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...
Jack-O-Lantern Play: Loose Parts on a Mirror
Hi everyone! I've noticed a lot of focus on Halloween in the last week. In our home, we are slowly warming up to the upcoming holiday. Lil is both concerned and intrigued by all things spooky, so I have had to be very selective about how we "Halloween" craft and create. One of my favorite activities in the classroom was to draw on mirrors so this little project came about easily as I was eager continue reading...
The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Painting Butterflies and Learning About Symmetry
I love where I live in Santa Barbara because we are five minutes from a butterfly preserve. Monarch butterflies come here in droves during the winter and they hang in chandelier like formations from the trees. It's magical. I especially love that we get to see them flying around, stretching their wings on a warm and sunny day. It always encourages me to grab the books: The Crunching Munching continue reading...