Valentine's Day Sensory Bin

Valentine's Day Sensory Bin- learning through play

For each new holiday that comes up I try to set up a themed sensory bin.  Sensory bins are great for kids to learn while playing.  The simple touch, sight, and sounds in a sensory bin is great for kids to explore.  Depending on what you add you can expand the learning in many directions.  My kids love these sensory bins and have lots of fun playing and learning.   I have fun setting them up and then watch them as they play.  I never know what they will do once I set out a bin in front of them.  Knowing I wanted to set up a Valentine's Day sensory bin I started going through what we had in the house to make one.  I had a lot of stuff to add but it was missing something.  Then a family member sent us a package and in it was these packing peanuts.  We were excited to receive some very yummy treats in this box and I was pretty excited about these pink packing peanuts too!  Yes, its the little things that make me smile.  Once I added these to the sensory bin it was complete.   At the time I didn't realize what a learning experience the packing peanuts would add.  

What I used in our sensory bin: most of which you can buy at the dollar tree- plastic hearts, small plastic bowls, jingle bells, pipe cleaners, and small heart containers.  I also added a few cars and motorcycles ( you could change this out with small dolls or dishes...).  I also used a Valentine's day tin the kids got last year and heart fans we made this year.  I also hid pom poms in the heart containers and added a Hershey kiss piece for the kids to find.

When I sat the bin out for the kids they couldn't wait to dig in.  They pulled out the fans and saw when they waved them over the peanuts they blew up.  Packing peanuts went flying over the room.  My tot got really excited about finding the plastic hearts and adding them to the tin( working on his fine motor skills in the process).  We counted these hearts and went over the color and shape of them.  They added the pipe cleaners to the jingle bells and had music wrist bands.  They threw the packing peanuts like it was snowing and during this we had the extra learning experience of static electricity that I was not thinking about with the packing peanuts.  See, I knew they were perfect and just didn't think at the time why.  We saw how static electricity made the packing peanuts stick to the couch and to us.  We laughed and had so much fun with this.  And yes, this made a pretty big mess.  Nothing a broom and vacuum couldn't take care of though.  they continued to play with all the items in the box as they wished having fun exploring all the items inside.  I was happy they could learn a little during playtime and that they could play together too.  My kids are almost 2yr and 4yr.  Sometimes it can be a challenge for me to find things they both enjoy and will share.  This Valentine's Sensory bin worked great for them both.  As always we hope you and your kids can have some fun with this idea too.

Please do come and visit us again. We would love to have you back.

All kids are different and only you can decide how you let your kids play. And with what materials you let them play with. My children are supervised when playing. Please keep this in mind with any post you read of mine!

Check us out on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Sulia, Google+,

and our G+ community, All Things Kids.

We linked up at: it's playtime 

Beach Time Sensory Sink

A few weeks ago my oldest son grabbed his stool and started playing in the sink.  He was playing with a bucket, a few noodles that were stuck in it(from something else we had played in that day), and some soapy water.  He went and grabbed a spoon and spent quite a bit of time playing.  Since he had such a good time I knew I would have to set him up some sensory sinks to play in.  My mind went to thinking of what to do for him.  I have come up with several ideas.  However this one I am sharing with you today I did on a whim.  It is winter here and even though are weather is no where near as cold as others I have been long for the weather to go back to the beach.  So with the beach on my mind I pulled together a beach theme sink for the kids.  I let both my boys try out a sensory sink theme.  I must say it was a hit with both of them.

Beach Time Sensory Sink

What I used:  I added sea animal toys, blue fizzy tablets for the bath(we buy these at walmart), coconut extract for scent, plastic ice cubes(I got these at The Dollar Tree), and a little cup of rice( I called this sea animal food for them to feed the animals).

What I did:  I add the toys and fizzy tablet to the sink.  Then I filled with water.  ext added the coconut scent to the water(about a tsp).  I then placed the ice cubes and rice on the sink for them to add to the sink.  

