Move: Back Porch Camping

Yesterday was a cool, rainy, fall day here in Pittsburgh. Rather than be stuck inside (and have the day drag on and on and on...) I decided to surprise Landon with an extra special afternoon. I kept him distracted while I set everything up, gave him a bag of "gear" to put on, and then asked him to come meet me on the back porch. 

THIS is the kind of "Special Time" reaction that I live for! He was so excited to see a mock campsite right outside our backdoor!

We "roasted" marshmallows...

over our toasty little fire....

Made "River Rock" Picture Frames (dried beans and tacky glue)...

which turned out great...

Listened to crickets chirping in the middle of the day...

And snuggled in a very tiny pop-up tent to read some "camping" stories together.

Rain, rain, go away...or stay. 

Move: Nicole's Number Hop

 Introducing the newest www.funmoms.org team member....

Click on image to learn more about Nicole.

You're gonna LOVE her! 

Here's the kind of stuff she's got up her sleeve: 

Nicole's Number Hop

My little girl is a toddler...and that means a lot of running, hopping and jumping on a daily basis! I love the energy of this age, but I wanted to think of a way we could use this energy to learn as well (I guess that's what happens when your mom is a teacher!). On one of my many trips to the dollar store I stumbled across what I believe are  supposed to be rubber hot pads...but all I could see was a fun floor game that could grow with my daughter. I  bought three packs of four and headed home to my Sharpie's! I wrote the numbers 1-10 on the little circles, and that was it!! 

They are perfect for hopping on! They don't slip because of the soft, rubbery surface and my daughter loves to jump on them. She even takes her baby dolls and has them jump on them (which is adorable I must say!). Since we have been playing with them, she has learned the numbers 1, 2, and 3! She was even able to bring me the number three when I asked her for it the other day. Most of the time though we just enjoy hopping all around the house on them...wait a second, did I say WE?  

In the future I am sure there are many more math-related games I can come up with for these inexpensive dollar store finds. 

Anyone care to share other ideas for these fun little circles?

Move: No-Fuss Sandbox

I like things neat. But, I like my little boy to have fun. Sometimes these two ideas, though both noble, don't exactly mesh with one another. Like, typically, when sand is involved. 

I bought a "small" bag of play sand for $4.99 (I couldn't believe how cheap it was!) at our local hardware store to do permanent sandcastles. We only needed 1 cup of it though. What to do with the remaining 59 1/2 pounds...it didn't take my little guy very long to come up with an idea!

So, I got guilted into a sandbox. But, I have to say that I'm actually pretty happy with it.  First, Landon and I went on a "special mission" to find toys that would LOVE to permanently move to the sandbox (once a sand toy, always a sand toy). Next, I searched my ever treasure-producing basement, and came up with a large, low storage bin on wheels. Works great! It keeps the fun looking fairly neat and tidy when not in use on our back porch. But, so far, it's been in use most of the time. 

Time to get out the broom...

Happy boy. Happy Mama. 

Everyone wins! :)

Move: Red, White, and Blue Scavenger Hunt

Nothin' to it, but FUN to do it!

A Few Ideas:

1. Mom and child/children work together to fill the three bags with red, white, and blue items.

2.  Divide kids into teams (Red, White, and Blue). Meet back together to see who got the most or strangest item(s).

3. Do this activity in your house/yard. You'll be amazed what gets lumped together (like bubbles and painters tape)!

4. Do this activity in a store, such as Walmart (probably nix the bags though...don't want them to think you're shoplifting!).

5. Set a time limit per bag (say, 5 minutes) or required number of items per color (7, for example).

Any other ideas? Please share!

Move/Make: Nature Pictures

Go out and explore!
Come in and create!

Step 1: Take a nature hike. Let your little one collect anything that catches his/her eye.

Step 2: Older kids can draw their own scene on a large piece of paper. I drew Landon's for him.

Step 3: Using glue, your child can attach their nature walk treasures to their picture! Add markers, stickers, yarn, etcetera to make a seasonal masterpiece.

Step 4: We hung our picture on the fridge to enjoy the springtime shades of green!

*Hooray...this activity was FREE!

Indoor Hockey

It's March. We still have over a foot of snow.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Introducing....Indoor Hockey.

Thank you to my sweet friend, Jamie, for this fun idea!

She understands desperation, as she also has a 3-year-old little boy...and a foot of snow.

Bathtub Art: Good, Clean Fun!

Off-brand shaving cream: $3

Paper cups: $1

Food Coloring: $2

Foam Paintbrushes: $1

This Smile: Priceless