Pinterest Playtime: Curing Cabin Fever

This winter has been a rough one for us. Although we've experienced a milder winter weather-wise, our family has caught every cold that's come our way. We're going a little batty from being closed in together. For my daughter and I, some of our only sanity-savers have been the projects I stumbled upon while meandering through Pinterest.
I got the idea of bathtub water coloring from Thoughts from the Courage Zone, which has some great toddler activity ideas. I put V in the tub with a small cup of water, a paintbrush & watercolors.

This was the first time she had played with watercolors, so it was a lot of fun. After she had colored quite a bit, I added a spray bottle & a squeeze bottle of water so we could watch the colors run. Finally, I got out a "Magic Eraser" and let her help me clean up the mess. She had fun making the colors disappear.
One of our next rainy-day projects was one I found on Toddler Approved! They suggested making a tower out of cut (new) kitchen sponges. I had picked up a package of cheap sponges at the store awhile back as an emergency playtime activity.

It was nice to have an emergency go-to. V had fun stacking the sponges, knocking them over and throwing them on the floor. The best part? It was all quiet!
If all else fails, I pull out the spray bottle (water only) and hand it to V.

She knows that its ok to spray the windows, doors, herself, the dogs, or the plants.  When she sprays the windows, I give her a rag and let her wipe up the water. Its fun to pretend to clean!

One of our recent not-as-sick days, we managed to get outside for awhile. I borrowed this activity from our Parents As Teachers educator. I've seen several blogs that suggest using beans or rice for kids to scoop & pour with. Our PAT educator suggested using birdseed-- if its spilled or gets dirty, we can throw it outside for the birds, without wasting any food! I also like that V gets different textures, shapes & colors with the variations in the birdseed.

This was one of our favorite activities. V quietly played with the seed for at least 15 minutes. When she started getting bored, we took turns spreading the birdseed out in the yard. Then at lunchtime we got to watch the birds eat the seed.
I love to find new activities. What are your favorite blogs?

Pinterest Playtime: Toothpick fun

My little one is getting older, and closer to the terrible two's. For some time she was easy-going, and I could get away with simple unplanned playtime. As she gets older, I'm finding that if we don't have an activity planned, she gets grouchy. Seldom does she want to just play in her room.
I've been looking at several blogs, and searching Pinterest for easy, fun, and cheap projects for V & I to accomplish.
Our most recent project was one I found here at Chasing Cheerios. We took a shaker jar (think Parmesan cheese shaker at a pizza shop) that I got at the $1 store and a handful of toothpicks. V spent 15 minutes poking the toothpicks in the jar, taking them out & repeating the process.

The jar I used is glass, so I made sure to repeat that we had to be gentle with it. V was very careful. This was a great way for her to concentrate and build her fine motor skills. I think soon we may try the toothpick & marshmallow sculptures.
Lately, I've been spending a lot of time watching the birds at our backyard feeder. The past weekend was the Great Backyard Bird Count. V loves watching the birds at the feeder. A friend told me that when she was little, her mom & her would string Cheerios on a line and hang them for the birds. This project was exactly what we needed this afternoon.
We spent about 20 minutes threading Cheerios on a string. I wrapped the string around a toothpick to make it easier for V. She thought it was a lot of fun. I can't wait for breakfast tomorrow, which is the best time to for us to sit and watch the birds.

 I'm excited to see what birds are at the feeder in the morning. After doing the Great Backyard Bird Count, I'm a lot more conscious about the birds at the feeder. Its fun to teach V the names of the birds and count them.
Have a fun & easy activity? Share it here!