Snow Day!

Tis the season and in New England, we're feeling it already! The weather turned to full on winter just before Thanksgiving and we got about 6 inches of snow in our area so the Bug got to try out all his snow gear!

My in-laws gave his Daddy's old sled and the Bug has enjoyed it since he can't walk in the snow...

After our snow play, we did some finger painting. Before we started I hot glued some snowflake designs onto the paper to give it an interesting texture and because paint doesn't stick to it.

I had tried an edible fingerprint recipe and it's not as awesome as Pinterest makes it out to be and it's not something that can be stored for long time use (I made a HUGE batch in every color) so that was sad.

There was lots of eating so I am on the lookout for nontoxic paints (I want to try these but I'm not sure they're cost effective...).

After a nap, I decided it was time to introduce play dough. At 10 months, he is younger than most but he's slowed down on eating things a bit so we tried!

Just making the play dough was quite the sensory experience- the Bug helped measure and mix the ingredients. 

1 cup flour

1/4 cup salt

1/2 cup water 

food coloring

Mix the flour and salt together. (This matters because the salt absorbs the water to give you the dough!) Add food coloring to water then mix slowly into flour mixture adding more water or flour if needed. (We often need to add more water or flour until we get the right consistency.) 

The Bug enjoyed using some winter cookie cutters with the play dough.

He did eat some but I know what's in it so I wasn't worried.

Mommy thought it would be fun to build a snowman so we added some sprinkles to our play which the Bug thought was pretty neat!

And Captain Destructio strikes again!

The play dough lasted about 20 minutes which surprised me! He did keep trying to eat it but he really liked exploring it so we'll be trying out play dough again soon!

Why Sensory Play is Important for Babies, Toddlers, and Kids!

I came across someone with a kiddo the same age as the Bug asking why sensory play is important and I realized that all through my time as a preschool teacher, the importance of sensory play was expressed but never explained. Even with my MAEd program, it was never fully explained so I did some internet research because I know it's important but I needed to be able to explain WHY it's important!

Babies come into the world expecting to explore through their senses- they touch/feel, see, taste, smell, and hear everything going on around them. It's how they learn so increasing their opportunity to learn is every parent's dream! Highscope (a childhood education company) describes sensory play as "food for the brain" creating stimulation that brain development.

As babies grow into toddlers, they start to learn about cause and effect and sensory play has major benefits. "What happens when I dump this cup of sand?" "What happens when I shake a cup of rice?" As babies and toddlers explore, they develop fine motor skills through grasping at sand, rice, and other materials. Language skills thrive during the toddler years and sensory play can play into that by giving children a chance to describe what they see, hear, and feel in new ways.

These benefits continue as children grow- preschoolers continue to develop new language skills and start to explore more complex scientific reasoning and math skills. They can discover what happens when 2 things are mixed, explore measurement, and so much more.

We incorporate as much sensory play into our days as possible. The Bug LOVES sensory boards and we've been making and using them since he was about 3 months old! I rarely buy things for them and instead look around my house and ask my mommy friends if they have things I can use.

The Bug and his first sensory board! 

 

A slightly more involved sensory board (though mostly fabric scraps from my mom!) but this one is still used almost daily!

A Christmas themed sensory board made at the suggestion of a friend!

This is the first time the Bug sat up without us holding him up... He wanted to play with that sensory board enough to sit!!!

A nature themed sensory board! The Bug loves to be outside but sometimes the weather doesn't cooperate so he gets to explore (washed) items from outside!

 

The Bug and his first sensory bin! He hadn't developed a pincer grip so the rice just fell through his fingers meaning eating/choking wasn't an issue!

Before he could sit on his own! We use cookie sheets for everything- they're so versatile!!!

Playing with sand!

Edible water beads from Fun at Home with Kids!

Texture crawl!

Colored pasta with different shapes (Wacky Mac)

Water and Toobs animals!

Fabrics

Oats

Textured finger paints!

Spaghetti

Oats and Cinnamon for an added scent sense!

