Tot School Supplies and Activities

Last week I shared what I will be doing with my almost 2 year old. Today I want to share with you some of the activities and supplies you can use that go with the themes I mentioned last week. Here are some of my favorite supplies for little ones:

Stickers

Water beads

Dot a Dot Markers

Animal Bingo Game

Pom poms

Playdoh (this may not happen quite yet with Baby Girl, as she it still bad about trying to eat things!)

Large crayons

Chunky and peg puzzles

Finger Paint 

Normal Art Supplies (construction paper, glue, etc)

Books and Activities:

Farm Theme

With this theme I want focus on animal vocabulary and the sounds the animals make. 

Books: Little Blue Truck, Going to Sleep on the Farm, Touch and Feel Farm Animals, The Very Busy Spider

Activities: farm animal puzzle,  farm animal Little People play, animal stickers (along with other art supplies for motor skill activities, farm sensory play, farm animal part of the Animal Bingo Game

Colors

I will teach what the colors are, but my main focus is for Baby girl to recognize like colored items.

Books: Usborne Colors Play book, A Color of His Own

Activities

Pom pom sort, Finger paint, Construction paper art (cut paper into pieces and let toddler glue them where they like), make a fruit loop necklace, Dot a Dot painting page

Zoo

The reason this one is here, is that I believe this will be about the time we do a field trip at a zoo. I would love for her to know some of the animal names and sounds they make. 

Books: Goodnight Gorilla, Sesame Street At the Zoo, Animal Sound Treasury Book

Activities:

Zoo play with stuffed animals, Construction paper/paper plate animal craft, Animal from Dot a Dot painting page, Animal sensory play, zoo animal part of the Animal Bingo Game

Pumpkins

Little Man will probably do some pumpkin science and learning during this time, as well, so this is a great time for them to get to learn together!

Books: I have several little Autumn time books with Winnie the Pooh, Clifford, and such. I bring them out during this time up until Thanksgiving, so we will probably read some of those. I don't have a specific pumpkin book, so we might borrow one from the library. 

Activities: Explore a pumpkin (sensory play with seeds and guts. You can also put this in a ziplock bag for those little ones too grossed out, or if you want to keep it less messy), Paint a pumpkin, Pumpkin craft

Fall/Thanksgiving

November is often busy with gearing up for the upcoming holidays that I wanted to make this time as simple as possible. I want to focus on the thought of saying 'thank-you' for things. 

Books: Similar to Pumpkin Theme, Bear Says Thanks

Activities: Nature walk to gather leaves, leaf rubbings, make a turkey place mat, Fall sticker activity ( I have Thanksgiving themed stickers that Baby Girl will use on construction paper). 

Christmas

Again, this is a busy time! It's at this time I will be pulling out the Shepherd on the Search and both Little Man and Baby Girl will be doing activities with him. The focus this month will be on the reason for the season-Jesus!

Books: Who's Coming to Our House? ( I love this book!), Little Truck's Christmas, Story books of the first Christmas

Activities: Gingerbread house, Christmas tree sticker activity , Little People Manger play, handmade Christmas crafts for Grandparents

Body Parts and Getting Dressed

The focus here will be on vocabulary (arms, legs, belly, nose, eyes, etc.) also learning some independent skills, like putting clothes on herself

Books: My First Body Book (Little Man will be going through this at the same time, so they can look at this book together), Sesame Street I can Dress Myself, What will you wear today?

Activities: Identify body parts using stickers, sing 'head shoulders knees and toes', Work on dressing herself, Mellissa and Doug dress up magnet activity

Fairy Tales and Dress-up

Purely fun, but I thought this would be a great time to read classic fairy tales, watch Beauty and the Beast (for the 100th time) and let her play dress up. It will be winter time, so it will be fun to have some movie days and indoor play! 

Books: Fairy Tale Treasury Book (we have a version that I can't find a link to), She also has some Disney Princess Board Books, That's not my Princess

Activities, Melissa and Doug Dress up magnet activity, play dress up with scarves, shoes, and tiara (this may be some Christmas gifts!), movie day with Fairy Tale movie, and help mom with a snack to go with it!

