Getting Out of the House...

Let's be honest, getting out of the house with a little one is a HUGE task. We live in New England and the Bug was born in January thus making leaving the house even more fun...

But, the hubby had gone back to work and all of our family members had come and gone and I was at home with a 5 week old and had watched everything on Netflix and Amazon Instant Watch about 300 times (ok, that is an exaggeration but I was bored with TV!)

If it had been summer, I would have gone for a walk around the neighborhood but it was February and it was COLD.

So we found out that our local library has an infant story time (they also have toddler and preschool story times, a teen group, and pretty much are like the best small town library ever BUT...) and we went!

The Bug slept through pretty much the whole thing but it quickly became an important part of our week (they take breaks at the beginning and end of summer and it's AWFUL).

It gave me (the new mom in a new place with no mom friends or really friends at all) the courage to look for more things like this that I could do with my little guy and I have told every new mom I meet about it!

Not only did we get out of the house, we found something fun and educational that has already instilled a love of music and books into my now 7 month old. He LOVES the teacher and gets excited when I sing the songs at home too! 

And yes, his favorite part of books is trying to wrinkle and rip the pages so typically his independent reading is board books or these wonderful indestructible books! They do wrinkle (and make wonderful sounds) but he can chew, squish, and pull without hurting the book. They are dishwasher safe and the pictures are adorable!

So use that internet search engine and find something to get out and do no matter how old or young your little one may be! Not only will you meet other moms and dads, you'll feel better too!

*Note: we received the Indestructables books as gifts at The Bug's baby shower and have not purchased any ourselves. 

3 Types of Sensory Boards for Babies

Seeing all of my friends posting things on Pinterest, especially those of us with new babies got me going... The Bug was about 4 months (just reaching for things) when we made his first sensory board. I started with things we had around the house- as a former childcare teacher, this probably means more than the average person has lying around BUT trust me, you can make these with anything! Pipe cleaners, burlap, ribbons, aluminum foil, bubble wrap, straws, coffee filter, big buttons, and fabric are pictured on the Bug's. The back is a piece of cardboard I cut from a box! I laid everything out and got it situated and then glued it all on with hot glue. (The buttons are larger but do not pass the toilet tube choke test so if you use things that small, make sure your child cannot pull them off and do not leave your child unattended with this in reach!)

The Bug woke up from his nap and it was time to play!

He loved reaching out and touching things. I tried to find a variety of textures and colors to make it more fun (and keep him on his tummy... The Bug could roll off his tummy at about 2 weeks...)

After the initial introduction of the sensory board, my mom and I discovered that The Bug loves nature and being outside. I can't say for sure that any kids would or would not like this but he still does... This one takes a bit more planning with a younger kiddo because you want to find things that have enough "stick" to them. 

The final layout- The flower is fake. I made this board in April and in these parts, there are not many flowers out yet plus I wanted the board to last longer than a flower would. I am proud to say that it is now August and everything is still together!

The Bug once again woke up to a fun discovery! He was and still is loving this board!

As you can see in the above picture, we use the boppy to prop him up a bit more giving him more arm exploring power! Also, their is a piece of bark glued onto part of a toilet paper tube because the shape was right. Now the Bug can explore the bark without mashing it!

The Bug grew from 4 months to 5 months to 6 months and suddenly, the original sensory board was falling apart. I was sad but I hadn't spent any money on it anyway so we made a new one! My mom had just sent a ton of fabric scraps from her days of making clothes for me and my brother etc so I went to town finding pieces that had a variety of textures, patterns, and colors! I did spend a little bit of money on this one buying some fabric remnants at Joanns as well as a zipper. 

Another hit! Fabric squares go around the outside and ribbons/tags go across the bottom. On the far side we have pom poms, pipe cleaners, and a sponge. The middle is foam letters, googly eyes, a zipper, and the buttons I salvaged from the first board. The side closest to the camera is feathers and a bow.

So as you can see, there are a lot of ways to create a toy for your baby to explore! All of these boards incorporate sensory elements and we always try to add some language development in with our activities! We talk about the textures using words like smooth, bumpy, rough, soft, and hard, the colors, and the sounds he makes. 

*A note on colors- I had someone say "I think that's supposed to be red" when describing a toy to a 2 year old when the object was clearly pink (Dark pink but still). With a variety of hues, it can be tough so if your child says a color is different then what you would have said but they're within the color family, go with it! As your child gets closer to Kindergarten, they'll begin to be able to differentiate shades (light green, dark blue, etc)!

Traveling with a Baby

So before the Bug was 6 months we had gone on 3 longer than an hour car trips and flown on a plane (the plane was without Hubby...) 

