Balls, Bubbles, and an Indoor Pool

What do you do when the temps go from upper 80s to low 60s in a matter of days and you want to swim?  Bring the pool into the garage, of course.  Add balls, bubbles, and even a rain gutter for some extra fun.  There is not a lot to this activity, but it sure was a fun morning in our indoor pool.

Yes, the pool is full of water.

Swinging into bubbles over the pool in the garage!  FUN!

"Wow, looks at all the bubbles in my pool."

Rolling balls down the rain gutter into the pool

- AK (MESE, MECD)

You have read this article Rainy Day Play / Water Play with the title April 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/04/balls-bubbles-and-indoor-pool.html. Thanks!

Colored Sand Creations

 

About a month ago I posted a picture from my cell phone of my son using LIQUID WATERCOLORS to color his sand castles, but I never blogged about it.  I set it up as an invitation for him today (Im still lacking in cool sand molds, but he doesn't care) so here it is. 

The Invitation

He asked for help building the molds.  So I have no pics of that part, but here is is spraying his creations.  He said the orange one is a building.

Spraying his "castle"

The blue part is his "waterfall"

The large orange one is a volcano.  He later poked a hole in the top.

 

At the end of this activity I realized I was quite happy about not having fancy sand molds - as they may have limited his creativity.  I loved watching his "city with a waterfall and a volcano" emerge from his own imagination.  


- AK (MESE, MECD)

You have read this article Outdoor Play / Paint Play / Sensory Activities with the title April 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/04/colored-sand-creations.html. Thanks!

Routine Visits to Open Heart Surgery (A growing imagination)

The invitation below was set up for my girls after a recent visit to see my husband at work.  My oldest had a MILLION questions while we were there and after we got home.  She really wanted to see what daddy does at work.  Why not show her!  She loved loved loved this.  

Open heart surgery invitation.  

Prepping for anesthesia.  

Injection

My 25 Month old thought this was hilarious.  

Marking incision.  

Cutting Tigger open

Vein harvesting.  

Watching intensely.  

Sewing him back up.  

All better!  

RL  

You have read this article Doctor's Office / Imagination with the title April 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/04/routine-visits-to-open-heart-surgery.html. Thanks!

Playing With Light Document

We have finally finished our playing with light document.  Its 59 pages long and includes:

·    Infants

·    Toddlers

·    Beyond Toddlers

·    Pictures and links to the light activities on our blog

·    Light panel invitation ideas

·    Natural light play

·    Projected light play

·    Supplies list

We hope you find inspiration and ideas within these pages.  For those of you who requested more “beyond toddler” ideas, we hope you are pleased and use what we have provided as a springboard to even more fun ways of learning through play. 

ENJOY!
**We would love to hear your feedback on our blog.**

Total cost is $6.00

You have read this article Documents / Playing with Light with the title April 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/04/playing-with-light-document.html. Thanks!

Garage Play

Our garage is like a second playroom.  Actually, I think we spend more time in there than in our real playroom.  Im thinking maybe all of the tools is the allure??  We do a lot of fun things in the garage.  Today, we did shaving cream play.  RLs girls joined us, too.  Good times!  Its simple sensory fun - shaving cream on the garage floor.  Clean up is easy, all you need is a hose.

Play at Home Mom only encourages people to do things they are comfortable with.  Garage floors covered in shaving cream are slippery and can be dangerous.  We encouraged our children to stay on the hands and knees or belly during this play.

He did shaving cream painting on the easel, too.

We added food coloring

This was our POST shaving cream fun.....  CLICK HERE

You have read this article Sensory Activities with the title April 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/04/garage-play.html. Thanks!

Colored Spaghetti

What you need:

Spaghetti

Food coloring or liquid water colors

Zip lock bags

A little bit of  vegetable oil to keep it from sticking together

Place cooked spaghetti in zip lock bags with some food coloring/liquid watercolors and mix together.  

The invitation

Close up

You have read this article PLAY Recipes / Sensory Activities with the title April 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/04/colored-spaghetti.html. Thanks!

