Well hello, spring! You have no idea how much we’ve been looking forward to you! To celebrate, Miss G and put together this fun little spring muffin tin scavenger hunt and headed outside in search of the first signs of the season.
Category Archives: child’s play
Toddler Take Along Kit
After making Miss G a big kid take along kit not long ago, I knew I needed to make one for Sam too. And since we leave on a little spring break getaway tomorrow morning, today was the day! Here’s our little toddler take along kit…
Play Dough Fairy Gardens
I try really hard not to be that person who is constantly complaining about the weather {because who are we kidding – we have it so good here in Vancouver}, but let me tell you… I am SO ready for spring. Not that cold, grey, rainy everyday version of spring either. I’m ready for full-on sunshiny spring with blossoming trees, the buzzing of bees, warm temperatures, and rainy days only here and there. I’ve been willing it to come our way for weeks if I’m being honest. And with all of that wishful thinking, I was reminded of the amazing play dough fairy gardens Miss G and I did last year.
Shake and Search I Spy Bottle
Let’s be honest here… Who really has the patience to sit for ages making perler bead creations?? I wish I did. Miss G and I made a few little things the other day and had fun, but truth be told, what we really wanted to do was run our fingers through them – hah! That, or use them for something completely different {and less fine motor skill intensive} than what they’re intended for – like making a simple shake and search I spy bottle.
Snowman Play Dough Kit
Miss G and I had so much fun with our gingerbread people and christmas tree play dough kits over the holidays that I figured we’d better sneak one more winter themed kit in before spring arrives. This one, a snowman play dough kit, has become a yearly occurence in our house. We’ve even made mini build a snowman play dough kits to gift our friends with in the past.
Play Dough Apple Tree Life Cycle
If you know us well, you know we loooove play dough. We almost always have 3 or 4 play dough kits on hand and for the past several years, they’ve been something Miss G has regularly taken out and played with. That being said, we’ve sort of been on a play dough break recently… Miss G has other things she’s super passionate about at the moment {mainly ‘inventing’ and reading – always reading} and with her being in school full days this year, I honestly just find that there’s not a lot of extra time in our days {*insert sad face here*}. That being said, we’ve recently been all about apples and apple trees, and when Miss G asked about when the different stages of an apple tree’s life cycle occur, I figured it would be fun to explore the different seasons with some play dough and simple play dough mats.
EASY Portable Activity Kit for Road Trips
After travelling all over the world with Miss G {hello 36 hour treks to and from Kuwait!}, a six hour road trip really isn’t a big deal to us. That being said, our little lady is a huuuuuuuuuuge talker, and sometimes you just need to have a moment of quiet {or a moment to talk to your spouse} while in the car. That, and sometimes our little Sam Jam just needs a moment of silence in order to fall asleep… Big sisters’ animated stories and ramblings are much too interesting to doze off to {obviously}!
Easiest Ever DIY Geoboards
When we first moved back to Kuwait in 2013, the first month and a bit was certainly challenging… Miss G had just turned 3 years old, it was the end of August and the heat was unbearable, and I was stuck at home in our next to empty apartment with no mode of transportation and a busy little lady who had just been pulled away from her life as she knew it. Being our second time moving to the Middle East, we’d been smart and brought very little along with us, but it meant that until we had a vehicle and time to collect things to fill our home with, we just had to make do. If nothing else, the situation certainly forced me to get creative! Miss G and I spent our days building things with cardboard boxes, painting packing packing paper, creating with things like dry rice and pasta that we had in the kitchen, and filling our freezer with homemade popsicles. We made the best of it.
5 Fun And Easy Water Play Activities
Water play… It’s a summer staple and something that’s enjoyed by kiddos of all ages. The best part is that most of the time, water play activities are incredibly easy to set-up, because let’s face it – you give most munchkins a bin of water to splash around in and they’re happy. That being said, with a few extra supplies, you can take water play to a whole new level.
Mermaid Ice Excavation
Summer’s here which means that it’s officially ice excavation season! We love ice excavations and as the years pass, I’m always slightly surprised by just how into them Miss G is. She’s done many ice excavations in her time, and yet she still gets all amped up when I mention doing one {which I of course love}. I do try to make them fun and different each time, playing into whatever she’s interested in that summer, so a mermaid rescue ice excavation it was for my girl who currently loves mermaids. {So fun, right?! Mermaid birthday party here we come!}
Make Ten {an easy card game for kids}
Miss G loves playing all sorts of card games, so when I came across Make Ten, a simple game that focuses math skills and uses just a generic deck of cards, I knew it would be a total hit.
UPDATE: Since sharing this game and our Make Ten printable play mat, I’ve had countless requests for play mats using larger numbers… Well, I’m so happy to say that I’ve finally gotten around to creating a couple of options and best of all – they’re customizable and can be used with any larger number you choose! Scroll to the very bottom of this post to find them.
Do-It-Yourself Backyard Summer Camp
Last night, after the munchkins were both snuggled in bed, Brad and I began talking about our upcoming summer… This one will be very different for us for several reasons, one of which it’ll be our first summer with two kids {!!!}, but also, it’ll be the first summer in a long time that a) we’ll be stationed in one spot {and in our own home no less!} and b) that doesn’t involve a 36 hour trek back to the Middle East {and all of the prep that comes with that} at the end of it. We’ll just be here. In Vancouver. Which feels sort of strange at the moment.
Butterfly World Play Dough Kit
With spring now in full force, it was time for a new addition to our ongoing play dough kit collection. Though my first thought was to put together a spring garden set, we’ve made several very similar kits in the past and our garden set got a ton of play last spring, so I figured we’d switch it up this time around.
Frog Pond Sensory Play
This week Miss G and I have been enjoying an old favourite – some slimy frog pond sensory play! It’s funny how some things just never seem to get old… I love that about play – it sort of just evolves with the child as she grows and changes herself.
Simple Spring Nature Exploration Station
Okay, so this is quite possibly the simplest activity ever, but it was thoroughly enjoyed and I was blown away with what Miss G did with it. Earlier today, as Grae was cleaning up from quiet play time, I quickly popped outside to the yard to see what sort of spring nature items I could find. I knew I was definitely going to be borrowing a blossom or two off of the beautiful tree we currently have out front, and I managed to find all sorts of other pretty things too.