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Snowman Sensory Bag

December 5, 2014 By Callie Leave a Comment

This week was our final Kindermusik class of the semester. Row and I wanted to make sure all her toddler friends had a special surprise to receive at her class. I decided on making snowman sensory bags. We have done shaving cream sensory bags in the past and they’re a favorite. I loved it because it was developmentally appropriate, fun, and easy!

Supplies-

Ziploc bags-I usually use the gallon size but wanted them small for favors-I used snack size but if I make them again I would use quart size.

Foam in black-for the eyes and orange for the nose. Found at craft stores…only 89 cents a sheet!

Electrical Tape-to seal the top-and because it’s black like a top hat

Shaving Cream-dollar store!

Cut triangles for the noses out of the orange. Make them the easy way-cute a long strip and traingle them out!

Cut squares for the eyes out of the black. I made them into squares because SUPER EASY!

Fill half the Ziploc bag with shaving cream, add the nose and eyes. Seal. Add tape. DONE.

How easy! Roughly 20 minutes. Mind you Grandma was over and I do get so much done when she’s here and during nap time. Praise God we still have nap time!

Row loved them! They’re fun and a great sensory activity. You could add glitter and make it into a melting Olaf! Older kiddos would love it too! We also talked about body parts before we played and discussed where our eyes and noses are. We also talked about the color white, black, and orange. We used our five senses especially the sense of touch and discussed how the bag felt as we squooshed it.

Oh and Darcy the giraffe almost came with us to music-she loves those things!

Streamer Backdrop Tutorial and a Weekend Wrap Up

October 21, 2014 By Callie Leave a Comment

Birthday prep for the big 2 is in full effect! Streamers-streamers,streamers! I really wanted an easy way to create a cute backdrop effect for the party table. I turned to my trusty pinterest and found tons of cute backdrops using streamers. The great part…easy…and inexpensive. I mean Dollar Store-remember my Dollar Store shopping post?

I found the Dollar Store had all the basic colors and then I went to my Hobby Lobby and grabbed a hot pink polka dot one.

Step 1-Cut strips of streamers. The great part-no measuring….it’s cuter mismatched!

Step 2-Fold the top of the streamer your going to sew over to make it a bit thicker for the needle.

Step 3-Sew-I was really skeptical of this. I truly thought they’d tear. But they didn’t! Word to the wise go ahead and sew an anchor line of just pure thread at the beginning and end so you have some give with hanging them up. I simply folded and sewed a straight line through the streamer. Once the streamer was in and secure I would count to five and then add in the next one so they weren’t on top of each other.

I decided instead of a backdrop to actually use them to decorate the windows. You could also cute the bottoms for a more uniformed look. I think this was amazing bang for the buck, easy, and took maybe 30 minutes total. Nap time baby!!!!

I have so much baking to do for this Bake Sale birthday!!!! I basically have written a daily lesson plan on what to accomplish each day.

More to come!!!! I love a party!!!!

Speaking of which this weekend was a whirlwind! October-my favorite month. Why do so many fun things happen at once? Saturday we hit up a community garage sale-scored some toys for Row. Then off to a dinosaur birthday! Row had a ton of fun and tried to hit the pinata. Notice how all the husbands are standing in the line of fire? Yep we girls no better!

We also went to a Malaysian Fair where they served tons of food. The food was really good but it was packed so we didn’t stay long. Hubs finished the Bake Sale stand-oh my cuteness-to come….and I managed to paint it and bake a million batches of edible playdough.

Phew….how was your weekend?

Fall Sensory Tub

October 9, 2014 By Callie 1 Comment

It’s Fall ya’ll and what better way to rake in Fall then with an inexpensive sensory tub!

This week has begun with a bang! Ibloom mommy group focused on parenting and the traps of being enough as a mom, as a wife, as a woman! It was wonderful. We talked about comparison and how comparison steals joy. So true. One thing I know myself and many others do is compare our children’s abilities. Are they walking, talking, do they know numbers and colors?

Now you all know I’m a play advocate. Let them be little and play. Let them learn to build social emotional skills. That is what is lacking. Alphabets can be taught at school social emotional now that’s a different story.

I love to find fun ways for Row to explore through sensory play and learn! It’s also an easy activity for her to do at the high chair when I’m working in the kitchen. Luckily my mom is usually over when I’m cooking but it’s fun for her should I need something for her to do to keep her busy. This is a keeper-she actually seeks out this tub and cries to play with it.

All of the supplies were bought at the dollar store. See my previous post about shipping the dollar store.

Simply make your base-I used beans and Fall colored pasta. Add in Fall items such as fake gourds, pumpkins and leaves and bam Fall sensory tub.

Why do we do sensory activities for two reasons. 1. It allows our toddlers to explore the world around them through their senses. I can also talk to her about colors and textures, weight, sorting you name it. Don’t overload-it’s fun! 2. Many toddlers, especially boys are sensitive when it comes to sensory activities. This is a chance for them to explore in a safe environment and bring down those sensory phobia walls.

Sensory tubs are so easy!!!! You can add or change. I plan on bagging the supplies for this one and upcoming tubs to use for next year as well!

On the home front Row and I hosted a Toddler Halloween party today. It was so cute! Row’s birthday is this month but I didn’t want to miss out on Halloween. We all dressed in black and orange and brought treats for the kiddos. They attempted to trick or treat each adult but ya know. They had a blast as you could have told by the giant mess. But we loved it!

I also finished my mantle and hutch decorating this weekend! I love Halloween! Notice the hutch is only decorated so low-uh hum.