory tub is simply a tool for children to learn about the world…
Biggest to Smallest with Dinosaurs (and Footprints too)
Ordering items based on their size can be a tricky skill for a little one. Before children can do this, they need to understand the concept of “big” and “little”. A modification of this activity is appropriate for children as…
Learning Walk
Sometimes the simplest things can be the most meaningful… The weather has been much nicer lately, which means it is cool enough in the mornings to actually go for walks! I just started pointing out numbers and shapes on our…
Sponge Relay
This activity is embarrassingly simple. It would be a great activity to do when there are multiple children around, but since this was thought up spur-of-the-moment, we made do with just Big Brother. Here’s what you’ll need: 2 large bowls,…
Vertical Writing with Window Crayons
Writing on a vertical surface provides great fine-motor practice and helps a young child learn how to correctly hold a writing utensil. It is hard to improperly hold a crayon at that angle! On my latest Target trip, I lingered in the…
SandDough
Big Brother is very sensory sensitive and sometimes has a hard time with new textures, so this coarse version of playdough was great for him! It is super easy and takes less than 10 minutes to make. We just used…
Show-and-Share Saturday: Sandpaper Sand Castle
Kara from Little Learners Lounge came up with this adorable idea of creating castles out of sandpaper. A perfect no-mess craft for toddlers and preschoolers alike! Head on over here and take a look!
Show-and-Share Saturday: Wacky Races
My friend and fellow teacher turned stay-at-home Momma Julie recently did a sensory activity with her 22 month-old son that I thought was definitely worthy of sharing! Doesn’t this just look like so much fun? She used buttons, coffee grounds, and a…
Car Painting
My friend Rachel stopped by with her adorable kiddos (with Sonic drinks for all) while we were stranded at home due to a flat tire. We pulled out the cars and let the kids go to town painting! Here’s what…
Transportation Song and Pretend Play
Singing is a great way to introduce your child to language in a fun and meaningful way! Kids love to sing! Even if you think you have a terrible singing voice (like I do), swallow your pride and sing. You’ll…
"I Spy"
Here is a new take on the old game “I Spy” It’s a great quiet time activity or you can make it for a very inexpensive gift for a child in your life! Or take it on a car trip…like…
Stoplight Beanbag Toss
This is a super-easy activity that teaches colors too! Here’s what you’ll need: 3 pieces of construction paper (red, yellow, and green), a piece of cardboard or posterboard, and bean bags (I didn’t have any, so I stole some beans…
Plastic Baggie “My Body” Book
These little books are so cool! My good friend Sarah introduced me to these plastic baggie books and I decided to use pictures to help teach my boys their body parts. I made one last year for Big Brother and it was…