Hi Everyone! My husband was a little bit nervous about this one! I sent him a picture of our daughter painting on mirrors and his first reaction was: I hope the paint comes off! It's true, sometimes I look at activities and think, "Well, that must have been tough to clean up." But, I've made the decision that clean up doesn't matter to me (ok...I'm trying not to let it bother me) because continue reading...
Introducing New Play Materials to Kids: Experimenting and Observing Water Beads
Hi There! The past week, my daughter has been experimenting with something that I have wanted to buy for about a year: water beads. I remember when everyone was talking about them at work and water bead activities were popping up all over Pinterest. I was hesitant to go out and to buy them; mostly, because I didn't know where to purchase them. But, when I saw them a week ago, I had to put continue reading...
Pony Bead Puppets on the Light Table
Hi Everyone! Welcome back to the second week of our Light and Reflections series! Last week, we explored light and art with our Melted Pony Beads and Tissue Paper Sun-catchers. This week, we worked with melted pony beads again, but, unlike last week, we used clear beads and put our sun-catchers on the light table as "puppets." What you'll need: Clear Pony beads Cookie cutters Oven continue reading...
Magic Love Notes: Secret Messages for Kids When a Parent is Away
Hi There! This morning we dropped my husband off at the airport. He'll be gone for five days at a conference. It may not seem like a long trip to you, or perhaps it does, but the length of time doesn't matter for a child - they almost always miss their parents. I knew it was going to be hard for my daughter to have him away, so my husband took five minutes to make these magic love notes for continue reading...
Melted Pony Bead and Tissue Paper Suncatcher
Hi Everyone! I'm excited to launch our Light and Reflections series this morning! Each Monday in November, we will be posting about different ways to use light and reflections as a tool for learning. This week, we are focusing on art - whether that be painting, music, collages, etc. After viewing these ladies' blogs (And Next Comes L, Racheous, and Where Imagination Grows), I was really continue reading...
Mixing Dramatic Play with Science: Erupting Cupcakes!
Hi There! It's been a busy week for my family. We are preparing for my husband to leave for a conference, my son is seconds away from being able to crawl, and my daughter is still on a high from going trick-or-treating! This past week, I wanted some uninterrupted time with my daughter to play. I've been dying to open a cupcake shop with her (since she wants to be a baker when she grows up) continue reading...