Musical Balloons

My girls love their balloons.  We've been having a blast with the luminary balloons.  Those things can get expensive, though!  I was trying to think of something different we could do with them that didn't cost so much money!  After looking back at posts from 2011 I revisited our Sensory Balloons post.  I thought I would put a little twist on it.  It led me to this...

All you need are some balloons and various objects to stick inside.  We used 12 inch balloons.  They were very easy to fill. I did set up an invitation for this that you will see below.  However, my girls had so much fun just dancing around with these and shaking them.  

After 30 minutes of dancin' and shakin' the questions starting rolling in.  "Mommy, what is inside of there?  Do you hear that?  What does that sound like?"  

The invitation

We had six balloons.  I placed what was inside each balloon in a small container.  These containers were purchased in a pack of six at the Dollar Tree.  

Top row from left to right: Marbles, bells, and lentils

Bottom row from left to right: Pony beads, sand, and water

My 22 month old placing her bell balloon on the bell container.  She was right!  My oldest had to check all the ones my 22 month old did to make sure they made a match.  There was a lot of switching going on.  LOL  I left the tops to the containers out so that they could shake the container and make a comparison.  I wish I had more pictures of this but my youngest was up.  Speaking of that... depending on what you put in the balloons, this activity is LOUD!  At least if your children are anything like mine with the shaking.  :-)  

All matched up.  

After 5 or 6 rounds my oldest asked to cut them open.  They cut them over a bin to contain what was inside.  

Watching the balloon deflate.

"Bells!!!!  I made a match!!!"

"I think this one needs to be switched.  Those are marbles"

Cheater!!!!!  LOL LOL  

My 22 month old loves the scissors now, too.  

RL

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The Best of (the Last Seven Months of) 2011

Technically, we have only been around since May 29, 2011.  That is when we started our facebook page.  Our blog came even later than that.

Wow, what a fun ride it has been so far.  We had NO IDEA Play at Home Mom would turn into such a great community and we are so grateful.  What is it all about for us?  Its about changing lives, helping families reconnect through play, helping parents "let go" a bit....play more, be present more, focus on the process more, say "YES" more, let children lead the way more, and ENJOY our children more.  Our gratification comes from that simple comment on our wall saying "thank you, I had so much fun with my child today", and even the long, heartfelt emails that we receive from time to time.  We are looking forward to 2012 with all of you, but for now, here are our favorite posts of 2011.  ENJOY!!

BUBBLE BOY


GLOW STICKS.... THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX


WATER BEADS (the post that started a craze...Oh yes, it all started here.)


DROP BOX

WATER, COLORS, CONTAINERS, and LIGHT

(PAHM introduces the world to the LIGHT panel)

WINDOW ART

SQUISHY BAG

BUSY BOXES

ICE BRICKS

ICE SKATING BIN

THE POWER BEHIND THE PROCESS

WATER BALLOON BATH

CAVE OF STARS

GLOW DOUGH

HOMEMADE SENSORY BOARD

SQUIRT SQUEEZE  SPRAY PUMP POUR PRESS

STREET PAINT WITH A SPLAT

SENSORY BALLOONS 

THE THERAPEUTIC PROCESS OF PLAY

SUGAR AND SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE

SPOTLIGHT ON BASIC SKILLS

GLOWING ART

OUR ENVIRONMENT - AK

RL'S PLAY SPACE

EDIBLE PAINT

WATER XYLOPHONE

SUBMERSIBLE SCIENCE

MASKING TAPE PAINTINGS

HAMMERING FOR ALL AGES

PONY BEAD SUNCATCHERS

....and one more for good measure:
Courtesy of Rhythm of the Home
ARTICLE HERE

Thank you all for letting us into your homes, for being inspired, for being interested in child-guided play, and for opening your lives to us.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

PAHMs

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Using Snacks to Instill Capability

We all know that children like to feel  like they have control over their lives.  We want our children to have a healthy relationship with food, and giving them power over their own eating is a great place to start.  Children need several small snacks throughout the day.  This keeps their blood sugar levels consistent and gives them fuel for all of those Play at Home Mom activities we do with them.  ;)

When we dictate to our children what to eat and how much, we are taking away their independence and teaching them not to listen to the natural signals from their body that tell them when they are full.  Does that mean eating is a free-for-all?  No.  It means we offer healthy options and allow our children to make choices and listen to their body.  The easiest way to do this – don’t keep junk in the house.  Desserts and sweets can be a part of a healthy diet, but when sugar becomes a staple, then it’s a problem (and Im guilty of having days where we all consume too much sugar).

I started making snack bags a few months ago for my son, and was recently inspired to organize them even more into containers (as seen in pics).  How does this work?  When my son gets hungry, he gets his own snack - instilling independence and capability.  What about meal time?  We still have breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  If he goes for a snack just as lunch is being served, then the snack becomes part of his lunch.  Pushing back lunch time and dinner time is also an option for us, if need be.  Here are his current snack options.  He doesn't have to ask, he just gets a snack when he is hungry (though he typically asks).  He is not limited to these, but they are what is readily available to him at this time........

granola bars, raisins, bananas, oranges, sunflower seeds, and pistachio nuts

watermelon, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, carrots and cream cheese, and probiotic drinks

- AK

(MESE, MECD)

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Glow and Seek

My oldest LOVES playing hide and seek lately.  There are only so many places you can hide in our house.  It was starting to get a little old!  LOL  I set this up for my two older girls and I can't even tell you how many games we played.  So much fun!  

All you need are some things that glow in the dark.  We used luminary balloons, glow bracelets, glow necklaces,  glow sticks, and submergible lights.  I purchased the balloons and submergible lights at Walmart and the glow bracelets, etc. at the Dollar Tree.  

"Hide" your objects around the room and let the fun begin. 

Pictures do not do this justice!  

Our first round!  

Girls searching for their glowing treasures.

They decided to put the collected ones in the middle of the playroom.  

"I found four balloons!"

My oldest wanted to take a turn at hiding them.  When I came in the room to find them she kept saying "You'll never find this one in here"... while taking it out of it's hiding spot.  Too funny!  

Their collection.  

The glow necklaces then went on the front porch for Santa's Reindeer.  :-)  

If you freeze the glow sticks after use they will last several days.  Also, I noticed that the glow sticks from Michaels Craft Store and Target are not as good of quality as the ones from Dollar Tree.

RL 

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