All of these bins are baby safe (so taste safe) so get ready to get messy! If you are afraid of the mess or nervous, get a shower curtain liner that your kiddo can use to make a mess on because nothing can replace these sensory experiences!

Peel and Stick Pictures

The Bug is finally reaching the point where if I do something, he will try to repeat it which has opened a whole new world of activity options (but he still puts everything in his mouth so I have to watch that...) I wanted to do a sticky paper activity and seeing as we had just gotten 6 inches of snow, (and I had white felt...) we tried some peel and stick snowmen! 

I precut out the circles and drew the face and buttons on both side of those circles. First I put on one of the snowmen and tried to get the Bug to do the same but he was more interested in peeling off the snowman I had put on so we put both snowmen on the paper so that he could peel and stick.

He was interested in the contact paper (bought in the shelf liner section at just about anywhere!)

The he realized the snowmen were a fun texture too!

Then he decided to stick them back on!

This activity lasted for a LONG time compared to what normally happens with my super mobile 10-month old (seriously, never encourage your child to walk before they're like 2...) and once he was done, we peeled it off the lid and used it as decoration on the window!

Sensory Table Makeover

Since the Bug started moving, he hasn't been nearly as interested in his sensory bin or really anything that means sitting still so I found a picture on Pinterest of a box like ours inside a wooden holder to keep it off the ground so I convinced Daddy that the Bug needed one and it was done by the time nap time ended!

We used the same box and measured it as well as how tall the Bug could use it comfortably before we began then cut the pieces and put it together. Because this can differ greatly box to box and child to child, I don't have real directions but there are two 2x4's underneath to hold the box and everything is cut at angles.

I painted it red (I have an insane number of Home Depot samples in colors no one should ever use for a room) and it has become one of the Bug's favorite spots again! Sand and spice shakers were a hit though I'm glad he doesn't know how to unscrew the caps yet because any sand in the shakers ended up on the floor...

To celebrate fall, oats, cinnamon, and apples! The Bug loved this bin a lot- I think adding sense of smell helped!

We are still very careful to keep our sensory bins "edible" though I still discourage eating anything. The Bug is only 10 months so he SHOULD be trying to eat things (it actually more worrisome when kids don't try to eat everything at this age!) Some other ideas for baby safe sensory bins are:

*cooked spaghetti

*dry rice or pasta (this makes some nervous but rarely does my very mouthy child eat much. I also use vinegar and food coloring if I dye pasta at all)

*cool whip 

*play sand (hardware stores sell PLAY sand, be careful with non play sand!)

*oats or other cereals (we like Kix and cheerios)

*water or ice

Check out Fun At Home With Kids with lots more baby safe sensory play recipes!

Fine Motor Skills

I post a lot about the sensory and art activities that the Bug and I do because well, they seem to be the "in" thing but after he spent 4 months pretty much only working on gross motor skills (it is not a mommy brag to tell you the Bug started walking at 9 months- I'm venting about him growing up too fast!) So here are some fine motor activities that we tried after our Thanksgiving guests left me to keep this active kiddo entertained again!

Practice golf balls and a muffin tin have become a huge favorite. The balls in general are the Bug's very favorite thing but he seems to enjoy this... We used the ping pong size balls because I had a mini muffin pan in my "treasure basket" stash.

 

The balls do roll away and end up everywhere but he so enjoys picking them up and carrying them around. Occasionally he'll put them back in the pan but we're still in the "dumping not filling" stage.

Clothespins! I've seen so many Pinterest posts with clothespins and kept thinking the Bug was too young until it dawned on me that he's not! I clip the clothespins to the edge of the basket and he gets them off! I do the same with the random letter from a project I never did...

I did have to demonstrate this one (ok, all of them really) but the pom-poms are what keeps him interested! (I told you he liked balls...)

Pipe cleaners in a container- I kept trying to cut holes for the Bug to feed pipe cleaners through until it dawned on me that using his pincer grip to grab the pipe cleaners is all he needs to be doing now (he's 10 months, sometimes I over think things) 

Once I showed him a sparkly pipe cleaner, he was hooked!

