When I asked Rosebud what she wanted for Christmas this year, she didn’t have an answer. Luckily for her, I have found some cool toys that she will be excited to find under the tree on Christmas morning.
When I’m looking for toys for her, I try to choose things that are open ended to encourage creative play. I also look for toys that will grow with her over time. I like it when toys are educational, but not in a traditional sense. More importantly, I want to get her toys she’ll have lots of fun playing with, so I’m looking forward to seeing what she will do with these new toys. Everything on this list is great for preschoolers ages three to five.
Building
Rosebud loves to build and she loves these Picasso magnet tiles. I bought them for Christmas last year and highly recommend them. She’s played with them almost every day since. We’ve made houses for animals, castles for Barbie, trees, divider boxes for sorting items etc. She comes up with new buildings every time she uses these. I was thinking of getting her a second set, but I wanted something different for to add to her creations. Magna Tiles are a great brand and admittedly, they are on the expensive side, but I caved and got her this Stardust set. These tiles are either glittery or have mirrors. I think she’ll love pairing these with the PicassoTiles.
I also saw these magnetic people that work with this kind of blocks. She loves playing with toy people and these community helpers will be great to add to her buildings.
Science
Kinetic sand
This stuff is amazing! It’s popular with my preschool class, so I just had to get some of this for Rosebud. I love how it sticks together like real sand. It’s not too messy and I even like to sit and play with it. I was torn between the beach set and the bakery set, so I bought both. Rosebud is loving the color purple right now, so I’d like to get her the purple shimmer too. The beach set has the most sand out of all of them and it’s actually a good buy. If you want a quiet sensory activity, I highly recommend this sand.
Toy Sink
I originally wasn’t going to get her this, but I got one for a friend of Rosebud’s for his birthday. Since Rosebud saw it, she has asked why she can’t have one. I think I’ll give this to her on her birthday. You put water in the bottom of the sink and when you turn on the fossit, the water comes out like a regular sink. It comes with dishes to wash, pretend dish soap and a sponge. Why not teach kids to wash dishes along side you?
Dramatic Play
Rosebud loves to play in her pretend kitchen, so I wanted to get her some new play foods to experiment with.
She loves pancakes, so I got her this pancake making set by Melissa & Doug. It has everything you need to make perfect pretend pancakes.
She loves to bake with me, so I got her a spice rack. This way, she can addd spices to her baking or cooking up a nice meal.
She has a lot of fruits and vegetables, breakfast foods and sweets, but I wanted her to have some food to make pretend meals. She loves pasta and I found this cool Melissa & Doug pasta making set. It has a variety of pastas with all the toppings. I know she’ll have fun with this.
To wrap up the dramatic play category, I got her this Baby Alive doll with cupcakes. Her birthday is right around Christmas and I thought this would be a great gift. She has started to really enjoy playing dolls in the past few months and she loves to set up pretend birthday parties.
Games
Rosebud is starting to have a better understanding of games and I found a couple simple games to start off with.
First, there’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. She loves the book, so I thought the game would be fun and easy for her to play. Next, there’s Pete The Cat buttons game. She loves all the Pete the Cat books, so she’ll definitely love this game. The Pete the Cat cupcakes game would be fun too and I may still get that one for her as well.
I am also getting her some books, but I will save our winter book list for another post. What will be under your tree this year? Tell me in the comments.
Are you looking for some quick fall crafts? Here are some of the crafts Rosebud and I have done so far this fall. These are simple glueing activities that are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.
Leafy Tree
Supplies
Leaves,
Paper,
Glue,
Green paint.
First, we made this leafy tree. It started out as just a simple leaf collage. Rosebud and I went for a walk and found a bunch of leaves. She wanted to make art with them, so we just started gluing. After she glued all the leaves, we realized there was a vertical space in the middle, so we painted it green to look like a tree.
To make it look more like a tree, you can draw the outline first or use other natural items to decorate it.
Halloween Spider
Supplies
Craft sticks,
Pompoms,
Google eyes,
Glue,
Glitter,
Construction paper.