Car trips are easier- you can take more, stop when you need, and have a lot more flexibility so even the 8 hour drive we took was easier than flying for me!

Car Trip Suggestions:

1. If you're breastfeeding, plan to pump and have a bottle so if you get stuck in traffic you can calm a screaming baby.

2. Ride in the back seat! We pushed the passenger seat all the way forward so I had tons of space.

3. Take the changing pad! We stuck it on the other seat in the back and the Bug had an instant car changing space. It was so much nicer than rest stop bathrooms (I grew up in the Southeast and there aren't rest areas like in the Northeast so it is WAY better than gas stations or fast food bathrooms!!!) It also gives you a place to put the baby down not in the carseat where they can stretch.

4. Take a few toys/books because while the Bug generally slept in the car, there were times where he didn't and it was nice to have a few things for him to look at!

Flying Suggestions:

1. If you are visiting someone, see if they can borrow/buy items to reduce what you have to travel with. We got VERY lucky as we were going to see my mom and one of her fellow teachers still has baby stuff from her now toddler so she let my mom borrow a carseat, pack n play, high chair, and play mat! My mom bought diapers and wipes for the Bug, another friend had an extra stroller, and we didn't need anything but clothes and his favorite toys!

2. If you're by yourself, check your luggage. It's so hard to get settled even getting to pre-board (we have priority boarding with some airlines so we board before families anyway.) that not having to deal with bags was major for me. I know airlines charge but the $25-35 is worth it!

3. Babywear! I didn't have to take him off going through security, they just wiped a wand on my hands to check for residues. He was still small enough that taking him off would have been a pain so I was thankful for this!!!

4. Get the seat YOU prefer! Everything I read said to get a window seat but I am 6'1" and love aisle seats for the leg room. I did have a seat mate who needed to pee and it woke up the Bug but I was much more comfortable then I would have been in the window seat!

5. Take anything you need on the plane and check the rest! We took a few small toys (the list is below) and a few of his favorite books. I took my Nook and snacks and might have looked at my Nook once. I also took a bottle despite breastfeeding because it was much easier to give him a bottle in certain situations (I have not perfected feeding while wearing.) plus the Bug will take cold bottles so I could take it frozen and let it defrost during the trip.

6. Use the stuff in the setback pocket! The Bug loved flipping through (and eating) the magazines and was mildly amused by the barf bag hand puppet!

The toys and books we took:

Indestructibles- these books are AMAZING! Not only do they have pretty pictures (and no words so I can say anything I think of!) They are chewable, machine and dishwasher safe, and just perfect for travel! They're thin so the take up about 3 sheets of paper worth of space!

Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton and Look Look! were also in our bag. Sandra Boynton is one of our family's top choices for baby board books and Look Look! was given to us by a friend. It's black and white with splashes of red so the contrast is great for babies!

These links by have been wonderful for teething, shaking, and basically are a staple in our diaper bag! The Bug also loves this zebra which has things for multiple senses (but I have read some less appealing articles lately and am taking a more "green" approach to the Bug's future toys...) 

We also took finger puppets which are now a HUGE hit! I can sing songs, tell stories, and the Bug can chew on them. Plus, like the Indestructibles, they take up very little space!

Never to Early for Art!

Thanks to my years working in a childcare classroom, I am very well versed in the subject of Process versus Product- that is the important part of an art experience is the experience not how the final masterpiece turns out.

The place where I worked frowned upon cut out shapes and limiting children's options a bit too much in my opinion (I opened the art cabinet and let the toddlers pick from far too many colors of paper more than once...) but I absolutely agree that giving children choices, even at a young age, is going to get those creative juices flowing!

The Bug was only 2 months old when he created his first masterpiece! As young babies do not have control of many body parts, we started with feet painting!

The Bug was not sure how to feel about this cold and mushy substance being smeared onto his feet but he played along well!

We used a boppy pillow to prop him up (he had reflux so flat wasn't good), took off his pants and socks, taped paper to an empty diaper box (yes I use these for everything I can! Recycle!!), and put him on a washable blanket. He was unpredictable and there was paint in some strange places...

But he actually seemed to enjoy it and having a surface to "kick" is a wonderful way to develop some core muscles when you refuse tummy time!

Plus, honestly his grandparents were delighted to get these along with their Easter cards! 

Did I let the Bug pick out his own colors, no, he was 2 months old and couldn't focus on things far away from his face but I feel that part of the reason he tolerates crazy new sensory things is because I started him young!