Hearts/Love

There are so many cute valentine crafts for this age! Talk about love and not only how much I as a parent love her, but also how much Jesus Loves her. Motor skills and knowing a heart shape is the focus for this theme. 

Books: I Love You

Activities: Heart googly eye craft, heart sticker activity, learn 'Jesus loves me'

Grocery Store

Simple counting, sorting, and vocabulary building will be this themes focus. I am sure Little Man will want to join in, and we can add some adding/subtracting and counting money to this for him. 

Books: Toddler Counting books (I may have one or two of these. May need to do a library run for this theme!)

Activities: Set up play kitchen to be a grocery store, make a simple 'grocery list' and see if toddler can find the objects, do some fun counting activities with both food items and other items in the toy room

Rainbows

Colors is our focus here. Even though it was covered earlier in the year, it will be good to focus on it again.

Books: Noah's Ark story in Bible Book, look at weather section in Nature Anatomy

Activities: Dot A Dot page, Pom pom rainbow, Fruit loop Rainbow, Finger paint, rainbow in a bag

Weather

We will most likely be focusing on this with Little Man as well. Things like water cycle and cloud formation will be above her head, but she can still participate in some of the activities.

Books: Magic School Bus Weather, How do you say it today, Jessie Bear (seasons book), Nature Anatomy

Activities: Handprint Seasons craft, shaving cream cloud play, cotton ball cloud craft

Bugs

Again, we are getting to the point where Little Man's nature studies and Baby Girl's themes collide (less work on mom, right?!). Vocabulary building and sensory play are the focus for this week

Books: Usborne lift a flap bug book, A very hungry caterpillar, Bug nature books that Little Man has

Activities: Bug counter sensory play, nature walk to look for bugs, bug craft, butterfly craft, Bug part of the Animal Bingo game

Gardening

This is about the time I should be planting my garden, and there won't be many activities this time around, outside of being outside and helping mom plant, water, and weed the garden. 

Books: Springtime board books

Ocean and the Beach

Lord willing, we will be planning a trip to the beach for the summer, so I thought this would be the perfect way to end our Tot School. Sensory play, vocabulary building, learning about fish and ocean creatures will be the main focus for this theme

Books: Shine a Light ocean book (Little Man will need to help with this), Under the Sea with Me

Activities: cupcake liner fish craft, Dot a Dot picture, sea shell and water bead sensory play, Blue ocean salt painting

Follow me on Pinterest to see more Tot School activities! Be sure to tag me on Instagram if you wind up following my Tot School Schedule this year. I would love to see your learning at home journey!

Note: Amazon Links are affiliated. 

Little Kids in Big Church

Our church is quite small, and Little man is one of the few (and sometimes the only) little one his age. I haven't really liked the idea of having someone miss worship service to watch my one kid, so I have opted, since he was born, just to keep him with me. Something that was almost necessity, has become something I'm starting to feel quite strong about. At the very least, it's become something I quite enjoy.  I really enjoyed reading this article, and when the time comes and Little Man is old enough for children's chapel, I may make the decision for him just to remain with me.
It's been a learning experience, to say the least, with having him sit (or stand) quietly where he is. I'm no where near perfect, and he's nowhere near perfect. Just recently I had to take him out, when he wanted to whine-loudly. If you are a part of a small church like me, or perhaps you would just rather have your little one with you, here are some tips and activities for little ones from baby to toddler.

Baby-6 months:
I didn't know when I had it good! This stage is easy and hard at the same time. Babies cry, sleep, get hungry sometimes when it's the least convenient. The best thing at this stage is getting a schedule for your baby that will allow you to sit through church. It doesn't always happen, and my husband and I would swap Sunday Morning/Night Service, so that we got at least one a piece. What worked for me was letting Little Man nurse and nap during Sunday School, and be awake during church.

6-12 months:
Things get easier at this point, at least in predicting your baby's schedule. It's also easier than the future, entertaining your baby. At this stage I had touch and feel soft and board books and quiet baby toys. Here are some of my favorite books:


I also liked the 'Is that my..." series from Usborne, for touch and feel books. These are still entertaining him today!