I asked Rosebud what she wanted to make one afternoon and she really wanted to make a spider. When I asked her how she wanted to make it, she said she wasn’t sure, so I looked through my craft basket. We started off by gluing craft sticks for legs, adding a pompom for the body and then adding the eyes. Then she wanted to add a mouth and nose. To top it off, she wanted to add glitter and there is our Halloween spider. Not scary, but definitely a Rosebud creation.
Haunted House
Supplies
Craft sticks,
Construction paper,
Halloween foam stickers,
Jewels,
Glitter,
Glue.
I found a bunch of Halloween stickers at the dollar store and thought they’d be great for a collage. I got the idea to do a haunted house, so we did a 2d version with craft sticks. This project is great for fine motor skills because not only are they gluing and arranging items, but pealing stickers as well. Plus halloween is right around the corner. We started this project by painting a big piece of white paper all black for the night sky. At Rosebud’s haunted house, there is a pumpkin patch, a graveyard, the bat cave and the night sky with half moons and stars. Not to mention all the black cats and ghosts in and around the actual house. We had fun with this one.
Here are some supplies for your convenience.
What crafts are you doing this fall? Tell me in the comments.
Last week, I took a trip to the dollar store. Of course, they had all their Halloween stuff out, so I picked up a few things to put in a Halloween sensory bin for Rosebud. She is loving it so far!
What’s in the bin?
Acrylic leaves, pumpkins and acorns,
Pompoms,
Mini jack-o’-lanterns,
Glittery spiders,
Sticky eyeballs,
Tongs,
Small bowls.
I found the spiders, mini pumpkins and eyeballs at the dollar store, but I wasn’t sure what to do for the filler. I was thinking of dying some rice orange, but didn’t want to go through the trouble. I was shopping on Amazon for some mini pumpkins and happened to come across this set of acrylic fall items. The pack comes with pumpkins, leaves, and acorns. These work great for the halloween theme, but would also be great for a general fall sensory bin.
So far, we’ve made patterns, sorted the objects, pretended to feed Rosebud’s babies, practiced fine motor skills with the tongs and tried to make pumpkin towers. Rosebud wanted to use the bin with her magnet blocks. I built a divided box and we sorted the objects into their own sections, but Rosebud broke it before I could snap the picture. She has gotten quite creative with this sensory bin, using it in her play kitchen as well as with the blocks. I’m interested to see what else she does. Here, she is feeding her baby and Kermit the Frog who she has dressed up for the occasion.
Are you doing any fall or Halloween sensory activities? Let me know in the comments.
Years ago, I saw this creative ice cream shop sensory tub by Counting Coconuts. I thought it was a neat idea and always wanted to put together my own ice cream sensory bin. Back then, I didn’t have any kids and it’s been years since I’ve been able to do any lesson planning for my job. Well, I finally made one for Rosebud and she loved it.
What’s in the bin?
An ice cream set,
Ice cream cones from bubbles,
White beads for whip cream,
Pompoms for toppings,
Measuring spoons,
Small bowls,
Foam marshmallows.
For the bulk of this bin, I used this cute little ice cream set that has everything you’ll need to make pretend ice cream Sundays. Rosebud plays with it a lot, but it’s funny how adding other materials changes the play. I added bigger bowls that are not pictured so that everything wouldn’t fall out, but I will have to get pictures of that later to add to the post.
These foam marshmallows were also a big hit! I bought them to do another sensory bin this coming winter, but thought they’d be cute added as another ice cream topping. It was Rosebud’s idea to create patterns. Marshmallow, bead, Marshmallow bead or bead, pompom, bead, pompom. Patterning is a pre-math skill, so I’m glad she has incorporated it into her play. Other than patterning, we made ice cream sundays with different toppings, sorted objects by color and size and counted marshmallows and beads.
I just put this sensory bin out this week, so I’m interested to see what else Rosebud does with it. Have you made any sensory bins this summer? Let me know in the comments.