Both my 4yr and 1.5yr got their own sink to play in.  This was my tots first time playing in the sink.  Since he is shorter even with the stool it was hard for him to reach.  However, this did not stop him from having a really good time.  His laughter and smiles during playtime was continues.  My oldest had fun adding the rice and playing with the ice cubes and toys too.  My tot did get excited with the water splashing and it did get all over the sink and floor.  Big brother though seemed to keep his mess to a minimum.  I have already come up with a better way for little brother to play next time.  And when I say mess it was just splashed water and all you do is wipe it up, easy considering some of the messes we make.  They got to have a great sensory experience while they played and that is what counts to me.  We hope you and your kids might have some fun with a sensory sink too.   

Since my son first got into sink play I have seen a sensory sink by My Nearest and Dearest. We have since been in touch and will be bringing you a fun Sensory Sink series soon.  Check back for more information in a few weeks.  I can't wait to team up with her!

Here is a link to the intro of sensory sink sunday a new series 

Please do come and visit us again. We would love to have you back.

All kids are different and only you can decide how you let your kids play. And with what materials you let them play with. My children are supervised when playing. Please keep this in mind with any post you read of mine!

Check us out on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Sulia, Google+,

and our G+ community, All Things Kids.

Other post you may like: Bath Time Fun

     

We linked up at:

 

DIY Laundy Soap- special guest post

I am super stoked to have my big sis guest post for me today.  She may not be a blogger but she is one crafty mom that I have been looking up to for years.  A special thank you to her for coming to share with us today.  I must say I made this after she shared it with me and love it.  As always I hope you might enjoy it too.

DIY/Homemade Laundry Soap

DIY laundry soap seems to be a big buzz on facebook and Pinterest lately. With the economy where it is today people are looking for ways to save money. So I thought I'd give DIY laundry soap a try. After reading about the different recipes between the liquid and the powder I went with the powder. It was less time consuming to make and everywhere I read the liquid comes out lumpy, never as smooth as the liquid laundry soap in the stores. *When you use the bar soap that is.

I have been using the powder laundry soap for a week now and I love it! I researched a lot of different recipes and the two ingredients you will find in every recipe is Borax ( not to be confused with boric acid ) and Arm & Hammer Super Washing soda ( not to be confused with regular Arm & Hammer baking soda )

This is the recipe I went with and I followed from Liz Marie Blog  to start my ideas tweaking it a little.

Ingredients: ( everything can be found on the laundry soap isle )

*1 four lb. box of Borax

*3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap ( you can use Ivory bar soap and a few other brands but I went with Fels-Naptha because it's also good on stains)

*4 lb. of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda

*1 3lb. box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

The items above cost about $13.00 if you add the Oxy and Purex Crystals add another $33.00

Optional 4 lb. of Oxy Clean You can add this to the mix or I just use it as an extra boost to the loads that need it.

Optional (2) 55 oz. bottles of Purex Crystals for a bolder scent. I just use this as needed I did not mix it in my laundry soap.

This was really easy to make!

(Makes about 3 to 4 gallons depending if you add the Oxy and Purex Crystals and you use less of this soap so it last longer. An estimate of about 256 loads when using 3 tbsp. per load )

Directions:

*Grate the Fels-Naptha soap with a cheese grater or in your food processor

*Line your bucket with a trash liner ( I used a 4 gallon pink bucket from Lowes )

*Dump your grated soap and dry ingredients in the bucket.

*Start mixing. I used my hands. Caution it will make some smoke so wear a face mask or turn your head. Then I pull the trash liner out and give it a good toss to mix it up.

*Then place it into a container of your choice. I used a glass jar from Wal-Mart and had my sister use her chalk board paint to make me a label on front.

*I use 1-3 TBS per load. 3 TBS = just under 1/4 cup so I have a measuring cup I use on a normal size load. Use less if a smaller load.

My laundry comes out fresh and clean smelling. If you want the more bold smell add the Purex Crystals. I have sensitive skin and I have not had any issues with this soap. Our clothes, even our towels come out soft. This soap does not make a lot of suds so it is safe in the HE washers. I just toss a scoop in with my clothes. I normally buy liquid soap in the store so I wasn't sure I'd like the powder but so far so good and no worries the grated bar soap dissolves nicely in warm or cold water.

What do you think of DIY laundry soap? Have you tried it before? If so, what recipe do you like? I'd love to hear your comments.