He has played with this every day now even when it's not out on a tray! 

He likes it so much that I decided to weave the pipe cleaners through the plastic balls (from the muffin pan) to give him a "pull out" challenge. He basically shook it until they came apart but he giggled the whole time too!

This one didn't work the way I imagined. The bucket was just to hold it but I wanted the Bug to drop the wooden spools through the toilet paper tube. Instead, he chewed the ends off the cardboard... He has enjoyed dropping the wooden spools into the bucket...

So what fine motor games have you tried? Did your little one enjoy anything? I need some ideas for my crazy kiddo!

Cooking with Kids!

I've always been an avid baker and couldn't wait to include the Bug in some baking projects! He LOVES to eat though doesn't always pick the healthy foods when given a choice so when I stumbled upon a healthy muffin recipe, I thought I'd give it a whirl! I don't have a name for them but they're tasty!

1. Preheat oven to 375. Mix 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (we used cinnamon...), 2 eggs,  & 1/3 cup of a vegetable oil (we used canola but have also tried olive and coconut so you can use what you have handy!) in a large bowl.

2. In a food processor, blend together 2 ripe bananas and veggies (we used 2 carrots and a zucchini this time but anything that doesn't have a distinct flavor could work!) The Bug loves to push the button and watch the food get chopped- we also mushed the bananas in a baggie so he got a fun texture experience this time!

3. Add food processed mix to bowl and stir until mixed.

4. Add 1 cup of whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup flaxseed meal, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of nutmeg and ginger to the bowl and mix it all together. You have some leeway with the flours here so you could substitute gluten free if needed or oatmeal for the flax but the proportions do matter!

5. Add blueberries or cranberries or nuts if wanted! The Bug has 3 teeth (#4 is on it's way in) but he can't handle whole nuts yet so we did blueberries!

6. Spoon mixture into greased or lined muffin pan- we made both regular and mini muffins! The regular muffins need 15-20 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean) and the mini muffins needed 12-15 minutes!

7. ENJOY!

So Many Toys, Oh My!

Despite my background in education and teaching preschool, I get overwhelmed by the best toys for kids on the market. The Bug is turning 1 in January so despite not having a birthday too close to Christmas, I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed at the prospect of adding more toys to his collection!

The Bug and ALL of his friends enjoy playing with, carrying around, and lighting up textured light up balls (we have gotten lots at Target). Balls are a great motor toys and they're versatile! We have a cardboard box with holes cut in the top so the Bug can push balls through the holes and they roll to the open side, ping pong ball runs made out of cardboard as well, and balance balls that help both Mommy and the Bug get in some core work!

He's got a huge construction area with all sorts of blocks and trucks already plus trains and a homemade train table for when he gets a little bit older. Construction areas combine gross and fine motor skills with pretend play and are fabulous for the 2 and up crowd- while the Bug loves wheels and knocking over towers Mommy builds, he doesn't spend too much time playing with these toys yet.

Gross motor toys were a huge part of the Bug's world over the last 4 months as he started crawling and then walking. He loves the play tunnel we got (we opted for a collapsible one that is longer then most free standing tunnels) and we have larger balls, a push toy, and pull up bar that all helped him to develop his balance for movement when he was ready.

Fine motor toys for this age are better homemade... We have 2 types of fine motor builders that are designed for "babies" and the Bug has no interest in them other than for eating. The toys I've made out of old containers though- he LOVES! He doesn't use them all to their full extent but check out homemade manipulatives to make from recycled materials!

Sensory toys are by far our very favorite thing! Not only does this kid spend longer playing in his sensory table then anywhere else in the house, he enjoys the sensory bottles and egg shakers that we've created as well!

The last thing we have on the Bug's toy shelf are instruments. Not only are we huge fans of dancing and singing but the Bug has got great rhythm! Music is an important part of language and early math development (wait WHAT?)

Rhythm is an early skill for math- you count the beats and that cadence really do help so make some instruments any way you can! Watch soon for instruments you can make for your little one to use!