Rosebud has been talking a lot about the bugs we’ve been seeing outside lately. She’s decided that a lot of them are scary which is why I put together the rice and bugs sensory bin. Honestly, I can’t stand bugs. there’s just something about them being creepy and crawly, but I didn’t want Rosebud to be scared every time she saw some sort of insect, so we’ve been reading some bug books as well. There are a lot of books out there about bugs. Some of them teach life lessons while others are educational in a different way, teaching us about how bugs are beneficial to our environment. While not all the bugs in these books are scientifically classified as insects, they are still apart of the bug category in my book. Whether your child is afraid of bugs or curious about them, you’ll find something interesting on this list of 12 bug books for preschoolers.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
By Eric Carle
I had to include this one because it is a classic and Rosebud loves still loves this book!
Description
In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf.” So begins Eric Carle’s modern classic,The Very Hungry Caterpillar. More than 12 million copies of this book have been sold in its original, full-sized edition, and the beloved tale of science and gluttony has been translated into 20 languages. This five-by-four-inch miniature edition is truly tiny, with tiny type, but it is a nice size for small hands to hold and flip through the pictures. Despite its diminished state, the book is complete in every detail, following the ravenous caterpillar’s path as he eats his way through one apple (and the pages of the book itself) on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, and so on, through cherry pie and sausage–until he is really fat and has a stomachache. And no doubt you know what happens next! Kids love butterfly metamorphosis stories, and this popular favorite teaches counting and days of the week too.
National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Bugs
By Catherine D. Hughes
While doing some research for this post, I found this informative book. I haven’t read this one yet with Rosebud, but I’m including it because it’s nonfiction and is perfect for our little scientists. Not only does it talk about our typical backyard bugs, but it also shows bugs from around the world.
Description
The experts at National Geographic present a delightful reference that introduces young children to bugs of all kinds: big and small, jumping and crawling, colorful and creepy. This charming book explores backyard favorites, such as ladybugs and lightning bugs, and introduces kids to more exotic species that inhabit rain forests and deserts around the world. Colorful photos are paired with profiles of each insect, along with facts about the creatures’ sizes, diets, homes, and more. This book will quickly become a favorite at story time, bedtime, and any other time!
The Very Impatient Caterpillar
By Ross Burach
A book perfect for any kid that struggles with being patient.
Description
Hey! What are you guys doing?
We’re going to metamorphosize.
Meta-WHAT-now?
Transform into butterflies.
Right. Right. I knew that…
WAIT?! You’re telling me I can become a BUTTERFLY?
Yes.
With wings?
Yes.
Wait for ME!!
Ross Burach’s hilarious, tongue-in-cheek exploration of metamorphosis will make you flutter with glee, while also providing real facts about how caterpillars transform into butterflies.
The Very Busy Spider
By Eric Carle
This is another classic by Eric Carle that Rosebud loves. I love that the illustrations are tactile as well.
Description
Early one morning a little spider spins her web on a fence post. One by one, the animals of the nearby farm try to distract her, yet the busy little spider keeps diligently at her work. When she is done, she is able to show everyone that not only is her creation quite beautiful, it is also quite useful!
This multi-sensory book allows children to feel the pictures as well as see them. And with its rhythmic text, The Very Busy Spider becomes an experience to touch, to see, and to hear.
How the Ladybug got her Spots
By Caren D Green
I had never seen this book before doing research for this post. This looks like a cute story with a message that all kids should hear. We are all different and that is a good thing.
Description
Once, in the leafy, green plants lived a small red and black bug that did not feel as special as all of her garden friends, and so she set out to find something to set her apart. Follow her through this charmingly illustrated, adorable tale that teaches how even the tiniest among us can be special.
Backyard Books: Are You a Dragonfly?
By Judy Allen
Here’s another nonfiction book. This one is about dragonflies.
Description
The most colorful wings on the pond belong to the nimble dragonfly, but this delicate flying insect didn’t begin life in the air. In Backyard Books: Are You a Dragonfly? by Judy Allen with illustrations by Tudor Humphries, the secrets of metamorphosis are unfurled through the story of a familiar backyard creature.