My name is Melissa W. I am married to my best friend, Doug and we have two lovely children. Tyler 17 & Brianna 11. I’m a house wife and I own my own cleaning business. I’m a lover of Pinterest, new ideas, and mocha coffee.

Please do come and visit us again. We would love to have you back.

Other post you may like: DIY Cleaner

All kids are different and only you can decide how you let your kids play. And with what materials you let them play with. My children are supervised when playing. Please keep this in mind with any post you read of mine!

Check us out on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Sulia, Google+,

and our G+ community, All Things Kids.

We linked up at: 

Q-tip Heart Paintings

Q-tip Painted Hearts

I have been wanting to let the boys paint with q-tips for some time now and I am so glad we finally got around to it.  If you are like me you have a thousand projects you want to do but never enough time to do them all.  I guess that could be a good thing because it leaves us something new to try.  We had a lot of fun with these and I love how they came out.

What we used: paints, cardstock, sharpies, and q-tips.

What we did: I drew hearts out on the cardstock with the sharpies. Then I sat them out for the kids with the paint and q-tips.  I got to make a picture too while they painted theirs.  I tried to get my oldest to make dots but he said he wanted to paint all over.  That was fine with me as long as they had fun.  Both preschooler and toddler can enjoy this craft.  Oh, and mommy's too.  We now have the hearts hanging up on the door and the boys love seeing their creations on it.  We hope you all can enjoy this too.

Other Valentine's day post you may like: Valentine's Day Tic Tac Toe, Message in a Bottle, 

Please do come and visit us again. We would love to have you back.

All kids are different and only you can decide how you let your kids play. And with what materials you let them play with. My children are supervised when playing. Please keep this in mind with any post you read of mine!

Check us out on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Sulia, Google+,

and our G+ community, All Things Kids.

We linked up at:  

  

We Love Crocs! And The Kid's Co-op

Do you and your family have a brand shoe that you ALL love?  Well we do and its Crocs!  Having been in the medical field standing on my feet all day I tried tons of different brand shoes trying to find the best one.  When Crocs came out lots of my fellow co-works ran out and bought them and swore they were the best shoe.  I was not in impressed with the look of them so I never got my own pair to see what all the hype was about.  I later left my medical career behind me to start a family and become a stay at home mom and forgot about Crocs.  It wasn't until my first son was about 1.5yr that he was given a pair of Crocs to wear that I ever thought of them again.  My son grew to love these shoes and once he grew out of them he just had to have a new pair.  I set out on my Google quest to price and compare sites for locations on stores for Crocs.  I of course found the Crocs official home page during my search and started to look around.  I was amazed at the variety of shoes they had for the WHOLE family.  I found myself not only wanting to get my son a new pair of Crocs but I wanted a pair too.  I ordered my son a new pair of clogs and ended up deciding on a pair of Crocband flats for myself.  I must admit my Crocs are now the only shoe I ever wear.  They are comfortable and light weight.  My feet breath a little in them more than other shoes.  Easy to wipe off spilled juices from them.  And I can wear them with almost anything.  After purchasing these 2 pair of shoes my husband who did have a pair of clogs for outside use did take a look at the website too.  He found that he also liked many different styles of their shoes.  He purchased a pair of leather boots.  He also enjoys his Crocs and the style and comfort they bring.  We have since had a second son and as he has gotten bigger has become a Croc fan too.  Seeing that big brother loves his Crocs still, little brother just had to have  pair as well.  We all now have  a few pair of Crocs a piece.   I think Crocs are a perfect fit for my family and I know I will be buying more in the future.

Please do come and visit us again. We would love to have you back.

All kids are different and only you can decide how you let your kids play. And with what materials you let them play with. My children are supervised when playing. Please keep this in mind with any post you read of mine!