For Father's Day, I had to get a bit more creative. The Bug was now almost 5 months old and had a lot more control of his body. My aunt had been cleaning out her dad's house back at Christmas and brought a bunch of old wooden spools and asked if I wanted them (uh, yes!) so the Bug rolled the spools in paint with some help from me and created canvases for Daddy and Papa! This was the first time I celebrated Father's Day since my own father passed away so it was important to me to make it big!

The Bug made more choices this time though I did end up rolling the spools into paint and putting them on his tray after the first canvas...

We used Crayola paints which are nontoxic but you can also find recipes for edible finger paints around. I'll get around to posting some recipes one day!

Paint isn't a clean activity but the Bug really enjoys it and I enjoy getting to try out some "artsy" photography shots!

Our latest art fun was sensory art! The Bug had an ear infection and cold so I didn't want to be running around (he was napping a lot) but he was also chomping at the bit to do something so...

WE PAINTED!

Each color had a different texture or scent! Red was mixed with bubbles, orange with sand, yellow with lemon extract, green was just paint (got to have a control...), blue was oats, and purple was lavender oil (I was hoping that one would help him wind down...)

The Bug was perfectly willing to check out the paint on the plates but wasn't as interested in creating art so the plates were definitely more painted than the paper.

He ended up covered in paint. He loves baths before bed but in the middle of the day, they cause meltdowns... 

The things I added to the sensory paints were things I had on hand! I've added all sorts of things to paints before- flour, salt, corn syrup, as well as the things pictured above! *Salt can cause some changes in your paint!

Scent painting (like the lemon and lavender) is a great activity too though if you do too many at once, your senses can get overwhelmed! I've used lemon, orange, raspberry, peppermint, and vanilla extracts before- the paintings have a hint of scent but are not overwhelming once dry!

The Bug's Favorite Toys 0-6 Months

When I was registering for and buying baby stuff, even as an experienced teacher I was SUPER overwhelmed by the amount of stuff!

For the first 3 months, we basically didn't put the Bug down except for play time, Mommy's bathroom breaks, and at night. His favorite thing from day 1 was the little mobile that came with his play mat. It played a gentle song and little bugs spun around. We chose not to do a musical crib mobile (I made one- what can I say, I like crafts!) and I'm glad because it stimulated him a lot for a little guy!

The Bug was so obsessed with this bouncy, jingling bird that I had to hide it when he started getting angry that he couldn't get the whole thing in his mouth... He would play with, wrestle, and just love on this thing!

Before a long car trip, we discovered Zazzles the zebra (not his legal name). The Bug loves it and it has a bee that shakes, an apple to chew, rings to grab, and a mirror hanging from his feet which just happened to be one of the Bug's favorite things to chew/suck on! Zazzles also has ribbons for a tail which are basically the Bug's favorite thing ever...

As the Bug grew and became more interactive between 5 and 6 months, he became MUCH more interested in toys. Papa put up a swing at the mountain house and the Bug spent hours swinging. He would have spent more if it weren't for the mosquitos eating me...

This gem happened to belong to the hubby when he was a baby and the Bug loved it! Nana was a little concerned about letting him chew on it but I'm a germophile so I let the Bug do as he pleased! I have found them under bead maze most successfully!

Stacking cups grew into a top pick VERY quickly. The Bug learned to clap them together and is still happy to do so. They're simple and versatile- great toy to grow with him!

The winkel and oball are two that continue to be the Bug's favorites. They are great because they are graspable so as soon as he started reaching for toys, they were easy for him to grab. They both also have rattles so now he enjoys shaking them and bonus to the oball, he crawls after it when it rolls away!

There were lots of other toys that he enjoyed but these have been the most consistent! His absolute favorite thing for the first 6 months of life were faces. Now Mom and Dad obsession has been replaced by cat chasing... 

Baby's First Sensory Bin

So I am a bit more adventurous than the average new mom (spend time for 9 toddlers all day for 3 years and you'll be more adventurous too!) but the Bug's first sensory bin was rice. Check out of sensory starter ideas!

He wasn't quite sitting up yet so we'd prop him on a pillow and he'd stick his hands in and move them around. He is about 5 months here and so many people asked me if he was trying to eat it. If you have a 5 month old, you know- they don't have a pincer grip or the grip that uses the thumb and index finger to pick stuff up. He was beginning to use a sweeping grip but rice falls right through those fingers!

I eventually made Rainbow Rice, an older toddler classroom favorite! You can find the recipe here: Rainbow Rice

He was talking... 

The box got a bit too high so we tired a baking sheet too!

And of course on his high chair tray!

So many ways you can try out sensory things with your little one! For things like rice that are easier to vacuum than sweep or mop, I highly recommend the rug be under your child! So much quicker to run over the rug with the vacuum! Things that need to be swept or mopped, we do on a tablecloth turned picnic blanket!