Ten Magic Butterflies
By Danica McKellar
This is a cool book that Rosebud and I read recently. It has magic, counting and the message that is a good thing to be yourself.
Description
Fairies, butterflies, and magic help to make this math-focused picture book from Danica McKellar, the New York Times best selling author of Goodnight, Numbers and star of The Wonder Years, positively enchanting!
Join ten flower friends for a night of excitement that mixes a little math with a lot of magic. As each flower turns into a butterfly, children will discover different ways to group numbers to create ten, an essential building block of math, all while watching each flower’s dream come true. (And keep an eye out for the adorable caterpillar who wishes he could fly, too!)
Alpha Bugs: A Pop-up Alphabet (David Carter’s Bugs)
By David A. Carter
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll have seen a post or two about interactive books. I couldn’t finish this post without including some. Here’s a pop-up book that includes bugs and the alphabet, so it’s perfect for a bug theme.
Description
From boogie-woogie Bubble Bugs
to upside-down Umbrella Bugs,
this fun-filled pop, pull, and peek book
makes learning the alphabet
exactly eight egg bugs excellent.
Review
Publishers Weekly “Where will they strike next? A jar of olives, a waffle iron, a rock — each conceals a daffy insect… They are wittily transformed into members of an odd but comical alphabet species… Amusing alliteration and a zany sense of humor deliver fun with every letter.
Bee & Me
By Elle J. McGuinness
This book not only has a story, but it has a short fact list about bees as well. The coolest thing about this book is the motion. Each page has something that moves. While some of the information in this book is over Rosebud’s head, she loves the colorful illustrations and the way the bee moves.
Description
The New York Times bestselling Bee & Me, in a new mini-Animotion format.
Just like the New York Times bestselling Bee and Me, the mini abridged Bee and Me is filled with all of the action of AniMotion windows, and the same great story and pictures that have won the hearts of legions of kids and parents all across the country. The heart of the book is a sweet tale teaching kids the important roll bees play in nature. This new smaller format is ideal for younger children and smaller hands.
“A beautiful, heart-warming book that helps children (and adults
Understand how essential bees are to the planet.
Bee & Me
By Alison Jay
You read that right. I’ve included two Bee & Me books. This one is a picture book and it is totally different from the first one. Not only does it show friendship, but it also shows the importance of saving bees.
Description
A beautiful wordless picture book brings a personal note to the plight of the honeybee and offers a message of hope.
A little girl befriends a bee that takes her on a journey of discovery, revealing an action that every child can take to aid in conservation. In a wordless story told through enchanting illustrations, Bee & Me tells a tale of friendship and offers an introduction to the ecology of the natural world. Alison Jay’s original artwork brings the story gently to life, pointing out the sadness of a world without bees. An afterword makes clear to readers the important role these endangered insects play.
The Very Greedy Bee
By Steve Smallman
A book that teaches us not to be greedy.
Description
A greedy bee learns a lesson when he “slurps and burps” too much nectar, falls asleep in a meadow, and needs help from other insects to find his way home after dark.
The Very Quiet Cricket
By Eric Carle
I’m wrapping up this post with another classic by Eric Carle. This book also has an interactive feature, the chirping cricket at the end. Even without the chirping cricket, it’s a great story.
Description
One day a tiny cricket is born and meets a big cricket who chirps his welcome. The tiny cricket tries to respond, but there is no sound. The quiet cricket then makes his way into the world, meeting one insect after another, each of whom greets the little cricket with a cheery hello–the hum of a bee, the whirr of a dragonfly, the whisper of a praying mantis. The cricket rubs his wings together each time, but nothing happens, not a sound. Until the day he meets another cricket, a female, and something different happens . . .
As children turn the page on this wonderful moment, they are greeted with a surprise–an actual chirp!
Are there any cool bug books that should be on this list? Tell me in the comments!
I’ll leave you with some more bug related items to explore.