Check out our pinterest board, Fb page, twitter page, sulia, Google+,
and All Things Kids

DIY Microwavable Popcorn

DIY Microwavable Popcorn

Am I the only one left that had no idea you could make your own microwavable popcorn?  I am starting to think I might be.  While looking on pinterest one night I came across a pin for diy microwavable popcorn and  I was intrigued.  I thought, wow, I need to read this.  Popcorn has always been a favorite snack of mine and my kids love it too. I couldn't wait to see how I could make it for myself.  So I followed the link to Squawkfox.com and got the 411 on diy popcorn.  It turns out all you need is a brown paper bag, popcorn kernels and a microwave!  Now this is my diy project,simple!  I found one of the fun things about making it myself was that I could get the kids involved and let them help open the bag and fill it.  My boys love to help out in the kitchen so including them was a plus for me.  Once the popcorn is ready you can add your favorite toppings.  We added butter and salt.  I would love to try cinnamon sugar next time.  The possibilities for toppings are endless.  Well, if there is someone else out there in the dark like I was, I hope you too can enjoy diy microwaveable popcorn too!

The How To:  take 1/2c popcorn kernels and pour into brown paper bag and fold down the top.  Now place in the microwave for 3min or until the popcorn kernels are barley popping.  Remove from the microwave and add to bowl.  Last add your favorite toppings.  There you have it easy and yummy diy popcorn.

Please do come and visit us again. We would love to have you back.

Other post you may like: 10 movies kids love

All kids are different and only you can decide how you let your kids play. And with what materials you let them play with. My children are supervised when playing. Please keep this in mind with any post you read of mine!

Check us out on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Sulia, Google+,

and our G+ community, All Things Kids.

Message in a Bottle- kid valentine's day craft

 During one of my late night feedings with my youngest I was wondering what new valentine crafts to try with the kids this year.  I know. Who thinks about crafts half asleep at 3 am?  Well, obviously I do,lol.  I have had pirates on the brain too for another project I am brainstorming for my boys and I guess half asleep thinking about both I got the idea to try a valentine message in a bottle.  I couldn't wait to start gathering supplies or maybe I could wait til I had a few more hours of sleep.  When I did start my morning I went through the recycling bin to find 2 bottles.  Now to prep.  I had 2 different bottles one glass and one plastic.  I had to remove a label with goo gone and I spray painted the lids black.

After preparing the bottles I was now ready to get the kids to come craft with me.  It worked out great for us to do this on a boring rainy day.  All 3 of us had fun creating the message in a bottle valentine's day craft. 

What we used:  1 glass bottle(great for older kids), 1 plastic bottle(great for younger kids), spray paint(mommy did this part), Valentine's day stickers, construction paper, yarn, and crayon.

What we did:  I gave the boys a handful of stickers and their bottles( big brother got the glass one and little brother got the plastic one).  They put stickers all over their bottles.  I then gave them both a sheet of paper cut in half with a crayon to write a message.  I tied yarn into a bow on the bottles while they did this.  Once through writing their message, or coloring a picture, I rolled the paper and tied yarn around it.  We then stuck them down in the bottle.

I think these Valentine's day messages in a bottle could be great gifts for family and friends.  Maybe even add some candy to one and give it to a teacher.  These would also be fun to keep at home, as we are, and just write messages or color pictures for each other to receive.  How would you use your bottle?  As always we hope you and your kids can have fun with this idea too.

Please do come and visit us again. We would love to have you back.

All kids are different and only you can decide how you let your kids play. And with what materials you let them play with. My children are supervised when playing. Please keep this in mind with any post you read of mine!

Other Valentine's day post you may like: Valentine's Day Tic Tac Toe

Check us out on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Sulia, Google+,

and our G+ community, All Things Kids.

We linked up at tue tots, 

   

Beef stew and cornbread muffins & The Kids Co-op

I love my crock pot as many people do.  How great is it to dump everything in and walk away:-)  One of our favorites is beef stew and cornbread.

How to make beef stew:  I bought to small packs of beef tip meat and added them to my crock pot, sprinkle with a little adobo seasoning.  Add beef and chicken stock or just beef.  This day I used 1 box of beef stock and half a box of chicken stock I had in fridge.  Add vegetables ( I did can this day.  You can cut up fresh veg's or uses frozen.)  I also added a can of potato's.  You add as much as you want in your soup.  I added to bay leaves and a few sprinkles of worcestershire sauce.  You can add a little garlic and onion powder too.  Then cook for 6 hours on high or until meat is done.  Note:  If you need more broth while cooking I add chicken or beef bouillon cubes and water. 