12-24 months:
Here is the hardest time to quietly entertain, in my opinion. One of the things that helps is when you read your child a story, make sure they sit for the entire thing. This will get them used to being quiet and letting someone else talk. At this point they are more likely to start getting bored with just looking at books, but too little for more of the toddler quiet play. Things like stickers, crayons, quiet toys, Cars, little people, etc. are good for this stage. And I'm going to own up to this-but my child ate plenty of those Puffs during this stage! Those things can keep them busy!

2-3 years:
Ahhhhh....We are back to an easier stage! You might be thinking, "What about the 'Terrible 2's tantrums?" I'm not saying it's always great, but at this stage, your child should know when you mean business, and know that church is not the place to get very loud. Also, when you take your child to the nursery if they act up, make them sit in the chair with you and not let them get up. Then the nursery will not seem like the fun option during church. They will want to go back to the pew where they can at least play with their toys! Here are some of my favorite quiet toys and activities:
I love the little 'go' packs from the dollar store. They have a lot of the Disney movies that my son likes.
Also at the Dollar Tree they have those sticker scenes that can entertain for a long amount of time!
Pipe cleaner activity

*My son loves the Water wow!! This entertains him for a long time!
This can be paired with books, stickers, legos, cars, etc. I have a church bag that I try to change out each week so that there is something new and exciting. I also have a few things that he only does at church, so it feels special

4-6 years
Here are the unknown years for me, but I can tell you what my parents did for me and my siblings, and what I plan to do with my little boy. At this point, especially if they are being schooled (by you or elsewhere), they should know how to sit and be still. Because they still haven't reached the point of finding sermons very interesting, coloring books, tracers, and sticker books are really great. Most of these things allow you to listen to what is being said. I was six when I came to know the Lord, so I can tell you that little ears hear more than you give them credit for! Also, make learning about the Bible something you learn about every day in your home. My little boy is not yet 3 and he will tell me when he hears a familiar name or story being told by the preacher. The key is not only making your child quiet so others can hear, but the activity not so engaging that they don't hear what's being said.

7+
I believe that once a child gets saved, it's very important that they listen to the sermon. After they join the church, they are just as much a member as anyone else. This is key growing and maturing time for them. This means that you need to make church going, and Bible time at home a priority, if you want your child to see it as such.
That being said, this is a good time for sermon note taking. When they are just learning to read and write, maybe they can draw a picture of what is being preached about, and maybe a sentence or two of what they learned. The sentences can get longer and the drawings can become more doodle-ish (I myself am a doodle note taker. It helps me to think!).

So there you go. Some tips on helping your child stay with you during church. Of course, I am not against children's chapel (my son went just this last week!), and if you feel like you need to then by all means. I will encourage you to ask your child what they learned and have them pay attention in class. God's Word is so important, and teaching your children young is so important! Let me know what you do to keep your child with you in church.

Peppa Pig Party for Boys...on a Budget!

My son loves Peppa Pig, but unfortunately for those of us in the US, it can be challenging to find Peppa party supplies for girls, let alone for boys! Pinterest was scoured, my thinking cap put on, and a thorough search made for Peppa supplies around our town.  If you are like me, with a little boy who adores Peppa Pig, but limited on supplies and money, here is the post for you.

Party Supplies

If you've read my post on how to save money on birthday parties , then you'll know that one of the ways I save money, is by buying just a few things on theme, and for the rest, just buy things in the colors that go with it. This time, I decided to use yellow, blue, and red. These colors are very prevelant on Peppa, and great for a boy. None of our big stores carried Peppa party supplies, and I didn't want to buy the entire set (or pay shipping!). I found a few things at a local party store, and bought cups, plates, and a banner. I only bought cups and plates for the little ones, and bought the rest in solid colors.

Cake

I am normally a DIYer with the cake, but to say that the cake was a disaster would be an understatement. We wound up getting a plain cake with border from Albertsons, and I piped the decorations on top and added the Peppa figures. My son thought it was the most amazing cake ever, and it wound up being economical and simple. I also made some homemade cupcakes with themed colored icing.

