Squirt Bottle Fun

Need an easy entertainment option for a bored toddler?

Grab a squirt bottle, fill it, and turn them loose on the yard! It works for me!
Luke can spend over half an hour just wandering the yard squirting things. It's great fun for him and gives me a chance to work on something or just sit and read a book for a little while!

Simple Joys

Lately we've been enjoying the little (and easy) things that children love!

Things like bubbles, sidewalk chalk, coloring, play dough and lots of books and time learning about numbers, shapes, and letters! It's so much fun for us all when we have more time to play with little preparation.

Our days have actually needed to become a little more structured lately to avoid meltdowns. We're switching rooms and activities more frequently. We have outside time and "school time." We go upstairs and downstairs. We do "work time" where we do chores... we have potty time and movie time too!

I hope you've been remembering to take time for these little joyful moments too!

Toys Worth Buying

Today at Rocks in My Dryer, Shannon is discussing what toys are actually worth buying!

Here are two of our current favorites:



Krinkle building sets - also known as Bristle blocks, great for toddlers and up. I imagine that these will be played with for many more years at our house.

Bathtub Crayons - these are such a hit at our house! They extend bath time and allow Mom to clean up the bathroom while the little guy is playing.




What are the favorites at your house?

Free Entertainment for Little Boys

On multiple occasions we've taken Luke (20 months) to see construction equipment and it has been a huge hit each and every time!

Of course, the best time was when he got to explore lots of equipment at his uncle's construction site, but even if it is just watching from a distance this is always a hit for us. Try it the next time you need a free activity!

Off Season Zoo

My husband recently started a new job that affords us the luxury of actually having a couple of Saturdays each month to spend as a family! This past weekend we had the whole weekend to spend together and decided last minute to visit Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. We had a wonderful time and let me tell you, visiting the zoo off season is a great idea! It was a gorgeous fall day and this major zoo was practically empty during the morning!

Keep it in mind for a fun fall activity. But don't forget to check your zoo's hours, because it is about this time of year that most zoos cut back a bit on their schedules!

Good Ol' Crayola Crayons

Did you know that Crayola has over 1000 coloring pages ready to print on their website?

Also have you heard that crayons have even become a bit more high-tech? Most kids apparently use "twistables!" I have to say that they look pretty cool. Good bye to those shoe boxes filled with broken crayons!

Simple Water Activity

Pour The Water

- Find different size containers in which to pour water. You and your child experiment with pouring the water and stopping before it overflows!

From It Takes Two to Talk.

Touch a Truck Day

Today our town hosted Touch a Truck Day! We had a blast looking at and climbing on all sorts of trucks and construction equipment! Highlites included the firetruck, police car, crane, and the post office truck! A free slushie helped this sore momma keep on truckin' herself. I'm seriously sore from a cough! Is that pathetic or what? I totally regretted not bringing the stroller once it was time to head back to the car! A 5 minute walk seemed to drag on for eternity.

So if your town doesn't host Touch a Truck Day or something similar perhaps you know the mail man, fireman, a farmer, or someone with a construction job. Do a little searching and you may find a willing volunteer to host Touch a Truck Day for your kids!



Here's Luke exploring some construction equipment.

Gardening with Kids

Well if you are anything like me you have started dreaming of spending time in your garden already! Spring is just around the corner and I can't wait to put some plants in the ground!

I love a well cared for garden of just about any variety...flowers, herbs, vegetables, anything will please me! I think my love for gardening started as a kid. My Grandma lived next door and had my sister and I come over just about every day and help her water her flower beds. Oh my, was it a lot of work - but there was always a special treat waiting after the work was done! Often it was ice cream ,which is just what a kid needs after working in the late afternoon on a summer day! I also remember getting to plant my own little bit of a garden for 4-H which was also fun. I think I planted zinnias if I remember correctly!

Here are a few tips for getting your children to enjoy gardening:

- Give them their own small section of the garden to plant and take care of.

- Have them assist you but do not pressure them too much if they are young. If they are more interested in catching bugs than pulling weeds let them catch some bugs!

- Try planting a themed garden (certain colors, tall plants, wizard of oz theme, etc.)

- Have fun in the garden yourself - it will be contagious!

Check out Gardening with Kids for more great ideas!

Make your own Chia Pet

I found this idea to make your own chia pet from Play with a Purpose, by Dorothy Einon. I was so tempted to try it but will need to acquire some grass seed or something for sprouting first! It brought back fond memories of having my own little chia pet when I was young. Am I the only one who had one?! If I get around to it I will show you a picture for sure!

Instructions - Find a large, smooth potato and scoop some of the pulp out from one end. Cut a slice from the other end so it will stand upright on it's own. If you are doing this with a small child you may need to do this part yourself.

Next you will moisten a cotton ball and place it in the scooped out section of the potato. Sprinkle with grass or beans for sprouting.

Make sure you place your potato in a saucer with water! The cotton ball needs to stay moist. After a few days your potato should sprout some cool green hair! Your child or you can then place buttons, etc. onto the potato using pins to make a face!

The Poato Printing Press

Do you ever have one or two potatoes left in the bag that have a few too many sprouts to use them or are a little soft? Here's an idea for you to use them up and please your kids! Yes my friends - a potato can be mixed with paint instead of butter and sour cream! Hmm...I think my fondness for potatoes covered in gooey, bad for you toppings, just snuck into this post.

For kids age 3 and up try cutting shapes into potatoes and giving them paint to experiment with! Keep your design simple and give your child a large sheet of paper to experiment with! Have fun and don't feel bad about wasting a potato!

Check out Tammy's Recipes for more kitchen tips!

A recipe for homemade playdough

Homemade Playdough
- From Play with a Purpose by Dorothy Einon

2 cups flour
one cup salt
one cup water with food color added
2 tbsp oil

- Knead ingredients together and warm gently in a pan until it forms a soft lump. Give to toddler or child to play with while still warm. Older children can be given cookie cutters, rolling pins, bottle tops, blunt knives, etc. to have tools to work with.

Benefits of playing with playdough for kids include learning how things change weight and shape when pulled, pushed or torn. Also teaches kids how to build different shapes.

Added bonuses include teaching a small child how to play quietly for a period of time!

Swimming in Paper

I just wanted to share a quick link with an idea for winter indoor swimming (in paper!) The kids should enjoy this one!

Basically the idea here is when you shred your next batch of paper documents, save the shredded paper, then fill your empty kids swimming pool or sandbox! Surprise the kids and let them go "swimming" in paper! Clever isn't it?!
- Idea from Family Fun Magazine, February 2008 Issue.

Games to Make at Home for Pre-schoolers

I stumbled on some really neat do it yourself games for pre-schoolers! I love that you can make these games out of things you probably have on hand at your house! Plus these games help your kids learn something too! Have fun!