How to make cornbread muffins:  I melt 1 stick of butter in microwave for about 20 seconds.  Then add 2 cups ( I like White Lilly) Corn mill, 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, and 1 egg.  now mix well.  If you mix seems dry you can add a little buttermilk.  Now pour mix in muffin pan( I spray the pan with olive oil).  Cook @ 425 degrees for 12-15 min's or until golden.

What are you having for dinner tonight?

Please do come and visit us again. We would love to have you back.

All kids are different and only you can decide how you let your kids play. And with what materials you let them play with. My children are supervised when playing. Please keep this in mind with any post you read of mine!

Check out our pinterest board, Fb page, twitter page, sulia, Google+,
and All Things Kids

Valentine's Day Tic Tac Toe-fun game for kids

Valentine's Day Tic Tac Toe

My oldest son 4yr has been learning to play tic tac toe.  Since he is getting older I have been trying to find new ways to entertain him and games have been one.  We both have fun playing tic tac toe.  He may not quite play "fair" every time but that's ok with me.  The fun we have makes up for that.

With Valentine's Day coming up I thought it would be fun to make him a themed tic tac toe game.  That is how we got Valentine's Day Tic Tac Toe.  It has been a big hit with him and I hope it can be for you too.

What I used:  red construction paper, buttons, plastic hearts(from dollar tree), marker, scissors.

What I did:  I cut a heart out of the red paper, drew a tic tac toe board with the marker.  Last, I got together the game pieces.  

Since the game board is reusable we get to play over and over again.  If you do not have plastic hearts you could just use all buttons or find another substitute of your choice.  

We linked up at the sunday showcase

Please do come and visit us again. We would love to have you back.

All kids are different and only you can decide how you let your kids play. And with what materials you let them play with. My children are supervised when playing. Please keep this in mind with any post you read of mine!

Check us out on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Sulia, Google+,

and our G+ community, All Things Kids.

Winter Bath for Kids-easy yet so much fun

 

Winter Bath for Kids

I found these foam snowflakes at Target and knew I would use them for a winter bath.  I got 10 foam snowflakes for a $1.  I love to have fun with my kids but I love it more when it's cheap.  You could cut snowflakes out of foam sheets you can buy at dollar stores.  Now, I had to decide what else to use in the bath.  I chose to fill sauce bottles with blue food coloring, peppermint scent, and water.  Then I made puffy peppermint paint for them.  To do this add 1/2 c flour, 1/2 c salt, and water together and mix.  Also add peppermint extract.  Now all I had to do was set up the tub.  I wet the foam snowflakes and stuck them to the side of the tub.  Then I sat the colored water and paint in the center of the tub for them to play.  Both the boys had lots of messy fun in their winter bath. When they were through we washed it out.  Then we filled the tub with water and added blue fizzy tabs, which we get at walmart, to the water and a little peppermint scent.  I bathed them and they continued to play with the snowflakes for a while before they got out.  My kids are 1.5yr and 4yr and both had a good time.  We hope your kids can have fun too in a winter bath.

Scented puffy paint & colored water for play.

we linked up at saturday show & tell

Please do come and visit us again. We would love to have you back.

All kids are different and only you can decide how you let your kids play. And with what materials you let them play with. My children are supervised when playing. Please keep this in mind with any post you read of mine!

Check us out on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Sulia, Google+,

and our G+ community, All Things Kids.

I am happy to be taking part in the Winter Wonderland Blog Hop today.  If you want more fab ideas on how to get through the winter blues check out the creator( The Iowa Farmer's Wife) landing page here with the list.  It started Jan. 13th and goes to Feb. 13th.