Party Favors

I didn't get any pictures of this, but I found an 8 pack of bubbles on sale that had the colors I was going for. It only cost me $2 or $3 and then I printed out this printable I found online , cut around the pink border and glued it onto some card stock in the color scheme I was using. I wrote "thank you" on the back, punched a hole, and put it together with some curling ribbon. I had favors for just a few cents per kid!

Party Food

I only went on theme for a few things. The cake, cupcakes, and muddy puddle pudding! It made it look cute, but I didn't have to invest a lot of time or creativity.  We had the party in the afternoon, so I only did desserts. Pinterest does have some cute ideas (pigs in a blanket, anyone?) on savory food ideas.

Other

My son had a George shirt, as well as a George stuffed toy. We had some balloons, and some wooden letters that spelled TWO to complete the decorations. If you want big and extravagant, there are certainly some great ideas to achieve that. However, if you are going for cute, but on budget, I hope I have helped give you some ideas!

Toddler Tested Summer Toys

I am starting a new 'Toddler Tested' series. Today's post will be about toys that my son has played with and really enjoyed. Hopefully this helps you figure out some fairly inexpensive ways to entertain your kid this summer! I am not paid by any of these companies, so you are getting my true honest opinion.

Bubble Mower

This thing. This toy has been played with, and played with, and played with! If you read my post about things to do with pre-toddlers ,then you will know that bubbles are a big hit around here. Add a tot sized mower that my son can push around and bubbles come out, and you have a complete winner! You can find it at Walmart for $15.  It comes with an itty bitty amount of bubble mixture, but a small amount lasts pretty well. I must add, the brand of bubbles it comes with, is the brand of bubbles you want to use to refill. I tried some that I already had, and although it worked, it didn't work as well. No worries though, the brand it uses is very inexpensive!

Splash Mat

I am from the south, and it gets hot. I mean 90 degrees in May kind of hot! Water is always a go to on hot humid days. This next toy was found last year at a garage sale or resale shop, still new in the box for a whole dollar! Unfortunately this particular splash mat is no longer in stock, but there are some similar on amazon. If you want something where your toddler can cool down, a small pool, sprinkler, or splash mat can do the trick!

Chalk Bucket

This next toy can be found at your local Walmart for $10. Sidewalk chalk for ten dollars? Hear me out, this is not your ordinary chalk bucket! This includes stencils, various colors and shapes (eggs, balls, 'paintbrush', etc.), and various chalk holders to draw with. It's really cool and really fun! I love the very bright colors. I am just going to admit this here: I enjoy this toy as much as Little Man!So if you don't mind your toddler 'helping' you color your highly artistic endeavors, this is a great bonding toy!

Other tried and true toys:

Balls

Big dump trucks

Various kinds of Bubbles

What are some of your toddler's tried and enjoyed summer toys? I would love to hear! 

Next post will be on Toddler tested Pinterest ideas. 

Summer Ideas for Pre-Toddlers

Last year Little man had mastered crawling, pulling up on things, and coasting from furniture to furniture, however, he hadn't quite learned to walk yet. Just a few months shy of his first birthday (which is early September), I was very excited about him experiencing his first summer. I scoured Pinterest for ideas, but came up (almost) empty. He was too mobile for the baby ideas, but not mobile enough for the toddler ideas. It was time for me to get creative, and now I'm here to share things I did with you! Happy summer!

Water Fun

All you need is a large plastic container or bowl, fill halfway with water, and throw in baby's bath or swim toys, and watch the fun (doesn't have to be bath toys, but just things that won't get damaged or rust)! 

I like this idea because it's cheap, cool, and most importantly fun! Warning: Child may dump entire container out at some point! He/she will probably still enjoy splashing and playing in the puddles. 

Bubbles

You can't go wrong with this! And at this point, they don't want to blow the bubbles themselves, so you can go get a few of the 94 cent long wand ones at Walmart. Little man likes to blow and dip the wand himself, so mess and design of the bottle has to be considered now before purchase(so he doesn't dump it out in the first two minutes of playing!).
It out. 