Here is another quick sensory bin that I set up for Rosebud. I love having a couple sensory bins on hand in the kitchen to occupy Rosebud while I make dinner. I’ve limited her screen time to a bare minimum which I’ll write about in another post, but I need plenty of activities that will entertain her. This one does the trick and it was super simple and quick to put together.
What’s in the bin?
Rice,
Plastic bugs,
Glass marbles,
Scoops,
Tongs,
A funnel.
I included scoops of different sizes and the mini tongs for picking up the bugs. The glass marbles were for buried treasures. I got two small bags of rice at the dollar store and that was enough, but you may need more or less depending on the size of your bin. These bugs that I found by Melissa & Doug are great! They are a hard rubber/plastic material, but they are slightly larger than other plastic bugs I’ve seen and they are well made. Also, they are not sharp, so I had no problem using them in my toddler class a few years ago. Unfortunately, I could not find the link for them, but I’ve had good luck with the Safari figurines which would work just as well.
So, there you have it. Another quick spring/summer themed sensory bin. What are your favorite sensory bins to do this time of year? Tell me in the comments. I have more sensory bins to show you in the next few weeks, so definitely come back and check them out.
Besides the warmer weather, one of the best parts of summer for kids is the water play. Playing in the water is one of Rosebud’s favorite things. There are so many benefits to water play. It can cool you off on a hot day. It’s a great sensory experience for kids and you can practice almost any skill or concept using water. Plus, water is a calming activity. Are you wondering which water play toys to buy for your kids this summer? The options for water play are endless, but here is my list of the top ten water play toys for toddlers and preschoolers to get you started.
1. The Pool
One of my favorite summer time activities when I was a kid was spending time in the pool. It didn’t matter what kind it was. The pools they make these days are so much fancier, but no matter which pool you choose, they are all good for water play.
We have this pool in our back yard this year. Rosebud really loves the slide. It has other activities as well, the ring toss game and a mini basketball hoop. One of the coolest things about this pool is you can hook up your hose and there is a sprinkler that constantly gets the slide wet. I don’t have it running every time we use the pool, but sometimes I put it on for her for a treat if it’s super hot.
Other pool options:
2. Water/sensory Table
Rosebud spends lot of time at this water table. These tables from Step2 come apart easily, so when Rosebud was a baby, we just put the top part on the ground and she’d sit in there to play. It has gotten a lot of use since then. Sometimes I’ll add food coloring or dish soap to the water, but mostly I fill it with water and toys. then it’s up to her to use her imagination. She usually sings songs and tells stories about her baby ducks as she plays. I love water tables because they are open ended and you can use almost any kind of toy. Keep reading for more toy ideas for the water table.
3. Squirting Toys
Toddlers love toys that squirt. They are not only a fun toy for water play, but the squeezing really helps toddlers work on their fine motor skills. Plus, I mentioned needing toys for those water tables.
4. Sprinkler
What could be more fun than a sprinkler? Some toddlers take a while to warm up to this, but others jump right in. If you had older kids as well, it’ll definitely be a big hit!
5. Waterfall Wall
This is a neat concept. We bought this for Rosebud this summer. She played with it a lot at first before we set up the pool. What I like about this waterfall wall play center is that you can move the parts around to make the water move in different ways. The only thing is I wish there were more pieces.
This toy uses the same concept, but is a bath toy instead.
6. Water Wheel
A water wheel is a great addition to any kids pool or water table.
7. Floating Toys
Beach balls, rings or anything else that floats.
8. Household items
Measuring cups, funnels, strainers, scoops, small buckets. Watering can. Sponges or whatever else you can think of. The sky is the limit with this one. You can tie science and math in with these options. Seeing which toys sink or float. Using different sized scoops and or cups. Filling different sized bottles. You never know what kids will come up with when they have a few random items to work with.
9. Water Drawing Mat
Are you ready for some mess free water play? This toy is great if you want your kids to play with water, but don’t have the time for regular water play preparations. This could be an indoor or outdoor toy. I like how this toy incorporates water play into art. It’s a unique toy. Rosebud has one and she can spend forever drawing pictures on the mat.