Pure Play Kids Giveaway

Time for another giveaway!!

If you haven't already, stop on by and check out

Pure Play Kids 

(www.pureplaykids.com) 

They offer one of the largest selections of battery-free, TV-free, creative playthings in the USA and now 

you have a chance to win a gift card and try them out for yourself!  

We are going to have THREE lucky winners for this giveaway.  Each winner will receive a $25.00 gift card to use at www.pureplaykids.com  

To Enter:

"Like" Pure Play Kids on FACEBOOK

Tell them that Play At Home Mom sent you and what product from www.pureplaykids.com you would use your gift certificate for.  

This is for residents of USA only.  Sorry!  

Winners will be drawn on Friday, April 13th.  

You have read this article with the title April 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/04/pure-play-kids-giveaway.html. Thanks!

Telling Stories with Stickers

My girls love their books and reading/telling stories is a big part of our day.  I am always trying to incorporate different ways of doing this.  You can see some of those ideas here:

3 Little Pigs

DIY Audio Books

Stories and Light

Here is one AK did on the flannel board

Go Away Big Green Monster

My oldest loves Rory's Story Cubes  She uses them all the time.  This is a great alternative for her to save what she is telling and the options are endless!  After she was done with her "sticker story" she gave it a title and we added it to her "story binder".  I will have to get pictures of these and add it to the post.  

All you need is a piece of paper and some stickers.

The stickers we used can be seen HERE

These are just stickers that we had on hand.  However, it will be great to have my daughters pick out there own stickers next time we are at the store.  :-)  

To see a videos of my girls telling a sticker story click below

Enjoy! 

3.5 Year old STICKER STORY

25 Month old STICKER STORY

RL

You have read this article Imagination / Rainy Day Play / Story Time with the title April 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/04/telling-stories-with-stickers.html. Thanks!

Cooking 101

Here is an activity totally inspired by a fan - thank you, Megan McRae (Im pretty sure you were the original source).

You always know when the weather is bad because you will likely see more "invitation type" posts from us.  Today I set this one up for my son.  It was a huge hit.  I believe my son's sense of choice is smell - LOL - he smells everything and was constantly commenting on the smell of the cinnamon and how it smelled "hot".  I thought that was a perfect adjective for it.  He told me that he was making me some "stinky, hot soup".  Simple and fun - the pics speak for themselves.

- AK (MESE, MECD)

You have read this article Cooking / Rainy Day Play with the title April 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/04/cooking-101.html. Thanks!

I-Spy Redneck Waterbed

When I initially made our "redneck waterbed" - seen HERE, I had every intention of putting things inside.  I was so excited about getting it together, though, that I totally forgot.  

**NOTE - For the waterbed I only used ONE piece of sheeting, not two.  I folded it over and taped the three open sides closed.**

*MAKE SURE YOU FILL IT ON A FLAT GROUND** 

So, today I decided to create the "I-Spy" version....and invited RLs girls and some other friends over to join us.  I made the waterbed just as I did in the original post, but added foam letters this time.  The children had ZERO interest in the letters - they were too busy marching and flipping and having fun.  LOL

This activity was created by Play at Home Mom and is copyright protected. © Play at Home Mom, LLC. Unauthorized use, imitation, and/or duplication of these pictures, activities, and material without expressed or written permission from the author and/or owners is strictly prohibited. All requests for content use can be directed here: Playathomemom3@gmail.com

RLs youngest checking out the letters.

Two of our boy friends came over to play.

The little ones checked out the letters from time to time.

RUN AND FLIP

We also put water and dish soap on the waterbed and used it as a slip-n-slide.  I joined in, so I don't have any pics of that, but it was sooooooooo fun!!

Oh wait....RL got a few pics of the kids using it as a slip-n-slide......

The kids running toward the waterbed/slip n slide

After a slide

- AK (MESE, MECD)

You have read this article Outdoor Play / Sensory Activities / Things to do with infants / Water Play with the title April 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-spy-redneck-waterbed.html. Thanks!