In my never ending quest to find new sensory play experiences for my kids, I recently happened upon a material that was new to me called play foam. Play foam is a wonderful sensory material because it is very moldable, yet doesn't stick to hands or other surfaces and clean up is a breeze. It also provides good fine motor practice. Plus, the bright ... Continue Reading
Paint with water – a simple art activity for kids
Did you ever do those paint with water books back when you were a kid? I had completely forgotten about them until I ran across some in a store the other day. Mostly out of nostalgia, I bought one for each of the kids. And as it turns out, they've been a great purchase! Not only are these paint with water books a fairly mess-free painting ... Continue Reading
20 ways to use liquid watercolors
Have you ever used liquid watercolors? If not, you are definitely missing out! We use our liquid watercolors all the time, as regular readers of my blog may have noticed. If you need a little inspiration for how to use liquid watercolors, below you will find 20 different and beautiful ideas! #1. Amaze your whole family with a jumping colors ... Continue Reading
Montessori time: Currently on our shelves
I'm a Montessori newbie. I love the theory and the goals behind Montessori and I'm learning more every day. But some days my knowledge still feels really inadequate. I would *love* to be a fly on the wall in the homes of some homeschooling moms who use a Montessori approach. But since I'm not in people's homes, I get lots of ideas from others' ... Continue Reading
How to be a friend
In this post I’m sharing a friendship activity my kids and I did to discuss how to be a friend to others. We started by reading the book How to Be a Friend: A Guide to Making Friends and Keeping Them by Laurie Krasny Brown. The kids enjoyed the book, and on the whole I thought it was very well done. The book talked about who can be a ... Continue Reading
Ice chalk – a frozen sensory art experience!
This ice chalk activity is a perfect example of how artistic exploration and sensory play can often go hand in hand. After all, so many art mediums provide kids with a wonderful sensory experience at the same time! In the case of ice chalk, kids get to experience the cool feel of frozen chalk in their hands, the gooey feeling of melting ice, ... Continue Reading
9 books about watermelon for kids
Watermelon is such a wonderful treat during the summertime. If you are looking for some watermelon-themed books to go along with the watermelon you are eating, read on! Below are 9 books about watermelon geared toward preschoolers. The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli This book follows a funny crocodile whose greatest fear is ... Continue Reading
Picnic craft for kids
It is summertime, which means it's time to get outside and enjoy our meals, picnic-style! To capitalize on my kids' interest in eating picnic-style, we recently created our own picnic craft. We started by reading The Teddy Bears' Picnic by Jimmy Kennedy. It's a classic story that I remember reading with my second grade teacher oh so long ... Continue Reading
8 essential water play toys
On hot summer afternoons, one of our go-to activities is to do some water play in the backyard. We don't have a large yard, but we still have tons of fun. Water play always keeps my kids productively entertained for an hour or more! In this post I’m sharing some essential water play toys that my kids always enjoy and learn so much from. Some of ... Continue Reading
Ice cream math game {guest post}
Today I'm over at B-Inspired Mama to share an ice cream dice game I created to help my kids work on number recognition and basic addition. With summer upon us, my kids have been enjoying the occasional ice cream treat. This game appeals to the ice cream lover in kids while getting them to engage in some basic math practice. See how we played the ... Continue Reading