10. Water paints, crayons and water blocks
I’ll leave you with some unconventional water toys that can bring out your kids creative side.
Are there any awesome water play toys that your kids love that I should add to this list? Let me know in the comments.
Here is a fun spring themed sensory bin. Rosebud and I love flowers and I through this together in less than five minutes. After we waited for the water beads to puff up to full size, it was all set for play. This kept Rosebud busy for over an hour while I made dinner.
I didn’t have any purpose in mind when putting this sensory bin together. I showed her how to put the flowers in the flower holders and showed her that she could turn the little containers into vases, but other than that, I let her take the lead.
The little funnel was perfect because the water beads fit through the hole. The measuring spoons were the perfect size as well. They work great for scooping up the water beads.
What are your favorite activities with water beads? Tell me in the comments.
It’s better late than never, right? Here are my favorite things and blog accomplishments for the month of April. This time, I have another book, a fruit smoothie recipe, Peeps play-dough and several articles.
Blog Accomplishments
I’m so excited! I made enough Amazon affiliate sales to get my account approved. For those who don’t know, you need three sales within the first six month period or your account gets closed. My first time around, I only got 11 clicks and no sales. This time, I’ve gotten 69 clicks and five sales. While the clicks are minimal compared to a lot of bloggers out there and the commissions are small, it’s something. I have to start somewhere. My second accomplishment this month is the increase in traffic. It’s not a huge amount, but it’s slow progress.
Fruit Smoothie Recipe
I’m always looking for tasty recipes that Rosebud will love and if she can help me in the kitchen, it’s a bonus. We were making pretend smoothies in her toy blender and I had just bought a bunch of fresh fruit. She had never had a smoothy before, so I asked if she wanted a real one and she did. I made smoothies often before she was born and here’s the recipe we came up with.
Ingredients:
1 cup yogurt,
1 cup almond milk,
1 banana,
1 half cup blueberries,
5 strawberries,
A handful of grapes.
Directions:
Chop fruits into smaller pieces and add to blender.
Blend until you get the desired consistency. I have a smoothie setting on my blender. It took less than a minute. I’ll try it with different fruits next time.
Book
I only read two books in the month of April, so there wasn’t much to choose from when picking my favorite. I enjoyed Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. There were a variety of stories. Everything from his speech therapy lessons as a little boy to his days living in France while trying to learn the language.
Peeps Play-dough
I had been seeing Peeps play-dough pins on Pinterest for a couple months now and knew that we had to try it. Here is the recipe we used.
I used five of the pink bunny peeps. I added four table spoons flour and one table spoon crisco. Melted it in the microwave for 30 seconds and then mixed it up. We ended up with a small ball. I was hoping there would be more play-dough, but there was enough to try it out.
I started out with big Easter themed cookie cutters, but there wasn’t enough play-dough for that, so I took out the plastic eggs instead. We have two different sized eggs and she liked rolling balls and putting them in the eggs. Eventually, she was pretending to cook, breaking up the play-dough and putting it in her mixing bowl. This play-dough dried out quickly, but it was a different texture and fun to experiment with.
Favorite Links
This first link definitely struck a chord with me. As an early childhood educator, I see the consequences of this every day. I see the kids who have no idea how to play. They wander from place to place not sure what to do with the toys. they don’t understand that they can pretend. A box doesn’t have to be a box. The kids get frustrated quickly, have super short attention spans and for some of them, their time in our program is the only time they play outside. This article is a good read.
I could totally relate as it was a throw-back to the 90’s. I wrote a similar post last year. If you grew up in the 80’s or 90’s, I’m sure it would take you down memory lane.
One of my sensory bins was featured in this post. Are you not sure what to do with all those Easter eggs? Check out this post for some fun ways to repurpose those plastic Easter eggs.
