Wordless Wednesday - 4 Years Ago Today

Ball Walk

It's funny how toddlers are content for a long time making piles and moving their piles. Something so simple can be the best entertainment.  This idea came from the Wee One when she was carrying a ball around in a shovel at my parent's house and her love of piles.

I put out two bins across the room. from each other.  One of the bins was full of different kinds of balls that ranged from golf ball size to toddler soccer ball size and a shovel.  The other bin was empty.  When the Wee One saw the bin full of balls she squealed and knew exactly what to do.  She put a ball on her shovel and carefully walked to the empty bin. 

Oh the excitement of a bin full of balls!

Some of the balls fit into the shovel so she could run to the other bin, while other balls fit on top and she had to walk slowly and carefully to the bin.

Mystery Picture

This idea came from here and it has been so much fun, I have done it three times with Mister and Ladybug.  The first time they were so surprised to see a picture emerge from their paining.  Ladybug told me when she was finished, “I was SO surprised!”

On a sheet of white paper draw or write with white crayon and let your child/children watercolor.  When I gave this activity to Mister and Ladybug I didn't hint that there would be a surprise on the paper.

The -at family

This time I included the Wee One in the fun because she loves to paint.  At first she just dipped her paintbrush in the water and put a few marks on her paper until I guided her to use the whole paper to see her surprises.  She shouted, “CIRCLE!”

Ladybug helped her sister with painting her mystery picture.

If your kiddos watercolor like my children, then you’ll want to use watercolor paper for this activity.  I ran out of watercolor paper the second time and we had rips everywhere.

Every Snowman Needs Marshmallows!

Marshmallow snowmen aren't anything new.  They are cute, easy to make, and marshmallows always taste a little better with some glue.  I wanted to take this a step further than putting marshmallows on the circle since that was the Wee One's modification, so I had them trace circles and rectangles on a large piece of blue foam.

The circle and hat stencils were made from cereal boxes.

After they made their circles, we put on the marshmallows and waited a day for them to dry...my kids like glue.  Mister and Ladybug added buttons, a hat, eyes, stick arms, and a nose to finish their snowman/snow woman.

A Circle is Round

The Wee One received a new shape sorter for Christmas since our old one broke.  It was perfect timing since she loves to put objects into containers and she has started looking at her shape books more.  Mister and Ladybug were doing an art activity that was too complex for the Wee One, so I gave her the same materials and did a modification to focus a circle.

I named and showed her the circle.  Together we traced the circle with our fingers and then I put on some glue.  I asked the Wee One to pick up a marshmallow and I guided her hand to the circle.  We did 4-5 more like that before I let her explore on her own. She enjoyed putting a few on and taking them off.  Of course she ate a few a lot and was a sticky mess when we finished, but she had a good time and had amazing concentration.

Wordless Wednesday - KAPOW

You Would Think I Would Learn

We have been using a lot of glitter and I am finding it everywhere.  I think in my efforts to clean it up has lead to the glitter multiplying or at least spreading and clumping all at the same time.  So, when I saw glittery bells I should have walked away.  Oh no my eyes lit up and I said, "OH GLITTERY BELLS!"  I am not going to write what I have been saying now about the glittery bells. 

These bells just fit into the IKEA ice cube mold.  She had to give them a little push to get them all they way in. 

The Wee One tried dumping them back out into the little basket, but found that even when the tray was upside down bells stayed in.