Interactive Museums

Yes, your Pre-Toddler can enjoy museums! We took Little Man to one when he was 10 months, and he loved interacting with the different exhibits. Obviously, he couldn't do everything or appreciate everything, but he still had a great time. Most of the time babies and toddlers 2 and under are free, so it's relatively inexpensive. If you have older kids it's a great thing to do as a family, as kids of all ages enjoy interactive museums

Sensory Play

I have a love hate relationship with this notion. If you look up things for babies and toddlers to do, you will find pins upon pins of sensory play ideas. For me, the less mess the better, so I put some of Little man's teething toys in the freezer, and put it in a container with other mess free items, and he could enjoy cool, low mess fun. Colored foam, indoor sand, colored cool whip...nope! Not for me! I am now a bit more adventurous in the mess making category, but I still like it to be contained, and one thing at a time. 

Other Sensory Play I've done:

Pot and pans with big spoons. 

Stacking containers

I've also put items in plastic water bottles. All time favorite for littles!

Other ideas:

The Park

Swimming 

Walks

Swinging

All of these are perhaps 'no-brainers', however, I love summer bucket lists, and wanted to make one available to you. Soon I would like to post about things for Toddlers to do during the summer. 

What would you add to the list? I would love to hear!

My Favorite Non-Toy Gifts for Toddlers

My son's Christmas haul. Lots of great non-toy gifts!

Are you like me and have buckets, and buckets of toys, that no matter how many times you organize it always seems to be messy? Little man was born in September, so less than 3 months later was Christmas. For his birthday, he got so many toys! So many in fact, that I put many of them back, and got them out a little at a time. When Christmas started getting closer, I started thinking about ways to not get so many toys. I wondered if my family would be offended if I asked for them to not give toys as gifts, but it wound up that they all respected and followed what I asked. Something I did do, was give suggestions, and created a wish list on Amazon of things they could get. I let them know it didn't have to be that specific thing I put on the wish list, but perhaps something similar. As I said before, my wishes were respected, and Little man had a wonderful Christmas with 5 toys total, and lots of puzzles, art supplies, clothes, etc. Here are some of my favorite non-toy gifts that my son got, or that perhaps I would like to have.

Melissa and Doug Puzzles

There are so many great Melissa and Doug Puzzles, but I have pictured here a couple of my favorites. My son loves these, and asks for them often. Melissa and Doug have a great selection of play activities that for the most part, don't have loud annoying tech, but instead feel educational.

Books!

If you are like our family, you can never get too many books. The book pictured here is one of my son's favorites right now. He loves making all the animal and truck sounds. Books are a great inexpensive option for family members, and there are so many to choose from. You might give some options of some you've been wanting. 

Mess-Free Art

Toddlers are messy. Period. However, painting with water is pretty much a mess free activity. I normally get one of my son's bowls, and put just about a tablespoon of water in it. If it spills, it's not a big deal, and at least it's water!

Another great mess free option is mess-free markers and coloring pages. I will say though, my son is 18 months, and because the markers take a second to 'see' the color, he gets bored quickly. I feel like he will enjoy it more in the future. He does have fun putting the markers in and out of the box though. Whatever keeps him entertained! 

Messy Art

Little Man doesn't have a lot of this, but for Easter, we are doing an art themed basket with finger paints, paper, and sidewalk chalk (which I'll talk about in a minute). I am excited to see his artistic juices flow, all over my kitchen table most likely!

Outside Activities

Chalk, bubbles, cars, balls, the options are endless! My son loves to play outside, and it's nice to have things to keep him busy. However, my son finds just as much enjoyment playing with rocks and sticks as he does the things I buy for him. I think that's how it's supposed to be though. 

Other Options

Some other things that aren't toys but make great gifts are passes. Passes to the zoo, museum, aquarium, water park, etc. Experience coupons are also great gifts that the grandparent might want to give. They take them somewhere, and maybe you can get a date night on top of it. Win-win situation!

As you can see, however much I've tried to keep this gender neutral, I'm sure I'm missing some girl centered things. What are your suggestions for girly non-toy gifts?

Hope this helps for the next birthday, Christmas, whatever. Just give this link to family and friends, and maybe you'll end up with less noisy, space-taking toys!