 

The Iowa Farmer's Wife - B-Inspired Mama - Kid World Citizen - Love Play Learn - 

Home Learning Journey - KC Edventures - Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails -
Milk and Cuddles - Putti's World - Nurture Store - Creative Playhouse - Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas - Teach Preschool - This Reading Mama - Housing A Forest - Royal Baloo - Two Big Two Little - Ready Set Read - CraftoArt - The Outlaw Mom Blog - JDaniel4s Mom - Creative Family Fun -
Kitchen Counter Chronicles - Caution! Twins at Play - Enchanted Homeschooling Mom Blog Me Mom - Mama Miss - Living Montessori Now - Ingles 360 - Glittering Muffins -
The Pleasantest Thing - Here Come the Girls - 3 Dinosaurs - Train Up a Child - Little Artists -
The Chirping Moms - My Nearest and Dearest

Snowflake Bulls Eye-winter game

Snowflake Bulls Eye- fun winter game

My boys have been having a lot of fun with the sock snowballs I made them.  They started throwing them around the house the other night and I thought to myself I needed to make them a bulls eye to throw them at.   Since it is winter here I went with a snowflake picture as their bulls eye.  That is how snowflake bulls eye-winter game was born.  This is so simple but tons of fun.  They even let me play and we all laughed and enjoyed our family time together.  This can be a great family game night idea.  You can set rules all your own for the winner.  For me and the boys if you hit the snowflake you won!  I see us playing this many more times in the future.

All you need is paper and markers to draw snowflake bulls eyes.  To make the sock snowballs click here.  As always we hope you can have some fun with this too.

Please do come and visit us again. We would love to have you back.

All kids are different and only you can decide how you let your kids play. And with what materials you let them play with. My children are supervised when playing. Please keep this in mind with any post you read of mine!

Check us out on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Sulia, Google+,

and our G+ community, All Things Kids.

Homemade Peppermint Hand Scrub & The Kids Co-op

We love making homemade gifts for teachers, family, and friends.  This homemade hand scrub is easy to make and so wonderful to use.  It leaves your hands feeling nice and moisturized with a nice minty scent.  We wrote this post for The Studio follow this link to read how we made homemade hand scrub.  Hope you and your kids can have fun making this too.

Please do come and visit us again. We would love to have you back.

All kids are different and only you can decide how you let your kids play. And with what materials you let them play with. My children are supervised when playing. Please keep this in mind with any post you read of mine!

Check out our pinterest board, Fb page, twitter page, sulia, Google+,
and All Things Kids

The Studio Store- arts and craft supplies for kids activities

The Kiwi Crate Studio, the place to find hundreds of creative kids craft ideas, just launched their kids craft materials pop-up shop! The shop is filled with top-quality materials, hand-picked by the kids art experts at award-winning Kiwi Crate. Find a fun project you want to try, then have the materials shipped right to your door! Explore interesting new materials from glittery clay to liquid watercolor and eco-friendly options.  Follow this link to see all the information.

 

This is so cool to be able to order the arts ad craft supplies you need to work on those kids projects you see on The Studio.  I see several arts and craft supplies I would love to order.  If you haven't been over to see my design profile on The Studio here it is.  I always love to share fun activities and recipes for the kids over there.  Follow along so you don't miss out on the fun we have.

Please do come and visit us again. We would love to have you back.

All kids are different and only you can decide how you let your kids play. And with what materials you let them play with. My children are supervised when playing. Please keep this in mind with any post you read of mine!

Check out our pinterest board, Fb page, twitter page, sulia, Google+,
and All Things Kids

S'mores ready in Seconds- with peep marshmallows

We love s'mores at my house but we don't have the time or place to start a fire to roast marshmallows.  So, what is the next best way to make a s'mores? You guessed it, microwave!  It is super fast and still yummy. 

What we used and what we did:  peep snowman marshmallows, graham crackers and mini Hershey bars.  Break the cracker in half place on a plate ( microwave safe) add Hershey bar and peep.  Put the graham cracker on top.  Now microwave for 10-15 seconds or until marshmallow is melted a little.  Let sit a couple a minutes but not too many and eat!

These have been a big hit at my house.  And I love that both my tot and preschooler can help make them. Hope you can enjoy them too.



We linked up at tue tots.

Please do come and visit us again. We would love to have you back.

All kids are different and only you can decide how you let your kids play. And with what materials you let them play with. My children are supervised when playing. Please keep this in mind with any post you read of mine!

Check us out on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Sulia, Google+,

and our G+ community, All Things Kids.