Category: Kids Need Play

Dear Reader,

I wasn’t fast enough. When you have twins and a busy preschooler, you find yourself saying that a lot. Today’s reason? I left the lid on the rice bucket open too long and my kids got into it. So I had a handful of rice that I didn’t consider safe for human consumption, but it still had some use to it… somehow. So I tried to think of what I could do with the rice. Usually it ends up as heat packs, but I don’t need a heat pack right now (they’re all freshly re-filled) and I DID need an activity for 2 busy toddlers, so when I walked past the teeny tiny containers that always come with storage containers but are hardly useful, I thought about making a few noisemakers for the girls. It took all of 2 seconds (really, grab the stuff and shake) to make and the girls loved them!

When I grabbed the colors I was thinking I was grabbing pink and teal, but honestly the dark blue and purple I ended up getting were pretty. I added 3 drops. It might have been a little overkill if I wanted lighter colors, but I wanted to make sure I had enough to color all the rice, and past experience said that was more than you’d think because the rice just sucks up the color. I didn’t have to add any color, I know; but I figured that a) the rice wasn’t edible anyway, and b) why not? Colors are fun.

I taped them closed. Never trust a toddler to keep a lid on! I was not in the mood to clean up colored rice all day. The colors actually turned out well, although this picture is slightly too exposed to really show it.

I considered making 4 instead of 2 because the girls kept stealing them for each other because the containers are small enough to fit in one hand, so they’d shake each container in one hand but then their sister would steal them back, etc. But they got along well enough passing them back and forth that I didn’t worry about it.

They really liked the cause and effect aspect of shaking the containers; liking that when they shook them something (noise) happened. And adding the colors made it fun, but also meant I could talk about how they were different – one was blue and one was purple. I mean, they really didn’t care, but maybe subconsciously they’re building new synapses. Truth is, I like color.

Dear Reader,

My kids love to play in boxes. I think all children love playing with boxes. Give a child an expensive toy and they tend to want to play in the box.

With all the diapers I have bought over the years there is always a box every couple of weeks. The fun thing about boxes is that it could be anything.

It could be a boat, a cradle for a baby, or even a robot’s head. The possibilities are only as limited as you and your child’s imaginations.

Another option is to give your child something to color with and let them loose on the box.

Be prepared for your boxes to be destroyed, whether by accident or on purpose. Don’t let your kids play with any boxes that you want to keep.

As I stated earlier, you can play with your kids and the boxes or let them play by themselves. This is a great activity they can do with self directed play.

Dear Reader,

I confess that the idea for this activity really came spur of the moment. I’d been keeping these coins as a prize system for a certain stubborn preschooler who needed a little motivation to go potty, and we had finally gotten past the need for a reward system (translation: Mommy is over rewarding something that should be standard procedure by now), so the jar was just sitting on the shelf, waiting for me to come up with a different need for plastic tokens. When I walked past it today while cleaning my house, I thought, eh, “I’ll let the toddlers play with these.If I’m watching them (the coins are easily inserted in mouths while backs are turned), I bet they’ll have fun!

It was definitely more of a hit than I anticipated. I ended up sitting and watching them play with these coins for easily 20 minutes, but probably close to a half an hour!

They even took turns reaching into the jar! Bonus skill! I guess I could say I planned that, I mean the jar is only big enough for 1 little hand to fit inside, and there were about 12 coins total so enough for them to still have something to do and hold while the other is putting coins in or pulling them out. I totally didn’t though. Maybe they did so well at taking turns because it was right as they woke up from a nap. Either way, I was kind of impressed and in awe at how well and how long they played with something so basic as plastic coins in a half-pint jar. I guess it just emphasizes the fact that play can happen with just about anything. No need to spend big green or hours of time. Once you start looking for ways to spark intentional learning experiences for your kids, the whole world takes on a new unexpected light.

I will definitely say that has been my favorite part of this activity challenge: anticipating the joy of a toddler, intentionally playing with or introducing something new to your children, embracing little moments – all of this has made me start looking at even simple things things with a new light.

Dear Readers

My kids love watching Ice melt. I think it would be rather boring, but they are constantly asking to have some ice to melt. Sure they don’t always stay in one place while it melts, but they love to play with the ice by setting it out on the hot pavement.

This activity is a sensory science experiment. Toddlers are called little scientists because they are constantly experimenting on their environment to learn how things work.

While simple, you can talk with them about how the ice goes from a solid to a liquid. This is something they can witness for themselves.

The great thing is that all you have to have is ice. Little to no preparation is involved, and it entertains them from anywhere between 5-20 min.

Dear reader

I saw this idea on Pinterest and I really wanted to buy some colored tape! I know, it’s a total splurge, especially when the whole point is to let babies play with it, but I could just see them having so much fun with it! I mean it definitely needed some tweaking and it definitely needed supervision to prevent tape getting wrapped around necks, but masking tape tears easily so I wasn’t that worried.

So I found some on Amazon (no, I’m not an affiliate, I ordered this at full price, I liked it, and I’m passing that info on) and I couldn’t wait to find a way to use it! I don’t know why I’m so much in love, it’s just tape. But colors make me happy.

Knowing I don’t have a radiator to put it on like in the picture, I searched my house for a safe place to put it. I didn’t want to risk losing paint on any walls or furniture, and my house is in a constant state of construction (for wayyyyyyy too long!) So I decided I’d use my vinyl deck rails. If you want to do this activity I highly suggest you consider the best place. I’m sure you can find some place in your house, but with the last warm days looming over us, the deck had an extra pull, anyway.

I remembered how chaotic it was when I set up the spider web so I definitely waited until naptime to set this up, and of course I put it in rainbow order. Not only because it’s so visually pleasing but because it makes a hidden learning experience. Especially when I got my preschooler involved!

This activity kept them entertained for a surprisingly long time! They’d run off for a second or two and then come back and rip off another patch of another color. And when they’d get a whole strip, they’d play with that strip, on their hands, on their shirts, or even just getting it stuck to their feet.

I would definitely call the activity a win! And now I have a lot more tape in fun colors to do it again! I’ve got cubbies in my front room that I think would be a good indoor place to play. Or even the fridge. I’m sure there’s a lot of ways we can adapt this activity. If you do it, please send me some pics!