10 Signs Your Baby Has Become a Toddler

Wonder if you'll realize when your baby is no longer such a little baby and into the toddler stage? Here are some indicators you should watch for:

1.  You have a constant shadow every where you go. The kitchen, the laundry room,  the bathroom...everywhere.
2. Talking about pee pee and poo poo is a totally normal conversation.
3. Rejoicing when said pee pee or poo poo goes into the potty, and you lavish rewards (and your husband asks why he doesn't get those kinds of rewards! Ha!)
4. It's a normal day if you say 'Don't lick you shoe/floor!' and 'Don't eat that rock!' , but struggle with them eating green beans, or basically anything 'normal'.
5. When you hear The Flash, you don't think about the super hero, but your little one going from floor to the couch, to the TV all in one second.
6. Great ambitions, like coloring, painting, crafting, etc. never end up like you imagined. Your child is probably playing with the brushes and containers, and you are doing the craft.
7. Cleaning the house is a relative term. The cleaner the house gets, the messier it is. You cleaned out the dishwasher, and he/she has cleaned out their entire box of toys, and strewn out the basket of laundry that needs sorting all over the floor.
8. You have added many new words to your vocabulary, some which involve grunts, gestures, and weird throat noises.
9. You wonder how they can say 'mama' so many times in so few seconds.
10. You feel as if you are raising a teenager instead of a toddler. They are happy, then sad, then angry, then silly: in the same hour!

Does this make you nervous about your still non-mobile, precious baby turning into a toddler? Don't be! I have told many people that this stage is probably my favorite so far. They are always discovering new things and sounds. Even if the words 'pee pee' or 'poo poo' are in the sentence, at least you can now converse with your baby! My little man is amazing, and I am so thankful for getting to experience this stage in his life. He is able to reciprocate love back to me, and although that's not necessary for my love, it is a very nice bonus to motherhood! Here is one more toddlerism:

They give the absolute best hugs in the world!

What clues did you have that your baby had become a toddler?

Toddler Meal Ideas

This post will be what my son ate yesterday, with some additional ideas and tips. My son is a picky eater, which is no surprise since his dad and I were both picky eaters as children. I remember my mom used to make hamburger casserole and sneak in mixed veggies, so that I (and my other siblings) would eat veggies.

I was one of those moms. You know, the one that wouldn't let my kid eat sweets until his first birthday, licked the salt off the french fry before giving it to him so that he wouldn't be taking in too much sodium, made sure he got only breast milk before 6 months (a.k.a. first time mom), and even then watched what he ate. So you can imagine that the fact that my little one only wants to eat cookies and french fries is a bit sad. Thankfully he still nurses twice during the day and once at night, which ensures he is taking in some nutrients. I am not going to sit and lie and say that I only feed my kid healthy meals, but I hope to show you some 'real' meals that you can feed  a picky toddler.

Breakfast

Cream of Wheat sweetened with GoGo Squeeze fruit and veggies. 

Sneak attempt #1. My little man loves the little squeeze packs, so I use it to sweeten foods, and also as a side for when we are eating something that is questionably healthy. 

Other breakfast meal ideas: waffle/pancakes (I know, I know, not very healthy! My little man loves to 'dip' this in syrup, so I do feed this to him sometimes. I think it's all about balance.), oatmeal, yogurt and fruit. Remember to check yogurt to see how much sugar is in the cup. If you are trying to watch their sugar intake, get a yogurt with low sugar. Even better: buy plain yogurt, sweeten it yourself, and add fruit!

Leftover homemade Empanada with apple slices.

Lunch

Little man loves apple slices, so that's what I feed him. I have tried other fruits, and although he will eat some, this is very economical and good for him. Plus, I know he will eat it! Besides leftovers, here are some other lunch options: pb and j, cheese toast, cheese cubes and crackers, etc. with some fruit or veggie on the side.

Lima beans and whole wheat toast

Supper

In an attempt to 'keep it real', I will admit that about two or three beans were eaten, while the toast was gobbled up. Most nights, Little Man just eats whatever we are eating that evening. Not only does this put pressure on me to cook something healthy, but it also puts a variety of foods in front of my son. I do this in hopes that one day green beans will seem more appetizing!

What are some meals you feed your toddler? How do you sneak fruits/veggies in their meals? Would you like to see more posts like this, or do you have suggestions for other parenting topics? Let me know!