Since many of us have lost the fine art of socializing, I thought this article about internet friendships was a good read. I think that you can develop a real friendship online, but of course it helps if you can eventually meet them. There’s nothing like sitting down with a friend for a chat. Online friends can be a good source of support and sometimes they can break some of the isolation.
Since spring is finally here, I’ll leave you with this amazing list of 60 fun summer activities for kids. There are so many cool ideas that I’d love to try with Rosebud. There’s something for every family and I was lucky enough to be included in the round up.
As always, thank you for reading. I’ll be back next month with another round of my favorite things.
It’s better late than never, right? Here are my favorite things and blog accomplishments for the month of April. This time, I have another book, a fruit smoothie recipe, Peeps play-dough and several articles.
Blog Accomplishments
I’m so excited! I made enough Amazon affiliate sales to get my account approved. For those who don’t know, you need three sales within the first six month period or your account gets closed. My first time around, I only got 11 clicks and no sales. This time, I’ve gotten 69 clicks and five sales. While the clicks are minimal compared to a lot of bloggers out there and the commissions are small, it’s something. I have to start somewhere. My second accomplishment this month is the increase in traffic. It’s not a huge amount, but it’s slow progress.
Fruit Smoothie Recipe
I’m always looking for tasty recipes that Rosebud will love and if she can help me in the kitchen, it’s a bonus. We were making pretend smoothies in her toy blender and I had just bought a bunch of fresh fruit. She had never had a smoothy before, so I asked if she wanted a real one and she did. I made smoothies often before she was born and here’s the recipe we came up with.
Ingredients:
1 cup yogurt,
1 cup almond milk,
1 banana,
1 half cup blueberries,
5 strawberries,
A handful of grapes.
Directions:
Chop fruits into smaller pieces and add to blender.
Blend until you get the desired consistency. I have a smoothie setting on my blender. It took less than a minute. I’ll try it with different fruits next time.
Book
I only read two books in the month of April, so there wasn’t much to choose from when picking my favorite. I enjoyed Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. There were a variety of stories. Everything from his speech therapy lessons as a little boy to his days living in France while trying to learn the language.
Peeps Play-dough
I had been seeing Peeps play-dough pins on Pinterest for a couple months now and knew that we had to try it. Here is the recipe we used.
I used five of the pink bunny peeps. I added four table spoons flour and one table spoon crisco. Melted it in the microwave for 30 seconds and then mixed it up. We ended up with a small ball. I was hoping there would be more play-dough, but there was enough to try it out.
I started out with big Easter themed cookie cutters, but there wasn’t enough play-dough for that, so I took out the plastic eggs instead. We have two different sized eggs and she liked rolling balls and putting them in the eggs. Eventually, she was pretending to cook, breaking up the play-dough and putting it in her mixing bowl. This play-dough dried out quickly, but it was a different texture and fun to experiment with.
Favorite Links
This first link definitely struck a chord with me. As an early childhood educator, I see the consequences of this every day. I see the kids who have no idea how to play. They wander from place to place not sure what to do with the toys. they don’t understand that they can pretend. A box doesn’t have to be a box. The kids get frustrated quickly, have super short attention spans and for some of them, their time in our program is the only time they play outside. This article is a good read.
I could totally relate as it was a throw-back to the 90’s. I wrote a similar post last year. If you grew up in the 80’s or 90’s, I’m sure it would take you down memory lane.
One of my sensory bins was featured in this post. Are you not sure what to do with all those Easter eggs? Check out this post for some fun ways to repurpose those plastic Easter eggs.
Since many of us have lost the fine art of socializing, I thought this article about internet friendships was a good read. I think that you can develop a real friendship online, but of course it helps if you can eventually meet them. There’s nothing like sitting down with a friend for a chat. Online friends can be a good source of support and sometimes they can break some of the isolation.
Since spring is finally here, I’ll leave you with this amazing list of 60 fun summer activities for kids. There are so many cool ideas that I’d love to try with Rosebud. There’s something for every family and I was lucky enough to be included in the round up.
As always, thank you for reading. I’ll be back next month with another round of my favorite things.
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Dramatic Play
